Research

Sketch on specific research theme with people involved. Details on specifc projects is provided on individual student’s webpages.

1) Population ecology and management of reindeer/ caribou

ONGOING
• Influence of environmental conditions (including global climatic change) on life history and population dynamics of reindeer/caribou
Collaborator: professor Oystein Holand of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences
PAST

• Caribou, Moose and Wolves in Southern Labrador: An Assessment of Predator-Prey Dynamics in a Multi-Prey Boreal Ecosystem
Collaborator: Dr Isabelle Schmelder (Senior Biologist, The Provincial Government of Newfoundland and Labrador; Wildlife Division). This project started in September 2010 with MSc student Issac Hébert (2010-2012) with fund from my NSERC Dicovery Grant, Concordia University (Faculty of rts and Science, and The Provincial Government of Newfounland and Labrador).

•Fecal hormones as a non-invasive population monitoring and management method for woodland caribou
Collaborators: Dr Micheline Manseau (Parks Canada and University of Manitoba), professor Oystein Holand (Norwegian University of Life Sciences), professor Erik Ropstad and professor Knut Roed (Norwegian Scholl of Veterinary Science), Docent Mauri Nieminen (Finnish Games and Fisheries Research Institutes). By MSc C-Jae Morden (2008-2010) with funding from my FQRNT “nouveaux chercheurs”

•Habitat Structure and Woodland Caribou Population Dynamics in Newfoundland
Collaborators: Dr C. Doucet and Mr P. Saunders (The Provincial Government of Newfoundland and Labrador; Wildlife Division). By MSc Sara McCarthy (2008-2010) with funding from NSERC.

2) Life history strategies and evolutionary ecology of large herbivores

ONGOING

• Synchrony of the rutting season and the calving time in reindeer/caribou

• Sucking and allosucking in reindeer/caribou). This project started in September 2010 with MSc student Sacha Engelhardt (2010-2012) with fund from my NSERC Dicovery Grant.
Collaborator: professor Oystein Holand of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences

 

PAST
• Age-specific reproductive tactics in female reindeer
Collaborators: Directeur de Recherche Jean-Michel Gaillard (Laboratoire de Biometrie et de Biologie Evolutive, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, France), professor Oystein Holand (Norwegian University of Life Sciences), professor Atle Mysterud and professor Nils Chr. Stenseth (Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biology, University of Oslo), professor Nigel G. Yoccoz (Tromso University), Dr Mauri Nieminen and Dr Jouko Kumpula (Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute)

• Age and sex specific allometric growth of antlers in Rangifer tarandus: variability in the pattern of resource allocation. This project started in September 2010 with MSc studentNatalka Melnycky (2010-2012) with fund from my NSERC Dicovery Grant. A collaboration with Professor Oystein Holand and Dr Mauri Nieminen
PLANNED
• The role of antler in reindeer/caribou

3) Behavioral ecology of reindeer/Caribou (rutting behavior, mating strategies, etc)

ONGOING

• Personality, mating tactics, and reproductive success in subdominant male reindeer (Rangifer tarandus)
This is a MSc project for Justin Strong (2013-2015), in collaboration with Professor Oystein Holand (Norwegian University of Life Sciences) with fund from my NSERC discovery grant.

PLANNED
• Fine scale study of mate choice in reindeer/caribou: active or passive?
Planned project with Professor Oystein Holand – NSERC discovery grant funding

 

PAST

• Activity patterns, mate choice, spatial and temporal distribution, and social organisationales during rut
This is a PhD project for Guillaume Body (2010-2014), in collaboration with Professor Oystein Holand (Norwegian University of Life Sciences) with fund from my NSERC discovery grant.

• The effect of mating group size on reproductive effort and success in dominant male reindeer (Rangifer tarandus)

Collaborators: Professor Oystein Holand (Norwegian University of Life Sciences), professor Knut Roed (Norwegian School of Veterinary Medicine), Docent Mauri Nieminen (Finnish Games and Fisheries Research Institutes). By MSc student Erica Tennenhouse (2008-2010) with funding from my NSERC

• Dynamic of reindeer/caribou harems according to male age and social rank
Collaborators: Dr Steeve Coté (Laval University) and Professor Oystein Holand (Norwegian University of Life Sciences). MSc project of Leon L’Italien (2006-2008) with fund from my NSERC discovery grant.
• Females’ social dynamic and mate choice during rut
This is a PhD project for Natasa Djakovic (2007-2012), in collaboration with Professor Oystein Holand (Main supervisor, Norwegian University of Life Sciences), Professor Knut H. Roed and Dr Anne Lena Hovland.

 

4) Biodiversity conservation and management of natural resources in the tropics

ONGOING

  • Ecological aspects of great apes in the Lobéké National Park (Cameroon) and its surroundings: implications for conservation

This is a PhD project for Samuel Tsakem (2011- XX), in collaboration with Professor Martin Tchamba (Université de Dschang). Samuel is supported by several small grant, including PACEBCo.

PLANNED

  • Ethnobotany – Bioprospection
    Ongoing research in collaboration with Dr John Tabuti, Associate Professor at Makerere University, Uganda – fund from the International Foundation for Science (IFS)
  • Ethnoveterinary knowledge
    Collaboration with professor Patrick VanDamme of Gent University, Belgium and Dr John Tabuti of Makerere University, Uganda

• Dynamics of bushmeat hunting and trade (planned project – no fund)
• Population ecology of wildlife species, including hunted species ( planned project – no fund)

PAST
• Human-Elephant Interaction and elephant movement patterns in the Bénoué Wildlife Conservation Area, Northern Cameroon.
This project started in September 2009 (2009-2011) with MSc student Alys Granados,in collaboration with WWF-NSSP in Cameroon (contact person: WWF-NSSP’s Project Manager)

• Ethnoveterinary knowledge: Dr Jean Grade (Gent University, Belgium) succesfully defended her PhD thesis in December 2008 from a collaborative PhD project in Uganda. The work was supervised by professor Patrick VanDamme of Gent University, Belgium and Dr John Tabuti of Makerere University, Uganda

• Environmental Factors Influencing the Black Rhino Population of Mkhuze Game Reserve, South Africa. By MSc student Karine Laflamme-Mayer (2008-2010) with funds from NSERC.

5) Zoo-based research (Ecology, behaviour, conservation and welfare of captive wildlife)

ONGOING

• Personalities and activity budget of Japanese macaques in two exhibits (old and new), and the effect of zoo visitors (Granby Zoo). This project started May 2014 with MSc student Emily Anderson, in collaboration with Patrick Paré and Louis Lazure both from the Granby Zoo.

PLANNED

• Elephant activity budget and daily walking distance (planned project – no fund)

PAST

  • Kevin Gauley: Activity budget and behaviour of two captive Red Pandas, and the effect of zoo visitors (Granby Zoo)
  • Palig Khatcherian (2013) project title: Activity Budget of Two Captive Red Pandas (Ailurus fulgens) During Breeding Season (Granby Zoo)
  • Alexandre Ferland (2012) : Behavioural Dynamics of a Captive All-Male Troop of Ring-Tailed Lemurs (Granby Zoo)
  • Tamara Kalioujny (2011): project title: The Effect of Zoo Visitors on Activity Budgets and Interspecific Interactions in Captive African Herbivores (Granby Zoo)
  • Allogrooming and influence of zoo visitors on the behaviour of Mandrills
    By BSc student Sacha Engelhardt (2009) as a summer student – BIOL 490 project (This is a collaboration with M. Patrick Paré, Granby Zoo)