Past Research Projects
American Badgers
MSc student Danielle Ethier
completed her degree in 2010, having
studied the jacksoni subspecies of American badger, which is
endangered both
provincially and federally. Habitat fragmentation
has been suggested as a major problem for badgers.
We sought to know: Does fragmentation reduce
connectivity for badgers or is the landscape
matrix
a permeable one? Under the co-supervision of Chris Kyle at
Trent,
Danielle took a genetic and biogeochemical approach to determine
historic and current movement patterns of badgers in
Ontario, using claw tissue as dietary
archive.
This research was made
possible by collaboration with Kurt Kyser
at Queen's University.
-- For much more information, see Danielle's website on Ontario Badgers --
Chimney Swifts
Leah
Finity completed her MSc in 2011 and examined whether
Chimney Swifts, a Threatened species, were limited by food and/or habitat.
To do this, Leah conducted an experiment to examine habitat selection
patterns at provisioned habitat (artificial towers). Also, in collaboration
with Queen's University, University of Ottawa, and Thompson Rivers
University, she helped examine a fecal archive to determine if diet has
changed over a 50-year period.
American White Pelicans
Dr. Matt Reudink
conducted his postdoc research to determine the dispersal
networks of a species with a quickly expanding range: the
American White Pelican (a provincially threatened species).
Matt examined
linkages between pelican colonies in North America by
means of genetic and biogeochemical assays. This project was
in collaboration with Chris Kyle at Trent University,
Kurt Kyser at Queen's University, and Chris
Somers at the University of Regina. Although Matt
now enjoys a tenure-track faculty position at
Thompson Rivers University (check
out his website), there are several manuscripts forthcoming.
-- Also, see Matt's website on Ontario Pelicans
--
Eastern Moles
Louise Ritchie
completed a two-year internship (i.e., served as an
invaluable technician), who did "all of the above" and assisted in
all projects in the lab. However, in addition to this, she
was in charge of her own projects. She began a
detailed study of Eastern moles in the Point Pelee
region, the only site in Canada where this federal species of
special concern is found. She sought to determine what
limited their distribution to the Pelee region (see relevant
manuscript here) and to describe their activity patterns in relation to habitat features.
Chimney Swifts
Leah
Finity completed her MSc in 2011 and examined whetherChimney Swifts, a Threatened species, were limited by food and/or habitat.
To do this, Leah conducted an experiment to examine habitat selection
patterns at provisioned habitat (artificial towers). Also, in collaboration
with Queen's University, University of Ottawa, and Thompson Rivers
University, she helped examine a fecal archive to determine if diet has
changed over a 50-year period.
American White Pelicans
Dr. Matt Reudink
conducted his postdoc research to determine the dispersal
networks of a species with a quickly expanding range: the
American White Pelican (a provincially threatened species).
Matt examined
linkages between pelican colonies in North America by
means of genetic and biogeochemical assays. This project was
in collaboration with Chris Kyle at Trent University,
Kurt Kyser at Queen's University, and Chris
Somers at the University of Regina. Although Matt
now enjoys a tenure-track faculty position at
Thompson Rivers University (check
out his website), there are several manuscripts forthcoming.Eastern Moles
Louise Ritchie
completed a two-year internship (i.e., served as an
invaluable technician), who did "all of the above" and assisted in
all projects in the lab. However, in addition to this, she
was in charge of her own projects. She began a
detailed study of Eastern moles in the Point Pelee
region, the only site in Canada where this federal species of
special concern is found. She sought to determine what
limited their distribution to the Pelee region (see relevant
manuscript here) and to describe their activity patterns in relation to habitat features.