Trent University
Summer Movement Ecology of Showshoe Hares (Lepus americanus) during a Population Cycle
I tracked summer movements and activity of snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) in southwestern Yukon, Canada, during their population cycle (2015–2022) to assess the primary drivers of movement. Hares exhibited variable movement and activity during the cycle, exhibiting increased home range size and higher daily displacement during low population densities. Males exhibited more dramatic increases in their home ranges (>3-fold), and had greater and more variable movement rates and time spent travelling than females. The ratio of predators to hares was highest at low hare densities when hares were moving most, and seasonal activity of hares seemed unrelated to that of predators. Differences between sexes imply that reproductive activities likely were the main driver of hare movement variation rather than food availability. These findings reinforce that, even in highly variable environments, potential rewards associated with successful mate search and reproduction may outweigh the risks associated with reproductive behaviour.
Author Keywords: behaviour, boreal forest, GPS telemetry, home range, movement ecology, predation risk
Understanding the Relationships Between Land Disturbance, Mercury and Fishing Practices in the Moose Cree Territory: A Foundation for Risk Assessment
The ᐃᓕᓕᐗᔅᑭᔾ | Ililiwaskiy (Moose Cree First Nation Territory) in Ontario's James Bay region has long faced industrial impacts on its ecosystems. Community concerns about mercury in culturally important fish prompted an interdisciplinary study bringing together chemical analysis and community knowledge. Researchers partnered with Moose Cree members through workshops, training, and interviews, while sampling over 180 fish across six sites. Walleye showed the highest mercury levels, often exceeding Health Canada's 0.5 ppm guideline for large fish and the 0.2 ppm guideline for subsistence consumers, women, and children. Community input highlighted fish as both a cultural cornerstone and food source, while noting how land-based changes have impacted fishing practices. Findings reveal elevated mercury in traditional foods and broader impacts on land-based practices and food security. The project underscores the importance of rethinking risk assessments, mitigating risks from resource extraction, water management, and supporting Moose Cree leadership in stewardship.
Author Keywords: Consumption, Cumulative effects, Fish, Indigenous knowledge, Mercury, Risk
Genomic Signatures of Speciation in Sympatric Flying Squirrels
Hybridization contributes to the genetic diversity and can impact speciation. This study investigates the genetic evidence of recent hybridization under climate change in sympatric populations of northern and southern flying squirrels in Ontario. Using low-coverage whole-genome sequences, my research examines the existing population structure and measures the genomic variation of the Glaucomys species. The global estimates of FST (0.308) and DXY (0.141) are indicative of substantial differentiation between the species. Measures of genetic diversity (π), differentiation (FST), and divergence (DXY) across the genome reveal insights into the divergent selection driving speciation. Results indicate an absence of contemporary hybridization or introgression at a site with longstanding sympatry. Across both species' genomes, signatures of selection align with four different scenarios for the formation of genomic landscapes of differentiation, shedding light on the complex speciation history of these flying squirrels. These findings enhance understanding of evolutionary dynamics, adaptation, speciation, and genetic differentiation.
Author Keywords: Genomic differentiation, Glaucomys, northern flying squirrel, southern flying squirrel, speciation
Impacts of invasive hybrid cattail Typha x glauca and reduced marsh interspersion on muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus) in North America
Muskrat populations are declining across North America. In recent decades, hybrid cattail Typha x glauca has been invading wetlands in North America. This invasion is degrading wetland habitat, leading to reduced interspersion of water and vegetation. Muskrats are wetland-obligates and their populations are positively linked to marsh interspersion. Therefore, muskrat populations may be declining due to the invasion of T. x glauca and subsequent reduction in interspersion. To test this hypothesis, I first sampled marshes across south-central Ontario, comparing muskrat densities with the relative frequency of T. x glauca and the degree of interspersion. Second, I measured intensity of use by muskrats in a large wetland along a gradient of interspersion. My findings suggest that reduced interspersion may be contributing to muskrat population declines, but it is unclear to what degree T. x glauca is responsible. Further research is needed to understand the effects of wetland invasions on muskrat populations.
Author Keywords: invasive species, Ondatra zibethicus, Southern Ontario, Typha x glauca, wetlands, wildlife conservation
(Im)Possible Representation: The Ethics and Aesthetics of Absence in the Ritual Performance Of Trauma in Titty Cakes
Is trauma representation possible without re-traumatization (of self or other)? Developed through the creation, performance, and critical analysis of Titty Cakes: A Recipe for Radical Acceptance—an autobiographical, ritual-performance rooted in lived experiences of breast cancer and gang rape—this thesis argues that trauma representation is (im)possible: possible only by accepting its impossibility. To navigate this paradox, I propose the ethics and aesthetics of absence: a performance theory that resists "trauma porn" by refusing direct representation in favour of rupture, remains, and ritual. Absence is neither void nor lack; it is an ethical imperative and aesthetic strategy through which trauma is held rather than exposed, allowing the unspeakable to be witnessed. Ritual becomes the vessel for this holding: it activates affect without spectacle, invites witness without voyeurism, and fosters communitas without demanding closure. Titty Cakes stages absence as presence; where the scar, not the wound, becomes the locus of meaning.
Author Keywords: Breast Cancer, Performance Studies, Research-Creation, Saint Agatha of Sicily, Sexual Violence, Trauma Studies
Effects of tile drainage, seasonality, and cash crop rotation on edge-of-field nitrogen and phosphorus losses from southern Ontario Watersheds
Eutrophication is an ongoing global problem and agriculture is an important non-point source of nutrient loading. Specifically, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) losses from agricultural landscapes continue to drive water quality issues. In southern Ontario, agriculture has intensified in recent decades, with major expansions of cash crop production and extensive tile drainage (TD). Through intensive monitoring of 12 tile outlets draining operational fields under the conventional corn-soybean-wheat rotation, this study examined differences in measured and volume-weighted total P, total N, and nitrate-N concentrations and loads over 28 months (October 2020- April 2023) amongst crop covers and between growing (GS; May – September) and non-growing seasons (NGS; October – April). Nitrogen concentrations (i.e., TN and NO3-N) in TD eluent were consistently high both between seasons and were found to be significantly highest from winter wheat (WW) fields in the NGS, and corn fields in the GS. Volume-weighted TP concentrations were not significantly different either amongst crop covers or between seasons, although TP losses tended to be highest from the cover crop (CC) fields in the NGS. Differences in N and P losses between years and amongst crop covers were attributed to differences in legacy soil nutrients, the establishment and decomposition of over-winter cover crops, and physical soil properties. The results of this study can inform agricultural management by addressing the urgent need for improved information around the relationship between agricultural practices and nutrient losses, especially in the NGS.
Author Keywords: Best management practices, Crop rotation, Over-winter cover crops, Seasonality, Tile drainage, Water quality
What caring for a child who died was like for me: My experience of pediatric patient death as a new graduate nurse
I utilized analytical autoethnography to analyze and interpret my own experience of what caring for a child that died was like for me within the academic and institutional culture that I was educated and trained in (Chang, 2008). Themes of lack of preparedness, relationships, loss and emotion, death denial, and lasting impacts and growth were identified. Pediatric death and dying education and training for nurses should encompass nursing responsibilities, communication strategies, holistic assessments, symptom management, cultural awareness, and grief literacy (Bensoussan, 2024; Chew, Ang, & Storey, 2021; Kent, Anderson, & Ownes, 2012; RNAO, 2012). A system to accommodate, acknowledge, and value emotion. A platform to share, learn, and grow from the experience with death and dying. This autoethnographic account provides insights into the personal and professional impacts of pediatric patient death on nurses and the importance of associated education, training, and support to improve care for patients, families, and self.
Author Keywords: autoethnography, lasting impacts, metabolizing grief, nurse, pediatric patient death, self-transformation
Boxing and the Third Place: Mapping Community and Urban Revitalization in Early Twentieth Century Winnipeg
This study considers the impact of urban revitalization through community engagement and the promotion of activities, in particular boxing in early twentieth century Winnipeg. It details the development of a multiethnic amateur boxing league which arose in the city during this period, using both qualitative and quantitative sources and a series of maps. This research shows how spaces in Winnipeg, like the Young Men's Christian Society, the One Big Union and the Winnipeg City Police Amateur Athletic Association, used boxing to support young men and boys from various ethnic, class and religious backgrounds. Winnipeg newspapers, such as the Winnipeg Tribune, offer rich quantitative sources, including boxing cards that list fighters' names, dates, and locations. When paired with census data, maps, and archival information from institutions like the YMCA, these sources provide a wealth of detail on Winnipeg's ethnic, class, and religious composition. This study leverages these resources to advance the understanding of spatial dynamics and demonstrates how analyzing third places can address questions about segregation in the city.
Author Keywords: Boxing, GIS, Sports, Third Place, Winnipeg, Young Men's Christian Association
The Impact of Unit Design on Family Experiences in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Kingston General Hospital
The involvement of families in the care of their infant in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) may be influenced by the unit environment (O'Brien et al., 2013). The purpose of this study is to explore the influence of the open pod NICU through the research question: What is the impact of unit design in the NICU at Kingston General Hospital (KGH) on the lived experiences of families? A qualitative descriptive design was followed using semi-structured interviews conducted with family members of infants in the NICU at KGH. Themes constructed through thematic analysis of transcripts included Needing more space, Creating a comfortable environment, Having a sense of community, Desiring consistency in staffing and Barriers to being present. The narrative of these themes aligns with Donabedian's (2003) theoretical model of structure, process and outcome. The findings from this research indicated that being cared for in an open pod NICU impacted their family experiences, displaying areas for improvement in future NICU designs.
Author Keywords: Family experience, FiCare, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), NICU design, NICU environment, Open pod NICU
Habitat patch size and breeding site quality drive relative abundance of Ambystoma salamander larvae
Amphibian biodiversity is in global decline, driven primarily by habitat loss and fragmentation arising from landcover alteration. For pond-breeding amphibians, larval abundance should be governed by aquatic breeding site quality, surrounding terrestrial habitat characteristics, and proximity to neighbouring populations. If safeguarding salamander populations is a priority, conservation efforts will benefit from understanding the relative importance of each feature on salamander populations. I sought to identify the factors associated with relative abundance of Ambystoma salamander larvae across habitat patches on Pelee Island, Ontario, Canada. Larval density and a suite of environmental variables were measured at 34 breeding sites across the island. Using spatial analysis, I also determined landcover features surrounding the breeding site, including, terrestrial habitat type, terrestrial patch size, and indices of isolation (e.g., nearest neighbour distance, proximity index). The relative abundance of Ambystoma larvae was best predicted by additive effects of breeding site quality (e.g., canopy cover, submergent vegetation, and cooler water temperature) and size of surrounding terrestrial habitat patches. I did not detect any influence of agricultural land cover within 300 m of the breeding sites on larval count, implying that Ambystoma can persist within agriculture-dominated landscapes provided that high breeding habitat quality is maintained, and ponds are embedded within large forest patches. Further, I failed to detect any impact of breeding site isolation on larval numbers, indicating that local habitat quality and terrestrial patch size more strongly determine larval abundance than patch connectivity. My research highlights the critical importance of conserving high-quality aquatic breeding habitats and maintaining large contiguous patches of terrestrial habitat for amphibian
Author Keywords: Amphibian, Anthropogenic impacts, Biodiversity conservation, Habitat fragmentation, Habitat suitability, Salamanders