Year: 2024, 2024
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Bonar, Maegwin, Thesis advisor (ths): Northrup, Joseph M, Thesis advisor (ths): Shafer, Aaron BA, Degree committee member (dgc): Koen, Erin, Degree committee member (dgc): Schaefer, James, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>Animal migrations are ubiquitous and one of the most threatened ecological processes globally. Because of the multifaceted nature of migration – seasonal movements between home ranges – it can be difficult to tease apart the underlying mechanisms influencing this behaviour. It is necessary to understand these mechanisms, not only to deepen our fundamental understanding of migration in… more Full Text: The ecology and evolution of animal migration – an integrative approach to the drivers of phenotypic variation A dissertation submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy …
Year: 2022, 2022
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Species are faced with a variety of challenges in the environment, including natural challenges, such as variability in ambient temperature, and anthropogenic threats, such as habitat transformation associated with urbanisation. Understanding how animals respond to these kinds of challenges can advance the field of behavioural ecology and guide management decisions for wild species. Yet… more Full Text: Behavioural ecology and population dynamics of freshwater turtles in a semi-urban landscape at their northern range limit A Dissertation Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of …
Year: 2022, 2022
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Mining and resource development are growing industries in the Arctic, resulting in increased conflict with wildlife. Best practices for mitigation require an understanding of the potential ecological effects. One such effect concerns the flooding of terrestrial bird habitat from dewatering of lakes during mining pit development. I first assessed the efficacy of bird deterrents to… more Full Text: ASSESSING AND MITIGATING THE IMPACTS OF MINING-INDUCED FLOODING ON ARCTIC-NESTING BIRDS A Thesis submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of Arts and …
Year: 2021, 2021
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Arctic ecosystems are increasingly altered by climate change, and some wildlife species, like moose, are adapting to these new conditions. Indigenous knowledge and values, such as those held by Inuit, can provide insight into adaptive wildlife management and may improve ecosystem resiliency. This thesis seeks to address the following question: What is the potential role of Indigenous… more Full Text: Managing Through Change: Indigenous knowledge, climate change and the case of moose in Nunatsiavut A thesis submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Faculty of Arts …
Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Munro, Keith, Thesis advisor (ths): Patterson, Brent R, Thesis advisor (ths): Pond, Bruce A, Degree committee member (dgc): Schaefer, James, Degree committee member (dgc): Bowman, Jeff, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>The primary method used to maintain white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations at densities that are ecologically, economically, socially, and culturally sustainable is hunter harvest. This method considers only the removal of animals from the population (the direct effect) and does not conventionally consider the costs imposed on deer as they adopt hunter avoidance… more Full Text: White-Tailed Fear: The Human-Created Landscape of Fear and its Effect on WhiteTailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) Behaviour. A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of …
Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Detecting relevant and meaningful patterns from the complex, interconnected network of relationships between organisms and their environment is a primary objective of ecology. Ecological patterns occur across multiple scales of space and time. In this dissertation, I examine aspects of environmental structure that influence a species' distribution and are expressed in that species… more Full Text: ENVIRONMENTAL STRUCTURE, MORPHOLOGY, AND SPATIAL ECOLOGY OF THE FIVE-LINED SKINK (PLESTIODON FASCIATUS) AT HIGH LATITUDE RANGE LIMITS A dissertation submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of …
Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The forestry sector has a well-developed history of using remote sensing to identify structural characteristics of forests and to detect and attribute changes that occur in forested landscapes. Monitoring the recovery of disturbed forests is an important factor in long term forest management. However, forest that is recovered spectrally may not be recovered when considered in terms of a… more Full Text: Interpretation of forest harvest recovery using field-based and spectral metrics in a Landsat time series in Northwestern Ontario A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of …
Year: 2019, 2019
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>While the harvest of mammals is monitored in each jurisdiction across Canada and the USA, there has been no analysis of this wild harvest at a continental scale across North America. The recreational wild harvest of large mammals varies geographically across North America, and I hypothesized that this variation is influenced by both anthropogenic and other environmental factors on the… more Full Text: THE EFFECTS OF GEOGRAPHIC FACTORS ON THE WILD HARVEST OF LARGE MAMMALS ACROSS NORTH AMERICA A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of Arts and …
Year: 2019, 2019
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>This thesis focused on expanding knowledge of Hybomitra, Chrysops and Tabanus (Diptera: Tabanidae) distributions north of Lake Nipigon, Ontario, in a managed boreal forest. As land use and climate changes accelerate, there is increased pressure to increase knowledge from which to monitor changes. In 2011 and 2012, 8928 individuals representing, 44 species were captured using sweep… more Full Text: THE SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DISTRIBUTION OF TABANID (CHRYSOPS, HYBOMITRA AND TABANUS) SPECIES IN THE NAKINA DISTRICT OF NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of …
Year: 2019, 2019
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Predation risk can elicit a range of responses in prey, but to date little is known about breadth of potential responses that may arise under realistic field conditions and how such responses are linked, leaving a fragmented picture of risk-related consequences on individuals. We increased predation risk in free-ranging snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) during two consecutive summers by… more Full Text: The cascading effects of risk in the wild: how snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) respond to the threat of predation A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy …
Year: 2019, 2019
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Bees (clade Anthophila), are poorly studied in northern Canada, as these regions can be difficult to access and have a short growing season. This study examined bees from two such regions: Ontario's Far North, and Akimiski Island, Nunavut. I present this study as the largest biogeographical study of bees performed in these remote areas to enhance knowledge of northern native bees. I… more Full Text: The Diversity, Biogeography, and Functional Traits of Native Bees from Ontario’s Far North and Akimiski Island, Nunavut A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science …
Year: 2018, 2018
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Hunting represents the principal tool for managing populations of migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus), but harvest may be affected by landscape features that govern animal distribution and hunter access. Such effects are unclear. I capitalized on an existing dataset of 21 355 caribou harvest records, 1980 – 2009, to determine the influence of landscape features on caribou harvest… more Full Text: THE INFLUENCE OF LANDSCAPE FEATURES ON THE HARVEST OF CARIBOU (Rangifer tarandus) ON THE ISLAND OF NEWFOUNDLAND A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the …
Year: 2017, 2017
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Stopover ecology is a topic that surges in relevancy as choices made by migrants during stationary periods (stopover sites) may not only have important individuals' fitness consequences but also can affect population dynamics. I used MOTUS automated telemetry array to study fall stopover duration of Blackpoll Warbler (BLPW) and departure decisions of BLPW and Canada Warbler (CAWA)… more Full Text: STOPOVER MOVEMENT PATTERNS BY BLACKPOLL AND CANADA WARBLERS ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN CANADA DURING FALL MIGRATION: AN AUTOMATED RADIO-TELEMETRY STUDY A Thesis submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the …
Year: 2017, 2017
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Biological differences between island and mainland conspecifics have been well studied, but few studies have addressed differences in stress physiology. Stressors, such as predation and competition for resources, cause the release of glucocorticoids (GCs). Characteristics of island wildlife, called "island syndrome", are attributed to low levels of predators and competitors. I… more Full Text: ISLAND SYNDROME AND STRESS PHYSIOLOGY OF MICE IN THE GENUS PEROMYSCUS A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of Arts and Science TRENT …
Year: 2015, 2015
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Most delphinids produce narrowband frequency-modulated whistles with a high level of plasticity to communicate with conspecifics. It is important to understand geographic variation in whistles as signal variation in other taxa has provided insight into the dispersal capabilities, genetic divergence and isolation among groups, and adaptation to ecological conditions. I investigated… more Full Text: REGIONAL DIFFERENCES IN THE WHISTLES OF AUSTRALASIAN HUMPBACK DOLPHINS (GENUS SOUSA) A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree …
Year: 2015, 2015
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Livestock predation by wild predators is a frequent and complicated issue, often cited as a significant factor in the decline of livestock production and justification for killing predators. Coyotes (Canis latrans) are the primary predators of sheep in Ontario. Some farms appear to be more susceptible to predation than others, despite the use of mitigation techniques. I explored land… more Full Text: CANID PREDATION OF DOMESTIC SHEEP (OVIS ARIES) ON ONTARIO FARMS: LAND COVER ASSOCIATIONS AND DISRUPTIVE DETERRENT TESTING A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of …
Year: 2015, 2015
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Maintaining functional connectivity among wildlife populations is important to ensure genetic diversity and evolutionary potential of declining populations, particularly when managing species at risk. The Boreal Designatable Unit (DU) of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan has declined in southern portions of the range because of increased… more Full Text: CONSERVATION GENETICS OF WOODLAND CARIBOU IN THE CENTRAL BOREAL FOREST OF CANADA A dissertation submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Arts and …
Year: 2014, 2014
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Since their successful reintroduction, the eastern wild turkey <italic>(Meleagris gallopavo silvestris)</italic> has expanded its range north. Due to different and potentially more severe limiting factors, management approaches generalized from studies within the historical range may not be appropriate to apply to northern populations. To better understand northern wild… more Full Text: MOVING NORTH: HABITAT SELECTION AND SURVIVAL OF THE WILD TURKEY AT ITS NORTHERN RANGE EDGE A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of Arts and …
Year: 2014, 2014
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>ABSTRACT</p><p>Calving site selection and fidelity in a restored elk (Cervus elaphus) herd in Bancroft</p><p>Ontario, Canada.</p><p>Michael R. Allan</p><p>Parturition site selection by ungulates is believed to be influenced by forage abundance and concealment from predators. In 2011 and 2012, I used vaginal implant transmitters and… more Full Text: CALVING SITE SELECTION AND FIDELITY IN A RESTORED ELK (Cervus elaphus) HERD IN BANCROFT, ONTARIO, CANADA A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty …
Year: 2014, 2014
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Caribou experience direct and indirect negative effects of harassment from biting flies, influencing behavior and activity on several spatial and temporal scales. I used systematic insect collection surveys during the summers of 2011 and 2012 to examine the spatial and temporal distributions of black flies (Simuliidae), mosquitoes (Culicidae), and deer flies and horse flies (Tabanidae)… more Full Text: ECTOPARASITIC INFLUENCES OF DIPTERA ON THE ACTIVITY AND BEHAVIOUR OF WOODLAND CARIBOU (RANGIFER TARANDUS) IN A MANAGED BOREAL FOREST LANDSCAPE IN NORTHERN ONTARIO A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies In Partial Fulfillment of the …
Year: 2013, 2013
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Eastern wolves (Canis lycaon) have hybridized extensively with coyotes (C. latrans) and gray wolves (C. lupus) and are listed as a `species of special concern' in Canada. Previous studies have not linked genetic analysis with field data to investigate the mechanisms underlying Canis hybridization. Accordingly, I studied genetics, morphology, mortality, and behavior of wolves,… more Full Text: HYBRIDIZATION DYNAMICS BETWEEN WOLVES AND COYOTES IN CENTRAL ONTARIO A Dissertation Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Arts and Science TRENT …
