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Canadian Society for
Ecology and Evolution
Meeting 2017
With the Canadian Section, The Wildlife Society
Victoria, BC | May 7 – 11
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Welcome Message
Welcome to the CSEE’s 2017 General Meeting, the 12th in CSEE history.
We are pleased to welcome Canada’s ecology and evolution research community to beautiful Victoria,
British Columbia (within the traditional territories of the Lekwungen and WSANEC peoples),
especially during the Spring season that is so marked by the glorious blooms of the local Garry Oak
ecosystems. Be sure to get out and explore during your stay: there are many nearby local areas for
getting to know Garry Oak ecosystem wildflowers (Beacon Hill Park is an excellent first stop), and the
Victoria waterfront, especially from Ogden Point to Gonzales Point in Oak Bay, is excellent for
birding.
This year’s meeting brings together nearly 700 ecologists and evolutionary biologists from across
Canada and around the world, and we have an exciting collection of symposiums, regular session talks,
and posters. Of particular interest is the strong representation from Canadian graduate students and
post-docs: be sure to check out the CSEE PhD Diversity and Excellence in Research Award winners in
the Student Symposium on Monday, May 8th from 10:30 to 2:45 in the Victoria Conference Centre
theatre.
The 2017 conference is entirely volunteer run (the volunteers have been amazing and we are proud of
what we've pulled together), and has been an enormous amount of work. You'll see volunteers around
the VCC and the Royal BC Museum, identified by their "Volunteer" buttons. Feel free to ask questions.
You will also see members of the media, identified by their "Media" buttons. Please feel free to talk to
them about your research and teaching.
We wish everyone a great conference, with lots of great science and new connections made, new ideas
developed, and lots of energy for the year ahead!
2017 CSEE Organizing Committee
President’s Welcome
"Each year, the Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution comes together for its annual meeting.
While our society is a relatively young one, these meetings have become one of the best opportunities
for researchers in our community to build networks, talk about discoveries, and find inspiration. Our
science changes all the time, embracing new tools and techniques to construct, demolish, and
reconstruct theories that explain the world around us.
Our world is changing fast and in many ways. Whether through rapid evolution of antimicrobial
resistance, changing population dynamics among our study species, or threats to biological diversity,
our community makes extraordinary contributions to knowledge and, increasingly, to its application in
practical terms. This latter point is worth emphasizing: the coin of the realm for researchers is
excellence, but this currency can sometimes buy impact. Many evolutionary biologists, ecologists, and
conservation researchers are excited about both discovery and the application of discovery to broader
challenges at the science-policy interface. I think this is important for many reasons, not the least of
which is that scientists must care - and be seen to care - about Canadian society, which funds them
and their work.
Fortunately, CSEE has never had a problem with engagement. After all, a founding purpose of CSEE
is to raise public awareness of the importance of ecology and evolution to Canadian society. Another
is to facilitate communication between CSEE members and decision-makers in the public, private, and
non-governmental sectors. Our members are leading efforts to identify and protect species at risk
through the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), by working to
bring evidence and transparency to environmental assessments, through sustained engagement and
dialog with aboriginal communities, and through countless community presentations. CSEE’s
researchers are making a difference.
But CSEE’s first purpose is to promote the study of ecology and evolution in Canada. Sometimes,
scientific excellence is the best ambassador. In 2016, three evolutionary biologists and ecologists were
among Canada’s Steacie Fellowship winners - Elena Bennett, Mark Vellend, and Stephen Wright.
Christian Landry’s work in experimental evolution earned him the same recognition in 2017. Our
members constantly push the boundaries of knowledge outward, publishing papers, writing books, and
helping younger colleagues to achieve more.
For sustained excellence and countless contributions to science and the purposes of CSEE, I am
especially excited to recognize Professor Sally Otto, the 2017 President’s Award winner. Sally is a
world-leading researcher, a legendary mentor, and someone who makes a decisive difference to
Canada. She has been one of the most eloquent and effective voices anywhere for using strong
scientific evidence in protecting species at risk. She helped found the game-changing Liber Ero
Fellowship Program for postdoctoral researchers and continues her service as its director. Despite all
this leadership, impact, and brilliance, Sally is simply one of the kindest and most down-to-earth
people I know. I could not be happier to have the chance to honour her contributions.
CSEE 2017 promises to be thoroughly extraordinary. We have a terrific public science speaker, Dr.
Anne Salomon, who will speak about adapting to ecological surprises. Our PhD Award winners will
be recognized for remarkable achievements in research, selected from an historically competitive field
of outstanding applicants. I am excited that we can share this meeting with a sister society, the
Canadian Section of The Wildlife Society. We have everything in common and I hope we find ways
to bring our groups together again in the future.
Finally, Dr. Brian Starzomski has led the organization of this year’s annual meeting and deserves our
profound gratitude. CSEE 2017 might break attendance records. If you’ve seen the list of field trips, it
is easy to see why so many of us are assembling here! I am sure Brian would be the first to say that
his team deserves enormous credit and I will thank members of the organizing committee for their
efforts when I see them. I hope you will too.
I look forward to meeting old friends and meeting many new ones over the course of this meeting. I
can’t wait to hear about the many exciting things that our community has accomplished and what is
coming soon. Have a wonderful time in Victoria!
Jeremy T Kerr
President, CSEE
p.s. Your CSEE council has been working very hard on your behalf. I am deeply grateful for their
leadership and the difference they make. -JTK"
General Information
CSEE2017 is a joint conference between the Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution and the
Canadian Section of The Wildlife Society. The conference will take place at the Victoria Conference
Centre, 720 Douglas Street in Downtown Victoria, and in the Newcombe Hall of the Royal BC
Museum across the street (675 Belleville Street). Sessions will run from 8am to after 5pm Monday,
Tuesday, and Wednesday, with poster sessions from 4 to 6:15pm on Monday and Tuesday. There will
be an associated reception with the poster sessions, and all posters will be available to view in the
VCC’s Lower Pavilion on Monday and Tuesday (with beer in the afternoon! The poster sessions are
sponsored by local microbreweries Phillips Brewery [phillipsbeer.com] and Victoria Caledonian
Brewery & Distillery [vcaledonian.com]). Workshops and registration will happen on Sunday, with
field trips to local ecosystems on Sunday and Thursday. See below for the full details poster and talks
schedules.
Coffee breaks will take place both within the level one of the VCC and the Lower Pavilion where the
posters are displayed. Make sure to walk over there for coffee and check out the posters!
Your talk should be uploaded on the day of your presentation, preferably before 745am in the room you
are speaking in. Failing this, please make sure your talk is uploaded during the break before your
session. Each talk should be uploaded to the laptop in the room - moderators may wish to organize files
into folders before the session begins.
Volunteers and/or AV technicians will be around to help with uploads. Talks must be in PowerPoint or
PDF format, and will be run on Windows laptops - if there is time during upload, please check that
your presentation formatting works ok on the conference laptops.
Toavoidslowchangeoverbetweentalks,wewillnotallowpeopletousetheirownlaptops(e.g.
noMacs,sorry).
Youcandownloadtheconferencescheduleasanappathttp://cumulus.encore-us.com/with
eventID0901-3348.
Registration will be available on Sunday from 2pm to 8pm, at the registration desk in the Pre-function
area of the Level One of the VCC. You can also register Monday starting at 7:30am.
The banquet will take place at Harbour Towers Hotel, with doors open at 630pm. There will be a postbanquet after party on May 10th, 9 pm at the Bard and Banker in downtown Victoria. No registration is
necessary, just show up for drinks and socializing: early if you like! For anyone who didn't grab a
banquet ticket before they sold out, get a head start on the party! The Bard and Banker has an excellent
dinner menu and a great ambiance.
Your Local Organizing Committee
Brian Starzomski (chair)
Sarah Friesen
Jake Fisher
William Halliday
Don Kramer
Lia Chalifour
Aerin Jacob
Cameron Freshwater
Alina Fisher
Frances Stewart
Gillian Fraser
Sandra Frey
Cole Burton
Sara Wickham
James Robinson
Nancy Shackelford
Erica Wheeler
SWEEET Organizers: Sandra Frey, Frances Stewart, Risa Sargent
French translations: Karine Lacroix
We would like to thank the following volunteers
Chris Darimont
Julie Fortin
Wiebe Nijland
Kristina Tietjen
Morgan Black
Erin Rechsteiner
Julia Amerongen Maddison
Stefania Gorgopa
Trevor Lantz
Garth Covernton
Rod Davis
Luba Reshitnyk
Emily Rubidge
Jeff MacAdams
Andrew Bateman
Joel Gibson
Becky Miller
Ricki-Lee Jewell
Tom Iwanicki
Erin Tattersall
Owen Fitzpatrick
Desiree Bulger
Josh Silberg
Jamie McDevitt-Irwin
Jason Straka
Rana El-Sabaawi
Jennifer Magel
Jessica Holden
Francis Juanes
Jessica Holden
Map of Downtown Victoria: Explore!
Transportation
Many people are staying at the University of Victoria. Buses #4 and #7 will take you directly from
campus to the Victoria Conference Centre. Bus #14 and #15 will take you within a 5 minute walk of
the VCC. An all-day bus pass costs $5.
Map of the Victoria Conference Centre
Level One (majority of conference events, including poster session)
Level Two (conference events on Tuesday: Sidney, Colwood, and View Royal rooms)
Congratulations to the winners of the
CSEE PhD Diversity and Excellence in Research Award!
This award celebrates the excellent work done by doctoral students in our society on a diverse array of
questions in ecology and evolution. Award winners are in the final stages of their PhD and have stood
out at this early stage in their careers as being top-caliber scientists and leaders. Come watch this year’s
winners present their work at the Graduate Award Symposium on Monday May 8th (10:30 am - 3 pm
in the VCC Theatre)
Isabelle
LaforestLapointe
Université de
Montréal
Norah Brown
Tess Grainger
University of British University of
Columbia
Toronto
Tiago Simões
University of
Alberta
Honorary Mentions:
Kathryn Anderson (UBC)
Joey Bernhardt (UBC)
Aneesh Bose (McMaster)
Sean Boyle (Laurentian)
Sean Godwin (Simon Fraser)
Rosalyn Kilgour (Guelph)
Zilong Ma (Lakehead)
Rebekah Oomen (Dalhousie)
Gabriel Pigeon (Sherbrooke)
Alana Schick (Ottawa)
Benoit Talbot (Western)
Evelyn Jensen
University of British
Columbia,
Okanagan
Congratulations to the 2017 Early Career Award Winners
The CSEE Early Career Awards recognize outstanding accomplishments and promising future research
potential in ecology and evolution by scientists early in their careers. We are delighted to announce that
the recipients for the 2017 awards are Dr. Emily Darling, from the University of Toronto and the
Wildlife Conservation Society, and Dr. Sean Anderson, from the University of Washington. Dr.
Anderson and Dr. Darling will give their award lectures Wednesday afternoon between 2 and
3pm in the VCC theatre.
Sean Anderson
Sean is a quantitative population biologist who links theory with data
through statistical and simulation models to improve predictions about
ecological systems and inform management and policy decisions. In
particular, he is interested in how we can estimate population status
with limited data and in the role of variance, risk, and extreme events
in population dynamics. Because these problems are complex, a large
part of his research involves method and software development and is
often highly collaborative. His work spans across taxa (e.g. birds,
moths, grizzly bears, sea cucumbers, salmon), ecosystems (marine,
freshwater, terrestrial), methods (empirical, simulation, theoretical),
spatial scale (regional, national, global), and time periods (modern,
historical, paleontological).
Emily Darling
Emily is a community ecologist and conservation biologist who is
motivated to understand how human activities are altering coastal and
marine ecosystems. Her research focuses on three interrelated themes:
quantifying interactions between multiple stressors and the prevalence
of ecological synergies, coral life histories and trajectories of
community change on coral reefs, and managing marine ecosystems
for resilience to climate change. Her work integrates multiple
approaches, ranging from literature reviews, meta-analyses, and
statistical analyses of long-term monitoring data, to quantitative field
experiments and socio-economic surveys to understand the complex
ecological dynamics of coastal systems.
Congratulations to the 2017 CSEE President’s Award Winner
Dr. Sally Otto
CanadianSocietyforEcologyandEvolution
Sociétécanadienned’écologieetd’évolution
President’sAward/PrixduPrésident
2017
SarahOtto
UniversityofBritishColumbia
Inrecognitionofsustainedexcellenceincontributionsto
EcologyandEvolutionandthegoalsofthe
CanadianSocietyforEcologyandEvolution
Dr. Otto will give her award lecture Sunday evening at 6:30pm in the VCC theatre
Congratulations to the 2016 Student Presentation Award Winners
(CSEE 2016, St. John’s Newfoundland)
Best oral presentation:
Rebecca Batstone, University of Toronto
Root foraging and mutualism-stabilizing traits in the model legume Medicago truncatula
Kira Hoffman, University of Victoria
A human-driven and climate-influenced fire regime over the past seven centuries in a coastal temperate
rainforest, British Columbia, Canada
Ruth Rivkin, University of Toronto Mississauga
The role of sexual system and latitude on insect herbivory rates in Sagittaria latifolia (Alismataceae)
New Phytologist Prize:
Kenneth Thompson, University of Toronto
Urbanization drives parallel adaptive clines in plant populations
Poster presentation:
First place:
Hayley Alloway, Memorial University
Physiological evidence for alternative reproductive strategies in men
Second place:
Jesse Hoage, Laurentian University
Developing a metabarcoding strategy for soil mesofaunal communities to monitor the ecological
impacts of intensified biomass harvesting in forestry
We wish to thank our sponsors
Food and Drinks near the Victoria Conference Centre
This is only a small selection of places to visit, and there are plenty of other pubs and
restaurants of all types to enjoy throughout Victoria. Fort Street, just up the hill from the VCC, is
an excellent place to look for food at lunch, especially the blocks between Douglas and
Blanshard Streets.
$ - under $10 CND
$$ - $11 to $30 CND
$$$ - $31 to $60 CND
Dinner Restaurants
Ebizo, $$
Victoria’s best sushi. Small space so make a
reservation if possible.
604 Broughton Street
Walking time: 5 min
Rebar, $$
Fun and bustling restaurant with vegan,
vegetarian, and fish options. Extensive cocktail
menu.
50 Bastion Square
Walking time: 8 min
Pho Vuong, $
No-nonsense and delicious Vietnamese food.
Vegan stock available for pho dishes.
622 Fisgard Street
Walking time: 14 min
10 Acres, $$
Farm-to-table cuisine in a friendly and fun
atmosphere.
614 Humboldt Street / 620 Humboldt Street /
611 Courtney Street
Walking time: 3 min / 3 min / 4 min
Northern Quarter, $$
Great cocktail and beer selections and really
tasty food. However, portions are small so
don’t come hungry! Upbeat live bands and
trivia depending on the night.
1724 Douglas Street
Walking time: 13 min
Tapa Bar, $$
Cozy Spanish bistro with an extensive small
plates menu and fully loaded bar. Also boasts a
small but great patio if the weather is
cooperating. Sangria!
620 Trounce Alley
Walking time: 8 min
Be Love, $$
The food is really good in this aggressively
healthy restaurant that offers mostly vegan
fare.
1019 Blanshard Street
Walking time: 7 min
Bin 4 Burger Lounge, $$
Gourmet burgers made with local ingredients.
A mix and match menu means everyone in
your group will leave happy. 50% off burgers
(with drink purchase) after 9pm.
911 Yates Street
Walking time: 16 min
Cafe Brio, $$$
Italian inspired west coast cuisine with an
excellent wine list, top-notch food, and great
service. Order half portions of the food so that
you can try all the dishes! Knowledgeable
biologist bartender: you may want to sit at the
bar. Reservations recommended.
944 Fort Street
Walking time: 13 min
Il Terrazzo, $$$
A rustic Italian restaurant known for its gourmet
comfort food, extensive wine list, and romantic
ambiance. It’s a hidden gem in Waddington
Alley between Yates and Johnson Street, so
don’t miss it!
555 Johnson Street
Walking time: 12 min
Brewpubs and Pubs
Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub, $$
A Victoria institution and one of Canada’s
original Brewpubs, founded in 1984. In addition
to their large selection of delicious beers April
28th - May 7th is BC Cider Week at
Spinnakers, so head over to check it out before
the conference! A pleasant 20-30 minute walk
along the harbour walkway from downtown
gets you to Spinnaker’s in Vic West.
308 Catherine Street
Walking time: 25 min
The Drake Eatery, $$
Very extensive and eclectic craft beer
selection, small pub-style menu serving local
and organic foods. Often busy, but a very
relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
517 Pandora Avenue
Walking time: 13 min
Canoe Brewpub, $$
A great option for large groups. Huge patio,
good food and beers. Live music on select
nights of the week.
450 Swift Street
Walking time: 16 min
The Churchill, $$
One of the best beer selections in Victoria
wrapped in a slick atmosphere and served with
some tasty small food plates.
1140 Government Street
Walking time: 7 min
Garrick’s Head Pub, $$
English style pub with a huge beer selection
and a menu packed with all your pub favorites
plus some.
66 Bastion Square
Walking time: 8 min
Smith’s Bar and Restaurant, $$
A dim, snug locals pub on the with good drink
specials, especially during “friendly hour” from
8-10pm. Popular late night spot.
777 Courtney Street
Walking time: 5 min
Swan’s Brewpub, $$
Character brewpub and home to an amazing
collection of First Nation’s artwork. A large sun
room patio allow for “outdoor” seating even on
cool, windy days.
506 Pandora Avenue
Walking time: 13 min
The Guild, $$
A charming brewpub serving a delightful fusion
of west coast and classic British pub fare and
featuring locally farmed meats and veg. 2 for 1
snacks from 3-5pm. Moderately-sized but
varied craft beer selection.
1250 Wharf Street
Walking time: 10 min
The Mint, $$
Delicious Himalayan and fusion eatery with
mint-based cocktails and evening DJ’s.
1414 Douglas Street
Walking time: 9 min
Yates Street Taphouse, $$
Sports bar because Hockey!
759 Yates St.
Walking time: 8 mins
Coffee
Caffe Fantastico TRE, $$
810 Humboldt Street
Walking time: 5 min
Sequoia Coffee, $
675 Belleville Street (inside the RBCM)
Walking time: 2 min
Picnic, $
506 Fort Street
Walking time: 8 min
Habit Coffee Atrium / Chinatown, $$
808 Yates Street / 552 Pandora Avenue
Walking time: 13 min / 11 min
Discovery Coffee, $
1001 Blanshard St / 281 Menzies St / 664
Discovery St
Walking time: 7 min / 9 min / 16 min
Union Pacific Coffee, $
537 Herald Street
Walking time: 16 min
Hey Happy Coffee, $$
560 Johnson Street (Market Square)
Walking time: 12 min
Wild Coffeehouse and Bistro, $
632 Yates Street
Walking time: 9 min
Lunch
Foo Ramen Bar, $$
Yummy asian street food, beers and ciders are
served in this cute and small joint. Outside
patio seating available.
762 Broughton Street
Walking time: 6 min
intimidatingly long line but if you have time it’s
worth it and moves faster than you’d expect.
1006 Wharf Street
Walking time: 6 min
Royal BC Museum’s Year-long Food Truck
Festival, $
Outdoor food court featuring local food trucks:
DeadBeetz (Burgers), Puerto Vallarta Amigos
(Mexican), The Love Perogy (perogies), and
Yummy Truck (sandwiches, shawarmas and
more). Option Monday - Saturday from 11am 3pm.
576 Belleville Street (RBCM)
Walking time: 2 min
Tacofino, $$
Really popular non-traditional Mexican joint.
Hefty burritos for those who are hungry. Fast
service. Not much seating so a great lunch-togo option.
787 Fort Street
Walking time: 7 min
Fishhook, $$
Extremely fresh seafood dishes with an Indian
twist. Its reasonable prices and ample portions
make this a great spot for lunch or dinner.
Seating is tight, so not recommended for large
groups.
805 Fort Street
Walking time: 9 min
La Taqueria Pinche Taco Shop, $$
Another popular and delicious mexican joint
serving authentic style tacos, burritos, cervezas
and margaritas. Try the rajas con crema taco,
yum! On taco Wednesday you can buy 4 tacos
and get 2 free (they are small tacos so this is
not an overly gluttonous deal)!
766 Fort Street
Walking time: 8 min
The Pink Bicycle, $$
Gourmet burger joint that advocates for locally
sourced and sustainable ingredients.
Consistently delicious and healthy (for a
burger).
1008 Blanshard Street
Walking time: 7 min
Green Cuisine, $$
A Victoria institution, for vegetarians at least.
Super healthy, vegetarian buffet. Self-serve by
weight -- so don’t get the heavy stuff! Ask for
their student discount.
560 Johnson Street (Market Square)
Walking time: 12 min
Famous Original, $
Tasty, large slices of NY style pizza and more
options for greasy but delicious sides and
sandwiched. Cheap beer!
538 Yates Street
Walking time: 10 min
Red Fish Blue Fish, $$
Waterfront food truck with fresh and
sustainably caught fish tacos and burgers and
oyster sandwiches. Usually features an
Chorizo & Co. Spanish Eatery, $
A mash-up of a deli, café, and restaurant with
Spanish flair. Great for breakfast, lunch, and
dinner (open until 10pm on weekends!).
807 Fort Street
Walking time: 9 min
Brunch
Jam, $$
Modern comfort food (chicken and waffles, etc)
served in huge portions. Quite often this
restaurant has long lines (indicating good
food?) so go early.
542 Herald Street
Walking time: 15 min
Mo:Lé, $$
An upbeat café with a local and organic focus.
It is a popular spot so there’s usually a bit of a
wait, but you can wait in comfort at Habit
Coffee next door (with a coffee!). Many vegan,
vegetarian, and gluten-free options.
554 Pandora Ave
Walking time: 13 min
The Blue Fox Cafe, $$
A bright and busy restaurant offering huge
portions of breakfast, brunch, and lunch
favorites (eggs benny, pancakes, etc). Go
before 9 am for a great deal on their breakfast
special of the day.
919 Fort Street
Walking time: 12 min
Shine Cafe, $$
A small but popular restaurant with tasty,
classic breakfast and lunch items. Sides
include Scottish potato scones and cornbread.
1320 Blanshard St
Walking time: 12 min
Nourish Kitchen & Cafe, $$
Health conscious, local, organic foods and
drinks on a rotating seasonal menus. The
restaurant and cafe are located on the first floor
of a funky character home. The second floor of
the house is open to cafe patrons and feature
loads of comfy nooks for chatting or studying.
225 Quebec Street
Walking time: 11 min
John’s Place, $$
A quirky all-day breakfast diner with friendly
staff and vintage décor. Their huge menu offers
great eggs benny, pancakes, and even
scrambled eggs with perogies!
723 Pandora Ave
Walking time: 11 min
Honorable mention
Cook Street Village
Located close to downtown Victoria, Beacon
Hill Park, and Dallas Road beachfront, this
neighbourhood boasts several popular Victoria
eateries including The Beagle Pub, Pizzeria
Primastrada, Rica Mexican, and the excellent
Big Wheel Burger. Grab your food to go and
wander down to the beach and enjoy one of
the best picnic locations in Victoria!
Walking time: 15-20 mi
Public Science Talk: Dr. Anne Salomon, Simon Fraser University
Monday, 630pm, Victoria Conference Centre Theatre (and simulcast to nearby rooms)
Adapting to Surprise in Our Coastal Oceans:
Lessons from Kelp Forests, Ancient Clam Gardens and Pacific Herring
Ecological surprises challenge science and
society. While emerging evidence points to
the existence of abrupt shifts in ecosystems
worldwide, predicting when and where
they will occur is notoriously difficult
because unraveling their mysteries requires
understanding both ecological and social
phenomena that occur across different
scales of space and time. By drawing on
examples from British Columbia’s kelp
forests, ancient clam gardens and Pacific
herring, while gleaning insights from
ecological, archaeological and traditional
knowledge, I will share our recent
discoveries on these tipping points, how
humans coped with them in the past, and
how these strategies can inspire and
catalyze solutions to the world’s
environmental challenges of today.
Program Sessions: Workshops and Symposiums
Sciencecommunication101
Thishalf-dayhands-onworkshopwill teach you key science communication principles and
strategies to communicate your research to the public. First, we will learn & discuss how to explain
complex subjects to non-expert audiences and how to work with journalists. Second, participants will
choose one of two more in-depth sessions on 1) using social media (with David Shiffman), or 2)
narrative storytelling (with Aerin Jacob). By the end of this workshop, you will know the basics of
communicating science to non-expert audiences and where to find more information. The workshop
will be held 8-11 am on Sunday, May 7 in downtown Victoria. Cost is $25 (let us know if this prevents
you from participating), space is limited.
Sunday8am–11am(RoyalBCMuseum,NewcombeHall)
SWEEET(SymposiumforWomenEnteringEcology&EvolutionToday)—
Fortheir2017theme“Addressinggenderbiasinecologyandevolution”,SWEEETwill
hostaworkshopforindividualsofallgenderstolearnabouttherolethatimplicitgenderbias
playsinthescientificlandscape.Ourgoalistoprovideaninformativesessionwhereparticipants
firstlearnabouttheroleofgenderbiasininstitutionalsettings,includingitseffectsonkey
aspectsofcareerbuilding,suchasrecruitmentandevaluation.Wehavedesignedthesymposium
toincludealargeamountoftimetodiscusstheworkshopmaterial,aswehavelearnedfrompast
yearsthatthisisoneofthebestwaystolearnfromourpanelists,audiencemembers,andtheir
experiences.
Sunday11am–3pm(RoyalBCMuseum,NewcombeHall)
RWorkshop(MapsandSpatialDatawithR)–
Thisworkshopsessionwillintroduceparticipantstodatavisualizationwiththesoftware
applicationR,withafocusonspatialdata.BriefintroductionstoRpackagesthatareusefulfor
makingmaps,andforhandlingandvisualizingspatialdatawillbeincluded.Wewillbeginwith
someRbasics,andwillthenmoveontomorespecializedmethods.Theworkshopwillbebased
ontheimplementationofexamples.NopriorexperiencewithRisrequired.
Sunday3pm-6pm,SaanichRoom,VictoriaConferenceCentre
MentalHealthinAcademia–
Aimedatcurrentstudents,postdoctoralfellows,faculty,andanyoneinterested,thisworkshop
willdiscussmethodsforstayinghealthyandhappyinthemidstofacademicpressure.
Sunday3pm-6pm,OakBayRoom,VictoriaConferenceCentre
Thisyear,thestudentStrategiesforSuccessworkshopwilltakeplaceatGarrick'sHeadpub
onMay9that7pm.Theeventisstructuredasanumberoftableswithonetopicaddressedat
each,suchas:findingscholarshipopportunitiesandwritingscholarshipapplications,choosing
wheretodoyourMSc/PhD/PDF(whatthingstolookforinalabandalocation),advicefor
studentshopingtodoadegree/post-docabroad,academicjobapplications(researchand
teachingpositions),careersingovernment/industry,tipsforwritingyourMSc/PhDthesis,
creatingwork/lifebalance,jugglingkidsandacademiccareers,andsciencepolicy.Betweenone
andthreefacultymembers,postdoctoralfellows,orpeoplewithnon-academicpositionsare
assignedtoeachtopic.Workshopattendeescanthenmovearoundthedifferenttopicsthatthey
areinterestedin(speed-datingstyle).Thisworkshopisdesignedtobeasafespacewhere
studentsandpostdocscanaskquestionsandreceiveadvicefromexperiencedpeopleinarelaxed
ambience.Thiseventhasbeenabigsuccessinthepast,andagreatopportunityfornetworking.
Pleasenotethatthereisamaximumcapacitytothepub,sopleasemakesuretoregisteronline
beforehand.
-MélanieJeanandJulieLee-Yaw,yourCSEEstudentandpostdocreps
CSEE2017 Symposia
Insights of evolution
Living in the eco-evolutionary theatre: Research guided and inspired by intensive field observations
Complex coevolution: Understanding how coevolution may operate differently across diverse
interaction types, systems, and scales
Using experimental evolution to reveal the eco-evolutionary impacts of global change
Ecological epigenetics
Methods in ecology
Uncertainty in ecology and conservation
Remote camera networks to scale up ecological insights and conservation applications
Exploring the roles of mechanistic and phenomenological models in ecology
Natural history collections: A source and sink for ecological and evolutionary research
Species and community interactions
Metacommunity theory for real-world communities: Theoretical and empirical advances for trophic
metacommunities
Host-associated microbes: From protective microbes to pathogens
Sensory and behavioural ecology
Ecological and evolutionary dynamics in fluctuating environments
Understanding sensitive ecological communities
Consequences of rapid ecological change in mountain ecosystems
Seagrass ecology and conservation along Pacific and Atlantic coasts
Conservation challenges associated with aquatic soundscapes
Ecology and evolution in a changing climate
Canadian protected areas in a changing climate: A cross-ecosystem approach
Species interactions in a warming world
Life on the edge: Mechanisms of adapting to climate change
The broader context
Ecology and evolution in a social context
The tension between science and advocacy in ecology, evolution, and conservation biology
Linking environmental law and science
Accelerating urban ecology in Canada: Identifying current research approaches, gaps, and needs in
Canadian cities
Ecological, evolutionary and environmental synthesis in the 21st century
Field Trips
Urban Ecology Walking Tour: May 11th
FREE
Join naturalist Thomas Munson (Environmental Technician, City of Victoria Parks) on an hour and a
half walking tour through the crowning jewel of Victoria’s parks system: Beacon Hill Park. This site,
which extends from the downtown core all the way to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, is rich in cultural
significance to the Lekwungen First Nations People, whose past landscape management techniques
cultivated the many of the natural features we see there today. Tour highlights will include stops at the
Great Blue Heron nesting site (bring your binoculars), a visit to camas gardens (in bloom throughout
May), and opportunities to view rare and endangered plant species (bring your camera)! The cost is
free and maps and plant guidebooks will be provided. Please email [email protected] to register
for this field trip.
Ecology and Restoration of Garry Oak Ecosystems: May 7th [FULL]
Garry oak ecosystems are among the most endangered habitats in Canada – reduced to less than 5% of
their historic range. Visit two sites where degraded areas have been restored to biodiversity hotspots.
At Fort Rodd Hill National Historic Site, Parks Canada has converted one acre of lawn into a diverse
wildflower meadow and woodland. The Haliburton Biodiversity Project features the conversion of a
reed canary grass monoculture and agronomic grass field to diverse herbaceous meadow habitat. Both
sites operate nurseries growing native plants for local recovery efforts.
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, Sidney Spit (SKŦÁMEN): May 11th [FULL]
Join Parks Canada scientists as they share their experiences conducting restoration in the Salish Sea.
Two projects will be highlighted: 1) ecological restoration of a coastal sands ecosystem; and, 2) ecocultural restoration of Coast Salish clam gardens.
There is no dock on Sidney Island and access will be via boat (rigid hull inflatable) landing on the
beach. Attendees will have to crawl over the boat hull. Additionally, there are no trails on Sidney
island. This trip is not recommended for people with mobility issues.
Botanical Beach and Avatar Grove: May 11th [FULL]
Only a few hours from Victoria, the beautiful Botanical Beach in the Juan de Fuca Provincial Park is
rich with intertidal life and fantastic geological features. Just off the shore, grey whales, orcas, sealions,
and harbor seals are common sights. Join scientists exploring the tide pools, followed by a trip to
Avatar Grove, one of the remaining stands of old growth coastal forest on Vancouver Island. The
magnificent forest, located in the traditional territory of the Pacheedaht First Nation, houses massive,
twisting red cedars and Douglas firs. These trees represent some of the oldest on this coastline,
reaching up to 1,000 years of age and 40+ feet in circumference.
Species-at-risk hotspot Trial Island Ecological Reserve: May 11th [FULL]
Trial Island Ecological Reserve off the coast of Victoria houses one of the most outstanding known
assemblages of rare and endangered plant species in BC. The reserve comprises parts of two elongated
rocky islands and associated islets. Twenty-eight species of vascular plants listed as rare in British
Columbia are present in the reserve, 15 of which are in the categories of greatest rarity in the
province. The reserve also encompasses a traditional First Nations and Songhees bulb harvesting
site. We have been granted special permission from Parks Canada to visit the island, and in exchange
we will be spending a few hours in the morning pruning invasive plant species (mostly English ivy).
There is no dock on Trial Island and access will be via boat (rigid hull inflatable) landing on the beach.
Attendees will have to crawl over the boat hull. Additionally, there are no trails on Trial island. This
trip is not recommended for people with mobility issues.
Royal BC Museum Collections Tour: May 11th
FREE
The Royal BC Museum is dedicated to preserving and sharing the human and natural histories of
British Columbia. The museum hosts an impressive assembly of ichthyology, herpetology, ornithology,
mammalogy, paleontology, invertebrate zoology, entomology, and botany collections. CSEE 2017
conference attendees are invited to take a one-hour behind-the-scenes tour of select natural history
collections guided by Royal BC Museum curators, collection managers, and research associates.
Poster Presentations
Posters will be on display all day Monday and Tuesday (8-9 May), but presenters are only required to
stand with their posters from 4:00 to 6:15 PM on the day that they are assigned. The numbers below
match the numbers assigned to poster boards in the Lower Pavilion at the Victoria Conference Centre.
Presenters with even numbers (i.e., 2, 4, 6, ..., 98) will be at their posters on Monday, 8 May, and
presenters with odd numbers (i.e., 1, 3, 5, …, 99) will be at their posters on Tuesday, 9 May.
Poster presenters can set up their posters as early as 2:00 PM on Sunday, 7 May. All posters must be
taken down by 7 PM on Tuesday, 9 May. Poster dimensions must be 120 × 120 cm or smaller.
1. SamuelStarko,PatrickMartone.Allometricscalinginkelps:Size-dependentpatterns,
2.
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covariation,andtheimportanceofhabitat.
StevenAnderson,BruceFord,-AnneWorley.Diversityincreaseswithlatitudeforspringemergingplantsandinsects:implicationsforreproductionintherewardlessorchid,
Cypripediumcandidum.
LouisAstorg,AndrewHendry,AlisonDerry.Incorporatingevolutionintoinvasionbiology:
Nativespeciespersistenceinfaceofexoticinvasion.
JiaxinBai,MelaniaCristescu.TheeffectofpHonDaphniapulex,Daphniapulicariaand
Daphniapulex-pulicaria.
IsabelBarrio,DavidHik,JóhannÞórsson,K.Svavarsdottir,I.SigþrúðurJónsdóttir.11,000
yearsofsheepgrazinginIceland:Canstate-and-transitionmodelsimproveour
understandingofecologicalprocesses?
DavidBeauchesne,KévinCazelles,GuillaumeBlanchet,DominiqueGravel,Philippe
Archambault.Predictingthespatialdistributionofecologicalnetworks.
BeatrixBeisner,AlexandreLanglais-Bourassa,LaurentFraser.Metacommunitystructure
andbiodiversityinurbanstreams.
KazuhiroBessho,HisashiOhtsuki,AkiraSasaki.Evolutionofenergysupplyfromhaploid
gametophytesto
diploidsporophytesinmacroalgaeandterrestrialplants.
CoryBishop,LoriGraham.Ananalysisofthemicrobiomeofeggmassesofasalamanderthat
formsasymbiosiswithunicellulargreenalgae.
LéaBlondel,SandraKlemet-N’Guessan,MarilynScott,AndrewHendry.Justkeepswimming:
Rheotaxisbehaviorofwildguppiesvariesalongrivergradients.
MannfredBoehm,DarioOjeda,QuentinCronk.Dissectingthebacon-and-eggsphenotype:
TranscriptomicsoffloralcolourchangeinLotus.
MaegwinBonar,EricVanderWal,KeithLewis.Implicationsofdecliningpopulationsizeon
seasonalaggregationinagregariousungulate.
ColeBrachmann,GuillermoHernandezRamirez,DavidHik.Doabioticconditionsinfluence
alpineplantgrowthinrecently-deglaciatedterrain?
StevenBrady,KateMacneale.Thepromiseandpitfallsofabioticindicatorasviewed
throughtwodecadesofstreamhealthmonitoring.
DanielBuonaiuto.Floral-foliatephenologicalpatternsofdeciduouswoodyplantsinanera
ofglobalchange.
16. DoreenCabrera,D.Andres,PhillipMcLoughlin,LucieDebeffe,SarahMedill,AlastairWilson,
17.
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35.
JocelynPoissant.Repeatabilityofflightinitiationdistanceandhabituationinalarge
herbivore.
JuliCarrillo,XiaohongLi,MichaelGarvey,IanKaplan,BaopingLi.Domesticationoftomato
hasdisruptedattractionofherbivorenaturalenemiestopest-damagedplants.
CatherineChamberlain.Theeffectsoffalsespringeventsonfoliatephenophasesandthe
durationofvegetativerisk.
AlexChubaty,EliotMcIntire,BarryCooke,SteveCumming,YongLuo.Borealinsect
disturbanceinSpaDES:Anintegratedsimulationmodelofmountainpinebeetleeastward
spread.
SheilaColla,JennyMcCune,AnjaCarlsson,SheilaColla,ChristinaDavy,BrettFavaro,Adam
Ford,KevinFraser,EduardoMartins.Assessingpubliccommitmenttoendangeredspecies
protection:ACanadiancasestudy.
GregoireCortial,GescheWinkler,RyanWoodland.Geneticheterogeneityofthecoastal
foragespeciesNeomysisamericana.
VanessaCraig.Thinkoutsidetheuniversity:Professionalbiologistsguidemanagementin
BC!
JohnCristiani,MaryO’Connor.Alarvaldispersalmodelforunderstandingseagrasshabitat
connectivity.
AnnaCrofts,CarissaBrown.Borealconifergerminationandseedlingestablishmentacross
substrates:Alaboratoryapproachtoexaminingsubstratesuitability.
MarkDale,TanBao.Structureandfunctionofecologicalnetworks:Insightsfromgraphlet
analyses.
SarahSchroeder,LeannaBoyer,FrancisJuanes,MayciraCosta.RemotesensingofBullkelp
(Nereocystisleutkeana)intheSalishSeausinghighresolutionsatelliteimagery.
CharlottedeKeyzer,NicoleRafferty,JamesThomson.Canpollinationfacilitateplantrange
shiftsunderclimatechange?
AlisonDerry,StéphanieGuernon,ChristianZimmerman,HeidiSwanson.Climatechange
impactsonMeHgbioaccumulationinWesternArcticlakes:Theroleofcommunity
compositonandallochthonyincrustaceanzooplankton.
PaulineDeschodt,AlanaBreitkreutz,JennyCory.Multiplepathogeninteractions:Ishost
nutritionagamechanger?
ChristopherEckert,StephanieGreer,StephenWright.Doesadramaticgenome-wide
reductioningeneticdiversitysuggesttheevolutionofself-fertilizationviareproductive
assuranceinaPacificcoastalduneplant?
DavidEnsing,ChristopherEckert.Analysisofmorphological,phenological,andfitness
relatedtraitsrevealsvaryingselectionacrosstheelevationaldistributionofyellowrattle
(RhinanthusminorL.Orobanchaceae).
OwenFitzpatrick,MorganHocking,ChrisDarimont,JohnReynolds,BrianStarzomski.Atest
ofsubsidizedislandbiogeographywithinsularplantcommunities.
KatieFlorko,GregoryThiemann,MarshaBranigan,JodiePongracz,JeffreyBromaghin.Has
seaicelossaffectedthedietcompositionofpolarbears(Ursusmaritimus)inthewestern
CanadianArctic?
JulieFortin,EricHiggs.Biodiversitychangethroughrepeatphotography.
GillianFraser,JasonFisher,JohnVolpe.Motherknowsbest?Implicationsoffemalecaribou
habitatselectiononcariboucalfsurvival.
36. ManuelGonzález,JonathanRamiro,EloySánchez,AlbertoGil,MaríaFúster.Managing
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human-greatcarnivoresconflictsinahighlyhumanizedlandscape:theCantabrianMountains
(NWSpain).
NatalieRideout,ZacchaeusCompson,DonaldBaird.Pictureperfect?Useofimagingsoftware
asarapidtoolforassessingcommunitybodysizedistributionsofbenthicmacroinvertebrate
samples.
DerekGray,JordanRead,SimonHook,PhillipSchneider,JohnLenters,CatherineO'Reilly,
SapnaSharma,StephanieHampton.Impactofmeasurementfrequencyanddatagapsonthe
calculationoflakewarmingtrends.
JemmaGreen.Ifyoubuildit,willtheycome?Evaluatingtheconservationpotentialof
developedlandscapesforaquatic-breedingamphibians.
ArielGreiner,PatrickThompson,AndrewGonzalez.Habitatconnectivityimpactsecosystem
functioning.
HilaryHamilton,LouisGosselin.Theroleofmotilityonstresstoleranceandontologyin
intertidalmarineinvertebrates.
VincentHanlon,SallyAitken.DosomaticmutationsspeeduptheevolutionofSitkaspruce?
BarbaraHawkins,RamniqueUbhi,JohnKranabetter.Variationininorganicnitrogenuptake
capacityamongectomycorrhizalfungalspecies.
TravisHeckford,JeffShatford.Silviculturalprescriptions:Implicationsforwildlifehabitatin
BC’stemperaterainforest.
TravisHeckford.Ataleoftwotrees:Stoichiometryofbalsamfirandwhitebirchinthe
borealforest.
DavidHik,IsabelBarrio,GuillermoBueno,IngibjörgJónsdóttir,MartinMörsdorf,Virve
Ravolainen,EevaSoininen.Advancingresearchonherbivoryinarcticandalpineecosystems.
DezeneHuber,LisaPoirier.Anassessmentofthediversityofground-dwellinginvertebrates
inthreeurbanland-usetypesincentralBritishColumbia.
BriannaIwabuchi,LouisGosselin.Oneisland,twoclimates:Marinespeciesoneastandwest
coastsofVancouverIslandexperiencedifferentclimateconditions.
DeborahJenkins,GlennYannic,JamesSchaefer,JamesConolly,JustinaRay,NicolasLecomte.
Populationstructureofcaribouinanice-boundarchipelago.
NatalieJones,JonathanShurin.Non-nativepredatorsalternovelcommunitydynamics.
KatrinaKaur,MeganFrederickson.Doant-plantmutualismsdrivediversificationinants?
AliceKenney,CharlesKrebs,PetraVillette.Cancameratrapsbeusedtoestimatewildlife
abundanceinYukonborealforest?
DeanKoch,SubhashLele,MarkLewis.SpatialMarkovmodelforMountainPineBeetle
outbreaksinBC.
MichelLaforge,EricVanderWal.Consistentindividualdifferencesintrackingforage
phenology.*PresentingonTuesday.
GenevièveLajoie,StevenKembel.Identifyingleadingaxesofvariationamongmicrobes:
Lessonsfromplantandanimalecology.
RobertLalonde,JamieMacEwan.Doesthehostmatter?DistributionoftheEurytoma
spongiosacomplexamongtwospeciesoflocallyco-occurringhost.
MylesLamont,DavidHancock.Poles,platformsandpoplars:Buildingraptormitigationnests
inBritishColumbia.
58. JeffreyLane,AndrewMcAdam,ErynMcFarlane,CoryWilliams,MurrayHumphries,David
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Coltman,JamiesonGorrell,StanBoutin.Theredsquirrel'sclimatechangerelationship:It's
complicated.
AbigailLeeper,JaleneLamontagne.Reproductivetrade-offsinamastseedingspecies.
BaileyLei,DiegoCarmona,MarcJohnson.Theeffectsofplantsexontheevolutionof
phenotypicplasticityinplantdefences.
JaymeLewthwaite,AmyAngert,StevenKembel,SimonGoring,JonathanDavies,Arne
Mooers,FelixSperling,StevenVamosi,JanaVamosi,JeremyKerr.Butterflyclimatedebtis
significantandmoderatedonlybyrangesize.
QinLi,DenaGrossenbacher,AmyAngert.Nichedivergencedrivenbyrangeoverlapandtime
inMimulus.
FranceLiboiron,JustineAmmendolia,JessicaMelvin,JacquelynSaturno,MaxLiboiron.A
zeropercentplasticingestionratebysilverhake(Merlucciusbilinearis)fromthesouthcoast
ofNewfoundland,Canada.
AmandaLiczner,SheilaColla.Assessingat-riskbumblebeehabitatinOntarioforthe
conservationofdecliningspecies.
JessicaMacSween,KenOakes,ShawnLeroux.Effectsofhyperabundantmooseonstream
ecosystemfunctioninginCapeBretonHighlandsNationalPark.
RonanMarrec,MajidIravani,BrankoHricko,JahanKariyeva,HeleneWagner.Characterizing
land-usedriversofthemultiscalelandscapeconnectivityinAlberta,Canada.
GillianMartin,FrédéricChain,NicolasFortinSt-Gelais,MelaniaCristescu,PaulDelGiorgio,
BeatrixBeisner,AlisonDerry.Comparingthemetapopulationgeneticsandmetacommunity
structureofboreallakezooplanktoncommunities.
PetraMcDougall,KathreenRuckstuhl.Vigilanceisaboutmorethanjustwatchingfor
predators:Socialmimicryofvigilancebehaviourcontributestogroupcohesion.
PhilipBatista,FSperling,DHuber.Analysisofgeneticpolymorphismsofcytochromep450s
betweenmountainpinebeetle(Dendroctonusponderosae)populations.
AnneMcIntosh,ArnoldJanz,DanFarr.Areplantcommunitiesrecoveringafterwellsite
reclamationinAlberta'sgrasslandandforestedsites?
TracyMcKay,DougMacNearney,BarryNobert,KarinePigeon,LauraFinnegan.Caribou
mortalityandpredationriskinachanginglandscape.
KaileyMichnal,AmroZayed,SheilaColla.Urbandeterminantsofforagingrange,nestdensity
andreproductivesuccessinthecommoneasternbumblebee,Bombusimpatiens.
JohnMillar,NikhilLobo,AndrewMcAdam.SmallmammalstudiesintheRockyMountains.
ChandraMoffat.Hostplanttraitsandherbivoreadaptation:Harnessingevolutionaryecology
forpestmanagement.
WilliamMurphy,MaryReid.Drillbabydrill:HostselectionoftheMountainPineBeetlein
centralAlberta.
RyleeMurray,WendyPalen,JoshuaMalt.Warmingfromdiversiondamsreducesthermal
safetymarginforstreamdwellingamphibianlarva.
EricNeilson,StanBoutin.Humandisturbancealterstherelativepredationrateofmoosein
theAthabascaoilsands.
RebekahOomen,HalvorKnutsen,EsbenOlsen,SisselJentoft,NilsStenseth,Jeffrey
Hutchings.TranscriptomicvariabilityinpopulationresponsesofAtlanticcodtotemperature.
MarindeOut,RonYdenberg.Wildgoosechase:long-distanceeffectsofWhite-tailedSea
EaglepopulationrecoveryonBarnacleGoosemigration.
80. SreedeviRamachandran,GermanAvila-Sakar.Theinfluenceofsoilfertilityontomato
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tolerancetoWhiteflies.
SamridhiRijal,KathreenRuckstuhl.Seasonalvariationinparasiteeggcountsofsixparasites
inmaleandfemalebighornsheep,Oviscanadensis.
BrentRobicheau,EdSusko,MarleneSnyder.RibosomalDNArepresentsanancientsourceof
pseudogenesandjunkDNA.
SethRudman,MatthewBarbour,JulianHeavyside,DolphSchluter.Ecologicalconvergence
viaparallelspeciation.
SapnaSharma,JohnMagnuson,DerekGray,CatherineO’Reilly,JordanRead,Stephanie
Hampton.Onthinice:Arelakesfeelingtheheat?
EricSpilker,KaraMacAulay,EvelynMerrill,RobinSteenweg,MarkHebblewhite,Jesse
Whittington.Assessingrelativeabundanceandresourceselectionfunctionsforpredicting
predationriskinamulti-speciespredatorcommunity.
RoyceSteeves,FrancisLeBlanc,StevenLeadbeater,NellieGagné.Survival,geneexpression,
andviralevolutioninwildandfarmedAtlanticsalmonchallengedwithinfectioussalmon
anemiavirus(ISAV).
DonaldStewart,BrentRobicheau,EmilyChase,RandyHoeh,SophieBreton.Usinganovel
mitochondrialprotein-codinggene(F-orf)forspeciesidentificationinfreshwatermussels
(Bivalvia:Unionoida)–ACaseStudy.
RyanTate,AndrewZink.Theeffectoferrorratesandcognitiverulesontheevolutionof
signalrepertoiresandmultimodalcommunication.
CorrinaThomsen,MirandaHart.Fungalbiofertilizersasapotentialsourceofmicrobial
invasion.
AlexanderVanNynatten,DevinBloom,BelindaChang,NathanLovejoy.Visualevolutionin
marine-derivedAmazonianfishes.
QuinnWebber,MichelLaforge,MaegwinBonar,ChrisHart,AlecRobitaille,SanaZabihi,Eric
VanderWal.Anempiricalintegrationofmovementecologyandanimalpersonalityrevealsan
unexpectedtrade-offinspace-useandforagingstrategies.
JacobWeil,AngeleenOlson,EmmaPascoe,WillDuguid,CameronFreshwater,Skip
McKinnell,FrancisJuanes.Variationincondition-at-ageofreturningsockeyesalmon
(Oncorhynchusnerka)withclimateandpinksalmonabundanceintwoBritishColumbian
rivers.
DebraWertman,KatherineBleiker,StevePerlman.Thelightattheendofthetunnel:
Photosensitivityindevelopingmountainpinebeetle(Dendroctonusponderosae).
SaraWickham,BrianStarzomski.Marinenutrientsubsidiestosmallislands:Seawrackasa
consistentvector.
KirstenWilcox,JohnReynolds.Fromwatertowing:Howsalmonsubsidiesinfluence
riparianhabitatqualityforPacificwrens,anavianinsectivore.
PirminNietlisbach,LukasF.Keller,ErikPostma.Quantitativegeneticsofheterozygosity.
AndreaWishart,CoryWilliams,AndrewMcAdam,StanBoutin,BenDantzer,Murray
Humphries,JeffreyLane.TestingFisher’sprincipleacrossgenerationsinNorthAmericanred
squirrels(Tamiasciurushudsonicus).
AnneWorley,MelissaPearn,JessicaGuezen,StevenAnderson,BruceFord.Short-termlimits
toreproductionintwospeciesofrewardlessslipperorchids(Cypripedium):Resources,
pollinatorabundance,orpollinatorpreference?
ShahabZareyan,ChristophHauert,SarahOtto.Self-deceptioninanevolutionarygame.
JessicaMiller.Theroleoftheaccessoryglandsinspermcompetitioninaspecieswith
alternativereproductivetactics.
101. MinakoIto,EmilyAdamczyk,MaryO'Connor,MasahiroNakaoka.Comparisonsof
seagrass-associatedinvertebratecommunitiesinnative,introducedandmixedseagrassbeds
atCrescentBeach,BC.
102. JosephBurant,EvaKok,AnneDekinga,TheunisPiersma,KimberleyMathot.Exploratory
behaviourinredknots:Ataleofontogeny.
103. KatieDavidson,BrianStarzomski,JohnReynolds,RanaEl-Sabaawi,MorganHocking,
ChrisDarimont.Seaweedsubsidiesinfluenceislandmouseecology.
104. SamanthaStraus,LeticiaAviles.Economiesofscale:Energeticcostsandbenefitsofgroup
livinginasocialspider.
105. SusanGordon,ShannonMeadley-Dunphy,MeganFrederickson.Comparingphenologies
inaseeddispersalmutualism.
106. KimberlyDohms,AndrewHuan,MarkDrever.Nestsearching:Howmucheffortis
required?
107. FelipePerez-Jvostov.Morphologicalresponsesoftropicalstreamfishestoanthropogenic
habitatalteration.
108. DesireeBulger.EvaluatingBritishColumbia'sArtificialReefsinaConservationContext.
109. SarahFriesen,NatalieBan.Incorporatingconnectivityintomarineprotectedarea
networkplanning:TheNorthernShelfBioregion.
110. AndrewHendry,FelipePérez-Jvostov.NSERCCREATEinBiodiversity,Ecosystem
ServicesandSustainability.
100.
Sun
Room:
Victoria Conference Centre
Theatre
Saanich
Oak Bay
Newcombe Hall RBCM
08:00
08:00 - 11:00
Science communication 101
11:00
11:00 - 15:00
Symposium for Women
Entering Ecology &
Evolution Today (SWEEET)
14:00
15:00
14:00 - 20:30
Registration,
coffee and snacks available
Reg. desk, Level 1
15:00 - 18:00
15:00 - 18:00
Maps and Spatial Data with Mental Health in Academia
R
18:00
20:00
20:30
18:00 - 20:00
Welcome &
CSEE President's Award talk
(Dr. Sally Otto)
Mon
Ecological and
Uncertainty in Ecology
Evolutionary Dynamics in and Conservation
Fluctuating
Symposium
Environments
Symposium
Stickleback ecology and Accelerating urban ecology Host-associated
Phylogenetics
in Canada: Identifying
evolution
microbes: from
current research
protective microbes to
approaches, gaps, and
pathogens Symposium|
needs in Canadian cities
Microbial ecology
Theatre
Saanich
Oak Bay 1
08:00
Seasonality, climate change, and
consumer-resource dynamics, John
Fryxell
Uncertainty and the relationship
Convergent evolution of a color vision Linking urban landscape structure to
between human and environmental well- gene facilitates adaptive radiation of
ecosystem service provision , Matthew
being, Shripad Tuljapurkar
threespine stickleback into different light Mitchell
environments, David A. Marques
08:15
Hot and cold, wet and dry: The role of
season in structuring aquatic food webs,
Bailey McMeans
Heterozygosity and asymmetry in
threespine stickleback, Matthew Morris
08:30
A fitness trade-off between seasons
Incorporating climate uncertainty into
causes multigenerational cycles in
models of Spectacled Eider survival in
phenotype and population size, Gustavo Alaska, Katie Christie
Betini
Temporal variation shapes phenotypic Incorporating novel ecosystems and
and genetic diversity in bar-built estuary layered landscapes for ecological
populations of threespine stickleback,
restoration in cities, Valentin Schaefer
Antoine Paccard
08:45
The role of phenological assembly in
plant communities, Elizabeth M.
Wolkovich
Managing natural resources in the face
of uncertainty in future environments,
Byron K. Williams
Ecological interactions and genome
structure contribute to repeatable
patterns of genomic divergence in
threespine stickleback, Diana J.
Rennison
Socio-ecological interactions in the
The impact of non-pathogenic
urban forests: Residents and their trees, phylloplane bacteria on insect disease
Tenley Conway
resistance: The importance of ecological
context, Jenny Cory
09:00
Dynamics of seasonal adaptation in
Drosophila melanogaster , Emily
Behrman
Uncertainty in wildlife monitoring and
management, Anne Loosen
Speciation seen through the lens of
biomechanics: A multidisciplinary
approach using fish locomotion and
feeding in marine and freshwater
threespine stickleback, Sean Rogers
Strategic planning for urban forestry in
Canada: Sharing knowledge and
engaging communities across
disciplines, Adrina Bardekjian
09:15
Niche conservatism and evolution in
fluctuating environments, Robert Holt
Climate and grazing management
contribute to uncertainty about carbon
storage and sequestration in the
Canadian prairies, Cameron Carlyle
Genetic basis of covariation between
Ecological health in Metro Vancouver:
temperature-associated traits in marine Current projects and emerging topics,
and freshwater threespine stickleback Marcin Pachcinski
(Gasterosteus aculeatus ), Sara J. Smith
Microbial ecology of seaweed, Matthew Comparison of genomic and
Lemay
microsatellite profiles from wolves and
coyotes, Astrid V. Stronen
The widespread failure of adaptive
management in fisheries, Carl Walters
Lab versus wild: Phenotypic covariation Whales, bees, forests, and birds:
in threespine stickleback, Tegan Barry Raising the profile of biodiversity in
Vancouver, Angela Danyluk
What's on your skin: New insights into Characterizing fitness landscapes in
the overall function and variation of skin Darwin's finches with a hierarchical
microbiome in amphibians, David
model, Marc-Olivier Beausoleil
Lesbarreres
Room:
09:30
09:45
Natural selection for life histories in
seasonal environments, Mark Boyce
Museum collections
symposium
Symposium
Oak Bay 2
Effects of ecological context on the
phenotypic divergence of stickleback
ecotypes, Rebecca J. Best
What can human-wildlife encounters in
the city tell us about urban ecology?,
Justin Podur
Esquimalt
West Coast
Newcombe RBCM
Rapid evolution of microbe-mediated
protection, Kayla King
Introduced common reed (Phragmites
australis ) in western Canada: A future
problem or not?, Geraldine A. Allen
Welcome, Kelly Sendall
Tree-ectomycorrhizal symbioses: Does A comparative analysis of mitochondrial Working together to mobilise biodiversity
diversity confer function?, Holly Moeller DNA in dioecious (Anodonta anatina ) collections data in Canada, Anne
and hermaphroditic (Anodonta cygnea Bruneau
..., Emily Chase
Thermal stress alters host-parasite
interaction and drives parasite
distribution in a marine invertebrate,
Alyssa Gehman
Phylogeography of Oreohelix land
snails in southern Alberta and
Saskatchewan, Zach Dempsey
What's in the box: Preliminary data from A student's-eye view of taxonomy and
genomic signatures of adaptive
collections research in Canada, Jamie
diversification in box-ironbark eucalypts, Fenneman and Jeanette Whitton
Jasmine Janes
Strong community structuring of
Exploring the surprisingly finely
defensive heritable symbionts is shaped dissected genomes of the Helianthus
by context-dependent transmission
hybrid species, Gregory L. Owens
rates, Jacob Russell
Connecting urban ecology and municipal Understanding the impacts of
infrastructure, Michelle Molnar
environmental exposure on gut
microbiome diversity and host health
using a wild population of deer mice...,
Elliot Schmidt
Coffee Break 10:00 - 10:30
Environmental marginality and range
limits in Arabidopsis lyrata , Julie LeeYaw
Discovering and archiving the tree of life,
Wayne Maddison
Climate change, phenology and species
interactions: Opportunities and
challenges of natural history collections,
Heather Kharouba
Mon
CSEE PhD diversity &
excellence Research
award symposium
Stickleback | Salmonid
ecology and evolution
NSERC scholarships &
Exploring the roles of
fellowships information mechanistic and
phenomenological
models in ecology
symposium
Oak Bay 1
Room:
Theatre
Saanich
10:30
Introduction
Diet specialization in Threespine
stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus ) in
response to lake physical characteristics
and the presence of Signal crayfish
(Pacificasticus leniusculus ), Douglas
Curley
10:45
Altered competition under ocean
Eco-evolutionary interactions in
acidification influences species- but not stickleback elemental composition,
community-level response to food
Rana W. El-Sabaawi
supply, Norah Brown (UBC)
Leaf bacterial diversity mediates plant Determinants of brook charr resource
diversity-ecosystem function
polymorphism in Canadian Shield lakes,
relationships, Isabelle Laforest-Lapointe Vincent Rainville
(University of Montreal)
11:30
11:45
Phylogenetics |
Evolutionary theory
Museum collections
symposium
West Coast
Newcombe RBCM
Oak Bay 2
Esquimalt
Mechanism and the unknown: Or, how
to predict the future, Kim Cuddington
Systemic stress levels in Vancouver
Chromosome inversions and adaptation Elevation, crypsis, and community
Island marmots may correlate to human to heterogeneous environments in
structure of neotropical arthropods,
intervention: Implications for the
seaweed flies, Claire Merot
Sarah Dolson
management of a critically endangered
mammal, Madison J. Acker
Mechanism versus phenomenology in
models of insect outbreak, Greg Dwyer
Maternal stress and predator odour
effects on juvenile cuttlefish antipredator
responses to ink and alarm cue, Kevin
R. Bairos-Novak
The genomic significance of pervasive Reconciling phenological observations
broad-scale heterogeneity in
with flowering records in herbaria, T.
recombination rate along chromosomes Jonathan Davies
during early population divergence,
Marius Roesti
Morphological responses of threespine
Mechanistic and phenomenological
Effects of local predation pressure on
Tracing the footprints of a moving
stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus ) to
models for animal movement patterns in prey fish behaviour and evasion of an
Setophaga warbler hybrid zone, Silu
two non-native predators, Hannah M.
invasive predator, Adrienne E. Berchtold Wang
Natalie Weiskopf and Kathleen Lorenzo ecology, Mark Lewis
Kienzle
(NSERC scholarship & fellowship
officers)
11:00
11:15
Stress, Antipredator
behaviour
Reptile phylogeny and the origin and
early radiation of lepidosaurs, Tiago
Simões (University of Alberta)
How do different modelling techniques
compare to predict species and
communities patterns?, Ben Bolker
Investigating the sub-lethal effects of
predation in black tailed prairie dogs,
Colleen Crill
The effect of ploidy level on the rate and Using museum specimens and other
spectrum of new mutations, Nathaniel best available data to assess insect
Sharp
conservation status: A lesson from the
IUCN Red List bumblebees, Sheila Colla
Ecological drivers of covariance in
productivity among Fraser River
sockeye salmon conservation units,
Cameron Freshwater
Prediction: What is it, why do we do it
and how to do it better, Korryn Bodner
Exploring stress biomarkers in an avian The evolution of constraint as an
model, Gillian Johnstone
adaptation, Andrew Simons
Patterns in salmon dynamics in space
and time on the Central Coast of British
Columbia, Eric Hertz
*Linking ecological theory and data*
From ecological theory to empirical data,
the missing statistical link, F. Guillaume
Blanchet
Winter temperature experience affects The genomics of purging inbreeding
cognitive responses in black-capped
depression, Sarah J. Baldwin
chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) , Robert
Jeff Martin
The dead keep talking, Leah R. Ramsay
Discussion
Lunch 12:00 - 13:30 (on your own)
Mon
Room:
CSEE PhD diversity &
excellence Research
award symposium
Salmonid ecology and
evolution
Theatre
Saanich
Mate choice,
hybridization
Newcombe RBCM
Esquimalt
West Coast
Evolutionary bargaining games:
Ecological and evolutionary stability in a
consumer-resource based model of
mutualistic interactions, Gordon G.
McNickle
The effects of anthropogenic and
biological noise on fish behavior and
physiology: A meta-analysis, Francis
Juanes
Population level variation in host plant
response to multiple symbionts, James
Franklin
Addressing the potential cumulative
The genetic signature of evolutionary
impacts of land use and climate change rescue with sex, Matthew Osmond
on fish and wildlife in northern Ontario,
Cheryl Chetkiewicz
Do mate choice errors slow the spread
of the invasive brown spruce longhorn
beetle?, Jennifer Anderson
Motorboat noise disrupts co-operative
interspecific interactions, Isabelle Côté
Fungal bio-fertilizers can affect local
plant communities, Vasileios Kokkoris
Freshwater conservation planning in an Life history trade-offs, sexual conflict,
intact landscape, Brie Edwards
and the maintenance of variation in
Drosophila melanogaster , Devin
Arbuthnott
Female preference for alternative male
morphs in the Kribensis cichlid
(Pelvicachromis pulcher ), Peter Hurd
Experimental and natural nutrient
subsidies alter steelhead life history,
Colin J. Bailey
Tracking marine mammals in the
presence of human induced ocean
noise, Ben Hendricks
Mast seeding patterns in five North
American conifer genera (1912-2014),
Jalene LaMontagne
Phylogenetic patterns of amphibian
Variation in symbiont preference drives
community disassembly from concurrent symbiont evolution, Rebecca T.
land-use change and climate, Dan
Batstone
Greenberg
Flexible mate choice may regulate gene
flow between sympatric pumpkinseed
sunfish ecotypes (Lepomis gibbosus ),
Beren Robinson
Understanding a dolphin's soundscape
to assess the potential changes in
habitat use, Matt Pine
Can traits predict changes in species
abundance?, Julie Messier
Proactive conservation planning for high- Phenotypic selection on architectural
value habitats of caribou and grizzly
effects in Delphinium glaucum
bears in the Muskwa-Kechika
(Ranunculaceae), Ilona Clocher
Management Area, northeast British
Columbia, Nobuya Suzuki
Rapid evolution of reproductive isolation
during speciation: Evidence from
Lochmaea capreae leaf beetle,
Shaghayegh Soudi
13:45
Canada's wild salmon policy: An
assessment of conservation progress,
Michael H. Price
14:00
Looking through the bottleneck:
Long-term shifts in the phenology of
Genomic analysis of historical and
juvenile salmon migration across
contemporary population genetic
species and location, Jonathan Moore
variation in the Pinzon Island Galapagos
tortoise, Evelyn Jensen (UBC-O)
Oak Bay 2
Evolutionary theory |
Selection
Assessing biodiversity response to landuse and climate change in Nova Scotia:
A proposed ecosystem framework, Sean
Basquill
13:30
Oak Bay 1
Policy and planning
Marine mammal vocalizations in a
The inclusion of positive interactions in
changing Arctic soundscape: Impacts of modeling the niche space of desert
decreased sea ice and increased ship annuals, Alessandro Filazzola
traffic, William Halliday
Multi-scale responses to warming in an Glacial recession and salmon futures,
experimental metacommunity, Tess
Kara Pitman
Grainger (University of Toronto)
14:15
Conservation challenges Plant ecology
associated with aquatic
soundscapes symposium
14:30
Congratulations
Genome wide association and
signatures of selection studies for sea
age in North American Atlantic salmon
populations using Next Generation
Resequencing and the new North
American 50K SNP chip, Elizabeth G.
Boulding
14:45
*Application in ecology and
evolution* Ecology vs. evolution:
Comparing applications of research
fields, Jeff Bowman
Reduced growth in wild juvenile sockeye Ambient noise from natural sources and Drivers of variation in the sugar maple
salmon infected with sea lice, Sean
shipping in the western Canadian Arctic, (Acer saccharum ) leaf and root
Godwin
Stephen Insley
microbiome along environmental
gradients, Steven Kembel
Coffee Break 15:00 - 15:30
Survival by genotype: Patterns at Mc1r
are not black and white at the White
Sands ecotone, Simone Des Roches
Sexual conflict can constrain the
evolution of reinforcement, Alison
Wardlaw
Mon
Room:
Social systems
Salmonid ecology and
evolution
Ecology of PlantPlastics in the
Herbivore Interactions in environment
Cold Places
Policy and planning
Evolution |
Communication
Reproductive ecology
and behaviour
West Coast
Newcombe RBCM
Theatre
Saanich
Oak Bay 1
Oak Bay 2
Esquimalt
15:30
Exploring the evolution of eusociality in
a primitively eusocial paper wasp using
population genomics, Kathleen
Dogantzis
Fishing for sympatry: Historical and
contemporary neutral processes shaping
Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus ) in
Labrador, Canada, Sarah Salisbury
*Conservation* Marine vessel
movements: Mitigation of noise through
data collection, strategic planning, and
management support, Rosaline
Canessa
Plastic pollution in the total environment:
A review of marine plastic contamination
in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada,
Justine Ammendolia
Taking the path of least resistance: how Multilevel and sex-specific selection on Identifying correlates of captive breeding
conservation science got left behind in competitive traits in North American red success in amphibians, Alannah Biega
the design of the largest Canadian
squirrels, David Fisher
marine protected area, Rodolphe
Devillers
15:45
Competitive interactions and the
Dietary thiaminase and its effects on
The chemical arms race between hungry
mechanisms behind negative frequency- reproductive traits in three populations of herbivores and clever plants, Jennifer
dependent selection on aggression,
Atlantic salmon, Kimberly T. Mitchell
Forbey
Julia Kilgour
Microplastic ingestion by Venerupis
Timing of protection of critical habitat
philippinarum and Crassostra gigas on matters, Tara G. Martin
intertidal shellfish farms and 'wild'
beaches in BC, Canada, Garth A.
Covernton
Is the experimental evolution of wild red Parent-offspring cannibalism in the
squirrels repeatable?, Andrew G.
plainfin midshipman fish, Aneesh P. H.
McAdam
Bose
16:00
The effect of individual variation of
Environmental pathogen transmission
sociality on reproductive success and
between farmed and wild salmon
body condition in a Canadian population populations, Dylan Shea
of black-tailed prairie dogs, Jillian M.
Kusch
Grazing Arctic tundra: Plant to
ecosystem responses, Greg Henry
Determining the efficacy of depurating
microplastics from Pacific oysters
(Crassostrea gigas )
Redefining ecological integrity by
decoupling energy capture and
conversion, Charles Martin
Assignment methods tailored for
Repeatability and reproductive
RADseq data in conservation genomics, consequences of boldness in female
Thierry Gosselin
grey seals, David Coltman
16:15
Nest-site competition and the
A test of parallelism in the axes of
socioecology of reproduction in eastern morphological divergence in Icelandic
carpenter bees, Miriam Richards
arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus ),
Matthew Brachmann
Effects of resource manipulation on
Influence of subtidal and intertidal
temperate grassland vegetation under a shellfish farming on microplastic
changing climate, John Serafini
contamination in cultured Pacific oysters
(Crassostrea gigas ) from British
Columbia, Matthew R. Miller
The effect of target setting on
conservation in Canada's boreal: What
is the right amount of area to protect?,
Darren J.H. Sleep
The quantifiable value of outreach to
herpetofaunal conservation, Sean P.
Boyle
16:30
Effects of neighbour familiarity on
intrusion risk and behavioural time
budgets in a territorial squirrel
(Tamiasciurus hudsonicus ), Erin
Siracusa
16:45
How did egg-laying and work behaviours Intraspecific resource competition and
decouple from solitary antecedents to
phenotypic selection in polymorphic
eusocial castes?, David N. Awde
Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus ), Oliver
Franklin
, Maggie M. Dietterle
Population genetics of Athabasca River Climate and land use inform range
Evaluating contaminants associated with Global Human Footprint project, Oscar
Basin bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus ), expansion of a large boreal herbivore in plastic ingestion in an Arctic seabird,
Venter
Emma K. Carroll
a novel agro-ecosystem, Michel P.
Jennifer Provencher
Laforge
The role of bison as ecosystem
Plastics and other anthropogenic debris Prioritizing management actions when
engineers in the aspen parkland , Peter in freshwater birds from Canada, Dave data is scarce and systems are
Tarleton
Shutler
complex, Laura Kehoe
What does the tweet say: The use of
Spatial autocorrelation of white-throated
social media for science communication, sparrow song variation at the
Alina Fisher
neighbourhood scale, Scott M. Ramsay
Media and storytelling as a tool for
science communication, Josh Silberg
Reconstructing habitat change at a multispecies goose breeding area, East Bay,
Southampton Island, Nunavut, Peter Kotanen
Theatre
18:00
–
20:30
Saanich
Oak Bay 1
More reasons why picking the right
spatial scale is so #@&! hard, Andrew
D. Moraga
Oak Bay 2
Anne Salomon, Public Lecture
Adapting to Surprise in Our Coastal Oceans: Lessons from Kelp Forests, Ancient Clam
Gardens and Pacific Herring
Poster Session A: Monday 16:00 - 18:15
The causes and consequences of the
variability in incubation behaviour in tree
swallows (Tachycineta bicolor ), Nghia
Tran
Tue
Room:
Remote camera
networks to scale up
ecological insights
and conservation
applications
symposium
The tension between Ecological epigenetics
science and advocacy symposium | Bird
in ecology, evolution, Migration
and conservation
biology symposium
Metacommunity theory for
real-world communities:
theoretical and empirical
advances for trophic
metacommunities
symposium
Oak Bay 2
Population dynamics Life histories:
phenology, sex, sex
ratio
Complex coevolution:
understanding how
coevolution may operate
differently across diverse
interaction types, systems,
and scales symposium
Consequences of
Rapid Ecological
Change in Mountain
Ecosystems
Symposium
Esquimalt
West Coast
Newcombe RBCM
level 2: Sidney
Eco-evolutionary dynamics in a
contemporary human population,
Patrick Bergeron
Differences in early life history
Pollen specialization by bees and A century of ecosystem change in
traits between sexual and asexual pollen protection by plants: is there the Canadian Rocky Mountains,
Easter daisies favor the
an arms race?, Jessica Forrest
Andrew Trant
establishment of asexuals , Evan
Hersh
Ecology & Evolution
in a Social Context
Symposium
Biodiversity
Theatre
Saanich
Oak Bay 1
08:00
Promise and pitfalls of scaling up
ecological insights using remote
cameras, Cole Burton
Safeguarding scientific credibility
in ecology and conservation
biology, Mark Vellend
Why so bitter? The epigenetics of Current advances and future
flavour and aroma in hops., Linda challenges of reconciling the
Rutledge
horizontal metacommunity with a
vertical world, Coreen Forbes
08:15
Landscape and climate change:
Ecological insights from cameratrap research, Jason T Fisher
Getting out of the ivory tower:
Genetic and epigenetic response
Informing policies for reforestation, to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
conservation and climate change, in S. alterniflora, Marta Robinson
Sally Aitken
A general framework for trophic
metacommunity ecology, Laura
Melissa Guzman
Are populations of migratory tree- Diet-dependent sex ratios in
roosting bats declining?, Erin
Tigriopus californicus : Evidence
Baerwald
for ESD in a system with stable
PSD, Erin Hornell
Evolution and specificity in an
The conservation value of
Social structure modulates the
insect defensive symbiosis, Steve mountain environments to birds in evolutionary consequences of
Perlman
North America, Kathy Martin
social plasticity: A social network
pers..., Pierre-Olivier Montiglio
Functional diversity in fragments:
The joint effects of ecological drift
and deterministic responses, Leila
Forsyth
08:30
Trophic traps: Inferring species
relationships from camera trap
imagery, Adam Ford
Mercury rising: Epigenetic
response to mercury exposure in
songbirds, Kristin Brzeski
Simple rules for complex spatial
food web dynamics, Dominique
Gravel
Meta-analyses reveal the world is
truly chaotic: How did humans
succeed in such a place?,
Nicholas C. Collins
Sanctions, partner recognition, and Spatial genetic structure of
variation in mutualism, Jeremy
Alberta's bighorn sheep:
Yoder
Population resilience and
implications for harvest
management, Jamie Gorrell
Measuring diversity using entropy
(Shannon), covariance (Simpson),
and independence (linkage
disequilibrium), Root Gorelick
08:45
A new Automated Behavioural
Scientific integrity and
Ants and plants: Epigenetic
Response system to integrate
contributions to policy: Seeing the responses to multiple mutualist
playback experiments into camera limits, Jeremy Kerr
partners, Rebecca Kartzinel
trap studies, Liana Zanette
Embracing variability: Food webs Climate change effects on the
in space and time, Kevin McCann predator-prey relationship between
polar bears and common eider
seaducks, Cody Dey
Decomposing direct and indirect Coevolution's ups and downs: A
Are coastal mountains responding
effects of early-life environment on long-term study of sex in a natural to climate change differently?,
fitness of bighorn ewes, Gabriel
population, Amanda Gibson
Luise Hermanutz
Pigeon
09:00
A comparison of multiple spatial
capture-recapture models for
estimating carnivore densities
using field data, Joanna Burgar
Cascading effects of spatial
structure across trophic levels,
Rachel Germain
The strength of densitydependence in mountain
ungulates varies over time, Marco
Festa-Bianchet
The role of coding trinucleotide
Co-evolution across the spectrum
repeats within candidate genes in of host/microbiota integration,
the adaptation of an iconic
Laura Parfrey
northern mammal, Canada lynx
(Lynx canadensis ), Melanie
Prentice
Where fast is slow: Experimental Root behavioral responses to
effects of changing soil
nutrients and neighbors, Dr. JC.
temperature and nutrients on a
Cahill
subarctic, alpine plant community,
Jill Johnstone
Diversity productivity relationships
across scale, Eric G. Lamb
09:15
Camera trap surveys to inform
management decision making,
Angela Fuller
Sex differences in migratory
Ecological drift across trophic
restlessness of black-throated blue levels: Consequences for
warblers during spring migration, metacommunities, Denon Start
Jessica Deakin
Why most studied populations
should decline, Stephen Heard
Shifting birthdates in bighorn
sheep: Can individuals track
changes in local weather?,
Limoilou-Amélie Renaud
Whitebark pine on the edge?
Gene-environment interplay in
Abiotic and biotic drivers interact to behavior and evolution: lessons
limit species range, Alana Clason from Drosophila melanogaster , Dr.
Julia Saltz
Preserving phylogenetic diversity
can be a poor strategy for
preserving functional diversity,
Florent Mazel
09:30
Advancing field conservation by
developing new camera trap
methods and collaborations in the
Pacific Northwest, Robert Long
Stopover timing and refueling in
relation to migration distance and
sex in Wilson's warbler, Yolanda
E. Morbey
What causes cyclical population
dynamics? The roles of disease
and fecundity in the western tent
caterpillar, Paul MacDonald
Lack of diapause in aphid
Cooperation, conflict, and
parasitoids from mild winter areas: coevolution, Megan Frederickson
Ecological and evolutionary
insights, Kévin Tougeron
Canada's mountain ecosystems:
Towards a better integration of
biotic and abiotic drivers of rapid
change, David Hik
Are the most evolutionary distinct
species the most original?, Vahab
Pourfaraj
09:45
Monitoring large-scale trends in
wildlife populations using remote
cameras, Jesse Whittington
Epigenetic changes in natural
populations: Its role in the
demography of cyclic mammals,
Rudy Boonstra
The distinction between advice
and advocacy in science, Jeff
Hutchings
Conservation of peripheral
populations illustrate the tension
between advise and advocacy in
the absence of scientific
consensus, Jeannette Whitton
Coupled spatial-trophic dynamics
in bromeliad food webs, Diane
Srivastava
Large variation in migration routes *Grassland trophic cascades*
of hybrid flycatchers, Thor Veen
Songbirds and small mammals
cause trophic cascades in
montane grassland ecosystems,
William Harrower
The effects of climate change on
sex determination and growing
time in a northern population of
snapping turtles, Melanie Massey
Population dynamics of the
adopted migrant life history in fish,
Luke A. Rogers
Coffee Break 10:00 - 10:30
The role of coevolution in the
assembly and disassembly of
mutualistic communities, Scott
Nuismer
*Bacterial Symbiosis*
Diversity and nutritional mutualism
of Wolbachia in Bat flies
(Streblidae, Nycteribiidae ),
Haewon Shin
Drivers of post-fire understory
regeneration in the conifer
dominated boreal forest of
southern Northwest Territories,
Alison White
level 2: Colwood
level 2: View Royal
Selection on colony foraging
aggressiveness favors social
susceptibility in social spiders,
Jonathan Pruitt
A multi-method comparison of
substratum community
assessment techniques and the
implications for diversity indices
a..., Kieran D. Cox
Social relationships shape vocal
interactions of male Black-capped
Chickadees at dawn, Dr. Jenn
Foote
Ecological variation, mate sharing, Using environmental DNA to
and the potential for sperm
monitor winter aquatic biodiversity,
competition in Wellington tree
Jori B. Harrison
weta, Dr. Tina Wey
Discussion
Diversity-stability hypothesis: Are
we looking at the right scale?,
Guillaume Rheault
Tue
Remote camera
networks |
Mammalian
movement and
activity
Theatre
Pollution
Saanich
10:30
Flying cameras: Promises and
pitfalls of drones for wildlife
ecology, Sophie Gilbert
Wildlife health indicators and
mercury exposure: A case study of
river otters (Lontra canadensis ) in
central British Columbia, Canada,
Shannon M. Crowley
10:45
Fish on film in the temperate deep: Oil sands and the marine
An underwater method
environment: Current knowledge
comparison, Lily Burke
and future challenges, Stephanie
J. Green
Pollinator-mediated facilitation
explains asymmetric rarity
advantages in experimental plant
communities, Katie Brown
11:00
Camera trapping for pollinators:
Using time-lapse cameras on a
flower lure to index pollinators in
fragmented boreal forests,
Federico Riva
11:15
Carnivore activity patterns in
Impacts of industrial noise on owl
relation to landscape development occupancy and seasonal use in
and competitor co-occurrence,
the boreal forest, Julia Shonfield
Sandra Frey
Clonal growth increases outcross
mating opportunities, Marcel E.
Dorken
Seagrass genetic diversity
Effects of urbanization on fish life
enhances production at multiple
history traits: Lessons from
life history stages, Randall Hughes guppies, Piata Marques
Stable isotopes and fatty acids
reveal freshwater aquatic prey in
the diet of wolves, Sean A.
O'Donovan
11:30
Camera traps tell us where
animals live, but more so, where
animals move, Frances Stewart
Inferring growth dilution from
latitudinal variation in fish growth
and mercury bioaccumulation,
Shyam Thomas
Pollinator-dependent invasive
species impacts on network
structure and community traits,
Sandra Gillespie
Turning up the heat on seagrass
wasting disease , Morgan
Eisenlord
A temporal shift in prey species
Preserving adaptive capacity
availability decreases trophic
under intensifying ocean
diversity in community structure
acidification, Terrie Klinger
among a predator assemblage in a
changing Arctic, David J.
Yurkowski
Predator functional responses:
Breathing new life into old theory,
Dennis Murray
11:45
Spatially explicit density estimation
in a large-scale grizzly bear study
using spatial capture-recapture
models, Andy J. Royle
Calcified herbivore loss may
disproportionately drive responses
to ocean acidification in natural
communities. Kathryn M. Anderson
Global trends in pollinator
community diversity and
composition in response to
interactive climate and land-use
changes, Peter Soroye
Effects of multiple
Hunting promotes slow life
disturbances/stresses on eelgrass histories in brown bears, Joanie
epifaunal communities, Mathieu
Van de Walle
Cusson
Vertebrate-wide scaling of
metabolic rate and respiratory
surface area, Jennifer S. Bigman
Has predator management
Genomic insights into local
Patterns of plant succession and
neglected to consider the impact of adaptations in Ovibos Moschatus , scale of observation in an extreme
ecology on predator behaviour?, Erin Prewer
environment, Katriina O'Kane
Kyle Plotsky
Room:
Pollination systems
Seagrass ecology and Life histories:
conservation along
reproduction,
Pacific and Atlantic
senescence
coasts symposium
Animal diet
Oak Bay 1
Oak Bay 2
Esquimalt
West Coast
Understanding multiyear variability
in the yield of pollinator dependent
highbush blueberry (Vaccinium
corymbosum ), Kyle Bobiwash
Secondary production of
macrobenthic communities in
seagrass (Zostera marina ,
eelgrass) beds and bare softsediments across differing
environmental conditions in
Atlantic Canada, Melisa Wong
Post-reproductive lifespan and
Untangling aquatic food webs
grandmothering in a pre-industrial using DNA and text-mining,
human population, Sacha C.
Zacchaeus G. Compson
Engelhardt
Seascape connectivity effects on
the nursery value of temperate
seagrass ecosystems, Angeleen
Olson
Variation in the timing and
magnitude of peak reproductive
effort affects rate of senescence,
Anni Hämäläinen
Evaluating the seasonal use of
estuarine habitats by juvenile
salmon and resident fish
communities, Lia Chalifour
Morphological changes in offspring DNA metabarcoding reveals the
associated with parental
broad and flexible diet of a
senescence, Robert Laird
declining aerial insectivore,
Beverly McClenaghan
Parasitic infection: A missing piece Pollinator-mediated impacts of
of the ocean acidification puzzle, alien plants on natives: New data
Colin D. MacLeod
provide new insights, Julia
Charlebois
Does habitat selection constrain
adaptive life-histories?, Douglas
W. Morris
Life On the Edge:
Mechanisms of
Adapting to Climate
Change Symposium
Foraging
Newcombe RBCM
level 2: Sidney
Genetic structure of
populations
level 2: Colwood
level 2: View Royal
A resistance mapping approach to
assess landscape effects on
genetics and dispersal of the
Rocky Mountain Apollo butterfly,
Helen Chen
Decoupling habitat fragmentation
from habitat loss: Butterfly
assemblages on lake islands
support the habitat amount
hypothesis, Zachary G.
MacDonald
Does access to anthropogenic
food subsidies affect glucose
metabolism of raccoons?, Albrecht
Schulte-Hostedde
Population genomics of whitetailed deer (Odocoileus
virginianus ) introduced on
Anticosti Island, Jérémie Fuller
Competing taxa suppress each
other's diversity, Abdel Halloway
Tundra plant responses to
experimental warming and
snowmelt timing, Esther Frei
Behaviour of animals in wild
populations within urban vs
suburban habitats, Jesse Hacker
The effect of landscape on genetic
differentiation in western Alberta
populations of the alpine butterfly
Parnassius smintheus , Melissa
Lucas
Effects of disturbance and
environmental factors on plant
communities at freshwater springs,
Kayleigh G. Nielson
Coral symbiosis and survival
during the 2015/2016 El Niño
event, Danielle Claar
Applying the functional response Population genetics and invasion Using plant traits to understand
framework to human-pest
history of the invasive European plant-soil feedback in temperate
interactions, Mélodie Kunegel-Lion fire ant, Myrmica rubra , in Toronto, forests, Jonathan A. Bennett
Ontario, Canada, Shannon A.
Meadley Dunphy
Evolutionary traps: A role for niche Habitat-mediated predation and
conservatism in limiting species'
selective consumption of spawning
responses to global change,
salmon by bears, Luke Andersson
Jeremy Kerr
A century of ecological change
Demographic compensation and
reflected in the stable isotopes of a climatic tipping points in
migratory aerial insectivore, Philina monkeyflowers, Amy Angert
English
Transcriptomic variability in
population responses of Atlantic
cod to temperature, Rebekah
Oomen
Ancient diversification in glacial
Local plant diversity responses to
refugia leads to intraspecific
temperature and water availability:
diversity in caribou, Jean L. Polfus Synthesizing evidence from
experimental data, Véronique
Boucher Lalonde
Tremendous genetic drift and
accumulation of deleterious
mutations may not preclude
thermal adaptation in lake trout,
Anne-Laure Ferchaud
Lunch 12:00 - 13:30 (on your own)
Biodiversity
Assessing birds and lichen as
indicators of biodiversity in a
managed subboreal watershed in
British Columbia, Kerrith McKay
Tue
Room:
13:30
Living in the ecoevolutionary theatre:
research guided and
inspired by intensive
field observations
symposium
Canadian protected
areas in a changing
climate: A crossecosystem approach
symposium
Species interactions in Marine ecology
a warming world
symposium
Ecological,
evolutionary and
environmental
synthesis in the 21st
century symposium
Community ecology
Esquimalt
West Coast
Theatre
Saanich
Oak Bay 1
Oak Bay 2
Variation of lateral plate
pehnotypes in threespine
stickleback fish: Adaptation,
developmental constraint, or both,
Mike Bell
Integrating static and dynamic
spatial management for
biodiversity persistence under
climate change, Shawn Leroux
Shifts in insect development rate
alter phenological overlap and
community interactions, Lauren
Buckley
Biotic homogenization of seagrass Ecological, evolutionary and
Population responses of rodent
fishes associated with coastal
environmental synthesis in the
species to agriculture on the Great
anthropogenic activities,
21st Century , Stephanie Hampton Plains of Canada, Leanne Heisler
Josephine Iacarella
13:45
Forest ecology
Parasitism and
symbiosis
Genetic structure of
populations
Aquatic ecology
Newcombe RBCM
level 2: Sidney
level 2: Colwood
level 2: View Royal
The role of disturbance on treeline
establishment and range
expansion from a seed's
perspective, Lucas Brehaut
Describing the cophylogenetic
relationship between the Myrsidea
chewing louse and its Neotropical
Mionectes flycatcher host, Andrew
Cook
Fine-scale genome-wide analysis
of spawning herring (Clupea
harengus ) populations in the
Northwest Atlantic, Angela P.
Fuentes-Pardo
Weak correlation between
assemblages of non-biting midges
(Diptera: Chironomidae) and
environmental factors in wetlands
in Alberta, Canada , Heather
Proctor
Protected areas: How to design
Dispersal governs the
resilient networks using
reorganization of ecological
connectivity, Christopher Blackford networks under environmental
change, Patrick Thompson
Identifying human impacts on
eelgrass faunal biodiversity in
Barkley Sound, Vancouver Island,
Emily Adamczyk
Forest fragmentation differentially From rares to richness: Spectrums Alternative management of Varroa Geographic variation in the genetic
affects the movement behavior of of plant rarity and diversity in the destructor mites using their odour structure of a mussel hybrid zone,
the main pollinator and seed
boreal forest, Varina Crisfield
responses, Allie Flinn
David J. Innes
disperser of a tropical understory
herb, Luis A. Arias-Medellin
How Pacific salmon shape streams
and riparian forests: Implications
for ecosystem-based
management, Jessica C. Walsh
Benefits and challenges of UAV
Maladaptation, Steven Brady
mapping for seagrass ecology and
conservation, Natasha Nahirnick
Testing for variation in competition Intact forest landscapes:
importance and intensity among
Definitions, use, and clarity. Kate
old-field plant species, Brandon
Edwards
Schamp
Host allometry influences the
evolution of parasite hostgeneralism, Amy L. Hurford
Diversity meets decomposition:
Are local decomposer communities
influenced by local riparian
conditions?, Natalie Westwood
Relative importance of colonist
quantity, quality, and arrival
frequency to the extinction of two
zooplankton species, James S.
Sinclair
Vegetation dynamics in SpaDES:
The recoded LANDIS-II biomass
succession model, Yong Luo
Fine-scale spatial correlations of Genetic structure of rhinoceros
parasite prevalence with final-host auklet populations throughout the
abundance and waterbody age in North Pacific, Marie Prill
a waterfowl-Gammarus acanthocephalan system, Zhuoyan
Song
National and regional scale
patterns of benthic insect betadiversity in Canadian rivers, Colin
J. Curry
Adaptive genetic variation at
salivary protein genes in bloodfeeding generalist ectoparasites,
Benoit Talbot
Fine-scale genetic structure and
effective size of an isolated and
endangered population of
woodland caribou, Geneviève
Turgeon
Factors affecting decomposers
and decomposition dynamics differ
in boreal peatlands, Carlos Barreto
Assessing genetic structure in
subalpine larch (Larix lyallii ), a
high-elevation deciduous conifer
species, Marie C. Vance
Drought causes shift in functional
role of aquatic macroinvertebrate
from shredder to predator, Sarah
Amundrud
14:00
The evolution of interspecific
interactions, Dolph Schluter
Responses of marine habitatforming organisms to climate
change: conserving the stage
when the players build the set,
Jennifer Sunday
Temperature dependency of
consumptive dynamics and
dispersal structure local and
regional coexistence, Benjamin
Gilbert
14:15
A gillnet fishery considered as an
experiment in artificial selection,
Graham Bell
Integrating climate risk and refuge Identifying gaps and priorities in
into data-driven portfolios of
understanding climate change
protected areas, Emily Darling
impacts on food webs, Erin
Cameron
Preferred prey hotspots for
juvenile salmon in the Skeena
estuary, Michael Arbeider
14:30
Adaptive Polymorphism in
Flatfishes, Carolyn Bergstrom
Planning for Neo-tropical migratory Dynamics at the warm edge:
bird conservation under climate
Species interactions vs. species
change, Ilona Naujokaitis-Lewis
distributions, Anna Hargreaves
Migratory salmon usage of estuary Evolutionary rescue comes of age:
nursery habitat, Ciara E. Sharpe An account of the growth in our
understanding through theory and
experiments, Andrew Gonzalez
What is the nature of the
interaction between a flower weevil
and a leaf beetle, two biocontrol
agents of purple loosestrife:
Competitive, complementary, or
neutral?, Marina Torreblanca
Host mycorrhizal association and
soil fertility Influence plant-soil
feedback in a Dipterocarp
rainforest, Max Segnitz
Effects of shellfish farming on
invertebrate and finfish
communities, Sarah Dudas
Harnessing ecological networks to
understand anticancer immunity in
the tumor microenvironment,
Phineas Hamilton
Evaluating differences in plant
Inherited Spiroplasma symbionts
community composition and stand are common in the ant genus
structure caused by road
Myrmica , Matthew J. Ballinger
fragmentation in forested wetlands,
Caitlin Willier
Biotic and abiotic constraints on
treelines globally, Carissa Brown
14:45
Discussion
Cross-scale resilience from theory
to practice: Results from a
synthesis collaboration, Shana
Sundstrom
Integrating community assembly
into biodiversity-ecosystem
function relationships: The CAFE
approach, Katherine H. BannarMartin
Coffee Break 15:00 - 15:30
Landscape community genomics
in the mountain pine beetle
outbreak system, Patrick James
Tue
Room:
15:30
Living in the ecoevolutionary theatre:
research guided and
inspired by intensive field
observations symposium
Anthropogenic
Species interactions in Coral reef ecology
influences on habitat a warming world
selection
symposium | Effects
of climate change
Landscapes
Forest ecology | Fish Marine ecology
ecology
Genetic structure of
populations
level 2: Colwood
Invasive species
Theatre
Saanich
Oak Bay 1
Oak Bay 2
Esquimalt
West Coast
Newcombe RBCM
level 2: Sidney
Spawning Pacific herring:
ecological consequences and
insights into the past , Caroline
Fox
Anthropogenic disturbance affects
energetic trade-offs with predation
risk in white-tailed deer
(Odocoileus virginianus ), Siobhan
Darlington
*Species interactions in a
warming world* Functional trait
distance predicts carbon flux shifts
across a globally replicated
removal experiment in mountains,
Chelsea Chisholm
A methodology for evaluating the
resilience of ecosystem services:
A coral reef case study, Bruno
Carturan
Dynamics of collapse and recovery
in a marine community: insights
from multivariate dynamic
statistical approaches, Eric
Pedersen
Building a continuous adaptive
management system in SpaDES:
Using historical landscape
variation for the LandWeb project,
Eliot McIntire
Should I stay or should I go?
Range stasis versus range shifts
of plants in the North Cascades,
Rachel Wilson
The value of ancient habitat
Immune gene functional
modifications: Macrofaunal
heterozygosity affects survival in
communities of First Nations' clam caribou, Marianne Gagnon
gardens, Morgan Black
Human activity at oil and gas well
sites influences avoidance
response and habitat use by
caribou, Doug MacNearney
The impacts of climate change on Fish movement drives spatial and
fungal communities in boreal
temporal patterns of nitrogen
peatlands, Asma Asemaninejad
availability on coral reefs, Fiona T.
Francis
Making ecosystem science matter:
Stakeholder-engaged research
through co-design and integ...,
Roxane Maranger
Rapid evolution accelerates the
expansion of plant populations in
fragmented experimental
landscapes., Jennifer Williams
Determining abundance of forage Global marine protected areas to Genomic patterns of parallel
lichens for boreal woodland
prevent extinctions, Lindsay N. K. ecological speciation in Littorina
caribou in a fire-prone region of
Davidson
saxatilis ecotype pairs, Tony Kess
the Boreal Shield Ecozone, Ruth J.
Greuel
New house, new rules: Life-history
strategies can enhance invasion
success of introduced species,
Danielle Denley
Are plants able to utilize nitrogen
released from thawing permafrost?
Implications for feedbacks with the
climate system, Lucas J. Albano
If you cease it, will they come
back? How exposure to and
release from a pollution
disturbance shapes rocky intertidal
communities in British Columbia,
Aaron M. Eger
Comparative genomics of historic
marine invaders: Neutral and
selective processes influencing the
success of the amphipod
Corophium volutator and
polychaete Hediste... , Anthony
Einfeldt
A novel approach to estimating
fish densities using underwater
cameras, Rowshyra Castañeda
Variation in intimacy between sea Genetic rescue of a wild population Using geographically weighted
stars and their associated bacteria, of bighorn sheep, Marc-Antoine
logistic regression to evaluate
Andrew Loudon
Poirier
invasive species presence in the
Adirondack Park Region, USA,
Jelena Grbic
15:45
16:00
Emergent properties from a
fledgling project with long-term
vision: Bear-salmon-human
systems in coastal British
Columbia, Chris Darimont
Habitat heterogeneity and
functional responses explain
seasonal and behaviour-based
selection of regenerating seismic
lines for a social predator, Karine
Pigeon
Spatial and temporal patterns of
bobcat and lynx distributions in
British Columbia, TJ Gooliaff
16:15
Are camouflaged flounder hiding
from predators or prey?, John
Taylor
Large mammal responses to
seismic line restoration, Erin
Tattersall
Fasting season length determines The unseen world of coral reefs:
temporal limits for global polar
Impacts of local and global
bear persistence, Péter Molnár
stressors on the coral microbiome,
Jamie McDevitt-Irwin
16:30
Stability and change in the
evolutionary dynamics of colorpattern loci, Patrik Nosil
Patch occupancy of two boreal
mammals in response to salvage
logging, Julie Thomas
Loss of early-winter snow
threatens alpine butterfly
populations, Jens Roland
16:45
The architecture of adaptation: A
master mutation or a mass of
mutations?, Catherine Peichel
Understanding predation and
energy limitations on woodland
caribou recruitment through habitat
selection, Rebecca Viejou
Effects of gene flow on
performance at the northern range
margin of Clarkia pulchella, Megan
Gene Bontrager
17:15
A decade of spatial variation in
Darwin's finches, Andrew Hendry
17:30
Fishing for the secrets of
evolutionary change in
vertebrates, David Kingsley
18:00
Ecological,
evolutionary and
environmental
synthesis in the 21st
century symposium
Quantifying changes in the 3D
Integrating stress ecology to
structural complexity of coral reefs illuminate biodiversity-ecosystem
around Kiritimati following El Niño- function research, Donald Baird
induced mass coral bleaching,
Jennifer M. T. Magel
Redundancy in system-indicators
reveals exploitation impacts in
coral reef fisheries, James
Robinson
The ultimate challenge:
Synthesizing theory and data to
understand ecological change,
Mary O'Connor
Sharp reduction in genetic
diversity of the coastal tailed frog
(Ascaphus truei ): A
phylogeographic study using
multiple methods, Cherie Mosher
Lowering the detection threshold: Taxonomic turnover across salinity
eDNA detection of low density
gradients, Melissa Chen
juvenile salmon in a controlled
experiment, Jeffrey C. MacAdams
Analyses of American mink
(Neovison vison ) haplotypes in
Ontario and Nova Scotia, Krista
Shofstall
Non-native freshwater
macroinvertebrates have densityand resource-dependent effects on
ecosystem functioning, Chelsea J.
Little
Sockeye it to me! Landscape
controls on population carrying
capacity in data limited
populations, William I. Atlas
Exploring the genetic basis of
autoimmune disease through the
differential expression of foxp3 in
zebrafish (Danio rerio ) follow...,
Russell Easy
The diversity-invasibility
relationship: Does spatial scale
really explain the invasion
paradox?, Nicola S. Smith
Emergent consumption and
ecosystem impacts of invasive
Chinook salmon in Patagonia,
Nicolas Munoz
Poster Session B: Tuesday 16:00 - 18:15
18:00 - 20:00 Oak Bay:
CTSWS Annual General Meeting
level 2: View Royal
How do mountain pine beetle
attacks impact understory
vegetation in lodgepole pine
forests in a novel area in westcentral Alberta?, Julie Steinke
19:00 - 22:00 Garricks Head pub
Strategies for success: Student and postdoc workshop
series
Wed
Using experimental
NSERC Updates
evolution to reveal the
eco-evolutionary
impacts of global change
symposium
Sensory and Behavioural Movement, activity,
Ecology symposium
wildlife management
Habitat selection and
use
Theatre
Saanich
Oak Bay 1
Esquimalt
08:00
Evolutionary rescue comes of age: An
account of the growth in our
understanding through theory and
experiments, Andrew Gonzalez
NSERC Update
Marine visual ecology: Insights from
John Reynolds, Opening the Black Box flatfish and decapod shrimp, Tom
of NSERC’s Discovery Grant
Iwanicki
Evaluations
08:15
Fisheries-induced evolution: Insights
from experimental populations of
guppies, Beatriz Diaz Pauli
Visual ecology of the starry flounder,
Ilaria Savelli
08:30
An experimental test of the effects of
rapid evolution on species coexistence
in the field, Martin Turcotte
Reconstructing ancient whale
Scale dependent behavioral responses House Hunters: Petrel edition, Rielle
rhodopsin: Dim-light vision over a major of snowshoe hare in western conifer
Hoeg
evolutionary transition, Sarah Dungan forests post-fire, Jenna Hutchen
Preliminary results and predictions from
a beyond-range field planting
experiment of four northern temperate
tree species in Newfoundland, Piers
Evans
08:45
Experimental evolution in the wild using
long-term ecological experiments to
study the evolution of mutualism, Jen
Lau
Rapid evolution in silence: Adaptation
to the loss of a sexual signal, Marlene
Zuk
Where the rubber meets the road: The Human shields mediate sexual conflict
influence of roads on grizzly bear
in a top predator, Martin Leclerc
density, Clayton T. Lamb
Arctic willow: Probing polar deserts for
pockets of nutrients?, Amanda L. Guy
Canada's crossroads for sustainable
development and the environment,
Aerin Jacob
09:00
Ocean change, phenotypic plasticity
and assisted evolution, Gloria
Massamba N'Siala
Aggression and the evolution of color
signals in stomatopod crustaceans,
Megan Porter
Endangered endemic cyprinid minnow Land-use change and species
exhibits different spatial and temporal occupancy in tropical bird communities,
patterns to native and invasive species Leithen M'Gonigle
in a perennial desert stream, Carolyn
Trombley
Impacts of deciduous and coniferous
canopies on moss associated Nfixation: Implications for boreal Ncycling, Melanie Jean
How Haida law embraces traditional
and scientific knowledge, Terri-Lynn
Williams Davidson
09:15
Experimental evolution in ecological
communities: Predators mediate rapid
evolution of herbivores and resources
to warming, Michelle Tseng
The impact of mountain pine beetle and
mountain pine beetle management on
caribou and grizzly bear food supply,
Barry R. Nobert
Determining factors affecting dragonfly
emergence, including a species-at-risk
(skillet clubtail: Gomphus ventricosus )
in the lower St John river and Grand
Lake meadows area, Zoe O'Malley
Plant functional groups, hydrological
Watershed connections in
conditions and climate interact to affect environmental decision-making, Jill
carbon accumulation in peatlands, Terri Weitz
Lacourse
09:30
Evolutionary rescue of complex
NSERC Update
phytoplankton communities exposed to Brenda MacMurrey, How to apply for a
a widespread herbicide, Vincent Fugère Discovery Grant, and DG results.
Why are train strikes on grizzly bears
increasing in the mountain parks and
what can we do about it?, Colleen
Cassady St. Clair
Density-dependent habitat selection
Boreal peat properties link to plant
predicts fitness and abundance of tree functional traits of ecosystem
lizards (Urosaurus ornatus ), James E. engineers, Julia E. Palozzi
Paterson
Should courts be 'Academies of
Science'? Lessons From the
misapplication of "Adaptive
Management" under the Canadian
Environmental Assessment Act, Martin
Olszynski
09:45
Eco-evolutionary simulation models as
a way of experimenting evolution, Anna
Kuparinen
Tracing the origin of migratory pest
species European starling (Sturnus
vulgaris ): Application of geochemical
fingerprinting in south central British
Columbia, Canada, K C Upama
Characterizing Dakota skipper
(Hesperia dacotae ) habitat and
distribution in southeastern
Saskatchewan, Kelsey M. Seidle
From fishing gears to fish habitat:
Canada's fisheries future depends on
evidence-based decision-making, Brett
Favaro
Room:
Oak Bay 2
Forest ecology
Linking Environmental
Law and Science
Symposium
West Coast
Newcombe RBCM
Evaluating a movement-based method Evaluating habitat specialization of
for inferring calving and calf survival,
North American birds using a spatial
Maegwin Bonar
null model, Carmen Chelick
Responses of boreal forests to warming- Watershed connections in
induced permafrost thaw, Jennifer
environmental decision-making,
Baltzer
Jonathan Moore
Natural regeneration on seismic lines
influences movement behaviour of
wolves and grizzly bears, Laura
Finnegan
Influence of moisture and nutrient
Burden of proof, standard of proof:
availability on Alnus viridis function
Revealing the chasm between science
across topographic gradients on the low and law, Lynda Collins
arctic tundra, NWT, Katherine Black
First assessment of hybrid poplar
plantations as a suitable habitat for
small mammal species in Quebec,
Justine Fontaine-Topaloff
Coffee Break 10:00 - 10:30
Forest understory changes over 30
years following tephra disturbance at
Mount St. Helens, Joseph A. Antos
Wed
NSERC Cont. | Invasive
species
Bee ecology and
behaviour
Theatre
Saanich
Oak Bay 1
10:30
Dispersal limitation, climate change,
and practical tools for conservation in
intensively used landscapes, Laura E.
Coristine
NSERC Update
The at-risk yellow-banded bumblebee
Brenda MacMurrey, How to apply for a (Bombus terricola ) shows signs of
Discovery Grant, and DG results.
inbreeding and selection for pathogen
resistance: Results from population
genomics, Clement F. Kent
10:45
Gene expression associated with
dispersal ability under different
temperature conditions in the alpine
butterfly, Parnassius smintheus ,
Maryam Jangjoo
The spatial distribution of central place You're the one: Parasite infectious
foraging pollinators in mass-flowering stages choose the most susceptible
crops, Samuel V. J. Robinson
host individuals, Janet Koprivnikar
Whole Canadian boreal shield lake food Post-fire soil fungal communities and
Metabolic performance and fitnesswebs flex in response to warming,
ecosystem function in Canada's boreal related responses of a tropical
Timothy J. Bartley
forest, Nicola J. Day
freshwater fish (Nile perch; Lates
niloticus ) to elevated temperatures,
Elizabeth Nyboer
11:00
Dispersive bird species are at greater
risk than sedentary species when
human-caused landscape change is
rapid, Amanda E. Martin
An approach to the managed relocation Epidemiological dynamics disrupt Red
of declining North American bumblebee Queen cycles, Ailene MacPherson
species under climate change,
Catherine Sirois-Delisle
River networks dampen long-term
Changes in soil carbon stock quantity
hydrological signals of climate change, and stability in response to wildfire
Kyle Chezik
events in the southern boreal forest,
Catherine M. Dieleman
11:15
Ecology, genetics and conservation
units despite gene flow in highly-vagile
terrestrial mammals (caribou and
wolves), Marco Musiani
Flower depth links tongue length and
Parasitic wasp Sudoku: Field studies of
wing morphology through wing use in a host-parasitoid interactions in an urban
community of prairie bumble bees,
forest, Caitlin Mader
Ralph Cartar
Using a space-for-time substitution
approach to predict implications of
climate change on tropical stream
ecosystem function, Therese C.
Frauendorf
Assessing the relative utility of
It's not the heat, it's the humidity:
mesostigmatid versus oribatid mites as Environmental effects on insect-plant
bioindicators of disturbance in forested interactions, Mary L. Reid
areas of Alberta, Canada, Matthew
Meehan
11:30
How did the chick(adee) cross the
Agent-based scenario models of
Mass-flowering canola crops:
road? Mapping arboreal connectivity in invasion and movement of the orchard Implications for prairie pollinators, Paul
urban landscapes, Dee L. Patriquin
pest Rhagoletis pomonella (Diptera:
Galpern
Tephritidae) within the southern interior
of British Columbia, Brian Muselle
The relative contribution of direct and
environmental transmission in a hostpathogen avian flu model, May Anne
Mata
Thermokarst expansion rates and the
effects on long-term soil carbon storage
in interior Alaska, Natalie J.
Zwanenburg
Effects of wildfires on tree
establishment in conifer-dominated
boreal forests in southern Northwest
Territories, Kirsten Reid
11:45
Morphology and gene expression
associated with dispersal capability in
mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus
ponderosae ), Victor Shegelski
The importance of dyadic social ties for Temperature dependence of consumer- Shore morphology and nearshore forest Temperature modulation of biological
pathogen dynamics in a gregarious
resource dynamics is constrained by
structure on Islands of BCs Central
clock gene expression in a reef building
ungulate, Quinn Webber
nutrient limitation, Joey R. Bernhardt
Coast, Wiebe Nijland
coral, Daniel M. Wuitchik
Room:
Dispersal
When outbreaks collide: Interactions
between an invasive beetle and a
native defoliator on red spruce, Mallory
MacDonnell
Parasites, parasitoids,
pathogens
When two invasive species meet:
Past floral resources as a predictor of
Potential interactions between Asian
present bee visits to crops, Jessica
jumping worms and common buckthorn, Guezen
Carly Ziter
Aquatic ecology
Forest ecology
Physiological ecology,
temperature
Oak Bay 2
Esquimalt
West Coast
Newcombe RBCM
Mosquito community ecology and
malaria transmission, Amber Gigi Hoi
*Linking Environmental Law and
Hierarchical demography in a
Burning in SpaDES: Automated
cooperative breeder, Andrew Bateman parameter estimation for landscape fire Science* Accelerating the creation of
effective marine protected areas in
models, Steve Cumming
Canada: scientific advice and the
federal Oceans Act, Linda Nowlan
Lunch 12:00 - 13:30 (on your own)
To eat or thermoregulate?
Determinants of home range size and
density in Sceloporus jarrovii lizards,
Lucy D. Patterson
Heat wave intensity exacerbates fitness
trade-offs in the splash pool copepod,
Tigriopus californicus , Matthew R.
Siegle
Wed
Room:
Theatre
Saanich
Oak Bay 1
13:30
PRESIDENT'S INTRO, CSEE
14:00
CSEE Early Career Award Lecture, Emily Darling
14:30
CSEE Early Career Award Lecture, Sean Anderson
Oak Bay 2
Coffee Break 15:00 - 15:30
Room:
Theatre
15:30
17:00
CSEE Annual General Meeting
19:00
20:30
Saanich
Oak Bay 1
Oak Bay 2
Banquet
Posters up 08:00 - 18:30 Monday & Tuesday
Poster Session A: Monday 16:00 - 18:15
Poster Session B: Tuesday 16:00 - 18:15
Abstracts
Stress,Antipredatorbehaviour
MONDAY10:30,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Systemic stress levels in Vancouver Island marmots may correlate to human
intervention: Implications for the management of a critically endangered mammal
MADISONJ.ACKER,LAURENTIANUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
ALBRECHTI.SCHULTE-HOSTEDDE,LAURENTIANUNIVERSITY;GABRIELAF.MASTROMONACO,TORONTOZOO
TheVancouverIslandmarmotisanendangeredspeciesofgroundsquirrel,endemictoBritishColumbia,Canada.Despite
20yearsofintensivemanagementthespeciesrecoveryremainsuncertain;intheabsenceofcaptivebreeding,itislikely
thatthespecieswouldnotpersist.Keepingmarmotsincaptivity,releasingindividualsintothewild,andbringing
individualsintocaptivitymaybesourcesofstressthatcontributetopoorsurvivorshipandreproduction.Hormonal
analysiswasusedtoinvestigatesystemicstresslevelsamongVancouverIslandmarmotsoverasixyearperiod.Hair
samplesfromcaptiveandfree-rangingmarmots,includingthosewhichhavebeentranslocatedbetweenpopulations,
wereassayedforcortisol.Studiesonavarietyofmammalianspecies,includinggroundsquirrels,haveshownthathair
cortisollevelsareavalidmeasureofsystemiccortisoloveranextendedperiodoftime.Agenerallinearmodelwasused
toidentifyinterventionsbywildlifemanagersthatcorrelatedtoasignificantdifferenceincortisollevelwhencompared
toindividualsborninthewildandsubjecttominimalinterventions.ResultsofthisstudywillassisttheVancouverIsland
marmotrecoveryteamtomodifytheirstandardoperatingproceduresandmayofferinsightintothemanagementof
relatedspecies.
Keywords:Smallmammals,Management,Speciesatrisk,Hormonalanalysis.
SeagrassecologyandconservationalongPacificandAtlanticcoastssymposium
TUESDAY13:45,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Identifying human impacts on eelgrass faunal biodiversity in Barkley Sound,
Vancouver Island
EMILYM.ADAMCZYK,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
MARCUSL.CAMPBELL,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;ZANDERCHILA,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;GWENDOLYNK.
GRIFFITHS,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;MARYI.O'CONNOR,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA
Eelgrass(Zosteramarina)meadowsaredecliningworldwideduetobothnaturalandhuman-mediateddisturbances.
AlongtheeastcoastofNorthAmerica,eutrophicationevents,nearshoredevelopment,andoverfishingcandestroy
valuableeelgrasshabitat.Theseactivitiescanaffectthefaunalcommunitythatreliesoneelgrassforhabitatand
protectionagainstpredators.However,littleworkhasbeendoneonthewestcoastofNorthAmericatoquantifythe
effectsofhumanactivitiesoneelgrassfaunalbiodiversity,andsincethespeciespoolsaredifferentbetweeneachcoast,it
wouldbeusefultoidentifyspeciesthatmightserveasindicatorspeciesofimpactandrecovery.Toaddressthis,we
investigatedeelgrassfaunalbiodiversityinmeadowswithlowandhighintensityofproximatehumanactivities.During
June2016,wesampled8eelgrassmeadowsinBarkleySound,BC,4ofwhichwerelikelytobeconferringpollutionand
habitatdestruction,and4thatwerenot.Wecomparedeelgrassbiomassanddensity,epiphyticalgaebiomass,fishand
epifaunalinvertebrates(diversityandabundance),andwaterquality(nitrogen,phosphorous,temperature,salinity,and
conductivity)betweeneacheelgrassmeadow.Whileproximitytohumandevelopmentswasnotassociatedwith
significantdifferencesineelgrassandepiphyticalgaebiomass,wewereabletodetectdifferencesineelgrassfaunal
communityassemblages.Thisinformationsuggeststhatfaunaldiversitymaybeamoresensitiveindicatorofecosystem
healththaneelgrassplantattributesandcouldserveasamonitoringtoolforothereelgrassmeadows.
Thetensionbetweenscienceandadvocacyinecology,evolution,andconservationbiologysymposium
TUESDAY08:15,ROOM:SAANICH
Getting out of the ivory tower: Informing policies for reforestation, conservation
and climate change
SALLYAITKEN,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
Iwillreflectonmyexperienceswithrecommendingchangestopoliciesandpracticesforreforestation,conservationand
climatechange,andthelessonsIhavelearnedindealingwithlandmanagersandpolicymakers.First,youneedto
developapositiverelationshipwithmanagersanddecisionmakersthatincludesrespectfullylisteningandlearningas
wellassharingyourscience.Ifyoudon’tspeakthesamelanguage,e.g.,scienceversusmanagementorpolicy,youwon’t
beabletocommunicateeffectively.Secondly,youneedtorecognizethatpolicydecisionsarenotonlydrivenbyscience,
andthatasascientistyouarelikelynotanexpertintheotherareasinvolved.Thereareamyriadofsocio-economic,
political,jurisdictionalandotherfactorsatplay.Whileyoumayhaveopinionsonthese,acknowledgethatyoudonothave
expertise.Beclearwhenyouarespeakingasanexpert,andwhenyouareexpressingopinioninareasthatarenotyour
expertise.Third,ratherthanbeingnegativeaboutthestatusquo,offerpolicymakersproductive,practicalsolutionsand
tools.Maketherelevantscienceeasytoaccessandeasytounderstandbynon-specialists.Thismeansdeveloping
communicationtoolsthatarenotpeer-reviewedpapers.Fourth,becarefulwhenadvocacyisself-servingintermsof
researchfundingorotherbenefits.Forexample,climatechangedeniersoftenaccusescientistsofhypingtherisksof
climatechangefortheirownbenefit.Finally,bepatient.Ittakesanextraordinarilylongtimeforcomplexchangesto
policytobeimplemented,withstagesofconsultationandreviewtakingyears.Ifyouwanttoreallymakeadifference,you
needtobethereforthelongtermasthereisnoeasyfix.
Forestecology
TUESDAY16:00,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Are plants able to utilize nitrogen released from thawing permafrost? Implications
for feedbacks with the climate system
LUCASJ.ALBANO,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH,[email protected]
MERRITTR.TURETSKY,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH
Climatewarminginnorthernhigh-latituderegionsistriggeringwidespreadpermafrostthaw,wherebymassiveamounts
ofsoilcarbonandnitrogenthatwerepreviouslyfrozeninorganicmatteratdepthbecomepotentiallyavailablefor
biologicaluptake.Microbialactivityduringpermafrostthawalsostimulatessoilcarbonmineralizationandthereleaseof
greenhousegases,contributingtofurtherwarming,whichisknownasthepermafrost-carbonfeedback.Todate,theissue
ofclimatewarminghasmotivatedextensiveresearchonpermafrostcarbonreleasetotheatmosphere.However,few
studieshaveaddressedwhetherplantscanaccessnewnitrogensourcesmadeavailablebypermafrostthaw,increasing
primaryproductivityandpotentiallyoffsettingpermafrostcarbonlosses.Inthisstudy,tworesearchquestionswere
addressedinsitesexperiencingthawandthermokarstininteriorAlaska,usingthewatersedge(Carexaquatilis)asthe
targetspecies:1)howdoC.aquatilisrootcharacteristics,namelydrybiomass,maximumrootingdepth,andlevelsof
ammoniumuptake,varywithdepthandtime-since-thaw;and2)doesvariationinC.aquatilisrootcharacteristicsand
ammoniumuptakecorrelatewithabovegroundplantperformanceandproductivity?Preliminarydatashowthatboth
rootandshootdrybiomassisgreaterinlocationswithgreatertime-since-thaw,indirectlydemonstratingapotential
relationshipbetweeninorganicnitrogenavailabilityandplantproductivity.Together,thisworkwillcontributetoa
mechanisticunderstandingofhowsubarcticplantsrespondtowarming,andwillsupplementinformationonthe
permafrost-carbonfeedbackwithanunderstandingofhowecosystemsmighthelpstabilizefuturewarmingthrough
enhancedcarbonsequestration.
Keywords:plants,climatechange,nutrientuptake,productivity,permafrost.
Phylogenetics
MONDAY08:00,ROOM:WCOAST
Introduced common reed (Phragmites australis) in western Canada: A future
problem or not?
GERALDINEA.ALLEN,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
LAURIEJ.MCCORMICK,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA;JOHANNAR.JANTZEN,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA;KENDRICKL.MARR,ROYALBRITISH
COLUMBIAMUSEUM;BECKYN.BROWN,LANDSANDNATURALRESOURCEOPERATIONS
Phragmitesaustralis(commonreed)isawidespreadperennialgrassofwetlandhabitats,withcrypticnativeand
introducedsubspeciesinNorthAmerica.IntroducedplantsfromEurope,firstdocumentedintheeasternUSaround1870,
arenowwidespreadovermuchofthecontinent.TherapidspreadofintroducedP.australishasledtoactivecontrol
programsinbothCanadaandtheUSA.Weusedmolecularmarkers(plastidDNAhaplotypes)toassignspecimensfrom
westernCanadatosubspecies.Weusedtheseplantsofknownhaplotypetoassessthemorphologicaltraitsdistinguishing
nativeandintroducedspecimensinthisgeographicregion.Of203plantssampled,onlynineweretheintroducedform;
allothersampleswerethenativessp.americanus.Althoughtheintroducedformofcommonreedhasdisplacedother
speciesoverlargeareasofwetlandhabitatineasternNorthAmerica,itremainsuncommoninthewest.Thismayreflect
i)gradualbutstillcontinuingwestwarddispersal,ii)decreasedavailabilityorsuitabilityofhabitatinsummer-dry
climatesofthewest,oriii)somecombinationofthese.Afurtherconsiderationiswhetherthetwosubspeciesofcommon
reedcouldpotentiallyhybridize,whichhasrarelybeenreportedbutoffersthepotentialforinvasivetraitstobe
transferredintothenativesubspecies.Wefoundthetwoformsco-occurringatonlyonelocality.Inourstudy,the
introducedformwasgenerallyrestrictedtosmallpopulationsinpocketsofdisturbedhabitat.Thisgrass,though
potentiallyinvasive,ispresentlylessproblematicinwesternCanadathanelsewhereinNorthAmerica.
Keywords:Plants,Hybridization,Wetlands,Populationgenetics,Invasion.
Plasticsintheenvironment
MONDAY15:30,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Plastic pollution in the total environment: A review of marine plastic contamination
in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
JUSTINEAMMENDOLIA,MEMORIALUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
FRANCELIBOIRON,MEMORIALUNIVERSITY;HILLARYBRADSHAW,MEMORIALUNIVERSITY;NATALYADAWE,MEMORIALUNIVERSITY;
JESSICAMELVIN,UNIVERSITYOFAKUREYRI;MELISSANOVACEFSKI,MEMORIALUNIVERSITY;JACQUELYNSATURNO;E.WELLS,MEMORIAL
UNIVERSITY;MAXLIBOIRON,MEMORIALUNIVERSITY
Overthepast50years,plasticdebrishasbecomeoneofthemostabundantandpersistentformsofcontaminationin
coastalregionsandmarineecosystems.Todate,therehasnotbeenasystematicreviewofplasticpollutionfor
NewfoundlandandLabrador(NL),despitethefactthatitisalmostthesizeofCalifornia,anditspopulationheavilyrelies
onsubsistenceforagingfromtheocean.Plasticpollutionistypicallynotresearchedfromaperspectivethatexaminesits
occurrencewithinthecontextofgeographicregionsandmultiplephyla.Therefore,ourcomprehensionofplastic
pollutioninabroadenvironmentalframeworkislimitedinsamplingtechniques.Thisisthefirstreviewoftheavailable
knowledgeregardingplasticpollutioninthetotalenvironmentofNL.Herewesummarize:(1)studymethodsand(2)
typesandquantitiesofplasticdebrisidentifiedacrosstheprovince.Ourdataincludes36investigativereportsdating
from1968topresentthatusedthefollowingtechniques:biomonitoring,divingsurveys,surfacetrawls,andcitizen
scienceshorelineidentification.Ourresultsshowthereisregionalbiasassociatedwiththegeographiclocationssampled
aswellasthemethodsusedforstudyingplastics(e.g.,birdingestionstudiesoverfishingestionstudies).Thereisalsoa
regionalandculturalspecificityforthetypeofplasticspresentintheregion(e.g.,fishinggear).Asthereisnoprovincial
monitoringprogramforplasticpollution,thisresearchnotonlyestablishesthegroundworkforfuturemonitoring
programs,butalsoprovidesamethodologyforotherregionstosynthesizediverseandunevenmonitoringeffects.
Keywords:Marine,Plastic,Pollution,Literaturereview.
Aquaticecology
TUESDAY14:45,ROOM:VIEWROYAL
Drought causes shift in functional role of aquatic macroinvertebrate from shredder
to predator
SARAHAMUNDRUD,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
DIANESRIVASTAVA,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA
Speciesinteractionscanbeimportantmediatorsofcommunityandecosystemresponsestoclimatechange.Climate
changecanalterspeciesinteractionsbyaffectingthedistribution,abundance,orbehaviourofcertainspecies.Although
theindirecteffectsofclimatechangemediatedbyalteredspeciesdistributionsandabundancesarenowrelativelywell
understood,westillonlyknowverylittleabouthowclimatechangeaffectsthefeedingbehaviourofcertainspecies,and
thusthepotentialofclimatechangetoaltertrophicinteractionsbetweenvariouscomponentsofthefoodweb.Inthe
aquaticfoodwebsfoundinwater-filledbromeliadtanks,tipulidlarvaeareimportantshreddersofdetritus.However,
recentobservationssuggestthattipulidscanfeedopportunisticallyonotherinsectswhentheyencounterthem,suchas
whenplacedtogetherinsmallcontainers.Here,wepresenttheresultsoftwoindependentmicrocosmexperimentsthat
bothtestedtheeffectsofdroughtontheconsumptionofthelarvaeofchironomidsandculicidsbytipulidlarvae.While
Experiment1examinedtheeffectsofacompletedrought(i.e.,nowater),Experiment2examinedtheeffectsofareduced
waterlevelonconsumptionofpreybytipulids.Inbothexperiments,tipulidsconsumedculicidandchironomidslarvae,
butonlyunderdrought.Thus,droughtledtotipulids,previouslyconsideredobligateshredders,tobecomeimportant
predators.Thisdroughtinducedswitchingofthetipulidsfunctionalrolelikelyresultedfromincreasedencounterrates
withconcentratedpreyunderdrought.Theseexperimentsshednewlightonthevariouswaysinwhichclimatechange
canindirectlyaffectecosystemsbyaffectingspeciesinteractions.
Keywords:Climatechange,Behaviouralecology,Tipulidlarvae,Experiment,Predation.
Matechoice,hybridization
MONDAY13:45,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Do mate choice errors slow the spread of the invasive brown spruce longhorn
beetle?
JENNIFERANDERSON,UNIVERSITYOFNEWBRUNSWICK,[email protected]
DEEPAS.PURESWARAN,NATURALRESOURCESCANADA;STEPHENB.HEARD,UNIVERSITYOFNEWBRUNSWICK;JONSWEENEY,
NATURALRESOURCESCANADA
TheBrownSpruceLonghornBeetle(BSLB,TetropiumfuscumFabricius;Coleoptera:Cerambycidae)isaEuropeanbeetle
thatfirstinvadedCanadathroughPointPleasantPark(NovaScotia)inthelate1990s.Sinceitsentry,BSLBhasexpanded
itsrangetoapproximately130kmfromitspointofentry,astarkcontrasttothe~1200kmCanadianrangeexpansion
seenbytheinvasiveEmeraldAshBorer(EAB,AgrilusplanipennisFarimaire;Coleoptera:Buprestide)inthesame
approximatetimeframe.TetropiumcinnamopterumKirby(Coleoptera:Cerambycidae)isnativetoEasternCanadaandis
acongenertoT.fuscum,sharingsimilarmorphology,matingbehaviour,andmale-producedmating/aggregation
pheromoneblends.ThesesimilaritiesledtothequestionofwhetherthereissomeinteractiontakingplacebetweenT.
fuscumandT.cinnamopterumthatcouldhelpexplainT.fuscum'sslowspreadinCanada.Pilotno-choicematingdata
suggestthatthereisnosignificantdifferenceinhowT.fuscummalesmatewitheitherT.fuscumorT.cinnamopterum
females.Thissuggeststhatmate-choiceerrorsmayreducefemalefecundity,andcontributetotheslowspreadofthis
invasive.ChoicematingexperimentsandgenerationofaSNPpaneltosurveyforhybridsinthefield,whichmaygivea
moreaccurateportrayaloftheinteractionsbetweenthesetwospecies,arecurrentlyinprogress.
Keywords:Invasion,Interactions,Reproduction,Experiment,Insects.
Pollution
TUESDAY11:45,ROOM:SAANICH
Calcified herbivore loss may disproportionately drive responses to ocean
acidification in natural communities.
KATHRYNM.ANDERSON,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
Oceanacidification(OA)isexpectedtobeoneofthelargestchallengesfacingmarinebiodiversity.Whileweare
continuallycatalogingthenegativeeffectsofOAonmultiplespecies,therehasbeenarecentshiftintheliterature
towardstryingtounderstandOAinacommunitycontextand,wheneverpossible,inthefield.Here,wefocusonthe
impactofgastropodgrazers,whichhavepreviouslybeenshowntobothhaveanimpactontidepoolcommunity
structure,andbevulnerabletoOA.WelookathowareductioninherbivorepressuremayaltertheimpactsofOAontide
poolcommunities.Usinglong-termartificialtidepoolsandafullyfactorialdesign,wemanipulatedgastropodherbivore
density(highandlow)andairmixture(highCO2air,ambientCO2air,andanobubblingcontrol)inthefield.After15
months,PERMANOVAsshowedsignificant,additiveeffectsofherbivoredensityandairmixtureoncommunitystructure,
withtheeffectofairmixturebeingprimarilydrivenbythenobubblingcontrolratherthanCO2concentration.Further
investigationintoindividualspeciesaddedexceptions.Musselswerepositivelyaffectedbyherbivoreabundancebut
negativelyaffectedbyCO2addition.Conversely,invasivetunicateswerefoundalmostexclusivelyinhighCO2tidepools
regardlessofherbivorepressure.BymanipulatingCO2innaturalcommunities,webegintounderstandthatthelossof
keyinteractionsduetoenvironmentalchangemayhaveimpactslargerthanthedirecteffectsonabundanceanddiversity.
Keywords:Marine,Oceanacidification,Interactions,Intertidal,Experiment,Herbivore.
Foraging
TUESDAY10:30,ROOM:SIDNEY
Habitat-mediated predation and selective consumption of spawning salmon by bears
LUKEANDERSSON,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
JOHNREYNOLDS,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY
Predator-preyinteractionsarekeyelementsofecosystemfunctioningandcanbemediatedbyphysicalcharacteristicsof
theenvironment.Iaimedtoquantifytheeffectsofstreamcharacteristicsonbiasesinthesizesofspawningchum
(Oncorhynchusketa)andpink(O.gorbuscha)salmoncaughtbybears,aswellas,selectiveconsumptionexhibitedbybears
onthecentralcoastofBritishColumbia.Ifirstshowhowsize-biasedpredationismediatedbystreamcharacteristicsthat
providerefugeforprey,withimplicationsforsize-selectivepressuresactingonsalmonindifferentstreams.Bearscaught
larger-than-averagesalmonastheseasonprogressedandinstreamswithfewerrefugia(i.e.,woodandundercutbanks)
forthefish.Ithentestedforhowsuchsize-biasesinturntranslateintodifferencesamongpopulationsinthesizesofthe
fish.Salmonweremarginallysmallerinstreamswithmorepronouncedsize-biasedpredationbutthispredictorwasless
reliablethanphysicalcharacteristicsofstreams,withlargerfishinwider,deeperstreams.Furthermore,bearsfeed
selectivelyonenergy-richpartsofsalmon,dependingoncharacteristicsofthestream,withconsequencesforterrestrial
nutrienttransferviauneatensalmonbiomass.Overall,Ifoundthatbearsfedmoreselectivelyandkilledmorefishin
streamswithmorewoodandundercutbanks.Thissuggeststhathabitatcharacteristicsplayaroleinmediatingpredator
behaviourand,therefore,haveimplicationsfortheselectivepressuresfacedbysalmon,andnutrientsubsidiesto
surroundinghabitats.
Keywords:Salmon,Bears,Predation,Freshwater,Streamcharacteristics.
LifeOntheEdge:MechanismsofAdaptingtoClimateChangeSymposium
TUESDAY10:45,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Demographic compensation and climatic tipping points in monkeyflowers
AMYANGERT,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
SEEMASHETH,UNIVERSITYOFCALIFORNIABERKELEY
Asclimatechangeshiftsspecies’climaticenvelopesacrossthelandscape,equilibriumbetweengeographicrangesand
nichesislikelydiminishingduetotimelagsindemographyanddispersal.Ifaspecies’rangeandnichearein
disequilibrium,thenpopulationperformanceshoulddecreasefromcool,“leading”rangeedges,wherepopulationsare
expandingintorecentlyamelioratedhabitats,towarm,“trailing”rangeedges,wherepopulationsarecontractingfrom
newlyunsuitableareas.Populationcontractionsignalsthatcompensatorychangesinvitalratesareinsufficienttobuffer
populationgrowthfromdeterioratingenvironments.Lifehistorytheorypredictstradeoffsbetweenfastdevelopment,
highreproduction,andshortlongevityatlowlatitudesandslowdevelopment,lessfrequentbutmultipleboutsof
reproduction,andlonglifespanathighlatitudes.Ifdemographiccompensationisdrivenbylifehistoryevolution,there
maybecompensatorynegativecorrelationsinvitalratesthatareassociatedwiththisfast-slowcontinuum.An
outstandingquestioniswhetherrangeandnichelimitsreflectinadequatecompensatorylifehistoryevolutionalong
environmentalgradients,causingpopulationgrowthratestofallbelowreplacementatrangeedges.Wesurveyed
demographyof32populationsofthescarletmonkeyflower(Erythranthecardinalis)spanning11degreeslatitudein
westernNorthAmericaandusedintegralprojectionmodelstoinferpopulationdynamics.Populationgrowthrates
increasedfromlowtohighlatitudes,consistentwithleading-trailingdynamics.Differencesingrowth,survival,and
recruitmentdrovespatialvariationinpopulationgrowthrates,withgrowthandrecruitmentprobabilitiesincreasing
withlatitudeandsurvivalprobabilitiesdecreasingfrommidlatitudestowardsthenorthernandsouthernedges.The
presenceofstatisticallysignificantdemographiccompensationamongvitalratesindicatesthatvitalratesmayrespond
individualisticallytothesameenvironmentalgradientandthatsinglevitalratesmayfailtopredictpopulation
performance.Althoughtherewasdemographiccompensation,thesmall,positiveeffectsofahigherprobabilityof
floweringandgreaterfruitnumberdidnotbuffersouthern,low-latitudepopulationsfromthelarge,negativeeffectsof
lowsurvival,growth,andrecruitment.Thus,demographiccompensationmaynotbesufficienttorescuepopulationsat
thetrailingedgefromagainstextinction.
Forestecology
WEDNESDAY09:45,ROOM:WCOAST
Forest understory changes over 30 years following tephra disturbance at Mount St.
Helens
JOSEPHA.ANTOS,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
DONALDB.ZOBEL,OREGONSTATEUNIVERSITY
The1980volcaniceruptionofMountSt.Helensproducedarangeofdisturbances,includingwidespreadtephradeposits
thatalteredtheforestunderstorybuthadminimaleffectsonthetreecanopy.Weusedpermanentplotsatfoursites
representingtwotephradepthsanddisturbanceintensitiesinold-growthforeststoevaluatevegetationchangeover30
years.Deepertephra(>12cm)largelyobliteratedtheherbandmosslayerswhereas4.5cmtephrahadlimitedeffectson
mostherbaceousspecies.Shrubsandsmalltreeswereoftenkilledwheretephrafellonplantsflattenedbeneatha
snowpack,butnotbytephraalone.Thevegetationchangeddramaticallyduringthesubsequent30years,althoughmoss
coverstillremainedgreatlyreduced.Byevaluatingcompositionalchangesusingordinations,alongwithchangesin
growthformcover,weshowthatmostvasculargrowthformsatmostsitesareconvergingon,andoftenwithintherange
of,pre-disturbanceconditions(asindicatedusingplotsclearedoftephraduringsummer1980).However,trajectoriesof
compositionalchangeasindicatedbyordinationsshowsomeinstanceswherespeciescompositionisdivergingfrompredisturbanceestimates.Thus,after30years,recoveryfromthisdisturbancehasbeenpronouncedinmanyinstances,but
somechangesinspeciescompositionremainandthereareindicationsofdivergenceratherthanfurtherconvergencein
somesituations.Inaddition,ourlong-termstudiesusingpermanentplotsemphasizetheimportanceofinitialconditions,
subsequentevents,speciescharacteristics,andalongtimeframefordevelopingathoroughunderstandingofpostdisturbancesuccessionalchanges.
Keywords:Tephra,Disturbance,Plants,Forest,Permanentplots.
Marineecology
TUESDAY14:15,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Preferred prey hotspots for juvenile salmon in the Skeena estuary
MICHAELARBEIDER,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
CHARMAINECARR-HARRIS,SKEENAFISHERIESCOMMISSION,CIARASHARPE,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY;JONATHANW.MOORE,SIMON
FRASERUNIVERSITY
Foodwebinteractionscancontrolthedynamicsofsalmon(Oncorhynchusspp.)populations.Estuaryfoodwebsand
habitatprovidenurseriesformanyfishes,includingjuvenilesalmon,whosepopulationdynamicsandhabitatpreferences
maybecontrolledbypreyabundanceanddistribution.Forexample,juvenilesalmoncanrearforextendedperiodsin
estuarieswheretheyfeedandgrowduringtheirresidency.On-goingcollaborativeresearchbetweenFirstNations
fisheriesprogramsandSFUhavebeeninvestigatingjuvenilesalmonfoodwebsandhabitatuseintheestuaryofthe
Skeenariver.TheSkeenaisthesecond-largestsalmonwatershedinCanadaanditsestuaryispoisedformajorindustrial
developmentsthatcoincidewithareasofhighjuvenilesalmonabundance.Wesurveyedzooplanktonandfish
communitiesandanalyzedsalmondietsacrossthelowerSkeenaestuary.Cohosalmonselectedforlarvalfishthemost
butbothgastropodlarvaeandlarvalfishhadhighIndexofRelativeImportance(IRI)scores.Sockeyesalmonweremore
generalistbutharpacticoidcopepod'sIRIscorewas2.5timeshigherthanaverage.Welinkedthisinformationwith
zooplanktonabundanceacrosstimethroughouttheestuarytomaplocationsofpreyhotspots.Therewassubstantial
variationacrosstheestuaryintermsoftheabundanceofpreferredpreybutabundancehotspotsdidnotcorrelate
predictablywithanycombinationofabioticorhabitatvariables.Thisresearchisasteptowardsunderstandingthefoodwebcomponentofjuvenilesalmonhabitatuseinanestuaryatakeypointinitsplanninganddevelopmenttrajectory.
Keywords:Estuary,Salmon,Foraging,Habitatselection,Foodweb.
Selection
MONDAY14:00,ROOM:WCOAST
Life history trade-offs, sexual conflict, and the maintenance of variation in
Drosophila melanogaster
DEVINARBUTHNOTT,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
Understandinghowgeneticvariationismaintainedinthefaceofstrongnaturalandsexualselectionisafundamental
challengetoevolutionarytheory.Severalalternativeandoverlappingmechanismshavebeenproposed,withvarying
levelsofsupport,buttherearefewempiricalteststhatevaluateseveralalternativemechanismswithinasinglesystem.I
previouslyobservedthatisogenicfemalelinesofthefruitflyDrosophilamelanogasterformtransitivehierarchieswith
respecttoattractiveness,andthatfemalesuccessinmatecompetitionsiscorrelatedwithpotentialoffspringproduction.
Thesefemalegenotypesthereforedisplaysubstantialvariationincomponentsofbothsexualandnon-sexualfitness,
makingthemanidealsystemtoevaluatepotentiallifehistorytrade-offsexplainingtheexistenceandpersistenceofthis
geneticvariation.Imeasuredvariouscomponentsoflifehistoryamong40isogeniclines,includinglife-span,offspring
production,senescencerates,maleandfemaleattractiveness,condition-dependence,andsexualconflict.Whiletherewas
significantgeneticvariationamonglinesinseverallife-historycomponents,fewwerecorrelatedwithfemale
attractivenessoroffspringproduction.However,Ifoundthatthecostsofsexualconflictreducethedifferencesin
offspringproductionamonggenotypeswhentheyinteractinamoresociallycomplexenvironment.Myresultstherefore
suggestthatsexualconflictcontributestothepersistenceofsupposedlyless-fitgenotypesinpopulations.
Keywords:Selection,Geneticvariation,Socialbehaviour,Evolution,Reproduction.
Communityecology
TUESDAY13:45,ROOM:WCOAST
Forest fragmentation differentially affects the movement behavior of the main
pollinator and seed disperser of a tropical understory herb
LUISA.ARIAS-MEDELLIN,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO,[email protected]
ADAMS.HADLEY,OREGONSTATEUNIVERSITY;SARAHJ.K.FREY,OREGONSTATEUNIVERSITY;NOELIAL.VOLPE,CENTRODEECOLOGIÁ
APLICADADELLITORAL;MATTHEWG.BETTS,OREGONSTATEUNIVERSITY;HELENEWAGNER,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO
Theeffectofhabitatlossandfragmentationonanimalmovementbehaviorcandifferbetweenspecies,alteringplantanimalinteractionsandtherebyplantpopulationsindifferentways.Wetestediftropicalforestfragmentation
differentiallyaffectshomerangesizeandhabitatutilizationofboththeprimarypollinator(greenhermithummingbird
Phaethornisguy)andtheprimaryseeddisperser(claycoloredthrushTurdusgrayi)oftheunderstoryherbHeliconia
tortuosaatLasCrucesBiologicalStation,CostaRica.Weusedradiotransmitterstotrackmovementpatternsof20
individualsofP.guyand25individualsofT.grayicapturedinforestpatcheswithvaryingpatchsizeandconnectivity.
GeneralizedLinearMixedModelsshowedthatP.guymovedmorefrequentlythroughforestwhileT.grayifrequently
movedthroughnon-forestedareasoflandscapes.Increasedfragmentationandreducedconnectivitydecreasedhome
rangesizeofP.guy,whilehomerangesizeofT.grayiwasnotaffectedbyfragmentationandconnectivity.Avoidanceof
non-forestedareasbyP.guybutnotbyT.grayisuggeststhatlandscapefragmentationmightprimarilylimitpollination
butnotseeddispersal.Therefore,seeddispersalcouldhelpcounteractthenegativeeffectsthatreducedpollinationcould
haveonplantpopulations.Ourresultsemphasizetheimportanceofsimultaneouslyconsideringvariousecological
functionswhenexamininglandscapeeffectsonplantpopulationdynamics.
Keywords:Forest,Pollinators,Fragmentation,Homerange,Behaviouralecology.
Effectsofclimatechange
TUESDAY15:45,ROOM:OAKBAY1
The impacts of climate change on fungal communities in boreal peatlands
ASMAASEMANINEJAD,UNIVERSITYOFWESTERNONTARIO,[email protected]
GREGTHORN,UNIVERSITYOFWESTERNONTARIO;ZOLINDO,UNIVERSITYOFWESTERNONTARIO
PeatlandshaveanimportantroleinglobalclimatechangethroughsequestrationofatmosphericCO2.Fungal
communitiesinborealpeatlandshavepivotalrolesinecosystem-levelfunctioningsuchasdecomposition.Climatechange
isalreadyaffectingtheseecosystems,includingbothabove-andbelow-groundcommunitiesandtheirfunctions.Thereis
concernthatalteredfungalcommunityfunctionaffectedbyclimatechangemayturnpeatlandsfromcarbonsinksto
carbonsources,greatlyexacerbatingtheimpactsofclimatechangeworldwide.Togainabetterinsightintotheeffectsof
climatechangeonthestructureandfunctionofthesecrucialcarbonsequesteringecosystems,weusedIlluminaMiSeq
sequencingofrDNAtomonitorresponsesoffungalcommunitiesover18monthsin84intactpeatlandmesocosms
subjectedtoafullfactorialdesignofconditionsassociatedwithCanada’sfutureclimate:increasedtemperature,elevated
atmosphericCO2andloweredwatertable.Theexperimentalfindingsindicatethattheeffectsofwatertabledrawdown
aremostlikelytoappearasashort-termeffect.Whilefungalgroupsaremainlyaffectedbyincreasedtemperaturesovera
longerperiodoftime,suchthatincreasedtemperaturesof4and8degreesCaboveambientconditionsprovokea
compositionalshiftincommunitiesoffungitowardsdifferentgroupsofdecomposers,supportingthepatternof
degradativesuccessionoffungiinvolvedintheprocessofdecomposition.Increasedtemperaturetreatmentsalsoleadto
increasedabundanceofvascularplantroot-associates.Thesefindingsarevaluableinprovidingabroaderconceptual
contextofclimatechangeanditsconsequencesforcarbondynamicsofborealpeatlands.
Keywords:Peatland,Carbonstorage,Climatechange,Experiment,Fungus,Decomposition,Genomicsequencing.
Fishecology
TUESDAY16:45,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Sockeye it to me! Landscape controls on population carrying capacity in data
limited populations
WILLIAMI.ATLAS,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
DANIELT.SELBIE,DEPARTMENTOFFISHERIESANDOCEANS;STEVECOX-ROGERS,DEPARTMENTOFFISHERIESANDOCEANS;JONATHAN
W.MOORE,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY
Managementofdatalimitedpopulationsisacentralchallengeforfisheriesbiologistsaroundtheworld.ForFirstNations
communitiesontheNorthandCentralCoastofBritishColumbia,wildsalmon—particularlysockeye—areaprincipalfood
source,andmanagingthesefisheriesforsustainablebenefitsiscentraltothelong-termwellbeingofthesecommunities.
Forsockeye,whichhaveanobligatelakerearingphaseduringtheirjuvenilelifehistory,lakeproductivitycancontrol
populationsize.Toprovideinsightintothecarryingcapacityoflakeswithlittleornostock-recruitdataweused
structuralequationmodelstotestasuiteofhypothesesaboutthelinksbetweenlakesize,location,watershedelevation,
andlakeproductivityforsockeyesalmon.Modelsrevealedpatternsoflandscape-scalecontrolonlakecommunity
structure,productivityandsockeyepopulationsize,withstrongspatialcoherenceinlakeproductivity.Estimatesoflake
productivitywerethenusedaspriorsforcarryingcapacityinahierarchical-Bayesianstock-recruitmodel,whichusedall
availablestock-recruitdataacrosstheNorthandCentralcoasttoproduceestimatesofpopulationparametersfor120
sockeyepopulations.Estimatesofpopulationparameterscanbeusedtosetconservationbenchmarksandevaluate
alternativemanagementscenariosforsockeyefoodfisheries.
Keywords:Salmon,Fisheries,Management,Modeling,Productivity.
Socialsystems
MONDAY16:45,ROOM:THEATRE
How did egg-laying and work behaviours decouple from solitary antecedents to
eusocial castes?
DAVIDN.AWDE,BROCKUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
MIRIAMH.RICHARDS,BROCKUNIVERSITY
Theevolutionofeusocialitycanbeconceptualisedastheevolutionarydecouplingofsolitarymaternalbehavioursinto
queensandworkers.Insolitarybees,mothersthatworkmorealsolaymoreeggs,butinhighlyeusocialbees,queensonly
layeggsandworkersonlywork.Decouplingcouldhaveevolvedasaprogressivelymorenegativecorrelationbetween
thesetwosetsofbehaviour.Ifso,thenthebehaviourofprimitivelyeusocialspeciesshouldrepresentanintermediate
stage,withaweakerbutstillnegativecorrelationbetweenegg-layingandwork.InthesweatbeeL.laevissimum,allnewly
eclosedfemalesarecapableofbehavingasqueensorworkers.Wepredictedthategg-layingandworkbehaviourswould
benegativelycorrelatedwithinL.laevissimumfemales.However,wefoundthatovariandevelopmentwaspositively
correlatedwithmandibularwear(ameasureofnestbuildingactivity),notnegativelycorrelatedaspredicted.
Furthermore,workerswithsubstantialovariandevelopmenthadmoremandibularwearthansterileworkers.This
meansthattheevolutionarydecouplingofegg-layingandworkbehaviourlikelywasnotacontinuousprocessthatbegan
withsolitaryancestorsandcontinuedprogressivelythroughprimitivelyeusocialandhighlyeusocialdescendants.More
likely,thenegativecorrelationbetweenegg-layingandworkbehaviourevolvedaftertheevolutionofprimitive
eusociality.
Keywords:Insects,Behaviouralecology,Evolution,Socialbehaviour.
Populationdynamics
TUESDAY08:15,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Are populations of migratory tree-roosting bats declining?
ERINBAERWALD,AMERICANWINDWILDLIFEINSTITUTE,[email protected]
ROBERTM.R.BARCLAY,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY
Asconcernsoverenvironmentalimpactsoffossilfuelsgrow,windenergyisincreasinglypopular.However,large
numbersofbatsarekilledatsomewindenergyfacilitiesandthisraisesconcernsaboutcumulativeimpactsonbat
populations.Anestimated0.84and1.7millionbatshavebeenkilledintheU.S.andCanadafrom2000-2011,andthis
increasesbyover500,000fatalitiesannually,78%ofwhichareof3speciesofmigratorytree-roostingbats.Giventhese
estimates,andthegrowthofwindenergy,thereareworriesthatthismortalitymaythreatenthepopulationviabilityof
bats.Althoughpopulationestimatesarelackingforbats,especiallyformigratorytree-roostingspecies,recentpopulation
modellingderivedfromexpertelicitationsuggeststhatforhoarybatpopulationstopersist,themeanannualpopulation
growthratemustbesubstantiallyhigherthanwhatappearsmostlikelyandthatcurrentfatalitylevelscouldcausea91%
decreaseinthecontinentalpopulationsizeofhoarybatswithin50years.Weexaminedhowacousticdetections,capture
rates,rabiessubmissionrates,andwind-energyrelatedfatalityratesofmigratorytree-roostingbatschangethroughtime
tolookforevidenceofrecentpopulationdeclines.Ifallthesemetricsconsistentlyshowdeclines,thenthismayindicate
declinesinpopulationsizes.Wefoundmultiplesignsofpopulationdeclinesinallthreespeciesofmigratorytree-roosting
bats,includingsignificantdeclinesinfatalityratesatwindenergysites.Ouranalyseshighlighttheneedforeffective
policyandmitigationstrategiesthatembraceadaptiveandflexiblemanagementandaddresscumulativeimpacts
Keywords:Landusechanges,Animalmovement,Populationdeclines,Bats,Management.
Salmonidecologyandevolution
MONDAY14:15,ROOM:SAANICH
Experimental and natural nutrient subsidies alter steelhead life history
COLINJ.BAILEY,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
DOUGLASC.BRAUN,INSTREAMFISHERIESRESEARCHINC.;DONJ.F.MCCUBBING,INSTREAMFISHERIESRESEARCHINC.;JOHND.
REYNOLDS,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY;JONATHANW.MOORE,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY
Thetransitionfromfreshtosaltwaterisanimportantlifeeventforanadromousfishessuchassteelheadduringsmolting.
Juvenilesteelheadentertheoceanassmoltsacrossarangeofagesandsizes,whichhavebeenshowntoaffectthe
probabilityofsurvivingtospawn.Consequently,managementactionsandenvironmentalfactorsimpactingsmoltageand
juvenilegrowthmayaffectsmoltmarinesurvival.Hereweinvestigatedwhetheradultpinksalmonabundanceand
artificialnutrientsubsidiesaltersteelheadsmoltsize,age,andabundanceatoutmigrationacross4decadesintheKeogh
River,BritishColumbia,Canada.Theage,size,andnumbersofsteelheadsmoltswereinfluencedbyacombinationofpink
salmonabundance,artificialnutrientsubsidies,anddensity-dependentprocesses.Moreadultpinksalmonwere
associatedwithgreaterproportionsoftwo-year-oldsmolts(insteadofthree-year-olds),andlargerthree-year-olds,but
nothighertotalsmoltabundance.Similarly,artificialnutrientsubsidiesalsoincreasedsmoltsizeandincreasedthe
proportionoftwo-year-oldsmolts,buthadnosignificanteffectonsmoltabundance.Usingasimplesimulationmodelthat
predictssmoltsize,ageandmarinesurvival,wepredictthatmeantohighpinksalmonescapementsorartificialnutrient
subsidiescouldbeassociatedwithsmallincreases(=10%)inreturningsteelheadabundance.However,theKeoghRiver
steelheadpopulationremainsdepressedduetoextremelypoormarinesurvival.Thus,speciesinteractionsandpotential
restorationactionscaninfluencesteelheadsmoltcharacteristics.
Keywords:Marinesubsidies,Densitydependence,Salmon,Agestructure,Growth.
ECOLOGICAL,EVOLUTIONARYANDENVIRONMENTALSYNTHESISINTHE21STCENTURYSYMPOSIUM
TUESDAY16:00,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Integrating stress ecology to illuminate biodiversity-ecosystem function (B-EF)
research
DONALDJ.BAIRD,ENVIRONMENTANDCLIMATECHANGECANADA,UNIVERSITYOFNEWBRUNSWICK,[email protected]
FREDERIKDELAENDER,UNIVERSITYOFNAMUR;JASONR.ROHR,UNIVERSITYOFSOUTHFLORIDA;ROMANASHAUER,UNIVERSITYOF
YORK;DONALDJ.BAIRD,ENVIRONMENTANDCLIMATECHANGECANADAANDUNIVERSITYOFNEWBRUNSWICK;UTABERGER,
TECHNISCHEUNIVERSITÄTDRESDEN;NICOEISENHAUER,LEIPZIGUNIVERSITYANDGERMANCENTREFORINTEGRATIVEBIODIVERSITY
RESEARCH(IDIV)HALLE-JENA-LEIPZIG;VOLKERGRIMM,GERMANCENTREFORINTEGRATIVEBIODIVERSITYRESEARCH(IDIV)HALLE-JENALEIPZIGANDHELMHOLTZCENTREFORENVIRONMENTALRESEARCHUFZ;UDOHOMMEN,FRAUNHOFERINSTITUTEFORMOLECULAR
BIOLOGYANDAPPLIEDECOLOGY;LORRAINEMALTBY,UNIVERSITYOFSHEFFIELD;CARLOSJ.MELIAN,SWISSFEDERALINSTITUTEOF
AQUATICSCIENCEANDTECHNOLOGY;FRANCESCOPOMATI,SWISSFEDERALINSTITUTEOFAQUATICSCIENCEANDTECHNOLOGY;IVO
ROESSINK,WAGENINGENUNIVERSITYANDRESEARCHCENTRE;VIKTORIIARADCHUK,GERMANCENTREFORINTEGRATIVEBIODIVERSITY
RESEARCHHALLE-JENA-LEIPZIGANDLEIBNIZINSTITUTEFORZOOANDWILDLIFERESEARCH;PAULJ.VANDENBRINK,WAGENINGEN
UNIVERSITYANDRESEARCHCENTRE
Overthepast30years,biodiversityandecosystemfunctioning(B-EF)researchhasbeensilentontheunderlyingroleof
environmentalstressorsininfluencingB-EFrelationships.Weidentifytworeasonswhysuchare-introductionof
stressorsintoB-EFstudiesisimportant:(1)thefunctioningofecosystemsthatlosespeciescannotbepredictedfrom
specieslossratesalone,butrequiresarealisticaccountofhowunderlyingenvironmentalchangedriver(s)areoperating;
(2)usingwell-studiedenvironmentalchangedriverssuchaschemicalstressorsinB-EFexperimentscanenhance
mechanisticunderstandingofB-EFrelationships.Weusepreviouslypublisheddatafromfood-webstudieswithchemical
stressorsandsimulationswithanexistingfood-webmodeltoillustratethesetwopoints.Wealsodiscussnoveltypesof
analysesandnovelexperimentaldesignsthatcouldconnectourframeworktoclassicalB-EFresearch,whichmostly
ignoresenvironmentalchangedrivers.Thesedesignscanaidinunderstandinghowbiodiversityeffectsonecosystem
functioningcontributetofuturechangesinthefunctioningofhuman-dominatedecosystems.Theideasandmodels
discussedinthispresentationwereconceivedduringaworkshopatthesDiv,theSynthesisCentreofiDiv(GermanCentre
forIntegrativeBiodiversityResearch,Leipzig)inDecember2014
Stress,Antipredatorbehaviour
MONDAY10:45,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Maternal stress and predator odour effects on juvenile cuttlefish antipredator
responses to ink and alarm cue
KEVINR.BAIROS-NOVAK,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN,[email protected]
LUDOVICDICKEL,UNIVERSITYOFCAENNORMANDY;MAUDC.O.FERRARI,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN
Prenatalstressexperiencedbyjuvenilesdirectlyinovoorviabroodingmothersisknowntohavelife-longimpactsonthe
offspring’sstressandbehaviouralresponsestowardspredators.However,thewaydifferentdevelopmentstressorsshape
theantipredatorphenotypeoftheoffspringremainsunclear.Inthecaseofthecommoncuttlefish(Sepiaofficinalis),ink
andinjuredconspecificcues(alarmcues)mayelicitantipredatorresponsesinconspecifics,yetpreyrelianceonthese
cuesmaybeshapedbyearlierdevelopmentalexperiences,asbothmaternalstressandinnatepredatorodoursareknown
toalterthedevelopmentaltrajectoryofprey.Theaimofourstudywastocharacterizetheantipredatorbehavioursof
juvenilecuttlefishtoconspecificinkandalarmcues,andexaminethedifferentialresponsesofjuvenilesbornfrom
stressedmothersaswellasfromeggsincubatedinanenvironmentwithanativepredatoryfishodour.Weexposed
gravidmotherstoahandlingstresspriortobrooding(maternalstress),exposednewly-laideggsfromunstressedgravid
motherstoanativefishpredator(predatorodour),orneither(control).Wethentestedtheresponsesofjuvenilesfrom
eachtreatmenttooneofthreeconspecificcues:freshconspecificinkreleasedafteradisturbance,alarmcues,ora
seawatercontroltakenfromthetankofundisturbedconspecifics.Ourresultsprovideinsightintothecomplex
neuroplasticityofcephalopoddecision-makinginthecontextofpredation.
Keywords:Cuttlefish,Marine,Experiment,Behaviouralecology,Prenatalstress.
Evolutionarytheory
MONDAY11:45,ROOM:WCOAST
The genomics of purging inbreeding depression
SARAHJ.BALDWIN,MCGILLUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
DANIELJ.SCHOEN,MCGILLUNIVERSITY
Inbreedingdepression,thereductioninfitnessininbredoffspring,isusuallyhigherinoutcrossingspeciesthantheir
inbreedingrelatives.Thetransitionfromoutcrossingtoinbreedingiscommoninplantspecies,butfewexperiments
addressthequestionofhowinbreedingdepressioncanbepurgedfromnaturalpopulations.Populationgenomicstudies
canbeusedtotrackchangesingenotypeandallelefrequencyduringpurgingexperimentstodeterminethenumber,
dominance,andstrengthofselectionagainstallelescausingorpreventingthepurgingofinbreedingdepression.Weused
restriction-siteassociatedmarkerstoscanthegenomesofpopulationsforthegeneticcausesofinbreedingdepressionin
theannualself-incompatibleplant,Leavenworthiaalabamica.Populationswerecreatedbyforcingself-incompatible
plantstoself-fertilizeandproduce~90offspringeach.DeviationsfromexpectedMendeliangenotyperatiosinprogeny
generationindicatethegenomiclocationsofinbreedingdepressionloci;e.g.,thedeficiencyofonehomozygotegenotype
atalocusisevidenceofadeleteriousrecessivemutationoflargeeffect,whichisacauseofinbreedingdepressionthatcan
bepurged,whileanexcessoftheheterozygotegenotypeisevidenceofoverdominanceorpseudooverdominance.
Keywords:Genomesequencing,Inbreeding,Populationgenetics,Experiment,Plants,Evolution.
Parasitismandsymbiosis
TUESDAY14:45,ROOM:SIDNEY
Inherited Spiroplasma symbionts are common in the ant genus Myrmica
MATTHEWJ.BALLINGER,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
LOGAND.MOORE,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA;STEVEJ.PERLMAN,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA
Maternally-transmittedbacterialsymbiontsarewidespreadinarthropodsandoftenhaveimportanteffectsonhost
evolutionandecology.Spiroplasmabacteriaarecommonlyharbouredbyinsects,sometimesasparasites,manipulating
thehostreproductivesystemtofavortheircontinuedtransmission,orasdefensivesymbionts,conferringprotection
againstnaturalenemiesofthehost.WedescribeandinvestigatetheoccurrenceofSpiroplasmainantspeciesbelongingto
thegenusMyrmica.Wefindthatcongenicantscollectedfromapproximately30Spiroplasma-positivecoloniesatashared
siteineasternFranceharbourSpiroplasmasystemicallyandatveryhighprevalence.SpiroplasmaftsZgenesequences
definethreedistinctsymbiontstrainswhichformamonophyleticcladeofMyrmica-associatedSpiroplasma.Interestingly,
thesestrainssegregateperfectlywiththethreehostspecies,supportingthehypothesisofverticaltransmission.Insight
intothetimescaleofMyrmica-Spiroplasmasymbiosesandthemechanismbywhichsymbionttransmissionhasbeen
promotedmaybeavailablethroughcontinuedtaxonomicsamplinginthehostgenusandexplorationofsymbiontgenome
content.
Keywords:Symbiosis,Ants,Bacteria,Populationgenetics.
Forestecology
WEDNESDAY08:00,ROOM:WCOAST
Responses of boreal forests to warming-induced permafrost thaw
JENNIFERBALTZER,WILFRIDLAURIERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
WILLIAMQUINTON,WILFRIDLAURIERUNIVERSITY;ANASTASIASNIDERHAN,WILFRIDLAURIERUNIVERSITY;OLIVERSONNENTAG,
UNIVERSITYOFMONTREAL;REBECCAWARREN,UNIVERSITYOFMONTREAL
Borealforestsoccupylatitudesthatareexpectedtowarmmostdramaticallyoverthecomingdecades,andevidence
indicatesthatchangesarealreadyunderwayinthesesystems.Muchoftheborealisunderlainbypermafrost,whichcan
beexpectedhaveimportantconsequencesforborealforestsastheclimatewarms.Thesouthernmarginofpermafrostis
especiallysusceptibletowarming,sinceinthisregion,thepermafrostisdiscontinuous,relativelythin,warmandice-rich.
Inthezoneofdiscontinuouspermafrost,permafrostoftenformsthephysicalfoundationonwhichtreesdevelop,forming
tree-coveredpeatplateaus;forestsarerestrictedtopeatplateauswhilewetlandcommunitiescharacterizethe
permafrost-freeareas.Theextentanddistributionofeachlandcovertypeisanimportantdeterminantofecosystem
function.Evidencesuggeststhatwarmingisleadingtorapidpermafrostthawandgroundsurfacesubsidence,which
decreasesforestcoverandproductivitywhileincreasingwetlandextentandconnectivity.Inthispresentation,wewill
useanintegrativeframeworktodemonstratethechangesinthesesensitiveboreallandscapes.
Keywords:Climatechange,Forest,Boreal,Permafrost,Peatland.
ECOLOGICAL,EVOLUTIONARYANDENVIRONMENTALSYNTHESISINTHE21STCENTURYSYMPOSIUM
TUESDAY14:45,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Integrating community assembly into biodiversity-ecosystem function relationships:
The CAFE approach
KATHERINEH.BANNAR-MARTIN,FISHERIESANDOCEANSCANADA,[email protected]
COLINT.KREMER,YALEUNIVERSITY;S.K.MORGANERNEST,UNIVERSITYOFFLORIDA;MATHEWA.LEIBOLD,UNIVERSITYOFTEXAS
AUSTIN;SCAFEWORKINGGROUP,SYNTHESISCENTRE,GERMANCENTREFORINTEGRATIVEBIODIVERSITYRESEARCH
Overthepasttwodecades,thebiodiversity-ecosystem-function(BEF)researchprogramhasproliferated,linkingchanges
inbiodiversitytochangesinecosystemfunctionsandservices.TheBEFrelationshipismostoftenexaminedby
controllingspeciesrichnessandrandomizingcommunitycomposition.However,innaturalsystemsbiodiversitychanges
occuraspartofmetacommunityassemblyprocesses.Focusingoncommunityassemblyandthefunctioningof
ecosystems(CAFE),byintegratingbothspeciesrichnessandcompositionchangesthroughspeciesgains,losses,and
changesinabundance,willbetterrevealhowchangestocommunitieswillimpactecosystemfunction.Wesynthesizethe
BEFandCAFEperspectivesusinganecologicalapplicationofthePriceequation,whichpartitionsthecontributionsof
richnessandcompositiontoecosystemfunction.Wedemonstratetheutilityofthismethodwithanovelgraphical
approachandempiricalexamplesofenvironmentalperturbationsinterrestrialandmarineecosystemsaffectingplant
andmammalcommunities.TheCAFEapproachrevealsimportantcontributionsofcomposition,overandabovespecies
richnesschanges,toecosystemfunction.Examplesofspeciesinvasionsshowedthatchangesinspeciesrichnessand
compositioncanworkinconcerttomagnifyecosystemfunctionchangesorantagonisticallytominimizeecosystem
functionimpacts.Furthermore,theCAFEapproachcanhighlight,throughtime,thecompositionalandabundance-based
changesthatallowfortherecoveryofpre-disturbancelevelsofecosystemfunctioninsmallrodentcommunities.
Consideringhowcommunitieschangeinanintegrativefashion,ratherthanfocusingononeaxisofcommunitystructure,
willimproveourabilitytoanticipateandpredictchangesinecosystemfunction.
AcceleratingurbanecologyinCanada:Identifyingcurrentresearchapproaches,gaps,andneedsinCanadiancities
symposium
MONDAY09:00,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Strategic planning for urban forestry in Canada: Sharing knowledge and engaging
communities across disciplines
ADRINAC.BARDEKJIAN,TREECANADA,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
DespitethegrowinginterestinurbanforestryacrossCanada,andthemanyeffortsensuingacrossthecountry,thereisa
lackoftransdisciplinarityandknowledgesharingnationwide.Bybuildingpartnershipswithotherorganizationsand
corporatesponsors,TreeCanadaisworkingtoengageandeducatecommunitiesaboutthebenefitsoftreesandforests
throughtheCanadianUrbanForestNetwork(CUFN)andStrategy(CUFS).TheNetwork(CUFN),comprisedofadiversity
ofstakeholders,isapan-CanadianactiongroupwhospeaksforCanada’surbanforestsandhelpsdirectthefiveworking
groupsoftheCanadianUrbanForestStrategy(CUFS).Prioritiesoverthepastyearhavebeentonurtureregionalurban
forestryactionplansandimplementaresearchinitiativebyfirstconductinganeedsassessmentofCanadian
municipalitiesandthensupportingvariousprojectstofosterstewardshipthroughscholarlyengagement.This
presentationwillsharerecentprogressonthecurrentnationalstrategyandresearchdevelopmentinitiativeaswellas
discussfuturedirections.
Aquaticecology
TUESDAY14:30,ROOM:VIEWROYAL
Factors affecting decomposers and decomposition dynamics differ in boreal
peatlands
CARLOSBARRETO,UNIVERSITYOFWESTERNONTARIO,[email protected]
ZOLINDO,UNIVERSITYOFWESTERNONTARIO
Inborealpeatlands,lowdecompositionrateistheunderlyingcauseofcarbonsequestration.Decompositionoflittercan
beaffectedbymicrotopographicfactorsrelatingtosoilmoistureandtemperature,thequalityoftheplantlitter,andby
thebioticdecomposercommunity.Exploringhowthesedriversofdecompositioninteractwillgiveusbetter
understandingofcarbondynamicsinborealpeatlands.Imeasuredthedecomposition(massloss)ofthreecommon
peatlandplantfunctionaltypes(Sphagnummoss,Carexsedge,Chamaedaphneshrub),andthemicroarthropod
communitiesassociatedwithdecompositionusinglitterbagsplacedinhollows(wetdepressions)andhummocks(dry,
raisedareas)ofaborealpeatlandnearWhiteRiver,Ontario.Decompositionwassignificantlydifferentbetweenallplant
littertypes,andgreatestinCarex,followedbyChamaedaphneandSphagnumlitters.Decompositionrateswerenot
significantlydifferentbetweenhummockandhollowmicrohabitats.Thedecomposercommunityhowever,displayedthe
oppositepatternbeingsignificantlyaffectedbymicrohabitat,whererichnessandabundanceofmicroarthropodswas
greaterinwethollowsthandryhummocks.Overall,29oribatidmitespecieswereidentifiedfromthestudyarea;16of
whichwereuniquetothehollowmicrohabitat,andsixofwhichwereuniquetothehummocks.Takentogether,these
resultssuggestthatabioticenvironmentalconditionsarethemaindriversofcommunitystructurefordecomposers,
whileplantlitterqualityisabiggerdeterminantofdecompositiondynamicsinborealpeatlands.
Keywords:Invertebrates,Peatland,Mites,Decomposition,Carbonstorage,Experiment.
Sticklebackecologyandevolution
MONDAY09:30,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Lab versus wild: Phenotypic covariation in threespine stickleback
TEGANBARRY,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY,[email protected]
HEATHERJAMNICZKY,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY;SEANROGERS,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY
Theintegratednatureofformandfunctiondictatesthatsuitesofphenotypictraitsoftenvarytogetherinresponseto
selectivepressures.Thiscorrelationbetweentraits,orphenotypiccovariation,alongwithitsunderlyinggenetic
architecture,allowsfortheinvestigationofhoworganismsrespondandadapttonovelenvironmentsandchallenges.The
threespinestickleback(Gasterosteusaculeatus;stickleback)areanidealmodeltocharacterizephenotypiccovariationdue
totheirrepeatedparallelcolonizationsoffreshwaterlakesfromthemarineenvironment.Examinationofthisradiation
alongwithitscharacteristicphenotypicchangesallowsfortheinvestigationofthechangesinphenotypeandphenotypic
covariationbetweentheputativeancestral,marineformandderivedfreshwaterform;however,whetherthese
differencesarecausedbyplasticphenotypicchangesinducedbyvariedenvironmentsorgeneticmechanismsremainsa
questionofgreatinterest.Usingmicro-computedtomographyandthreedimensional(3D)geometricmorphometrics,
skeletalphenotypesofbothwild-caughtparentalandlab-rearedF1sticklebackwerequantifiedandcomparedto
determineifthephenotypiccovariationpatternsseeninwildpopulationspersistinacommon-gardenenvironment.
Investigationintothephenotypiccovariationpatternsseeninwild-caughtfishhaveservedasastartingpointfor
comparisonofbothpureandmarine-freshwaterhybridF1stoexamineifthesepatternsareconservedbetweenparent
andoffspring,andtodeterminetheextenttowhichthesepatternsarealteredinhybridfish.Theresultsfromthisstudy
willhelpusunderstandtheinfluenceofbothenvironmentalandgeneticfactorsonthenatureofphenotypiccovariation.
Keywords:Stickleback,Selection,Evolution,Morphology.
Aquaticecology
WEDNESDAY10:45,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Whole Canadian boreal shield lake food webs flex in response to warming
TIMOTHYJ.BARTLEY,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH,[email protected]
NIGELP.LESTER,ONTARIOMINISTRYOFNATURALRESOURCES;BRIANJ.SHUTER,ONTARIOMINISTRYOFNATURALRESOURCES,
UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO;TYLERD.TUNNEY,UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN-MADISON;ROBERTH.HANNER,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH;
KEVINS.MCCANN,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH
BoreallakesareiconicCanadianecosystemsthatareunderthethreatofclimatechange.Foodwebsareapromisingway
forecologiststostudyborealshieldlakeresponsestochangebecausefoodwebstructureoftheselakesisknowntoflex
inresponsetochangingenvironmentalconditions,alteringtheflowofenergyandnutrientsthroughecosystems.Here,
weseektounderstandandpredicttheresponseofthewholelakefoodwebsacrossclimategradients.Byusingan
unprecedentedfishcommunitydatabaseofCanadianlakesmonitoredincollaborationwiththeOntarioMinistryof
NaturalResourcesandForestry,weemploynovelspatialcatch-per-unit-effortdatatoinferspecies-levelandguild-level
behaviouralresponsestotemperature.Wealsousedietarydatafromstableisotopeanalysistostudyhowthekeyspecies
reshapefoodwebstructureintheselakeswithwarming.Weshowthatwholefishcommunitiesinborealshieldlakes
respondtowarming,producingflexiblefoodwebstructuredrivenbyrapidbehavioralandfeedingresponsesofmany
species.Takentogether,thiscomprehensivesetofdietaryandbehaviouraldatarevealsamazinglyconsistentresponses
ofspeciesthroughoutborealshieldlakefoodwebsthatproducewholethermalguildresponsestowarming.More
importantly,thesebehavioralandfeedingresponsespredictablyaltermajorflowsincarbonandnutrientsflowwith
changesintemperature,highlightingthatCanadianboreallakescontainhighlyadaptivefoodwebsthatpromotestability.
Overall,ourresearchsupportsthenotionthatCanadianboreallakeecosystemsareprototypicalexamplesofcomplex
adaptivesystemsthathavetheadaptivecapacitytorespondtohuman-inducedenvironmentalchange.
Keywords:Freshwater,Foodweb,Temperaturemodulation,Climatechange,Foraging.
Policyandplanning
MONDAY13:30,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Assessing biodiversity response to land-use and climate change in Nova Scotia: A
proposed ecosystem framework
SEANBASQUILL,NOVASCOTIADEPARTMENTOFNATURALRESOURCES,[email protected]
Thelossofbiodiversityoriginatingfromland-usepracticesandclimatechangehasdirectandindirectoutcomesfor
humanwell-beingandposessignificantchallengesforeffectivenaturalresourcemanagement.Tohelpmeetthese
challenges,andtobetteraddresscomplexitiesinherenttothenaturalresourcesector,anecosystem-basedframeworkis
proposedforassessingandmonitoringbiodiversityresponsetolanduseandclimatechangeinNovaScotia.The
frameworkincludesresearchto:defineandmodelthedistributionofecosystemmanagementunits;assessandpredict
theoutcomesofecologicalchange;andemployresearchfindingsinastandardizedvulnerabilityassessment.Analysesto
determinetheefficacyofusingecosystemunitstoreflectconstituentbiologicaldiversityandecologicalservicesare
proposedtorationalizethestudy'sexplicitapplicationoftheecosystemasafocalvalueandanorganizingprinciple.This
researchwillprovideabaselineforsummarizingcurrentconditionsandincreasepredictivecapacityformakingdecisions
aboutthedriversandoutcomesofecologicalchange.Itisintendedtohelpprioritizeresponsevariablesforecological
monitoring,conservationplanning,andclimatechangeadaptation.Theproposedresearchoffersnaturalresource
managersascientificallydefensiblemechanismformaintainingresilienceandmanagingvulnerabilityforNovaScotia's
biodiversityinanuncertainfuture.
Keywords:Climatechange,Landusechange,Monitoring,Conservationpractitioners,Methods,Management.
Selection
MONDAY14:15,ROOM:WCOAST
Variation in symbiont preference drives symbiont evolution
REBECCAT.BATSTONE,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO,[email protected]
MEGANE.FREDERICKSON,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO
Symbiontpreferencetraitssuchashostsanctionsandpartnerchoicehavebeenshowntoselectforcooperationin
symbiontstheoreticallybutnotempirically.Variationinthestrengthofselectionforcooperationcouldallowlower
qualitysymbiontstopersistinapopulation,contributingtothevariationinsymbiontqualityobservedinnature.Here,
weexperimentallyevolvedrhizobiapairedwithfiveM.truncatulalinesthatvariedinsymbiontpreferencelevel,ranging
fromstrongtoweak,acrossfourgenerationslastingtwomonthseach.Wequantifiedtheproportionoftworhizobia
strains,onebeingagoodN-fixerandtheotherapoorN-fixer,associatingwitheachlineacrosseachgeneration,andfound
thattheplantlineexhibitingthestrongestpreferenceincreasedthefrequencyofthegoodstrainatamorerapidratethan
theplantlineexhibitingtheweakestpreference.Sucharesultallowsustounderstandhowvariationinsymbiont
preferencemightaffectselectionforcooperationonthesymbiontpopulation.
Keywords:Plants,Bacteria,Selection,Experiment,Symbiosis.
Phylogenetics
MONDAY09:30,ROOM:WCOAST
Characterizing fitness landscapes in Darwin’s finches with a hierarchical model
MARC-OLIVIERBEAUSOLEIL,MCGILLUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
LUKEO.FRISHKOFF,STANFORDUNIVERSITY;LEITHENM’GONIGLE,FLORIDASTATEUNIVERSITY;ANDREWHENDRY,MCGILLUNIVERSITY;
ROWANBARRETT,MCGILLUNIVERSITY
Adaptiveradiationisakeyprocessthatdrivestheemergenceofnovelbiodiversity.Investigatingthisprocessallows
evolutionaryecologiststodescribepreciselyhowbiologicaldiversitychangesthroughspaceandtime.Quantifying
phenotypicandgeneticdifferencesamongrelatedspecieswithinparticularecologicalcontextscanprovidecrucial
informationabouttheroleofnaturalselectionduringadaptiveradiation.Here,wedescribethegeneticbasisoffitness
landscapesduringspeciationandhybridizationinawildcommunityofDarwin’sfinchesusingagenotype-phenotypefitnessmap.Wefirstestablishthelinkbetweenphenotypicmeasurementsandsurvival.Inthiscase,survival,thefitness
proxycomputedbyamark-recaptureBayesianhierarchicalmodel,representstheheightofthelandscape.Individuals
withsimilarphenotypeslieclosetoeachotheronatopographic-likemap.Weinvestigatedfourdifferentgroundfinch
species(Geospiza)andfoundthattheyhavedifferentfitnessvaluesinthesamemorphospace.Wearealsoabletousethis
modeltopredictthefitnessvaluesofindividualfinchesbasedontheirphenotypicvalues.Thenextstepinthisresearchis
tofocusontherelationshipbetweengenotypeandphenotypethroughassociationmappingoftraitswithsingle
nucleotidepolymorphisms(SNPs).Finally,wewillinvestigatetheassociationoffitnessandgenotypeusingagenomewidescantouncoverhistoricalsignaturesofselection.Understandingtheseissueswillaidinageneralunderstandingof
thegeneticbasisoftheoriginofspecies.
Keywords:Evolution,Hybridization,Speciation,Selection,Genomesequencing,Phenotypicvariation.
EcologicalandEvolutionaryDynamicsinFluctuatingEnvironmentsSymposium
MONDAY09:00,ROOM:THEATRE
Dynamics of seasonal adaptation in Drosophila melanogaster
EMILYBEHRMAN,UNIVERSITYOFPENNSYLVANIA,[email protected]
ALANO.BERGLAND,UNIVERSITYOFVIRGINIA;DMITRIA.PETROV,STANFORDUNIVERSITY;PAULS.SCHMIDT,UNIVERSITYOF
PENNSYLVANIA
Therateandtempoatwhichpopulationsrespondtoenvironmentalchangeisfundamentalinunderstandingtheadaptive
process.Annualseasonalrhythmsproducerapid,predictableenvironmentalchangesthatmayresultinrapidadaptation.
WeshowthatDrosophilamelanogasteradaptrapidlyandpredictablytoseasonalenvironmentalchangesacrossfiveyears
andmultiplelocations.Suitesofcomplexfitnesstraitschangeinapredictablewayoverthe10-15generationsfrom
springtofall.ParallelchangesinG-matricesindicatethatselectionactsrapidlytoalterthegeneticarchitectureofa
population.Functionalanalysisincandidategenesshowsthatepistaticinteractionsamongseasonallyoscillatingalleles
facilitaterapidadaptationbyproducingemergentfitnessphenotypes.Together,ourfindingsdemonstraterapid,
repeatableadaptationtoabioticandbioticenvironmentalparametersthatcycleasafunctionofseasonaltime.Weshow
thatepistaticinteractionswithinandamonggenesfacilitatetherapidevolutionarychangethatisoccurringover
timescalesthatwerepreviouslyconsideredstatic.
Livingintheeco-evolutionarytheatre:researchguidedandinspiredbyintensivefieldobservationssymposium
TUESDAY13:30,ROOM:THEATRE
Variation of lateral plate phenotypes in threespine stickleback fish: Adaptation,
developmental constraint, or both
MICHAELA.BELL,STONYBROOKUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
Thelateralplatesofthreespinestickleback(G.aculeatus)fishformasinglerowalongeachsideofthebody.Lowmorph
platesarerestrictedtotheanteriorthirdofthebodybetweenthepelvisanddorsalspines,andvaryfromzeroto10.
Lateralplatesdevelopafterfryhatch.Thefirstplateappearsabovethepelvis,andadditionalplatesdevelopanteriorand
posteriorinsequenceawayfromthefirstplate.Adultspecimenswithfewplates(i.e.,<4)haveonlytheplatesthat
developearly(i.e.,firstdeveloped,lastlostinevolution),suggestingthatevolutionofplatereductionreflects
developmentalconstraint.However,Reimchenshowedthattheplatesofadultspecimenswithfewplateslinkthepelvis
anddorsalspinesmechanically,stabilizingthespinesagainstlateraldeflectionbyvertebratepredators.Thus,theorderof
platelossduringevolutionisadaptive,andnotnecessarilyconstrainedbydevelopment.Similarly,theorderofplategain
duringdevelopmentmaybeanadaptationtobuttressthedorsalspinesasearlyinlifeaspossible.Thus,presenceof
specificplatesduringevolutionaryplatereductionanddevelopmentofplatesmaybeseparateadaptationstostabilizethe
dorsalspineswhenadultordevelopingsticklebackhaveonlyafewplates.Manyputativecasesofdevelopmental
constraintinvolvejuveniletraits,buttheirfunctionisunknown.Theinverseorderofeventsduringdevelopmentand
evolutioninmanyofthesecasesmaybeduetofunctionduringdevelopmentinsteadofdevelopmentalconstraint.
Livingintheeco-evolutionarytheatre:researchguidedandinspiredbyintensivefieldobservationssymposium
TUESDAY14:15,ROOM:THEATRE
A gillnet fishery considered as an experiment in artificial selection
GRAHAMBELL,MCGILLUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
IworkedwithTomReimchenandPaulHandfordonthewhitefishpopulationofLesserSlaveLakeinthemid-1970s.We
usedhistoricaldatatoshowthatthephenotypeofthefishhadbeenmodifiedbytheselectiveeffectsofgillnets.Since
then,asubstantialliteraturehasdescribedtheevolutionaryresponseoffishpopulationstoexploitation.Ishallreview
thisworkandourearlycontributiontoit.
Biodiversity
TUESDAY11:15,ROOM:VIEWROYAL
Using plant traits to understand plant-soil feedback in temperate forests
JONATHANA.BENNETT,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIAOKANAGAN,[email protected]
Plantsinteractwithawidevarietyoforganismsinthesoil.Theaccumulationofbeneficialorantagonisticsoilorganisms
beneathadultplantscanhavestrongpositiveornegativeeffectsontherecruitmentofnewindividualsintothe
population(i.e.,plant-soilfeedback;PSF).PSFisanimportantregulatorofbiodiversityinmanyecosystems;however,our
understandingofthedeterminantsofPSFremainsincomplete.Wecollectedseedandsoilfrom550populations
belongingto55NorthAmericantemperateforesttreespeciesandgrewseedlingsfromeachpopulationinsoilfrom
beneathconspecificandheterospecifictrees.Wefoundthatdifferenttypesofmycorrhizas,anearlyubiquitousplantfungussymbiosis,stronglyaffectthedirectionofPSF.Treesthatformedarbuscularmycorrhizasexperiencednegative
PSF,whiletreesthatformedectomycorrhizaesexperiencedpositivePSF,likelyduetodifferencesbetweenthe
mycorrhizatypesintheirabilitytoprotecttheirhostsfrompathogens.However,withinmycorrhizatypes,muchvariation
inPSFremainsunexplained.NewdatasuggeststhatPSFalsodependsonotherplantfunctionaltraits.Droughttolerance,
growthrates,andwhethertheplantproducestoxinsallinfluencethestrengthofPSFanddosodifferentlydependingon
themycorrhizatypeofthetree.Consequently,theinteractionsbetweenthesefewkeyfunctionaltraitsmaybecritical
determinantsoftreepopulationdynamicsandultimatelyforestbiodiversity.
Keywords:Plants,Fungus,Experiment,Populationdynamics.
Stress,Antipredatorbehaviour
MONDAY11:00,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Effects of local predation pressure on prey fish behaviour and evasion of an invasive
predator
ADRIENNEE.BERCHTOLD,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
ISABELLECÔTÉ,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY
TheIndo-Pacificlionfish(Pteroisvolitans)isaninvasivemarinepredatorestablishedintheCaribbeanoveradecadeago
thatwillpotentiallycauseongoinglargedeclinestonativecoralreeffishabundance.Onekeyquestionforpredictingthe
long-termeffectofinvasivelionfishiswhetherornotnativepreycanbecomebetteratavoidinglionfishpredationover
time,therebyreducingthenegativeimpactsofthisinvasion.Onefactorlikelytoinfluencetheoccurrenceofsuchanantipredatorresponseinpreyfishisthelevelofpredationpressureintheirlocalenvironment.Weinvestigatedtheeffectof
localpredationpressureontheanti-predatorresponseofjuvenilestripedparrotfish(Scarusisersi).Parrotfishwere
collectedfromreefpatchescontainingeitherhighorlowdensitiesofbothlionfishandnativepredators.Parrotfish
evasionbehaviours(feeding,activity,colouration,andproximitytopredator)andsurvivorshipwerethenmeasuredin
thelaboratorywhenexposedtolionfish.Wefoundthatparrotfishfromhighpredationenvironmentsweremorelikelyto
surviveanencounterwithalionfishthanparrotfishfromlowpredationenvironments.Inthistalk,Iwillpresentthese
survivorshipresultsalongwithrelationshipsweobservedbetweenparrotfishbehaviourandtheirsurvival.Iwillalso
discussinsightthisresearchprovidesregardinganti-predatorbehaviourasaformofbioticresistance.
Keywords:Coralreef,Fish,Predation,Invasion.
Populationdynamics
TUESDAY08:00,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Eco-evolutionary dynamics in a contemporary human population
PATRICKBERGERON,BISHOPSUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
FANIEPELLETIER,UNIVERSITÉDESHERBROOKE;GABRIELPIGEON,UNIVERSITÉDESHERBROOKE;FRANCINEMAYER,UNIVERSITÉDU
QUÉBECMONTRÉAL;MIREILLEBOISVERT,UNIVERSITÉDUQUÉBECMONTRÉAL;DENISRALE,UNIVERSITÉDUQUÉBECMONTRÉAL;
EMMANUELMILOT,UNIVERSITÉDUQUÉBECTROIS-RIVIÈRES
Recentstudiesofthejointdynamicofecologicalandevolutionaryprocessesshowthatchangesingenotypeorphenotype
distributionscanaffectpopulation,communityandecosystemprocesses.Therealizationthatevolutionarychangescan
occuroveranecologicaltimescalehasmotivatedbiologiststoidentifythecircumstancesunderwhichevolutionislikely
toaffectecologyoftennamedeco-evolutionarydynamics.Althoughtheseinteractionsarelikelytooccurinmodern
humans,consideringtheevolutionarypotentialdetectedinseveralpopulations,nostudyhasyetquantifiedthem.Our
studyonindividualcontributionstopopulationgrowthfromdetailedgenealogicalrecordsofacontemporaryhuman
populationrevealsthatevolutionarychangesinwomenreproductioncanaffectpopulationgrowth:about15%of
variationinindividualcontributiontopopulationgrowthovermorethan100yearswasexplainedbymeanageatfirst
reproduction.Atleastonethirdofthisvariationcouldbeattributedtothegeneticbasisofthistraitthatshowedan
evolutionaryresponsetoselectionduringtheperiodstudied.Theobservedpopulationgrowthrateofthepopulationwas
significantlyhigherthanthatexpectedassumingnoevolution.Ourstudysuggeststhateco-evolutionaryprocesseshave
modulatedgrowthofcontemporaryhumanpopulations.
Keywords:Human,Evolution,Selection,Reproduction,Populationdynamics.
Livingintheeco-evolutionarytheatre:researchguidedandinspiredbyintensivefieldobservationssymposium
TUESDAY14:30,ROOM:THEATRE
Adaptive Polymorphism in Flatfishes
CAROLYNA.BERGSTROM,UNIVERSITYOFALASKASOUTHEAST,[email protected]
Polymorphismsarecommonacrosstaxaandareevidentasdiscrete,sympatricmorphswithinaspecies.Polymorphism
oftenresultsfromintraspecificexpansionintounoccupiednichespace,followedbymorphsegregationandspecialization
thatismaintainedbyspatiallyvaryingorfrequencydependentselection.Whileexamplesaboundinterrestrialand
freshwaterhabitats,therearerelativelyfewdocumentedexamplesinmarinehabitats,especiallyinfishes.HereIshow
rareevidenceofecologicallyrelevantpolymorphismwithinamarinepleuronectidflatfishspeciesthatisassociatedwith
thedirectionofwholebodyasymmetry,anddiscusspossibleadaptivesignificanceofbodyshapevariationacrossthe
Pleuronectiformesorder(~715species).Wholebodyasymmetryisasynapomorphyforallflatfishspeciesbutonlyseven
exhibitpolymorphisminasymmetrydirection.Oneofthese,starryflounder(Platichthysstellatus)wasinvestigatedfor
evidenceofadaptiveecologicalsegregation.Left-andright-sidedmorphsdifferintheirheadandtailshape,swimming
performance,stableisotopesignatures,andrestingmetabolicrates.Comparisonswillbemadewithotherpolymorphic
flatfishspeciesanddiscussedinthecontextofitsadaptivesignificance.Understandingifandunderwhatconditions
ecologicalnichesegregationhasoccurredasaresultofvariationinnovelwholebodyasymmetrywillinformtowhat
degreeithasbeenresponsibleforthewidesuccessanddiversificationofthisorderofmarinefishes.
Keywords:Marine,Polymorphism,Fish,Evolution,Flatfish.
Aquaticecology
WEDNESDAY11:45,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Temperature dependence of consumer-resource dynamics is constrained by nutrient
limitation
JOEYR.BERNHARDT,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
MARYJ.O'CONNOR,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA
Metabolicscalingtheorypredictshowtemperatureaffectsconsumer-resourcedynamics.However,amajorassumptionof
metabolicscalingtheoryisthatnutrientsupplyisnon-limiting.Yetinnature,changesinnutrientsupplytoprimary
producersoftenoccursimultaneouslywithwarming.Westilldonotknowhowvariablenutrientsupplymodifiesthe
temperaturedependencesofconsumer-resourcedynamics.UsinganexperimentalDaphnia-phytoplanktonmesocosm
system,weasked:Doesphosphoruslimitationchangethetemperaturedependenceofconsumerandresourcepopulation
growthratesandabundances,relativetopredictionsthatassumenonutrientlimitation?Wefoundthatnutrient
limitationincreasesthetemperaturedependenceofresourcegrowthrates,causingdeviationsfrompredictionsbasedon
theactivationenergyofphotosynthesis.Aspredictedbymetabolicscalingtheory,carryingcapacityoftheresource
declinedwithincreasingtemperatureundernon-limitingnutrientconditions.Thistemperatureeffectwasmagnifiedby
nutrientlimitation.Further,consistentwiththeory,innutrientrepletesystemsconsumersreducetemperature
dependenceofresourcegrowthrates,alteringoutcomesrelativetopredictionsbasedonconsumer-freesystems.In
contrast,temperaturedependenceofconsumerabundanceswereconsistentwhennutrientswerereducedequallyacross
alltemperatures.However,theabsoluteabundancesofconsumerswereconsistentlylowerundernutrientlimitation,
implyingthatiftemperatureandnutrientsupplycovary,thenettemperaturedependencesofconsumerabundanceswill
beincreased.Thismeansthatatthecommunitylevel,theeffectsoftemperaturemaybegreaterthanexpectedinnutrient
limitedecosystems.
Keywords:Temperaturemodulation,Experiment,Metabolism,Carryingcapacity,Resourcelimitation.
Sticklebackecologyandevolution
MONDAY09:45,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Effects of ecological context on the phenotypic divergence of stickleback ecotypes
REBECCAJ.BEST,UNIVERSITYOFNORTHERNARIZONA,[email protected]
MIGUELC.LEAL,SWISSFEDERALINSTITUTEOFAQUATICSCIENCEANDTECHNOLOGY;MORITZD.LRIG,SWISSFEDERALINSTITUTEOF
AQUATICSCIENCEANDTECHNOLOGY;MAREKSVITOK,ZVOLENTECHNICALUNIVERSITY;PHILINEG.D.FEULNER,SWISSFEDERAL
INSTITUTEOFAQUATICSCIENCEANDTECHNOLOGY;OLESEEHAUSEN,SWISSFEDERALINSTITUTEOFAQUATICSCIENCEANDTECHNOLOGY;
BLAKEMATTHEWS,SWISSFEDERALINSTITUTEOFAQUATICSCIENCEANDTECHNOLOGY
Ecologistsincreasinglyacknowledgethepotentialimpactofrapidandfine-scaleevolutiononecologicalprocesses.
However,theimpactofecologicalcontextonthepaceanddirectionofcontemporaryevolutionremainsunclear.To
investigateecologicalconstraintsontherapiddivergenceofsticklebackecotypesincentralEurope,weuseda
combinationoflarge-scalemesocosms,morphologicaltraits,andgenomicdata.Specifically,wetestedwhetherhabitat
complexityandcompetitionintensitypromoteorconstraindietdifferentiationamongecotypesusingreplicated
mesocosmscrossingmacrophytedensitywithsticklebackdensity.Allfishwerelab-raised,andeitheramixtureofwildtypelakeandstreamfishorsecondgeneration(F2)lake-streamhybrids.Wemeasureddifferencesindietand
performanceamongjuvenilesusingstableisotopesandbodycondition,relatingthesetomorphologyandgenomicsof
individualfish.Wethenassessedthemagnitudeofthesedifferencesacrossecologicaltreatments.Wefoundthathabitat
complexityandfishdensityinteractivelyaffectedthepotentialstrengthofselectionandwithin-mesocosmvariancein
individualstableisotopesignatures(d13Candd15N)evenafteraccountingfordifferencesinsurvivalandgrowth.This
indicatesimpactsofecologicalcontextonrealizedvariationindietaryniche.Thesefindingsdemonstratetheimportance
ofecologicalcontextinpromotingandconstrainingnichedivergence,andprovideanoveltestoftheroleofecological
selectioningeneratingdivergencepatternsobservedinthewild.
Keywords:Fish,Phenotypicvariation,Evolution,Experiment,Genomesequencing,Habitatcomplexity,Densitydependence.
EcologicalandEvolutionaryDynamicsinFluctuatingEnvironmentsSymposium
MONDAY08:30,ROOM:THEATRE
A fitness trade-off between seasons causes multigenerational cycles in phenotype
and population size
GUSTAVOS.BETINI,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH,[email protected]
Althoughseasonalityiswidespreadandcancausefluctuationsintheintensityanddirectionofnaturalselection,wehave
littleinformationabouttheconsequencesofseasonalfitnesstrade-offsforpopulationdynamics.Hereweexposed
populationsofDrosophilamelanogastertorepeatedseasonalchangesinresourcesacross58generationsandused
experimentalandmathematicalapproachestoinvestigatehowviabilityselectiononbodysizeinthenon-breedingseason
couldaffectdemography.Weshowthatopposingseasonalepisodesofnaturalselectiononbodysizeinteractedwithboth
directanddelayeddensitydependencetocausepopulationstoundergopredictablemultigenerationaldensitycycles.Our
resultsprovideevidencethatseasonalitycansettheconditionsforlife-historytrade-offsanddensitydependence,which
can,inturn,interacttocausemultigenerationalpopulationcycles.
Reproductiveecologyandbehaviour
MONDAY15:30,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Identifying correlates of captive breeding success in amphibians
ALANNAHBIEGA,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
ARNEMOOERS,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY
Whileamphibianshavebeengenerallybeenconsideredidealcandidatesforexsitumanagementduetotheirsmallsize
andrelativelylowcostforhusbandry,manythreatenedamphibiansfailtomeetthecriteriathatarecitedasreasonswhy
theyaresuitableforbreedingprograms.Infact,approximatelyhalfofthespeciesbroughtintocaptivityforconservation
focusedbreedingprogramsarefailingtoreproduceincaptivity(AArk,2016).Bycomparingthebiologicaltraitsofspecies
thathavesuccessfullyproducedoffspringincaptivitytothosethat,despiteefforts,havefailedtoreproduce,thisstudy
aimedtoidentifytraitsassociatedwithamenabilitytocaptivityinamphibians.InthistalkIwillpresentboththe
biologicaltraitsandexternalfactorsassociatedwithsuccessfulamphibianbreedingprograms.Thisknowledgecouldbe
incorporatedintocurrent(orfuture)prioritizationschemesinordertoassessaspecies'suitabilityforacaptivebreeding
program,ensuringthatlimitedfundsaredirectedtowardsprogramswiththegreatestchanceofconservationsuccess.
Keywords:Amphibians,Captivebreeding,Speciesatrisk,Reproduction.
Metabolicscaling
TUESDAY11:45,ROOM:WCOAST
Vertebrate-wide scaling of metabolic rate and respiratory surface area
JENNIFERS.BIGMAN,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
NICHOLASK.DULVY,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY
Understandingthevulnerabilityofaspeciestodeclineinachangingworldisofutmostimportance.Lifehistorytraits,
suchassomaticandpopulationgrowth,arerelatedtotheintrinsicsensitivityofaspeciestodecline,andcanbeusedto
understandvulnerability.Althoughlifehistorytraitsareknowntoberelatedtoaspeciesvulnerabilities,these
relationshipsandunderlyingmechanismsarestillunclear.Asmetabolicrateunderpinstheavailableenergyforlife
historyprocesses,itmayunderlielifehistorytraitsandultimately,vulnerability.Unfortunately,metabolicrateisdifficult
tomeasureinmanylarge-bodied,rare,andthreatenedspecies.Here,weanalyzetheutilityofamorphologicaland
physiologicaltrait,respiratorysurfacearea,asaproxyformetabolicrateusingthetheoreticalframeworkofthe
MetabolicTheoryofEcology.WefirsttestthepredictionsoftheMetabolicTheoryofEcologybyexaminingthebody-mass
scalingofmetabolicrateinvertebrates.Then,wecomparethebody-massscalingofrespiratorysurfaceareain
vertebratestothatoftheMetabolicTheoryofEcologypredictions.Wefinallyassesshowrespiratorysurfaceareafitsinto
theMetabolicTheoryofEcologyframework.Theresultsofthisanalysiswillbepresentedalongwiththeimplicationsof
thisstudy.
Keywords:Morphology,Physiology,Metabolism,Prediction,Vertebrate.
Marineecology
TUESDAY15:30,ROOM:SIDNEY
The value of ancient habitat modifications: Macrofaunal communities of First
Nations clam gardens
MORGANBLACK,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA;VANCOUVERISLANDUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
ANNESALOMON,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY;FRANCISJUANES,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA;SARAHDUDAS,VANCOUVERISLAND
UNIVERSITY,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA
AncientFirstNationsclamgardensprovideauniqueexampleofaverylong-standinganthropogenichabitatmodification
thatincreaseshabitatcomplexityinthenearshoremarineenvironment.Clamgardenconstructionchangesthebeach
slope,sedimentcomposition,increaseshabitatcomplexity,andbufferswaveaction.Thesebeachesweredesignedto
supportclampopulations;however,theireffectsonotherorganismsisunknown.Weareassessingthefishandmobile
invertebratediversityanditsrelationshiptothesehabitatmodifications.Wehypothesizedthatthebiological
communitiesofwalled(clamgarden)andnon-walledbeachesaredifferent,andthatincreasedhabitatcomplexity
correlateswithhigherabundance,richness,diversity.WehavesampledtwelvebeachesonQuadraIslandusingtraps,
cores,quadratsandhighresolutionaerialphotography.Preliminaryresultssuggestthatrichnessanddiversityis
significantlyhigherinclamgardensversusreferencesites.Thisresearchservestoexpandourunderstandingofdriversof
diversityincludinghabitatcomplexity.Italsoinformsonpotentialforharmonybetweenindigenouspeopleslanduse
rightsandconservationgoals.Morebroadlyitcanshedlightontheimpacts,andpotentialrestoration,ofmodified
coastlines.
Keywords:clamgardens,intertidal,fish,biodiversity,FirstNations,habitatcomplexity,fykenets.
Forestecology
WEDNESDAY08:15,ROOM:WCOAST
Influence of moisture and nutrient availability on Alnus viridis function across
topographic gradients on the low arctic tundra, NWT
KATHERINEBLACK,WILFRIDLAURIERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
JENNIFERBALTZER,WILFRIDLAURIERUNIVERSITY
Climatewarmingisdrivingtheexpansionofshrubsacrossthetundrabiomewithimplicationsforenergybalance,
hydrology,nutrientcycling,andtundrabiodiversity.Changesintundraplantwateruseattributabletoshrubexpansion
arepredictedtoincreaseevapotranspirativewaterlosswhichmayamplifylocalwarmingandreducerunoff.However,
littleisknownabouttheextenttowhichshrubexpansioncouldenhanceevapotranspirativewaterlossintundrasystems.
Tomakepredictionsabouttheconsequencesofshrubexpansion,itisnecessarytounderstandtheabioticfactorsthat
constrainshrubdistribution.Studieshaveshownthatshrubsarepreferentiallyexpandinginareasthathaveahigher
potentialofaccumulatingmoisture,suchasdrainagechannels.Thus,wepredictshrubexpansionislimitedbythe
movementofwaterandnutrientsacrosstopographicgradients.Nevertheless,theassociationsbetweenshrubexpansion,
tundrahydrology,andabioticlimitationsremainunderstudied.WeaddresstheseknowledgegapsbycharacterizingAlnus
viridiswateruseonthelowarctictundraoftheNorthwestTerritoriesandinvestigatingtheinfluenceofmoistureand
nutrientavailabilityonA.viridisphysiologicalfunctionacrossplateaus,hillslopes,andchannels.Weprovideevidence
thatdifferencesinthawdepthareimportantdriversofshrubfunctionandseemtobelinkedwithwaterlimitations.We
willinvestigatenutrientlimitationasadriverofshrubfunctionandtheroleofN-fixingsymbiontsinthisrelationship.A.
viridisisexpandingrapidlyacrossthelowarctictundraoftheNorthwestTerritoriesandunderstandingthedriversofits
expansionisessentialforpredictingfuturetundraconditions.
Keywords:Plants,Statechange,Climatechange,Tundra,Populationrange,Woodyexpansion.
Canadianprotectedareasinachangingclimate:Across-ecosystemapproachsymposium
TUESDAY13:45,ROOM:SAANICH
Protected areas: How to design resilient networks using connectivity
CHRISTOPHERBLACKFORD,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO,[email protected]
CASSIDYDALOIA,WOODSHOLEOCEANOGRAPHICINSTITUTION;JACKIEAWAD-DORSEN,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO;MARIE-JOSEE
FORTIN,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO.
Existingprotectedareas(PAs)inCanadacoverfarlessareathantheAichiBiodiversityTargetsof17%(terrestrial)and
10%(marine)thatshouldbemetby2020.Toachievebiodiversitygoals,newPAsneedtobeselectedbasedonseveral
criteria,oneofwhichistoensureconnectivityamongprotectedareastoformcohesiveprotectedareanetworks.To
explicitlyincludeconnectivityinthespatialdesignofPAnetworks,oneneedstoconsiderspecieshabitatandspatial
requirementsintermsofhomerangesizeanddispersalability.Here,weshowtwoexampleswhereconnectivityand
specieshabitatrequirementshelpeddetermineappropriatesizingandspacingofaPAnetworkinterrestrialandmarine
ecosystems.InOntario,connectivityofexistingterrestrialparkswasevaluatedfortheirabilitytomaintainmoose
dispersal.ItwasfoundthatexistingPAsweretoodistanttoensuremoosemovement.Usingleast-costconnectivity
analysis,locationstoaddPAsthatfavourmoosemovementweredetermined.Then,inBritishColumbia,invertebrateand
fishdatadescribinghomerangesizes,pelagiclarvaldispersal,andanoceanographiccurrentmodelwasusedto
determinepotentiallocationsandspacingforanetworkofmarinereserves.Candidateareaswereidentifiedfor
protectionbasedonthelocationofmulti-speciesconnectivityhubsandhomerangesizeconstraints.Collectively,these
resultssuggestthatprotectingbasedonaportfolioofmovementtraitsmaybolsterspeciespersistence.Conservation
effortsaimedatdesigningecologicallyconnectednetworksofPAsshouldthereforeexplicitlyintegratespeciesmovement
datatoensureeffectivemulti-speciesprotection.
Linkingecologicaltheoryanddata
MONDAY11:45,ROOM:OAKBAY2
From ecological theory to empirical data, the missing statistical link
F.GUILLAUMEBLANCHET,UNIVERSITÉDESHERBROOKE,[email protected]
DOMINIQUEGRAVEL,UNIVERSITÉDESHERBROOKE
Understandinghowspeciesdistributeinspaceandthroughtimeisatthecoreofecology.Nowadays,akeyquestionfor
biogeographersiswhetherlocalprocesses,suchasbioticinteractions,scaleupregionallytoinfluencespecies
distribution.Inthefield,thisproblemmanifestsitselfbyaweakrelationshipbetweenthedistributionofspecies
abundanceslocallyandoccurrencesregionally.MechanisticmodelssuchastheLotka-Volteraequationscanbeusedto
quantifytheabundanceofspeciesatlocally(withinahabitatpatch),whilemetapopulationmodelscanbeusedtoassess
theprobabilityofoccurrenceofindividualsofaspeciesataregionally(amongasetofhabitatpatches).Thesemodels
havebeenusedtodeveloptheoriesonthemechanismsdrivingspeciesdistribution,buthaverarelybeenstudieddirectly
withempiricaldata.Conversely,phenomenologicalmodelsembracethecomplexityofnatureinthedata.Jointspecies
distributionmodels(JSDM),anewgenerationofstatisticaltoolsallowtoextractthefullpotentialofthedatabyexplicit
considerationofco-distribution.However,JSDMdonotmapontotheory,therebylimitingtheirinterpretation.Herewe
willintegratetheLotka-Volteraandthemetapopulationmodelstobetterunderstandtherelationshipbetweenthe
distributionofoccurrenceandabundanceacrossspatialscales.Wewillthenshowhowtheorycanbelinkedtoempirical
datathroughanextensionofJSDMspecificallydesignedtomodelecologicalcommunities.Wewillillustrateourfindings
withsimulatedandrealecologicaldatatoshowhowmuchcanbegainedfromstrongerlinksbetweentheoryanddata.
Keywords:Statistics,Methods,Speciesdistribution,Modeling,Metapopulation.
Pollinationsystems
TUESDAY10:30,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Understanding multiyear variability in the yield of pollinator dependent highbush
blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum)
KYLEBOBIWASH,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
ELIZABETHELLE,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY
Highbushblueberry(Vacciniumcorymbosum)productionisdependentuponinsectpollinationforfruityield.Toensure
maximumfruitproduction,farmersuniversallystockhoneybeecoloniesatrelativelysimilarratestosupplement
pollinationbywildpollinators.Despitestandardizedstockingofhoneybees,yielddeficitsareubiquitousacrosstheLower
MainlandofBritishColumbia.Ayielddeficitrepresentstheadditionalvaluethatpollinationcanaddtoyieldbutisnot
currentlybeingachievedwithcurrentpollination.Wecandeterminethevalueoftheyielddeficitwithinfarmsby
comparingfruitresultingfromsupplemental(i.e.human)pollinatedflowerstothosepollinatedbythelocalpollinator
community.Thedifferencesseeninyielddeficitsbetweenfarmsandovermultipleseasonsarelikelyattributabletothe
variabilityinthequalityofthepollinationreceivedbyhighbushblueberry.Ourresearchaimstobetterunderstandthe
factorsassociatedwithvariabilityinyielddeficits.Bysamplingpollinatorcommunities,trackingvisitrates,tracking
weatherandevaluatinglandscapeelements(semi-naturalhabitatandnon-cropfloralresources)associatedwithour
studyfarms,wecanbegintolinkcharacteristicsinpollinatorcommunitiesandpollinationqualitytoyielddeficits.
Throughthesedeterministicfactors,wecanforecastpotentialyielddeficitmitigationstrategiesthatfarmerscanemploy
tooptimizetheircroppollinationandmaximizefruitproduction.Ourresearchdemonstratestheimportanceofmultiple
factorsinthedeliveryofagriculturalpollination.Byattributingpollinationvariabilitytospecificelementsinthe
agroecosystemwecandevelopmethodstobettermitigateyielddeficitsinhighbushblueberry.
Keywords:Plants,Pollinators,Agriculture,Pollination,Management.
Exploringtherolesofmechanisticandphenomenologicalmodelsinecologysymposium
MONDAY11:30,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Prediction: What is it, why do we do it and how to do it better
KORRYNBODNER,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO,[email protected]
MARIE-JOSEFORTIN,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO;PÉTERK.MOLNÁR,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO
Predictingthefutureisnotasimpletaskbutthishasnotdissuadedscientistsfromattemptingtodoso.Researchersuse
predictionstotesttheoryandinformpolicybuttherehasnotbeenasynthesisofgeneralstrategiesonhowtoformulate
andchooseappropriatepredictivemodelsacrossabroadrangeoftopics.Hereweprovidegeneralguidelinesforhowto
defineaprediction,howtocreateapredictionandhowtoovercomesomecommoncomplicationsthatarisewhentrying
topredict.Whilethedefinitionofpredictioncanvary,inapredictivemodelingcapacity,predictionsaresimplytheoutput
ofthemodel.Embracingthisideacouldcreategreatertransparencyregardingtheassumptionsandcharacteristicsofthe
prediction.Thereasonwhywepredict,stemsfromtheneedtotestourunderstandingoftheoryandtoplayanimportant
roleinecosystemmanagement.Howtopredictisaniterativeprocessrequiringaconsistentevaluationofthequestion,
thedataandthemodel.Twocommoncomplicationsthatcanarisewhiletryingtopredictare:thedataquality/quantity
andnon-linearity.Weproposevariousphenomenologicalandmechanisticmodellingtechniquesthatcanbeusedtohelp
alleviatetheseissues.Finally,guidelinesforhowtogenerateapredictioncannotbecompletewithoutdiscussing
uncertainty.Allpredictionscontainuncertaintiesbutagoodpredictionacknowledges,quantifiesandtriestominimize
them.Whilecreatinganaccuratepredictionisdifficult,adoptingkeystepsintheformulationandimplementationofa
modelcancreatethebestpredictionpossible.
Keywords:Prediction,Statistics,Methods,Modeling.
Exploringtherolesofmechanisticandphenomenologicalmodelsinecologysymposium
MONDAY11:15,ROOM:OAKBAY2
How do different modelling techniques compare to predict species and communities
patterns?
BENJAMINBOLKER,MCMASTERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
Understandingandpredictinghowandwhyspeciesaredistributedacrosstheirhabitatisinterestingtoecologistsboth
forfundamentalandappliedreasons.Recentstudieshavepointedoutthatecologistscangainmuchmoreinformationby
modelingthedistributionsofmultiplespeciessimultaneously,ratherthanoneatatime.Therearemanywaystomodel
multivariatespeciesdistributions.Onthephenomenologicalendofthespectrumarethetoolsfromnumericalecology
suchasordinationsandclusteranalyses.Atthemechanisticendaremodelsthattakespeciesdynamicsintoaccount:
multivariatestate-spacemodelsandmodelsbasedonordinarydifferentialequations.Inbetweenarejointspecies
distributionmodels,neuralnetworks,andclassificationandregressiontrees.Whichofthispanoplyofmethodsisbestfor
describingandpredictingspeciesdistributions?Usingecologicaldataondiversegroupoforganisms(birds,butterflies,
diatoms,fungi,vascularplantsandtrees)thatarecontrastingwithregardtospatialscales,thenumbersofspeciesandthe
fractionofrarespecieswecomparedtheseapproachesandevaluateboththeirperformanceintermsofquantitative
predictiveaccuracyandthelighttheycanshedonfundamentalmechanismsstructuringcommunities.Ourresultssuggest
thatalthoughnoneofthemodellingtechniquescomparedperformedbestforalldataconsideredsomeapproachoverall,
jointspeciesdistributionmodelsshowedthehighestpotential.
Movement,activity,wildlifemanagement
WEDNESDAY08:00,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Evaluating a movement-based method for inferring calving and calf survival
MAEGWINBONAR,MEMORIALUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
ERICVANDERWAL,MEMORIALUNIVERSITY;KEITHP.LEWIS,MEMORIALUNIVERSITY;E.HANCEELLINGTON,OHIOSTATEUNIVERSITY
Inungulates,parturitioniscorrelatedwithareductioninmovement.Withadvancesinmovement-basedtechnologies
animalmovementscanbetrackedalmostcontinuously,providinginformationtotestfine-scalebehaviouralandspatial
hypothesesaboutwildlifepopulations.Thesemovement-basedtechnologiesrepresentanopportunitytodevelopnew
techniquestoassessreproductioninwildungulatesthatarelessinvasiveandreducebiases.DeMarsetal.proposedan
elegantandpromisingnewmethodthatusesGPSinter-fixsteplengthofadultfemalesandmaximumlikelihood
estimationtoinferparturitionandneonatesurvival.OurobjectivesweretoempiricallytestwhetherDeMarsetal.’s
modelcouldbeappliedtootherdatasetsforretrospectiveanalysisofparturitionandcalfsurvival.Wecompared
woodlandcaribou(Rangifertarandus)calfsurvivalpredictionswithobserveddatacollectedfrom19collaredadult
femaleswhosecalfstatuswasknown,andcomparedthedistributionsofpredictedbirthdatesandmortalitydateswith
herd-wideestimatesfrom(n=134)calvesfittedwithVHFcollars.Wewilladdressthevariationinmodelresultsand
theirimplicationsforapplyingtheDeMarsetal.’smodeltodifferentungulatepopulations.Givenourresults,we
recommendthatusersevaluatethemodelwithintheirsystembeforeapplyingittoresearch,management,or
conservationobjectives.
Keywords:Caribou,Animalmovement,Mammals,GPS,Reproduction,Modeling.
Effectsofclimatechange
TUESDAY16:45,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Effects of gene flow on performance at the northern range margin of Clarkia
pulchella
MEGANGENEBONTRAGER,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
AMYL.ANGERT,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA
Apersistentquestioninthefieldsofbiogeographyandevolutioniswhatprocesseslimitspecies'adaptationtoconditions
beyondtheirgeographicdistribution.Boththeoreticalandempiricalstudiessuggestthatasymmetricgeneflowbetween
populationsmaydisruptlocaladaptationandplayaroleinshapingdistributionboundaries.Inthecontextofrangelimits,
modelssuggestthatgeneflowfromabundantpopulationsnearthecenteroftherangemaypreventrange-edge
populationsfromadaptingtolocalconditions.However,thepredictionsofthesemodelsaredifficulttotranslateto
organismslivingonheterogeneousnaturallandscapes.Speciesabundancepatternsoftendeviatefromthoseunderlying
thishypothesisandenvironmentaldifferencesbetweenpopulationsmaynotcorrelatepreciselywiththeirgeographic
distance.Weconductedafieldtransplantexperimenttoexaminetheeffectsofgeneflowfromdifferentclimaticand
geographicdistancesonindividualperformanceatthenorthernrangemarginofClarkiapulchella.Germinationratesand
seedlingsizesinourexperimentarecorrelatedwiththeaveragefalltemperaturesofsourcepopulationsites.Populations
thathistoricallyexperiencetemperaturessimilartothoseduringthetransplantperformbest.Performanceatthe
northernrangemarginisnotrelatedtothesourcepopulation'sdistancefromthenorthernrangeedge.
Keywords:Plants,Experiment,Transplant,Populationrange,Selection.
EcologicalEpigeneticsSymposium
TUESDAY09:00,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Epigenetic changes in natural populations: Its role in the demography of cyclic
mammals
RUDYBOONSTRA,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTOSCARBOROUGH,[email protected]
Severelifeexperiencesmaycreatepermanentmemories,actingbothdirectlyontheindividual,butalso,through
maternaleffects,onfuturegenerations.Thepotentialroleofnaturalstressorsasanexplanatorymechanismsdriving
populationdemographyofmammalswaspostulatedover60yearsago.Thestressaxisiskeyinpermittingmammalsto
copewithbothpredictableandunpredictablechallengesoftheirenvironment.Thepredictableonesareintimatelytiedto
thelifehistoryoftheanimalsandthenormalseasonalprogressionofyearlyevents.Theunpredictableonesare
unpredictableonlyinarelativeimmediatesense.Theresponsestostressesassociatedwithvariablepredationrisk,
intensesocialcompetition,andvariablefoodsupplyareallnestedwithintheevolutionaryhistoryoftheanimalandthus
theirresponsesareexpectedtobeadaptive.Akeyquestioninunderstandingindividualresponseiswhetherthese
stressescauseorganizationalchangesinthememoryofananimalsothatanimalisnolongerthesameasitwasbefore.
OneofthebestexplanationsforthismemoryisthattheyresultfromepigeneticchangestotheDNA.Ifsuchmemory
changesaffectvirtuallyallmembersofthepopulation,itmaychangethecourseofthedemographyoftheentire
population.Iwillreviewtheevidencethatsuchchangesareplausibleexplanationsforthelowphasesofthe3-4year
vole/lemmingcycleandthe10-yearsnowshoeharecycle.
Reproductiveecologyandbehaviour
MONDAY15:45,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Parent-offspring cannibalism in the plainfin midshipman fish
ANEESHP.H.BOSE,MCMASTERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
SIGALBALSHINE,MCMASTERUNIVERSITY
Cannibalismofoffspringisacommonyetseeminglyparadoxicalphenomenonobservedacrossawidevarietyoftaxa.
Behaviouralecologistshavebeenparticularlyinterestedinunderstandingthisbehaviourwithinthecontextofparental
carebecauseofthecostlinessofparentalcareandthehighputativecostsofterminatingownoffspring.Usingaseriesof
fieldandlabexperimentsontheplainfinmidshipmanfish,Porichthysnotatus,weinvestigatedwhetheroffspring
cannibalismservestoreplenishdwindlingenergyreserves,and/oroccurswhenparentageofabroodisloworuncertain.
Weshowthatalthoughplainfinmidshipmanmalesendurealongandenergeticallytaxingparentalcareperiod,males
withthelowestenergyreserveswereactuallytheleastlikelytocannibalizeoffspring.Offspringcannibalismisactually
mostprevalentatthetimeoftheseasonwhenmalesareintheirbestconditionandmale-malecompetitionisatitspeak.
Furthermore,thehighestlevelsofcannibalismoccurredinmalesthathadverylowpaternityovertheiroffspringintheir
nests.Wealsoshowthatplainfinmidshipmannestsarehighlyspace-limitedandsuggestthatmalescannibalizeoffspring
forwhichpaternityisloworuncertaininordertoclearupvaluablerealestateforfutureandmorecertainreproduction.
Theseresultsservetoemphasizethatthefactorsinfluencingparentaldecisionsarecomplex,andthatoffspring
cannibalisminthissystemoccurswhenthebenefitsofprovidingcarearelow(i.e.lowparentageinaspace-limitednest)
andnotnecessarilywhenthesupposedcostsarehigh(i.e.depletingenergyreserves).
Keywords:Cannibalism,Reproduction,Marine,Behaviouralecology,Experiment.
Salmonidecologyandevolution
MONDAY14:30,ROOM:SAANICH
Genome wide association and signatures of selection studies for sea age in North
American Atlantic salmon populations using Next Generation Resequencing and the
new North American 50K SNP chip
ELIZABETHG.BOULDING,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH,[email protected]
KENGPEEANG,COOKEAQUACULTUREINC.;J.A.K.ELLIOT,COOKEAQUACULTUREINC.;HARALDGROVE,NORWEGIANUNIVERSITYOF
LIFESCIENCES;MATTHEWP.KENT,NORWEGIANUNIVERSITYOFLIFESCIENCES;SIGBJØRNLIEN,NORWEGIANUNIVERSITYOFLIFE
SCIENCES;THOMASMOEN,AQUAGEN;FRANKPOWELL,COOKEAQUACULTUREINC.;LAWRENCER.SCHAEFFER,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH
Atlanticsalmonpopulationsvaryintheproportionofindividualsthatspendoneyear(grilse)atseaandthosethatspend
twoyearsatsea(salmon)beforereturningtospawnintheirnatalriver.Grilsedivertenergyintoearlyreproductionand
thereaftergrowmoreslowlywhichisundesirableinaquaculture.Consequently,theSaintJohnRiverAquacultureStrain
(SJRAS)thatmustbeusedinnetcageaquaculturewithintheBayofFundy,hashistoricallybeenselectedforalow
proportionofgrilse.Singlenucleotidepolymorphisms(SNPs)associatedwithseaagehavepreviouslybeenreportedin
EuropeanAtlanticsalmonnearcandidategenesonchromosomes9andofchromosome25.Wedetectedsharedand
uniqueSNPsnearthesamecandidategeneswithinaNorthAmericansalmonnextgenerationresequencingdatasets.
SamplesofSJRASadultsmaturingasgrilseandthosematuringassalmonalongwithindividualsfromfounderandnonfounderwildpopulationsweregenotypedonournewNA_Ssa_50KSNPchip.Signaturesofselectiononchromosomes9
and25weredetectedbetweenpairsofpopulationsthatdifferedintheproportionofgrilse.Genomewideassociation
methodswereusedwithintheSJRASpopulationtoidentifySNPsassociatedwithageatmaturityafteraccountingforfish
pedigree,bodysize,andcomplexpopulationstructure.SNPssignificantlyassociatedwithseaagewerefoundonlyfor
malessuggestingmarker-assistedselectiontoreducegrilseintheSJRAScouldspecificallytargetmales.Theimportance
ofusingastockwiththecorrectratioofgrilsetosalmontorestorewildAtlanticsalmoninaparticularriverwillbe
discussed.
Keywords:Populationgenetics,Grilse,Marine,Salmon.
Applicationinecologyandevolution
MONDAY14:45,ROOM:THEATRE
Ecology vs. evolution: Comparing applications of research fields
JEFFBOWMAN,ONTARIOMINISTRYOFNATURALRESOURCESANDFORESTRY,TRENTUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
JANETE.GREENHORN,TRENTUNIVERSITY;ROBBYR.MARROTTE,TRENTUNIVERSITY;MICHELLEM.MCKAY,TRENTUNIVERSITY;
KIMBERLEYY.MORRIS,TRENTUNIVERSITY;MELANIEB.PRENTICE,TRENTUNIVERSITY;MORGANWEHTJE,TRENTUNIVERSITY
Recentsuggestionsintheliteraturethatgeneticandgenomicresearchapproacheshavebeeninfrequentlyappliedby
conservationpractitionersaredifficulttoassessbecauseapplicationsmaynotbedetectablethroughsearchesofpeerreviewedliterature.Producingpublicationsmaynotbeagoalofpractitioners.Wedevelopedamethodtosearchthe
internetforevidenceofresearchapplicationsandevaluated25differentresearchfieldsinecologyandevolutionary
biology.Wefoundthatfieldswithmorepublicationsalsohadmoreapplications,butgeneticresearchwaslessapplied
thanexpectedbasedonthenumberofpeer-reviewedpublications.Forexample,onlyabout4%oflandscapegenetics
articleswereapplied.Infact,allresearchfieldsthathadamolecularbiologybasiswereunder-appliedcomparedtowhole
organism,ecologicalresearchfields.Thisresultsuggeststhelackofapplicationsinevolutionarybiologymaybeduetoa
systemicunder-applicationofmolecularresearch,perhapsrelatedtoalackofunderstandingofgeneticsbypractitioners.
Keywords:Literaturesynthesis,Ecology,Evolution,Conservationpractitioners.
EcologicalandEvolutionaryDynamicsinFluctuatingEnvironmentsSymposium
MONDAY09:45,ROOM:THEATRE
Natural selection for life histories in seasonal environments
MARKS.BOYCE,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA,[email protected]
Muchofthetheoryoflifehistoryevolutionisbasedondemographictrade-offsbetweenreproductiveeffortandsurvival.
Yetinmanyorganismsweseecorrelatedcomponentsoffitnessmeaningthatindividualswithhigherenergybudgetscan
havehigherreproductiveoutputwhilstalsoenjoyinggrowthtolargersize.Mostorganismsexperienceconsiderable
environmentalseasonalityconsistingofaperiodofresourceshortagethatimposeshighermortalityrisk,andaperiodof
growthandreproductionwhenresourceabundanceishigh.Lifehistoriesmustrepresentabalanceagainsttheseseasonal
fluctuations.Duringthegrowthseason,naturalselectionfavoursindividualsthatassimilatenutrientsrapidlyallocatingto
bothreproductionandsomaticgrowth,andthesesomaticallocationscanenhancesurvivalduringtheoncomingperiodof
resourceshortage.Forexample,growthtolargesizecanenhancefastingenduranceduringtheupcomingwinteror
droughtseason.Thusgeographicvariationinbodysizeishighlycorrelatedwithseasonalityinresourceavailability,
requiringabundantresourcesduringthegrowthseasontosupportthisgrowthandstrongselectionfavouringsurvival
duringwinterordrought.Similarly,seasonalitycanfavourlargerreproductiveoutputsuchasincreasedclutchorlitter
sizesupportedbytheseasonalflushofresourcesduringspringandsummer.Orthesameseasonalpatternoccursduring
therainyseasoninthetropics.IuseJensen’sInequalitytoexplainsuchadaptationstoseasonalityinlifehistoriesby
integratingnonlinearfitnessfunctionsacrossseasons.
Communication
MONDAY16:00,ROOM:WCOAST
The quantifiable value of outreach to herpetofaunal conservation
SEANP.BOYLE,LAURENTIANUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
CHANTALBARRIAULT,LAURENTIANUNIVERSITY;JACQUELINED.LITZGUS,LAURENTIANUNIVERSITY;DAVIDLESBARRÈRES,LAURENTIAN
UNIVERSITY
Citizensciencehasprovenitsabilitytoproduceenormousdatasetsthatcanguidepolicyandconservation.Outreach
programsareoftenconsideredvaluabletoolsforattractingcitizenscientists,butalsoforengagingageneralinterestin
conservation.Amixed-methodsapproachwasusedtoevaluatethesuccessofoutreachprogramstoyouthsandtoidentify
specificcuesthatelicitedpositiveresponsesfromparticipants.Gradeninestudents(n=175)wereaskedtoself-evaluate
theirlikelihoodofparticipatinginconservationdirectly(i.e.helpingaturtleacrosstheroad)andindirectly(i.e.
participationinherpcitizenscienceprograms)beforeandafteroutreachpresentations.Next,studentswereaskedto
identifyspecificpartsofthepresentationwhichaffectedtheirself-evaluationthemost,regardlessofiftheyconsidered
themselvesmoreorlesslikely.Thesecuesweregroupedintosimilarthemesforqualitativeanalysis.Outreach
significantlyincreasedstudents'perceptionoftheirownlikelihoodtoparticipateinherpetofaunaconservation,both
directlyandindirectly.Severalthemeshadamajorimpactonstudentwillingnesstoparticipateinconservation;
specifically,factsaboutdecliningspecies,andrealizinghowtheycouldbepersonallyimpacted.Integrationofthesecore
themesandspecificcuesintofutureoutreachpresentationsoptimizeoutreacheffectiveness.Effectiveoutreachplaysa
vitalroleinengagementandadvocacyforconservationaction.Thisisparticularlysignificantbecausetheperceived
importanceofconservationactionplaysacriticalroleinthecreationandexecutionofconservationpolicy.
Keywords:Conservationpractitioners,Survey,Scienceoutreach,Amphibians,Reptiles.
Salmonidecologyandevolution
MONDAY16:15,ROOM:SAANICH
A test of parallelism in the axes of morphological divergence in Icelandic arctic
charr (Salvelinus alpinus)
MATTHEWBRACHMANN,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH,[email protected]
KEVINPARSONS,UNIVERSITYOFGLASGOW;SKÚLISKÚLASON,HÓLARUNIVERSITYCOLLEGE;MOIRAFERGUSON,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH
Intraspecificdiversityplaysalargeroleinshapingbiodiversityofecosystems.Arcticcharr(Salvelinusalpinus)invaded
Icelandroughly10,000yearsagofromasingleglacialrefugium.Likemostnorthernsystems,Icelandicpostglaciallakes
havefewspeciesandhighecologicalopportunityleadingtoecologicalspecializationintobenthicandpelagicphenotypes
acrossdifferentlakes.Phenotypicvariationwithinlakesishighlyvariablerangingfrommonomorphic(onemorph)to
highlypolymorphic(multiplemorphs)populations.Themagnitudeofresourcespecializationalongthebenthic-pelagic
continuumvariesacrosslakes.Wetestthehypothesisthatrepeatedpatternsofmorphologicaldivergenceinlake
populationsofIcelandicarcticcharraretheresultofparalleladaptationtocontemporaryecologicalconditions.Charr
weresampledfromfiveIcelandiclakesandarivercontainingananadromouspopulation.Weusedgeometric
morphometricstoevaluatethepredictionthattheaxesofmorphologicaldivergencewithinpopulationswillbeparallel
acrosslakesduetoadaptationtosimilarecologicalconditions.Wealsopredictedthatthemagnitudeofmorphological
divergencewithinlakeswillbepositivelyassociatedwiththeamountofgeneticdifferentiationatneutralgeneticmarkers
giventhatdivergentselectionisexpectedtoreducegeneticconnectivity.Thisworkprovidesinsightintotheprocessof
adaptivediversificationandhowselectionactsonmultipleindependentlydivergingpopulationstoincreaseintraspecific
biodiversity.
Keywords:Evolution,Selection,Arcticcharr,Freshwater,Lakes,Europe.
ECOLOGICAL,EVOLUTIONARYANDENVIRONMENTALSYNTHESISINTHE21STCENTURYSYMPOSIUM
TUESDAY14:00,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Maladaptation
STEVENP.BRADY,DARTMOUTHCOLLEGE,[email protected]
Throughoutthehistoryofevolutionarybiology,scientistshavetrainedtheirsightsonadaptation,askinghownatural
selectionshapestheevolutionoffitnessbenefits.Bycontrast,theprocessesandoccurrencesofmaladaptation(the
evolutionoffitnessdeclines)havereceivedlittleattention.Yet,whenweconsiderthatthemajorityofspeciesthathave
everexistedarenowextinct,itisclearthatmaladaptationisinescapable.Inaddition,literaturereviewsindicatethat,
evenincontextswherelocaladaptationisexpected,maladaptationispresentinabout1/3ofcases.Maladaptation,it
seems,isasmuchaproductofevolutionarydynamicsasisadaptation.Yetweunderstandverylittleaboutthedynamics
anddistributionofmaladaptation,andwelackaframeworkforitsstudy.Thisknowledgegapisnowmorecriticalthan
everbecausemaladaptiveoutcomesappeartobeincreasingwithhuman-inducedenvironmentalchange.Inshort,we
urgentlyneedtodevelopathoroughunderstandingofmaladaptation.Here,wepresentnewtheoreticalinsightsintothe
processofmaladaptation.Wediscusstheprevalenceofmaladaptationacrossdiverseecologicalcontexts.Finally,we
provideaconceptualframeworkforthestudyofmaladaptationandintroduceanovelmetricforassessingthemagnitude
ofmaladaptationinreciprocaltransplantstudies.Wehopethatbydemonstratingthatmaladaptationiscommonand
potentiallyincreasing,futureresearchinevolutionwilltakeamorebalancedviewoftheadaptiveandmaladaptive
dynamics.Weexpectthattheresultingbalancedapproachtoadaptiveandmaladaptiveinquirieswillrevealnovel
insightsandfosterourcapacitytopredictresponsestochangingenvironments.
Forestecology
TUESDAY13:30,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
The role of disturbance on treeline establishment and range expansion from a seed’s
perspective
LUCASBREHAUT,MEMORIALUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
ANDREWTRANT,UNIVERSITYOFWATERLOO;CARISSABROWN,MEMORIALUNIVERSITY
Understandingwhereandunderwhatconditionsindividualsestablishisamajorquestioninecologyfromtheperspective
ofpopulationdynamics(i.e.,changesindensity,replacement)andspeciesrangedynamics(i.e.,expansioninto
uncolonizedhabitats).Forplants,thisislargelymediatedbywhereaseeddispersestoandtheecologicaland
environmentalcharacteristicsofthislocation,henceforthseedbed.Attreeline,seedbedcharacteristicsareoften
unfavorableforgerminationlargelyduetothestructureofexistingvegetation,resultinginslowerrangeexpansionrates
thanwhatwewouldexpectfromtemperature-basedmodels.Evenasclimatebecomesmoresuitablefortreegrowth,for
rangeexpansiontooccuradisturbanceisoftenneededtoalterseedbedcharacteristics.Acrossthecircumpolarnorth,
large-scaledisturbance(i.e.,wildfire,insectoutbreak)andmorelocalizedevents(i.e.,herbivory,windthrows)have
showntoimpactbothplantpopulationsandrangedynamics.Weconductedasynthesisofnortherndisturbanceresearch
acrossspatialscalestoidentifytheprocessesbywhichdisturbancealtersseedbedsandsubsequentimpactsonseedling
establishment.Welinkpost-disturbanceseedbedqualitytotheprevalence,spatialextent,andmagnitudeofeach
disturbancetodefinedisturbancecontributiontotreelinerangeexpansion.Resultssuggestthatwhilemorelocalized
disturbance(ungulateherbivory,trampling)iscloselytiedtotreelinerangeexpansion,landscapedisturbances(wildfires)
mayhaveindirecteffectslimiting,orfacilitating,treegrowthaboverangeedgesdependingonvegetationlegacyandfire
characteristics.Resultsfromthissynthesiswillprovidecrucialinformationonhowchangingdisturbanceregimeswithin
arapidlywarmingclimatewillimpactnorthernlandscapes.
Keywords:Plants,Disturbance,Populationrange,Climatechange.
StudentSymposium
MONDAY10:45,ROOM:THEATRE
Altered competition under ocean acidification influences species- but not
community-level response to food supply
NORAHE.M.BROWN,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
JOEYRBERNHARDT,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;CHRISTOPHERD.G.HARLEY,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA
Physiologicalresponsestooceanacidificationarelikelytheresultofenergetictrade-offs.Anumberofstudiespropose
thatnegativeresponsetohighCO2couldbeminimizedinsituationswhereresourcesaremorereadilyavailable.We
conductedastudyinfield-deployedmesocosmstotestthepotentialforfoodavailabilityanddiettomodifytheeffectsof
acidificationondevelopingmarinefoulingcommunities.Wesupplementednaturalfoodsupplywithoneoftwospeciesof
phytoplankton,differinginconcentrationoffattyacids.Aftertwelveweeks,CO2hadconsistentnegativeeffectsacross
mostabundantspecies,exceptforinvasiveascidiansthatincreasedinabundanceinresponsetoCO2acrossallfood
treatments.Neitherdiethadaconsistenteffectinmagnitudenordirectionacrossallspecies.Overall,species-level
responsestendedtobeadditivetothetwostressors,withsomeimportantexceptions.ThenegativeeffectsofCO2onan
invasivebryozoanweremitigatedbyfoodaddition.Mostinterestingly,foodsupplyexacerbatedthenegativeeffectsof
CO2onsomespecies.Weobservedcompellingevidencethatresponsetofoodadditionandacidificationwasmoderated
bycompetition:onlyunderambientCO2couldhydroidsusehigh-qualityfoodtoresisttheinvasionofbotryllids.
Communitystructureandrichnessseeastrongsignificanteffectofacidificationbutnoeffectoffoodnortheirinteraction.
Thisindicates,first,thatfoodandacidificationcombineadditivelyand,second,thatacidificationhasstrongercommunitywideeffectsthanfoodaddition.Overall,acidificationposesasignificantrisktomarinecommunitiesandspecies
interactionsarekeytounderstandingcomplexitiesinresponses.
Keywords:Oceanacidification,Plants,Experiment,Foraging,Speciesdistribution,Marine.
Pollinationsystems
TUESDAY10:45,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Pollinator-mediated facilitation explains asymmetric rarity advantages in
experimental plant communities
KATIEBROWN,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO,[email protected]
BENJAMINGILBERT,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO
Outcrossingplantsthatarelocallyrarefaceuniquechallengesforsuccessfulpollination.Localraritymayresultfrom
smallfragmentsizeor,alternatively,fromlowrelativeabundancewithinlargerfragments.Whenaspeciesislocallyrare
butsurroundedbyheterospecifics,pollinationmaybereducedifpollinatorsmaximizeforagingefficiencybyvisitingonly
commonspeciesinapatch.However,commonspeciesmayfacilitaterarespeciesvisitationbyattractingpollinatorstoa
patch,whichhasthepotentialtoincreasepollinationsuccess.Weexperimentallyseparatedtheeffectsoffragmentsize
andrelativeabundancebycreatingtwo-speciespatchesthatwereseparatedbyover60m,variedinsize(1-40
individuals),andrelativeabundance(0.2-1.0).Weusedannualwildflowersthatwereotherwiseabsentfromourstudy
area,ChamaecristafasciculataandPolanisiadodecandra,andcomparedpollinatorvisitationratesandseedsetperfruit.
Pollinatorvisitationrateincreasedwithpopulationandpatchsize,suggestingthatsmallpopulationsareatgreaterriskof
localextinction.However,visitationratewashigherwhenrarepopulationsweresurroundedbyheterospecifics.This
facilitativeeffectincreasedseedproductioninonlyonespecies;Chamaecristawasaneffectivemagnetforpollinatorsand
facilitatedthereproductivesuccessofPolanisia,buttheoppositewasnottrue.Thisasymmetriceffectofneighbour
speciescorrespondedwithpollinatorspecificityoftheplants;Chamaecristaisconsideredabumblebeespecialist,butalso
attractedsolitarybees,whereasPolanisiadidnotalterbumblebeevisitation.Ourresultssuggestanintricateinterplay
betweenpatchsize,relativeabundanceandpollinatorspecializationthatcreatesspecies-specificconservationchallenges
andopportunities.
Keywords:Fragmentation,Experiment,Pollination,Biodiversity,Interactions.
Speciesinteractionsinawarmingworldsymposium
TUESDAY14:45,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Biotic and abiotic constraints on treelines globally
CARISSABROWN,MEMORIALUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
Itisbecomingincreasinglyapparentthatnon-climaticfactorsplayanimportantroleinaspeciesabilitytorespondto
climatechange.Isolatingtheeffectsofnon-climatic(bioticandabiotic)factorsfromclimaticdriversofspeciesrange
dynamicsinnaturalsystemsrequiresfieldexperimentation.TheGlobalTreelineRangeExpansionExperiment(G-TREE)
isagloballydistributed,collaborativeprojectaimedattestingthegeneralityofmechanismsdrivingtreelineposition.Our
structuredexperimentaldesignallowsustoteaseapartmultiplefactorsthatmayconstraintreelineresponsetoclimate
change,providingempiricaldataonwhere,andunderwhatcircumstances,treelineexpansioncanoccurglobally.The
experimentconsistsofmanipulationsofseedavailability,substratestructure,andpredationthatareimplementedacross
treelineinarcticandalpinesystems.Analysesofexperimentalresultsrevealedbothglobalpatternsandregion-specific
processes.Overwhelmingly,theavailabilityofviableseedlimitstreelineecosystemsglobally.Inregionswherepredatorexclusioncagesweredeployed,wedetectedseedpredationeffectsonseedlingestablishmentatandbeyondtreeline,
indicatingapotentialbioticconstraintontreelineexpansion.Wheretested,wedetecteddifferentialresponsesofseed
provenancetoexperimentaltreatments;seedsfromwithinforeststandshadhigheremergencethanseedsfromtherange
margin.Substrateeffectswerelessclearthanthoserelatedtoseedsandrequirefurtherinvestigation.Theprogressionof
G-TREEwillincreaseourunderstandingofcomplexbioticandabioticinteractionsoccurringatthelimitofforest
distributioninarcticandalpinesystems,allowingustoidentifynon-climateconstraintsunderongoingclimatechange.
Keywords:Experiment,Plants,Woodyexpansion,Climatechange,Colonization.
Museumcollectionssymposium
MONDAY08:15,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Working together to mobilise biodiversity collections data in Canada
ANNEBRUNEAU,UNIVERSITÉDEMONTRÉAL,[email protected]
JRMYGOIMARD,UNIVERSITÉDEMONTRÉAL;CAROLESINOU,UNIVERSITÉDEMONTRÉAL;JEANNETTEWHITTON,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISH
COLUMBIA;SEANW.GRAHAM,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;WAYNEMADDISON,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA
Biologicalcollectionsarerepletewithtaxonomic,geographic,temporalandhistoricalinformation.Thisinformationis
crucialforunderstandingandproperlymanagingbiodiversityandecosystems,forconservingspecies,andforinnovative
ecologicalandevolutionaryresearch,butsuchdataareoftendifficulttoaccessandincomplete.Canadensys
(www.canadensys.net)isauniquenationalresourcethatunlocksbiodiversityinformationheldinuniversitybiological
collectionsacrossthecountryandwhichprovidestoolstomapandanalysedata.Thenetworkinitiallyfocusedon
specimendataforplants,insectsandfungi,butnowpublishesdatafromothertaxa,fieldsurveyoccurrencedataand
checklists.DesignatedasaGBIFAssociateParticipantin2014becauseofitsroleastheprimaryCanadiannodefor
biodiversitydatapublication,Canadensyscurrentlypublishesover3milliongeoreferencedspecimensonitsExplorer.
These,however,representjustafractionoftheestimated50millionspecimensinCanadaandwemustcoordinatewith
otherdata-holdingnetworkstomaximiseeffortstomakeaccuratebiodiversitydatarapidlyavailableforusersin
academia,governmentandindustry.Continuedrapidadvancesininformaticstools,standardsandexpertiseincreasingly
provideopportunitiesforinnovativeresearchthatreliesonscientificallyvalidatedprimarybiodiversitydata.Species
occurrencedataare,forexample,keytorecentstudiesaddressingbiologicalinvasions,impactsofclimatechange,
pollinatordecline,andfuturevirusoutbreaks.BiodiversityaggregatorssuchasCanadensysalsoprovidethefoundation
forresearchonparticulartaxonomicgroupsorthebiotaofspecificregionstocoalesceintocountry-orcontinent-wide
treatmentsandresourcesinefficient,cost-effectiveandinnovativeways.
Keywords:Plants,Museumcollection,Biodiversity,Historicalrecords.
EcologicalEpigeneticsSymposium
TUESDAY08:30,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Mercury rising: Epigenetic response to mercury exposure in songbirds
KRISTINBRZESKI,PRINCETONUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
DANIELCRISTOL,COLLEGEOFWILLIAMANDMARY;BRIDGETTVONHOLDT,PRINCETONUNIVERSITY
Wildlifeinhumandominatedlandscapesmustcontendwithincreasedexposuretocontaminantsrelativetopristine
environments.Onemechanismthatmayenableindividualresponsetocontaminant-relatedstressisepigeneticchange.
DNAmethylation,thebeststudiedepigeneticprocess,canaltergeneexpressionwithoutchangingtheDNAsequenceand
isinfluenceddirectlybytheenvironment.Thus,DNAmethylationmaybeanimportantmolecularprocesswhichanimals
employtopersistinhumandominatedlandscapes.However,contaminantexposurecouldalsoleadtoDNAmethylation
associatedwithreducedfitness.Forinstance,environmentalstressearlyinlifecaninducemethylmarkswhichmakean
individualmorevulnerabletostressrelatedsyndromeslaterinlife.Thesamemaybetrueforenvironmentaltoxin
exposurewhichcouldinducemethylmarkswithdetrimentalfitnesseffects.Toinvestigateinteractionsbetween
contaminantexposureandDNAmethylation,weexaminedhowmethylmercury(MeHg)exposureinfluencedDNA
methylationinexperimentallyexposedzebrafinches.MeHgisofparticularinterestbecauseitisknowntocauseasuiteof
detrimentalhealtheffectsinvertebrates,includingneurologicalimpairment,physiologicalstress,andreduced
reproductivesuccess.Inbirds,MeHgexposurecaninfluencecarotenoid-basedplumagecoloration,animportanthonest
signalthataffectsreproductivesuccessandmeasuresoflifetimefitness.Here,wepresenthowMeHgexposureaffects
DNAmethylationandcarotenoidcoloration,andifphenotypicdifferencesareassociatedwithdifferentiallymethylated
regionsofthegenome.ThenextstepsofthisprojectwilladdresstheepigeneticresponseofMeHgexposureinnatural
populationsofurbandwellingNorthernCardinalsandCarolinaWrens.
Biodiversity
TUESDAY11:30,ROOM:VIEWROYAL
Local plant diversity responses to temperature and water availability: Synthesizing
evidence from experimental data
VÉRONIQUEBOUCHERLALONDE,UNIVERSITÉDESHERBROOKE,[email protected]
Climaticvariablesrelatedtotemperatureandwateravailabilitystandoutasmajorcorrelatesofplantdiversityat
regionaltoglobalscales,buttheirrelativeimportanceatthelocal,plot-levelscaleappearsweaker.Wecurrentlylacka
synthesizedunderstandingoftheeffectofclimaticvariablesonplantcommunitieswhichhasleadtoverydifferent
forecastsofhowdiversitywillrespondtoongoingclimatechange.Numerousexperimentsmanipulatingtheclimatic
variablesoflocalplotshavebeencarriedoutworldwideinordertomeasurebiologicalresponsesandthereforeallowing
directtestsofcausality.Wesetouttocompiletheseexperimentaldataonplantdiversitythroughtimetodeterminethe
overalleffectsizeofwarmingandchangesinwateravailabilityonplantdiversity.Thecompiledsetofresponsesappears
tobemainlycharacterizedbyhighvariance;diversityresponsestowarmingandincreasedmoisturecanbeeither
positiveornegative.Insomecases,theresponseiscontrastingovertimeanddifferentfunctionalgroupsorco-limiting
factorscanhavecompensatoryresponses.Thus,wewilltestwhethermoderatorvariablesrelatedtotheregioninwhich
theexperimentwascarriedout(habitattype,climate),theresponsevariable(diversitymetric,lifeforms)orthe
experimentaldesignitself(degreeofchange,time,experimentaldesign)canexplainvarianceintheresponse.Explaining
howlocal-scaleplantdiversityrespondstoclimateinexperimentalplotswillallowacomparisonwiththepatterns
observedatlargespatialscalesandshouldimproveclimatechangepredictionsatlocalscale.
Keywords:Literaturesynthesis,Global,Plants,Climatechange.
Speciesinteractionsinawarmingworldsymposium
TUESDAY13:30,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Shifts in insect development rate alter phenological overlap and community
interactions
LAURENBUCKLEY,UNIVERSITYOFWASHINGTON,[email protected]
STUARTGRAHAM,UNIVERSITYOFWASHINGTON;RORYTELEMECO,UNIVERSITYOFWASHINGTON,AUBURNUNIVERSITY;CESARNUFIO,
NATIONALSCIENCEFOUNDATION
Grasshopperpopulationsandspeciesdifferinginlifehistorystrategiesandthermalsensitivityhavedifferentiallyshifted
theirphenologiesandabundancesinresponseto50yearsofclimatechangealongamontaneelevationgradientin
Colorado.Weintegratecontrolledlaboratoryexperimentswithhistoricandrecentweeklysurveystoinvestigatehow
grasshopperpopulationsandspeciesdifferentiallyrespondtoclimatechangeandtheconsequencesforspecies
interactionsandcommunitystructure.First,wediscusshowpopulationsfromdifferentelevationsandspecieswith
differentseasonaltimingdifferintheextentofdevelopmentalplasticitytheyexhibitinresponsetomeantemperatures,
temperaturevariation,anddaylength.Developmentalresponsestoenvironmentalcuesarecomplexandvariableamong
populationsandspecies.Fiftyyearsofclimatechangehavedelayeddevelopmentinhigh-elevation,season-limited
grasshopperpopulations,butadvanceddevelopmentinpopulationsatlowerelevations.Developmentaldelaysaremost
pronouncedforearly-seasonspecies,whichmightbenefitmostfromdelayingdevelopmentwhenreleasedfromseasonal
timeconstraints.Second,weexploretheimplicationsforphenologicaloverlapandspeciesinteractions.Phenological
overlapdecreasedslightlyorremainedconstantforearly-seasonspecies,buttendedtoincreasesubstantiallyforlateseasonspeciesacrosselevations.Ourfindingshighlighttheimportanceofconsideringpopulationandspeciesdifferences
inexposureandsensitivityforunderstandingthecommunityconsequencesofclimatechange.
Remotecameranetworkstoscaleupecologicalinsightsandconservationapplicationssymposium
TUESDAY09:00,ROOM:THEATRE
A comparison of multiple spatial capture-recapture models for estimating carnivore
densities using field data
JOANNABURGAR,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
FRANCESSTEWART,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA;COLEBURTON,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;JOHNVOLPE,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA;
JASONFISHER,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,INNOTECHALBERTA
Wildlifemanagementisanadaptiveprocessthatrequiresaccurate,precise,andfrequentinformationonanimal
populations,yettheinformationcurrentlycollectedinmanyjurisdictionsrarelymeetsthesethreecriteria.Technological
advanceshaveledtoincreaseduseofcameratrapstosurveywildlifepopulations,apotentiallycost-effectivenoninvasivealternativetostandardsurveymethods.Withtheadventofspatialcapturerecaptureanalysesasanemerging
methodofestimatingpopulationdensityitiscriticaltounderstandhowdifferentmethodscompare,especiallywhenland
managersmayonlyhaveaccesstoonesurveymethod.Thisstudyusedconcurrentgenetic,photographicandtelemetry
dataofaclosedpopulationoffisherstodeterminehowparameterprecisionvariedwhenusingsingleandmultipledata
sourcespatialcapturerecapturemodels.Wefoundthatsex-specificgeneticspatialcapturerecapture(maximum
likelihood)modelswerequickandeasytorun,yieldingprecisedensityestimates.Spatialcount(Bayesian)modelsofan
unmarkedpopulationwerecomputationallyintensiveandfrequentlydidnotconverge,evenafterhighnumbersofMCMC
iterations,makingitdifficulttoproduceareliabledensityestimate.Integratingmultipledatasourcesinspatialcapture
recapturemodelsproducedthemostprecisedensityestimatesthatwerealsoinconcordancewithexpectedfisher
densities.Thisstudyhighlightsthechallengeofapplyingcomplexmodelstolow-densitycarnivorepopulations,and
stressestheneedforcontinuedandevaluationofthemosteffectiveanalyticalapproachesandsurveydesigns,tobetter
informecologicalconclusionsandconservationmanagement.
Keywords:Methods,Mammals,Capture-recapture(SCR),Populationmodels.
Remotecameranetworkstoscaleupecologicalinsightsandconservationapplicationssymposium
TUESDAY10:45,ROOM:THEATRE
Fish on film in the temperate deep: An underwater method comparison
LILYBURKE,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
JASONT.FISHER,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,INNOTECHALBERTA;JOHNP.VOLPE,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA
Preciseandaccuratespeciesabundanceanddistributiondataareprerequisitetounderstandingtheeffectsofspatialand
temporalenvironmentalchangesonbiodiversity.Thesedatacanbechallengingtoobtain,especiallyinmarine
environmentswherethelogisticalandtechnicaldifficultiesofworkingunderwatercanlimittheprecisionandaccuracyof
detection.Inshallowwaters,themostcommonsurveymethodisUnderwaterVisualCensus(UVC)bydivers.Increasingly
popularalternativemethodsinvolvetheuseofvideo-basedtechnologies:active(amobilecameraisdeployedandmoves
acrossthestudyarea)orpassive(astationarybaitedcamerarecordsspeciesandindividualsmovingintothefieldof
view).Wecomparedthestatisticalpropertiesofthesethreesurveymethodologies(UVC,activevideo,andpassivevideo)
fordescribingspeciesassemblagesanddeterminedsourcesofbiasesassociatedwitheachmethod.Surveyswere
conductedovertemperaterockyreefsontheBritishColumbiancoastacross85sites.Wecompetedasuiteofgeneralized
linearmodelstodeterminethecomplementarityamongmethodsandtheinfluenceofsiteheterogeneityondetectability.
Inareasoflowabundance,theattractionofpassivevideosurveysprovedinconsistent,andUVCperformedbetter.In
areasofhighabundance,theperformanceofpassivevideoexceededthatofactivevideosurveysinspeciesdetectionand
requiredlesssamplingeffort.Resolvingthechallengeofmethodologicalbiasisprerequisitetodefiningtowhatextent
managementactionsaremeetingtheirconservationobjectives.Ourresultsindicatelogisticallyandfinanciallymodest
surveymethodscanmeetorexceedmoredemandingconventionaltools,butmethodusedisdependentonthebiological
system.
Remotecameranetworkstoscaleupecologicalinsightsandconservationapplicationssymposium
TUESDAY08:00,ROOM:THEATRE
Promise and pitfalls of scaling up ecological insights using remote cameras
COLEBURTON,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
Theuseofremotecameras(akacameratraps,CTs)asasurveytoolforterrestrialwildlifehasexplodedinrecentyears.
Dataonanimaldistribution,abundanceandbehaviorarebeinggeneratedforanincreasingnumberofspeciesandsites,
withgreatpotentialtoimprovewildlifemanagementandconservationacrosslargespatialscales.Currently,however,CT
projectsaremostlydisjointed,withvaryingorpoorlydocumentedmethodologiesinhibitingeffectivesynthesisofresults.
BetterstandardizationofCTmethodswillfacilitatescalingupinferencesfromindividualprojectstolargerregionsof
conservationplanning.SuchstandardizationrequirescarefulaccountingoflinkagesbetweenCTsamplingdataand
underlyingecologicalprocesses,andofthesensitivityofinferencestosamplingerror.Ireviewrecenteffortsfromour
grouptotesthypothesesontheecologicalprocessesdrivingspatialandtemporalvariabilityinCTdetectionsforseveral
largemammalspecies,includingsimulationtestsofcommonapproachestoestimatingabundancefromCTdata(indices
ofrelativeabundance,occupancymodels,spatialcapture-recapture).Iconcludewithrecommendationsforadvancing
researchonCTmethodologywiththegoalofimprovinglarge-scale,multispeciesmonitoringforbetterwildlife
conservation.
Ecology&EvolutioninaSocialContextSymposium
TUESDAY09:00,ROOM:COLWOOD
Root behavioral responses to nutrients and neighbors
JAMESCAHILL,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA,[email protected]
TANBAO,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA;MEGANLJUBOTINA,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA
Competitionhasbeentraditionallyviewedinadeterministicfashion,leadingtofamiliartermssuchascompetition
coefficientsandcompetitivehierarchies.Competitivedeterminismhashadoutsizedinfluenceinecology,andassumes
thateitherindividualsareunabletomakebehaviouraladjustmentsinresponsetothespecificsetofencounterstheyface,
orthattheseadjustmentsaverageoutwithinapopulation.Awealthofrecentevidenceisdemonstratingthatminute
detailsofthesocialenvironmenthavesubstantialimpactsonindividualbehavior,competitivedynamics,andspecies
coexistence.Here,Ipresentresultsfromseveralexperimentstestinghowthegeneticcompositionofaplant's
neighborhoodimpactscompetitiveoutcomesandinterpretations.UsingArabidopsisthaliana,wefoundreduced
competitivestruggleamongkinthanamongunrelatedindividuals.Thiskineffectwascontingentuponresourcelevels,
consistentwithsocio-behaviouraltheory.Further,therewasnoevidenceofarobustcompetitivehierarchy,andinstead
intransitivitywascommonandprovidesapotentialcoexistencemechanismbaseduponsocialcomplexity.Thisfindingis
alsosupportedfromadditionalexperimentsinwhichwearefindingplanttraitexpressionandcompetitiveoutcomesare
aresultofcomplexinteractionsamongneighbouridentityandresourcelevels.Combined,wearefindingsubstantial
evidencethatseeminglysubtledifferencesinplantneighborhoodshavemeaningfulimpactsontheexpressionoftraits
andthenatureofplantinteractions.Viewingcompetingplantsasindividuals,ratherthanaveragerepresentativesofa
species,requiresseeingtheminasocialcontext.Suchanapproachallowsforthedevelopmentandtestingofnew
questionsinthiswell-wornareaofresearch.
Usingexperimentalevolutiontorevealtheeco-evolutionaryimpactsofglobalchangesymposium
WEDNESDAY09:00,ROOM:THEATRE
Ocean change, phenotypic plasticity and assisted evolution
GLORIAMASSAMBAN’SIALA,UNIVERSITÉDUQUÉBECRIMOUSKI,[email protected]
PIEROCALOSI,UNIVERSITÉDUQUÉBECRIMOUSKI;EMMAGIBBIN,UNIVERSITÉDUQUÉBECRIMOUSKI,ÉCOLEPOLYTECHNIQUE
FÉDÉRALEDELAUSANNE;LEELACHAKRAVARTI,UNIVERSITÉDUQUÉBECRIMOUSKI,JAMESCOOKUNIVERSITY;MIKEJARROLD,
UNIVERSITÉDUQUÉBECRIMOUSKI,JAMESCOOKUNIVERSITY;CYNTHIATHIBAULT,UNIVERSITÉDUQUÉBECRIMOUSKI
Assistedevolutionisapromisingtoolforenhancingtoleranceinmarinespeciesthatareatriskfromthenegativeimpacts
ofmultipleglobalchangedriversaffectingoceansecosystems.Thisapproachhasbeenadvocatedasatooltopromotethe
conservationofEarth'sbiodiversity,throughtransgenerationalconditioningandepigenetics.However,aconsequenceof
spendingmultiplegenerationsincontrolledandoftenconstantfutureenvironmentalconditionsisalossintheabilityto
respondviaphenotypicplasticitywhenfacedwithnewenvironmentalchallenges.Maintainingasufficientdegreeof
phenotypicplasticitywillbeparamounttothelong-termsuccessofassistedevolutionprogrammes,anaspectthathas
beenlargelyneglected.Weconductedreciprocal-transplantsonhatchlingsofamarinepolychaetebetweencontroland
globalchangescenarios(oceanwarming,oceanacidificationandcombined)overthecourseofamultigenerational
exposure(F3-F5)inconstantregimes.Wethenusedreactionnormstodeterminewhethersuchexposureregimesboost
theselectionofindividualswithlowerlevelsofphenotypicplasticity,orpromotetheretentionofplasticityupon
translocationintonewenvironmentalconditions.Weshowthatworms’phenotypicplasticitywasnotcompromisedover
thistimeframe.Ourresultssuggestthatspeciesthatalreadypossesshighlevelsofplasticitymaybeabletoadjustwithingenerationallevelsoffitness,whilstmaintainingadequatebetween-generationalvariation.Thismayreducetheriskof
demographicdeclineinconditionedpopulationsofendangeredspeciesthataretransplantedfromexperimentaland
aquaculturefacilitiestothenaturalenvironment.Ourresultshaveimportantrepercussionsfordevelopingsuccessful
assistedevolutionprograms.
Speciesinteractionsinawarmingworldsymposium
TUESDAY14:15,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Identifying gaps and priorities in understanding climate change impacts on food
webs
ERINK.CAMERON,UNIVERSITYOFCOPENHAGEN,UNIVERSITYOFHELSINKI,[email protected]
MAJAK.SUNDQVIST,UNIVERSITYOFCOPENHAGEN,UMEUNIVERSITY;PAULJ.CARADONNA,UNIVERSITYOFCOPENHAGEN,CHICAGO
BOTANICGARDEN;SALLYA.KEITH,UNIVERSITYOFCOPENHAGEN,LANCASTERUNIVERSITY;ERIKA.MOUSING,UNIVERSITYOF
COPENHAGEN;KARINNILSSON,UMEÅUNIVERSITY;DANIELB.METCALFE,LUNDUNIVERSITY;AIMET.CLASSEN,UNIVERSITYOF
COPENHAGEN,UNIVERSITYOFVERMONT
Recentevidenceindicatesthatindirecteffectsofclimatechangeviaalteredspeciesinteractionscanbeasstrongasdirect
effects.However,moststudieshavefocusedonexaminingimpactsonindividualsorspecies,ratherthanonhigherlevels
oforganization.Weconductedasystematicreviewtoassessglobalcoverageofstudiesonclimatechangeandfoodwebs
andidentifykeygaps.Moststudiesincludedinourreview(269studiesintotal)wereinmarinesystems(50%),followed
byterrestrial(28%)andfreshwatersystems(22%).Studieswereunequallydistributedgeographically,withmost
occurringinEuropeandNorthAmerica.Terrestrialstudiesweremostcommonintemperateforestand
woodland/shrublandbiomes.Relativelyfewstudiesexaminedtheeffectofmorethanoneclimatechangevariable(31%),
andtemperaturewasthemostcommonlyinvestigatedmechanism(75%ofstudies).Inaddition,themajorityinvestigated
changesinspeciesabundanceorbiomass,ratherthanshiftsindiversity(25%)orfoodwebstructure(17%).Toimprove
ourunderstandingofhowspeciesinteractionswillrespondtochangingclimatesinthefuture,additionalresearchis
neededinunder-studiedregionsoutsideNorthAmericaandEurope.Furthermore,studiesshouldinvestigateeffectson
foodwebstructureanddiversityratherthanonlyabundance.
Conservationchallengesassociatedwithaquaticsoundscapessymposium
MONDAY15:30,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Marine vessel movements: Mitigation of noise through data collection, strategic
planning, and management support
ROSALINECANESSA,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
CASEYHILLIARD,DALHOUSIEUNIVERSITY;LAURENMCWHINNIE,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA;PATRICKO’HARA,ENVIRONMENTCANADA;
UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA;NORMASERRASOGAS,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA;LEHSMALLSHAW,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA
Ship-sourcemarinenoiseisanemergingissuethatisincreasinglyshowntointerferewithmarinespecies.Theexposure
toship-basednoiseisexpectedtoincreaseintheSalishSeaasmarinevesselactivityincreasesduetoplannedport
expansionsandnewmarineterminalconstructiononCanada'sPacificcoast.Increasingly,governmentandindustryare
requiredtotakeoperationalandstrategicmitigationmeasureswithoutreliableandcomprehensivedataandanalysisto
informthosedecisions,andintheabsenceofnationalguidelines.Thegoalofthisresearchhasbeentoexploreand
improvetheutilityandmodellingofshiptraffic,basedonAISandotherdata,asanindicatorofnoisetoenable
government,industryandNGOs,makebetterdecisionstomitigatemarinenoiseimpacts.Specifically,theresearch
addressesthefollowingthreequestions:1)Howcanwebuildareliable,comprehensivespatio-temporalmodelofvessel
movement?2)Howcanweconfidentlyassociatenoisewithmarinevesselstounderstandcumulativenoiseexposure?3)
Howcanweintegratevesseltrafficmodelsandnoiseexposuremodelswithdecisionmakingandoutreach?Hereweshow
theresultsofvesseltrafficandacousticmodellingfortheSalishSea,themostheavilytraffickedareasinthewestcoastof
Canada,andstillfacingfurtherincreasesinshippinglevelsdueprimarilytoadvancesonthepreviouslyplannedport
expansioninVancouver.
UncertaintyinEcologyandConservationSymposium
MONDAY09:15,ROOM:SAANICH
Climate and grazing management contribute to uncertainty about carbon storage
and sequestration in the Canadian prairies
CAMERONCARLYLE,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA,[email protected]
Canadianprairiesareamongtheworld'smost-alteredecosystemsasaresultofoveracenturyofconversiontocropland.
Remainingprairieholdslargeamountsofsoilcarbon,30%morethanareasconvertedtocropland,andhavethepotential
tosequestermore.MostoftheCanadianprairiesareprivatelyownedandusedforgrazingcattle,andhavenorestrictions
topreventconversiontootherlanduses.Landownersandconservationorganizationsalikearelookingtocarbon-offset
paymentsasamechanismtoencourageprairieconservation.However,theprairiesarecomposedofdifferentecotypes
withdivergentvegetation,itisanticipatedthatfutureclimateswillreducetheamountofcarbontheyholdandtherewill
belargevariationincattlemanagementamongproducers.Together,regionalvariation,climatechangeandgrazing
managementcreateuncertaintyastowhethertheprairieswillcontinuetostoreandsequestercarbonandthis
uncertaintyislikelytobeamajorobstacletotheadoptionofcarbon-offsetpoliciesingrasslands,despitetheexistenceof
offsetpoliciesforotherlandusessuchascropland.Iwillreviewrecentresearchthatwehavecompletedhighlighting
variationincarbonstorageandcyclingduetocattlemanagementidentifyingbroadgeographicdifferencesinthe
Canadianprairies.Futureresearchinvolvesexperimentationandsurveysofexistingsitestounderstandthe
consequencesofspecificgrazing-managementdecisionsoncarbonandmodelingofcarbonunderfutureclimate
scenarios.
Salmonidecologyandevolution
MONDAY16:30,ROOM:SAANICH
Population genetics of Athabasca River Basin bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus)
EMMAK.CARROLL,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY,[email protected]
STEVENM.VAMOSI,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY
Acrossitsnativerange,bulltrout(Salvelinusconfluentus)extentandabundanceareindeclineduetohistoricoverharvest
andhabitatdegradation.Thisthreatenedspeciesisdependentonextensivelyconnected,cold,cleanheadwaterhabitats,
sensitivetofragmentationfromlandusechangesandisabletohybridizewithnon-nativebrooktrout(Salvelinus
fontinalis).Althoughbulltroutpopulationsareattheforefrontofcold-waterconservationeffortsinAlberta'sEastern
SlopesRegion,abaselineunderstandingofpopulationgeneticdiversityanddifferentiationwithintheAthabascaRiver
basinarepoorlyunderstood.AcrosstheEasternSlopesRegion,431bulltroutfrom20sitesweresampled,andcompared
using10microsatellitelocito(1)characterizewithin-andamong-populationgeneticvariationbetweenneighbouring
AthabascaandSaskatchewanRiverbasinsand(2)determinethelevelofhybridizationwithbrooktroutwithinthe
AthabascaRiverbasin.BulltroutpopulationsfromtheSaskatchewanandAthabascaRiverbasinscontainedsimilarlevels
ofheterozygositybutweredifferentiatedfromoneanother.WithintheAthabascaRiverbasin,fivegenetically
differentiatedclusterswerefound.Thesepatternscreateabaselineunderstandingofbulltroutpopulationgenetics
withintheupperreachesoftheAthabascaRiverbasinandsuggestthesepopulationsgeneticdifferentiationshouldbe
consideredwhendecidinghowandwheretoalterconnectivitybetweenpopulations.
Beeecologyandbehaviour
WEDNESDAY11:15,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Flower depth links tongue length and wing morphology through wing use in a
community of prairie bumble bees
RALPHCARTAR,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY,[email protected]
CLAYTONMANNING,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA
Wingshapeshouldreflecttheenvironmentinwhichwingsareused.Bumblebeesmakeextensiveuseoftheirwings,
movingbetweenflowersthatdifferintheirhandlingcharacteristics.Tonguelengthofbumblebeesispositively
correlatedwithcorolladepth(awellknownrelationship),andbeesflymoreandmorefrequentlyascorolladepth
decreases(alesswellknownrelationship).Winguseofbumblebeesthereforedecreaseswithtonguelength.Inthis
study,weexaminetwoelementsofwingmorphology-wingloading(bodymass/wingarea)andaspectratio(wing
span/wingdepth)-whichweexpecttodifferbetweenshort-tonguedbees(flyingmoreandmorefrequently),andlongtonguedbees(flyinglessandlessfrequently).Wepredictedthatwingloadingandaspectratiowouldincreasewith
tonguelength.Wetestedthishypothesisbymeasuringwinguseofbeesrelativetomeancorolladepthofdifferentflower
species,andquantifyingthemorphologyofwingsof140bumblebeesof8speciescollectedontheroughfescue
grasslandsofSWAlberta.Ourpredictionswereonlypartlysupported.Wefoundthepredictedrelationshipbetween
tonguelengthandwingloading,butacontraryrelationshipbetweentonguelengthandaspectratio.Itwouldseemthat
selectionfavoursdeliveryoffoodtothecolonyatalowercostoftransport(thewingloadingrelationship),butwitha
counter-intuitivelylowflightefficiency(theaspectratiorelationship).
Keywords:Bumblebees,Pollinators,Morphology,Animalmovement,Evolution.
Coralreefecology
TUESDAY15:30,ROOM:OAKBAY2
A methodology for evaluating the resilience of ecosystem services: A coral reef case
study
BRUNOCARTURAN,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIAOKANAGAN,[email protected]
LAELPARROTT,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIAOKANAGAN;JASONPITHER,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIAOKANAGAN
Climatechangeandotheranthropogenicdisturbancesaremodifyingthetaxonomiccompositionofecosystems
worldwide.Understandingthefunctionalconsequencesofthesemodifications,includingimpactsonecosystemservices
andontheresilienceofsuchservices,isapressingchallenge.Functionaltraitsprovideameanstomechanisticallylink
ecosystemresilienceandservicestotaxonomiccomposition.Weproposeamethodologythatconsistsof(1)identifying
effecttraits(i.e.,traitscontributingtoecosystemfunctionsandservices),resistanceresponsetraits(i.e.,traitsimplicated
inresistanceagainstdisturbances)andrecoveryresponsetraits(i.e.,traitsinfluencingpost-disturbancerecovery)within
acommunity,(2)analyzingthenatureandstrengthofassociationsbetweenthesedifferenttypesoftraits,and(3)using
theseassociationstoestimatetheresilienceofservicesagainstdisturbances.Weillustratethemethodologywithcoral
reefexamplesandshowforinstancethattheservicehabitatprovisioning,whichsupportsbeneficialactivitiessuchas
fisheriesandtourism,haslowresistanceto,butfastrecoveryfrom,cyclones.Thecoralspeciescontributingthemostto
theservice(i.e.,thosehavinglargeandstructurallycomplexcolonies)areamongthemostfragile,butalsoexhibitthe
fastestgrowthrates,allowingtheirremaining(fragmented)coloniestorapidlyovertakefreespace.Ourproposed
methodologyalsohighlightsthetraitsandassociationsthatareespeciallyimportantforthemanagementofecosystem
services,andconsequently,providesdirectionsforfurtherresearchonfunctionaltraitsandtheirrolesinecosystem
functioningandresilience.
Keywords:Methods,Coralreef,Resilience,Ecosystemfunction,Ecosystemservices.
Fishecology
TUESDAY16:15,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
A novel approach to estimating fish densities using underwater cameras
ROWSHYRACASTAÑEDA,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO,[email protected]
Theuseofunderwatercamerastodetectandmonitorfishesisbecomingincreasinglypopularinfreshwatersystems,
especiallyforspeciesatrisk,duetoitspassiveandnon-invasivecharacteristics.However,standardizedmethodsin
quantifyingfishpopulationsisdifficultduetothelackofspatialreferenceofcameraimages,theinabilitytorecognize
specificindividuals,andthe3-Dandturbidnatureofwater.Therefore,novelapproachesarerequiredtocalculatefish
densitiesthattakeintoaccounttheseconfoundingfactors.Inthisstudy,wedevelopedamathematicalmodeltocalculate
fishdensitiesusingunderwatercameras.Thismethoddoesnotrequireidentificationofindividualsandallowsforthe
estimationofdensities.ThemodelwastestedinmanipulatedtankexperimentsinwhichGoProcameratrialswererun
overaturbiditygradientwhereknownspeciesdensitieswereheldconstant.Toestimatehowencounterratesmaybe
affectedbyalteredfishbehaviourduetothecamerapresence,thesetrialswererunwithclearandblackoutcases.To
understandhowobserveridentificationbiasandturbiditymayaffectencounterrates,thetrialswerealsorunwithred
andmagentafiltersforimagecorrection.Theresultsofthisresearchelucidatethestrengthsandlimitationsofusing
underwatercamerastoenumeratefishes.
Keywords:Fish,Photographs,Experiment,Mathematicalmodel,Individualabundance.
SeagrassecologyandconservationalongPacificandAtlanticcoastssymposium
TUESDAY11:00,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Evaluating the seasonal use of estuarine habitats by juvenile salmon and resident
fish communities
LIACHALIFOUR,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
DAVIDSCOTT,WILDSALMONPROGRAM,RAINCOASTCONSERVATIONFOUNDATION;MISTYMACDUFFEE,WILDSALMONPROGRAM,
RAINCOASTCONSERVATIONFOUNDATION;JULIABAUM,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA
TheFraserRiversupportssomeofthelargestsalmonrunsintheworld,butalsosupportsBritishColumbia'sbiggest
urbancentres,industrialactivities,andagriculturalproduction.Todate,70-80%ofhabitatintheFraserRiverestuaryhas
beenpermanentlyaltered,andtheremainingnaturalareascontinuetobethreatenedbydevelopmentandsealevelrise.
Despiteitsecologicalimportanceandtheseongoingthreats,theFraserRiverestuaryisparticularlyunderstudied,with
thelastcomprehensivefishsurveysoccurringnearly40yearsago.Somecriticalquestionsremain,specifically,howdoes
estuarinehabitatcontributetotheearlysurvivalofjuvenileChinooksalmon,andhowdofishcommunitiesvaryacross
seasonsandhabitatsintheFraserRiverestuary?Wesurveyed17sitesacrosstheestuary,encompassingthreehabitat
types:eelgrass,marsh,andsandflat.WeseinedbiweeklyfromMarch-July2016onhightidecycles,repeatingtwicein
thefall.Wesampled33,432fishintotal,andretainedasubsampleof254Chinooksalmonforgeneticstockidentification
andotolithgrowthanalyses.Allfishabundanceswerelowinearlyspringandlatefall,withpeaktotalabundance
occurringinJulyandpeaksalmonabundanceinMay.Eelgrasshabitatsupportedthegreatesttotalfishabundanceand
speciesrichness.However,themajorityofsalmonwerecaughtinmarshhabitat,particularlyHarrisonRiverChinook,
whichrearintheestuary.Giventhatmanagementpracticescurrentlyemphasizeeelgrassenhancement,wesuggestthat
marshisbeingunderpreservedasanimportanthabitatforjuvenileChinooksalmon.
Pollinationsystems
TUESDAY11:00,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Pollinator-mediated impacts of alien plants on natives: New data provide new
insights
JULIACHARLEBOIS,UNIVERSITYOFOTTAWA,[email protected]
RISASARGENT,UNIVERSITYOFOTTAWA
Conventionalwisdomsuggeststhatinvasiveplantstendtocompetewithnativesforpollinatorattention.Ontheother
hand,invasives,particularlythosethathavelargefloraldisplaysorrewards,mayfacilitatepollinatorattractiontonearby
natives.Inameta-analysisofdatafrom57studies,wedeterminedthat,incontradictionofpreviouswork,thepresenceof
aninvasivedoesnotpredictcompetitionforpollinatorvisitationwithnativeplants.Moreover,ourresultsindicatethat
theoutcomeofthestudyisaffectedbythedistancebetweenthecontrolgroup(nativeplantsonly)andthenearestalien
plant:competitionincreaseswithgreaterdistance,suggestingthatalienandnativeplantsmayinteractthrough
pollinatorsatlargerspatialscalesthanpreviouslyassumed.Wealsodiscoveredthatnativeplantseedsetissignificantly
affectedbythespatialarrangementofneighbourandfocalplantsinthetreatmentcondition;onecommonplant
arrangement(interspersion)issignificantlymorelikelytoproduceacompetitiveoutcomethannaturalorclumped
arrangements.Ouranalysisrevealsthatcertaintypesofstudiesarelackingfromtheliterature,suchasthosethat
explicitlycomparefloraltraitsofalienandnativeneighbourplants.Finally,basedonourfindings,wemake
recommendationsforbestpracticestodetectandinterprettheoutcomesofpollinator-mediatedinteractionsamongplant
species.
Keywords:Pollinators,Meta-analysis,Invasion,Competition,Plants,Scale.
Phylogenetics
MONDAY08:15,ROOM:WCOAST
A comparative analysis of mitochondrial DNA in dioecious (Anodonta anatina) and
hermaphroditic (Anodonta cygnea) freshwater mussel species in the context of
doubly uniparental vs. strictly maternal inheritance of mtDNA
EMILYCHASE,ACADIAUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
BRENTROBICHEAU,ACADIAUNIVERSITY;SARAHVEINOT,ACADIAUNIVERSITY;SOPHIEBRETON,UNIVERSITÉDEMONTRÉAL;DON
STEWART,ACADIAUNIVERSITY
Undertheunusualsystemofdoublyuniparentalinheritance(DUI)ofmitochondrialDNA(mtDNA)inbivalves,female
offspringinheritmaternalorfemale-transmittedmtDNA(F-type)andmaleoffspringinheritbothF-typemtDNA,which
endsupintheirsomatictissues,andpaternalormale-transmittedmtDNA(M-type),whichendsupintheirgonadtissue.
SeveralspeciescomplexesoffreshwatermusselsoftheorderUnionoidaexhibitbothdioeciousandhermaphroditic
reproductivestrategieswithinthesamegenus.MtDNAinheritanceinhermaphroditicspeciesadherestothetypical
animalpatternofstrictmaternalinheritance(SMI)ofmtDNA.Incontrast,inthedioeciousspeciesanalyzedtodate,there
arebothanFandandM-typemtDNAgenomeandtherearealsonovelopenreadingframes(ORFs),termedtheM-ORF
andtheF-ORF,intheM-typeandF-typegenomes,respectively.However,thehermaphroditicspeciesmtDNAgenomes
containdivergentversionsoftheirsisterspeciesF-ORFs,whicharereferredtoasH-ORFs.WithintheorderUnionoida,
hermaphroditismhasevolvedindependentlymultipletimes.Thisshiftfromdioecytohermaphroditismisaccompanied
byalossoftheM-ORF(andindeedtheentireM-typegenome),suggestingapossibleassociationbetweenthesenovel
ORFsandsexdetermination.Comparativeanalysisofcloselyrelatedfreshwatermusselspeciesexhibitingadioecious
reproductivestrategy(Anodontaanatina)andahermaphroditicstrategy(Anodontacygnea)permitsfurtherexamination
ofthepossiblelinkagebetweenM,FandH-ORFsandsexdeterminationintheorderUnionoida.Wecomparethe
sequenceofthecompletemtDNAgenomeofA.cygneatothecompleteM-andF-typegenomesoftheconspecificA.
anatina(obtainedfromGenBank).Asfoundinseveralotherdioecious/hermaphroditicspeciespairs,wedemonstrate
thattheF-ORFofA.anatinaandtheH-ORFofA.cygneaarehighlydivergent,buttheH-ORFisofamuchshorterlength
andislackinganarrayofrepetitiveDNA,characteristicstypicallyobservedinotherunionidH-ORFs.Wewilldiscussthe
implicationsoftheseobservationsforourunderstandingoftheroleoftheM-,F-,andH-ORFSinsexdeterminationin
freshwatermussels.
Keywords:Populationgenetics,Freshwater,Invertebrates,Reproduction,Populationgenetics,Genomesequencing.
Habitatselectionanduse
WEDNESDAY08:00,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Evaluating habitat specialization of North American birds using a spatial null model
CARMENCHELICK,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIAOKANAGAN,[email protected]
JASONPITHER,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIAOKANAGAN
Therisksposedtospeciesbyhabitatlossand/ormodificationtendtoincreasewithincreasingdegreeofhabitat
specialization.Accurateassessmentsofhabitatspecializationarethereforecrucialtoconservationefforts.Methodsfor
quantifyinghabitatspecializationaremanyanddiverse,butfewtakeappropriateaccountofpotentiallyspurious
associationsbetweenspeciescommonness(orrarity)andhabitatcommonness(orrarity).HereweuseNorthAmerican
BreedingBirdSurveydata,NationalLandCoverdata,andaspatialnullmodelapproachtocalculateacorrectedspecies
specializationindex(SSI)for462speciesofbird.Thenullmodelrandomlyre-allocatesindividualsamongstoplocations
withinBirdConservationRegions(BCRs),keepingspeciesrichnessatstopsfixedandspeciesabundanceswithinBCRs
fixed,andrecalculatingSSIwitheachrandomization.Throughthisprocedure,anulldistributionof1000SSIvaluesis
generatedforeachspecies,andthisdistributionisinturnusedtocalculateastandardizedSSI(SSIc).Weshowthat(i)the
spatialnullmodelisessentialbecausetheuncorrectedSSIvaluesarehighlycorrelatedwithspeciesoccupancyand
speciesabundance;(ii)speciesidentifiedasspecialistsusingtherawSSIdifferedfromthoseidentifiedasspecialistsusing
SSIc.TheSSIfiguresprominentlywithinresearchonEuropeanbirds,andisoftenusedtoidentifyspeciesofconservation
concern.Ourfindingssuggestthislargebodyofresearchwarrantsre-evaluation,asitdoesnotapplyappropriatenull
models.
Keywords:Habitatspecialization,Birds,Spatialmodel,Methods.
Marineecology
TUESDAY16:30,ROOM:SIDNEY
Taxonomic turnover across salinity gradients
MELISSACHEN,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
STILIANLOUCAS,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;FERDOUSNAWAR,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;LAURAPARFREY,UNIVERSITY
OFBRITISHCOLUMBIA
Thereistremendousturnoverinmicrobialcommunitycompositionalongsalinitygradientsandmanystudieshave
observedthatvarioustaxonomicgroupscorrelatewithsalinity.Forexample,inBacteria,Actinobacteriaarecommonly
foundinfreshwater,whileAlphaproteobacteriaareassociatedwithmarinewaters.Althoughthesetrendsarewell
documentedqualitatively,itisdifficulttoquantitativelydescribegroupsofsalinityspecialists(fresh-,marine-and
brackish-waterspecialists)becausebinningOTUsintothesegroupsusuallyrequiresarbitrarythresholdstodefinewhere
eachbinbeginsandends.Toaddressthisproblem,wepresentanewbinningmethodinwhichbinboundariesandOTU
classificationareobjectivelyestimatedfromthedataandindependentfromeachother.Ourmethodsystematically
iteratesthroughbincombinationstofindamodelthatbestfitsthedata,andthenusesthebest-fitmodeltoclassifyeach
OTUaseitherafresh-,marine-orbrackish-waterspecialist.Whenappliedtoaglobaldatasetofmicrobialcommunities
acrossasalinityrangeof0-36partsperthousand,wefindnotonlyfresh-andmarine-waterspecialists,butalso
intermediatesalinity(brackish-water)specialists.Additionally,wefinddifferencesintrendsbetweenbacteria/archaea
andeukaryota.Forexample,analysisofbacterialdatasetsyieldstwogroupsofbrackish-waterspecialistswhereas
analysisofeukaryoticdatasetsresolvesonlyonegroupofbrackish-waterspecialists.Thismethodcanbeappliedtoa
varietyofenvironmentalgradientstodefinemicrobialcommunityturnoveralonggradientsinanobjective,rigorous,and
high-throughputmanner.
Keywords:Taxonomy,Estuary,Methods,Bacteria.
Geneticstructureofpopulations
TUESDAY10:30,ROOM:COLWOOD
A resistance mapping approach to assess landscape effects on genetics and dispersal
of the Rocky Mountain Apollo butterfly
HELENCHEN,WESTERNUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
Theeffectlandcoverhasondispersalisakeyquestioninlandscapeecologyandisoftenassessedindirectlyusing
populationgeneticdata.Becauseofthis,itisimportanttounderstandjusthowwellgeneticvariablesanddispersal
correspond.Icomparetherelationshipsofdispersalandpopulationgeneticstructuretounderlyinglandscapefeatures
usingaresistancemappingapproach,andtestthevalidityofusinggeneticstructureasaproxyfordispersal.Different
landcovertypesareassigneddifferentresistancevaluesbasedonhowtheywouldhinderbutterflymovement.Ianalyze
geneticanddispersaldatafromanetworkofpopulationsoftheRockyMountainApollobutterfly,Parnassiussmintheus,
onJumpingpoundRidgeinKananaskis,Alberta.IusearesistancesurfacemapofthestudyareageneratedinArcGISthat
combinesaerialimaging,landclassification,elevationdata,andlocalknowledgeofthestudysite.Thissurfaceisanalyzed
inCircuitscapetoderiveresistancedistancesbetweenbutterflyhabitatsthatwillbecorrelatedseparatelywithhistorical
mark-recapturedispersalandgeneticdatafromthislandscape.Withabetterunderstandingofhowresistancesurfaces
reflectdispersalandgeneticdifferentiation,wecanbetterinterprettheresultsoflandscapegeneticstudies,whichare
increasinglyusedtodetermineandmitigatetheeffectsofhabitatfragmentationonspeciesforconservationpurposes.
Keywords:Alpineapollobutterfly,Dispersal,Landscapeconfiguration,Resistancemapping.
Policyandplanning
MONDAY13:45,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Addressing the potential cumulative impacts of land use and climate change on fish
and wildlife in northern Ontario
CHERYLCHETKIEWICZ,WILDLIFECONSERVATIONSOCIETYCANADA,[email protected]
MATTCARLSON,ALCESLANDSCAPEANDLAND-USELTD.;CONNIEO'CONNOR,WILDLIFECONSERVATIONSOCIETYCANADA;BRIE
EDWARDS,WILDLIFECONSERVATIONSOCIETYCANADA;MEGSOUTHEE,WILDLIFECONSERVATIONSOCIETYCANADA;MICHAELSULLIVAN,
ALBERTAENVIRONMENTANDPARKS
Cumulativeeffectsarethesynergistic,interactive,andunpredictableoutcomesofmultipleland-usepracticesthat
aggregateoverspaceandtime.Togetherwithclimatechange,theycanhavesignificantimpactsonfishandwildlife.
Ongoingdevelopmentofnaturalresourcesandinfrastructuresuggestthatcumulativeeffectsareunlikelytodiminish.
Cumulativeeffectscanbeconsideredwithintheregulatorycontextofenvironmentalassessmentprocesses.However,
conservingfishandwildliferequiresthatcumulativeeffectsassessmentbecomesanecessaryandintegratedpartofland
useplanninganddecisionmaking.Ontario'sFarNorthcontainstheworld'smostintactborealforestandglobally
significantwetlands.Theregionisnotonlyastrongholdforspeciesatrisksuchascaribou,wolverine,andlakesturgeon,
butisalsohometo41,000FirstNationspeoplewhodependonitsfish,wildlife,andecosystemservicesandhaverightsto
continuetodoso.TheOntarioGovernmentiscommittedtoprotectingatleast50%ofOntario'sFarNorth,maintaining
ecosystemservices(e.g.,carbonstorage),whileencouragingnewdevelopment(e.g.,mining,roads).Tobeeffective,
planningmustconsidertheconsequencesoftoday'sdecisionsondesiredfutures.WedescribetheapplicationofALCES
landscapecumulativeeffectssimulationtoolkittosimulateandexploretheoutcomesofpotentiallanduseandclimate
changescenariosonkeyspeciesintheFarNorth.Asoneoftheonlyregional-scaleeffortstoconsidercumulativeeffects,
wediscusswaysinwhichourworkcanadvancefishandwildlifeconservationoverbusiness-as-usualapproaches.
Keywords:Landusechange,Climatechange,Cumulativeeffects,Simulationmodels,Boreal,Spatialplanning.
Aquaticecology
WEDNESDAY11:00,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
River networks dampen long-term hydrological signals of climate change
KYLECHEZIK,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
SEANC.ANDERSON,UNIVERSITYOFWASHINGTON;JONATHANW.MOORE,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY
Climatechangeisalteringglobalprecipitationpatternsandsubsequentlyriverflowregimes.Earliersnowmelt,reduced
snowpackandshiftsfromsnowtorainhavebeguntoreshapetheannualdistributionofdischargeinmanytemperate
rivers.However,rivernetworksmaybufferagainsttheimpactsofclimatechangebyintegratingclimateasynchrony
acrossthecontributingbasin.Totestthishypothesis,weestimatedflowtrendsovera38-yearperiodat55hydrometric
gaugesitesinBC'sFraserRiverbasinandcalculatedclimatetrendcomplexityovereachsitescontributingbasin.We
predictthatlocaldifferencesinweatheraswellasclimatefilteringbythebasinslarge(~217,000squarekm)and
topologicallycomplexlandscape,willresultinarichportfolioofclimatetrendsthatattenuateflowtrendvariability.Using
anullmodelapproach,wedeterminedthattheFraserbasindampenedflowtrendsoverthis38-yearperiodandthatthe
effectwasfivetimesgreaterthanwhatwouldbeexpectedifthebasinwasrespondinghomogeneouslytoclimatechange.
Furthermore,therewasgreatvariabilityinmaximumwinterflowsthroughouttheFraserbasin,withnogauge-site
exhibitinglessthana15%increaseinflowperdecade.Seasonalshiftssuchasthesearelikelyaresultofchangesin
winterprecipitationfromsnowtorainandreducedsummerprecipitation.Importantly,ourworksuggeststhatlargefreeflowingrivers,liketheFraser,havedampenedtheimpactsofclimatechangebyintegratingdynamicallyfilteredclimate
overvariedandcomplexlandscapes.
Keywords:Climatechange,Freshwater,Landscapeconfiguration,Spatialmodel.
Speciesinteractionsinawarmingworldsymposium
TUESDAY15:30,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Functional trait distance predicts carbon flux shifts across a globally replicated
removal experiment in mountains
CHELSEACHISHOLM,UNIVERSITYOFCOPENHAGEN,[email protected]
THOMASW.CROWTHER,NETHERLANDSINSTITUTEOFECOLOGY;QUENTIND.READ,MICHIGANSTATEUNIVERSITY;JEREMIAHA.
HENNING,UNIVERSITYOFTENNESSEE;CHRISTIANRIXEN,WSLINSTITUTEFORSNOWANDAVALANCHERESEARCHSLF;SONJAWIPF,
WSLINSTITUTEFORSNOWANDAVALANCHERESEARCHSLF;MARKHOVENDEN,UNIVERSITYOFTASMANIA;MAJASUNDQVIST,UMEÅ
UNIVERSITY;AIMEET.CLASSEN,UNIVERSITYOFVERMONT;NATHANJ.SANDERS,UNIVERSITYOFVERMONT,UNIVERSITYOF
COPENHAGEN
Thelossofglobalbiodiversityisoneofthemostconsiderabledriversofglobalchange,withdirectconsequencesforthe
functioningofnaturalsystemsandthewellbeingofhumanpopulations.Indeed,agrowingbodyofevidencesuggeststhat
theimpactsofchangingbioticcommunitiescanbeequalto,orgreaterthanthedirecteffectsofclimateorland-use
change.Inplants,severalimportantfunctionaltraitsrelatetotrade-offsinconservativevs.acquisitivestrategies,andthe
lossofthosetraitscanhaveprofoundconsequencesforthefunctioningofecosystems.Hereweusepreliminarydatafrom
agloballyreplicatedexperimentinmountainstoassesstheinfluenceofchangingspeciesmembershipinplant
communities(viadominantspeciesremoval)andchangingtemperature(viaopen-toppedchambers)oncarbonflux
measurementsacrosselevation.Specifically,weexplorehowdifferenttraitassemblagesmightgoverntheeffectof
specieslossonterrestrialecosystemfunctioning.Usingfunctionaltraitscollectedfromeachsite,wefoundthattrait
distanceoftheneighbouringcommunitytothedominantremovedspeciespredictedchangesincarbonfluxacrossfour
alpinesitesinthreecontinents.Mostimportantly,wefoundthatfunctionalredundancymaintainedtheseenvironments
ascarbonsinkswhenadominantmemberofthecommunitywasremoved,butthatthispatternwasreversedwhenplots
wereartificiallywarmed.Overallthisstudyhighlightstheimportanceofdisentanglingdirectvs.indirecteffectsofclimate
changeonecosystemfunctioning.
UncertaintyinEcologyandConservationSymposium
MONDAY08:30,ROOM:SAANICH
Incorporating climate uncertainty into models of spectacled eider survival in Alaska
KATHERINES.CHRISTIE,THEALASKASEALIFECENTER,[email protected]
TUULAE.HOLLMEN,THEALASKASEALIFECENTER,UNIVERSITYOFALASKAFAIRBANKS
Spectacledeider(Somateriafischeri)populationsdeclinedfromthe1970’sto1990’sonwesternAlaskabreedinggrounds,
withlownumberspromptingtheirlistingasthreatenedundertheUSEndangeredSpeciesActin1993.Althoughnumbers
inwesternAlaskahavebeenincreasinginrecentyears,itisimportanttounderstandthedriversofpopulationchangefor
thisspecies.Evidencesuggeststhatsomespeciesofseaducks,includingspectacledeiders,aresensitivetowinter
conditionsandoceanicregimeshiftsresultingfromatmosphericanomaliesintheNorthPacific.Spectacledeidersrequire
seaiceforresting,butalsosufficientopenwatertoaccesshighqualityforaginggroundsintheircorewinteringarea;
therefore,optimalconditionsmayconsistofmoderateseaiceconcentrations.Considerableuncertaintyexistsastohow
eiderswillrespondtofutureclimatescenarios.Weestimatedsurvivalandrecaptureprobabilityoffemalespectacled
eidersnestingontheYukon-KuskokwimDelta,AlaskausingCormack-Jolly-Sebermodels.Wetestedwhethersurvivalwas
afunctionofseaiceconcentrationsinthecorewinteringarea,BeringSearegimeshifts,year,andage.Wealsotestedfor
non-linearrelationshipsbetweenicecoverandsurvival.Weobservedconsiderableannualvariationinsurvival,withlow
survivalratescorrespondingtohighseaiceconcentrationsincorewinteringareasintheBeringSea.Tounderstandhow
differentclimatechangescenarioswillinfluencespectacledeiderpopulationsinthefuture,ournextstepistoexamine
howfutureseaiceconditionsintheBeringSeawillinfluencesurvival,andultimatelypopulationtrajectoriesforthis
species.
Keywords:Speciesatrisk,Birds,Climatechange,Populationmodels.
LifeOntheEdge:MechanismsofAdaptingtoClimateChangeSymposium
TUESDAY11:15,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Coral symbiosis and survival during the 2015/2016 El Niño event
DANIELLEC.CLAAR,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
RUTHD.GATES,HAWAIIINSTITUTEOFMARINEBIOLOGY;KRISTINAL.TIETJEN,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA;JULIAK.BAUM,UNIVERSITYOF
VICTORIA
Theresilienceofcoralreefecosystemsisshapedbyavarietyofdynamiccoral-symbiontinteractions.Coralshosta
varietyofsingle-celledalgae(Symbiodinium)cladesandtypes,someofwhicharebettersuitedtosustained
environmentalstressthanothers.Determiningthemechanismsbehindchangesincoral-Symbiodiniuminteractionsis
essentialtounderstandingtheabilityofthecoralsymbiometoadapttoclimatechangeandotheranthropogenic
stressors.Forthisstudy,weevaluatedthedynamicsofSymbiodiniumcommunitieswithincoralcoloniesthroughoutthe
courseofthemajor2015/16ElNiñoeventonKiritimatiatoll(ChristmasIsland).Wecollectedcoraltissuesamplesfrom
taggedcoralcoloniesthroughouttheElNiñoevent,andanalyzedthemusingMiSeqITS2ampliconsequencingwithan
OTUclusteringapproach.Somecoralsshowedaremarkableearlyrecovery,regainingsymbiontsbeforetheheatstress
hadsubsided.WefoundassociatedchangesinsymbiontcommunitystructureduringtheElNiño,whichwererelatedto
thesurvivalprobabilityofindividualcoralcolonies.BydescribingtherelationshipbetweenElNiñowarmingandcoral
symbiontgeneticdiversity,theseresultsassistinelucidatingtheinfluenceofpulseheatstressoncoral-symbiont
interactions,withimplicationsforbroad-scalereefecosystemresilience.
ConsequencesofRapidEcologicalChangeinMountainEcosystemsSymposium
TUESDAY09:15,ROOM:SIDNEY
Whitebark pine on the edge? Abiotic and biotic drivers interact to limit species
range
ALANACLASON,UNIVERSITYOFNORTHERNBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
ELIOTJ.B.MCINTIRE,CANADIANFORESTSERVICE,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA
Predictingshiftsinspeciesgeographicdistributionswithenvironmentalchangesuchasawarmingclimatewillrequire
understandingtheprocessescurrentlyshapingspeciesdistributions.Whilegradientsinabiotichabitatmaydefinemany
speciesgeographicranges,bioticinteractionscanalsoplayasignificantroleinshapingdistributions.Whitebarkpine
(Pinusalbicaulis)isanendangeredtreefoundinsubalpineandtreelineecosystemsofwesternNorthAmerica.ThecoevolvedmutualismbetweenwhitebarkpineandClark’snutcrackers(Nucifragacolumbiana)presentsanopportunityto
investigatetheinfluenceofpositivespeciesinteractionsandwiderecologicalnetworksonrangelimits.Abiotic(climate
andtopography)andbiotic(dispersalandcompetition)hypotheseswerecompared,withthebestmodelsuggestingthat
thecurrentnortherndistributionallimitofwhitebarkpineislikelyaresultofbioticdispersallimitations.Specifically,the
northernrangeislimitedbyincreasingdistancefromareaswithhighlyabundantwhitebarkpineandincreasingisolation
fromDouglas-fir(Pseudotsugamenziesii),analternatefoodsourceforClark’snutcrackersincombinationwithabiotic
habitatsuitability.Thesefindingssuggestpositivebioticrelationshipscaninteractwiththeabioticenvironmentto
determinespeciesrangelimits.Additionally,thisstudysuggestswiderecologicalnetworks,inthiscasetheindirect
relationshipbetweenDouglas-firandwhitebarkpineviaClark’snutcrackers,caninfluencespeciesdistributions.
Selection
MONDAY14:30,ROOM:WCOAST
Phenotypic selection on architectural effects in Delphinium glaucum
(Ranunculaceae)
ILONACLOCHER,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY,[email protected]
LAWRENCEHARDER,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY;MASONKULBABA,UNIVERSITYOFMINNESOTA
Plantbodiesgrowbyiterativeadditionofbasicunits(metamers).ForAngiosperms,metamerismofreproductiveorgans
isevidentintheproductionofmultipleflowerswithinfloweringstalks,orinflorescences.Althoughflowerswithin
inflorescenceslookidentical,sometraitsvaryamongflowers.Gradientsinfloraltraitswithininflorescenceshaveoften
beenattributedtoresourcelimitationdrivenbyearly-developingfruits.However,recentstudiesdemonstratethata
flower’spositionwithinaninflorescencecanaffectitsphenotypeindependentlyofresourcedynamics.Furthermore,such
architecturaleffectscanaffectreproductivefunction,andsomayreflectnaturalselection.Weassessedphenotypic
selectiononarchitecturaleffectsforDelphiniumglaucum(Ranunculaceae),whichproduces10-60flowersinvertical
inflorescences.For64D.glaucumplants,wesampledoneflowerineachseventhoftheinflorescence(i.e.,sevenflowers
perplant)andmeasuredvariousmorphologicalandphenologicaltraits.Asfitnesscomponents,wealsocountedeach
plant’stotalfruitnumber,andforsampledflowerswecountedseedproduction.Statisticalanalysisconsideredselection
onpenalizedsplinefunctionsoftheassociationoffloraltraitstorelativeflowerposition.Weusedfunctionalregressions
tocharacterizehowvariationinthesefunctionsamongplantsaffectedtheirfruitproductionandaverageseednumber
perfruit.Thisanalysisestimatesvariationintheselectioncoefficient,β,withflowerposition.Floral-traitgradientswere
subjecttosignificantselectionthroughfruitsetforsometraits,andselectionvariedwithrelativeflowerposition.In
contrast,selectionwasnotevidentforseedproductionperfruit.Together,thesefindingsrevealinsightsontheselection
ofarchitecturaleffects.
Keywords:Plants,Selection,Morphology,Reproduction.
Museumcollectionssymposium
MONDAY11:15,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Using museum specimens and other best available data to assess insect conservation
status: A lesson from the IUCN Red List bumblebees
SHEILAR.COLLA,YORKUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
Recently,theIUCNSpeciesSurvivalCommissionBumblebeeSpecialistGroupcompletedtheRedListAssessmentsfor46
NorthAmericanspecies.Ofthese,11(or26%)qualifiedasat-riskofextinctionusingIUCNRedListcriteria.Sixspecies
wererankedasDataDeficientwiththeremainingeitherLeastConcernorNearThreatened.Thispresentationwill
describetheassessmentprocessforthisfauna.Naturalhistorycollectionsprovedtobearichsourceofbumblebeedata
acrossthecontinentandacrosstimeperiods.Challengeswillbediscussed,includingtheselectionofanalysestofit
criterialargelydevelopedforvertebratesandothertaxaandaccountingfordifferencesinrangecoverage,searcheffort
andothervariablesovertime.Additionalconsiderationsincludedaspectswhichareuniquetothetaxonomyandecology
ofbumblebees.
Populationdynamics
TUESDAY08:30,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Meta-analyses reveal the world is truly chaotic: How did humans succeed in such a
place?
NICHOLASC.COLLINS,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO,[email protected]
WENCHEN,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO
Themedianeffectsizesofsinglecausalvariablesfrommeta-analysesineconomics,education,medicalandbehavioral
sciences,and,yes,ecologyandevolutionarybiologyareallequivalenttoacorrelation(Pearson'sr)ofonly0.1-0.2.In
otherwords,astandarddeviationchangeinthemedianindependentvariablegeneratesonly0.1-0.2standarddeviations
ofchangeinthedependentvariable,accountingforonly1-4%ofitsvariance.Evenifweadjustforknownnegativebiases
ineffectsizeestimates,theadjustedmedianeffectsizesremainmuchlowerthanthervaluesof>0.5thatwesubjectively
feelwouldbetterrepresenttheconnectednessoftheworldweexperience.Meta-analysesprovetheworldreallyis
chaotic,incontrastwithoursubjectiveview.Howcouldhumans,withlongpre-reproductiveperiodsandlowfecundity,
havesucceededinsuchahighlystochasticplace?Studiesofprimitivehunter-gatherersestimatethathumanfemalelife
expectancyatbirthmusthavebeenatleast15yearstoallowprimitivehumanpopulationstopersist.Forhalfoffemales
tosurviveatleast15years(whilegivingbirthto4childrenovertheaveragelifespan),annualprobabilityofsurvival
wouldhavehadtoaveragemorethan0.95repeatedover30years,indicatingakindofreliabilitythatseemsinconsistent
withtheunpredictableworldourmeta-analysesdescribe.Itthereforeseemslikelythattherelationshipswithinhuman
familiesandcooperativegroupsmusthaveevolvedtocreateasubworldofhighlyreliablereciprocalcausalinteractions
thateffectivelyprotecteduswithinthechaoticnaturalworld.Meta-analysisprovidestheperspectiveweneedto
appreciatesuchhumanadaptations.
Keywords:Meta-analysis,Human,Effectsize,Survival.
LinkingEnvironmentalLawandScienceSymposium
WEDNESDAY08:15,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Burden of proof, standard of proof: Revealing the chasm between science and law
LYNDACOLLINS,UNIVERSITYOFOTTAWA,[email protected]
Lawyersandscientistsoftenengageindialoguesaboutproofinenvironmentaldecision-making(whetherregulatoryor
adjudicative).Oftenthetwodisciplinesaskthesamequestion,e.g.'IssubstanceXtoxictofish?'buttheanswersare
implicitlybasedondivergentconceptsofburdenofproof(Whohastoprovetoxicityorsafety?)andstandardofproof
(Howcertaindoweneedtobebeforereachingaconclusion?').Burdenofproofandstandardofproofareverydifferentin
lawthaninscienceanditisnecessarytorevealandunderstandthesedifferencesinordertoengageinaproductive
interdisciplinarydialogue.
Reproductiveecologyandbehaviour
MONDAY16:00,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Repeatability and reproductive consequences of boldness in female grey seals
DAVIDCOLTMAN,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA,[email protected]
CHRISTINEM.BUBAC,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA;WILLIAMD.BOWEN,BEDFORDINSTITUTEOFOCEANOGRAPHY,DALHOUSIEUNIVERSITY
Wildanimalsshowrepeatablebehaviouraldifferencesacrosstimeandcontextsthatvarybetweenindividualsina
consistentway,nowwidelyacceptedasanimalpersonality.Whilethisvariabilitymayhaveimportantecologicaland
evolutionaryimplications,explaininghowandwhyvariationofanimalpersonalityismaintainedinanaturalpopulation
remainsunclear.Inthisstudy,weassessedtheinfluenceofenvironmentalandbiologicalsourcesofvariationon
behavioralresponsesmeasuredalongtheshy-boldcontinuuminalong-lived,iteroparousmarinemammal,thegreyseal
(Halichoerusgrypus).Between2008-2016,458femalesfromtheSableIsland,NovaScotiabreedingcolonyofgreyseals
weregivenaboldnessscoreinresponsetoahumanapproachdesignedtostimulatematernaldefenseofoffspring.Using
generalizedlinearmixed-effectsmodels(GLMM)inaBayesianframework,weshowthatboldnessishighlyrepeatable
withinandbetweenyears.Boldnesswasinfluencedbymaternalage,withyoungerfemalesbeinglessboldthanolder,
moreexperiencedfemales.WefurtherusedGLMMstoassesssourcesofvariationonoffspringweaningmass,andwhile
notstatisticallysignificant,weshowthatboldermothersproducedheavieroffspringthanshyfemales.Pupsofbold
femaleswereonaverage~2kgheavierthanpupsofshyercounterparts,whichmaybebiologicallymeaningfulinthis
species,asweanedoffspringmustrelyonmassaccumulatedduringlactationtosustainthemselvesthroughapost-
weaningfastbeforereachingforagingindependence.Theseresultsprovidefurtherevidencethatpersonalityinfluences
life-historystrategies,andsuggeststheevolutionarypotentialforanimalpersonalitytoevolveinresponsetoselection.
Keywords:Mammals,Reproduction,Selection,Behaviouralecology,Animalpersonality.
Animaldiet
TUESDAY10:30,ROOM:WCOAST
Untangling aquatic food webs using DNA and text-mining
ZACCHAEUSG.COMPSON,UNIVERSITYOFNEWBRUNSWICK,[email protected]
WENDYA.MONK,UNIVERSITYOFNEWBRUNSWICK;C.CURRY,UNIVERSITYOFNEWBRUNSWICK;CHRISTOPHERJ.O.BAKER,
UNIVERSITYOFNEWBRUNSWICK;ALEXANDRERIAZANOV,UNIVERSITYOFNEWBRUNSWICK;MOHAMMADS.ALMANIR,UNIVERSITYOF
NEWBRUNSWICK;ROBERTBEIKO,DALHOUSIEUNIVERSITY;MEHRDADHAJIBABAEI,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH;MICHAELWRIGHT,
UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH;DONALDJ.BAIRD,UNIVERSITYOFNEWBRUNSWICK
Foodwebsarepowerfultoolsforvisualizingcommunitydataandassessingecosystemhealthandfunction.Constructing
foodwebsrequireslargeamountsofdataoncommunitymembersandtheirmeasuredassociations.However,itis
difficultandexpensivetodeterminethisinformationbecauseofsamplinglimitationsandthehighcostoftraining
taxonomists.Recentadvancementsingenomicsandcomputingprovidenewwaysofovercomingtheselimitations.Using
DNAtocharacterizeaquaticcommunitiesisasensitivetechniquethatprovidesastandardizedmethodofdetection,but
thereiscurrentlynowayofextractingabundanceandbiomassdataneededforfoodwebanalysis.Text-miningprovidesa
wayaroundthislimitation,allowingtraitdatatobegatheredforspecifictaxaacrosslargedatabases.Weusedascalable
engine(Hydra,IPSNPInc.)forsemanticautomateddiscoveryandintegration(SADI)toquerydatabasesofpublished
papersformissingdataonbenthicmacroinvertebratetraitsthatcouldnotbegatheredfromexistingfoodwebdatabases.
ThisallowedustocreateheuristicfoodwebsfromtaxalistsgeneratedfromDNAfortwostreamswithdifferentflow
regimesthatformthePeace-AthabascaDelta.Weaskedthreequestions.(1)Howdofoodwebproperties(i.e.,numberof
links,linkagedensity,trophicheight)differbetweenthePeaceandAthabascarivers?(2)Howdofoodwebproperties
changetemporallyinthesetworivers?(3)Howdoabioticvariables(e.g.,streamtemperature,pH,flow)affectfoodweb
propertiesoftheserivers?WediscussusingDNA-generatedfoodwebsasapowerfultoolforrapidbioassessment.
Keywords:Foodwebs,EnvironmentalDNA,Freshwater,Invertebrates,Semanticautomateddiscoveryandintegration(SADI).
AcceleratingurbanecologyinCanada:Identifyingcurrentresearchapproaches,gaps,andneedsinCanadiancities
symposium
MONDAY08:45,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Socio-ecological interactions in the urban forests: Residents and their trees
TENLEYM.CONWAY,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO,MISSISSAUGA,[email protected]
Researchontheurbanforestoccursattheboundarybetweenthesocialandnaturalsciencesbecauseurbanforestsare
inherentlysocio-ecologicalsystemsthatrequireunderstandingsofbothhumanandbiophysicalpatternsandprocesses.
Atglobalandcontinentalscales,biophysicalconditionsareimportantinunderstandingdifferencesbetweenurban
forests.However,whenexaminingconditionswithinasingleurbanlandscape,built,socialandpolicyfactorsaremajor
influencesonage-structure,speciescompositionandothercharacteristicsoftheurbanforest.Oneofthekeyactors
shapinglocalurbanforestconditionsareresidents,asmosturbantreesarelocatedonprivateproperty.Whileindividual
residents,orhouseholds,typicallymanageverysmallproperties,thecumulativeimpactsoftheiractionscanhave
substantialeffectsonurbanforeststructureandfunction.Urbanresidents’actionsareshapedbyacomplexsetoffactors
thatincludetheirknowledge,attitudesandexperienceswiththeurbanforest.Thispresentationwilldiscusstheresultsof
aprojectfocusingonresidents’interactionswithtreesontheirpropertytohighlightfine-scalesocio-ecological
relationshipsshapingurbanforests,withparticularattentiongiventothewaysamajoricestormalteredresidents’
attitudesandactionstowardstheirtrees.Themanagementimplicationsoftheprojectfindingswillbediscussed,aswell
asthechallengesofconductingurbanecologyresearchfromasocio-ecologicalsystemsperspective.
Parasitismandsymbiosis
TUESDAY13:30,ROOM:SIDNEY
Describing the cophylogenetic relationship between the Myrsidea chewing louse and
its Neotropical Mionectes flycatcher host
ANDREWCOOK,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA,[email protected]
JULIEALLEN,UNIVERSITYOFILLINOIS;THERESECATANACH,UNIVERSITYOFILLINOIS;KEVINJOHNSON,UNIVERSITYOFILLINOIS;GUSTAVO
LONDONO,UNIVERSIDADICESI;JILLJANKOWSKI,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA
Whenanorganismisdependentonanothertocompleteitsreproductivecycle,thereispotentialforcoevolutionandeven
cospeciation.Cospeciationoccurswhentwointeractinglineagesspeciatesimultaneously,generatingcongruent
phylogenies.Thiscospeciationisoftenpredictedtooccurwithpermanentectosymbionts,organismsthatcompletethe
majorityoftheirlifecycleonahost.Theseorganismshavelimiteddispersalcapabilities,onlymovingbetweenacurrent
andpotentialhostduringdirecthost-to-hostcontact.Myrsidealicearepermanentfeatherfeedingectoparasitesfoundon
manybirdspecies.Mionectesisawidespreadgenusoffrugivorousflycatchersoccurringacrosslowlandandmontane
Neotropicalforests.UsingMyrsidealicecollectedfromMionectesflycatchersacrossa2600melevationalgradientinManu
NationalPark,Peru,wetestedthepredictionthattheselicewouldshowapatternofcoevolutionandcospeciationwith
theirhosts.Webuiltphylogenetictreesusingtwogenesfrom61individuallicecollectedfrom4speciesofMionectes
hosts.TheseresultswerethencomparedtopreviouslydescribedhosttreesfromMilleretal.(2008)andJetzetal.(2012).
Ourresultsshowstrongevidenceofcospeciation.Thesefindingssuggestlong-termcoevolutionandcospeciation
betweenMyrsideaandMionectesandagreewithpreviousdescriptionsoftwoMyrsidealicespeciesco-occurringwithtwo
speciesofMionecteshosts.Furthermore,thisstudyprovidesmorefoundationforfuturestudiesontheevolutionary
historyofMyrsidea,anunder-describedgroupofwidespreadectoparasiticorganisms.Finally,ourfindingsaddtoour
knowledgeandunderstandingofhowectoparasitesandhostsinteractthroughevolutionarytime.
Keywords:Parasitism,Co-evolution,Evolution,Co-speciation.
Dispersal
WEDNESDAY10:30,ROOM:THEATRE
Dispersal limitation, climate change, and practical tools for conservation in
intensively used landscapes
LAURAE.CORISTINE,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY,[email protected]
PETERSOROYE,UNIVERSITYOFOTTAWA;ROSANANOBRESOARES,UNIVERSITYOFOTTAWA;CASSANDRAROBILLARD,UNIVERSITYOF
OTTAWA;JEREMYT.KERR,UNIVERSITYOFOTTAWA
Manyspeciesaresusceptibletochangingthermalregimesassociatedwithrecentclimatechange.Whilespeciesand
populationsarerespondingtoclimatechangesinmanyways,thereareindicationsthatmanyspeciesarenotkeeping
pace.Rapidclimatechangesareleadingtoanaccumulationofclimatedebts(orlossofclimatichabitat)atcontinental
scales.Climatechangemediatedshiftsindistributiondependonmanyfactors,butparticularlyonspecies-specific
dispersalabilitiesandhabitatavailability.Usingbutterflyspeciesasanexample,wemeasuredgeographicalvariationin
mobilityacrossNorthAmericarelativetoconservationstatusandtheintensityofhumanlanduse.Weidentifiedareas
wheretherateandvariabilityofrecentclimaticchangeshavebeenrelativelylowandcouldbemanagedforconservation,
potentiallyaugmentingexistingprotectedareanetworks.UsingtheYellowstonetoYukonregionasacasestudy,we
outlinedifferencesbetweenconnectivityanalysesthatincorporate(i)humanfootprint,(ii)humanfootprintin
conjunctionwithclimatechangeconsiderations,and(iii)humanfootprintinconjunctionwithclimatechange
considerationsweightedbyspeciesmobilityandrichness.Allthreeapproachesyielddifferentconnectivity
recommendations.Conservationmanagementeffortstoenhanceclimatechange-relateddispersalshouldfocuson
improvinglandscapeconnectivitybasedonspecies-specificmobility,richness,andclimatechange,aswellaslandscape
permeability.Improvingconnectivityisparticularlyvitalinareaswheremobilityandlandscapepermeabilityarelowbut
speciesareatgreatestriskofextinction.
Keywords:Dispersal,Climatechange,Landusechange,Insects,Speciesdistribution,Connectivity.
Host-associatedmicrobes:fromprotectivemicrobestopathogenssymposium
MONDAY08:45,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
The impact of non-pathogenic phylloplane bacteria on insect disease resistance: The
importance of ecological context
JENNYSCORY,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
GRANTL.OLSON,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY;IKKEISHIKANO,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY;JUDITHH.MYERS,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISH
COLUMBIA
Animalsingestawiderangeofmicroorganismswhentheyfeed.Theimpactthattheseorganismshaveontheirpotential
hostscanrangefrombeneficialtopathogenic.Theoutcome,intermsofhosthealth,isoftenconditiondependent,
dependingonhostnutrition,theinteractionsbetweenthevariousgroupsofmicroorganismsandabioticfactors.
Herbivorousinsectsareexposedtomicroorganismswhentheyfeed,includingplantpathogensandothertransient
microbes.Ithasbeensuggestedthatexposuretonon-entomopathogenicbacteriainducesacostlyimmuneresponse
whichmightreducetheriskofinfectionbyinsectpathogens.Weexploredthisbothwithinandbetweengenerations
usingtwospeciesofinsect,thecabbagelooper,Trichoplusianiandthewesterntentcaterpillar,Malacosomacalifornicum
pluviale.Weexposedlarvaetomixturesofnaturallyoccurringphylloplanebacteriaandexaminedfitnesscosts,immunity
anddiseaseresistancewithinandacrossgenerations.Ingestingphylloplanebacteriahadfitnesscosts,particularlyif
combinedwithotherdiet-relatedstressors.However,wefoundnoeffectonimmunityandonlyweak,concentrationdependentchangesinresistancetoapathogenicbacterium,butnotavirus,intheparentalgeneration.Therewasno
evidencethatexposuretophylloplanebacteriaalteredtheimmuneresponsivenessoftheoffspringgeneration.We
concludethatwhileingestingphylloplanebacteriacouldimpactinsectfeeding,thereislittleevidencethatithasadirect
impactoninsectdiseaseresistance.Thissuggeststhatinsectsareadaptedtoingestingphylloplanebacteriaandhighlights
theimportanceofconsideringnaturalecologicalinteractionswhenassessingtheimpactofnon-pathogenic
microorganismsindiseaseresistance.
Keywords:Insects,Disease,Experiment,Foraging,Adaptation.
Conservationchallengesassociatedwithaquaticsoundscapessymposium
MONDAY14:00,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Motorboat noise disrupts co-operative interspecific interactions
ISABELLECÔTÉ,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
Human-madenoiseiscontributingincreasinglytooceansoundscapes.Itsphysical,physiologicalandbehaviouraleffects
onmarineorganismsarepotentiallywidespread,butourunderstandingremainslargelylimitedtointraspecificimpacts.
Here,weexaminehowmotorboatsaffectaninterspecificcleaningmutualismcriticalforcoralreeffishhealth,abundance
anddiversity.Weconductedinsituobservationsofcleaninginteractionsbetweenbluestreakcleanerwrasses(Labroides
dimidiatus)andtheirfishclientsbefore,duringandafterrepeated,standardisedapproacheswithmotorboats.Motorboat
disturbancehadlittleeffectonclientbehaviour,asevidencedbyconsistencyofvisitrates,clientelecomposition,anduse
ofcleaningincitationsignalsbyclients,butcleanersinspectedclientsforlongerandweresignificantlylesscooperative
duringexposuretoboatnoise.Ourresultsareconsistentwiththeideaofcognitiveimpairmentsduetodistraction,but
couldalsobeexplainedasdirecteffectsofcleanerfishstress.Tomorefullyunderstandtheimportanceofthesefindings
forconservationandmanagement,furtherstudiesshouldelucidatewhethertheefficacyofectoparasiteremovalby
cleanersisaffectedandexplorethepotentialforhabituationtoboatnoiseinbusyareas.
Keywords:
Plasticsintheenvironment
MONDAY15:45,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Microplastic ingestion by Venerupis philippinarum and Crassostra gigas on intertidal
shellfish farms and wild beaches in British Columbia, Canada
GARTHA.COVERNTON,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
SARAHE.DUDAS,VANCOUVERISLANDUNIVERSITY;CHRISTOPHERM.PEARCE,PACIFICBIOLOGICALSTATION;HELENGURNEY-SMITH,
ST.ANDREWSBIOLOGICALSTATION;JOHNF.DOWER,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA
Microplasticcontaminationisanemergingthreattomarineecosystems.Manyaquaticanimals,includingfish,mammals,
molluscs,andotherinvertebrateshavebeenshowntoingestmicroplastics.Theseparticlescandisruptdigestiveand
reproductiveprocesses,actasvectorsforotherharmfulpollutants,andreduceoverallanimalhealth.InBritishColumbia,
bivalvesareeconomicallyimportantforbothaquacultureandwildharvest.Asnonspecificfilterfeederstheyare
susceptibletoingestingandconcentratingmicroplasticsfromthewatercolumn.Shellfishaquacultureoftenusesplastic
infrastructure(e.g.anti-predatornettingandfencing,PVCpipes,etc.)thatmaybecomedegradedandrelease
microplastics.Wequantifiedtheextentofmicroplasticingestionbytwocommerciallyimportantspecies,ManilaClams
(Venerupisphilippinarum)andPacificOysters(Crassostragigas),bytransplantingadultindividualsto11shellfishfarms
and11nearbyunmodifiedbeachesthroughoutsouthernBC.Thebivalveswereleftfor2-3months,andthendigested
with10%KOH,filtered,andtheirmicroplasticcontentvisuallyquantifiedwithlightmicroscopy.Preliminaryresults
suggestthatingestedparticleconcentrationsarehighlyvariablebetweenindividuals,evenwithinsite,andprimarily
consistoffibersbetween100and1000minlength.OurresultsshowmicroplasticingestionbyBCshellfishtobelow
relativetoglobalnumbers.
Keywords:Aquaculture,Microplastic,Shellfish,Marine,Pollution.
Biodiversity
TUESDAY08:00,ROOM:VIEWROYAL
A multi-method comparison of substratum community assessment techniques and
the implications for diversity indices and species accumulation curves
KIERAND.COX,HAKAIINSTITUTE,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,VICTORIA,VANCOUVERISLANDUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
FRANCISJUANES,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA;SARAHE.DUDAS,HAKAIINSTITUTE,VANCOUVERISLANDUNIVERSITY
Diversityestimatesplayakeyroleinanyecologicalassessments.Assuch,thereisalongstandinginterestinthe
developmentofmonitoringtechniques,theirabilitytoadequatelyassessspeciesdiversity,andtheirimplicationsfor
biologicalindices.Todeterminetheabilityofsubstratumcommunityassessmentmethodstocapturespeciesdiversity
andabundances,andtheirimplicationsforbiologicalindices,weevaluatedfourassessmentmethods:photoquadrat,
pointintercept,quadratsubsamplingandfullquadratassessments.Wethenconductedanadditionalmethodthatwastoo
labourintensivetobeusedconsistentlybutwasviewedasthebestrepresentationofthediversitywithinthearea,and
servedasanindicationforhowwelleachmethodcaptureddiversityandabundances.Wethencalculatedthefollowing
indicesforeachmethod:Shannondiversity,Pielou’sevenness,Fisher’salpha,andspeciesaccumulationcurves.Diversity
estimatesdifferedgreatlybetweenmethods,withphotoquadratsdetectingthelowestdiversityandquadratassessments
thehighestdiversity.Thenumberofspeciesdetectedinitiallyincreasedwitheffortandthenplateaued.Abundance
estimateswereconsistentamongstmethods,indicatingthatextrapolatingabundancesislikelyanappropriatecourseof
action.Thediversityindicessuggestedthatsignificantdifferencesinrichnessarenotnecessarilytranslatedinto
differencesinShannondiversity,whileFisher’salphaestimatesaremoresensitivetochangesindiversityandabundance.
Pielou’sevennessandspeciesaccumulationcurvesadequatelyrelayeddifferencesbetweentheassessmentmethods.Our
resultshighlighttheneedforconsistencyacrossresearchmethodologies,theadvantagesofutilizingmultipleindices,and
potentialconcernsofcomparingdatafrommultiplesources.
Keywords:Biodiversity,Methods,Marine,Monitoring.
Stress,Antipredatorbehaviour
MONDAY11:15,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Investigating the sub-lethal effects of predation in black tailed prairie dogs
COLLEENCRILL,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN,[email protected]
JEFFREYLANE,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN
Evenintheabsenceofdirectmortality,predatorscannegativelyaffecttheirprey.Oneofthesenegativeimpactsis
stimulatingastressresponseinindividualswhoeitherexperience,orsimplyperceive,highriskofpredation.Oneofthe
hallmarksofthisresponseisthesuppressionoffunctionsthatarenotessentialtosurvival,includingreproduction.The
cort-fitnesshypothesispositsthatthereisanegativerelationshipbetweenglucocorticoid(stress)hormones,akey
componentofthestressresponse,andreproductivesuccess.Whilethishypothesisisfrequentlytested,theresultshave
beenequivocal.Ratherthanfurtherobscuringtheissue,IamdeconstructingandtestingeachcomponentofthecortfitnesshypothesisusinghairsamplescollectedfromprairiedogsaspartofanongoingstudyinsouthernSaskatchewan.I
amfirsttestingthehypothesisthatindividualswholiveontheedgeofthecolony,andthushavefewerneighbors
scanningfor,andpotentiallyraisingalarmcallsinresponseto,predatorsshowelevatedlevelsofglucocorticoidhormones
intheirhair.Second,Iamalsotestingthehypothesisthatprairiedogswithhigherlevelsofrecordedglucocorticoid
hormoneshavereducedreproductivesuccess.WiththeseresearchquestionsIintendtohelptoclarifytherelationship
betweenchronicstressors,glucocorticoidhormonesandreproductivesuccessaswellasexploreasub-lethaleffectof
predationinapreyspecies.
Keywords:Stress,Reproduction,Mammals,Physiology,Behaviouralecology.
Forestecology
TUESDAY13:45,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
From rares to richness: Spectrums of plant rarity and diversity in the boreal forest
VARINACRISFIELD,ROYALALBERTAMUSEUM,ALBERTABIODIVERSITYMONITORINGINSTITUTE,[email protected]
JACQUELINEM.DENNETT,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA;CATHERINED.DENNY,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA;LINGFENGMAO,UNIVERSITYOF
ALBERTA;SCOTTNIELSEN,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA
Rarespeciesareoftenafocusofecologicalmanagement;however,raritycanbedefinedandquantifiedinmanydifferent
ways,resultingindifferencesinwhichspeciesareconsideredrare.Rarespeciesalsodifferwidelyintheirlifehistories
andhabitatrequirements,andmaybemoreeffectivelymanagedifweunderstandhowtheiroccurrencecorrelateswith
sitecharacteristics.Wecollectedpresence-absencedatafor459vascularplantspeciesfrom602plotslocatedinthelower
AthabascaRiverregionofnortheasternAlbertaandcomparedtheoccurrenceofrarespeciestositerichnessand
environmentalgradients.RaritywasdefinedusingRabinowitzsystem,whichclassifiesspeciesintoseventypesofrarity
basedonacombinationofspeciesgeographicrange,populationsizeandhabitatspecificity.First,werelatedeachof
Rabinowitzthreeaxesindividuallytositerichness.WethenclassifiedeachspeciesintoRabinowitzcategories,and
comparedtheoccurrenceofthesecategoriestositerichness,nutrientandmoisturelevels.Significantrelationshipswere
evidentforeachofthethreeindividualrarityaxesandsiterichness.Moistureandnutrientlevelsalsosignificantly
affectedtheoccurrenceofrarespecies;inparticular,extremesinmoisturelevelswereassociatedwithahigher
occurrenceofrarespeciesasaproportionofsiteflora.Ourresultsdemonstratethatlocalrichnessisnotnecessarilya
goodpredictorofsiteswithrarespecies,withspecies-poorsitessometimessupportingarelativelylargenumberofrare
speciesinourborealsystem.
Keywords:Plants,Boreal,Rarity,Biodiversity.
Pollution
TUESDAY10:30,ROOM:SAANICH
Wildlife health indicators and mercury exposure: A case study of river otters
(Lontra canadensis) in central British Columbia, Canada
SHANNONM.CROWLEY,JOHNPRINCERESEARCHFOREST,[email protected]
DEXTERP.HODDER,JOHNPRINCERESEARCHFOREST;CHRISJ.JOHNSON,UNIVERSITYOFNORTHERNBRITISHCOLUMBIA
Indicatorsofwildlifehealthareimportantelementsofacomprehensiveapproachforassessingandmonitoringtrendsof
methylmercury(MeHg)contaminationintheenvironment.Riverotters(Lontracanadensis)havebeenusedasamodel
speciesfortoxicologicalstudiesontheeffectsofMeHgbioaccumulationduetotheirpositionasanapexpredatorin
aquaticsystemsandsensitivitytoenvironmentaldisturbance.AlthoughlaboratorystudiessuggestthatsublethalMeHg
exposuremayhavedetrimentaleffectsonwildpopulationstheyarelimitedintheirabilitytoreflectrealworldexposure
andforecastpopulationleveleffects.FewstudieshaveidentifiedthethresholdatwhichMeHgexposureresultsina
population-leveleffectforwildpopulationsofriverottersinmarineorfresh-watersystems.Weusedacombinationof
remotecameras,markedindividuals,hairsnares,andscatcounts/inventoriestocomparemercuryconcentrationsand
measurementsofpopulationstatusandhealthofriverottersinhabitingalakewithahistoryofmercurymining,Pinchi
Lake,andanadjacentlakewithnohistoryofmining.AlthoughwefoundPinchiLakeotterstohavesignificantlyhigher
mercuryconcentrations,wedidnotdetectsignificantdifferencesbetweenthetwolakesinmanyofthepopulation
parametersmeasured.WediscusstheknowledgegapsandchallengesofidentifyingthresholdsforobservingMeHg
effectsinwildpopulations,determiningsensitiveandappropriatemethodsformeasuringtheseeffects,andits
implicationsformonitoringtheimpactsofnaturalresourcesactivitiesthatmayreleasecontaminantsintothe
environment.
Keywords:Riverotters,Chemicalcontaminant,Toxicology,Freshwater,Pollution.
Exploringtherolesofmechanisticandphenomenologicalmodelsinecologysymposium
MONDAY10:30,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Mechanism and the unknown: Or, how to predict the future
KIMCUDDINGTON,UNIVERSITYOFWATERLOO,[email protected]
STEPHISOBEK-SWANT,RARECHARITABLERESEARCHRESERVE;JILLC.CROSTHWAITE,UNIVERSITYOFWESTERNONTARIO;BARRYLYONS,
CANADIANFORESTSERVICE;BRENTJ.SINCLAIR,UNIVERSITYOFWESTERNONTARIO
Wecandefineamechanisticmodelasonethatusesecologicalprocessesatalowerleveloforganizationtopredict
phenomenaatahigherleveloforganization.Bydescribingthemechanismsthatdrivehigherscalephenomenawegain
bothanabilitytopredictthesephenomenaundernovelconditions,andtheopportunitytocreatemorenuanced
descriptionsoftheprobabilitythatcertaineventsmayoccur.Weillustrateboththesebenefitsofmechanisticmodels
usingworkonrangepredictionsforemeraldashborer(Agrilusplanipennis).Bycouplinglarvaemortalityratesatcold
temperatureswithmodelsofunderbarktemperatureswecancreaterangepredictionsthatareresponsivetoboth
changingclimateconditionsandchangingdefinitionsoftheriskofnegativeimpactsforthisinvasivespecies.Forexample,
thepotentialrangecanbelinkedtotheprobabilitythatwintertemperaturescolderthana99%mortalityrateoccurwith
greaterfrequencythanonceevery6years(i.e.,thetimerequiredforanashtreetosuccumb).Withthisframeworkitis
theneasytodeterminehowfutureconditionswillalterthisprediction.Anychangestotheprobabilitydistributionof
wintertemperaturescanaltertheprobabilityofemeraldashborersuccessinagivengeographicallocation.Changesto
estimatesofthetimetotreemortalitycanbeincorporatedeasily,ascanentirelydifferentdefinitionsofrisk.Weconclude
thatmechanisticmodels,bytheirverynature,aremorescientificallyfruitfulthanphenomenologicalmodels,aswellas
moreusefulforpredictingthefuture.
Forestecology
WEDNESDAY10:30,ROOM:WCOAST
Burning in SpaDES: Automated parameter estimation for landscape fire models
STEVECUMMING,UNIVERSITÉLAVAL,[email protected]
EJBMCINTIRE,PACIFICFORESTRYCENTRE;YLUO,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;AMCHUBATY,PACIFICFORESTRYCENTRE;D
WOOLFORD,WESTERNUNIVERSITY
Spatialsimulationstudiesofborealecosystemsrequiresomerepresentationofwildfire,butseldomlydetailed
mechanisticsimulationsoffirebehaviour.Neutralmodelsbasedonpercolationprocessesareverycommonlyusedin
suchcases.Thesesimplemodelsaregovernedbyonlyafewparameterscontrollingthearrivalandspreadoffires.With
appropriatechoiceofparameters,theycanreproducekeyattributesofrealfireregimes,suchasfirefrequencyandmean
size,andsomeaspectsoffiresuppression.Inthistalk,wefirstoutlinehowtheseprocessesarerepresentedinthe
percolationsimulationframework,andshowhowthesimulationmodelparameterscanbederivedfromstatistical
modelsofobservationaldata.Wethenintroduceanddemonstrateafullyautomatedprocedurethatcanestimatethese
statisticalmodelparametersforanyregioninCanadausinghistoricalrecordsoffiremanagementagenciespublishedby
theCanadianForestService.ThisprocedureisimplementedintheRSpaDES(SpatialDiscreteEventSimulation).We
outlinetheimplementationandillustratethisapplicationasanexampleofthetightconnection,affordedbySpaDES,
betweendata,statisticalmodelestimation,andspatialsimulation.
Keywords:Forest,Modeling,Disturbance,Fire.
Sticklebackecologyandevolution
MONDAY10:30,ROOM:SAANICH
Diet specialization in threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) in response to
lake physical characteristics and the presence of signal crayfish (Pacificasticus
leniusculus)
DOUGLASCURLEY,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY,[email protected]
STEVENVAMOSI,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY
Threespinestickleback(Gasterosteusaculeatus)havebeenthesubjectofnumerousevolutionarystudiesduetotheir
relativelyrecent(approx.13000yearsago)colonizationofVancouverIslandlakesandsubsequentadaptiveradiation.
Thisstudyinvestigatesthefactorsthatinfluencedietofpopulationsinlakesthatdonothavespeciespairs,whicharean
importantbutunderstudiedcomponentofthesticklebackradiation.Previousstudieshavefoundanassociationbetween
dietandmorphology,andalsobetweenmorphologyandhabitatuse,withinpopulations.Theseobservationssuggestthat
differencesinhabitatuseandsubsequentpreyavailabilitymayplayaroleindrivingmorphologicaldiversification.This
studyseekstodeterminehowdifferencesinphysicalcharacteristicsoflakes,includingaveragedepth,perimeter,and
amountoflittoralarea,affectthedietofthreespinestickleback.Inaddition,thisstudyinvestigatestheextenttowhichthe
presenceoftheintroducedspecies,thesignalcrayfish(Pacifasticusleniusculus)mayinfluencedietinstickleback
populations.NinefreshwaterpopulationsofsticklebackweresampledfromcoastallakesinsouthwesternBritish
Columbia.40fishweresampledfromeachlake.Stomachcontentsofthesefishhavebeenanalyzedusingtraditional
visualmethods,aswellasthroughDNAbarcodingtoidentifypreyitems.Thelakessampledvaryindepthandproportion
oflittoralarea,aswellaspresence/absenceofcrayfish.Theseparametershavebeenquantifiedusingexisting
bathymetricmaps.Presenceofcrayfishhasbeenestablishedthroughliteratureandfieldobservations.Ongoinganalysis
aimstodeterminehowproportionoflimneticpreyvarieswiththesefactors.
Keywords:Habitatselection,Foraging,Fish,Predation.
Aquaticecology
TUESDAY14:15,ROOM:VIEWROYAL
National and regional scale patterns of benthic insect beta-diversity in Canadian
rivers
COLINJ.CURRY,UNIVERSITYOFNEWBRUNSWICK,[email protected]
DONALDJ.BAIRD,UNIVERSITYOFNEWBRUNSWICK;WENDYA.MONK,UNIVERSITYOFNEWBRUNSWICK
Isbeta-diversityastablepropertyofriverineecosystems,ordoesitvaryalongmajorspatialandenvironmental
gradients?Incontrasttotaxonrichness,empiricalrelationshipsbetweenbeta-diversityandgeographicgradients(e.g.
latitude,elevation)arepoorlydescribed.Weanalysed3,000consistentlyobservedbenthicinsectsamplesfromthe
CanadianAquaticBiomonitoringNetwork(CABIN)databasetodescribepatternsofalphaandbeta-diversityatnational
andregionalscales.Wesoughttotestthreenullhypotheses:1)Thatbeta-diversitywouldnotvaryamongdrainages;2)
Thatbeta-diversitywouldnotdifferbetweenheadwaterandmainstemsites;3)Thatbeta-diversitywouldnotvaryalong
latitudinalandelevationgradients.Werejectthefirstnullhypothesis;beta-diversity(measuredastheaveragedistance
tospatialmedianinmultivariatespace)differedamongbothmajordrainagesandsub-drainages,thoughsomeofthis
variationlikelyreflectsvariablesamplingeffort.Wedidnotrejectthesecondnullhypothesis;beta-diversitydidnotdiffer
appreciablybetweenheadwaterandmainstemsitesinmostcatchments.Werejectedthethirdnullhypothesis;betadiversitydoesvaryalongmajorenvironmentalgradients,particularlylatitude,thoughagainthismayreflectvariable
samplingeffort.Assessingtheimpactsofanthropogenicactivityonbiodiversityatlargespatialscalesmaybefacilitated
bymeasuringbeta-diversity.However,caremustbetakentounderstandhowobservedbeta-diversityisaffectedby
samplingdesignandkeyspatialgradients.
Keywords:Insects,Freshwater,Betadiversity,Environmentalvariation.
SeagrassecologyandconservationalongPacificandAtlanticcoastssymposium
TUESDAY11:45,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Effects of multiple disturbances/stresses on eelgrass epifaunal communities
MATHIEUCUSSON,UNIVERSITÉDUQUÉBECCHICOUTIMI,[email protected]
STEPHANIECIMON,UNIVERSITÉDUQUÉBECCHICOUTIMI
Manyecosystemsarefacingenvironmentalchangesandanthropogenicpressuresthatmayaffectcommunitiesintermsof
bothstructureand/orfunction.Disturbancesandstressesarecommonlyco-occurringinnature,howevertheinteraction
betweenthemisgenerallyconsideredadditivewithoutknowingthetrueinsitueffects.Wereportresultsfromseveral
experimentsthatusedvariousstresses/disturbanceswithinZosteramarinabedcommunity(sedimentenrichment
throughslownutrientdiffusers;lightreductionthroughshading,densityreduction,grazerreduction,sandcover,
proximitytoedges).Theresultsareexpressedusingvariousresponsesinbothunivariate(diversityindices)and
multivariate(communitystructure)averagesandvariances.Amongotherinterestingcommunityresponses,weobserved
thatdensityreductionincreaseddiversityindices(pergofZostera)andaffectedcommunitystructureintime.Epifaunal
communitystructurewasmoredispersedontheedgeoftheZosterabed.Antagonisticeffectswereobservedwhentwo
disturbances/stresseswereappliedtocommunityrichnessandevenness.Additiveandantagonisticeffectswere
observedforeelgrassgrowthwhenshadinganddensityreductionoccurred,andforplantdensitywhenshadingand
enrichmentoccurred.Theresultshighlighttheneedoftheinclusionofmultipledisturbancesandstressesinfield
experimentsinordertoassesstheirpotentialinteractiveeffects,whichwillthenhelpdisentanglethemechanisms
structuringcommunitiesfollowingdisturbances.
Livingintheeco-evolutionarytheatre:researchguidedandinspiredbyintensivefieldobservationssymposium
TUESDAY16:00,ROOM:THEATRE
Emergent properties from a fledgling project with long-term vision: Bear-salmonhuman systems in coastal British Columbia
CHRISDARIMONT,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
Canadianprotectedareasinachangingclimate:Across-ecosystemapproachsymposium
TUESDAY14:15,ROOM:SAANICH
Integrating climate risk and refuge into data-driven portfolios of protected areas
EMILYDARLING,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTOANDWILDLIFECONSERVATIONSOCIETYCANADA,[email protected]
JOSEPHMAINA,MACQUARIEUNIVERSITY;TIMMCCLANAHAN,WILDLIFECONSERVATIONSOCIETY;MARTINKRKOSEK,UNIVERSITYOF
TORONTO;MARIE-JOSEFORTIN,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO
ClimatechangeisanunprecedentedthreattoCanadianecosystems.Urgently,innovativesolutionsareneededtoidentify
portfoliosofconservationinvestmentsthatcanbeappropriatelymatchedtopredictionsofclimateriskandrefuge.Here,
wepresentaconceptualframeworkofprotectedareaportfoliosthatexplicitlyincorporateclimatechange,andacase
studyexamplefromathreatenedmarineecosystem:tropicalcoralreefs.WeuseacollaborativedatasetofIndo-Pacific
coralcommunitiestoidentifydata-drivenportfoliosofconservationactionsacrossgradientsofbiodiversityandclimate
exposure.Theseportfoliosidentifyprioritylocationsforconservationunderdifferentscenariosofclimateriskandrefuge,
suchasmarinereservesthatcanbeprioritizedtoareasofhighbiodiversitywithinclimaterefuges,orlocationsthat
requireeconomicreliefandreorganizationwithlowbiodiversityandintensifyingclimateexposure.Wealsoconsider
howecologicalconnectivityandrealisticnon-linearpopulationdynamicscanbeincorporatedintofutureportfoliodesign,
andwherefunctioningsteppingstoneinvestmentscanstrengthenlargernetworksofconservationactions.Overall,we
showthatdata-drivenframeworkstointegratebiodiversity,climateexposureandconnectivityacrossmultiplescalescan
provideinnovativedecisiontoolsfordesigningclimate-smartconservationforCanadianprotectedareas.
Anthropogenicinfluencesonhabitatselection
TUESDAY15:30,ROOM:SAANICH
Anthropogenic disturbance affects energetic trade-offs with predation risk in whitetailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
SIOBHANDARLINGTON,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
JASONT.FISHER,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,INNOTECHALBERTA;COLEBURTON,INNOTECHALBERTA,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISH
COLUMBIA;JOHNVOLPE,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA
InrecentdecadesCanada’snorthernborealforestshavebeensubjecttoexpansiveenergydevelopmentandrising
temperaturesthathaveallowedcertainspeciestoexpandtheirnaturalranges.Normallylimitedbylowqualityforagein
coniferstandsandseverewinterconditions,white-taileddeerarenowoneofthemostpervasiveungulatesinthis
ecosystem.Theroleofindustrialdisturbanceinmaintainingdeerpopulationsacrossseasonsisnotwellunderstood.
Predatoravoidancebehaviourandtheexploitationofearlysuccessionalforageinclear-cutareasmayactasdriversin
habitatselectionforwhite-taileddeer.Toexaminethesespatialrelationshipsandenergetictrade-offsIusetelemetry
datafrom39femaledeeracrossthreeyears,relativeabundanceoffourtoppredators,andasuiteofanthropogenic
featurestodevelopseasonalResourceSelectionFunctions(RSFs).Preliminaryresultsinthewintermodelsshowstrong
selectionofcutblocks,wellsites,roads,andseismiclinesandavoidanceof3Dseismiclinesbydeer.Inturn,deerappear
tobeselectinghabitathighlycorrelatedwithwolfrelativeabundance.Understandinghowdeersurviveharshwinters,
wheretheygo,andhowtheyinteractwithpredatorswillprovideinsightintothecausesandimplicationsofwhite-tailed
deerexpansionandinformcurrentindustrymanagementpractices.
Keywords:Predation,Mammals,Disturbance,Habitatselection,Foraging.
Marineecology
TUESDAY15:45,ROOM:SIDNEY
Global marine protected areas to prevent extinctions
LINDSAYN.K.DAVIDSON,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
NICHOLASK.DULVY,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY
Onegoalofmarineprotectedareas(MPAs)istoensuretheyrepresentabreadthoftaxonomicbiodiversity.Ensuring
representationofspeciesinMPAs,however,wouldrequireprotectingvastareasoftheglobaloceansanddoesnot
explicitlyprioritizespeciesofconservationconcern.Whenthreatenedspeciesareconsidered,arecentstudyfoundthat
onlyasmallfractionoftheirgeographicrangesarewithinMPAs.Whichglobalmarineareas,andwhatconservation
actionsbeyondMPAscouldbeprioritizedtopreventmarineextinctions(CBDAichiTarget12),remainsunknown.Here,
weusesystematicconservationplanningapproachestoprioritizeconservationactionsforsharks,rays,andchimaeras
(ClassChondrichthyans).Weusechondrichthyansastheyhavethehighestproportionofthreatenedspeciesofany
marineClass.WefindthatexpandingtheMPAnetworkby3%in70nationswouldcoverhalfofthegeographicrangeof
99imperilledendemicchondrichthyans.Ourhotspotanalysisrevealsjust12nationsharbouroverhalf(53)ofthe
imperilledendemics.Fourofthesehotspotnationsarewithinthetoptenchondrichthyanfishingnationsintheworldbut
areyettoimplementbasicchondrichthyanfisheriesmanagement.Giventheirgeopoliticalrealities,conservationaction
forsomecountrieswillrequirereliefandreorganizationtoenablesustainablefisheriesandspeciesprotection.
Keywords:Marine,Spatialplanning,Management,Area-basedtarget,Speciesdistribution,Global.
Museumcollectionssymposium
MONDAY10:45,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Reconciling phenological observations with flowering records in herbaria
JONATHANDAVIES,MCGILLUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
WILLIAMD.PEARSE,UTAHSTATEUNIVERSITY
Datafromherbariacanvastlyexpandthetemporal,spatial,andphylogeneticscopeatwhichwecanstudyecologicaland
evolutionaryresponsestoglobalchange.However,thetechnicalandstatisticalchallengesinusingsuchdataare
significant.Collectionrecordsareheavilybiasedbysamplingpractices,withdifferentspeciesanddifferentregionshaving
unequalrepresentation.Inaddition,modellingthetimingofaphenologicalevent,suchasfirstflowerorleaf-out,which
maybeparticularlysensitivetoclimatechange,isimmenselydifficultforsparselysampleddata.Hereweaddressthislast
challenge,whichwesuggestisanalogoustotheinfamousGermantankproblem:duringWorldWarII,Alliedintelligence
wantedtoestimatethenumberofGermantanks,butonlyhadaccesstothesequentialserialnumbersofobserved
(defeated)tanks.Likeestimatingwhenaspeciesfirstbloomed,thisisbutoneinstanceofamoregeneralproblem:howto
determinetheabsolutelimitofadistribution.Weshowhowthisproblemcanbecircumventedusingsamplingtheory
moreusuallyemployedtodeterminethedateaspecieswentextinct.Wethendemonstratethatsuchmethodscanresolve
anongoingdebateabouttherelativetimingsoftheonsetandcessationofflowering,andallowustoreliablycombine
modernobservationswiththevastwealthofhistoricaldatathatresideinherbaria,museumcollections,andwritten
records.
Forestecology
WEDNESDAY10:45,ROOM:WCOAST
Post-fire soil fungal communities and ecosystem function in Canada’s boreal forest
NICOLAJ.DAY,WILFRIDLAURIERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
KARIDUNFIELD,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH;XANTHEWALKER,NORTHERNARIZONAUNIVERSITY;STEVECUMMING,UNIVERSITÉLAVAL;JILL
JOHNSTONE,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN;MICHELLEMACK,NORTHERNARIZONAUNIVERSITY;MERRITTTURETSKY,UNIVERSITYOF
GUELPH;JENNIFERBALTZER,WILFRIDLAURIERUNIVERSITY
FireisthedominantdisturbanceinborealforestsandclimatechangeiscausingincreasedwildfireactivityintheNorth.
Evidenceshowsthesealteredfireregimescouldleadtosustainedchangesinforeststructurefromconiferous-to
deciduous-dominatedsystems.Littleisknownaboutconcurrentchangesinsoilfungalcommunities,whichhavespeciesspecificeffectsonplantgrowthanddecomposition,drivingplantcommunitystructureandnutrientcycling.Heatresistantfungi(HRF)maybecomeincreasinglyimportantforecosystemprocessespost-fire.However,theiridentities,
abundance,oreffectsonplantsareunknown.Arecord3.4MhaofborealforestburnedinwildfiresinCanada’sNorthwest
Territoriesin2014.In2015,weinvestigatedpost-firesoilfungalcommunitiesacrossalandscapeofvaryingburn
severitiesandforesttypestotesttwohypotheses:(1)Fireseverityisamajordriverofsoilfungalcommunitystructure;
(2)HRFareabundantpost-fireandhavespecies-specificeffectsonseedlinggrowthanddecomposition.WeusedIllumina
sequencingtoidentifysoilfungaltaxafrom49sitesandrelatecompositiontofireseverity,vegetation,andenvironmental
conditions.WeculturedHRFtoassesstheirecologicalroleswithdominantconiferousanddeciduoustreespeciesin
controlledexperiments.Resultsshowthatmanyfungaltaxawerepresentafterthesefires.Fromatotalof29,606,678
sequencesweidentified4,181fungaloperationaltaxonomicunits(97%similarity,ITS1),includingectomycorrhizas.
SeventaxonomicallyuniqueHRFdemonstratedcriticalrolesasplant-growthpromotersanddecomposersthatmay
impactpost-fireforeststructureandnutrientcycling.Wewillsynthesisetheseresultsinthecontextofpost-fire
ecosystemfunction.
Keywords:Ecosystemfunction,Fire,Fungus,Genomicsequencing,Boreal.
Birdmigration
TUESDAY09:15,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Sex differences in migratory restlessness of black-throated blue warblers during
spring migration
JESSICADEAKIN,WESTERNUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
YOLANDAMORBEY,WESTERNUNIVERSITY;CHRISTOPHERGUGLIELMO,WESTERNUNIVERSITY
Nocturnallymigratingbirdsheldincaptivitywilldisplaylocomotoractivityatnightduringthemigrationperiods
(migratoryrestlessness),withtheonsetreflectingthedepartureformigrationandtheintensityreflectingthedistance
flowninwildconspecifics.Protandryisasex-biasedtimingpatternseeninmostmigratorysongbirdswherebymales
arrivetobreedingsitesbeforefemales.Thebehaviouralmechanismsthatunderlieprotandryremainlargelyunknownfor
mostmigratoryspecies.Here,wetestedthehypothesisthatmaleblack-throatedbluewarblershaveearlieronsetand
greaterintensityofmigratoryrestlessnessthanfemalesbyusingNoldusvideoanalysissoftwaretoquantifynocturnal
behaviourinthespringofbirdsheldoverwinter.Malesandfemaleshadsimilaronsetofmigratoryrestlessnessbutmales
hadgreaterintensity,representedasmeantotalactivitypernight.Thissuggeststhatdistanceflownmaybeamore
importantdriverofprotandrythantimingofdepartureinthisspecies.
Keywords:Birds,Migration,Protandry,Behaviourecology.
Phylogenetics
MONDAY08:30,ROOM:WCOAST
Phylogeography of Oreohelix land snails in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan
ZACHDEMPSEY,UNIVERSITYOFLETHBRIDGE,[email protected]
CAMERONGOATER,UNIVERSITYOFLETHBRIDGE;THERESABURG,UNIVERSITYOFLETHBRIDGE
Peripatry,orspeciationofperipheralisolates,isoftenaconsequenceoflowspeciesvagilityandisolatedhabitat
fragments.Theseeffectsareparticularlypronouncedinterrestrialsnails,andremainunderstudiedinNorthAmerican
species.OurprimaryobjectiveistoexaminephylogeographicpatternsofterrestrialsnailsinthegenusOreohelixfrom
CypressHillsInterprovincialPark(CHIP,n=34sites)andtheRockyMountains(RM,n=17).WeusedacombinationofCOI
mitochondrialDNAandITSnuclearDNAdatatodeterminethefactorsinfluencingtheircurrentdistribution.Ourdata
demonstratedtheexistenceoffourmitochondrialclades,oneofwhichisO.cooperi,araresnailfoundonlyintwosky
islands.TheotherthreebelongtothespeciescomplexO.subrudis,whichiswidespreadthroughoutRMandskyislandsof
theU.S.TheO.coopericladecontainedsmall-bodiedsnailsfoundexclusivelyonscreeslopesinCHIP.Thelushaspen
slopesofCHIParesharedbetweentwooftheotherclades,oneofwhichisrestrictedtothenorthwesterncornerofCHIP.
Thisphylogeographicpatternlikelyreflectsreproductiveisolationduringthelastglacialmaximum,followedby
secondarycontactduetoperipatricpassivelongrangedispersaltoCHIP.Theseresultsreflectthelowsnailvagility,local
adaptation,andthecomplexglacialhistoryoftheseregions.
Keywords:Invertebrates,Evolution,Phylogeography,Adaptation,Isolation,Reproductiveisolation.
Invasivespecies
TUESDAY15:45,ROOM:VIEWROYAL
New house, new rules: Life-history strategies can enhance invasion success of
introduced species
DANIELLEDENLEY,DALHOUSIEUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
ANNAMETAXAS,DALHOUSIEUNIVERSITY
Variationinlife-historystrategiescanalterpopulationdynamicsofnon-indigenousspeciesoutsideoftheirnative
habitats,leadingtopotentiallysignificantandunforeseeneffectsoninvasivepotential.Membraniporamembranaceaisan
encrustingbryozoanthatisnativetothePacificcoastofNorthAmericaandanecologicallysignificantinvasivespeciesin
thenorthwestAtlantic:ithasfacilitatedadramaticdeclineinkelpbedecosystemsfromtheGulfofMainetothe
southwesterncoastofNovaScotia.Life-historycharacteristicsofM.membranaceainNovaScotiadifferfromthoseof
nativepopulations,likelyduetoacombinationofdifferencesinthephysical(temperature)andbiological(predation,
competition,availablesubstrate)characteristicsbetweennativeandinvadedecosystems.Inthistalk,Ipresent
quantitativedataoncriticaldemographicratesandlife-historyprocessesforinvasivepopulationsofM.membranacea,
withafocusonkeylife-historystrategiesthatcontributedtotheinvasionsuccessofM.membranacea.Ifurther
demonstratehowthesedatacanbeincorporatedintopopulationmodelstopredictthepersistenceandspreadofM.
membranaceainthenorthwestAtlanticunderprojectedscenariosofincreasingtemperatureandshiftsinalgal
communitystructure.TherapidestablishmentandpersistenceofM.membranaceainthenorthwestAtlanticunderscores
theneedtoquantifypopulationdynamicsofnon-indigenousspecieswithininvadedecosystemstoaccuratelypredictthe
long-termconsequencesoftheinvasion.
Keywords:Invasion,Populationdynamics,Marine,Bryozoan,Environmentalvariation.
Selection
MONDAY14:45,ROOM:WCOAST
Survival by genotype: Patterns at Mc1r are not black and white at the White Sands
ecotone
SIMONEDESROCHES,UCSANTACRUZ,[email protected]
RACHELSOLLMANN,UNIVERSITYOFCALIFORNIADAVIS;KCALHOUN,UNIVERSITYOFCALIFORNIABERKELEY;ANDREWP.ROTHSTEIN,
UNIVERSITYOFCALIFORNIABERKELEY;ERICAB.ROSENBLUM,UNIVERSITYOFCALIFORNIABERKELEY
Measuringlinksamonggenotype,phenotypeandsurvivalinthewildhaslongbeenafocusofstudiesofadaptation.We
conducteda4-yearcapture-recapturestudytomeasuresurvivalbygenotypeandphenotypeinthesouthwesternfence
lizard(Sceloporuscowlesi)attheWhiteSandsecotone(transitionareabetweenwhitesandsanddarksoilhabitats).We
reportseveralunanticipatedfindings.First,incontrastwithpreviousworkshowingthatcrypticblanchedcolorationinS.
cowlesifromtheheartofthedunesisassociatedwithmutationsinthemelanocortin-1receptorgene(Mc1r),ecotonalS.
cowlesishowedminimalassociationbetweencolourphenotypeandMc1rgenotype.Second,thefrequencyofthederived
Mc1ralleleinecotonalS.cowlesiappearedtodecreaseovertime.Third,ourcapture-capturedatarevealedalower
survivalrateforS.cowlesiindividualswiththederivedMc1rallele.Thus,ourresultssuggestthatselectionattheecotone
mayhavefavouredthewild-typealleleinrecentyears.Eveninasystemwhereagenotype-phenotypeassociation
appearedtobeblackandwhite,ourstudysuggeststhatadditionalfactors,includingphenotypicplasticity,epistasis,
pleiotropyandgeneflowmayplayimportantrolesattheWhiteSandsecotone.Ourstudyhighlightstheimportanceof
linkingmolecular,genomicandorganismalapproachesforunderstandingadaptationinthewild.Furthermore,our
findingsindicatethatdynamicsofnaturalselectioncanbeparticularlycomplexintransitionalhabitatslikeecotonesand
emphasizetheneedforfutureresearchthatexaminesthepatternsofongoingselectioninotherecologicalgreyzones.
Keywords:Populationgenetics,Adaptation,Capture-recapture(SCR),Reptiles,Phenotypicvariation.
Policyandplanning
MONDAY15:30,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Taking the path of least resistance: how conservation science got left behind in the
design of the largest Canadian marine protected area
RODOLPHEDEVILLERS,MEMORIALUNIVERSITYOFNEWFOUNDLAND,[email protected]
MANUELMUNTONI,MEMORIALUNIVERSITYOFNEWFOUNDLAND;MARIANOKOEN-ALONSO,NEWFOUNDLANDANDLABRADOR
Manycountriesareworkingonincreasingtheirprotectedareanetworksformeetinginternationalcommitmentssetby
theAichiconvention.Canadaischallengedtobringitsmarineprotectionfrom1%to10%ofitsterritorialwatersinless
than3years.Ourstudylookedattherolescienceandstakeholdersplayedinthedesignofwhatshouldbecomethe
largestCanadianmarineprotectedarea(MPA),theLaurentianChannel(LC).Outof11EcologicallyandBiologically
SignificantAreas(EBSAs)identified,theLCwasselectedin2010asanareaofinterest(AOI)forafutureMPAduetoits
broaderacceptancebystakeholders(e.g.fisheriesandoilandgasindustries).TheLCAOIboundarieswerethenreduced
severaltimesuntil2014toaccommodateadditionalpoliticalandeconomicconstraints.Outof16speciesoriginally
identifiedasconservationpriorities,10wereremovedby2012,includingtwocommercialspecies,Atlanticcodand
redfish.Weanalyzedandcomparedtheconservationandeconomicimpactsofeachareaboundarymodificationusing
landedvaluesandbiologicaldataforsixspeciesinitiallyidentifiedasconservationpriorities,includingtwothatwere
droppedaspartoftheprocess.ResultsshowthatthetotalAOIsizereductionof33.4%allowedreducingtheeconomic
impactonfisheriesby65.5%butledtodecreasesinprotectionofthespeciesthatremainedasconservationprioritiesup
to43%.NoscientificassessmentoftheareareductionimpactontheLCAOIconservationvaluewasconducted,raising
questionsonthepotentialeffectivenessofthisfutureMPA.
Keywords:Marine,Conservationpractitioners,Spatialplanning,Reservedesign,Area-basedtarget,Protectedareas.
Populationdynamics
TUESDAY08:45,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Climate change effects on the predator-prey relationship between polar bears and
common eider seaducks
CODYDEY,GREATLAKESINSTITUTEFORENVIRONMENTALRESEARCH,UNIVERSITYOFWINDSOR,[email protected]
EVANRICHARDSON,ENVIRONMENTANDCLIMATECHANGECANADA,SCIENCEANDTECHNOLOGY;DAVIDMCGEACHY,ENVIRONMENT
ANDCLIMATECHANGECANADA,SCIENCEANDTECHNOLOGY;SAMUELA.IVERSON,ENVIRONMENTANDCLIMATECHANGECANADA,
CANADIANWILDLIFESERVICE;HUGHG.GILCHRIST,ENVIRONMENTANDCLIMATECHANGECANADA,SCIENCEANDTECHNOLOGY;
CHRISTINAA.D.SEMENIUK,GREATLAKESINSTITUTEFORENVIRONMENTALRESEARCH,UNIVERSITYOFWINDSOR
ClimatechangeisleadingtothelossofArcticsea-ice,andincreasesinpolarbearpredationofseabirdnests.Howthis
changingpredator-preyrelationshipwillimpactpolarbearandseabirdpopulationsisunclear,althoughsomeauthors
havearguedthatconsumptionofterrestrialfoodscouldmitigatelossesinice-basedhuntingopportunitiesforpolar
bears.Weuseddatafromfieldstudiestodevelopanagent-basedmodeloftherelationshipbetweenpolarbearsand
commoneiderseaducks,anabundant,andculturallyimportantseabirdintheCanadianArctic.Ourmodelsuggeststhat
polarbearpredationofcommoneidernestswillaccelerateassea-icecontinuestodecline.Additionally,ourmodel
suggeststhatpolarbearpredationwillhavenegativeconsequencesforeiderpopulationsize,andwillleadtochangesin
eiderspatialecology.Finally,ourmodelshowsthatincreasednestpredationwillnotenergeticallycompensatepolar
bearsforthelossofice-basedhuntingopportunities.
Keywords:Largecarnivores,Polarbears,Climatechange,Predation,Seabirds,Simulationmodel,Arctic.
Usingexperimentalevolutiontorevealtheeco-evolutionaryimpactsofglobalchangesymposium
WEDNESDAY08:15,ROOM:THEATRE
Fisheries-induced evolution: Insights from experimental populations of guppies
BEATRIZDIAZPAULI,UNIVERSITYOFOSLO,UPMCUNIV,UNIVERSITYOFBERGEN,[email protected]
DIEPMACHELLERTSEN,UNIVERSITYOFBERGEN;HEIKKISAVOLAINEN,UNIVERSITYOFBERGEN;IRINASMOLINA,NORDUNIVERSITY;
GALICEHOARAU,NORDUNIVERSITY;DAVIDREZNICK,UNIVERSITYOFCALIFORNIARIVERSIDE;ANNECHRISTINEUTNE-PALM,INSTITUTE
OFMARINERESEARCH,BERGEN;MIKKOHEINO,UNIVERSITYOFBERGEN,INSTITUTEOFMARINERESEARCH,BERGEN,INTERNATIONAL
INSTITUTEFORAPPLIEDSYSTEMSANALYSISLAXENBURG
Exploitationbyfisherieshasbeenlikenedtoalarge-scaleexperimentonlife-historyevolution,whereincreasedmortality
favourshighfecundityandearlymaturation.However,obtainingevidenceforexploitation-inducedevolutioninwild
populationsremainsachallenge.Wedevelopedanexperimentalevolutionstudytobetterunderstandtheeffectsof
human-inducedsize-selectiononfishpopulation,usingtheguppy(Poeciliareticulata)asmodelspecies.Ourapproachnot
onlyallowstestinglife-historytheorypredictions,butstudyingtheevolutionofothercorrelatedtraitsandtheeffectsof
selectionatthegenomiclevel.Wecomparedthreedifferentfishingregimes:1)positivesize-selectiveharvest,where
individualslargerthanaminimumsize(16mm)werekilled,mimickingacommercialfishery,2)negativesize-selective
harvestconsistedofremovingindividualssmallerthan16mmand3)insize-independentharvestbothlargeandsmall
individualswerekilled,inexperimentalself-renewingpopulationswithoverlappinggenerations,whereecological
feedbacks,naturalandsexualselectionwereallowed.After3.1years(4.3generationsonaverage)ofselectiveharvestwe
observedareductionofthelengthatmaturationinpositivelyharvestedpopulations,bothphenotypicandgenetic(based
oncommongardenexperiments).Inaddition,positivelyharvestedpopulationsshowedamoretimidbehaviour,more
colourationandadifferentgenomicresponse(basedonddRADsequencingandtargetedre-sequencing)comparedto
otherfishingregimes.
Keywords:Fish,Fisheries,Morphology,Experiment,Selection,Evolution.
Forestecology
WEDNESDAY11:00,ROOM:WCOAST
Changes in soil carbon stock quantity and stability in response to wildfire events in
the southern boreal forest
CATHERINEM.DIELEMAN,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH,[email protected]
BRENDANM.ROGERS,WOODSHOLERESEARCHCENTER;SANDERSVERAVERBEKE,UNIVERSITYOFAMSTERDAM;MERRITTR.TURETSKY,
UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH
Borealforestssequesterlargeamountsofcarbonintheirsoils,whichareexpectedtobecomemorevulnerableto
disturbancesuchaswildfireincomingdecades.Expectedchangesinfireregimesincludeincreasesinthelengthofthe
fireseason,firefrequencyandfireseverity.In2015,Saskatchewanexperiencedoneofthelargestfireseasonsonrecord,
withanunusuallyhighpercentageofthelandburnedclassifiedasreburnevents,havingveryshortfire-freeperiod.As
partofaNASA-fundedremotesensingstudytoquantifythecumulativeeffectsofborealfireonradiativeforcing
(emissions,albedo,etc.),wequantifieddifferencesinsoilcarbonstocksandsoilorganicmatterqualityin~50burned
standsversus~30mature(unburned)stands.Ineachstand,wequantifieddominantplantspecies,standage,and
moistureclass.Organicsoildepth,bulkdensity,soilmoisture,andsoilpercentcarbonwasquantifiedalong30m
transects.Soilsfromasubsetofsamplesites(n=35)wereincludedinalong-termincubationstudytoquantifypotential
CO2productionratesandmineralizationratesoflabileversuspassivesoilCpools.Whiledecreasesinthefire-freeperiod
reducesthetotalstockofcarbonintheorganiclayer,ourpreliminaryresultsindicatethatmorefrequentfireeventsmay
infactbolstersurfacesoilorganicmatterstability,inhibitingpost-fireecosystemcarbonlossesviadecomposition.Such
findingsallowustobetteranticipatetheeffectsoffuturewildfireeventsonborealforestcarbonstocks,andtheir
potentialpositiveforcingeffectsonclimatechange.
Keywords:Boreal,Fire,Carbonstorage,Disturbance.
Plasticsintheenvironment
MONDAY16:00,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Determining the efficacy of depurating microplastics from Pacific oysters
(Crassostrea gigas)
MAGGIEM.DIETTERLE,VANCOUVERISLANDUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
Duetothelargeamountofplasticpollutants,namelymicroplastics,presentinthemarineenvironmentthereisincrease
concernforaccumulationofplasticsinshellfishboundforhumanconsumption.Asopposedtootherseafoodtrades,
wheretheintestinaltractsareremovedbeforeingestion,filter-feedingshellfishareofgreaterconcernformicroplastic
consumptionbyhumansastheentireorganismisingested.Depurationisaprocessthatutilizesthefilterfeedinggastrophysiologicalfunctionsofbivalves,suchasPacificoysters(Crassostreagigas),alongwithcleanseawatertoremove
microbes,virusesandbacteriafromtheshellfish.Depurationisacommonprocessusedbytheshellfishindustryfor
removalofbacteria,microbesandviruses,butitsuseformicroplasticremovalisunknown.Here,weinvestigatethe
potentialfordepurationtoremovemicroplasticsfromPacificoystersover1,3,5,10,25and50days.Experimentalset-up
included10experimentaltanksprovidedwithafilteredflow-throughseawatersystemtoreduceenvironmental
contamination.Preliminaryresultssuggestthatadepurationperiodof5daysiseffectiveforremovingmicroplasticsfrom
Pacificoysters.However,thedifficultyandcostofmaintainingacleanwaterfiltrationsystemmaylimittheutilityof
depurationformicroplasticsinindustrysettings.
Keywords:Experiment,Marine,Shellfish,Microplastic,Depuration.
Socialsystems
MONDAY15:30,ROOM:THEATRE
Exploring the evolution of eusociality in a primitively eusocial paper wasp using
population genomics
KATHLEENDOGANTZIS,YORKUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
AMYTOTH,YORKUNIVERSITY;AMROZAYED,IOWASTATEUNIVERSITY
Eusocialityisamajorevolutionarytransitionthatindependentlyevolvedseveraltimesininsectsandisdefinedbythree
maincharacteristics:overlappinggenerations,cooperativebroodcare,andreproductivedivisionoflabour.Whilemuchis
knownabouteusocialbehaviour,themechanismsunderlyingitsevolutionarenotwellunderstood.Populationgenomic
analysisofeusocialspeciesprovidesanopportunitytoobjectivelyassesssignificantgenomicchangesandidentifykey
genegroupsassociatedwithsocialevolution.Suchstudieshavebeencarriedoutincorbiculatebees,buthavenotbeen
conductedoutsideofthisgroup.Here,wecarriedoutapopulationgenomicstudyoftheprimitivelyeusocialwasp
Polistes.WesequencedseveralPolistesdominulagenomes,alongwithacloselyrelatedspecies,tomapoutpatternsof
adaptiveevolutioninthegenus.Weaskediftaxonomicallyrestrictedgenes,andworker-biasedgeneswereenrichedfor
signaturesofadaptiveevolution,likepreviouslyfoundinthehoneybee.Ourresultsindicatednosignificantdifferencein
thestrengthofpositiveselectiononnovelrelativetoconservedgenes,whilecastebiasedgenesassociatedwithqueen
traitsshowedmarginalenrichmentforpositiveselection.Ourresultsareconsistentwiththehypothesisthatnovelgenes
aremostlyimportantwithgeneratingthehighlyderivedphenotypesfoundinadvancedeusocialinsects,suchashoney
bees,butqueensmayplayagreateradaptiveroleatthecolonylevelatearlierstagesofeusociality.
Keywords:Genomicsequencing,Socialbehavior,Invertebrates,Wasps,Evolution.
Museumcollectionssymposium
MONDAY10:30,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Elevation, crypsis, and community structure of neotropical arthropods
SARAHDOLSON,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH,[email protected]
ELYSSALOEWEN,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH;MEGANMCPHEE,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH;ELLENRICHARDS,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH;LAUREN
STITT,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH;DANIELH.JANZEN,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH;WINNIEHALLWACHS,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH;M.ALEX
SMITH,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH
Ourlabgroupisinterestedinhowarthropodcommunitiesareassembledalonggradientsofelevationanddisturbance.
Weincorporatebothphylogeneticandfunctionalmeasuresofdiversitytotrackhowecologicalcommunitieschangein
responsetothechangingabioticconditionsassociatedwithclimatechange.WeusestandardizedcollectionsandDNA
barcodesacrossanelevationgradientintheneotropicstoquantifydiversityandcommunitystructureforsomeofthe
mostabundantterrestrialarthropods(ants,beetles,spiders,springtails,andisopods).Itisonlythroughthecreationand
maintenanceofstandardisedandaccessiblenaturalhistorycollectionsthatwecanexploretheseconceptsinmultiple
taxa.Furthermore,makingdata(specimens,DNAsequences,imagesandlocalities)availablepriortopublicationallows
ourlabgroupandotherstoaskandanswerquestionsinthefutureregardinghowthesesystemsarechanging.This
transparencyinwhatwearestudyingisofcriticalimportancewhenmanyofthetaxainquestionarenotnamed.Since
scientificnamesprovideaccesstoourunderstandingofaspeciesandaframeworktopredictthefunctionalelementsof
thatspecies,lackingnamescriticallyimpedesconductingpredictiveandprocess-orientedbiodiversityscienceinthe
neotropicsamongstarthropods.OurworkistocatalyseourcollectionsviaDNAbarcodesandrapidmovementintothe
publicsothatwecanrapidlydocumentthespeciesthatliveinthishyperdiversearea.Weaimtomeasurephylogenetic
diversityandmeasuresoffunctionaldiversitybygathering/offering/extendingdataontheecology,lifehistorytraits,and
morphologicalvariableslinkedtospeciessurvivalinparticularabioticconditions.
Pollinationsystems
TUESDAY11:15,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Clonal growth increases outcross mating opportunities
MARCELE.DORKEN,TRENTUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
SAMANTHASTEPHENS,TRENTUNIVERSITY;MARKVANKLEUNEN,UNIVERSITYOFKONSTANZ
Clonalgrowthhaslongbeenthoughttoyieldincreasedselfingandreducedoutcrosssiringsuccessbyincreasingthe
likelihoodthatpollenwillbetransferredbetweenshoots(ramets)withintheclone(genet)insteadoftoothergenets.
Thesenegativeconsequencesofclonalexpansionhavebeenchallengedbyrecenttheoreticalandexperimentalwork
indicatingthatclonalgrowthmighthavetheoppositeeffect.Inparticular,thesestudieshaveshownthatclonalgrowth
shouldtendtoenhanceoutcrossmatingsuccessbyincreasingthenumberofnon-selframetsthatfallwithinaclone's
pollinationneighbourhood.Studiesfromnaturalpopulationsareneededtotestthisprediction.Tothisend,wemapped
andgenotypedallfloweringrametsfromanisolatedpopulationofSagittarialatifolia,ahighlyclonalemergentaquatic
plant.Wethensampledandgenotypedasingleseedfromeachfruitingramettomeasureselfingratesandexamine
patternsofpollendispersalandsiringsuccess.Ourresultssupportthepredictionthatincreasesinclonesizeshouldtend
toenhanceoutcrosssiringsuccess.
Keywords:Plants,Clonality,Genomicsequencing.
Coralreefecology
TUESDAY14:45,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Effects of shellfish farming on invertebrate and finfish communities
SARAHDUDAS,VANCOUVERISLANDUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
ROBERTBOURDON,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,VANCOUVERISLANDUNIVERSITY;BRENNACOLLICUTT,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,
VANCOUVERISLANDUNIVERSITY;KIERANCOX,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,VANCOUVERISLANDUNIVERSITY;FRANCISJUANES,UNIVERSITY
OFVICTORIA
Shellfishfarmingcanaltertheenvironmentinseveralways.Modificationsincludeplacementofdeepwaterraftsandlong
lines,intertidalanti-predatornettingandfencing,additionofgraveland/orshelltobeachsedimentandalterationofthe
speciesand/ordensityofshellfish.Theseactivitiesmayaffecthabitatavailability,complexityandsuitabilityforother
species.Inthisstudyweinvestigatedtheinfluenceshellfishfarmingonintertidalinvertebrateandfinfishdiversityand
abundance.Invertebratesandfinfishweresurveyedatthreepairedfarmed/un-farmedbeachesinBaynesSound.Habitat
complexityateachsitewasmeasuredusingaprofilegauge.Epifaunaandinfaunalinvertebratesweresurveyedusing
quadratsamplingtechniques,finfishweresampledusingmodifiedfykenetsandbeachseines(forjuvenilesalmonids
only).Averagehabitatcomplexitywas1.2Xgreateratshellfishfarms.Invertebratesurveysshowedgreaterepifaunal
speciesrichnessandahigherabundanceofnon-nativespeciesonshellfishfarms.Epifaunalandinfaunalabundanceand
infaunaldiversityvariedgreatlybetweensitesbutshowednocleardifferencesbetweenfarmedandun-farmedbeaches.
Finfishdiversity(e.g.speciesrichnessandfunctionaldiversity)andabundancedidnotdiffersignificantlybetweenfarmed
andun-farmedbeaches.Finfishcommunitiesalsoshowedahighdegreeoffunctionalredundancy.Thesefindingssuggest
thathabitatmodificationsassociatedwithshellfishfarmingmayhavegreatereffectsoninvertebratecommunitiesin
comparisontofinfish,whichmayinpartbeduetotheincreasedhabitatcomplexityonshellfishfarms.
Keywords:Aquaculture,Fish,Invertebrates,Marine,Disturbance,Habitatcomplexity.
SensoryandBehaviouralEcologySymposium
WEDNESDAY08:30,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Reconstructing ancient whale rhodopsin: Dim-light vision over a major
evolutionary transition
SARAHZ.DUNGAN,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO,[email protected]
BELINDAS.W.CHANG,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO
Cetaceansareextraordinarymammalsthathaveevolvedobligatorilyaquaticlifestyles,aniconicevolutionarytransition
thatwasaccompaniedbymanysensoryadaptations.Here,wepresenttheevolutionofrhodopsinacrossthecetacean
terrestrial-aquatictransition.Rhodopsinisthevisualpigmentthatmediatesdim-lightvision,anditsactivationbylight
constitutesthefirststepoftheeye'svisualtransductionpathway.First,weusedaminoacidandcodonmodelsto
reconstructtherhodopsingenesequencesoftheancestralcetacean,andthecommonancestorofcetaceansand
hippopotamids.Todeterminethefunctionalphenotypesoftheancestralrhodopsins,thereconstructedgeneswerethen
synthesizedandsubjectedtoverticalmutagenesisexperimentsandproteinexpressionassaysthatmeasurethespectral
tuningandkineticsofrhodopsin.Forthefirsttime,thehypothesisthatthecetaceanterrestrial-aquatictransition
coincidedwithablue-shiftinrhodopsinspectralsensitivityhasbeendirectlysupported.Ourresultsindicatea~14nm
blue-shiftoccurredontheancestralbranchseparatingcetaceansfromterrestrialrelatives,andisaccountedforbyjust
twoaminoacidsubstitutions.Nevertheless,ourresultsforrhodopsinkineticratessuggestextantcomparativesystems
cannotalwaysbereliablyusedtoinferancestralfunctionalshifts.Thesepatternsmayofferinsightintoenvironmental
andbehaviouralpressuresthatinfluencedancestralcetaceanvisualecology.Exploringgeneevolutionbycombining
computationalandexperimentalmethodsaddsanimportantdimensiontoourunderstandingofhowchangesatthe
nucleotidelevelinfluenceproteinfunction,particularlyinwaysthatarefunctionallyrelevant(andthusofadaptive
significance)toorganisms.
Exploringtherolesofmechanisticandphenomenologicalmodelsinecologysymposium
MONDAY10:45,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Mechanism versus phenomenology in models of insect outbreak
GREGDWYER,UNIVERSITYOFCHICAGO,[email protected]
Mathematicalmodelsusedtounderstandinsectoutbreaksareoftenusedtoextrapolatefromsmall-scalemechanismsto
large-scalephenomena,andthereforeprovideausefulalternativetothephenomenologicalmodelstypicallyusedin
conventionalstatisticalanalysesofinsectoutbreakdata.Extrapolatingacrossscalesissodifficult,however,that
ultimatelytheonlyfeasibleapproachistouseamixtureofmechanisticandphenomenologicalmodeling.Toillustratethis
point,IwilldiscusseffortsbymycolleaguesandItounderstandoutbreaksofthegypsymoth,Lymantriadispar,andthe
jackpinebudworm,Choristoneurapinus.Forthegypsymoth,wehaveenoughdatatousehighlymechanisticagent-based
models,butsometimesmorephenomenologicalmodelsaremoreuseful.Forthejackpinebudworm,ourdataare
sufficientlyscantythatwehaveinsteadreliedonmorephenomenologicalmodels,butthelackofmechanisminthe
modelshindersourunderstanding.Thetensionbetweenmechanismandphenomenologyappearstobeinevitable,butit
alsoseemsveryuseful
Geneticsofautoimmunity
TUESDAY16:45,ROOM:COLWOOD
Exploring the genetic basis of autoimmune disease through the differential
expression of foxp3 in zebrafish (Danio rerio) following an increase in dietary
sodium
RUSSELLEASY,ACADIAUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
LEAHMACLEAN,ACADIAUNIVERSITY
Autoimmunityexhibitsafemalebiaswhichisconsistentacrossmanydisordersincludingmultiplesclerosis(MS),
systemiclupuserythematous(SLE),andrheumatoidarthritis.However,muchoftheinterplaybetweenenvironment,
genderandautoimmunityisnotunderstood.FoxP3istheprimarytranscriptionfactorcontrollingthedevelopmentof
regulatoryTcells(Tregs)whichhelpcontroltheimmunesystemthroughsuppressiveeffects.Thisstudyaimstoevaluate
howanincreaseindietarysodiumaffectstheexpressionofzFoxp3.Additionally,thisstudyexaminesifzFoxP3is
differentiallyexpressedbetweenmalesandfemales.Fifty-twozebrafishwereseparatedintotestandcontrolgroupswith
eachgrouphavingequalnumbersofmaleandfemalefish.Followinganacclimationperiod,thedietofthetestfishwas
modifiedtoincludeaten-timesincreaseinsodiumconcentration.Onemaleandonefemalezebrafishweresampledat
time0asacontrol.Threemaleandthreefemalezebrafishfromeachgroupweresampledat1,2,4,and8weeksfollowing
theintroductionofthesodiumdiet.TotalRNAwasextractedfromgilltissue,followedbycDNAgeneration.Differential
expressionofzFoxP3andthereferencegene-actin,wasevaluatedusingrealtimePCR(qPCR).AnalysisoftheinitialqPCR
resultsconfirmasingleproductgeneration,andsuggestthatzFoxP3isdifferentiallyregulatedbetweentestandcontrol
groups.Furtheranalyseswillaidtofillgapsintherelationshipbetweencausativefactorsandthedevelopmentof
autoimmunity.
Policyandplanning
MONDAY14:00,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Freshwater conservation planning in an intact landscape
BRIEEDWARDS,WILDLIFECONSERVATIONSOCIETYCANADA,[email protected]
CONSTANCEO’CONNOR,WILDLIFECONSERVATIONSOCIETYCANADA;MEGSOUTHEE,WILDLIFECONSERVATIONSOCIETYCANADA;
MATTHEWSTRIMAS-MACKEY,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;CHERYLCHETKIEWICZ,WILDLIFECONSERVATIONSOCIETYCANADA
Ontario’sFarNorthisalargeintactsubarcticboreallandscapedominatedbyfreshwater,includingsomeoftheworld’s
largestwetlands,peatlandsandunregulatedriversystems.Facedwiththreatsduetodevelopmentandclimatechange,
proactiveplanningforthefutureoffreshwatersystemsinOntario’sFarNorthisanimportantpriority.In2010,the
GovernmentofOntariocommittedtoprotecting50%ofthisregioninordertoconservebiodiversityandmaintain
ecologicalfunctionsandprocesses.However,conservationplanningforfreshwaterremainsachallenge,becausespatial
planningapproachesdevelopedforuseinterrestrialandmarineareasneedtobemodifiedinordertoidentify
appropriatewatershedscalesandincorporatelongitudinalconnectivity.Here,wepresentconservationplanning
scenariosforfreshwaterfishbiodiversityinOntario’sFarNorthdevelopedusingthespatialplanningtoolMarxan.This
workprovidesauniquecasestudyforhowproactiveconservationplanningcanbeadaptedtoafreshwatercontextin
ordertoaddressanthropogenicthreatstofreshwaterbiodiversityandsupportprovincialandnationalcommitmentsto
theprotectionoffisheriesandecosystemservices.
Keywords:Freshwater,Boreal,Conservationpractitioners,Spatialplanning.
Forestecology
TUESDAY14:00,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Intact forest landscapes: Definitions, use, and clarity.
KATEEDWARDS,NATURALRESOURCESCANADA,[email protected]
DARRENSLEEP,NATIONALCOUNCILFORAIRANDSTREAMIMPROVEMENT
ForestIntactnessisbecomingamorefrequentlycitedlandscapecharacteristicthatmakesanareaapotentiallydesirable
targetforconservation.However,thedefinitionofintactcanvarydependingonbothecologicalandlandscapecontext,as
wellastheresearchormanagementcontextinwhichitisused.Tohelpbringclaritytothediscussion,wesurveyedthe
literaturetodocumentuseoftheconceptofintactness.Althoughhighlyvariableinitsmeaningandscale,wefoundwithin
thescientificliteratureintactnessusedasadescriptor,butnotasaninherentpropertyofanecosystemorlandscape.In
contrast,outsideofthescientificliteraturetheusageoftendoesimplyaninherentpropertyofanecosystemorlandscape.
Wediscusssomeofthepotentialassumptionsbehinddifferentusesofthetermandtheimplicationsforconservation
policyandmanagement.Werecommendaconservativeusageofthetermasastructuralbutnotafunctionalecosystem
descriptor,whichwouldmaintainconsistencywithwhatwefoundtobethetypicalscientificunderstandingandusage.
Keywords:Fragmentation,Forest,Management,Landscapeconfiguration.
Marineecology
TUESDAY16:00,ROOM:SIDNEY
If you cease it, will they come back? How exposure to and release from a pollution
disturbance shapes rocky intertidal communities in British Columbia
AARONM.EGER,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
JULIAK.BAUM,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA;SHANNONM.BARD,HEMMERAENVIROCHEMINC.
MarineecosystemsinBritishColumbiaaresubjecttoavarietyofpollution-baseddisturbancesthatrestructurethe
compositionofthevegetativeandanimalcommunities.Aprimehistoricalexampleofthisistheeffluentdischargedfrom
pulpmillsacrosstheprovince,whichhavebeenshowntohavesubstantialnegativeimpactsoncoastalbiodiversity.
However,asenvironmentalregulationshavebecomemorestringentlyenforcedandtheeconomicdriversofpulpmills
havesloweddown,muchofthispollutionhasabated.Thediminishmentandinsomecases,eliminationofsuch
disturbancesprovidesauniqueopportunitytoassesstherecoveryofcommunitiesonceaffectedbythemilldischarge.
Wetakethisopportunitytousealongtermmonitoringdatasetspanningthreedecadestostudyrockyintertidal
communitiessituatedaroundpulpmillsinPrinceRupert,PowellRiver,andHoweSound.Usingthisdataset,we
demonstratehowproximitytothemillnegativelyinfluencedtheintertidalcommunityatthesesites.Nextweexamine
howthecommunitycompositionshiftsandrecoversoncethemilldisturbanceisalleviated.Lastlywetakeaspecificlook
atwhichspeciesandwhichlifehistorytraitsarebestabletosurviveinadisturbedenvironmentandwhichspeciesare
bestabletorecolonizethoseoncedisturbedlocations.Thisresearchprovidesinsightintoclassicecologicaltheory,
appliedunderstandingoftheimpactsandimplicationsofindustrialactivityinmarineecosystems,andpossiblemethods
bywhichtoassessthoseindustrialimpacts.
Keywords:Marine,Pollution,Disturbance,Resilience,Intertidal.
Invasivespecies
TUESDAY16:00,ROOM:VIEWROYAL
Comparative genomics of historic marine invaders: Neutral and selective processes
influencing the success of the amphipod Corophium volutator and polychaete Hediste
diversicolor in the North Atlantic
ANTHONYEINFELDT,UNIVERSITYOFNEWBRUNSWICK,[email protected]
JASONADDISON,UNIVERSITYOFNEWBRUNSWICK
Globalcolonizationandtradeallowsmanyspeciestoexpandtheirdistributionsbeyondbarrierstonaturaldispersal,
profoundlychangingglobalpatternsofbiodiversity.Introducedspeciesoftenfaceecologicalandenvironmental
conditionsthatdifferfromtheirnativeranges,andtheirsuccessfulestablishmentmaydependonopportunities
presentedbyinvasionvectorsandthespeciespotentialtorapidlyadapttonewchallenges.Previouslywehaveshown
thattheamphipodCorophiumvolutatorandthepolychaeteHedistediversicolorhaveoverlappingrangesandwere
historicallyintroducedacrosstheNorthAtlantic.Thesimilardistributionsandhistoriesofthesespeciesprovidean
opportunitytostudytheevolutionaryprocessesactinginsuccessfulintroductionsandtheirconsistencyacrossphyla.To
investigatetherelationshipbetweenintroductionpathwaysandselectioninthesuccessfulestablishmentofthesespecies,
weusedgenomicandtranscriptomicdatafrompopulationsacrosstheirnativeandintroducedranges.Wecomparethe
relativeimportanceofadaptivevariationoriginatinginthenativevs.introducedranges,environmentalfilteringon
standinggeneticvariation,andselectionongeneticdiversityfrommultipleintroductionsources.Ourresultsshowthat
responsestoselectivepressurescanoperateovershorttimeperiodsatlocalandregionalscales,withparallelgenetic
patternsbetweenspeciesthatsuggestcommonevolutionaryprocessesareimportanttothesuccessofbothinvaders.
Keywords:Colonization,Populationgenetics,Marine,Invasion,Geneticvariation,Amphipods,Polychaete.
SeagrassecologyandconservationalongPacificandAtlanticcoastssymposium
TUESDAY11:30,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Turning up the heat on seagrass wasting disease
MORGANEISENLORD,CORNELLUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
MAYAGRONER,CORNELLUNIVERSITY;COLLEENBURGE,UNIVERSITYOFMARYLANDBALTIMORECOUNTY;NATALIERIVLIN,UNIVERSITY
OFMARYLANDBALTIMORECOUNTY;PHOEBEDAWKINS,CORNELLUNIVERSITY;REYNYOSHIOKA,CORNELLUNIVERSITY;EVANFIORENZA,
CORNELLUNIVERSITY;FRANCESCAGIAMMONA,CORNELLUNIVERSITY;DREWHARVELL,CORNELLUNIVERSITY
Seagrasswastingdisease,causedbytheopportunisticmarinepathogenLabyrinthulazosterae,hasthepotentialto
devastateimportantseagrasshabitatsworldwide,yetlittleisknownaboutthehost-pathogeninteractionorhowthe
diseasewillbeimpactedbyclimatechange.FieldsurveysofZosteramarinabedsintheSalishSea,WAshowsome
populationswereheavilyimpactedbywastingdisease,whileothershadconsistentlylowdiseaseseverity.Inthisstudy,
weinvestigatetheeffectofL.zosteraestrain,pathogendosage,andtemperatureonvirulence,thedegreeofhostdamage
causedbyapathogen.WetestedL.zosteraevirulenceinZ.marinabyinoculatingplanttissuefromasinglebedwith
strainscollectedfromarangeofeelgrasspopulationsintheinlandwaterofthenortheastPacific.The11strainstested
displayedqualitativelydifferentlevelsofvirulence,withinfectionratesrangingfrom0to100%.Pathogenvirulence
increasedproportionaltodosage.Crossinfectingplantsfromtwospatiallydistinctsiteswithdifferingnaturaldisease
patternsshowedincreasedvirulenceoccurredwithforeignstrainsandthetwoplantpopulationsdifferedintheir
responsetothelocalstrain.Toinvestigatetheroleoftemperature,Z.marinashootswereacclimatedtolow(11degrees
C)andhigh(18degreesC)watertemperaturesandthenhalftheseindividualswereexposedtoavirulentL.zosterae
strain.Diseaseoccurredwithhigherseverityatthehightemperature.Ourresultsshowthatpathogenvirulenceis
impactedbystrain,dosage,andenvironment;suggestingL.zosteraehasthepotentialtocauseexponentiallyincreasing
damagewherethesefactorsco-occur.
Sticklebackecologyandevolution
MONDAY10:45,ROOM:SAANICH
Eco-evolutionary interactions in stickleback elemental composition
RANAW.EL-SABAAWI,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
DANIELJ.DURSTON,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA
Interspecificdifferencesinelementalcompositionarewellknown,andcandrivepredictabledifferencesinecosystem
interactions.However,littleisknownaboutthecausesandextentofintraspecificvariationinelementalcomposition.
Suchvariation,ifsubstantialandbasedingenetics,couldunderlieanimportantmechanismofevo-ecointeractions,
whereevolutionarychangeinelementaldemanddrivessubsequentchangesinecosysteminteractions,suchasfoodweb
structureandnutrientdynamics.Toinvestigatethemagnitudeandsourcesofintraspecificelementalvariation,we
sampledevolutionarymodelspeciesGasterosteusaculeatus(threespinestickleback)from12locationsinBritish
Columbia,Canada.Eachfishwasphenotyped,genotypedforEdaallelesunderlyingvariationinlateralplatingandassayed
forelementalcontent(C,N,P).Wefoundtheelementalcompositionofsticklebackvarieswidely(2.26.5%P;3.09.4:1
N:P).Phenotypicmodelsexplainedmuchofthisvariation(R2=0.52,0.81)usingfourbonerelatedtraits(pelvislength,
lateralplatecount,bonemineralization,bodysize)andcondition.FurthergeneticmodelsfoundallelicvariationatEda
generatesa7-14%changeinwholeorganismN:P.Astheseallelesarecommonlyunderstrongselectioninnatural
populations,weinferthattheelementalcompositionandthuselementaldemandofsticklebackcanevolverapidly.
Keywords:Stickleback,Populationdynamics,Plastic,Geneticvariation,Evolution,Functionaltraits.
Lifehistories:reproduction,senescence
TUESDAY10:30,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Post-reproductive lifespan and grandmothering in a pre-industrial human
population
SACHAC.ENGELHARDT,UNIVERSITÉDESHERBROOKE,[email protected]
PATRICKBERGERON,BISHOP'SUNIVERSITY;ALAINGAGNON,UNIVERSITÉDEMONTRÉAL;LISAY.DILLON,UNIVERSITÉDEMONTRÉAL;
FANIEPELLETIER,UNIVERSITÉDESHERBROOKE
Post-reproductivelifespan(PRLS)isthetimebetweentheageatlastreproductionandtheageatdeath,forfemalesliving
pastreproductivecessation.ThegrandmotheringhypothesisproposesthatthePRLSintervalislonginhumansbecause
thepresenceofpost-reproductivemothersshouldincreasethenumberandsurvivalofgrandchildren.Weinvestigated
thishypothesisinapre-industrializedpopulationofthefirstFrenchsettlerslivingintheSt.LawrenceValleyduringthe
17thand18thcentury.Weusedregistersofbaptisms,marriagesandburialsfromtheseRomanCatholicparishes.When
comparedtopost-reproductivemotherswhoweredeadattheirdaughter’sfirstreproduction,post-reproductivemothers
whowerealiveincreasedthenumberofoffspringborn,theageatlastreproduction,thelengthofthereproductive
tenure,thelifetimereproductivesuccessoftheirdaughtersandthesurvivaloftheirgrandchildren,andtheydecreased
theageatfirstreproduction.Daughtersofpost-reproductivemothersborninurbanparisheshadalowerfitness
comparedtothoseborninruralparishes,becauseofahigherrateofinfantmortalityinurbanparishesthaninrural
parishes.Daughtersofpost-reproductivemotherswithahigherproportionoffemalesiblingshadadecreasedinthe
numberofoffspringborn,thelifetimereproductivesuccessandthelengthofreproductivetenure.Lifetimereproductive
successwasinfluencedbytheinteractionbetweenlifestatusofpost-reproductivemothersandtheproportionoffemale
siblings.OurresultssupportedthegrandmotheringhypothesisandthatPRLSwasadaptive.
Keywords:Reproduction,Human,Grandmotheringhypothesis,Historicalrecords.
Animaldiet
TUESDAY10:45,ROOM:WCOAST
A century of ecological change reflected in the stable isotopes of a migratory aerial
insectivore
PHILINAENGLISH,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
DAVIDGREEN,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY;VANYAROHWER,CORNELLUNIVERSITY;JASMINECRUMSEY,STANFORDUNIVERSITY;JOSEPH
NOCERA,UNIVERSITYOFNEWBRUNSWICK
Identifyingthemechanismsofecologicalchangeischallengingintheabsenceoflong-termdata.Aerialinsectivoresare
exhibitingthesteepestpopulationdeclinesofanyavianguildinNorthAmerica.Onehypothesisforthesepopulation
declinesisachangeinavailabilityoftheirprey;however,welacklong-termdataoninsectabundances.Fortunately,
stableisotoperatiosofmuseumspecimentissuesmayprovidearecordofdietandhabitatchangethroughtime.Nitrogen
isotoperatios(d15N)increasewithtrophiclevel,whiled13Ctendstoincreasewithagriculturalintensification.Weuse
stableisotopesofmuseumtissuestotestfordietchangeinanocturnalaerialinsectivoreAntrostomusvociferous.We
measuredtemporalchangesind15Nandd13Cofbirdtissuesgrownonwinteringgrounds(claws)andduringbreeding
season(feathers)frommuseumspecimensspanning1880-2005,andcontemporarysamplesfrombreedingindividualsin
2011-2013.Amongstcontemporarysamples,d15Ndidnotvarywithsexorbreedingsite,butnestlingshadlowerd15N
thanadults.Overthepast100yearsforbothseasonsandageclasses,wefoundasignificantdeclineind15N,butno
changeind13C.TotestiftheuseofsyntheticNfertilizerhaschangedenvironmentalbaselines,wealsosampledd15Nof
3potentialinsectpreyspeciesand3non-aerialinsectivorebirdspecies.Neitherprey,norotherbirdspecies,showedany
temporaltrendind15N,butourpowertodetectsuchatrendwaslimitedbyhighersamplevariance.Theseresults
supportthehypothesisthataerialinsectivorepopulationsaredecliningduetochangesinabundanceofhighertrophiclevelprey,butwecautionthatstableisotopestudiesofterrestrialfoodchainsrequireadditionaltestsofbaselinechange.
Onceaddressed,theabilitytodecodethehistoricalrecordlockedinsidemuseumcollectionshasthepotentialtoenhance
ourunderstandingofecologicalchangeandinformconservationdecisions.
Keywords:Stableisotopes,Birds,Foraging,Museumcollection,Populationdeclines.
Forestecology
WEDNESDAY08:30,ROOM:WCOAST
Preliminary results and predictions from a beyond-range field planting experiment
of four northern temperate tree species in Newfoundland
PIERSEVANS,MEMORIALUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
CARISSAD.BROWN,MEMORIALUNIVERSITY
Thereisageneralexpectationthatasclimaticnichespacebecomesavailableatthepolewardreachofspecies'
distributionalranges,thosespecieswillshifttofillthatspace,butourunderstandingofbioticorabioticfactorsor
combinationsthereofthatcouldhindersuchshiftsisstilldeveloping.TheislandofNewfoundland,offCanada'seastern
coast,iswithintheborealforestbiome,butcouldpotentiallyseeariseinnortherntemperatetreespeciesdiversityas
climaticlimitationsarealleviated.FiveexperimentalplantingsiteswereestablishedacrossNewfoundlandinthesummer
of2015totestnon-climaticconstrainingdriversonthegerminationsuccessoffournortherntemperatetreespecies
(Acersaccharum,Betulaalleghaniensis,Fraxinusnigra,andThujaoccidentalis)beyondtheirrespectivedistributional
ranges.Thenestedexperimentaldesignallowedforreplicateplantingblockswhereinthegerminationsuccessratescould
bemeasuredunderherbivory,substrateandforest-typetreatments,where'boreal'coniferousdominatedstandsand
'ecotone'deciduousdominatedstands,weretreatedasproxiesforsubtlydifferingenvironmentalconditions.Results
fromthispreliminarystudyrevealedthatpositivebinarygerminationresponseof3ofthetestspecieswasmoststrongly
correlatedwithrelieffromvertebrateherbivory.Otherimportantmethodologicallessonswerelearnedregarding
herbivoreexclosurecagedesignflawsthatpreventedevenleaflitterandsnowfallaccumulation.Employinganadaptive
designapproachinanexpandedexperimentestablishedin2016willrefinedatacollectionandincreaseconfidencein
predictionsoftherelativeimportanceoftreatmentsbasedonpreliminarydataanalysis.
Keywords:Climatechange,Forest,Transplant,Populationrange.
LinkingEnvironmentalLawandScienceSymposium
WEDNESDAY09:45,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
From fishing gears to fish habitat: Canada’s fisheries future depends on evidencebased decision-making
BRETTFAVARO,MEMORIALUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
Fisheriesrepresentadynamicsetofinteractionsbetweenhumansandtheenvironment,andtherelationshipismediated
bypolicy.Canada’sfisherieshaveexperiencedahistoricmixtureoffisheriespolicybasedonevidenceandscience,and
decisionsthatappeartoabandonboth,andasaresultourcountryhasauniquemixtureofsuccessesandfailuresin
fisheriesmanagement.Inthistalk,Iwilloutlinetwoareaswheredecisionsmadenowwillhaveaprofoundimpactonthe
integrityofCanadianaquaticecosystemsforyearstocome.Thefirstareaishabitatprotection,andhowauthorizednet
lossesoffishhabitat-evenpriortothe2012changestotheFisheriesAct-havelikelyproducedasubstantial
uncompensatedimpactonhabitatthatunderpinsfisheries.Second,Iwillexplorehowadynamicpolicylandscapeis
supportingatransitiontoreduced-impactfishinggearsthattargetAtlanticcod(Gadusmorhua)inNewfoundlandand
Labrador,andthatconsequentlywillmakelong-termsustainabilitymorelikely.Iwillcomparetheroleofscienceinthese
twocases,anddiscusshowcollaborationbetweenscientistsandexpertsinlawandpolicycanadvancethecauseof
evidence-baseddecision-making.
Museumcollectionssymposium
MONDAY08:45,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
A student's-eye view of taxonomy and collections research in Canada
JAMIEFENNEMAN,,[email protected]
JEANNETTEWHITTON
TheEarth'sbiodiversityiscurrentlyundergoingacrisisunparalleledinhumanhistory.Atthesametime,interestinand
supportforthefieldoftaxonomyiswaning,withfewerandfewerindividualsbeingtrainedtomakesenseofthe
biodiversitythatisbeinglost.Largeandimportantcollectionsofbiologicalspecimens-whicharecriticaltoourabilityto
describeanddefinetheunitsofbiology-oftenremainlittleusedandpoorlysupported.Thesecollectionshousemillions
ofpiecesofbiodiversityinformationintheirspecimens-informationthatspansbothlargegeographicareasandlong
spansoftime.Theyareanindispensablecomponentofbothalphaandbetataxonomy,throughwhichweareableto
defineanddescribetheunitsofbiodiversityand,ultimately,theunitsofconservation.Theseunitstheninformand
providestructuretotheremainingbiologicaldisciplines,whethertheybeecological/organismalormolecular/cellularin
nature.Thuswithoutthesecollectionsandthetaxonomytowhichtheycontribute,muchofourabilitytomakesenseof
thebiologicalworldiscompromised,andwebegintoloseourbiodiversityliteracy.Fortunately,withrenewed
investmentintaxonomicresearchinCanadaand,inparticular,acommitmenttoitssupportfromacademia,wecanbegin
toturnthetideofthiswell-publicized"taxonomicimpediment".Giventhecritical,andgrowing,importanceof
biodiversityscienceinarapidlychangingworld,suchaninvestmentisunlikelytobewasted.
Keywords:Biodiversity,Museumcollection,Taxonomy.
Geneticstructureofpopulations
TUESDAY12:00,ROOM:COLWOOD
Tremendous genetic drift and accumulation of deleterious mutations may not
preclude thermal adaptation in lake trout
ANNE-LAUREFERCHAUD,UNIVERSITÉLAVAL,[email protected]
CHARLESPERRIER,UNIVERSITÉLAVAL,CENTRED'ÉCOLOGIEFONCTIONNELLEETÉVOLUTIVE;PASCALSIROIS,UNIVERSITÉDUQUÉBEC;
ISABELTHIBAULT,MINISTÈREDUDÉVELOPPEMENTDURABLE,DEL'ENVIRONNEMENT,DELAFAUNEETDESPARCSDUQUÉBEC;LOUIS
BERNATCHEZ,UNIVERSITÉLAVAL
Understandinggenomicsignaturesofdivergentselectionunderlyinglong-termadaptationinpopulationsoccupying
heterogeneousenvironmentsisakeygoalinevolutionarybiology.Inthisstudy,weinvestigated,bymeanofgenotypingby-sequencing,neutralandadaptivegeneticvariationamong32laketrout(Salvelinusnamaycush)populationsfrom
Québec,Canada.Demographicmodelingbasedon9,000filteredSNPsrevealedthathalfofthepopulationswerelikelyto
haveundergonebottlenecksfollowinglakecolonizationandisolation.Geneticdiversitywassmall,weaklysharedamong
lakes,andpositivelylinkedtolakesize,supportingamajorroleforgeneticdriftnegativelycorrelatedtolakesize.For
eachpopulation,wedetectedasmanynon-synonymousmutationsassynonymousmutationsandwefoundthat60%of
non-synonymousmutationswerepotentiallydeleterious.Yet,severaloutlierlociwerealsofoundtoco-varywith
temperatureandrelatedtobiologicallyrelevantfunctionsnotablyrelatedtoheat-stressimmuneresponses.Outcomesof
gene-temperatureassociationswerenotablyinfluencedbytheinclusionofpopulationswithhighestinbreeding
coefficients,illustratingchallengesinfindinggene-environmentassociationsincasesofhighgeneticdriftandvery
restrictedgeneflow,aswellassuggestinglimitationsforadaptationinsmallerpopulations.Wediscusstherelevanceof
thesefindingsfortheconservationandmanagementoflaketroutpopulations,asothercold-waterlakefishpopulations,
notablyregardingstockingandgeneticrescue.
Keywords:Freshwater,Populationgenetics,Fish,Geneticvariation,Management.
Populationdynamics
TUESDAY09:00,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
The strength of density-dependence in mountain ungulates varies over time
MARCOFESTA-BIANCHET,UNIVERSITÉDESHERBROOKE,[email protected]
STEEVED.CÔTÉ,UNIVERSITÉLAVAL;FANIEPELLETIER,UNIVERSITÉDESHERBROOKE
Populationecologistshavealwaysbeeninterestedinhowpopulationdensityaffectspopulationgrowth,andnearlyall
harvestprogramsofwildspeciesassumesomedensity-dependence.Density-dependencecanvarysubstantiallyovertime
becauseofchangesinresourceavailability,lageffects,andchangesinotherextrinsicvariablesthatcanaffectpopulation
growth,suchasdisease,weatherandpredation.Fewstudies,however,haveassessedhowthestrengthofdensitydependencevariesovertimeinungulates.Weuseddetailed,long-termindividualmonitoringofthreepopulationsof
mountain-dwellingungulatesinAlbertatoexplorechangesindirectdensity-dependenceinageofprimiparityand
juvenilesurvival,twovitalratesthatareusuallyamongthemostresponsivetochangesinenvironmentalconditionsin
ungulates.Density-dependencehadalargeeffectonthesevitalratesonlyduringandsoonafterapopulationcontrol
programofbighornsheepatRamMountain.ForbighornsheepatRamMountaininthelast15years,bighornsheepat
SheepRiverover24yearsandmountaingoatsatCawRidgeover28years,densityplayedaverylimitedornorolein
populationdynamics,becausevitalrateswereaffectedbypredation,disease,weather,inbreedingandstochasticity,in
additiontopossiblelageffectsofpredation,forageavailabilityanddensityatbirth.Itappearsthatdirectdensitydependenceisratherweakinmountainungulatesthattypicallyformsmallpopulationswithlimiteddispersal.Harvest
managementmustconsiderthattheassumptionofstrongandconsistentdensity-dependenceisviolated.
Keywords:Ungulates,Densitydependence,Mountain,Management.
Plantecology
MONDAY13:30,ROOM:OAKBAY2
The inclusion of positive interactions in modeling the niche space of desert annuals
ALESSANDROFILAZZOLA,YORKUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
DIEGOA.SOTOMAYOR,YORKUNIVERSITY;CHRISTOPHERJ.LORTIE,YORKUNIVERSITY
Thenicheforplantspeciesistypicallydefinedbytheirenvironmentalrequirements,butthisignoresinteractionsamong
species.Indeserts,positiveinteractionsstructureplantcommunitiesandareimportantdriversofbiodiversity.Thus,
modelsfortheavailablenicheofdesertplantspeciesshouldincludethesepotentialpositiveinteractionsand
associations.Wetestedthehypothesisthatshrubsincreasethegeographicaldistributionofdesertannualsbecause
throughmicroclimatemodificationtheycanprovideconditionsthatmatchnecessarynicherequirements.Weusedthe
databaseGlobalBiodiversityInformationFacilitytoconstructMaxEntspeciesdistributionmodelsforannualswithand
withoutreportedbenefactorspeciesindeserts.Wecontrastedprobabilitiesofoccurrenceinclimatemodelswithand
withoutreportedbenefactorshrubspeciesforannualsreportedasbeneficiaries(i.e.beneficiary)relativetothosethat
havenotbeenreportedasfacilitated(i.e.unreported).Wefoundtheinclusionofshrubsintomodelssignificantly
improvedmodelpredictabilityandsuitableareaforallbeneficiaryspecies.However,theinclusionofshrubsdidnotaffect
modelsfortheunreportedplantspecies.Thissuggeststhatshrubsprovideclimaticconditionsthatmatchtheniche
characteristicsofthebeneficiaryspecies,butnottheunreportedspecies.Shrubsandbeneficiariesspecieswerefoundto
begeographicallyassociatedandcouldbedependentonpositiveinteractionsfortheiroccurrence.Wehighlightthe
importanceofincludingfacilitationinmodelingclimatescenariosthatcurrentlyneglectbioticinteractions.Including
positiveinteractionsinspeciesdistributionmodelingisstillarelativelynovelconceptthatcanenhancethepredictability
ofclimatemodelsthatestimatespeciesloss.
Keywords:Plants,Interactions,Speciesdistribution,Speciesdistributionmodel,Modeling.
Movement,activity,wildlifemanagement
WEDNESDAY08:15,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Natural regeneration on seismic lines influences movement behaviour of wolves and
grizzly bears
LAURAFINNEGAN,FRIRESEARCH,[email protected]
KARINEPIGEON,FRIRESEARCH;JEROMECRANSTON,ARCTOSECOLOGICALCONSULTANTS;MARKHEBBLEWHITE,UNIVERSITYOF
MONTANA;MARCOMUSIANI,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY;LALENIANEUFELD,PARKSCANADA;FIONASCHMIEGELOW,UNIVERSITYOF
ALBERTA;JULIEDUVAL,FRIRESEARCH;GORDONB.STENHOUSE,FRIRESEARCH
AcrosstheborealforestofCanada,habitatdisturbancenegativelyaffectsarangeofwildlifespecies,andisbelievedtobe
theultimatecauseofwoodlandcariboudeclines.OneofthemostpervasivedisturbanceswithincaribourangesinAlberta
areseismiclinesthatwereclearedduringsoundwavemappingforenergyexploration.Seismiclinesfacilitatepredator
movementandmayattractpredatorsbecausetheycontainvegetationpreferredbyungulateprey.WeusedLiDARdata,
andmulti-speciesGPSlocationscollectedinwest-centralAlberta,tounderstandhowregenerationinfluencedmovement
ofwolvesandgrizzlybears.Wolvesmovedtowardsseismiclinesregardlessofvegetationheight,andparticularly
towardswetlow-vegetationheight(~1.5m)seismiclines.Wolvesalsomovedfasternearlow-vegetationheightseismic
lines(~0.7m)duringsummer.Wetlow-vegetationheightseismiclineswerealsopreferredbygrizzlybears.Theseresults
suggestthatwolfmovementscouldbeinfluencedbyaccesstoareaswithhigherungulatepreyhabitatquality,andthat
wolvesuselow-vegetationheightseismiclinesfortravelduringsummer.Forgrizzlybears,movementsmaybegoverned
byaccesstovegetativefoodresourcesandungulateprey.Becauseresultsandmodelcrossvalidationrevealedstronger
selectionofseismiclinesbywolveswhencomparedtogrizzlybears,itislikelythatseismiclinesprimarilybenefitwolves.
Toreducewolfmovement,habitatrestorationcouldfocusonseismiclineswithregenerationheightsoflessthan1m.
However,becausewewereunabletoidentifyaregenerationheightwhenwolfmovementsceasedtobeinfluencedby
seismiclines,activerestorationtacticssuchaslineblockingcouldalsoberequiredtoreducewolfresponsetoseismic
lines.
Keywords:Largecarnivores,Landusechange,Oilandgas,Caribou,Predation,GPS.
Selection
MONDAY15:30,ROOM:WCOAST
Multilevel and sex-specific selection on competitive traits in North American red
squirrels
DAVIDFISHER,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH,[email protected]
STANBOUTIN,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA;BENDANTZER,UNIVERSITYOFMICHIGANANNARBOUR;MURRAYM.HUMPHRIES,MCGILL
UNIVERSITY;JEFFE.LANE,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN;ANDREWG.MCADAM,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH
Individualsofteninteractmorecloselywithoffspring,siblingsorsomemembersofthepopulationsuchastheirgroup
members,thantheydowithotherindividualsinapopulation.Thisstructuringofinteractionsinapopulationhasthe
potentialtoleadtomultilevelnaturalselection,wheretraitsatthegrouplevelinfluencefitnessalongsideindividual-level
traits.Suchmultilevelselectioncanconsiderablyalterevolutionarytrajectories.Yetmultilevelselectionisrarely
quantifiedinthewild,norinnon-socialspeciesthatdonotinteractindiscretegroups.Wequantifiednaturalselectionon
twotraits,postnatalgrowthrateandparturitiondate,atmultiplelevels,inapopulationofNorthAmericanredsquirrels
(Tamiasciurushudsonicus).Selectionongrowthrateandparturitiondatewastypicallystrongestwithin-social
neighbourhoods,withmultilevelselectionapparentforgrowthrateatseverallevels.Increasedpopulationdensities
increasedthestrengthofselectionforearlierbreedingwithin-socialneighbourhoods,and,toalesserextent,within-study
areas.Wealsofoundstrongfemale-specificselectionongrowthrateatonlythewithin-litterlevel.Thisdemonstratesthe
importanceofconsideringmultilevelandsex-specificselectioninterritorial,sexuallymonomorphicspecies.Thisisrarely
quantifiedbutcangreatlyinfluenceevolutionarydynamics.
Keywords:Smallmammals,Selection,Socialbehavior,Reproduction.
Communication
MONDAY16:15,ROOM:WCOAST
What does the tweet say: The use of social media for science communication
ALINAFISHER,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
Informingthepublicisagoalofdisseminatingscientificresults,butmuchofscienceoutreachiscommunicatedwithout
thoughttoaudienceengagement.Relyingonthecommunicationoffactsalone,typicalsciencecommunicationoverlooks
theinfluencesofemotiononengagementanddissemination,especiallydownsocialmedianetworks.Thisseemstoimply
thatthereisadichotomybetweeninformationaccuracyandaudienceengagement,butisthisactuallythecase?Totest
this,aself-administeredonlinesurveytestedoriginalTwitterandFacebookpostscomparedtoreframedmessaging
informedbytheliteratureonvirality.Focusgroupswerealsoheldtodiscusstheeffectivenessofextantsamplesocial
mediaposts.Preliminarydatashowsthatpreferredsocialmediamessageframingvarieswithunderlyingscienceliteracy,
eventhoughengagementmaybesimilar.Thisresearchwillinformhowweasscientistscanmoreeffectivelyengagethe
publicinscientificdiscourse,andhelptoinformevidence-basedpolicyandconservationdecisions.
Keywords:Sciencecommunication,Scienceoutreach,Global,Survey.
Remotecameranetworkstoscaleupecologicalinsightsandconservationapplicationssymposium
TUESDAY08:15,ROOM:THEATRE
Landscape and climate change: Ecological insights from camera-trap research
JASONT.FISHER,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,INNOTECHALBERTA,[email protected]
Biodiversityconservationisadiresocietalchallenge.Landscapespromisingabundanteconomicopportunitiesvia
resourceextractionarechangingfast,asisourclimate.Therateofchangevastlyoutpacesourabilitytoresearchits
effectsonspeciesandbioticcommunities.Cameratraps(CTs)arehelpingtoclosethatgapbyprovidinglarge-scale,
multi-speciesdatatoinformresearchonthetwindriversoflandscapeandclimatechange.Iillustratesomeexamples
usingwhite-taileddeer(Odocoileusvirginianus)andwolverines(Gulogulo).Wedeployedfourcamera-traparrays(N=
220)inprobabilisticsamplingdesignsascoordinateddistributedexperimentsacrosstheforestedlandscapeofAlberta,
Canada,whereratesofdeforestationrivalthoseofthetropicalAmazon.Wehypothesizedthatmammalspecies'spatial
responsetodevelopmentwouldbeassociatedwithhabitatlossandfragmentation,butthatclimatechangewouldbe
detectableasanadditionalstressor.Wemodelledmammalspeciesdistributionagainstlandscapecharacteristicsand
climatevariablesusinggeneralizedlinearmodels(GLMs),rankedinaninformation-theoreticframework.Signalsofboth
landscapechangeandclimatechangeweredetectableaschangesinspeciesdistributioninspaceortime.Wesuggestthat
CDEsdesignedtoexaminemammalianresponsetobiodiversitythreatsacrossdifferentlandscapesandcommunitiesbea
majorfuturegoalforbiodiversityresearch.
Parasitismandsymbiosis
TUESDAY13:45,ROOM:SIDNEY
Alternative management of Varroa destructor mites using their odour responses
ALLIEFLINN,ACADIAUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
DAVESHUTLER,ACADIAUNIVERSITY;KIRKHILLIER,ACADIAUNIVERSITY;CATELITTLE,ACADIAUNIVERSITY
ParasiticVarroadestructormiteisthemostdestructivediseaseofEuropeanhoneybees,makingthemofsignificant
economicimportance.Miteresistancetomiticides,aswellasdetrimentaleffectsofmiticidesonhoneybees,have
motivatedexplorationofalternativemethodstosafelymanageVarroamites.Myresearchexaminesbehaviorally-relevant
compoundsusedinhost-findingbehaviour(attractants),andpotentialdeterrentstoformitemanagement.Itested
variousodourcompoundsassociatedwithhoneybees,includingbutyricacid,hexanol,methyloleate,and2hydrohexanoicacidversusthesecompounds;ahexanesolventasacontrol,onmitesinlaboratorybehavioralassays.
Butyricacidand2-hedrohexanoicacidataconcentrationof100ng/Lwerefavouredrelativetotheothercompounds.
Subsequently,allodourcompoundswerealsotestedonbeestoquantifytheirreactions.Thisresearchprovided
preliminaryresultsthatcanbebuiltuponinthefuture.Italsogaveinsightsintorefinedmethodsthatcanbeusedin
furthertesting.
Keywords:Parasitology,Honeybees,Mite,Management,Odourattractant.
Habitatselectionanduse
WEDNESDAY08:15,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
First assessment of hybrid poplar plantations as a suitable habitat for small
mammal species in Quebec
JUSTINEFONTAINE-TOPALOFF,CENTRED’ÉTUDEDELAFORÊT,CENTREDELASCIENCEDELABIODIVERSITÉDUQUÉBEC,[email protected]
ANGÉLIQUEDUPUCH,CENTRED’ÉTUDEDELAFORÊT,CENTREDELASCIENCEDELABIODIVERSITÉDUQUÉBEC;FRANÇOISLORENZETTI,
CENTRED’ÉTUDEDELAFORÊT
Treeplantationsareincreasinglyusedtomeettheworld’sdemandforwood.Plantationstendtohaveasimplified
structurecomparedtothenaturalforestmatrixbecausetheyareusuallymonospecificandtheyhavearegulartree
spacingpattern.Theeffectonwildlifeingeneralofthisstructuralsimplificationofthehabitathasnotoftenbeen
addressedinaNorthAmericancontext.Thepurposeofthisstudywastohaveaninitialassessmentofthesuitabilityof
hybridpoplar(HP)plantationsasahabitatforsmallmammalspeciesinQuébec.Thediversityofthesmallmammal
communityhasbeenassessedinsevenHPplantationsandsevennaturallyregeneratedtremblingaspenstands(controls)
inHaute-Mauricieduringthesummerof2015.Theabundanceandotherdemographicvariablesweremeasuredforthe
red-backedvole(Myodesgapperi),thedominantspeciesinthesampledsites.Vegetationstructurewasalsomeasuredat
allsites.Ourresultsindicatethatbecauseofdifferencesinvegetationstructurebetweencontrolsitesandplantations,the
setofmicro-habitatsavailablealsodiffer.Plantationshadfewermicro-habitatswithahighvolumeofcoarsewooddebris
onthegroundandmoremicro-habitatswithgreaterlateralvisualobstruction.Thesetofmicro-habitatsusedbytheredbackedvolealsodivergedbetweenbothstandtypesandreflectedtheirrelativeavailability.Despitethesedifferences,the
abundanceanddemographicvariablesofthered-backedvoles,aswellasthediversityofthesmallmammalspecies,were
similarinplantationsandcontrolstands.ThissuggeststhatHPplantations,atleastthoseinvestigatedinHaute-Mauricie,
haveattributesthatareappropriatefortheparticulargroupofspeciesobservedinthepresentstudy.
Keywords:Smallmammals,Habitatselection,Speciesdistribution,Landusechanges,Experiment,Forest.
Ecology&EvolutioninaSocialContextSymposium
TUESDAY08:30,ROOM:COLWOOD
Social relationships shape vocal interactions of male black-capped chickadees at
dawn
JENNIFERFOOTE,ALGOMAUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
LAURENFITZSIMMONS,UNIVERSITYOFWINDSOR;DANMENNILL,UNIVERSITYOFWINDSOR;LAURENERATCLIFFE,QUEENSUNIVERSITY
Thedawnchorusisanimpressivedisplayinwhichmalesongbirdssingatahighratejustbeforesunrise.The
simultaneoussingingbymanyindividualssuggeststhatvocalinteractionsmaybeprevalentandshapedbythesocial
relationshipsamongsingers(SocialDynamicsHypothesis).Black-cappedchickadeesareanexcellentmodelspeciesto
testtheSocialDynamicsHypothesisbecausetheyareresidentandwecandeterminethesocialrelationshipsofmales
duringthewinter.Todeterminewithin-flockdominancehierarchies,weobserveddominanceinteractionsamongcolour
bandedbirdsatfeedingstationsatQueen’sUniversityBiologicalStation.Wealsofollowedflocksawayfromfeeding
stationstodetermineflockcomposition.Inspring,weuseda16-microphoneacousticarraytorecordthedawnchorusin
15neighbourhoodsoverthreefieldseasons.Wefoundthatmalechickadeesmatchthefrequencyoftheirneighbours
songsatdawnandthatmatchinginteractionsregularlyextendbeyondthedyadiclevel.Vocalmatchingoccurredmost
oftenbetweenmalesfromdifferentflocksandbetweenmalesofdisparateranks.Weshowthatapair’sbreedingstage
influenceshowfarmalesmoveatdawnandtheintensityatwhichtheysing.Finally,weshowthatmalesattendtothe
starttimeofconspecificsandbegintosingearlierinresponsetosimulatedinsertions.Weshowthatthedawnchorusis
aninteractivecommunicationnetworkwhereinformationexchangeisinfluencedbythesocialenvironment.Thedawn
chorusprovidesagoodopportunityforreceiverstoassessthesocialrelationshipsofvocalizingmales.
Metacommunitytheoryforreal-worldcommunities:theoreticalandempiricaladvancesfortrophicmetacommunities
symposium
TUESDAY08:00,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Current advances and future challenges of reconciling the horizontal
metacommunity with a vertical world
COREENFORBES,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
RACHELGERMAIN,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;MELISSAGUZMAN,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;MARYO'CONNOR,
UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;DIANESRIVASTAVA,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;PATRICKTHOMPSON,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISH
COLUMBIA
Whendispersalconnectsotherwiseisolatedcommunitiestoformametacommunityofpotentiallyinteractingspecies,the
structureanddiversityofthosecommunitiesareinfluencedbyacombinationoflocalandregionalprocesses.Thismeans
diversitycannotbepredictedbyabioticandbioticconditionsatthelocalscalealone,butprocessesoccurringatbroader
scalesmustbeappreciatedaswell.Sincethepublicationoftheseminalmetacommunityframework,thismultiscale
perspectivehasbeenwidelyembracedbyspatialecologists.Whilethisframeworkprovidesabasisforunderstanding
competitivemetacommunities,itdoesnotprovideanadequatebasisfromwhichtounderstandmulti-trophicsystems
shapedbybothcompetitiveandtrophicinteractions.Numerousworkshavenowtakenstepstomodifymetacommunity
theorytoincorporatetrophicinteractions,butacomprehensiveandempirically-applicableframeworktodosohasyetto
beachieved.Herewefirstreviewcurrentapproachestotrophicmetacommunitiesandthenidentifyareasfor
advancement.Wefindthatcurrentapproachesaresimplisticin3keyways:1.Metacommunitiesareplacedintodiscrete
categoriesthatdonotreflectthenuancesofreal-worldcommunityprocesses.2.Speciesdonotvaryinthewaytheyuse
spaceasisobservedwithinandbetweentrophiclevels.3.Complexfoodwebscanonlyemergeatregionalscaleswhile
localpatchesarelimitedtosimpletrophicchains.Byoutliningtheadvancesandcurrentchallengesofincorporatingfood
webdynamicsintometacommunitytheory,wehopetolaythegroundworkforacomprehensiveframeworkfortrophic
metacommunities.
HERB
MONDAY15:45,ROOM:OAKBAY1
The chemical arms race between hungry herbivores and clever plants
JENNIFERFORBEY,BOISESTATEUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
CAROLYNDADABAY,COLLEGEOFIDAHO;JOHNVUCETICH,MICHIGANTECHNOLOGICALUNIVERSITY;JACKCONNELLY,RETIREDIDAHO
DEPARTMENTOFFISHANDGAME;LISASHIPLEY,WASHINGTONSTATEUNIVERSITY;JANETRACHLOW,UNIVERSITYOFIDAHO;GAIL
PATRICELLI,UNIVERSITYOFCALIFORNIADAVIS;ALANKRAKAUER,UNIVERSITYOFCALIFORNIADAVIS;GRAHAMFRYE,UNIVERSITYOF
ALASKAFAIRBANKS;JORDANNOBLER,TETONSCIENCESCHOOLS;MARCELLAFREMGEN,BIRDCONSERVANCYOFTHEROCKIES;DAN
MELODY,BOISESTATEUNIVERSITY
Escalatingbattlesinvolvingattackbyhungryherbivoresandsubsequentchemicaldefensesbyplantsarebelievedto
drivediverseevolutionaryinnovationsonbothsides.Plantinnovationsincludetheproductionofbioactivemixturesof
novelsecondarymetabolitesthatprovideresistanceagainstherbivores.Inresponse,herbivoresevolvemolecular
adaptationstoresistthesemetabolites.Weinvestigatedthediversechemicalandmolecularinnovationsarisingfromthe
chemicalarmsracebetweenherbivoresandplants.Wefocusoninteractionsbetweenbirchandsnowshoeharesin
Alaska,balsamfirandmooseatIsleRoyaleNationalParkinMichigan,andsagebrushandsage-grouse/pygmyrabbitsin
Idaho.Wefoundthatplantcompoundsavoidedbymostherbivoreshavediversemechanismsofcytotoxicityincluding
inhibitionofdigestiveandmetabolicenzymesandoxidativestress.Wealsofoundthatdietaryspecialistsuseregulated
absorptionandrapiddetoxificationasmolecularmechanismsofresistance.However,hostplantsavoidedbydietary
specialistssynthesizecompoundsthatinhibitedthesemolecularmechanismsofresistance.Moreover,wedemonstrate
howtoxin-mediatedchangesinherbivorycantranslatetochangesinnutritionalconditionandpopulationdynamicsof
herbivores.Understandingchemicaldiversityandfunctioninplantsandco-evolvingmechanismsofresistancein
herbivoreshasimplicationsforpredictingpopulationdynamicsandpatternsofbiodiversity,aswellasfarreaching
impactsonthemanagementofcrops,forests,andhumanhealth.
Remotecameranetworkstoscaleupecologicalinsightsandconservationapplicationssymposium
TUESDAY08:30,ROOM:THEATRE
Trophic traps: Inferring species relationships from camera trap imagery
ADAMFORD,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIAOKANAGAN,[email protected]
Cameratrapsareawidelyusedtoolinwildlifemanagement,withapplicationsforlong-termmonitoringofspecies
occurrenceoverbroadspatialscales.Relativetomanyothersurveymethods(DNA,collaring,capture-recapture),camera
trapsallowthesimultaneousdocumentationofmorethanonespecies.Thismulti-speciesapproachhasbeenusedto
assessfactorsaffectingsinglespeciesandco-occurrenceofspeciesacrossthelandscape.Lesswellappreciatedisthe
potentialforthismulti-speciesapproachtocapturetheintimaterelationshipsbetweenorganismsthatgiverisetocritical
ecologicalprocesses:fear,herbivory,predation.Here,Idrawonexamplesofhowcameratrapshavebeenusedtoassess
speciesinteractionsatwildlifecrossingstructuresinBanffNationalParkandfear-structuredpatternsofherbivoryinan
Africansavanna.Whilenotaperfectsolutiontoquantifyinganimalbehaviour,cameratrapsofferapowerfultooltohelp
gainnovelinsightsonthehiddentrophicrelationshipsinnature.
Complexcoevolution:understandinghowcoevolutionmayoperatedifferentlyacrossdiverseinteractiontypes,
systems,andscalessymposium
TUESDAY08:00,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Pollen specialization by bees and pollen protection by plants: is there an arms race?
JESSICAFORREST,UNIVERSITYOFOTTAWA,ROCKYMOUNTAINBIOLOGICALLABORATORY,[email protected]
Thereisalwaysanevolutionaryconflictofinterestinherentinmutualisticinteractions,andthisisnowheremoretrue
thanintheassociationbetweenfloweringplantsandpollen-feedingbees.Yetbeesarestillmoreoftenthoughtofas
helpfulaidstoseedproductionthanaspredatorsofmalegametophytes.Tobesure,itiswellacceptedthatplantsand
pollinatorscanengageincoevolutionaryarmsraces;thelongfloraltubesandcorrespondinglyexaggeratedtonguesof
severalplant-pollinatorpairsprovidecompellingevidence.However,plant-pollinatorcoevolutionisnotnormally
expectedtoresultintheescape-and-radiatepatternassociatedwithplant-herbivorecoevolution,becauseplantsshould
notbeunderselectiontoescapetheirpollinators.Nevertheless,escape-and-radiatemayrepresentausefulwaytothink
oftheevolutionarydynamicsofplantsandpollinators,particularlybees.Forexample,chemical(andperhaps
morphological)defencesinthepollensofseveralplantfamilies,andpollen-concealingfloralmorphologiesinothers,can
allbeviewedaskeyinnovationsallowingescapefrompollen-feedingbees.Conversely,evolutionoftheabilitytoaccess,
collect,and/ordeveloponthesepollensmayhaveledtospecializationandadaptiveradiationsamongbees.Inthistalk,I
willassessthevalueofapplyingtheperspectiveofantagonisticcoevolutiontotheevolutionaryhistoryofplant-bee
relationships.
Keywords:Co-evolution,Pollination,Evolution,Selection,Plants.
Biodiversity
TUESDAY08:15,ROOM:VIEWROYAL
Functional diversity in fragments: The joint effects of ecological drift and
deterministic responses
LEILAFORSYTH,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO,[email protected]
BENJAMINGILBERT,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO
Functionaltraitsofferauniquewindowforunderstandingcommunityassembly,andtheresultingbiodiversityand
functionaldiversitywithinandamongcommunities.Ecologicaldrift(i.e.,neutralprocesses),ishypothesizedtobean
importantdriverofdiversityinsmallercommunities,whereasdeterministic(niche-based)processesarepredictedto
influencehowlargercommunitiesassemble.However,thecombinedeffectsofdriftandniche-basedprocessesonthe
functionaldiversitywithincommunitiesarenotknown.Usingplantcommunitiesthatvariedinsizefrom0.25-4square
m,wedeterminedhowdifferencesinfragmentsizedrivesdeterministicchangesincommunity-wideassembly,andhow
thesedifferencessimultaneouslyaltertheimportanceofstochasticprocessesondiversity.Withinexperimental
metacommunities,wemeasuredfunctionaltraitsofallspeciespresentwithineachcommunity,andcomparedcommunity
meantraits(aniche-basedresponse),among-communitytraitvariation(correspondingtoecologicaldrift)andwithincommunitytraitvariation,whichistheoreticallylinkedtobothdriftandniche-basedprocesses.Usingnestedplotsand
nullmodels,weshowthati)fragmentsizecauseddeterministicshiftsinmeantraitvalues;ii)withincommunitytrait
variationincreasedwithfragmentsize,beyondwhatwasexpectedfromdeterministicshifts(mean-variance
relationships)andspeciesdiversityeffects;andiii)amongcommunitytraitvariationdecreasedwithcommunitysizeina
mannerconsistentwithecologicaldrift.Wediscusstherelevanceofourresultstotheory,andhighlighthowintegrating
ecologicaldriftandniche-basedprocessesintocommunityassemblymaybeparticularlyusefulforconservingdiversity
withinfragmentedcommunities.
Keywords:Functionaltraits,Biodiversity,Experiment,Plants,Spatialdistribution.
Livingintheeco-evolutionarytheatre:researchguidedandinspiredbyintensivefieldobservationssymposium
TUESDAY15:30,ROOM:THEATRE
Spawning Pacific herring: ecological consequences and insights into the past
CAROLINEFOX,DALHOUSIEUNIVERSITY;RAINCOASTCONSERVATIONFOUNDATION,[email protected]
PAULC.PAQUET,RAINCOASTCONSERVATIONFOUNDATION,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA;THOMASE.REIMCHEN,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA
Themovementsofanimals,nutrients,andmaterialsacrossecosystemsareubiquitous,includingspatialsubsidiesthat
flowacrosstheland-seainterface.Pacificherring(Clupeapallasii),thedominantforagefishinBritishColumbia,spawnin
nearshoresubtidalandintertidalzonesbutcross-ecosystemlinkagesremainlittleknownfromscientificperspectives.
Informedbystudiesofotherspatialsubsidies,particularlythosedrivenbymigratoryPacificsalmon(Oncorhynchusspp.),
ourresearchintotherelationshipsbetweenspawningPacificherringandnearshoresubtidal,intertidal,andterrestrial
ecosystemsuncoveredpreviouslyundocumentedcross-ecosystemlinkages.Fromprimaryproducersatthebaseofthe
foodwebtouppertrophic-levelpredators,numerousrelationshipswithPacificherringweretracedusingstableisotopes,
fattyacids,cameratrapping,anddirectobservations.Evidenceacrossmultipletaxaincluded:(1)thesubstantial
contributionofherringtothedietofblackbears(Ursusamericanus);(2)positiveassociationsbetweenherringspawns
andthefrequencyofblackbearsinintertidalzones;(3)elevatedherring-derivedomega-3fattyacidsinintertidal
amphipods(Traskorchestiaspp.),and;(4)elevatedstableisotopicsignaturesofnitrogeninadiversityofsubtidaland
intertidalspeciesfollowingspawnevents.Further,anindirectassociationbetweenherringandblackbearsviabear
consumptionofintertidalamphipodswasalsodocumented.Providingabroaderunderstandingofherringandthe
ecosystemstheyinfluence,evidencealsosuggeststhatherring-drivenspatialsubsidieswerelikelystrongerandmore
widespreadinthepast.
Keywords:Marine,Herring,Fish,Marinesubsidies.
Coralreefecology
TUESDAY15:45,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Fish movement drives spatial and temporal patterns of nitrogen availability on coral
reefs
FIONAT.FRANCIS,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
ISABELLEM.CÔTÉ,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY
Nutrientprovisioningbyanimalscanbeamajordriverofprimaryproductivityinecosystems.Animal-mediatednutrient
sourcesareparticularlyimportantinnutrient-poorsystemssuchascoralreefs.However,becauseoftheirmobilenature,
aggregationsofanimalsmightleadtotemporalandspatialvariabilityinlocalnutrientavailability,whichisnotwell
understood.Inthisstudywequantifiedhowpatternsoffishmovementandabundanceinfluencethestabilityofnitrogen
provisioningonBahamiancoralreefs.Weempiricallymeasuredandmodellednitrogenexcretionestimatesfor16coral
reeffishcommunitiesandcombinedthesemeasurementswithfishabundanceandbehaviouralobservationstocompare
reefnutrientbudgetsondiel,monthly,andannualtimescales.Dielreefnitrogenprovisioningvariedgreatly,withdiurnal
ratesbeingonaveragefourtimesgreaterthannocturnalrates.Diurnalrateswerehighlyvariableamongreefsandwere
drivenprimarilybymigratorygrunts(Haemulidae)restingoverreefsduringthedaybutforagingoffreefsatnight.Atthe
reefscale,overallnitrogenexcretionrateswerecorrelatedwithgruntabundance;however,gruntabundancecouldnotbe
predictedbyanyreefphysicalcharacteristics.Within-reefgruntexcretionrateschangedlittleacrossa4-monthperiod
butvariedsignificantlyovera24-monthperiod,indicatingthatnutrientsupplyonareefisnotstableoverlongperiodsof
time.Quantifyinghownutrientprovisioningonreefsislinkedtofishmovementpatternsandhowthisprovisioningvaries
ondifferentspatialandtemporalscalesisimportantforunderstandingoverallpatternsofprimaryproductivityonreefs.
Keywords:Coralreef,Fish,Marine,Animalmovement,Nutrientcycling.
Salmonidecologyandevolution
MONDAY16:45,ROOM:SAANICH
Intraspecific resource competition and phenotypic selection in polymorphic Arctic
charr (Salvelinus alpinus)
OLIVERFRANKLIN,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH,[email protected]
SKÚLISKÚLASON,HÓLARUNIVERSITYCOLLEGE;MOIRAFERGUSON,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH
Theadaptivediversificationhypothesisprovidesamechanismwherebypopulationscandiversifyintodistinctmorphsor
speciesthroughintraspecificresourcecompetition.Supportforadaptivediversificationfromcomplexnaturalsystemsis
limited,partlyduetouncertaintyregardingtheoriginofcoexistingmorphpopulations.Here,weexaminesupportforthe
adaptivediversificationhypothesiswithintwopolymorphicArcticcharr(Salvelinusalpinus)systems,inwhichrepeated
colonisationisdeemedunlikely.TheIcelandiclakesThingvallavatnandVatnshlidarvatnofferresourceenvironments
characterisedastemporallystableandtemporallyvariable,respectively,withArcticcharrpopulationsdifferingindegree
ofpolymorphism.Wefirstaskhowindividualdifferencesinmorphologyrelatetoindividualdifferencesindiet,witha
strongrelationshipdemonstratingintraspecificcompetitiondependentonphenotype.Fordistinctmorphstobe
maintainedbyintraspecificcompetition,individualswithintermediatemorphologyshouldbelessfitthanthosewith
morphologyalignedwithbiomechanicalexpectations.Usingindividualgrowthrateasaperformancemeasure,we
describethequalitativefeaturesofthefitnesslandscapesineachlake,totestwhetherfitnessvalleysexistbetween
sympatricmorphpopulations,therebyconstitutingapost-zygoticreproductivebarrier.Ourstudyaddresseswhatare
oftenstatedbutuntestedkeyassumptionsregardingphenotypicselectionincomplexnaturalsystems,particularly
relevantgiventheimportanceofpostglacialfreshwaterfishsystemstoourunderstandingofpopulationdiversification
andecologicalspeciation.
Keywords:Evolution,Competition,Arcticcharr,Freshwater,Lakes,Selection,Europe.
Plantecology
MONDAY13:45,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Population level variation in host plant response to multiple symbionts
JAMESFRANKLIN,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH,[email protected]
HAFIZMAHERALI,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH
Thoughco-evolutioncancausegenotypelevelspecificityinmulti-partnersymbioses,fewstudieshaveexploredtherange
ofvariationinsymbioticinteractionswithinaspecies.Onewidespreadmulti-partnersymbiosistakesplacebetween
legumeplantsandarbuscularmycorrhizalfungi(AMF),whichassistwithphosphorusuptake,andrhizobiumbacteria,
whichfixatmosphericnitrogen.Becausethenutrientsprovidedbyeachsymbiontarecomplementary,andthesymbionts
shareacommongeneticpathwaytoinitiatetheinteraction,itisexpectedplantresponsetoAMFandtorhizobiaare
positivelycorrelated.Wegrew35populationsofMedicagotruncatulawithorwithoutthepresenceofeachsymbiontina
fullyfactorialexperiment.Plantgrowthincreased17.35-foldinresponsetoAMfungicolonization,butonlyby22%in
responsetorhizobiacolonization.Population-levelvariationingrowthresponsewashigherforAMFthanforrhizobia.
Growthresponseratiorangedfrom7.6to30.3forAMF,butonlyfrom0.9to1.6forrhizobia.Wefoundaweakpositive
correlationbetweentheresponsetoAMFandrhizobia(R=0.373,p=0.027).Expressedonalogscale,population-level
variationintheresponseratioforM.truncatulaencompassed16%oftherangefoundamongplantspecies.The
asymmetryingrowthresponsestoeachsymbiontsuggesttheevolutionofplantresponsetoAMFismorelabilethanthe
evolutionofplantresponsetorhizobia.Furthermore,theweakcorrelationbetweenAMFresponseandrhizobiaresponse
suggeststhatevolutioninonesymbiosisisunlikelytobeconstrainedbyevolutionintheother.
Keywords:Plants,Fungus,Symbiosis,Evolution.
Aquaticecology
WEDNESDAY11:15,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Using a space-for-time substitution approach to predict implications of climate
change on tropical stream ecosystem function
THERESEC.FRAUENDORF,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
RICHARDA.MACKENZIE,PACIFICSOUTHWESTRESEARCHSTATION;RANAW.EL-SABAAWI,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA
Currentclimatechangepredictionsforstreamecosystemsarelimitedbythelackofappropriatemechanisticmodels,
whicharedifficulttobuild,requireextensivebackgrounddata,andtimetodevelop.Aspace-for-timesubstitutionisan
experimentaldesignwhereaspatialgradientmimicsaforecastedorhistoricalchangeovertime.Itisaninnovativeway
tocharacterizeecologicaldynamicsthatoccurovertime-scalesbeyondthedurationofconventionalexperimentswithout
compromisingrealism.Climate-drivenchangesinrainfallarepredictedtodecreaseflowandincreaseflashfloodingin
tropicalfreshwaterecosystems,buttheecologicalimplicationsofthesechangesarepoorlyunderstood.Weinvestigated
howclimate-drivenchangesinflowalternutrientdynamicsinHawaiianstreamsusingaspace-for-timesubstitution
approachoverthreeyears.Wemeasuredstreamnitrogendemandandsupplyviaexcretionofthreedominant
invertebrates(comprising80%ofanimalbiomass)ineightstreamsacrossa4500mm/yrrainfallgradientthatmimics
predictedchangesinstreamflowonHawaiiIsland.Thedemandfornitrogenrangedbetween0.54-5.53mgN/square
m/hranddidnotvaryconsistentlywithstreamflow.Totalcommunityexcretionsupplied~160%ofthenitrogendemand
undercurrentclimateconditions,butthisdecreasedto10%withclimate-drivenchangesinflow.Thesepatternswere
consistentacrossyears.Weconcludethatpredictedclimatedrivenchangesinflowwillsignificantlydecreasethetotal
amountofnutrientsexportedbythesestreams,whichcanhaveasubstantialeffectontheproductivityoforganismsat
thebaseoffoodwebs(e.g.microbes,algae)indownstreamandnear-shorehabitats.
Keywords:Climatechange,Ecosystemfunction,Streamcharacteristics,Invertebrates,Nutrientuptake,Spatialmodel,Nutrient
Cycling.
Complexcoevolution:understandinghowcoevolutionmayoperatedifferentlyacrossdiverseinteractiontypes,
systems,andscalessymposium
TUESDAY09:30,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Cooperation, conflict, and coevolution
MEGANFREDERICKSON,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO,[email protected]
Cooperationandconflictshouldgeneratedifferentcoevolutionarydynamics,buthowthisplaysoutwithinorbetween
speciesisnotwellunderstood.Coevolutionbetweenchoosinessandcooperationhasbeenexploredtheoretically,butwe
rarelyknowthegeneticbasisofthesetraits(andphenotypingpartnersforthesetraitsislaborious).Furthermore,conflict
maymanifestinsubtleways;forexample,notovertheamountofcooperation,butoveritstimingorlocation,orover
otheraspectsofaninteractionentirely.Iwilldiscusssomepossibleempiricalapproachesformovingourunderstanding
ofcooperation,conflict,andcoevolutionforward.
LifeOntheEdge:MechanismsofAdaptingtoClimateChangeSymposium
TUESDAY11:00,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Tundra plant responses to experimental warming and snowmelt timing
ESTHERFREI,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
GREGHENRY,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA
Arcticregionsareparticularlyaffectedbyrapidlyrisingtemperaturesandalteredsnowfallregimes.Snowmelttiming,
whichdeterminesthestartofthegrowingseason,notonlydependsonspringtemperaturesbutalsoontheamountof
winterprecipitation.Therefore,predictionsaboutfuturesnowmelttimingaredifficultandexperimentalevidenceforits
ecologicalconsequencesisscarce.Weinvestigatedtheinfluenceofexperimentalchangesinsnowmelttimingand
warmingoncommontundraplantspeciesinaHighArcticevergreenshrubheathcommunityattheInternationalTundra
Experiment(ITEX)siteatAlexandraFiord,EllesmereIsland,Nunavut.Theexperimentcombiningpassivewarmingby
open-topchamberswithsnowremoval,snowadditionandcontroltreatmentswasestablishedin1995.Weexamined
responsestoearlieranddelayedsnowmeltaswellasexperimentalwarmingbymeasuringphenological,growthand
reproductivetraitsofCassiopetetragona,Dryasintegrifolia,LuzulaarcticaandPapaverradicatum.Despiteatrendfor
increasingsnowdepth,therewasnolong-termtrendinnaturalsnowmelttiming,buthighinterannualvariability.
Snowmelttimingprimarilycontrolledearlyseasonphenology,buthadlessinfluenceonlaterphenologicalstagessuchas
theonsetoffloweringandseedripening.Experimentalwarminggenerallyadvancedfloweringandseedripeningand
warmingeffectspersistedoverthecourseofthegrowingseasoninfluencingothertraitssuchasgrowthincrementand
flowerheight.Ourresultsunderlinetheimportanceofunderstandingtheinteractionsbetweentemperatureandwinter
precipitationthatdrivespeciesresponsestoclimatechangeintheArctic.
Salmonidecologyandevolution
MONDAY11:30,ROOM:SAANICH
Ecological drivers of covariance in productivity among Fraser River sockeye salmon
conservation units
CAMERONFRESHWATER,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
BRIANBURKE,NORTHWESTFISHERIESSCIENCECENTER,NOAAFISHERIES;ERICBUHLE,NORTHWESTFISHERIESSCIENCECENTER;MARK
SCHEUERELL,NORTHWESTFISHERIESSCIENCECENTER,NOAAFISHERIES;SUEC.H.GRANT,FISHERIESANDOCEANSCANADA;MARK
TRUDEL,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,FISHERIESANDOCEANSCANADA;FRANCISJUANES,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA
Althoughtheimportanceofdiversitytomaintainingmetapopulationstabilityiswidelyrecognized,theecological
characteristicsthatleadtosynchronousordivergentdynamicsareoftenunclear.Weuseddynamicfactoranalysisto
explorepatternsofcovarianceamongFraserRiversockeyesalmonconservationunits(CUs)anddeterminewhether
coherenttrendsinproductivitywerebestpredictedbythespatialcharacteristicsofnurserylakes,returnmigration
phenology,geneticsimilarity,orearlymarinemigratorytraits.Thetop-rankedmodelidentifiedtwocoherenttrends-one
representingthedynamicsof16CUsthatrearinnurserylakespriortooceanentryandasecondforthesinglesea-type
CUincludedhere,HarrisonRiver.Theuniformresponseoflake-typeCUs,aswellasHarrisonRiverCUsuniqueoceanlife
history,suggeststhatvariationinFraserRiversockeyesalmonproductivityismoderatedbylarge-scale,regional
mechanisms,whichmayinfluencemarinegrowthorsurvival.Furthermore,wedocumentthatproductivityamongFraser
RiverCUshasbecomeincreasinglysynchronous,whichsuggeststheimportanceoflarge-scalemarinedriversmayhave
increasedrelativetolocalprocessesoccurringduringfreshwaterresidence.Giventheapparentdisconnectbetween
ecologicaldiversityandasynchronyamongFraserRiversockeyesalmonCUs,ourresultssuggesttheremayberelatively
littlebenefittopreservingspecificpopulationgroupsandconservationeffortsshouldemphasizesustainingthemaximum
numberofCUspossible.
Keywords:Salmon,Productivity,Management,Fisheries.
Mammalianmovementandactivity
TUESDAY11:15,ROOM:THEATRE
Carnivore activity patterns in relation to landscape development and competitor cooccurrence
SANDRAFREY,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
JASONT.FISHER,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,INNOTECHALBERTA;JOHNP.VOLPE,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA
Dielactivitypatternsareanimportantcomponentofspeciesecology.Environmentalcuessuchaspredationrisk,
anthropogenicdisturbance,andthepotentialforagonisticencounterswithdominantcompetitorsmayinfluence
behaviouraldecisionsthatalteranimalactivitypatterns.Usingcamera-trapdatacollectedovermultipleyearsacrosstwo
studysystemsintheRockyMountainsofAlberta-theWillmoreWildernessandtheKananaskis/EastSlopesregion-we
comparedthedielactivitiesofmultiplecarnivorespeciesinrelationtolandscapedevelopmentandcompetitorcooccurrence.Applyingkerneldensityfunctionsonthetemporaldatacollectedviathetime-stampedcamera-trapimages,
weassessedchangestoanimalactivitypatternsbetweenhighversuslowdisturbanceareasbothwithinandacrossthe
studysystemsbasedonGISlandscapedata.Wealsocharacterizedhowspeciesaltertheiractivitiestemporallyinthe
presenceofcompetitorsorintraguildpredators.Suchcomparisonsprovideinsightintotheextentthatenvironmental
variablesalteranimalbehaviours,thedegreeofplasticityinspeciesactivityschedules,andpotentialmechanisms
facilitatingspeciescoexistencewithincomplexcommunities.Understandinghowbioticprocessesandabioticfactorssuch
asspeciesinteractionsandhuman-drivenlandscapechangesmayinfluencespeciesactivityisofspecialrelevanceto
managementandconservationdecisions.
Keywords:Behaviouralecology,Predation,Competition,Disturbance,Spatialmodels,Landusechange.
EcologicalandEvolutionaryDynamicsinFluctuatingEnvironmentsSymposium
MONDAY08:00,ROOM:THEATRE
Seasonality, climate change, and consumer-resource dynamics
JOHNFRYXELL,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH,[email protected]
Thereisincreasingappreciationthatthemagnitudeandtimingofprecipitationeventsmaybechangingatagloballevel.
HereIwilloffersomesimplewaysofthinkingaboutthedemographicimpactofrainfallseasonalityonprimaryproducers
andrelatethoseeffectsinturntotheirknock-onimpactonherbivores,andtoppredators.Apiece-wiseseriallogistic
modelisusedtorepresentseasongrowthanddeclineinresources,allowinggeneralsolutionsforsustainable
combinationsofseasonlength,intrinsicgrowthrates,andnaturalmortalityaswellasavantagepointforconsideringlife
historyevolutionunderclimatechangescenarios.Imbeddingthatformulationinaconsumer-resourcecontextoffersa
differentperspectiveonnaturalregulationandlong-termdynamicsoffoodwebinteractions.Thesepatternsare
illustratedusingexamplesdrawnfromtheSerengetiecosystem.
Geneticstructureofpopulations
TUESDAY13:30,ROOM:COLWOOD
Fine-scale genome-wide analysis of spawning herring (Clupea harengus) populations
in the Northwest Atlantic
ANGELAP.FUENTES-PARDO,DALHOUSIEUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
CHRISTINABOURNE,FISHERIESANDOCEANSCANADA;RABINDRASINGH,FISHERIESANDOCEANSCANADA;HUGUESBENOIT,FISHERIES
ANDOCEANSCANADA;GREGORYMCCRACKEN,DALHOUSIEUNIVERSITY;DANIELE.RUZZANTE,DALHOUSIEUNIVERSITY
AtlanticherringisapelagicfishofmajorecologicalandeconomicimportancethroughouttheNorthAtlantic.Previous
attemptstodescribeitsgeneticstructureintheNWAtlanticusingahandfulofneutralmarkershavefoundnogenetic
differencesamong9locationsintheScotianshelfwiththeexceptionofherringfromBrasD’Orlake,asemi-enclosed
brackishenvironment.Populationgeneticanalysesonherringexhibittwomainchallenges:1)difficultyinsampling
populationunitsgiventhespeciesintricatelifehistoryinvolvingannualmigrationsbetweenspawning,feeding,and
overwinteringareas,andtemporaldifferencesinspawningbehaviouramongpopulationsincludingpopulationsfromthe
sameregion;2)difficultyindetectinggeneticstructuringatneutralmarkers,giventhenegligiblegeneticdriftexpectedin
populationswithlargeeffectivesizes.Weusedapool-seqapproachtocomparewhole-genomeresequencingdataamong
14spawningpopulationsdistributedalongthecoastoftheNWAtlantic,includingNewfoundland,theGulfofStLawrence,
theScotianshelf,andBrasD’Orlake.Someofthesepopulationsspawninthefallandothersinthespringandwe
demonstratefunctionaldifferencesamongsomeofthesespawningpopulations.Thisconstitutesthefirstpopulation
genomicsstudyinherringatthisscaleintheregion.Theinformationgatheredisusefulforstockdelineationand
monitoring.
Keywords:Fish,Geneticvariation,Marine,Populationrange,Monitoring,Populationgenetics,Genomicsequencing.
Usingexperimentalevolutiontorevealtheeco-evolutionaryimpactsofglobalchangesymposium
WEDNESDAY09:30,ROOM:THEATRE
Evolutionary rescue of complex phytoplankton communities exposed to a
widespread herbicide
VINCENTFUGÈRE,MCGILLUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
Evolutionaryrescuetheorysuggeststhatundersomeconditions,rapidevolutioncanpreventlocalextinctioninseverely
degradedenvironments.Microcosmexperimentshaveidentifiedseveralfactorsfacilitatingrescue,includinglarge
populationsizesandpre-exposuretosub-lethaldosesofstress.However,theapplicabilityofthistheorytocomplex
ecosystemsexposedtoconservation-relevantstressorshasnotbeentested.Totacklethisproblem,anew,large-scale
aquaticmesocosmfacility(the'LargeExperimentalArrayofPonds',orLEAP)wasrecentlybuiltatMcGill'sGaultNature
Reserve.LEAPcomprises96freshwaterpondmesocosmsthatcontainacomplexcommunityofplanktonicorganisms
originatingfromanearbypristinelake.ThefirstexperimentatLEAPtestedwhether:1)diversephytoplankton
communitiescouldberescuedfromsevereherbicidestress,and2)whethercommunityabundanceandpre-exposureto
sub-lethaldosesofstresswouldfacilitaterescue.Wefocusedontheherbicideglyphosate(Roundup),themost
widespreadpesticidebothlocallyandglobally.Wefirstimposeddivergentselectionregimesacrosscommunitiesby
manipulatingpopulationsize(vianutrientenrichment)andexposuretosub-lethalstress(viapulseapplicationsof
Roundup).Wethenexposedallcommunitiestoadoseofglyphosatepre-determinedtobelethaltoourcommunities,and
notedwhichcommunitiespersisted.Wefoundthatpre-exposuretosub-lethalstresswasastrongpredictorof
persistencewhilstcommunityabundancewasnot.Theseresultsexpandthescopeofevolutionaryrescuetheoryfrom
laboratorymicrocosmstocomplexecosystems,andconfirmthatexposuretomoderatedegradationallowsdiverse
communitiestowithstandfuture,moreseveredegradation.
Keywords:Freshwater,Experiment,Pollution,Resilience,Phytoplankton,Disturbance.
Remotecameranetworkstoscaleupecologicalinsightsandconservationapplicationssymposium
TUESDAY09:15,ROOM:THEATRE
Camera trap surveys to inform management decision making
ANGELAFULLER,U.S.GEOLOGICALSURVEY,NEWYORKCOOPERATIVEFISHANDWILDLIFERESEARCHUNIT,CORNELLUNIVERSITY,
[email protected]
Remotecameratrapnetworksalthoughnowwidelyused,areunderutilizedasamethodtohelpinformmanagement
decisionmaking.Adaptivemanagementisincreasinglybeingusedtoaidindecisionmakingwhenthedecisionisrepeated
overtimeandthereexistssomeuncertainty.Ifthesourceofuncertaintyrelatestohowmanagementactionsinfluencethe
system,multiplemodelsthatpredicttheoutcomeofmanagementactionscanbecompared.Understandingunknown
systemresponsetomanagementactions(i.e.,learning)requiresmonitoringtheoutcomesandcomparingthemwith
expectations-thisallowsforupdatingbeliefaboutthemodelthatbestpredictedsystemresponsetomanagement.
Monitoringdatafromcameratrappingisarelativelyinexpensivemethodforlearninghowspeciesrespondtospecific
managementactionswhentheobjectiveorstatevariableofinterestmayincludeaspectsofspeciesabundance,density,
patchoccupancyorlocalpatchextinction.Indecisioncontextswithoutiterativedecisions(i.e.,one-offdecisions),
structureddecisionmakingcanbeusedtoaidthedecision,usingcameratrapdatatodevelopamodelofsystemresponse
tomanagementactions.Finally,Iprovideanexampleofusingcameratrappinginadecisionmakingcontextthatdidnot
utilizeaformalprocesssuchasstructureddecisionmakingoradaptivemanagement,butwasinformativeaboutdecisions
relatedtotrappingseasonsforfishers(Pekania[Martes]pennanti).Idiscussdesigningcameratrapsurveysand
monitoringeffortsfocusedonconservationormanagementdecisionmaking.
Geneticstructureofpopulations
TUESDAY10:45,ROOM:COLWOOD
Population genomics of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) introduced on
Anticosti Island
JÉRÉMIEFULLER,UNIVERSITÉLAVAL,[email protected]
Introductionofaspeciesmayreducegeneticvariationandincreasegeneticdivergencebetweenpopulations.
Understandingevolutionaryprocessesoccurringonthesepopulationsisthekeyfortheirsustainablemanagement.
White-taileddeer(Odocoileusvirginianus)wereintroducedonAnticostiIsland(7,943squarekm,Québec,Canada)inthe
late1890’s.Fromabout200deer,thepopulationincreasedrapidlytoreach>20deer/squarekm.Ourmaingoalwasto
documenttheextentofgeneticdifferentiationandgeneticdiversitybetweenAnticostideer,itscontinentalsourceof
originandaremotepopulation.Toachievethis,wegenotyped8,515filteredSNPsusingGenotype-By-Sequencing(GBS)
from571individualsharvestedbysporthunting(445ontheislandand126fromtwocontinentalpopulations).Wefound
noevidenceofreducedgeneticdiversityinAnticostideervsbothcontinentalpopulations(Ho=0.117-0.129).This
indicatesnofoundereffectandgeneticdriftforthepopulationofAnticostiIsland.Minimalgeneticdriftaffectwasalso
evidencedbytheweakgeneticdifferentiation(Fst=0.005)fromthecontinentalsourceoforigin.Nevertheless,aperfect
populationassignmentsuccess(100%)revealedthatAnticostideerdivergedsufficientlytogeneticallyidentifyindividual
deerwithhighaccuracy.Whilenoclearpatternofgeneticstructurewasdetectedontheislandpopulation,spatial
autocorrelationanalysesrevealedthatthepopulationwasnottotallypanmictic.Finally,wealsoinvestigatedpossible
genotype-phenotypeassociationsusinglong-termdataonbodyconditionofwhite-taileddeerontheisland.Wewill
interpretanddiscussthoseresultsinthecontextofhuntingmanagement.
Keywords:Genomicsequencing,Mammals,Geneticvariation,Populationgenetics,Hunting.
Geneticstructureofpopulations
TUESDAY15:30,ROOM:COLWOOD
Immune gene functional heterozygosity affects survival in caribou
MARIANNEGAGNON,UNIVERSITÉLAVAL,CARIBOUUNGAVA,CENTRED’ÉTUDESNORDIQUE,[email protected]
GLENNYANNIC,UNIVERSITÉSAVOIEMONTBLANC;STEEVED.CÔTÉ,UNIVERSITÉLAVAL,CARIBOUUNGAVA,CENTRED’ÉTUDES
NORDIQUE
Themechanismsunderlyingtheassociationbetweengeneticdiversityandindividualperformancearepoorlyunderstood,
withoftenconflictingresultsamongstudiesconductedatdifferentgeneticorfunctionalscales.Here,wewereinterested
incontrastingtheeffectsofglobalandlocalgeneticdiversityonbodymassandsurvivalofmigratorycaribou(Rangifer
tarandus)fromtworapidlydecliningherdsinnorthernQuebec-Labrador.Asameasureofglobalgeneticdiversity,we
estimatedmeanheterozygosityusingSNPmarkersdistributedthroughoutthegenome.Wepredictedthatindividuals
withhighermeanheterozygosityshouldhavehighermassandsurvivalbecausethismeasureisusuallynegatively
associatedwithinbreeding.Inaddition,wefocusedonimmunegenevariability(i.e.,MHCclassIIDRBexon2;MHC-DRB),
toassesstheeffectoflocalgeneticdiversityonperformancethroughimmunefunctions.Weconsideredfourdifferent
measuresofdiversityrangingfromgenetictofunctionaldiversity.Contrarytoexpectation,wefoundanegative
relationshipbetweensurvivalandfunctionaldiversityatMHC-DRB,i.e.,functionalhomozygotespresentedahigher
survivalthanfunctionalheterozygotes,regardlessoftheallelescarried.Itsuggeststhatitmaybedisadvantageousto
carrytwoallelesfromdifferentMHCfunctionalgroups,whilewedidnotdetecteffectsofclassicalheterozygosityonboth
massandsurvival.Functionalhomozygositycouldenableindividualstorecognizemorespecificallyonetypeofpathogens
insteadofrecognizinglessefficientlymultipletypes.Ourstudyhighlightstheimportanceofconsideringvariouslevelsof
geneticdiversitywhenassessingitsrelationshipwithperformance.
Keywords:Geneticvariation,Caribou,Inbreeding,Genomicsequencing,Scale,Individualsurvival.
Beeecologyandbehaviour
WEDNESDAY11:30,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Mass-flowering canola crops: Implications for prairie pollinators
PAULGALPERN,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY,[email protected]
SARAHA.JOHNSON,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY;JENNL.RETZLAFF,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY;D.CHANG,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY;JOHN
SWANN,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY
Wereportfindingsthatpointtoanecologicaltrapcreatedbycanola,amass-floweringcropwidelygrownonthe
CanadianPrairies.Wedemonstratethatbumblebeequeensareattractedtolocationswithahighercoverofcanola,
wheretheyestablishcoloniesearlier.However,despitethisattraction,bumblebeeworkersattheselocationsareless
abundantthanatcontrollocationswhenthecropisnolongerinbloom.Thispatternsuggestsmass-floweringcrops,such
ascanola,havethepotentialtolureinmobilepollinatorslikebumblebees,butthatademographicbenefitofthis
resourcepulsemaybeshort-lived.Inparticular,ourstudypointstothiseffectwhenthecropisgrownunderhighlyintensiveconditions.Thisworkisrelevantinlightofrecentclaimsthatmass-floweringcropsmaybufferagainstthe
widely-reporteddeclineinwildinsectpollinators.Ourstudysuggeststhattheremaybelimitstothiseffect.The
conservationimplicationsforbumblebeesandotherlarge,mobilebeespeciesarerelevantatacontinentalscale,given
thevastregionandoverwhichcanolaiscultivatedinNorthAmerica(approx.85,000squarekmplantedin2015),andthe
spatialintensitywithwhichcroppingtypicallyoccurs.Weexaminethespatialimplicationsofourfindings.
Keywords:Pollinators,Bumblebees,Ecologicaltrap,Agriculture.
Host-associatedmicrobes:fromprotectivemicrobestopathogenssymposium
MONDAY08:30,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Thermal stress alters host-parasite interaction and drives parasite distribution in a
marine invertebrate
ALYSSA-LOISGEHMAN,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
CHRISHARLEY,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA
Endosymbioticinteractionsarepervasivethroughoutourecosystems.Endosymbiontscanexacerbateorbufferhost
responsetoenvironmentalconditions,andthushostinganendosymbiontcanaffectwheretheirhostssurviveandhow
theirhostwillinteractwiththeircommunityandecosystem.Weexaminetheeffectofshell-boringendolithic
cyanobacteriaonitsmusselhost,Mytiluscalifornianus.Wefoundthatcyanobacterialinfestationcausestheblackouter
layeroftheshelltosloughofftheshell,thattheresultantlightgrayshellabsorbslesssolarenergy,andinfestedmussels
remaincooleronsunnydays.Fieldmanipulationsofshellcolordemonstratedthatgrey-paintedmusselshadhigher
survivalthenblack-paintedmussels.Furthermore,wefoundthatmusselshadahigherprobabilityofsurvivinghighheat
stresseventsthemoretheirshellwaseroded.Thus,endolithiccyanobacteriacanactasmutualistsduringintenseheat
events.Erosionratesacrosstheintertidalreflectthisadvantage,withhighererosionintheupperthenlowerintertidal.
Thiscontextdependentmutualismmayenableinfestedmusselstosurvivehigherintheintertidalthanwouldotherwise
bepossible,thusindirectlybenefitingthelargenumberoforganismsdependentonmusselbeds.Undestandingtheeffect
ofthermalcontextontheoutcomeofhost-symbiontinteractionswillbeimportanttosuccessfullypredictingthe
outcomesofglobalclimatechange.
Metacommunitytheoryforreal-worldcommunities:theoreticalandempiricaladvancesfortrophicmetacommunities
symposium
TUESDAY09:00,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Cascading effects of spatial structure across trophic levels
RACHELGERMAIN,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
LAURAJOHNSON,UNIVERSITYOFWATERLOO;ANDREWMACDOUGALL,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH;KARLCOTTENIE,UNIVERSITYOF
GUELPH;ELIZABETHGILLIS,WESTERNUNIVERSITY
Withinecologicalcommunities,speciesareimmenselydiverseintheirtraits,suchasbodysize,dispersalability,or
behavior,thataffectmovementpatternsandpopulationdistributionsinlandscapes.Ifweconsiderthatspeciesinteract
withoneanother,thenthespatialpatternsinonegroupofspeciescanhavecascadingeffectsonthespatialpatternsofan
interactinggroupsofspecies.Wetestedthelinkbetweenriskavoidancebehaviorbysmallmammalsandemergent
spatialpatternsintheassemblyoftall-grassprairiecommunities,usingexperimentalmanipulationsofpredationrisk,
seedpalatabilityassays,andplantsurveys.Whatwefoundwasthatsmallmammalsarehighlyselectiveforagers,and
concentratetheirforagingactivitiesinareasperceivedtobeoflowerpredationrisk,suchasareaswithdensecanopy
cover.Intheseareasoflowriskandhighactivity,plantdiversitywasgreatlyreducedandhomogenizedtoonlycontain
specieswithunpalatableseeds;areasofhighriskandlowactivitysupporteddiverseandspatiallyheterogeneousplant
communities.Ourresultsdemonstrateaclearspatialcascadeamongaerialpredatorstosmallmammalgranivoresto
plantcommunities,asmediatedbygranivorebehaviour.
Complexcoevolution:understandinghowcoevolutionmayoperatedifferentlyacrossdiverseinteractiontypes,
systems,andscalessymposium
TUESDAY08:45,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Coevolution’s ups and downs: A long-term study of sex in a natural population
AMANDAK.GIBSON,EMORYUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
DANIELAVERGARA,UNIVERSITYOFCOLORADOBOULDER;LYNDADELPH,INDIANAUNIVERSITY;CURTLIVELY,INDIANAUNIVERSITY
TheRedQueenhypothesisarguesthatcoevolvingparasitesmaintainsexualreproduction.Apriorfieldstudyofthe
freshwatersnailPotamopyrgusantipodarumsupportedacentralpredictionoftheRedQueen:asexualsweresignificantly
moreinfectedonaveragethansympatricsexualfemalesfrom2001to2005.Interestingly,weobservedtheoppositein
fieldsamplestakenfromthesamesitesin2012to2016:asexualfemalesweresignificantlylessinfectedthansexual
females.Wetookadvantageofthisperiodofasexualunder-infectiontotestanunusualpredictionoftheRedQueen:
asexualswillbelessinfectedthansympatricsexualswhenasexualsarerare,consistentwithanabsenceofcommon
clones.Weindeedfoundthatasexualsweresignificantlylessfrequentin2012-2016ascomparedto2001-2005.Withan
experimentinsemi-naturalmescosms,wefoundthatunder-infectionconferredafitnessadvantageuponasexualrelative
tosexualfemales.Accordingly,thefrequencyofasexualfemalesatourfieldsitesincreasedsignificantlyfrom2012to
2016.Thedegreeofincreasevariedbetweensites,withasexualfemalesreachingtheirhighestfrequenciesatsiteswhere
coevolvingparasiteswererelativelyrare.Lastly,fielddatasuggestthatasexuallineagesareintheprocessofbecoming
over-infectedastheyincreaseinfrequency.ConsistentwiththeRedQueen,ourlong-termfieldandexperimentaldata
suggestthatcoevolutionarydynamicscanexplaintheevolutionofreproductivemodeinthisnaturalpopulation.
Parasites,parasitoids,pathogens
WEDNESDAY10:30,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Mosquito community ecology and malaria transmission
AMBERGIGIHOI,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO,[email protected]
NICOLEMIDEO,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO
Mosquitoesexistincommunitiesintheirnaturalhabitats,andthesecommunitiesvaryintheirabsolutesize,andspecies
compositionandrichnessthroughtimeandspace.Mosquitospeciesdifferinlifehistory,behaviour,nichepreferences,
therangeofparasitestheycarry,andvectorcompetence.Assuch,mosquitocommunitystructureisexpectedtobean
importantdriverofvariationindiseasetransmissionpatternsacrosstheglobe.Surprisingly,therehasbeenlittle
researchintotherelationshipbetweenmosquitodiversityanddiseasedynamics,andexistingdataandtheorytendto
generatemixedresultsandpredictions.Toshedlightonthisimportantquestion,weanalyzedpublicly-availabledataon
globalmosquitoandmalariaprevalencegatheredundertheMalariaAtlasProject.Thesesystematically-compileddatasets
allowedforathoroughexaminationof1)theeffectsofthebiotic(e.g.presenceofnon-humanhosts)andabiotic(e.g.landusetypes)environmentonvariousindexesofmosquitodiversity,and2)theeffectofmosquitodiversityonMalariarisk.
Resultsfrompreliminaryanalysesandimplicationstodiseasecontrolarediscussed.
Keywords:Epidemiology,Mosquito,Landscapeconfiguration,Human,Interactions,Management.
Speciesinteractionsinawarmingworldsymposium
TUESDAY14:00,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Temperature dependency of consumptive dynamics and dispersal structure local
and regional coexistence
BENJAMINGILBERT,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO,[email protected]
ZACHARYMOORE,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO;TESSN.GRAINGER,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO
Inspatiallyheterogeneouslandscapes,theimpactsofwarmingdependonthetemperatureresponsesoflocalecological
dynamicsaswellasthedirectandindirecteffectsoftemperatureondispersal.Inplant-herbivoresystems,asymmetric
temperatureresponsesamongspeciescanshiftcompetitiveandconsumptivedynamicsand,inextremecases,leadto
localextinctionofcompetingherbivoresortheirhostplant.Weusedcontrolledexperimentswithcommonmilkweedand
twospecialistaphidspeciestotestindividualandpopulationlevelresponsestotemperature,andhowthesealteraphid
competitivedynamicsandplantpersistence.Weincludethesedynamicsandaphiddispersalpropensityina
metacommunitymodeltohypothesizefeedbacksbetweenlocalandregionaldynamicswithincreasingtemperature.Our
resultsshowthatasymmetrictemperatureresponsesbetweenaphidspeciesandmilkweedplantsleadtocorrelated
aphidresponsestowarmingintheabsenceofinterspecificcompetition,butoppositeresponseswhenacompeting
specieswaspresent.Correlatedresponsesoccurreddespiteopposingimpactsonmilkweedplants–plantmortality
increasedathighertemperaturesinthepresenceofthesuperioraphidcompetitor,butdecreasedwithtemperaturewhen
theinferiorcompetitoroccurredalone.Species-specificdispersalledtoagreaterspreadofthesuperiorcompetitor,
generatingapositivefeedbackbetweenlocalandregionaldynamicsthatdestabilizescoexistenceinthismetacommunity.
Remotecameranetworkstoscaleupecologicalinsightsandconservationapplicationssymposium
TUESDAY10:30,ROOM:THEATRE
Flying cameras: Promises and pitfalls of drones for wildlife ecology
SOPHIEGILBERT,UNIVERSITYOFIDAHO,[email protected]
KATIECHRISTIE,ALASKASEALIFECENTER;CASEYBROWN,ALASKASEALIFECENTER;MIKEHATFIELD,UNIVERSITYOFALASKAFAIRBANKS;
LEANNEHANSEN,USGEOLOGICALSURVEY
Unmannedaircraftsystems(UAS)-alsocalledunmannedaerialvehicles(UAVs)ordrones-canactasflyingcameras,as
wellasflyingplatformsforothersamplingsystems.Assuch,theyareanemergingtoolthatmayprovideasafer,more
cost-effective,andquieteralternativetotraditionalresearchmethods.WereviewexampleswhereUAShavebeenusedto
documentwildlifeabundance,behavior,andhabitat,andillustratethestrengthsandweaknessesofthistechnologywith
twocasestudies.WesummarizeresearchonbehavioralresponsesofwildlifetoUAS,anddiscusstheneedtounderstand
howrecreationalandcommercialapplicationsofthistechnologycoulddisturbcertainspecies.Currently,thewidespread
implementationofUASbyscientistsislimitedbyflightrange,regulatoryframeworks,andalackofvalidation.UASare
mosteffectivewhenusedtoexaminesmallerareasclosetotheirlaunchsites,whereasmannedaircraftarerecommended
forsurveyinggreaterdistances.ThegrowingdemandforUASinresearchandindustryisdrivingrapidregulatoryand
technologicalprogress,whichinturnwillmakethemmoreaccessibleandeffectiveasanalyticaltools.
Pollinationsystems
TUESDAY11:30,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Pollinator-dependent invasive species impacts on network structure and community
traits
SANDRAGILLESPIE,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
ELIZABETHELLE,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY
Invasivespeciescanaffectpollinationnetworkcharacteristicsrelatedtostability.Forexample,asaninvasiveplant
increasesindensity,thecommunitymightbecomemoregeneralized,asspecialistsmaynotpersistwhentheirpreferred
partnerisoutcompetedbyaninvasive.Thiscouldleadtolowerasymmetry,butpotentiallyhigherresilience.Manyof
thesepredictionsarebasedongeneralistinvadersbuttheymaychangeinunexpectedwaysiftheinvaderisspecialized.
Furthermore,ecologicalunderstandingoftheimplicationsofchangesinnetworkstructurerequiresrelatingthepatterns
backtospeciestraits.Weexaminetheimpactsofapollinatorspecialistinvasiveshruboncommunitystructureandplant
andpollinatortraitswithinanendangeredecosystem.Wefindthathighdensityoftheinvasiveplantresultsinhigher
modularity,andlowerresilienceoftheplantcommunity.Thetraitsofthepollinatorcommunityareinpartaffectedbythe
pollinationrequirementsofthespecialistinvasive,whiletheplantcommunitymaybemoreresponsivetothelandscape
inwhichthehabitatisembedded.Overall,ourresultssuggestthatinvasiveplantsmayhaveuniqueimpactson
communitiesbasedontheirpollinationsyndrome.
Keywords:Invasion,Plants,Pollination,Resilience.
Salmonidecologyandevolution
MONDAY14:45,ROOM:SAANICH
Reduced growth in wild juvenile sockeye salmon infected with sea lice
SEANGODWIN,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
LARRYM.DILL,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY;MARTINKRKOŠEK,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO;MICHAELH.H.PRICE,SIMONFRASER
UNIVERSITY;JOHND.REYNOLDS,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY
Marinepathogenscancauselargepopulationdeclinesandheavylossesforfisheriesandaquacultureglobally.Indisease
ecology,sublethaleffectsofpathogensonhosttraitsarelargelyignoreddespitetheirpotentialimportancetohost
survival.Bodygrowthisonesuchtraitthatmaybeinfluencedbypathogeninfectionandoftendeterminessurvival,
especiallyformarinefish.Weassessedwhetherwildjuvenilesockeyesalmonthatarehighlyinfectedwithsealice-an
ectoparasitewhoseabundanceonwildsalmoniselevatedinpartfromopen-netsalmonfarms-experiencereduced
growthrelativetouninfectedindividuals.Weexaminedthedailygrowthringsinjuvenilesockeyeotolithsandfoundthat
heavilyparasitizedfishdidindeedgrowmoreslowlyinthetendaysprecedingcapture.Largerfishalsogrewfasterthan
smallerfish,andwerelessimpactedbylice.Ourresultshighlightthepotentialsurvivalconsequencesforsalmonfromthe
sublethaleffectsofpathogens.Astheaquacultureindustryexpands,understandingtheimpactsofpathogensonwildfish
-includingthosewhichoccurindirectly-willbecriticalforconservingvulnerablepopulations.
Keywords:Marine,Salmon,Sea-lice,Parasitology,Fisheries,Aquaculture.
ECOLOGICAL,EVOLUTIONARYANDENVIRONMENTALSYNTHESISINTHE21STCENTURYSYMPOSIUM
TUESDAY14:30,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
The age of research synthesis: The contribution Quebec Centre for Biodiversity
Science
ANDREWGONZALEZ,MCGILLUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
Researchsynthesishasemergedinrecentdecadesasaprimarymodeofadvancingknowledgeintheenvironmental
sciences.Therenowexistsaworldwidenetworkofresearchcentresandinstitutesdedicatedtosupportingresearch
syntheses.Quantitativesynthesisthroughmeta-analysisisthestatisticalanalysisofalargecollectionofresultsfrom
individualstudiesforthepurposeofintegratingthefindings.Ifanalysedproperlythevariationinoutcomesamong
relatedstudiesbecomesavaluablesourceofinformationthatcanestablishtheempiricalbasisforwidespreadecological
phenomena,reinforcetheprimacyofatheory,signalthedemiseofanidea,oradjusttheactivitiesofafieldofresearchfor
yearsintothefuture.But,theycanalsogeneratedebateandmanyresearchershavesignaledtheconsequencesofpoorly
conductedmeta-analysis.InthistalkIwillprovideexamplesofsynthesisresearchsupportedbytheQuebecCentrefor
BiodiversityScience.Examplesincludeclimatechangeimpacts,rapidevolution,emergingdiseases,andlocalbiodiversity
change.Researchsyntheseshavethepowertoinfluencepolicyandguidetheinvestmentoffunding.Thefuturewilllikely
seetheglobalnetworkofsynthesiscentresworkingtogethertoharnesstheextraordinarycollectivepowersofsynthesis
ofthousandsofscientistsusingopendataandadvancedecoinformatics.
Usingexperimentalevolutiontorevealtheeco-evolutionaryimpactsofglobalchangesymposium
WEDNESDAY08:00,ROOM:THEATRE
Evolutionary rescue comes of age: An account of the growth in our understanding
through theory and experiments
ANDREWGONZALEZ,MCGILLUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
Ourunderstandingofevolutionaryrescuehasgrownrapidlyoverthelastdecade.InthistalkIwilltellthestoryofthis
progress.Withfewexceptions,experimentsshowthatevolutioncanallowpopulationstoadaptandpersistinahighly
stressfulenvironment.Earlyexperimentswithevolvinglaboratorypopulationsofbacteria(E.coli,P.fluorescens),and
single-celledeukaryotes(e.g.Saccharomycescerevisiae,Chlamydomonas)haveconfirmedpredictionsofearlytheory,
suchastheimportanceofpopulationsize,dispersalandpre-exposuretostress.Theseexperimentsalsosignificantly
expandedthescopeofthetheoryandsubsequentlyspurrednewtheorythataddedimportantfeaturessuchasstagestructure,phenotypicplasticityandinterspecificinteractionstothedomainofapplicationofevolutionaryrescue.
Experimentswithmulticellularorganisms,suchasinsects(Triboliumcastaneum)crustacea(Daphniapulex)andaquatic
plants(e.g.duckweed),suggestevolutionaryrescueispossibleinlonger-livedpopulationswithin5-50generations.Most
recentlytheconceptofcommunityevolutionaryrescuehasbeendevelopedandtestedinthelabwithmetacommunities
ofmicrobesandinthefieldandrealisticfreshwatercommunitiesofplankton.Cruciallyexperimentshavefoundthat
evolutionaryrescueispossibleacrossarangeofstressors,includingsalt,antibiotics,heavymetals,andpesticides.The
nextphaseinevolutionaryrescueresearchwillfocusontherescueofecosystemprocesses,trophicstructureandthe
developmentofmodelsthatpredictthetimecourseofrapidevolutioninthelabandfield.Thisisanexcitingtimeinthe
developmentofappliedevolutionaryecology.
Keywords:Evolution,Evolutionaryrescue,Experiment,Bacteria.
Effectsofclimatechange
TUESDAY16:00,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Spatial and temporal patterns of bobcat and lynx distributions in British Columbia
TJGOOLIAFF,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIAOKANAGAN,[email protected]
KARENE.HODGES,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIAOKANAGAN
Climatechangeiscausingmanyspeciestoshifttheirrangesnorthward.Bobcats(Lynxrufus)andCanadalynx(Lynx
canadensis)mightbeamongthesespeciessincetheirdistributionsaretiedtosnow.Lynxhavelonglegsandsnowshoelikepawsmakingthemwelladaptedfordeepsnow.Incontrast,bobcatsareheavier,havesmallfeet,andsinkintothe
snow.WhilelynxarefoundthroughouttheinteriorofBritishColumbia(BC),bobcatshavebeenrestrictedtosouthernBC.
However,climatechangehasledtoearlierspringsandlowersnowlevels.Asaresult,wespeculatedthatbobcatsmight
beexpandingtheirrangenorthwardwhilelynxmightbecontractingtheirrange.Ourobjectivesweretomapthecurrent
provincialdistributionofeachspecies,andtodeterminewhethereachspecieshasshifteditsrangeoverthepast80years.
Todeterminetheircurrentdistributionswecollectedphotographsofbothspeciessubmittedbythepublicfrom
throughouttheprovince.Intotal4,397photographswerecollectedcomprising1,621separatedetections.Themost
northernbobcatsweredetectedinPrinceGeorgeandHouston.Todeterminewhethereachspecieshasshifteditsrange,
weexaminedhistoricharvestrecords.Wealsodistributedtrappersurveystodeterminewhethertrappershavenoticed
anyrangeshifts.Ouranalysissuggestsrangeshavenotchangedmuchinthelast80years.Despiteachangingclimatethat
isthoughttofavourbobcatsoverlynx,wefoundnoevidencethattherangeofeitherspecieshasshiftedinBC.
Keywords:Mammals,Speciesdistribution,Climatechange,Historicalrecords,Photographs.
Biodiversity
TUESDAY08:30,ROOM:VIEWROYAL
Measuring diversity using entropy (Shannon), covariance (Simpson), and
independence (linkage disequilibrium)
ROOTGORELICK,CARLETONUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
Iintroducethreewaystoquantifyβ-diversityanditseviltwinsegregation,akadivisionoflabour:(1)Shannon’sindex
usingentropy,(2)Simpson’sindexusingcovariances,and(3)linkagedisequilibriumusingdeviationsfromindependence.
Nobodyhaspreviouslyusedlinkagedisequilibriumtoquantifyβ-diversity.Allthreemethodsconceptuallymeasurethe
sameaspectsofaprobability/abundancematrix:Howmuchdoesknowledgeofwhichrowofthematrixyourdataisfrom
indicateaboutthelikelihoodofbeinginanyspecificcolumnofthatmatrix,andviceversa.Forinstance,givenamatrixof
speciesabundancesinseveralgeographicalpatches(provinces),howmuchdoesidentificationofaspecificspecies
indicateaboutwhichgeographicalpatchyouarelikelyin?Viceversa,howwellcanyoupredictwhichspeciesyouwill
encounteronceyouknowwhichgeographicpatchyouarein?Lackofdiversitymakesiteasiertopredict,butIamunsure
whichofthethreewaysofquantifyingdiversityisbest.
Keywords:Methods,Statistics,Betadiversity,Landscapeconfiguration.
ConsequencesofRapidEcologicalChangeinMountainEcosystemsSymposium
TUESDAY08:30,ROOM:SIDNEY
Spatial genetic structure of Alberta’s bighorn sheep: Population resilience and
implications for harvest management
JAMIEGORRELL,VANCOUVERISLANDUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
JEFFKNETEMAN,MINISTRYOFENVIRONMENTANDPARKS,GOVERNMENTOFALBERTA;DAVIDHIK,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA;DAVID
COLTMAN,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA
Bighornsheep(Oviscanadensis)areaniconicspeciesoftheCanadianRockyMountains.Despitetheirecological,cultural
andeconomicimportanceasatrophyspecies,manypopulationsshowsignsofdeclineandweknowlittleabouttheir
geneticcontinuityandgeneflowpatterns,orhowresilientpopulationsmaybetolocaldisturbancesandriskof
extirpation.Forexample,theLuscar-GreggmineinCadominissuspectedofdrawingsheepfromsurrounding
populations,actingasanecologicaltrap.WeinvestigatedthespatialgeneticstructureofbighornsheepinAlbertawith
thepurposeofidentifyingpotentialbarrierstogeneflow.Aftergenotypingover1,500sheepfromacross50locationswe
foundthatthemajorityofgeneticvariationwasexplainedbygeographicdistanceacross700kmofmountainranges.We
alsodeterminedthatmajorriversystemsimpedegeneflow,butdidnotdetectevidenceofsex-specificstructure.The
Luscar-Greggminepopulationwasgeneticallysimilartosurroundingpopulationsandshowedasimilardegreeof
admixture.Thissuggeststhatitcouldactasalocalecologicalsink,butdoesnotlikelydrawgeneticallydistinctmigrants
frommoredistantpopulations.Populationsweremoderatelystructured(GlobalFST=0.09)suggestingregionalgeneflow
andconnectivitymodifiedbydistanceandmajorhabitatfeatures.Population-levelheterozygosityfollowedapredictable
patterndecliningalongtheaxisofhistoricalrecolonizationfromsouthtonorthandwefoundnoevidenceforlocally
depauperatepopulations.
StudentSymposium
MONDAY13:30,ROOM:THEATRE
Multi-scale responses to warming in an experimental metacommunity
TESSGRAINGER,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO,[email protected]
BENJAMINGILBERT,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO
Inmetacommunities,diversityistheproductoflocalspeciesinteractionsandregionaldispersalbetweenhabitatpatches.
Althoughwarmingisknowntoaffectbothoftheseprocesses,thecombinedimpactsofwarmingatthesetwo
metacommunityscalesremainslargelyunknown.Weconstructedexperimentalmetacommunitiesconsistingofenclosed
milkweedpatchesseededwithfivemilkweedspecialistinsectspeciesandtreatedwithtwolevelsofwarming(unwarmed
andwarmed)andthreelevelsofconnectivity(isolated,lowconnectivity,highconnectivity).Wepredictedthatifplant
resourceswerelimited,warmingwouldaccelerateresourcedrawdown,causinglocalinsectdeclinesandincreasing
dispersalandtheimportanceofconnectivitytoneighbouringpatchesforinsectpersistence.Conversely,givenabundant
resources,warmingcouldhavepositivelocaleffectsoninsectsandtheriskoftraversingcorridorscouldoutweighthe
benefitsofadditionalresources.Wefoundsupportforthelatterscenario.Weakresourcedrawdownandmostlypositive
insect-insectassociationsinoursystemwereunaffectedbywarming,somostinsectspeciesdidbetterlocallyinwarmed
conditionsandhaddispersalresponsesthatwereunchangedorindirectlyaffectedbywarming.Regionally,dispersal
acrossthematrixposedaspecies-specificriskthatledtodeclinesintwospeciesinconnectedmetacommunities.
Combined,thiscausedaninteractiveeffectofwarmingandconnectivityondiversityattheregionalscale,withunwarmed
metacommunitieswithlowconnectivityincurringthemostrapiddeclinesindiversity.Thisstudydemonstratesthe
importanceofintegratingthecomplexoutcomesofspeciesinteractionsandspatialstructureinunderstanding
communityresponsetoclimatechange.
Keywords:Insects,Scale,Interactions,Dispersal,Connectivity,Thermaltolerance.
Metacommunitytheoryforreal-worldcommunities:theoreticalandempiricaladvancesfortrophicmetacommunities
symposium
TUESDAY08:30,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Simple rules for complex spatial food web dynamics
DOMINIQUEGRAVEL,UNIVERSITÉDESHERBROOKE,[email protected]
Thesuccessoftheoriginalmetacommunityframeworkstandsonitssimplicityandacleardefinitionofasetofcore
assemblyprocesses.Itishoweverlimitedtocompetitiveinteractions,perhapsbecauseofthecomplexityofspatialfood
webs,whichhaveamuchmorediversesetofinteractionssuchasapparentandexploitativecompetition,intra-guild
predation,omnivoryandcannibalism.Spatialfoodwebs,andmoregenerallyecologicalnetworks,makeupamongthe
mostcomplexecologicalsystemsbecausetheyincorporatebothspatialstructuresandbioticinteractionsacrossmore
thanonefunctionalcompartment.Recenttheoreticaldevelopmentsinthefieldsuggestnonethelessthattheremightbea
setofcoremechanismsdrivingfoodwebdynamicsattheregionalscale.Herewebuildonthesimpleassumptionthat
predatorsrequirepreytocolonizelocationsandpersistandproposeatrophicmetacommunitytheory.Amajor
consequenceofthisphenomenonisthatthefractionofoccupiedpatchesreducesaswemoveupinthefoodchain.This
fundamentalconstrainthasseveralimplicationsfornetworkorganizationandpromotestheemergenceofdiverse
networkstructures,atbothlocalandregionalscales.Extensionsofthetheoryofislandbiogeographyhasallowedto
proposenovelexplanationsforthescalingoffoodwebstructurewithareaandisolation,improvingsignificantlyour
abilitytopredicttheconsequencesofhabitatdestruction.Further,byintroducingallometricconstraintsoncolonization
andextinctiondynamicsandonfoodwebstructure,wederivepredictionsforthescalingofbodysizedistribution.In
conclusion,wefindthatsimplemechanismsofspatialfoodwebdynamicsrevealamuchwiderrangeoftestable
predictionsandapplicationsthantheoriginalmetacommunityframework.
Invasivespecies
TUESDAY16:15,ROOM:VIEWROYAL
Using geographically weighted logistic regression to evaluate invasive species
presence in the Adirondack Park Region, USA
JELENAGRBIC,RYERSONUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
RICHARDSHAKER,RYERSONUNIVERSITY
InvasivespeciesareasignificantthreattotheecosystemandeconomyofNewYork(NY),USA.Theytakeadvantageof
foreignenvironmentslackingtheirnaturalpredatorstooutcompetenativespeciesforfoodandresources.Thisdisrupts
thebalanceoftheecosystemandcancausedirectharmtohumanfoodsupply,indigenouswildlife,andthebuilt
environment.Totackletheinvasivespeciesthreat,theAdirondackParkInvasivePlantProgram(APIPP)monitorsand
runseradicationprogramsonterrestrialandaquaticinvasivespecies(AIS)foundthroughouttheAdirondackregionof
NY.ThisstudywillutilizedatafromAPIPPontheAISthathavebeenidentifiedinAdirondacklakesin2015.Theanalysis
willmodeltheprobabilityofinvasionoccurringwithrespecttokeyvariablesincluding:physicallakecharacteristics,land
covercomposition,class,localdiversity,lakeaccesstypeanddistancestomajorhighwayexits,invadedlakes,andurban
centers.ThespecificAISthatwillbeconsideredareEurasianwatermilfoil,spinywaterflea,andcurlyleafpondweed.A
geographicallyweightedlogisticregressionwillbeappliedtoexaminethepresence/absenceofAIS.Thismethodoffers
twosalientadvantagesovermultivariatelinearregression.Firstly,itenablestheconsiderationofpredictorsthatchange
withspatiallocation.Secondly,itutilizesabinaryresponsevariable,whichalignswellwiththebinarypresence/absence
determinationofthisstudy.Itisexpectedthatthoselakesthatareeasiertoaccessandclosertolakesthatarealready
invadedhavehigheroddsofbeinginvaded.
Keywords:Modeling,Invasion,Monitoring,Management,Freshwater,Conservationpractitioners.
Pollution
TUESDAY10:45,ROOM:SAANICH
Oil sands and the marine environment: Current knowledge and future challenges
STEPHANIEJ.GREEN,STANFORDUNIVERSITY,OREGONSTATEUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
KYLEDEMES,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY;MICHAELARBEIDER,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY;WENDYJ.PALEN,SIMONFRASER
UNIVERSITY;ANNEK.SALOMON,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY;THOMASD.SISK,NORTHERNARIZONAUNIVERSITY;MAUREENE.RYAN,
SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY
TheenvironmentalconsequencesofbitumenextractionfromoilsandsdepositsareatthecenterofNorthAmerican
naturalresourceandenergypolicydebate,yetimpactsonoceanenvironmentshavereceivedlittleattention.Usinga
quantitativeframework,weidentifyknowledgegapsandresearchneedsrelatedtotheeffectsofoilsandsdevelopment
onmarinebiota.Fifteensourcesofstressanddisturbance-varyinggreatlyinspatialandtemporalscale-aregenerated
viatwopathways:(1)thecoastalstorageandoceanictransportofbitumenproducts,and(2)thecontributionofindustryderivedgreenhousegasestoclimatechangeintheocean.Ofhighestresearchpriorityarethefate,behavior,andbiological
effectsofbitumenintheocean.Bycontrast,climate-changeimpactsarescientificallywellestablishedbutnotconsidered
inkeyregulatoryprocesses.Moststressorsco-occurandaregeneratedbyotherindustries,yetcumulativeeffectsareso
farunaccountedforindecisionmakingassociatedwithnewprojects.Oursynthesishighlightspriorityresearchneededto
informfutureenergydevelopmentdecisions,andopportunitiesforpolicyprocessestoacknowledgethefullscopeof
potentialandrealizedenvironmentalconsequences.
Keywords:Oilandgas,Marine,Scale,Disturbance,Cumulativeeffects.
Policyandplanning
MONDAY14:15,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Phylogenetic patterns of amphibian community disassembly from concurrent landuse change and climate
DANGREENBERG,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
ARNEO.MOOERS,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY;WENDYJ.PALEN,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY
Astheburgeoninghumanpopulationcontinuestogrow,therewillbeanincreasedincursionofanthropogenicactivities
intonaturallandscapes.Theeffectsofhumanmodificationsofnaturalhabitatsonbiodiversityarewelldocumented,asin
mostcasesspeciesarelostinlinewiththedegreeofmodificationrelativetoasite'snaturalstate.Thereisalsosome
indicationthatclimatemayinteractsynergisticallywithland-usechange,wherebythepaceofbiodiversitylossfrom
humandevelopmentisgreaterinwarmerpartsoftheworld.Whatisstillunknownistheextenttowhichanthropogenic
activityactsasanextinctionfilter,suchthatacertainsubsetofspeciesaredisproportionatelyaffectedbydevelopment.
Whetherclimatecanalsomodifythedegreeofextinctionselectivitycausedbyanthropogeniclandusechangeisalso
unknown.Ifclimateandland-usechangehavesynergisticeffectsonextinctionselectivity,thenfuturebiological
communitieslivinginhumandominatedlandscapesmaynotonlybeincreasinglydepauperate,butalsoincreasingly
homogenized.Here,weexamineamphibianassemblagesfromnaturalandhuman-modifiedsitescompiledfrom103
studiesand~1200speciesacrosstheglobe,usingpatternsofphylogeneticcommunitydisassemblyfromdeforestationto
testtheextenttowhichland-usedevelopmentactsasanextinctionfilter.Wefurthertestwhetherthedegreeofextinction
selectivityismodifiedbythebroad-scaleclimateofsites,suchthathumanmodificationofhotteranddriersitesleadto
morephylogeneticallyhomogenizedassemblages.Measuringthepaceandpatternsofbiodiversitylosswillbecriticalto
understand,andabate,futureextinctions.
Keywords:Amphibians,Landusechange,Disturbance,Thermaltolerance,Speciesdistribution.
Forestecology
TUESDAY15:45,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Determining abundance of forage lichens for boreal woodland caribou in a fireprone region of the Boreal Shield Ecozone
RUTHJ.GREUEL,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN,[email protected]
JILLF.JOHNSTONE,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN;PHILIPD.MCLOUGHLIN,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN
Theavailabilityofforagelichenisakeycomponentofthehabitatofwoodlandcaribou(Rangifertaranduscaribou),a
threatenedspeciesoftheCanadianborealforest.Groundlichensareanimportantsourceofwinterfoodforwoodland
caribou;however,theygrowveryslowlyanddonotrecoverquicklyafterfire.Ourstudyarea,whichoccupiesalmost
200,000squarekmofcaribouhabitatintheborealshieldecozoneofSaskatchewan,experiencessomeofthehighestfire
frequenciesinCanadawithanaturalfirecycleofapproximately100years.Lichenabundanceislargelyunknown,
althoughdataonlichensuccessioninotherareassuggestthatforagespeciesdonotbegintoregrowuntil30yearspostfire.Consideringthatapproximately55%ofthisareahasburnedinthepast40years,wepredictthattherewillbelow
quantitiesofforagelichen.This,inturn,maylimithabitatqualityforcaribou.Overthepast3yearswehavesurveyed
lichenabundanceandforestcharacteristicsin312sitesacrossnorthernSaskatchewantodeterminewhathabitatsand
standagesarelikelytosupportadequatecaribouforage.Thispresentationwillincludethemodellingapproachesweare
usingtodeterminelichenavailabilityinnorthernSaskatchewan.Preliminaryresultssuggestthatlichenabundanceis
patchyandrelatedtostandageandcanopycover.Incorporatinglichenabundanceintocaribouhabitatmodelsisvitalto
supportingconservationeffortsandimprovingmanagement,especiallyinareasofhighfireactivity.
Keywords:Lichen,Caribou,Foraging,Disturbance,Fire,Spatialmodel,Habitatselection.
Beeecologyandbehaviour
WEDNESDAY11:45,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Past floral resources as a predictor of present bee visits to crops
JESSICAGUEZEN,UNIVERSITYOFOTTAWA,[email protected]
JESSICAFORREST,UNIVERSITYOFOTTAWA
Relyingonnativeinsectsforpollinationserviceshasbecomeanecessityastheglobaldemandforcropsdependenton
insectpollinationincreases.Nativebeescanenhancecroppollinationbeyondwhatispossiblebyhoneybeesalone,but
requirestableandconsistentfloralresourcesforestablishmentandpersistence.Myresearchexaminestherelationship
betweenbeeabundanceandfloralresourcesoveraseasonwithinagroecosystems.Ifpastfloralresourcesinalandscape
affectestablishmentandpersistenceofbees,thenumberofbeevisitstoacropinagiventime-periodshouldbeapositive
functionoffloraldensityinthesurroundingareainprevioustime-periods.Totestthishypothesis,Isurveyedbeevisits
andfloralresourceswithina750-meterradiusat28agriculturalsitesinOntarioandQuebecoveroneseason.Examining
preliminarydatafromfloralresourcesinforagecropsandpastures,forests,andsemi-naturalhabitat,andbeevisitsin
squashfields,Ifoundthatpastfloralresourcesdidnothaveasignificanteffectonthenumberofbumblebeeorhoneybee
visitstosquash;however,floralresourcesfromthebeginningoftheseasonbetterpredictedbeeabundanceinsquash
fieldsthandidfloralresourcesfromonemonthprevious.Understandinghownativebeesareinfluencedbylandscape
structureandfloralresourcescanallowfordevelopmentofagriculturallandplanningstrategiesthatcouldenhancethe
functionalroleofnativebeesascroppollinatorsaswellasconservespeciesthatarethreatenedbyagricultural
intensification.
Keywords:Pollinators,Landusechange,Interactions,Foraging.
Forestecology
WEDNESDAY08:45,ROOM:WCOAST
Arctic willow: Probing polar deserts for pockets of nutrients?
AMANDAL.GUY,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN,[email protected]
SARAHP.HARDY,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN;STEVEND.MAMET,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN;MITSUAKIOTA,UNIVERSITYOF
SASKATCHEWAN;ERICG.LAMB,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN;STEVEND.SICILIANO,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN
Uniqueinteractionsbetweenwater,soilandvegetationinhigharcticpolardesertscreatenutrient-richpatches(diapirs)
deepindesertssoils.Thesediapirsformfromwaterandnutrientsaccumulatingabovethepermafrostandultimately
risingintotheuppersoilhorizonsthroughcryoturbatedconvectivelandforms(frostboils).Wehypothesizedthatthe
dominantshrubspecies,Salixarctica(Arcticwillow),wasactivelyforagingforandaccessingnutrientsfromthisunique
nutrientsourceinthecold,dryandnutrientlimitingpolardesertsoils.Todetermineifdiapirsprovideanenhanced
sourceofplant-availableNforS.arctica,wecharacterizedthenaturalabundancesignatureofd15Ninthesoil,andS.
arcticaroot,stem,andleafacross24diapirandnon-diapirfrostboilsinaHighArcticgraniticsemi-desert.Whendiapir
horizonswereavailable,S.arcticaincreaseditssubsurface(i.e.,diapir)Nuptakeandplantrootbiomassdoubledwithindiapir.Plantuptakeofenriched15Ninjectedintoorganicrichsoilpatcheswas2.5foldgreaterindiapirthaninnondiapirfrostboil.S.arctica%coverwasoftenhigher(meanof7.3±1.0SE)ondiapiricfrostboils,comparedtofrostboils
withoutdiapirs(4.4±0.7),potentiallyreflectingthe20%highernitrogenavailableinthesubsurfaceofafrostboil
containingadiapir.SelectiveNacquisitionfromdiapirssoilsmaybeonemechanismbywhichsoil-waterinteractions
enhanceArcticshrubgrowth.
Keywords:Plants,Arctic,Nutrientuptake,Permafrost.
Metacommunitytheoryforreal-worldcommunities:theoreticalandempiricaladvancesfortrophicmetacommunities
symposium
TUESDAY08:15,ROOM:OAKBAY2
A general framework for trophic metacommunity ecology
LAURAMELISSAGUZMAN,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
PATRICKTHOMPSON,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;RACHELGERMAIN,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;COREENFORBES,
UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;DIANESRIVASTAVA,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;MARYO'CONNOR,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISH
COLUMBIA
Themaingoaloftrophicmetacommunitytheoryistodeterminehowspatialdynamicsalterthestability,persistence,and
complexityoffoodwebsatdifferentspatialscales.However,trophicmetacommunitytheoryissimplisticinkeywaysthat
preventsusfromapplyingcurrenttheorytonaturalcommunities.Metacommunitytheoryusesfourparadigmsthat
representmechanismsofcoexistenceincompetitivecommunitiesanditviewstraitssuchasdispersalascommunitywidetraits.Weproposeanewmetacommunityframeworkthat:i)breaksdownthebarrierbetweenthefourtraditional
metacommunityparadigms,byacknowledgingthatalltypesofmetacommunitydynamicscanoperateinconcert,varying
instrengthacrossspaceandbetweenspecies,andii)allowsvariabilityoftraitsbetweentrophiclevels.Wehighlightkey
traitsthatareimportantfortrophicmetacommunities.Foranygivenspeciesinafoodweb,populationdynamicsarethe
resultinginteractionbetweentheenvironmentaltolerance,theirdispersal,theirspeciesinteractionsanddemographic
stochasticity.Whileallofprocessaretrophicdependent,theyresultindifferencesintheutilizationofspaceateach
trophiclevel.Forexample,inaquaticfoodwebswecanexpectthatpredatorsforageoverlargerspatialextents,while
simultaneouslydispersingfurther.Therefore,wecanusethesetraitgradientstocharacterizefoodwebs.Usingthis
frameworkwecantesttheroleofsinkpopulationsonweakinteractionsandthereforethestabilityandcomplexityof
spatialfoodwebs.Ourframeworkallowsustobridgethegapbetweenrealfoodwebsandtrophicmetacommunity
theory.
Keywords:Trophicinteraction,Foodweb,Scale,Methods,Interactions.
Foraging
TUESDAY11:00,ROOM:SIDNEY
Behaviour of animals in wild populations within urban vs suburban habitats
JESSEHACKER,DEPAULUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
LYDIAHOPPER,LINCOLNPARKZOO;SETHMAGLE,LINCOLNPARKZOO;JALENELAMONTAGNE,DEPAULUNIVERSITY
Urbanizationisassociatedwithfragmentedhabitats,human-associatedfoodsources,noise,andanincreaseinnovel
objects.Despitethis,somespeciesarehighlyadaptedtourbanareas.Weinvestigatedneophobia,whetheranimal
behaviouraroundanovelobjectandrelativelevelsofexploratorybehaviour,isrelatedtolivinginurbanvssuburban
environments.WoodenboxescontainingfoodrewardswereplacedinfiveurbanareaswithinChicago,ILandfive
exurbanareasoutsidethecity.Activityatthesesiteswasmonitoredforfourweeks:twoweekswithfoodabsentfromthe
boxes’surface,followedbytwoweekswithfoodpresent,usingamotion-triggeredcamera,taking1-mindurationvideos.
Atotalof1,624videosweretakeninexurbansitesand1,603videosinurbansites.Videofootagewasanalyzedforspecies
identification,city,numberofanimalspresent,andtimespentateachlocation.Animalbehaviourwasmonitoredonand
aroundeachbox.Overall,15speciesinteractedwiththeboxes,themostcommonbeingeasterngraysquirrels(Sciurus
carolinensis)andraccoons(Procyonlotor).Interactionswiththeboxesincreasedinfrequencyanddurationwhenfood
wasavailable.Patternsinbehaviouraldatawillbediscussedintermsofhabitattypes.Understandinghowanimalsreact
tothepresenceofanovelobjectcaninformourunderstandingofwhatmakessomespeciessuccessfulinhighlyurban
areas.
Keywords:Behaviourecology,Urbanecology,Neophobia,Foraging.
Conservationchallengesassociatedwithaquaticsoundscapessymposium
MONDAY13:30,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Marine mammal vocalizations in a changing Arctic soundscape: Impacts of
decreased sea ice and increased ship traffic
WILLIAMD.HALLIDAY,WILDLIFECONSERVATIONSOCIETYCANADA,[email protected]
STEPHENINSLEY,WILDLIFECONSERVATIONSOCIETYCANADA;XAVIERMOUY,WILDLIFECONSERVATIONSOCIETYCANADA;TYLERDEJON,
WILDLIFECONSERVATIONSOCIETYCANADA
WeusepassiveacousticmonitoringtodetermineseasonalpatternsinmarinemammalvocalizationsnearSachsHarbour,
NorthwestTerritories,andexamineenvironmentalcorrelatesrelatedtothetimingofvocalizations.Wethenexamine
howdecreasedseaiceandincreasedshiptrafficwillimpacttheacousticenvironmentforthesemarinemammals.
Lifehistories:reproduction,senescence
TUESDAY10:45,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Variation in the timing and magnitude of peak reproductive effort affects rate of
senescence
ANNIHÄMÄLÄINEN,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA,[email protected]
Individualsfacetrade-offsregardingenergyallocationintoself-maintenanceandreproduction,whichdictates
reproductiveinvestmentamongreproductiveopportunities.Reproductiveinvestmentisinfluencedbytheindividual's
statesuchastheirage,and/ortheenvironment.Influctuatingenvironments,adjustmentsininvestmentcreate
heterogeneityintheagetrajectoriesofreproductionwhensuchadjustmentsfollowchangesinenvironmentalconditions,
affectingtheageatwhichreproductiveperformancepeaks,aswellasthemagnitudeofreproductiveeffortatthispeak.
Importantly,thepeakoftheagetrajectoryiscloselyassociatedwiththeslopessurroundingit:thetimingandnotheight
ofthehighestpointoftheindividual'sreproductiveperformancecurveiscloselyassociatedwiththerateofdecline
followingthepeak,i.e.reproductivesenescence.However,insteadofassessingindividualageprofiles,theonsetof
senescenceisoftenconsideredtobetheageatwhichthespeciesaveragereproductiveoutputbeginstodecline.This
approachmis-estimatesratesofsenescenceforalargepartofthepopulationthatmaximizetheireffortatadifferentage
withimplicationsforunderstandingmicroevolutionaryprocessescreatingvariationinsenescence.Wetestedtheroleof
fluctuatingenvironmentalconditionsincreatingvariationinage-specificoffspringproductionofredsquirrels,focusing
onthetimingandmagnitudeofindividualmaximumreproductiveoutput.Wefindthatvariationintheonsetof
senescenceislargelydeterminedbyadjustmentsinreproductiveefforttoresourcepulses,andtherateofsenescenceis
stronglyinfluencedbyboththemagnitudeofthemaximumreproductiveinvestmentaswellastheageatwhichitoccurs.
Keywords:Reproduction,Lifehistory,Senescence,Evolution,Phenology.
Biodiversity
TUESDAY10:45,ROOM:VIEWROYAL
Competing taxa suppress each other’s diversity
ABDELHALLOWAY,UNIVERSITYOFILLINOIS,MOFFITTCANCERCENTER,[email protected]
JOELS.BROWN,UNIVERSITYOFILLINOIS;CHRISTOPHERJ.WHELAN,UNIVERSITYOFILLINOIS
Competition,alongwithpredationandmutualism,influencesthedistribution,origination,andextinctionofspecies.
Thoughviewedasmostintensebetweencloselyrelatedspecies,moredistantly-relatedtaxamaycompetewithoften
profoundimpactsonthecompetingspeciesdistributionandabundance.Thisisbecausethekeyadaptationsand
evolutionarytechnologiesthatdefineataxon/cladestronglyaffectsitsfundamentalandultimatelyitsrealizedniche.
Hereweproposethatcompetitionamongentiretaxaaphenomenonwecallmacrocompetitionmayalsosuppresseach
taxonsdiversityinadditiontodistributionandabundance.Byoccupyingandthusdenyingtoothertaxaregionsofthe
nichespace,competingtaxamaypreventorconstraintheother'sadaptiveradiationandoverallspeciesrichness.Using
evolutionarygametheory,weseehowcompetingtaxamayreduceeachother'spotentialdiversificationwhilestill
increasingoverallspeciesrichnessamongalltaxa.Factorslikechangesingrowthrateshouldallowforinvasionby
competingtaxa,whilechangesincarryingcapacityshouldaffectoveralldiversity.Wepresentananalysisofconvergent
nectarivorefamilieshummingbirds(Trochilidae)andhawkmoths(Sphingidae)thatprovidesempiricalevidencefor
macrocompetition.Eachfamilysegregatesgeographicallyalongclimaticvariablesthatreflectthestrengthofeachtaxons
evolutionarytechnology.Wesuggestthatmacrocompetitionmaycontributetoglobalpatternsofdiversity,distribution,
andabundanceoftheworld’sbiota.
Keywords:Birds,Insects,Competition,Biodiversity,Speciesdistribution,Evolutionarygametheory.
Communityecology
TUESDAY14:45,ROOM:WCOAST
Harnessing ecological networks to understand anticancer immunity in the tumor
microenvironment
PHINEASHAMILTON,BCCANCERAGENCY,[email protected]
BRADH.NELSON,BCCANCERAGENCY,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA
Tumorsarenothomogenousentities,butratherharbordiversepopulationsoftumorcells,supportivestromalcells,and
tumor-infiltratingimmunecells(TIL)thatinteractinthetumormicroenvironment.TheseTILcanhaveimportantrolesin
limitingandeliminatingcancer,andformthebasisofanewgenerationofpotentimmunotherapiesforcancer.Theyare
alsocomplexcommunitiesofdiverseimmunecelltypes,andthoughtheantitumoreffectsofcertainTILcomponentsare
well-characterized,theemergentpropertiesofTILcommunitiesthatdriveantitumorimmunityarelargelyunclear.Here,
wemodelTILcommunitiesacrossdiversecancersusingnetworkapproachesdrawnfromacommunityecology
framework,andassociatethesenetworkswithenvironmentalandgenomiccharacteristicsoftheTME.Wefirstusein
silicoapproachestoestimatetheabundanceofindividualTILcomponentsfromthousandsoftumortranscriptomes.We
thenconstructTILco-occurrencenetworkstoidentifyTILcommunitymodulesthatrecurrentlyassemblewithinand
acrosscancers,andidentifypotentialkeystoneTILthatformnetworkhubs.WelinkTILnetworkpropertiestopatient
outcomes,andfindthatinmanycasesthesepropertieshavethepotentialtopredictoutcomessubstantiallybetterthan
measuresbasedonothersingleaspectsoftheTILcommunity.Collectively,networkapproachespromisetorevealcritical
axesofinteractioninTILcommunitiesthatmaybetherapeuticallytargetabletoimprovepatientoutcomesandinformthe
nextgenerationofcancerimmunotherapy.
Keywords:Cancer,Modeling,Ecologicalfocus,Disease.
ECOLOGICAL,EVOLUTIONARYANDENVIRONMENTALSYNTHESISINTHE21STCENTURYSYMPOSIUM
TUESDAY13:30,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Ecological, evolutionary and environmental synthesis in the 21st century
STEPHANIEE.HAMPTON,WASHINGTONSTATEUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
JOHNN.PARKER,ARIZONASTATEUNIVERSITY
Scientificsynthesishastransformedecologicalresearch,andpresentsopportunitiesforadvancementsacrossthe
sciences.Overthepast20years,theproliferationofsynthesisworkinggroupsacrossecology,evolution,andbroader
environmentalresearchnowallowsamorerigorouselucidationoftheantecedentsofsuccessinsynthesis.Concordant
withfindingsfromdetailedresearchonsocialinteractionsinsynthesisgroups,analysesoflarge-scaledataonworking
groupcompositionandresearchproductsdemonstratesthatface-to-faceinteractionhasbeenavitalcomponentof
successinsynthesisgroups,facilitatinggenerativesocialinteractionsthatboostproductivity.Moreover,whilemultiinstitutionalcollaborationhaspreviouslybeenshowntohamperproductivityinmoretraditionalresearchprojects,by
creatinggreatercoordinationcosts,multi-institutionalparticipationinsynthesisworkinggroupshasbeenpositively
associatedwithproductivity.Finally,participationinsynthesisgroupssignificantlyincreasedscientists'collaborative
propensityandvisibility.High-impactsynthesisresearchproductshavehelpedtodemonstratetherewardsofdata
sharingandlarge-scalecollaboration,positivelyaffectingscientificcareersandpotentiallyincreasingcapacityofthe
scientificcommunitytoleveragesynthesisforenhancedscientificunderstandingandhumanwell-being.
Speciesinteractionsinawarmingworldsymposium
TUESDAY14:30,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Dynamics at the warm edge: Species interactions vs. species distributions
ANNAHARGREAVES,MCGILL,[email protected]
Along-standingbutcontroversialbiogeographichypothesisproposesthatspeciesinteractionsincreaseinintensity
towardlowlatitudesandelevations,whereabioticconditionsaregenerallymorebenignandbiodiversityishigher.A
resultinggeographicpredictionisthatspeciesinteractionsplayagreaterroleinsettingspecies'warmvs.coldrange
limits,whichcouldresultincontrastingresponsestoclimatewarmingatcontrastingrangelimits.However,neitherthe
componentprocesses(e.g.geographicpatternsininteractionintensity)northeresultingpatterns(e.g.greaterrolefor
interactionsatwarmrangelimits)havebeenwelltested.Idiscussaseriesofwork,includingreciprocaltransplants,
experimentalmanipulationsofplant-animalinteractions,anarctic-to-equatorseedherbivoryexperiment,andglobaldata
syntheses,thattestthesepatterns,andtheirimplicationsforspeciesandcommunityresponsestoclimatechange.
Biodiversity
TUESDAY08:45,ROOM:VIEWROYAL
Using environmental DNA to monitor winter aquatic biodiversity
JORIB.HARRISON,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY,[email protected]
SEANM.ROGERS,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY
TheuseofenvironmentalDNA(eDNA)metabarcodingtodescribeaquaticbiodiversityandspeciesdistributionisa
rapidlydevelopingtechnique.However,manyassaysthatfocusonwideecosystemcoveragecannotresolveclosely
relatedspecies.Inaddition,thecapabilitiesandlimitationsoftheapplicationhavenotbeenwellcharacterizedover
varyingenvironmentalconditions,suchasduringwintermonths,whichleavesuncertaintyintheinterpretationofeDNA
results.Thisstudyaimstodevelopanassaycapableofdistinguishingcloselyrelatedsalmonidspecies,andtotest
predictionsaboutthepresenceofeDNAinalargescalereplicated,naturalizedsystem.NoveleDNAprimers,capableof
distinguishingbetweenBrooktrout(Salvelinusfontinalis),RainbowTrout(Oncorhynchusmykiss),andCutthroatTrout
(Oncorhynchusclarkii)salmonidspecies,weredevelopedandacontrolledwinterexperimentwasconductedatthe
AdvancingCanadianWastewaterAssets(ACWA)sresearchstreams.Thisfacilitycontains12naturalizedstreams320
metersinlength,withinflowfromacommonheadwaterpond.Thethreespecieswerecagedatthestartofeachstreamat
differentrelativedensitiesandafter10daysofacclimatization,2Lwatersampleswerecollectedfromthestart,middle,
andendofeachstreamandfilteredthrough0.7μmfilterstocollectDNA.Samplingwasrepeatedthreetimes,andall
filterswerefrozenat-80degreesCforlaterDNAextraction.EarlyresultssuggesteDNAfromthefisheswasrecoverable
fromallpointsalongstreams.Toourknowledge,thisisthefirsteDNAexperimentunderacontrolled,replicateddesign
withinasemi-naturalsystemandshouldadvanceourunderstandingofthispromisingecologicalapplication.
Keywords:Freshwater,Fish,Experiment,EnvironmentalDNA.
Grasslandtrophiccascades
TUESDAY09:45,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Songbirds and small mammals cause trophic cascades in montane grassland
ecosystems
WILLIAMHARROWER,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
Predatorsandplantsareinextricablylinkedbytheflowofenergyinecosystems.However,westilllackgooddescriptions
ofhowpredatorsaffectthediversity,function,andstabilityoffoodwebsunderdifferentenvironmentalconditions.If
wateravailabilitytoplantsmodifiestheinteractionsbetweenpredatorsandplants,andchangesinthesespecies
interactionsleadtoamodificationoftrophicstructureinterrestrialsystems,thenthedirectionandstrengthoftrophic
cascadesmustdependontheavailabilityofwatertoplants.Iexcludedsongbirdsandsmallmammalsalongagradientof
wateravailabilityinthemontanegrasslandsofcentralBCtodeterminehowsmallvertebratepredatorsstructurethefood
websonwhichtheydepend.Usingstableisotopeanalysisandexperimentalevidence,Ifoundthatchangesinthe
abundanceofbothsongbirds,smallmammalsandtheirpreyaltersfeedingbehaviorandrestructurescommunities.The
strongesttrophiccascadesoccurredwhenwaterwasscarceandplantsgrewpoorly.Aswaterandsubsequentlyfood
becamemoreabundant,foodchainsshortenandpredatorsbeganfeedingatlowertrophiclevelsandonawidervarietyof
prey.Theseinteractionsbetweensmallpredatorsandplantsregulatethediversityofplantsandarthropodsinthese
grasslands.Aswaterbecomesmoreabundant,foodwebsbecomeshorter,broader,andmorereticulate.Thesemore
complexfoodwebsaremoreresistanttotheeffectofspecieslossesanddrought.Myresultssuggestthecascadingeffects
ofgrasslandsongbirddeclinesmaybemoreprofoundindryecosystemsorwhendroughtismoreintenseormore
prevalent.
Keywords:Invertebrates,Trophicinteraction,Resourcelimitation,Predatorfunctionalresponse,Experiment.
Populationdynamics
TUESDAY09:15,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Why most studied populations should decline
STEPHENHEARD,UNIVERSITYOFNEWBRUNSWICK,[email protected]
AURIELFOURNIER,UNIVERSITYOFARKANSAS;TREVORBRANCH,UNIVERSITYOFWASHINGTON;SEANANDERSON,UNIVERSITYOF
WASHINGTON;DAVIDSKELLY,YALEUNIVERSITY
Populationdeclinesofwildspeciesarewidelyreportedanddeeplytroubling.Diagnosingdeclineswithconfidenceiseasy
inprinciple,butverydifficultinpractice,inpartbecausesimpleandnear-universallogisticalconstraintsfavourthe
appearanceofdeclineseveninpopulationsthatareactuallyfluctuatingaroundstablemeandensities.Apparentdeclines
resultwhenlong-termstudiesbegininpopulationsthatareatunusuallyhighdensities,aswillbetruewhenresearchers
discoverorchoosestudysitesbecauseafocalspeciesiscommonthere.Weusesimulationstoshowthatthis'declinebias'
isreal,andtomeasureitspotentialstrength(oftensubstantial)foravarietyofpopulationdynamicsandsampling
regimes.Thedeclinebiasisseldommentionedintheliterature,althoughaseminalpaperintheliteratureonamphibian
declines(Pechmannetal.1991Science253:892)explicitlywarnedofit.Citationanalysisrevealsnegligibleinfluenceof
thedecline-biaswarning.Inorderforrealpopulationdeclinestobedetected,managed,andreversed,long-termstudies
ofputativelydecliningpopulationsneedtobedesignedand/orinterpretedinlightofthedeclinebias.
Keywords:Populationdeclines,Populationmodels,Bias,Simulationmodel.
Communityecology
TUESDAY13:30,ROOM:WCOAST
Population responses of rodent species to agriculture on the Great Plains of Canada
LEANNEHEISLER,[email protected]
CHRISSOMERS;RAYPOULIN
ConversionoftemperategrasslandsforagriculturehasmadetheGreatPlainsofCanadaoneofthemostthreatened
ecosystemsintheworld.Lessthan20%ofCanada'sprairieremains,ofteninadeterioratedstate,andcontinuesto
declineata2%rateofannualloss.Consequentially,thedistributionsofmanyprairiespecieshavechanged;however,
effectsonrodentcommunitiesarenotwellstudied.Iexaminedtheinfluenceofgrasslandlossandfragmentationdueto
agricultureonrodentspeciesdistributionsacrosstheGreatPlainsofCanada.Iexpectedrodentspeciesabundancesto
respondaspertheiraffinitytowardsgrasslandhabitat;negativeresponsesfromgrasslandspecialistsandneutralor
positiveresponsesfromhabitatgeneralists.Toobservespeciesresponsesataspatialscalerelevanttopopulation
persistence,Iestimatedrodentspeciesabundancesusingpreyremainsdissectedfromgreathornedowl(Bubo
virginianus)andburrowingowl(Athenecunicularia)pellets.Grasslandlosswascharacterizedusingpercentgrassland,
whilegrasslandfragmentationwascharacterizedusingedgedensity,patchshape,patcharea,patchdensity,andpatch
cohesion.Grasslandspecialists(i.e.,sagebrushvoles,Richardson'sgroundsquirrels,andprairievoles)showednegative
responsestograsslandlossandfragmentation;however,sagebrushvolesshowednegativeresponsestograsslandpatch
size.Habitatgeneralists(i.e.,deermice,northerngrasshoppermice,andnorthernpocketgophers)showedmixed
responsestobothgrasslandlossandfragmentation.Thisisthefirststudytoprovidealandscape-levelperspectiveonthe
effectsofhabitatconfigurationonrodentpopulationpersistenceacrosstheGreatPlainsofCanada.
Keywords:Smallmammals,Agriculture,Landusechange,Speciesdistribution,Fragmentation,Habitatloss,Habitatselection.
Conservationchallengesassociatedwithaquaticsoundscapessymposium
MONDAY14:15,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Tracking marine mammals in the presence of human induced ocean noise
BENJAMINHENDRICKS,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
AARONGULLIVER,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA;HUSSEINALIDINA,WWF-CANADA;CHRISPICARD,GITGA'ATFIRSTNATION;JANIEWRAY,
NORTHCOASTCETACEANSOCIETY;HERMANNMEUTER,NORTHCOASTCETACEANSOCIETY
Wheredoesawhalegowhenitdives?Whatsoundslikeaquestionfromakeengradeschooler,isaproblemthatcangive
criticalinsightsforconservationeffortsinmarineenvironmentswithincreasinganthropogenicnoisepollution.Thescope
ofourprojectistouseacousticdatafromlong-baselinearraysofhydrophonestodetect,locate,andtrackmarine
mammalsbasedontheirvocalization.Incooperationwithourindustrypartners---theGitga'atFirstNation,WWFCanada,andtheNorthCoastCetaceanSociety---wewillusetheresultstoanalyzethedetailedmovementpatternfora
broadrangeofvocalizingmarinemammalsandtheirinterdependencywithhumanactivities,suchasshiptraffic.The
workisconductedfortheculturally,ecologically,andeconomicallyimportantmarineenvironmentaroundGilIslandin
northernBritishColumbiaandwillmakeuseofthesophisticatedhydrophonearrayinstalledinSquallyChannel.Ourgoal
istoprovideanefficient,widelyapplicabletoolforautomatedtransientsignaltrackingforlongbaselinehydrophone
arrays.Theapplicationsforsuchtrackingtoolsrangefromfacilitatingportsecuritytostudiesofmarinehabitatusage,or
trackingspeciesatrisk.InmytalkIwillintroducetheprojectandthestrategiesweuse.Iwillpresentfirstresultsand
giveabriefoverviewofthechancesandchallengesassociatedwithpassiveacousticmonitoringofaquaticsoundscapes.
Livingintheeco-evolutionarytheatre:researchguidedandinspiredbyintensivefieldobservationssymposium
TUESDAY17:15,ROOM:THEATRE
A decade of spatial variation in Darwin's finches
ANDREWP.HENDRY,MCGILLUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
Speciationwithinadaptiveradiationsoftenbeginsassmall-scalespatialdifferencesamongconspecificpopulationsthat
onlylateraccumulateandmagnifytospecies-leveldifferences.Hence,understandingtheoriginsofadaptiveradiation
benefitsfromthestudyofsmall-scalepatternsandhowtheychangethroughtime.Suchanalyseshavebeenlimitedbya
rarityofreplicatedtimeserieswithinongoingadaptiveradiations.Hereweconductedananalysisoftenyearsofdataon
fourGalapagosgroundfinchspecies(Geospizaspp.)atthreesites:thesmallislandofDaphneMajor(DM)andtwosites
(AcademyBay,AB,andElGarrapatero,EG)onthenearbylargeislandofSantaCruz.Themaineffectofspace(i.e.,among
sites)madethestrongestcontributiontophenotypicvariationandselection,suggestingthatevolutionisshapedmostly
bylocalfactors.Themaineffectoftime(i.e.,amongyears)wasoftensignificant,yetcomparativelyweak,suggestinga
smallinfluenceofcommon(parallel)across-siteresponsestoregionalclimatechange.Ofintermediateimportancewas
theinteractionbetweenspaceandtime,indicatingthattemporalresponseswerenon-parallelacrosssites.Asanticipated
forsmallerislands,effectsofenvironmentalchangewerestrongerforDMthanforbothsitesonSantaCruz.Wediscuss
howshorttermchangesmayaccumulateintolong-termtrends,andtowhatextentspatialandtemporalvariationcan
aligntofacilitateadaptiveradiation.
HERB
MONDAY16:00,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Grazing Arctic tundra: Plant to ecosystem responses
GREGHENRY,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
Tundrasystemsarecriticalforagehabitatforahostofherbivores,includingmigratorymammalsandbirds.The
responsesofthesesystemstoherbivoryhavebeeninvestigatedacrosstheArctic,althoughonlyatafewsitesinthe
CanadianArctic,andgenerallyshowtheyareresilienttovaryinggrazingpressure.Attheplantlevel,somewetsedge
specieshavebeenshowntomaintainleafandbiomassproductionatmoderategrazinglevels,partlythroughincreased
productionofroots,rhizomesandramets.Attheecosystemlevel,thesamewetsedgesystemsshowgreaterCO2fluxes
withgrazingwhichappearstobesupportedbygreaterNavailability.Inshrubtundra,grazinghasagreatervarietyof
impacts,andsomeecosystemresponsestoexperimentalgrazingappeartobemuted.Inthispresentation,Ireviewthe
responsesfromexperimentalandobservationalstudiesofherbivoryintundrasystems,focussedmainlyongrazingby
muskoxenandcaribouintheCanadianArctic,anddevelopageneralframeworkfortundraresponsestograzing.
ConsequencesofRapidEcologicalChangeinMountainEcosystemsSymposium
TUESDAY08:45,ROOM:SIDNEY
Are coastal mountains responding to climate change differently?
LUISEHERMANUTZ,MEMORIALUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
LAURASIEGWARTCOLLIER,MEMORIALUNIVERSITY;ROBERTWAY,UNIVERSITYOFOTTAWA
Alpineandtundraecosystemsarehighlyvariableintheirresponsestoenvironmentalchange.Inadditiontoawarming
climate,northerncoastaltundraecosystemsareinfluencedbythepresenceofseaice,andabundantprecipitation
throughouttheyear.WestudiedtheresponsesofcoastaltundraecosystemstoclimatechangeinnorthernLabrador.Over
thepasttwodecadesseaiceintheadjacentLabradorSeahasdramaticallydecreased,resultinginearlierseasonal
warmingandlongergrowingseasons.Therehasbeen~2degreesCsummerwarmingsince1993.Afterseventenyears
ofexperimentalwarming,mesictundrahasexperiencedgreaterchangesinvegetationstructureandabundancethanwet
anddrytundraduetoheightgrowth/densityofdeciduousshrubs(Betulaglandulosa)coincidingwithdecliningberry
productionofallspecies(Empetrumnigrum,Vacciniumvitis-idaea,V.uliginosum).Mossesandlichenshavedeclineddue
theexplosiveshrubgrowthinbothcontrolsandwarmingtreatments.Incontraststructuralchangeshavelaggedinwet
sedgeanddrylichentundratypeswithaverageandmaximumvegetationheightremainingsimilarthroughtimeand
betweentreatments,whileabundancehasshiftedawayfromcryptogamstowardsshrubsandgraminoids.WarminginducedshrubificationofnortherncoastalLabradorhashadanegativeimpactonpermafrostintheregionbyincreasing
snowaccumulation,andwarminggroundtemperaturesatthegroundsurfaceandtodepthsexceeding4m.These
permafrost-shrub-snowinteractionsareprominentincoastalmountainsbecauseofhighwinterprecipitationandwindy
conditions,whichfurtherintensifyshrubificationbeyondwhatisfoundinnon-coastalareas.
Lifehistories:phenology,sex,sexratio
TUESDAY08:00,ROOM:WCOAST
Differences in early life history traits between sexual and asexual Easter daisies
favor the establishment of asexuals
EVANHERSH,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
ALBERTORUIZ-LARREAMEDINA,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;JEANNETTEWHITTON,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA
Closerelativesoftenhavedifferentranges,despitetheirsharedevolutionaryhistory.Townsendiahookeri(Townsend's
Easterdaisy)exhibitsaclassicpatternofgeographicalparthenogenesis,wherecloselyrelatedsexualandasexual
(apomictic)formsholddisparategeographicranges.T.hookeripopulationsoccurthroughouttheEasternRocky
Mountains,withthesexualrangecenteredinColorado/WyomingtotheSouthoftheasexualrange,whichextends
northwardfromWyomingtosouthernAlberta.Oneoftheprimaryhypothesesexplainingpatternsofgeographical
parthenogenesispositsthatasexualsachievebroaderrangesthantheirsexualcounterpartsbybeingbettercolonizers.In
ordertotestfordifferencesincolonizationabilitybetweensexualandasexualEasterdaisies,wecollecteddataonearly
lifehistorytraitsusinglabandfield(reciprocaltransplantgarden)experiments.Seedgerminationtrialsinthelabusing
seedsfromtwelvepopulationsrevealedthatasexualseedsgerminatedmorequicklyandhadhigheroverallgermination
successthansexualseeds.Seedsfromthesesamepopulationswerealsosewnintotransplantsitesinthefield,where
asexualswerealsofoundtohaveoverallhigherestablishmentsuccessthansexuals.Inaseparateexperiment,the
dispersalpotentialofseedsfromsexualandasexualpopulationswasassessed.Wefoundthatasexualseedsstayedaloft
longerthansexualseeds,andthatthiscorrelatedwithfeaturesoftheseedsdispersalstructures(pappus).Theseresults
suggestthat,differencesinearlylifehistorytraitsmaypromotedispersalandearlyestablishmentofasexualEaster
daisies,andcontributetothedifferencesintherangesofthereproductivetypes.
Keywords:Plants,Evolution,Geographicalparthenogenesis,Colonization,Experiment,Dispersal.
Salmonidecologyandevolution
MONDAY11:45,ROOM:SAANICH
Patterns in salmon dynamics in space and time on the Central Coast of British
Columbia
ERICHERTZ,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
WILLATLAS,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY;BRENDANCONNORS,ESSATECHNOLOGIES,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY;JOHNREYNOLDS,
SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY
Pacificsalmonhaveakeyeconomic,ecologicalandculturalrolethroughouttheirrange.However,thefactorsdriving
spatialandtemporalvariationintheabundanceofsalmonpopulationsremainpoorlyunderstood.Understandingthese
patternsinabundanceisimportantforcoastalFirstNations,whoinrecentyearshavetakenonanincreasedroleofthe
managementofsalmonintheirtraditionalterritories.Usingdatafrom200uniquespawninglocationsontheCentral
CoastofBritishColumbia,wequantifiedsharedpatternsinabundanceofsalmonoverspaceandtime,andmeasuredthe
extenttowhichportfolioeffectsstabilizevariationinstocksovertime.WefoundstrongdeclinesinSockeyeSalmon
abundanceacrossthecentralcoast,whichwasaccompaniedbyanincreaseinthecovariationamongstocks.Chumand
PinkSalmonalsoshowedgenerallysimilarpatterns,thoughtheodd-yearlineageofPinkSalmonincreasedinabundance
inrecentyears.Wesuggestthatoceanconditionsoperatingonbroadscalesmayberesponsibleforthespatialand
temporalpatternsobserved.ThisresearchfacilitatedacommonunderstandingamongFirstNations,fisheriesmanagers,
biologists,andnon-governmentalorganizationsofpatternsandknowledgegapsrevealedbyexistingdata.Thisisafirst
andcriticalsteptowardsunderstandingpotentialdriversofthedynamicsofsalmonpopulations,andtheregional
economiesthatdependonthem.
Keywords:Salmon,Management,Marine,Populationdynamics.
ConsequencesofRapidEcologicalChangeinMountainEcosystemsSymposium
TUESDAY09:30,ROOM:SIDNEY
Canada’s mountain ecosystems: Towards a better integration of biotic and abiotic
drivers of rapid change
DAVIDHIK,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA,[email protected]
Accumulatingevidencesuggeststhattheextentandphenologyofseasonalsnowcoverplaysacriticalroleindetermining
thedemography,behavior,growthanddistributionsofplantsandanimalslivinginalpineenvironments.Stochastic,
periodicanddirectionalvariationintemperatureandprecipitationmayhaveverydifferenteffectsonalpinespecies,
dependingupontheirlifehistorystrategiesandcapacitytoadapttovariableandchangingconditions.InthistalkIwill
summarize(i)observedandpredictedclimatetrendsinsomewesternCanadianmountainranges;(ii)responsesofsome
vertebrateandinvertebrateherbivores(e.g.pikas,marmots,groundsquirrels,sheep,caterpillars)toseasonal,
interannualanddecadalchangesoftemperatureandprecipitation;(iii)changesinplantcommunities,especiallywoody
shrubs,thatmayleadtomorecomplicatedtrophicinteractions;and(iv)approachesforintegratingobservationsof
changingweatherandclimateatscalesrelevantforunderstandingdynamicsofalpinespeciesandecosystems.Predicting
theseresponsesisstilldifficult,butemergingconservationandmanagementchallengesinwarmingmountainswithless
snowrequiresmoreattentionandacoordinateresearcheffortacrossCanada.
Habitatselectionanduse
WEDNESDAY08:30,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
House Hunters: Petrel edition
RIELLEHOEG,ACADIAUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
INGRIDL.POLLET,ACADIAUNIVERSITY;DAVESHUTLER,ACADIAUNIVERSITY
Manyseabirdsnestathighdensitiesonislandstoescapemammalianpredatorsandtotakeadvantageofgroupdefence.
Somespeciesnestundergroundwhichmayprotectagainstaerialpredatorsandprovideastablemicroclimate.However,
costsofbreedingonislandsmayincludecompetitionfornestsites.Ifgroupdefenceprovidesanetbenefit,nestswith
shorternearestneighbourdistancesshouldhavehighernestsuccess.Inaddition,burrowingseabirdsshouldfavour
intermediatesoilmoisturetoavoidburrowcrumblingorflooding.Weinvestigatednestsiteselectionandreproductive
successinLeach'sstorm-petrels(Oceanodromaleucorhoa),acolonialseabirdthatnestsinburrowsonoffshoreislands.A
totalof396burrowsweremonitoredonBonPortageIsland,NovaScotia,Canada.Soilmoisturewashigheratcontrol
pointsthanattheentranceofburrows,buttherewasnodifferenceinmoistureatoccupiedversusunoccupiedor
successfulversusfailedburrows.Nearestneighbourdistancedidnotappeartobeassociatedwithnestsuccess.These
resultssuggestthatnestinginLeach'sstorm-petrelsmaybedrivenbyeffectsofresourcessuchassoilmoisture,andthat
theremaybeanoptimalsoilmoisturerangeforexcavatingburrows.
Keywords:seabirds,habitatspecialization,reproduction,populationdynamics,competition.
EcologicalandEvolutionaryDynamicsinFluctuatingEnvironmentsSymposium
MONDAY09:15,ROOM:THEATRE
Niche conservatism and evolution in fluctuating environments
ROBERTHOLT,UNIVERSITYOFFLORIDA,[email protected]
Lifehistories:phenology,sex,sexratio
TUESDAY08:15,ROOM:WCOAST
Diet-dependent sex ratios in Tigriopus californicus: Evidence for ESD in a system
with stable PSD
ERINHORNELL,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
Bycontrollingtheinheritanceofsex,thesexdeterminationmechanismrepresentsaconstraintonsexallocation
strategiesandsexratioadaptation.However,theevolutionofthesexdeterminationmechanismisalsosubjecttosex
ratioselection.Muchofthesexdeterminationliteraturefocusesonhowsexdeterminationmechanismstransition
betweengeneticandenvironmentalfactors(i.e.GSDvs.ESD),andifgeneticsexfactorsareinvolved,howmany(e.g.
chromosomalvspolygenicsystems).Thestudyofsexallocationlargelyfocusesondeviationsfromatheoretically1:1
evolutionarilystablestrategy,suchaswhensexratiosareadaptive(whenthereareenvironmentalfactorsrelevantto
fitnessesofthesexes).Tigriopuscalifornicusisatidepoolcopepodwithpolygenicsexdetermination,andshowswide
variabilityinsexratiosinthefieldandlabthatcannotbeexplainedbygeneticandstochasticprocessesalone.This
suggeststhatanenvironmentalvariablemightinfluencesexratio.Femalesandtheiroffspringwerefedtwodietsof
differentnutritionalquality,inacrosseddesign,andthesexratioofeachclutchwasrecordedforupto8clutchesfroma
givenfemale:thisdesignallowedtheinfluenceoffemalevs.heroffspringtobedistinguished.Theclutchsexratio
changedoverthecourseofthe8clutchesaccordingtotheoffspring'sdiet,whichisevidenceforenvironmentalsex
determinationinthisspecies.Thereisalsoevidencefortheinfluenceofmaternaldietonsexratio,consistentwithsex
allocationtheory,althoughwhetheritispassiveoractivecannotbedeterminedfromthiswork.
Keywords:Intertidal,Geneticvariation,Experiment,Reproduction.
SeagrassecologyandconservationalongPacificandAtlanticcoastssymposium
TUESDAY11:15,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Seagrass genetic diversity enhances production at multiple life history stages
A.RANDALLHUGHES,NORTHEASTERNUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
TORRANCEC.HANLEY,NORTHEASTERNUNIVERSITY;FORESTR.SCHENCK,NORTHEASTERNUNIVERSITY;CYNTHIAG.HAYS,KEENESTATE
COLLEGE
Geneticdiversitycaninfluenceecologicalprocessesthroughoutontogeny,yetwhetherdiversityatearlylifehistorystages
isimportantinlong-livedtaxawithoverlappinggenerationsisunclear.TheseagrassZosteramarina(eelgrass)provides
compellingevidencefortheecologicaleffectsofgeneticdiversityamongadultshoots,withpositiveeffectsofincreased
diversityonprimaryproduction,associatedspeciesabundanceanddiversity,anddisturbancerecovery.However,wedo
notknowifthegeneticdiversityofseedsandseedlingsalsoinfluencesseagrassecology.Wetestedtheeffectsofeelgrass
seeddiversityandrelatednessongerminationsuccess,seedlingmorphology,andseedlingproductionbycomparing
experimentalassemblagesofseedscollectedfromsinglereproductiveshoots(siblings,or"monocultures")to
assemblagesofseedscollectedfrommultiplereproductiveshoots(non-siblings,or"polycultures").Therewasno
differenceinseedlingemergence,yetseedlingsfrompolycultureshadlargershootsaboveandbelowgroundthan
seedlingsfrommonoculturesattheendoftheone-yearexperiment.Geneticrelatednessoftheseedlingspredictedsome
aspectsofshootmorphology,withmoreleavesandlongerrootsandshootsatintermediatelevelsofrelatedness,
regardlessofseeddiversity.Ourresultssuggestthatpriorstudiesofseagrassadultlifehistorystagesmayhave
underestimatedtheimportanceofgeneticdiversityifthebenefitsatearlylifehistorystagescontinuetoaccrue
throughoutthelifecycle.
Matechoice,hybridization
MONDAY14:00,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Female preference for alternative male morphs in the Kribensis cichlid
(Pelvicachromis pulcher)
PETERHURD,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA,[email protected]
NATHANJBRANDWEIN,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA
MalesofthecichlidPelvicachromispulcherexistinoneoffourdifferentmorphs.Thetwomostcommonmorphs,redand
yellowshowdifferencesingrowthrate,aggressivebehaviour,andreproductivestrategy,andhypothalamicexpressionof
thenonapeptidesisotocinandvasotocin.Redmalesgrowslowerbutaremoreactivethanyellowmales;theyalsotendto
usemoreescalatedaggressivebehavioursthanyellowmales.Bothmorphswillbreedmonogamously,butredmalesshow
preferencetoharemicbreeding,whileyellowsdonotbutmayfollowastrategy.Hereweexaminefemalechoicebetween
thesetwomalemorphsinadichotomousmatechoicetask.Wefoundasignificantpreferenceforyellowoverredmales.
Sinceyellowmaleshavemorespotsthanredmalestherewasacorrelatedpreferenceformoretailspots.Weconclude
thatfemales’preferencefortheyellowmorphovertheredpersistsaftertakingintoaccountthedisparityintailspot
number,meaningthatpreferenceformoretailspotsnumberisnotdrivingtheyellowmalepreferenceeffect.Wediscuss
theprobableinfluencesoffemalechoicerelativetootherselectionpressuresinmaintainingthispolymorphism.
Keywords:Fish,Reproduction,Phenotypicvariation,Polymorphism.
Parasitismandsymbiosis
TUESDAY14:00,ROOM:SIDNEY
Host allometry influences the evolution of parasite host-generalism
AMYL.HURFORD,MEMORIALUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
JOSEPHINEWALKER,UNIVERSITYOFBRISTOL;JOANNECABLE,CARDIFFUNIVERSITY;AMYELLISON,CARDIFFUNIVERSITY;STEPHENPRICE,
UNIVERSITYCOLLEGELONDON;CLAYTONCRESSLER,UNIVERSITYOFNEBRASKA
Parasitesvarywidelyinthediversityofhoststheyinfect:someparasitespeciesarespecialists-infectingjustasinglehost
species,whileothersaregeneralists,capableofinfectingmany.Understandingthefactorsthatdriveparasitehostgeneralismisofbasicbiologicalinterest,butalsodirectlyrelevanttopredictingdiseaseemergenceinnewhostspecies,
identifyingparasitesthatarelikelytohaveunidentifiedadditionalhosts,andassessingtransmissionrisk.Here,weuse
mathematicalmodelstoinvestigatehowvariationinhostbodysizeandenvironmentaltemperatureaffecttheevolution
ofparasitehost-generalism.Wepredictthatparasitesaremorelikelytoevolveageneraliststrategywhenhostsarelargebodied,whenvariationinhostbodysizeislarge,andincoolerenvironments.Wethenexplorethesepredictionsusinga
newlyupdateddatabaseofover20,000fish-macroparasiteassociations.Withinthedatabaseweseesomeevidence
supportingthesepredictions,butalsohighlightmismatchesbetweentheoryanddata.Bycombiningthesetwo
approaches,weestablishatheoreticalbasisforinterpretingempiricaldataonparasites'hostspecificityandidentifykey
areasforfutureworkthatwillhelpuntanglethedriversofparasitehost-generalism.
Keywords:Evolution,Parasitology,Mathematicalmodel,,Environmentalvariation,Morphology.
Movement,activity,wildlifemanagement
WEDNESDAY08:30,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Scale dependent behavioral responses of snowshoe hare in western conifer forests
post-fire
JENNAHUTCHEN,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIAOKANAGAN,[email protected]
KARENE.HODGES,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIAOKANAGAN
WildfiresareagrowingconcerninmuchofNorthAmericabecauseclimatechangehasledtotheincreaseinlarge,severe
fires.Recently,advancesinfireecologysuggestwestudywithin-burnheterogeneitybecausesuchanalysescanelucidate
strongerpatternsofmammalresponsetofirethancoarsercomparisonsofburned/unburnedstands.Weconductedthis
studytocomparestandarddisturbanceecologycontrasts(burn/unburnedandopen/regrowing/maturestands)andto
evaluatethebehavioralresponsesofsnowshoeharestofire.Weusedsnowshoehareforagingbehaviortotestthese
contrastsbyquantifyingharetortuosity,speed,andbrowsealongforagingpathwaysinburnedandunburnedforestand
comparedtheseresultstotherelationshipsfoundinopen/regrowing/maturecontrasts.Burn/Unburnedcomparisons
underperformedintheirabilitytodistinguishsignificantdifferencesinbrowsinghares.Haresmovedfasterinburned
standsthantheydidinunburnedstands,howeverwhenopen/regrowing/maturecomparisonsweremadewefoundthat
haresonlymovedfasterinopenburnedstandsandnotregrowingburnedstands.Nodifferenceswerefoundinhare
tortuositybetweenburn/unburnedoropen/regrowing/maturestands.Wefoundthatsnowshoehareresponseto
wildfireiscomplexandthatastand-basedvegetationapproachidentifiesstrongerpatternsofsnowshoehareresponse
post-firethandoesusingacontrol-impactapproach.
Keywords:Fire,Mammals,Forest,Foraging.
Thetensionbetweenscienceandadvocacyinecology,evolution,andconservationbiologysymposium
TUESDAY09:15,ROOM:SAANICH
The distinction between advice and advocacy in science
JEFFREYA.HUTCHINGS,DALHOUSIEUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
Decision-makersusesciencetoguideregulatoryandpolicydevelopmentandtoevaluatethepotentialoutcomesof
alternativedecisionoptions.Scientists,atvariousstagesoftheircareer,areincreasinglycalledupontoimpartscientific
knowledgethatfallswithintheirpurview.Thismosttypicallycomesintheformofadviceoradvocacy.Ideally,science
adviceisimpartialandindependentfromvestedinterests.Givenpeer-reviewbasedlevelsofconsensusanduncertainty,
scienceadvicecontributestoobjective,informedevaluationsoftheimplicationsofpolicyoptionsfromascience
perspective.Science-basedadvocacyreflectspersonalinterests.Anadvocateselectivelyframesinformationwiththe
intentoffavouringonepolicyoutcomeoveranother.Advocacybyscientistsisnotalwaysreadilydetectablebythemedia,
bydecision-makers,orbysociety.Someindividualsarenotasvigilantorastransparentastheyshouldbeastowhether
theyarescience-basedadvocates.Whoaretheprimarybeneficiariesofscienceadviceandscience-basedadvocacy?Are
theythesame?Doessocietybenefitequallyfromscienceadviceandscience-basedadvocacy?Atitscore,advocacy
reflectselementsofpersonalvaluesystems:socialideology;culturaltradition;employmentexperience;religiousbeliefs;
education;familyupbringing.Thepersonalvaluesystemsofscientistshavenointrinsicallygreatermeritthanthoseof
decision-makerswhomtheyadviseorthecitizenrywhomightbeaffectedbytheadvice.Governmentdecisionswill
alwaysbepolitical;politicianswilloftenconflatefactsandvalues.Toestablishandmaintainsocietaltrust,scientists
profferingadvicetogovernmentshoulddoneither.
SeagrassecologyandconservationalongPacificandAtlanticcoastssymposium
TUESDAY13:30,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Biotic homogenization of seagrass fishes associated with coastal anthropogenic
activities
JOSEPHINEC.IACARELLA,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
JULIAK.BAUM,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,EELGRASSFISHESNETWORK
Anthropogenicactivitiesthatmodifyhabitatsacrossaland-orseascapecansubsequentlycausebiotichomogenizationof
residentcommunities.Coastalsystemsaresubjecttointensehumanactivitiesthatrangefromlocalizedperturbationsto
large-scalehabitatdegradation.Activitiesthatlocallyaffecthabitat-forming,foundationspeciesmaycreate
heterogeneouslandscapesforfaunadependentonthosefoundationspecies,inturnaffectingspatialpatternsof
biodiversityinmarineseascapes.Wetestedthehypothesisthatfishbeta-diversityislowerinareasofgreaterhuman
impactacrossseagrassmeadowsonthePacificcoastofCanada.Wequantifiedfishdiversityacross89sitesspanning6
latitudetotestforpatternsofspatialhomogenizationofbiodiversityamonghabitatsandtoattributesignalsof
homogenizationtotheintensityofhumanactivities.Weassessedwithinandacrossregionbeta-diversityatsiteswithin
low,medium,andhighanthropogenicintensitycategoriesbyaccountingforbeta-diversitycausedbytherandom
assemblageofcommunitiesanddifferencesinspeciesrichnessusingnullmodels.Ourresultsareconsistentwithbiotic
homogenizationoffishesinhighanthropogenicintensityareas(i.e.lowerbeta-diversityrelativetolowintensityareas),
bothwithinandacrossregions.Bioticcharacteristicsweremoredifferentiatedamonghighintensitysites,potentially
indicativeofaperturbedenvironmentthatismoreconducivetogeneralistspecies.Indeed,indicatorspeciesassociated
withlowandhighintensitysitesrepresentediconicexamplesofathreatened,specialistspeciesandahighlyadaptive,
generalistspecies,respectively.Theseresultssupporttheimportanceoftargetingconservationeffortsinlow
anthropogenicintensityareasacrossland-andseascapes.
Geneticstructureofpopulations
TUESDAY13:45,ROOM:COLWOOD
Geographic variation in the genetic structure of a mussel hybrid zone
DAVIDJ.INNES,MEMORIALUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
NORAHP.SAARMAN,YALEUNIVERSITY;RAYMONDJ.THOMPSON,MEMORIALUNIVERSITY
Geneticallydifferentiatedpopulationsofcloselyrelatedspeciesoftencomeintosecondarycontactduringrange
expansions,allowingtheopportunityforgeneflowifreproductiveisolationisincomplete.Researchonthepopulation
geneticstructureofsuchhybridzonesprovidesawindowintoprocessesimportantforreproductiveisolationtohelp
understandtheevolutionarysignificanceofreproductiveincompatibilityandintrogressionforspeciationandadaptation.
Duringthelastglaciation,MytilusedulissurvivedinAtlanticrefugiaandM.trossulusinthePacific.Thetwospecieshave
beenisolatedforapproximately3-5millionyears.M.edulisrecolonizedtheNWAtlanticOceanfollowingthelastglacial
maximumfromice-freerefugia~18,000yearsagoandM.trossulusinvadedtheAtlanticfromthePacificthroughthe
ArcticformingthepresenthybridzoneinAtlanticCanada.Widevariationinthefrequencyofhybrids(0-58%,mean=
17%)wasfoundbasedonthreespecies-specificdiagnosticnuclearmarkers(Glu,ITS,MAL).Ofthe17%hybrids,
genotypesconsistentwithF1andbackcrossestoM.trossulusshowedthegreatestfrequency(3.5and5.5%,respectively).
ThesehybridgenotypesalongwithpureM.trossulusalsoshowedaslightincreaseinfrequencywithlatitude.One
exceptionwastheoccurrenceofM.edulisandM.edulisbackcrosshybridssampledinHudsonBay.Atonelocationin
southernLabradoralowfrequencyofhybridswasconfirmedwithlimitedintrogressionbasedon~200speciesdiagnosticsinglenucleotidepolymorphicloci(SNP).TheSNPanalysisofadditionalsitesisinprogresstomoreprecisely
determinegeographicvariationinreproductiveincompatibility.
Keywords:Genomicsequencing,Geneticvariation,Marine,Hybridization.
Conservationchallengesassociatedwithaquaticsoundscapessymposium
MONDAY14:45,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Ambient noise from natural sources and shipping in the western Canadian Arctic
STEPHENINSLEY,WILDLIFECONSERVATIONSOCIETYCANADA,[email protected]
CASEYHILLIARD,WILDLIFECONSERVATIONSOCIETYCANADA;TYLERDEJONG,WILDLIFECONSERVATIONSOCIETYCANADA
Oceanambientnoiseisacrucialhabitatfeatureformarineanimalsbecauseitrepresentsthelowerthresholdoftheir
acousticallyactivespace.Ambientnoiseisaffectedbynaturalnoisesourceslikewindandice,andbyanthropogenic
sourceslikeshippingandseismicsurveys.AmbientconditionsintheArcticaregenerallyquieterthanconditionsinother
regionsduringtheice-coveredseasonduetothedampeningeffectofseaice.Climatechange-inducedArcticwarmingis
expectedtoinfluencenoisethroughbothdecreasedseaiceandincreasedhumanactivity,whichmaynegativelyaffect
severalspeciesofmarinemammalsandotheracoustically-sensitivemarinefauna.Wedocumentambientnoiseoffthe
westcoastofBanksIslandnearSachsHarbour,NorthwestTerritories,toprovidebaselinenoiselevelsintheeastern
BeaufortSea.NoiselevelswerecomparabletootherstudiesfromtheCanadianArcticandAlaska,andweretypically
muchquieterthanlevelsfromfarthersouth.Windcausedincreasednoise,whereasincreasediceconcentration
decreasednoise,dampeningtheeffectofwindspeed.Wemodelvesselnoisepropagationintheproposedwestern
CanadianArcticshippingcorridorinordertoexamineimpactsonmarinemammalsandmarineprotectedareas(MPAs).
WecomparemodeloutputtotheacousticdatacollectednearSachsHarbour,NWT.Ourmodelpredictsthatloudvessels
areaudibleunderwaterwhen>100kmaway,couldaffectmarinemammalbehaviourwhenwithin7kmand
consequentlycouldcausesubstantialimpacttomarinemammalsduringmigrationandinMPAs.
SensoryandBehaviouralEcologySymposium
WEDNESDAY08:00,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Marine visual ecology: Insights from flatfish and decapod shrimp
TOMIWANICKY,,[email protected]
Thefundamentalmolecularunitofvisionistheopsin,agenethatencodesalight-sensitiveproteinfoundintheretina.
Thereistremendousdiversityinopsinrepertoiresamonganimaltaxa.Fishhavelargeopsinrepertoires,andto
understandwhy,wecharacterizedthevisualsystemofthestarryflounder(Platichthysstellatus)usingmolecularand
physiologicaldata.Wefoundjuvenilestarryflounderexpresseightvisualopsinsintheretina.Directconnectionsbetween
opsinexpressionandquantitativebehavioursarerare.Wetestedwhetherornotvaryingopsinexpressionaffectsvision.
Weheldstarryflounderinaquariaforsixweeksexposedtoeitherbroad-spectrumsunlightorgreen-filteredlightand
predictedachangeinopsinexpression.Wemeasuredopsinexpressionandtestedvisualperformancebyquantifyingthe
camouflageresponsetoavarietyofcolourfulcheckerboards.Opsinexpressionwasdifferentbasedonlightenvironment.
Surprisingly,thisdifferencewaslostafteronlythreehoursunderwhiteLEDillumination.Imageanalysisofcamouflage
responsesuggestfishwithmoreUV-andblue-sensitiveopsinsdetectgreatercontrastincolouronblue-green
checkerboards.Wearealsoinvestigatingnovelvisualsystemsinadeep-seaOplophoridshrimp.Oplophoridsproducea
bioluminescentsecretionfromtheirmouthtodeterordistractpredators.Someoplophoridsalsopossessbioluminescent
producingorgans(photophores)intheircuticle.Speciescapableofbothformsofbioluminescence(secretionand
photophore)possessuniquevisualsystems,involvingmultipleopsinspresumablyforcolourvision.Wepredictfeatures
oftheuniqueoplophoridvisualsystemsfunctiontodiscriminatebetweenthetwotypesofbioluminescenceforcongener
recognitionandcommunication.Furthermore,preliminarydatarevealedgenesassociatedwithphoto-transductionare
expressedinthephotophoressuggestingperhapsthey'see'withthesebioluminescentorgans.
LinkingEnvironmentalLawandScienceSymposium
WEDNESDAY08:45,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Canada's crossroads for sustainable development and the environment
AERINJACOB,YELLOWSTONETOYUKONCONSERVATIONINITIATIVE,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
JONATHANW.MOORE,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY;CAROLINEH.FOX,DALHOUSIEUNIVERSITY,RAINCOASTCONSERVATION
FOUNDATION;EMILYSUNTER,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIAOKANAGAN;ADAMT.FORD,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA
Environmentalassessmentisthetooltoevaluatepositiveandnegativeconsequencesofplans,policies,programs,or
infrastructureprojects.However,inthelastfiveyears,thousandsofscientistsinCanadaandaroundtheworldhave
repeatedlyexpressedconcernabouttheerosionofcapacityandlackofscientificrigourinfederalenvironmental
legislation.In2015,theGovernmentofCanadacommittedto"ensur[ing]thatdecisionsarebasedonscience,facts,and
evidence,andservethepublic'sinterests",includingpublicconsultation.Weevaluated400writtencontributionstothe
2016ExpertPanelReviewofEnvironmentalAssessmentProcesses,categorizingsubmissionsbysectorandevaluating
theirsupportforkeypillarsofscienceandenvironmentaldecision-making.Wediscoveredremarkableconsensuson
majorissues,includingconsistentsupportforimprovedtransparencyindecision-making,considerationofcumulative
effects,andpubliclysharingdata.Divergenceappearedregardingtheindustrysector'spositiononscientificrigourand
independence,andtoalesserdegreeIndigenoussector'spositionondefaultopenaccesstodata.Overall,theroad-map
forupdatingfederalenvironmentalassessmentprocessesisclear:thegovernmentwillhavetoweighperspectivesof
industryagainstpublic,scientific,non-profit,andIndigenoussectors.Canadaispoisedtoundergoarenaissancetorealign
environmentaldecision-makingwithfoundationalscientificprinciples.Asenvironmentalprotectionandincorporationof
scientificinformationintodecisionscrumblesintheUnitedStates,Canadacouldprovideaglobalexampleenvironmental
decision-makinginformedbyscience.
Keywords:Management,Sciencepolicy,Survey,Scienceoutreach.
Geneticstructureofpopulations
TUESDAY14:00,ROOM:COLWOOD
Landscape community genomics in the mountain pine beetle outbreak system
PATRICKJAMES,UNIVERSITÉDEMONTRÉAL,[email protected]
CATHYCULLINGHAM,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA
Investigationintothespatialstructureofcommunity-leveladaptivegenomicvariationcanilluminateimportantecoevolutionaryrelationships.Inparticular,improvedunderstandingofintra-andinter-specificinteractionsthrough
communitygenomicscanbeusedtobetterunderstandtheevolutionarydeterminantsofthespatialpopulationdynamics
ofinvasiveandirruptivespecies.However,itremainsunclearhowtoidentifygroupsofintra-andinter-specificadaptive
locithatmaybeinteractingwithoneanotherandtoquantifytheseinteractions.Wepresentaframeworktointegrateand
modelspatialadaptivegenomicvariationinmultipletaxausingthemountainbeetle(MPB)outbreaksystemasacase
study.WesearchedforclustersofputativelyadaptiveSNPlociintheMPB,itsmainhostlodgepolepine,andtwospecies
ofsymbioticfungiusingamodifiedKendall’sKstatistic.Ourgoalwastofirstidentifygroupsoflocifromdifferenttaxa
thatarefoundtogether(outbreaksyndromes)moreoftenthanexpectedbychanceandthentoidentifywhich,ifany,
environmentalfactorspredictthesegroupings.Wefoundthatspatialgenomicvariationinpine,beetles,andfungiareall
associatedwithclimate,whichsuggeststhatadaptationmaybeinvolvedastheMPBexpandsintonewregions.Wealso
identifiedspatiallystructuredcorrelationsamonglociinthepine,MPB,andfungiwhichmayreflectongoingcoadaptationalongoutbreakexpansionaxes.Thisintegratedframeworkhasthepotentialtoimproveourunderstandingof
spatialcommunitygeneticsandtobettercharacterizethespatialevolutionaryprocessesinfluencingrangeexpansions
andpopulationoutbreaks.
Keywords:Pinebeetle,Genomesequencing,Geneticvariation,Interactions,Co-adaptation.
Phylogenetics
MONDAY08:45,ROOM:WCOAST
What’s in the box: Preliminary data from genomic signatures of adaptive
diversification in box-ironbark eucalypts
JASMINEJANES,UNIVERSITYOFNEWENGLAND,AUSTRALIA,[email protected]
TIMOTHYCOLLINS,UNIVERSITYOFNEWENGLAND;JAMIESONGORRELL,UNIVERSITYOFNEWENGLAND,VANCOUVERISLAND
UNIVERSITY;NORMANWHARTMANN,AUSTRALIANATIONALUNIVERSITY;REBECCAJORDAN,UNIVERSITYOFMELBOURNE;JUSTIN
BOREVITZ,AUSTRALIANATIONALUNIVERSITY;ROSEANDREW,UNIVERSITYOFNEWENGLAND
Theimportanceofancientstandingvariationandintrogressedallelesinrecentlydivergedspeciesisbecomingan
increasinglypopularareaofresearch.Teasingapartthepatternsofhistoricalversuscontemporarygeneflow,andnew
mutations,isfundamentaltoourunderstandingofadaptiveandevolutionaryprocesses.Forexample,thesourceofraw
geneticmaterialforevolutioncanhavesignificantimpactsonthespeedandsuccesswithwhichapopulationcanadapt,
andonthegenomicsignaturesresultingfromselection.Ourworkaddressestheimportanceofintrogressioninthe
diversificationofaniconicAustraliangenus,Eucalyptus.Usingwhole-genomeshotgunsequencing,wewillidentify
genomicregionscorrespondingtohistoricalintrogressionandadaptivedivergence.Quantifyingthesegenomicsignatures
willfacilitateimprovedspeciesresolutioninthischallenginggroupandsignificantlyenhanceourunderstandingofthe
selectivepressuresdrivingevolutionaryprocesses.
Keywords:Genomesequencing,Plants,Geneticvariation,Evolution,Selection.
Dispersal
WEDNESDAY10:45,ROOM:THEATRE
Gene expression associated with dispersal ability under different temperature
conditions in the alpine butterfly, Parnassius smintheus
MARYAMJANGJOO,WESTERNUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
STEPHENF.MATTER,UNIVERSITYOFCINCINNATI;JOSHUABENOIT,UNIVERSITYOFCINCINNATI;NUSHAKEYGHOBADI,WESTERN
UNIVERSITY
Dispersalisacriticalprocessaffectingthedynamics,persistenceandevolutionarytrajectoriesofspatiallystructured
populations.Flightcapacityisapotentiallyimportantdeterminantofdispersalinanimalscapableofflightand,ininsects,
maybestronglyaffectedbyambientandbodytemperature.Thegeneencodingthemetabolicenzymephosphoglucose
isomerase(PGI),involvedinprovidingenergyforflight,isawell-endorsedcandidategenefordispersalininsects.We
usedRNAseqtechnologytoprepareanadulttranscriptomeforthealpinebutterfly,Parnassiussmintheus.Ourgoalswere
to(i)identifythecodingsequenceofPgi,and(ii)profilegeneexpressionpatternsamongindividualswithdiffering
dispersalhistoriesandcaughtflyingunderdifferenttemperatureconditionswithinanetworkofinterconnected
populations.WefirstpooledRNAseqreadsfromallindividualstoassembleadenovoreferencetranscriptomeusing
multipledifferentassemblers(Trinity,CLCandOases),andthenidentifiedthePgicodingsequence.Weareassessing
sequencevariationatthePgilocustoexplorewhetherspecificgenotypesareassociatedwithflightatdifferent
temperaturesandwithgreaterdispersal.Wearealsoconductingdifferentialexpressionanalysistocomparedisperser
andnon-disperserindividuals,aswellasindividualscapturedduringflightwithhigherversuslowerbodytemperatureas
comparedtoairtemperature.Ourexperimentalanalysisprovidesinsightsintogeneticandenvironmentalfactors
underlyingflightanddispersalinthisalpineinsect.
Keywords:Insects,Dispersal,Temperaturemodulation,Geneticvariation,Populationgenetics.
Forestecology
WEDNESDAY09:00,ROOM:WCOAST
Impacts of deciduous and coniferous canopies on moss associated N-fixation:
Implications for boreal N-cycling
MELANIEJEAN,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN,[email protected]
MICHELLEC.MACK,NORTHERNARIZONAUNIVERSITY,CENTERFORECOSYSTEMSCIENCEANDSOCIETY;JILLF.JOHNSTONE,UNIVERSITY
OFSASKATCHEWAN
Inborealforests,mossesandtheirassociatednitrogen-fixing(N)microbesareimportantsourcesofNinputs,andare
potentiallyimportantinregulatingecosystemproductivity.Mossesdominatetheunderstoryofconiferousforests,while
deciduousstandssupportalowermossabundance,likelybecauseofleaflitterinputs.Weaimtoquantifytheimpactsof
canopycompositionanddeciduousleaflitteronN-fixationassociatedwithtwomosses(Hylocomiumsplendensand
Pleuroziumschreberi)usingafield-basedexperimentnearFairbanks,Alaska.In2012,weestablished30studyplotsin
paperbirch(Betulaneoalaskana)andblackspruce(Piceamariana)stands.Hylocomiumdominatedmosscores(n=90)
wererandomlytransplantedfromsprucestandsintotheplotsandassignedtoatreatment:birchleaflitterexclusion,
litteraddition,andambientlitterdeposition.Weidentified30proceduralcontrols(naturalHylocomiumpatches).We
measuredmossgrowth(1200individuals)andenvironmentalcovariates(e.g.temperature,moisture)annually.In2015,
wemeasuredN-fixationratesusingstableisotopelabelling(15N2).Ourpreliminaryresultssuggestthatnaturallyoccurringandtransplantedmossesinbirchstands,andmosseswithexperimentalandambientleaflitterinputs
presentedlowerN-fixationthantheothers.Aleaflittercoverof60%eliminatedN-fixationandsignificantlyreducedmoss
growth.Resultsfromthisstudygiveusinsightsinthefunctioningofthemoss-microbeassociationandfactorsaffectingit.
UnderstandingN-cyclinginborealforestsisimportantinacontextofchangingforestcompositiontowardsamore
deciduous-dominatedlandscape,asleaflitterimpactsonmossmayhavecascadingimpactsonforeststructureand
composition.
Keywords:Boreal,Mosses,Plants,Experiment,Nitrogenfixation.
StudentSymposium
MONDAY14:00,ROOM:THEATRE
Looking through the bottleneck: Genomic analysis of historical and contemporary
population genetic variation in the Pinzón Island Galápagos tortoise
EVELYNL.JENSEN,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIAOKANAGAN,[email protected]
ADALGISACACCONE,YALEUNIVERSITY;MICHAELA.RUSSELLO,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIAOKANAGAN
Inthemidstofthecurrentbiodiversitycrisis,thereareafewinspiringexampleswhereconservationactionshavebeen
effectiveatrescuingaspeciesfromtheverybrinkofextinction,aswasthecaseforthePinzónIslandGalápagostortoise.
Pinzóntortoisesnearlywentextinctduringthe20thcenturyduetohumanexploitation,withnaturalrecoveryimpeded
bycompletedepredationofhatchlingsbyintroducedblackrats.Throughextensiveconservationinterventionsanda50yearlonghead-startprogram,thePinzóntortoisepopulationhasbeguntorecover,andremarkably,appearstohavehigh
geneticdiversity.Inthisstudy,weinvestigatehowgeneticdiversityhasbeenimpactedbythesedemographicchanges
overthelastcentury.Weusedrestrictionsiteassociated(RAD)sequencing,RADcapture,andwholemitochondrial
genomecapturetocollectgenomiclevelinformationfromthecontemporarypopulationonPinzón,aswellasfrom78
museumspecimenscollectedin1906.Bytakingadvantageofthesetemporalsamples,thisstudycanuniquelyevaluate
patternsofgeneticdiversitythroughpopulationdeclineandrecovery.Findingsbasedon2,500SNPsindicatesignificant
changesbetweenthehistoricalandcontemporarysamples,includingadramaticreductionineffectivepopulationsize.
Nevertheless,observedpatternsofspatialandtemporalhomogeneityinthecontemporarypopulationsuggestthatthe
head-startprogramwassuccessfulincapturingandmaintainingextantgeneticdiversity.Thisstudyuniquelypieces
togetherthehistoryofaspeciesthroughdeclineandrecovery,providingempiricalinsightsintoabottleneckandarare
retrospectiveevaluationofahead-startprogram.
Keywords:Genomicsequencing,Galapagostortoise,Geneticvariation,Geneticbottleneck.
Stress,Antipredatorbehaviour
MONDAY11:30,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Exploring stress biomarkers in an avian model
GILLIANJOHNSTONE,ACADIAUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
MARKMALLORY,ACADIAUNIVERSITY;RUSSELLEASY,ACADIAUNIVERSITY
Biomarkersaremeasurablesubstancesthatcanbeusedasindicatorsofstressinanimals.Presently,thereislittle
understandingofstressbiomarkersinbirds.Theobjectiveofthisstudywastoidentifychangesinuniqueproteinsinan
avianmodeltofurtherourunderstandingofthestressresponseinaves.Themodelschoseninthisstudywerethe
HerringGullandGreatBlack-BackedGull.SpecimenswereobtainedfromtheSt.John’sInternationalAirport,
Newfoundland,CA.Samplesoflivertissueweregroundinamortarandpestleundersterileconditionstoextractsoluble
proteins.Proteinconcentrationswerenormalizedand1DSDS-PAGEfollowedbyamodifiedsilverstainingmethodwere
usedtoidentifyindividualproteinprofiles.GelswereimagedanddigitizedusingaFluor-STMMultimager.Proteinspots
wereexcisedfromthegelsandfurtheranalysedusingtandemMS(LC-MS/MS).PreliminaryMSdatashowsknownstress
proteinssuchasheatshock-70,heatshock-90,anti-oxidantssuchassuperoxidedimutaseand,pyridoxinephosphate
oxidasewhichisanessentialenzymeinvitaminB6metabolism.Theseproteinswillbequantifiedusingimmunoblotting
andusedastargetstoidentifytheeffectsofenvironmentalstressorsonthegulls.Asourknowledgeofstressinavesis
limited,thisdatawillcontributetothebroaderunderstandingofstressinaves.
Keywords:Birds,Stress,Biomarkers,Gull.
ConsequencesofRapidEcologicalChangeinMountainEcosystemsSymposium
TUESDAY09:00,ROOM:SIDNEY
Where fast is slow: Experimental effects of changing soil temperature and nutrients
on a subarctic, alpine plant community
JILLJOHNSTONE,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN,[email protected]
KIRSTENALLEN,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN;SARAKULEZA,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN;JONATHANHENKELMAN,UNIVERSITY
OFSASKATCHEWAN
Environmentalchangesinarcticandalpineregionsareproceedingatarapidpaceandmountainecosystemsathigh
latitudesmaybeespeciallyvulnerabletothesechanges.Itiswidelybelievedthatoneoftheprincipaleffectsofachanging
climateontundraplantcommunitieswillbeexpressedviatheindirecteffectsthatwarmingtemperaturesmayhaveon
microbialactivityandsoilnutrientavailability.Wehavebeentestingthesepredictionsina5-yearfieldexperimentinan
exposed,lowshrubplantcommunitytypicalofsubarctic,alpinetundrainsouthernYukon.After5years,controlledsoil
warmingof2degreesC(achievedwithsoilheatingcablespoweredbyaphotovoltaicsystem)hadnodetectableeffectson
mineralandtotalNinthesoil.Plantcommunitiesshowedlittleresponsetoeithersoilwarmingordirectnitrogen
fertilization(2gNpersquaremperyear)forthefirst4yearsoftheexperiment.Inthefifthyear,wearejuststartingto
seesignsofchange,largelyintheformofincreasedgraminoids.Theseresultscontraststronglywiththeresultsof
fertilizationandairwarmingexperimentsinlowlandtundracommunities.Timewilltellwhetherthesetundraplantswill
remainresilienttosustainedenvironmentalchanges.Atthemomentitappearsthatthepaceofvegetationresponsesto
climatewarmingonalpinecommunitiesmaybeslowerthanexpected,possiblyduetoconstraintsimposedbywinter
conditionsinexposedenvironments.
Keywords:Experiment,Environmentalvariation,Plants,Climatechange,Resilience.
Conservationchallengesassociatedwithaquaticsoundscapessymposium
MONDAY13:45,ROOM:OAKBAY1
The effects of anthropogenic and biological noise on fish behavior and physiology: A
meta-analysis
FRANCISJUANES,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
KIERANCOX,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA;LAWRENCEP.BRENNAN,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA;SARAHDUDAS,VANCOUVERISLAND
UNIVERSITY
Aquaticnoisehasthepotentialtotravelextremedistancesandassuchmanyspeciesrelyonthesoundscapeforauditory
informationregardinghabitatselection,predatororpreylocations,andcommunication.Certainsoundshavethe
potentialtonegativelyaffectaquaticspeciesresultinginunbalancedpredator-preyinteractionsanddisrupted
communication.Todeterminetheimplicationsthatchangestothesoundscapemayhaveonfishes,weconductedametaanalysisfocusingonhowaquaticnoisemayalterfishbehaviorandphysiology.Wereviewed3,174potentiallyrelevant
papersofwhich44metourcriteriaandwereusedintheanalysis.Ourreviewindicatedthataquaticnoisescanbedivided
intofourdistinctcategories;anthropogenicnoise,tonesorpulses,biologicalnoise,andmusic.Eighteenofthe44studies
focusedontheeffectsofanthropogenicandindicatedadverseeffectsforfishbehaviorandphysiology.Studiesfocusingon
theeffectsofenvironmentalandbiologicalnoise,indicatedthatnoisefromthesesourceshasapositivebutnotsignificant
effectonfishbehaviourandphysiology.Thesefindingssuggestthatthevastmajorityoffishhavethepotentialtobe
negativelyaffectedbynoisepollution,whilebiologicalandenvironmentalnoisesmaynothavethesamenegative
consequencesforfishbehaviorandphysiology.
Keywords:Fish,Aquaticnoise,Habitatselection,Meta-analysis.
EcologicalEpigeneticsSymposium
TUESDAY08:45,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Ants and plants: Epigenetic responses to multiple mutualist partners
REBECCAKARTZINEL,PRINCETONUNIVERSITY,BROWNUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
BRIDGETTM.VONHOLDT,PRINCETONUNIVERSITY;CORINAE.TARNITA,PRINCETONUNIVERSITY;ROBERTM.PRINGLE,PRINCETON
UNIVERSITY
Long-livedtreesrelyonplasticityforphenotypicadjustmentsthroughouttheirlifetimestomaximizefitnessinchanging
environmentalconditions.Plasticresponsestobioticinteractionscanbecomplex,dependingonthecontextandduration
oftheinteraction.Inthistalk,Iwilldiscusstheepigeneticunderpinningsofphenotypicplasticityinawell-described
mutualismbetweenanant-plantanditsobligateantpartners.Acacia(Vachellia)drepanolobiumassociateswithfourant
species,eachofwhichexhibitsuniquebehaviorstowardsthetreerangingfrommutualistictoantagonistic.Using
reduced-representationbisulfitesequencing,weshowthatratherthanhavingauniversalepigeneticsignatureofant
occupancy,eachantspeciesinducesuniquemethylationpatternsinhosttrees.Treessubjectedto~3yofcontinuousant
removalconvergetowardsmoresimilarmethylationpatternsbutretainthesignaloftheirmostrecentantoccupant.The
uniquemethylationsignaturesinducedbyeachantvarybothinnature(genesaffected)andextent(totalnumberofsites
affected).Functionalanalysisofgenesaffectedbyantoccupancyisconsistentwithourecologicalknowledgeofthe
mutualism:forexample,antsrequiringhighenergyinputsfromthetree(e.g.,nutritionfromextrafloralnectar)
disproportionatelyaffectgenesrelatedtophotosynthesisandenergymetabolism.Wealsoidentifyseveralgenes,strongly
affectedbyantoccupancy,relatedtopathogendefenseandabioticstressthatmaygiveadditionalinsightintotheantplantinteractions.Thisworkcomplementsourextensiveecologicalknowledgeofmutualismbyprovidingafirstlookat
themolecularbasisofhostresponsetocomplexecologicalinteractionsinnaturalsettings.
Policyandplanning
MONDAY16:45,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Prioritizing management actions when data is scarce and systems are complex
LAURAKEHOE,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
JULIABAUM,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA;TARAMARTIN,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA
Conservationresearchhaspredominantlyfocusedonidentifyingwhereandwhyspeciesorhabitatsareunderthreat.
Whilethisisacrucialfirststep,itdoesnottellushowtooptimizetheallocationofresourcesinordertoconserve
threatenedbiodiversity.Thetimeisripetofocusonidentifyingthekeymanagementactionsneededtorespondto
multiplethreatsandemergingrisks.Usingstate-of-the-arttechniquesinconservationdecisionscience,prioritythreat
managementassessment,andexpertelicitation,weidentifythemostecologicallyeffectiveandatthesametime,least
costlymanagementactionsneededtoensurethelong-termpersistenceofatriskbiodiversityoftheFraserRiverEstuary.
Thisestuaryisthemouthofthelargestsalmonbearingriverintheworldandastopoverpointformorethanonemillion
migratorybirds.Manyspeciesontheestuaryareatriskduetowaterpollutionandlossofhabitatresultingfrom
industrialandurbandevelopment,exploitationoffishstocks,andclimatechange.Thisstudyregionservesasaprime
exampleofacomplexsystemundersiegefrommultiplethreatsbutwithlimitedscientificdata.Weshowthatsuch
systemscanbeanalyzedtogeneratemanagementactionsrankedaccordingtoestimatedcost,ecologicalbenefits,the
probabilityofsuccess,andco-benefitsincludingjobcreationandcarbonsequestration.Importantly,thisanalysiscan
clarifywhatcanandcannotbeachievedfordifferentlevelsofconservationinvestment,andcanbeusedtoleverage
increasedinvestmentinconservationmanagement.
Keywords:Conservationpractitioners,Reservedesign,Spatialmodel,Management,Landscapeconfiguration.
Plantecology
MONDAY14:45,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Drivers of variation in the sugar maple (Acer saccharum) leaf and root microbiome
along environmental gradients
STEVENKEMBEL,UNIVERSITÉDUQUÉBECÀMONTRÉAL,[email protected]
ISABELLELAFOREST-LAPOINTE,UNIVERSITÉDUQUÉBECÀMONTRÉAL;JESSICAWALLACE,UNIVERSITÉDUQUÉBECÀMONTRÉAL
Plant-associatedmicrobialcommunitieshavemanyimpactsonhostfitnessandfunction.Globalclimatechangeis
impactingplantspeciesdistributions,aphenomenonthatwillaffectplant-microbeinteractionsbothdirectlyand
indirectly.Inordertopredictplantresponsestoglobalclimatechange,itwillbecrucialtoimproveourunderstandingof
plant-microbeinteractionsalongenvironmentalgradientswithinandattheedgeofplantspeciesnaturalranges.Inthis
study,wequantifythemicrobialcommunitiesoftheleavesandrootsofseedlingsofthesugarmaple(Acersaccharum
Marsh)alonggradientsofcanopycompositionwithinitsnaturalrangeandatthespecies'rangeedgealonganelevational
gradient.Usinghigh-throughputDNAsequencing,wedemonstratethatthebacterialandfungalcommunitiesofA.
saccharumseedlingsdifferacrosscanopycompositiongradientsandelevationalrangelimitsforleafandroot
compartments.Wealsoshowthatdistinctmicrobialcommunitiescolonizeleavesandroots,thoughthemicrobial
communitiesinsideaplant'sstructure(endophytes)werefoundtobeasubsetofthecommunitiesfoundoutsidethe
plant'sstructure(epiphytes).Variationinmicrobialcommunitiesdifferedamongplantstructures,suggestingthe
importanceofeachcompartment'sexposuretochangesinbioticandabioticconditions.Ourfindingssuggestthepotential
forbioticinteractionsbetweenplantsandtheirassociatedmicrobiotatoinfluencethedynamicsofplantrangeedge
boundariesandresponsestoglobalchange.
Keywords:Climatechange,Forest,EnvironmentalDNA,Speciesdistribution,Microbes.
Beeecologyandbehaviour
WEDNESDAY10:30,ROOM:OAKBAY1
The at-risk yellow-banded bumblebee (Bombus terricola) shows signs of inbreeding
and selection for pathogen resistance: Results from population genomics
CLEMENTF.KENT,YORKUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
ALIVIADEY,YORKUNIVERSITY;TANUSHREETIWARI,YORKUNIVERSITY;NADIATSVETKOV,YORKUNIVERSITY;HARSHILKUMARPATEL,
YORKUNIVERSITY;JAMESGURTOWSKI,COLDSPRINGHARBORLABS;MICHAELSCHATZ,COLDSPRINGHARBORLABS;SHEILACOLLA,
YORKUNIVERSITY;AMROZAYED,YORKUNIVERSITY
SeveralNorthAmericanbumblebeeshavedeclinedradicallyinrecentyears,withoneextinctionandonenear-extinction.
Theyellow-bandedbumblebeeBombusterricolawascommon100yearsagoandnowisextirpatedinmanystatesandin
thesouthofOntario.Wedevelopedagenomeandsequenced22beesfromnorthernOntarioandQuebec.Population
geneticanalysesshowclearsignsofinbreeding,strongdeclineofeffectivepopulationsize,andindicationsofrecent
selectiononimmunedefensegenes.Takentogethertheseareconsistentwiththepathogenspilloverhypothesisof
Bombussensustrictodeclines.Conservationmeasuresandtopicsforfutureresearchareoutlined.
Keywords:Invertebrates,Pollinators,Bumblebees,Speciesatrisk,Populationdeclines,Pathogens,Populationgenetics.
Thetensionbetweenscienceandadvocacyinecology,evolution,andconservationbiologysymposium
TUESDAY08:45,ROOM:SAANICH
Scientific integrity and contributions to policy: Seeing the limits
JEREMYKERR,UNIVERSITYOFOTTAWA,[email protected]
Ecologistsandevolutionarybiologistscontributescientificinformationthatcanchangethecourseofsociety.The
opportunitytomakeadifferencewithsuchpolicyissues,suchasconservingspeciesandecosystemsorlimitingantimicrobialresistance,motivatesmanytopursueresearchcareers.Itisafictionthatscientistsmustremainoutsidesocietal
debates,arecentviewthatreflectsivorytowerprivilege.Scientificinformationcansometimesbepersuasive,even
definingtheboundarieswithinwhichpoliciesmustbedevelopediftheyaretobeeffective,andgovernments,including
ours,oftenappointchiefscientificadvisorspreciselybecausestrongscienceiscriticalforsoundpolicy.Whiletheirroleis
vitaltomanydecisions,scientistsseekingmustremaincautiousaboutthedistinctionbetweeninformingandadvocacy.
Policiesaredevelopedinresponsetotheneedsofmanyconstituenciesandscientistsrepresentjustoneofthem.Insuch
circumstances,itiseasytocrossthelinefrominformingtoadvocating.Therise,orreturn,ofstronglyideological
decision-makinginwesterndemocraciesplacesscientistsinaprecarioussituation.Whathappenswhenfactual
informationiscasuallydisregardedwhenpoliciesarelaiddown?Iarguethatthisisathresholdwherescientistscan
makethetransitiontoadvocacywithoutcompromisingtheirintegrity:wehavearoleindefendingtheuseofevidencein
makingdecisions.Otherwise,scientistsseekingtoinfluencepolicyshouldguardtheircredibilitycarefully:“It’salong
roadtowisdom,butit’sashortonetobeingignored."
LifeOntheEdge:MechanismsofAdaptingtoClimateChangeSymposium
TUESDAY10:30,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Evolutionary traps: A role for niche conservatism in limiting species' responses to
global change
JEREMYKERR,UNIVERSITYOFOTTAWA,[email protected]
Globalchanges,includinglanduseintensificationandclimatewarming,contributestronglytoacceleratingextinction
rates.Formanyspecies,geographicalrangesareexpandingtowardthepolesinresponsetoclimatechange,while
remainingstablealongrangeedgesnearesttheequator.Usinglong-termobservationsacrossEuropeandNorthAmerica
over110years,wetestedforclimatechange-relatedrangeshiftsinbumblebeespeciesacrossthefullextentsoftheir
latitudinalandthermallimitsandmovementsalongelevationgradients.Wefoundcross-continentallyconsistenttrends
infailurestotrackwarmingthroughtimeatspeciesnorthernrangelimits,rangelossesfromsouthernrangelimits,and
shiftstohigherelevationsamongsouthernspecies.Bumblebeespeciesevolvedincool-temperateconditions
approximately40Mya,andtheirlossesfromthewarmestareastheyhistoricallyoccupiedincludeastrongphylogenetic
signal.Thatis,speciessharinggreaterevolutionaryhistoryweremorelikelytoshowcorrelateddeclinesfromsouthern
andhotlocalities.Bumblebeespeciesmaybetrappedbytheirevolutionaryoriginsandsubsequentnicheconservatismin
tolerancetohotconditions.Theseevolutionarymechanismsmayhelpidentifytaxathataresusceptibletorapiddeclines
duringclimatechange.
Keywords:Climatechange,Landusechange,Evolution,Bumblebees,Rangeexpansion,Evolutionarytrap.
Geneticstructureofpopulations
TUESDAY15:45,ROOM:COLWOOD
Genomic patterns of parallel ecological speciation in Littorina saxatilis ecotype pairs
TONYKESS,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH,[email protected]
JUANGALINDO,UNIVERSITYOFVIGO;ELIZABETHBOULDING,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH
ThemarinesnailLittorinasaxatilisisastrongcandidatesystemforecologicalspeciationduetoobservedformationof
ecotypepairsdespiteongoinggeneflowinmultipleshoresitesacrosstheAtlantic.Theseecotypepairsexhibit
adaptationsinshellmorphologyinresponsetowaveactionorcrabpredationdependingonlocationinwave-shelteredor
wave-exposedregionsofsharedintertidalranges.Weinvestigatedpatternsofparallelmorphologicalandgenomic
differentiationintheseecotypepairsfromthreeseparateshoresinSpaintoidentifytheextentandevolutionarycontext
ofparallelevolutioninthissystem.UsingrestrictionassociatedDNAsequencingtoperformagenomescanforregions
underselectionwefoundsubstantialsharingofdifferentiatedregionsintwopopulationsandmoderatesharingwitha
third,geographically-distantpopulation.Wethenperformedagenome-wideassociationstudyofadaptiveshellshape
differencesbetweenecotypepairsandcomparedidentifiedvariantsiteswithregionsshowingsignaturesofselection.
Last,weinvestigatedtheevolutionarycontextofparallelgenomicdifferentiationusingpopulationgeneticclusteringand
analysesofmolecularvariancetoidentifytheevolutionaryindependenceofeachpopulation,andthedriversofgenetic
differentiationforselectedandneutralsetsofgeneticmarkers.Wefoundgreatergeneticsimilarityandlessstructure
betweenclosepopulations,andthesepopulationsalsosharedpatternsofgenomicdifferentiationbetweenecotypes.We
identifiedsubstantialandnearlyequalcontributionsofisolationbyadaptationandbydistancetopopulationstructure,
indicatingindependenceofecotypeorigin,andstronggeneticbarrierstogeneexchangebetweenecotypesateachsite.
Keywords:Invertebrates,Adaptation,Populationgenetics,Geneflow,Europe,Marine.
Museumcollectionssymposium
MONDAY09:30,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Climate change, phenology and species interactions: Opportunities and challenges
of natural history collections
HEATHERM.KHAROUBA,UNIVERSITYOFOTTAWA,[email protected]
MARKVELLEND,UNIVERSITÉDESHERBROOKE
Theannualtimingoflifestages(i.e.phenology)hasbeenfrequentlyobservedtoshiftinresponsetorecentclimate
change.Whilemanyoftheseeventsnowoccurearlierduetowarmertemperatures,thereisconsiderablevariationinthe
directionandmagnitudeoftheseshiftsacrossspecies.Thisvariationcouldhaveconsequencesforspecies’interactions
andecologicalcommunities,especiallywhentherelativetimingofkeylifecycleeventsamongspeciesisdisrupted.Asa
firststeptobetterunderstandthecausesandconsequencesofvariationinspeciesphenologicalresponsestoclimate
change,Iusednaturalhistorycollectionstoquantifyandcomparebroad-scalepatternsinphenology-temperature
relationshipsforCanadianbutterfliesandtheirnectarfoodplantsoverthepastcentury.Thephenologyofbothgroups
advancedinresponsetowarmertemperatures-bothacrossyearsandsites.Acrossbutterfly-plantassociations,flowering
timewassignificantlymoresensitivetotemperaturethanthetimingofbutterflyflight,howeverthesensitivitieswerenot
correlatedacrossassociations.Thesefindingsindicatethatwarming-drivenshiftsinthetimingofspeciesinteractionsare
likelytobeprevalent.Theopportunitiesandchallengesassociatedwithusingnaturalhistorycollectionsfordetectingand
linkingphenologicalresponsestoclimatechangewillalsobediscussed.
Sticklebackecologyandevolution
MONDAY11:00,ROOM:SAANICH
Morphological responses of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) to two
non-native predators
HANNAHM.KIENZLE,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY,[email protected]
STEVENVAMOSI,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY
Nativepopulationsthatarethreatenedbyaninvasivepredatorareoftenabletocoexistthroughadaptation.Threespine
stickleback(Gasterosteusaculeatus)arewell-knownfortheirabilitytoadapttochangingconditions,andadverseeffects
havealreadybeenobservedinafewsticklebackpopulationsconsistingoflimneticandbenthicspeciespairs,which
collapsedintoahybridswarmfollowingintroductionsofnon-nativepredatoryfish.Althoughtheeffectsofnon-native
specieshavebeenstudiedinspeciespairlakes,littleisknownaboutthemorphologicalresponseofsolitarystickleback
populationswhichconsistofasinglephenotypethroughoutthepopulation.OnVancouverIsland,signalcrayfishand
smallmouthbassaretwointroducedpredatorscurrentlysharinglakeswithsolitarythreespinestickleback,anditis
unclearifthesesticklebackarerespondingtonon-nativepredatorpressures.Forthisreason,weareinvestigating
whetherthepresenceofsmallmouthbassandsignalcrayfishisassociatedwithspecificmorphologicaldifferencesin
threespinesticklebackpopulations.Sticklebackfrom10lakesintheVancouverIslandregionwerecollected,each
containingacombinationofone,both,orneithernon-nativepredator.Traitsthathavebeenpreviouslyassociatedwith
sticklebackadaptationweremeasuredandquantified.Analysisforthisresearchisongoing,butweaimtodetermine
whetherthepresenceofmultipleinvadershasanaddedorconfoundingeffectonsticklebackmorphologicalresponse.
Understandinghowthesepredatorscollectivelyandindependentlyaffectsticklebackmorphologyisimportantasitcan
addtoourcomprehensionofadaptationandpersistenceofnativespeciesinthepresenceofmultipleinvaders.
Keywords:Invasion,Predation,Morphology,Fish,Selection.
Socialsystems
MONDAY15:45,ROOM:THEATRE
Competitive interactions and the mechanisms behind negative frequency-dependent
selection on aggression
JULIAKILGOUR,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH,[email protected]
RYANNORRIS,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH;ANDREWMCADAM,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH
Variationinaggressionpersistsinpopulations,inspiteofpotentialcompetitiveadvantagestoaggressiveindividuals,and
potentialcompetitivecoststonon-aggressiveindividuals.Theoreticalandempiricalevidencedemonstratethatboth
aggressiveandnon-aggressivestrategiescanbeselectedthroughnegativefrequency-dependentselection.However,the
mechanismbywhichthisoccursremainsunclear.Toaddressthis,wetrackedcompetitiveinteractions,orcontests,
betweenaggressiveandnon-aggressivestrainsoffruitflies(Drosophilamelanogaster),usingsurvivalasourfitness
metric.Wetestedtwohypotheses:1)individualsofthesamestrainwillcompetemorestronglythanindividualsof
differentstrainsresultinginhigherfitnessforrarestrains;2)Themechanismthatproducesthesefitnessadvantagesis
theaggressivebehaviouritselfandthecostofaggressionsuchthat:i)rareaggressiveflieswinmorecontestsagainstthe
commonnon-aggressivefliesprovidingafitnessadvantagewhenrare,andii)whencommon,contestcostsbetween
aggressivefliesexceedthoseexperiencedbynon-aggressiveflies,providingafitnessadvantagetonon-aggressiveflies.To
testthesehypotheses,wecreatedgroupsof30individuallymarkedfliesfromaggressiveandnon-aggressivestrains
mixedat1:3and3:1ratiosandvideo-recordedinteractionsunderstressoflimitedfoodavailability.Weexaminedthe
effectsofsex,strainandfrequencyoncompetitivecontestoutcomesandsurvival.Ourdataarethefirstoftheirkindto
experimentallyexplorethebehaviouralmechanismbehindnegativefrequency-dependentselectiononaggressiondueto
resourcecompetitionandprovideevidenceonthemaintenanceofalternativephenotypesinnature.
Keywords:Competition,Aggression,Selection,Evolution,Experiment.
Host-associatedmicrobes:fromprotectivemicrobestopathogenssymposium
MONDAY08:00,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Rapid evolution of microbe-mediated protection
KAYLAC.KING,UNIVERSITYOFOXFORD,[email protected]
Manyplantsandanimals,includinghumans,harbourmicrobeswhichprovidethemwithprotectionagainstpathogen
infection.Theseprotectivemicrobescanbeasignificantcomponentofhostdefence.Usingexperimentalevolutionofa
novel,tripartiteinteraction,wedemonstratethatmildlypathogenicbacteria(Enterococcusfaecalis)livinginworms
(Caenorhabditiselegans)canrapidlyevolvetodefendtheirhostsagainstinfectionbyamorevirulentpathogen
(Staphylococcusaureus),therebycrossingtheparasitism-mutualismcontinuum.Wealsorevealthatprotectivemicrobes
canalsodrivepathogenevolutionresultinginhigherburdens,butlowervirulencelevels.Ourresultsindicatethat
bacteriainthehostmicrobiomeareimportantindetermininginfectionoutcomes.
Livingintheeco-evolutionarytheatre:researchguidedandinspiredbyintensivefieldobservationssymposium
TUESDAY17:30,ROOM:THEATRE
Fishing for the secrets of evolutionary change in vertebrates
DAVIDKINGSLEY,STANFORDUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
LifeOntheEdge:MechanismsofAdaptingtoClimateChangeSymposium
TUESDAY11:30,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Preserving adaptive capacity under intensifying ocean acidification
TERRIEKLINGER,UNIVERSITYOFWASHINGTON,[email protected]
Theimpendingeffectsofoceanacidification(OA)onmarinespeciesandecosystemsremainpoorlyresolved,dueinpart
tothedynamicnatureofmarinesystemsandtotheadaptivecapacityinherentamongmarinetaxa.Asaconsequence,the
selectionlandscapethatwillshaperesponsestooceanacidificationisdifficulttoascertain,challengingmanagersto
understandandmanageforfuturechangesinmarineecosystemsunderconditionsofsubstantialuncertainty.Resilience
approachesofferaframeworkforshapingpracticalresponsestothelikelybiologicalandecologicaleffectsofOA.Such
approachescanbeimplementedundermanyexistingmanagementregimes,therebyavoidinglengthydelaysassociated
withtheacquisitionofnewknowledgeandestablishmentofnewregulations.Forexample,intheU.S.,existingprovisions
forecosystem-basedfisheriesmanagement,spatialprotections(e.g.,MPAs),andcoastalecosystemmanagementallcan
beusedtosupportecologicalresilienceandpreserveadaptivecapacity.IusespecificexamplesfromtheU.S.westcoast
toillustratetheutilityofthisapproachandconcludewithpragmaticrecommendationsforactionstopreserveadaptive
capacityunderadvancingoceanacidification.
Plantecology
MONDAY14:00,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Fungal bio-fertilizers can affect local plant communities
VASILEIOSKOKKORIS,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIAOKANAGAN,[email protected]
MIRANDAHART,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIAOKANAGAN
Bio-fertilizersareincreasinglyappliedtocropsaroundtheglobe.Whilewearelearningabouttheeffectthesecommercial
microbialinoculantshaveoncropyieldswedonotknowhowtheyaffectwildplantcommunities.Duetotheintimate
connectionbetweenplantsandtheirrootfungalcommunities,weaskedwhethercommercialinoculantsinteract
differentlywithnativeplantsversuscropplants.Wehypothesisedthatcommercialinoculantswouldstimulatecrop
plantsbutsuppresswildplants,whichshouldperformbetterwithlocallyadaptedfungi.Inordertotestthat,wegrew
twoisolatesofthesamespeciesoffungusthatformmycorrhizas(awildandacommercialisolate)with10different
plants(fivecultivarsandfivewildplants).Plantgrowthwasdeterminedbymeasuringplantbiomass,seedweightand
numberandtotalleafphosphoruscontent,whilefungalperformancewasmeasuredby(sporenumber,mycelium
abundanceandfungalstructures).Resultsindicatethatthecommercialisolatefunctionedmoreparasiticallywiththe
majorityoftheplants.Thatfact,combinedwiththecommercialisolatesintensesporulationabilitiesmayleadtoinvasion
ofthecommercialinoculantandadulterationoflocalplantcommunities.
Keywords:fungus,experiment,symbiosis,plants,productivity.
Parasites,parasitoids,pathogens
WEDNESDAY10:45,ROOM:OAKBAY2
You’re the one: Parasite infectious stages choose the most susceptible host
individuals
JANETKOPRIVNIKAR,RYERSONUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
LUCIAM.SANTOS,RYERSONUNIVERSITY
Bothinnateandenvironmentalfactorsinfluencewhetheranindividualbecomesinfectedwithparasites,includinghost
susceptibilitydrivenbyimmunocompetenceandtheprobabilityofencounterwithinfectiousstages.However,even
thoughevolutionarytheorypredictsthatthereshouldbestrongselectivepressureonparasiteswithmotileinfectious
stagestochooserelativelysusceptiblehostsifpossible,moststudiesfocusonhostbehaviourandnotthatofparasites.
Wereducedlarvalamphibian(tadpole)immunocompetencethroughexposuretoastresshormoneandthenexamined
whethertrematode(flatworm)parasiteinfectiousstagesshowedapreferencefortheseindividuals,aswellasparasite
useofhostcues.Parasitespreferredanesthetizedtadpolesovernegativecontrols,suggestinguseofhostchemicalcues,
butweremostattractedtocontrolandimmunocompromisedtadpoles,indicatinganimportantroleforphysicalcues
relatedtoactivity.Whileparasitesdidnotpreferimmunocompromisedtadpolesoverthecontrols,theinitialnumberthat
choseeachtadpolewasasignificantpositivepredictorofindividualparasiteloadafterasecondroundofexposure
allowinghostcontact.Thisindicatesthatparasitesweremostattractedtothosetadpoleswhichwereultimatelythemost
susceptibletoinfection,suggestingthatindividualhostselectionbyparasitesmaybeanimportantconsiderationforthe
ecologyandevolutionofinfectiousdiseases.
Keywords:Parasitology,Behaviouralecology,Interactions,Experiment.
Foraging TUESDAY11:15,ROOM:SIDNEY
Applying the functional response framework to human-pest interactions
MÉLODIEKUNEGEL-LION,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA,[email protected]
Thefunctionalresponseframeworkcharacterizespredator-preyinteractionsbytherelationshipbetweenpreydensity
andthenumberofpreycapturedbyapredator.Inthefunctionalresponseliterature,researchersusuallystudypest
managementintwoways:biologicalcontrolandindirecteffectsofmanagementonapredator-preysystem.Anotherway
wouldbetoconsidermanagers,thepersonsthatphysicallyremove/controlapestfromtheenvironment,aspredators
themselves.Applyingfunctionalresponseliteraturetohuman-pestmanagementwouldbeextremelypowerfulasthereis
anextensivefunctionalresponsetheoreticalbackground.Theobjectivesofthistheoreticalworkare1)toshowthatthe
ideaoffunctionalresponsescanbeextendedtoapplytotheeffectofmanagementontheabundanceofpestspeciesand
2)toderivesimplefunctionsthatdescribedthenumberofpestindividualsthatmanagerscontrolasafunctionofpest
density.Weusedmathematicalmodelsandsimulationstoexplorethefunctionalresponsetypesobtainedunderthe
assumptionthatmanagersareequivalenttopredators,pestsareequivalenttoprey,andmonetarycostsrestrain
managersinthesamewaytemporalcostsrestrainspredators.Weinvestigateddifferentscenarii,whicharecombinations
ofpestspatialpatterns(random,clusteredorregulardistributions)andmanagementpestremovalstrategies(random
searchoradaptiveclustersampling),andshowedthatweareabletomakeananalogybetweenfunctionalresponsesin
predator-preyinteractionsandinhuman-pestmanagement.
Keywords:Predatorfunctionalresponse,Mathematicalmodel,Behaviouralecology,Management,Spatialdistribution.
Usingexperimentalevolutiontorevealtheeco-evolutionaryimpactsofglobalchangesymposium
WEDNESDAY09:45,ROOM:THEATRE
Eco-evolutionary simulation models as a way of experimenting evolution
ANNAKUPARINEN,UNIVERSITYOFHELSINKI,[email protected]
Longgenerationtimesandregulationslimitingmanipulationsofnaturalpopulationsarejusttwoexamplesofsituations,
inwhichexperimentalinvestigationofevolutionaryprocessesandtheirecologicalfeedbackscanbedifficult.Simulation
modelsdescribingeco-evolutionarydynamicsprovideamethodtoexplorethenatureandrateofevolutionunder
alternativescenariosforselection,andhowevolutionarychangesinphenotypesmightalterpopulationdynamics.Iwill
presenttwocasestudies,whereeco-evolutionarysimulationmodelsareutilizedtoexploreevolutionaryprocessesin
situations,whereexperimentalapproacheswouldnothavebeenfeasible.Thefirstcase-studyillustrateshowforest
adaptationtowarmingtemperaturescanbemuchslowerthanthepredictedrateofglobalwarming.Thus,borealforests
mightnotbeabletotakefulladvantageofimprovedgrowthconditions.Thesecondcase-studyinvestigateshowrecently
discoveredgeneticarchitectureoftheageatmaturityinAtlanticsalmoncanleadtodivergentanddisruptive
evolutionaryresponsestosize-selectivemortalityandfurtherdestabilizepopulationgrowth.Thechosencase-studies
illustratehowknownlife-historyanddemographicparameterscoupledwithknowledgeaboutthegeneticbasisof
phenotypictraitscanbeutilizedtopredictlargeandlongscaleeco-evolutionarydynamics.Similarly,suchsimulation
studiescanserveasbasisfordesigningexperimentalset-ups.
Socialsystems
MONDAY16:00,ROOM:THEATRE
The effect of individual variation of sociality on reproductive success and body
condition in a Canadian population of black-tailed prairie dogs
JILLIANM.KUSCH,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN,[email protected]
JEFFREYE.LANE,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN
Socialsystemsbalancethecostsandbenefitsofconspecificaffiliation.Todate,mostresearchinthesesocialsystemshas
focusedonpopulation-levelcostsandbenefits,withlessattentionpaidtovariablecostsandbenefitstotheindividual.
Socialnetworkanalysis(SNA)providesatooltoextendtheseanalysestotheintraspecificlevelandtointerpret
behaviouralinteractionsbetweenindividualsofapopulation.Previousstudieshavesuggestedthatlargenumbersof
socialconnectionsmaycontributetohighersurvival,foragingsuccess,andreproductivesuccess.Thesestudiesprimarily
usemeasurementsofcontact(oftenproximity)thatignorethelikelyimportanceofdetailedsocialbehavioursin
estimatesofsocialitybenefits.Black-tailedprairiedogs(Cynomysludovicianus)liveinhighlysocialcoloniesanddisplay
anelaboraterangeofsocialbehaviours.Asprairiedogsarehighlysocial,Ihypothesizethatthebenefitsofsocial
interactions(reproductivesuccessandsurvival)outweighthecosts.Ihaveconstructedasocialnetworkofmembersofa
prairiedogcolonyfromsouthernSaskatchewanthroughbehaviouralobservationandexaminedcomponentsoffitness
(bodyconditionandreproductivesuccess)ofeachprairiedoginthenetwork.Bycomparingthesecomponentsoffitness
withindividualmetricsofsociality,Iwilldeterminehowsocialityinfluencesvariationinfitness.Byfocusingonastudy
specieswithdiverseandeasilyobservedsocialinteractions,thisresearchshouldbothimproveourunderstandingofthe
utilityofSNAforwildpopulationsandprovideinsightintotheecologicalconsequencesofnaturalindividualvariationin
socialityinblack-tailedprairiedogs.
Keywords:Socialbehaviour,Interactions,Reproduction,Smallmammals,Socialnetworkanalysis.
Forestecology
WEDNESDAY09:15,ROOM:WCOAST
Plant functional groups, hydrological conditions and climate interact to affect
carbon accumulation in peatlands
TERRILACOURSE,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
KYLEBEER,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA
Peatlandsplayadisproportionateroleinthecarboncycle:theycover~3%ofthegloballandsurfacebutstoreaboutonethirdofglobalsoilcarbon.Inordertounderstandtheeffectsofclimatechangeontheseimportantcarbonsinks,more
researchisneededonpastpeatlanddynamics,long-termCaccumulation,andconnectionstochangesinvegetationand
hydrology.Weobtainedapeatsequencespanningthelast11,000yrfromacentralVancouverIslandwetland.Pollen,
plantmacrofossil,testateamoebaeandphysicochemicalanalysesofthepeatwereusedtodocumentchangesin
vegetation,wetlanddevelopmentandCaccumulationthroughtime.Ourresultsindicatethatsurroundingforestswere
dominatedinitiallybyPinuscontortaandthenbyPseudotsugamenziesii~9500yrago.AtransitiontoTsugaheterophylladominatedforestsoccurred~7500yrago.ThroughthisearlyHoloceneperiod,relativewatertabledepthdecreasedand
thewetlandbecameincreasinglydominatedbySphagnummossesandericaceousshrubs.Carbonaccumulationwas
highestintheearlyHolocene,whensummerswerewarmerandwinterswerecolder,relativetothepresent.Greater
seasonalitywouldhavefavoredprimaryproductioninsummerandreduceddecompositionduringwinter,increasing
peataccumulationandCstorage.OverallCaccumulationissimilartoratesatapeatlandonnorthernVancouverIsland
butsignificantlylowerthanincontinentalpeatlands,underscoringtherolethatseasonalityplaysindrivingC
accumulation,bothonlongtemporalscalesandatlargespatialscales.Ourstudyshowsthatchangesinplantfunctional
groups,localhydrologicalconditionsandmacroscaleclimateinteracttoaffectCaccumulationinwetlandsonlong
ecologicaltimescales.
Keywords:Peatland,Historicalrecords,Pollen,Carbonstorage.
StudentSymposium
MONDAY11:15,ROOM:THEATRE
Leaf bacterial diversity mediates plant diversity-ecosystem function relationships
ISABELLELAFOREST-LAPOINTE,UNIVERSITEDUQUEBEC,[email protected]
ALAINPAQUETTE,UNIVERSITEDUQUEBEC;CHRISTIANMESSIER,UNIVERSITEDUQUEBEC,UNIVERSITEDUQUEBECENOUTAOUAIS;
STEVENW.KEMBEL,UNIVERSITEDUQUEBEC
Researchonbiodiversity-ecosystemfunctioninghasdemonstratedlinksbetweenplantdiversityandecosystemfunctions
suchasproductivity.Atothertrophiclevels,theplantmicrobiomehasbeenshowntoinfluencehostplantfitnessand
function,andhost-associatedmicrobeshavebeenhypothesizedtoinfluenceecosystemfunctionthroughtheirrolein
definingtheextendedphenotypeofhostorganisms.However,theimportanceoftheplantmicrobiomeforecosystem
functionhasnotbeenquantifiedinthecontextoftheknownimportanceofplantdiversityandtraits.Weaddressthislack
ofknowledgeusinghigh-throughputsequencingoftheleaf(phyllosphere)bacterialcommunitiesofahigh-densitytree
diversityexperimentthatvariedplantcommunitycompositionalongagradientoffunctionaltraitdiversity.Weasktwo
questions:1)whatistherelativeinfluenceofhostspeciesidentity,neighborspeciesidentity,hostfunctionaltrait
diversityandhostspeciesrichnessonleafbacterialcommunitystructureanddiversity?;and2)whatistherelationship
betweenleafbacterialdiversityandtreeproductivity?Usinganoveltreebiodiversity-ecosystemfunctioningexperiment,
weprovidestrongsupportforthehypothesisthatleafbacterialdiversityispositivelylinkedwithecosystemproductivity
evenafteraccountingfortheroleofplantdiversity.Ourresultsdemonstratethathostspeciesidentity,functionalidentity
andfunctionaldiversityarethemaindeterminantsofleafbacterialcommunitystructureanddiversity.Ourstudy
providesevidenceofapositivelinkbetweenplant-associatedmicrobialdiversityandterrestrialecosystemproductivity,
andanewmechanismbywhichmodelsofbiodiversity-ecosystemfunctioningrelationshipscanbeimproved.
Keywords:Ecosystemfunction,Genomicsequencing,Plants,Bacteria.
HERB
MONDAY16:30,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Climate and land use inform range expansion of a large boreal herbivore in a novel
agro-ecosystem
MICHELP.LAFORGE,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN,MEMORIALUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
RYANK.BROOK,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN;NICOLEL.MICHEL,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN,NATIONALAUDUBONSOCIETY
Large-scaleclimaticfluctuationshavecausedspeciesrangeshifts.Moose(Alcesalces)haverecentlyexpandedtheirrange
southwardintoagriculturalareaspreviouslynotconsideredmoosehabitat.Understandinglong-termshiftsinbroadscaledistributionrequiresaknowledgeofproximatemechanismsdrivinggeographicrangeshifts.Weproposetwo
mechanismsthatmaydrivemooseencroachmentandfurtherexpansionintoagro-ecosystems:accessto
thermoregulatorycoverhabitat(pondsandwetlands)andaccesstohigh-qualityforage(i.e.,crops).Totestthese
hypotheses,weusedverifiedcropdamagerecordstoquantifymoosepresenceacrosstheCanadianPrairies.We
regressedlatitudeofcropdamageagainstNorthAtlanticOscillation(NAO;aproxyforwintertemperatureand
precipitation)valuesatmultipletimelagstotestthehypothesisthatNAO-mediatedwetlandrechargewouldresultin
morefrequentoccurrencesofcropdamagebymooseatsoutherlylatitudes.Weexaminedlocal-scalelanduseby
generatingahabitatsuitabilitymodeltotestourhypothesisthatmooseselectedforareasofhighcropcoverinagroecosystems.Wefoundthatcropdamagebymooseoccurredfarthersouthduringcold,drywinterstwoyearsafterwarm,
wetwinters.Thissuggeststhatsnowpackmaylimitforageavailabilityatthesouthernlimitoftheirrangebutimprove
habitatinfutureyearsbyincreasingavailablethermoregulatoryhabitat.Ourresultsindicatedthatmooseselectedfor
cropsandwetlandhabitat,supportingbothhypotheses.Elucidatingproximatecausesofshiftsinspeciesabundanceina
novelecosystemiscriticaltounderstandinghowanthropogenicclimatechangewillinfluencefuturespeciesrangeshifts.
Keywords:Moose,Foraging,Climatechange,Habitatselection,Speciesdistribution.
Lifehistories:reproduction,senescence
TUESDAY11:00,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Morphological changes in offspring associated with parental senescence
ROBERTLAIRD,UNIVERSITYOFLETHBRIDGE,[email protected]
ERICANKUTOWICZ,UNIVERSITYOFLETHBRIDGE
Senescence,commonlycalled'aging'ischaracterizedbyprogressivephysiologicaldeteriorationresultinginincreased
riskofdeathanddecreasedreproductivecapacitywithadvancingchronologicalage.Recentworkhasdemonstrateda
thirdcomponentofaging:decreasedoffspringquality.Inthecurrentstudy,wefocusedonchangesinoffspringfrond
morphologyassociatedwithparentalageinthesmallaquaticplantLemnaminor.Wehypothesizedthatoffspringofolder
parentalfrondswouldbesmallerandlessbilaterallysymmetricalcomparedtooffspringofyoungerparentalfronds.We
tracked400offspringof30parentfronds,photographedthemneartheendoftheirlife,andperformeddigital
morphometricanalysesusingpurpose-codedsoftware.Asameasureofsymmetry,weusedanindexcalledthe
'continuoussymmetrymeasure',whichdoesnotrequiretheidentificationoflandmarksandisthereforesuitablefor
relativelyfeaturelessshapessuchasLemnafrondoutlines.Wefoundstrongevidencethatsuccessiveoffspringare
smallerastheirparent'sageincreases.Wealsofoundweaker,butstillsuggestiveevidencethatoffspringofolderfronds
arelessbilaterallysymmetricalthanthoseofyoungerfronds.Theseresultsmayhelptoexplainthereductioninfrond
fitnesswithincreasingparentalagethatwehaveobservedinpreviousstudiesonLemna.
Keywords:Morphology,Senescence,Reproduction,Plants.
Biodiversity
TUESDAY09:00,ROOM:VIEWROYAL
Diversity productivity relationships across scale
ERICG.LAMB,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN,[email protected]
GORDONG.MCNICKLE,PURDUEUNIVERSITY
Theshapeofthediversity-productivityrelationshiphasendlesslyfascinatedplantecologists.Thinkingonthissubjecthas
shiftedandexpandedfromGrimesoriginalhump-shapedconceptionthroughdebatesonthepredominantshapeofthe
relationship,tocurrentacceptancethatapluralityofshapesarepossible.Hereweinvestigatehowdiversity-productivity
relationshipschangeacrossscalewithinindividualcommunitiesusingcasestudiesfromaCanadianmixedgrasslandand
atropicalforest.Ineachcasewehavecontinuousstemmapsandmeasuresofindividualplantbiomassorproductivity.
Bydroppingvirtualquadratsofvaryingsizeonthesecommunitiesweareabletofitspecies-productivityrelationshipsat
multiplescales.Twogeneralpatternsemergefromthiswork.First,withineachscalethereisageneraltrendforhumpshapedrelationshipsatsmallerspatialscalestransitioningtopositivelinearrelationshipsatlargerscales.Second,across
scalesthereisagenerallog-linearrelationshipbetweendiversityandproductivity.Theseresultsdemonstratethat
samplingscalemaybeakeydriveroftheshapeoftheproductivity-diversityrelationship.
Keywords:Plants,Productivity,Simulationmodel,Scale.
Movement,activity,wildlifemanagement
WEDNESDAY08:45,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Where the rubber meets the road: The influence of roads on grizzly bear density
CLAYTONT.LAMB,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA,[email protected]
GARTHMOWAT;AARONREID;LAURASMIT;MICHAELPROCTOR;BRUCEN.MCLELLAN;SCOTTE.NIELSEN;STANBOUTIN
Humanactivitiesarehavingdramaticeffectsonthedistributionandabundanceofwildlife,includinggrizzlybears.As
roaddensitiesincreasesodoeshumanpresenceandassociatedhabitatavoidanceandhuman-causedmortalityofbears.
Managementagenciesfrequentlymanagegrizzlybearsbymanagingroaddensity,althoughtheeffectivenessofthese
actionsarerarelyassessed.Wecombinedsystematic,DNA-basedmark-recapturetechniqueswithspatiallyexplicit
capturerecapture(SECR)modelstoestimatepopulationsizeofathreatenedgrizzlybearpopulation(Kettle-Granby)
followingmanagementactionstorecoverthispopulation.Specifically,wetesttheeffectofroadsonpopulationdensity
andassessroaddensitythresholdsandthesuccessofcurrentaccessmanagement.Wedocumentadoublingofthe
populationsince1997duetoincreasedlandscapeandspeciesconservation.However,beardensitywaslowerwhereroad
densitiesexceeded0.6km/squarekmbutbeardensitywashigherwheremotorizedvehicleaccesshadbeenrestricted.
Ourdatademonstratethatpopulationrecoveryispossibleinamulti-uselandscapewhenmanagementactionstarget
priorityareas,butthelandscapewouldlikelysupportmorebearsiftherewerefewerroads.Reducingroadswillincrease
grizzlybeardensityandrestrictingvehicleaccesscanalsoachievethisgoal.Inaddition,wedemonstratethatapolicy
targetofreducingroaddensitybelow0.6km/squarekm,inareaswheregrizzlybearrecoveryisagoal,isareasonable
compromisebetweentheneedforroadaccessforsocialandeconomicreasonsandgrizzlybearrecoverygoals.Targeting
closurestoareasofhighesthabitatqualitywouldbenefitgrizzlybearrecoverythemost.
Keywords:Landusechanges,Management,Grizzlybears,Protectedareas,Populationdynamics,Roads.
Plantecology
MONDAY14:15,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Mast seeding patterns in five North American conifer genera (1912-2014)
JALENELAMONTAGNE,DEPAULUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
IANS.PEARSE,USGS,CORNELLUNIVERSITY;MICHAELLORDON,DEPAULUNIVERSITY;WALTKOENIG,CORNELLUNIVERSITY
Avarietyofperennialplantspeciesundergomastseeding,thetemporallyvariableandspatiallysynchronousproduction
ofseedcropsbypopulationsofplants.Theseseedsarekeyforforestregenerationandasafoodsourceforavarietyof
consumersincludinginsects,smallmammals,andbirds.Mastseedingcanoccuracrosslargeareas,uptoacontinentin
scale.Theproximatecauseofmastyearsisbelievedtobeweathercues,whichcouldbeimpactedbyclimatechange.Our
objectivewastoassesspatternsofmastingoverspaceandtimeduringthepastcenturyforconifertreesinCanadaand
theUSAintermsofmastingfrequencyandsynchrony.WesearchedforquantitativedatasetsonreproductionforNorth
Americanconifertreespeciesduringthe20thand21stcenturythatwasatleast6yearslong.Wecompiledadatasetthat
included191timeseriesrecords,spanned1912-2014,andincludedfiveconifergenera(Abies,Picea,Pinus,Pseudotsuga,
Tsuga)and23species.Wehypothesizedthattreesintheborealandmontaneareas(cold-tolerantspecies)wouldhavea
strongerchangesintheirmastingdynamicovertime,comparedtocoastalareastrees(cold-intolerantspecies),because
higherlatitudeandhigherelevationregionsaremorevulnerabletoclimatechange.Spatialandtemporalpatternsin
mastingbasedonreproductivetiming(1vs.2yearsforconedevelopment)andconemorphology(e.g.,serotiny)willbe
investigated.Alteringthepatternsofweathercuesduetoclimatechangecouldimpactmastseedingandhavecascading
impactsinecosystems.
Keywords:Plants,Reproduction,Mastseeding,Spatialdistribution.
Usingexperimentalevolutiontorevealtheeco-evolutionaryimpactsofglobalchangesymposium
WEDNESDAY08:45,ROOM:THEATRE
Experimental evolution in the wild using long-term ecological experiments to study
the evolution of mutualism
JENNIFERLAU,MICHIGANSTATEUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
DYLANWEESE,ST.AMBROSEUNIVERSITY;KATYHEATH,UNIVERSITYOFILLINOIS
Long-termecologicalexperimentscanbeidealsystemsfortestingforrapidevolutionbecauseputativeselectiveagents
havebeenexperimentallymanipulatedinreplicatedpopulations(fieldplots)fordecades.Ourpreviousworkonthe
legume-rhizobiumresourcemutualisminwhichleguminoushostplantsexchangephotosyntheticallyfixedcarbonfor
nitrogenfixedbybelowgroundrhizobiumsymbiontsshowedthat20+yearsofnitrogenfertilizationhascausedthe
evolutionoflesscooperativerhizobia.Theorypredictssuchanevolutionaryresponse,butdifferentevolutionary
mechanisms(e.g.,directionalselectionforlowqualityrhizobiavs.relaxedselectionfavoringhighqualityrhizobia)may
underliethisobservedevolutionarychange.Herewemeasurethefitnessofbothplantsandrhizobiaacrossanitrogen
gradientanduseselectionanalysesandreciprocaltransplantexperimentstodifferentiatebetweenthesemechanisms.
Weinvestigatehownitrogeninfluencesselectiononrhizobiumandwhetherrhizobiumpopulationsareadaptedtolocal
soilnitrogenenvironments.Wefindlimitedevidenceforlocaladaptation.RhizobiastrainsisolatedfromN-addition
treatmentsproducedmorenodules(onecomponentofrhizobiumfitness)acrossallsoilnitrogenconcentrations,
althoughthemagnitudeofthiseffectvariedacrosssoilnitrogenconcentrations.Wealsofindevidencethatselection
favorslesscooperativerhizobia,butthatrhizobiumstrainsthathavelostknownsymbiosisgeneshadlowerfitnessacross
allsoilnitrogenenvironmentsthanstrainswiththefullcomplementofsymbiosisgenes.Theseresultssuggestthat
directionalselectionforlowerqualityrhizobiamaybecommonandopposedbyalternativemechanismsmaintaining
cooperationonlywhendiverserhizobiumstrainsinteractsimultaneouslywithaplanthost.
Habitatselectionanduse
WEDNESDAY08:45,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Human shields mediate sexual conflict in a top predator
MARTINLECLERC,UNIVERSITÉDESHERBROOKE/CEN,[email protected]
SAMM.J.G.STEYAERT,NORWEGIANUNIVERSITYOFLIFESCIENCES,UNIVERSITYCOLLEGEOFSOUTHEASTNORWAY;JONASKINDBERG,
SWEDISHUNIVERSITYOFAGRICULTURALSCIENCES,NORWEGIANINSTITUTEFORNATURERESEARCH;SVENBRUNBERG,NORWEGIAN
UNIVERSITYOFLIFESCIENCES;JONE.SWENSON,NORWEGIANUNIVERSITYOFLIFESCIENCES,NORWEGIANINSTITUTEFORNATURE
RESEARCH;ANDREASZEDROSSER,UNIVERSITYCOLLEGEOFSOUTHEASTNORWAY,UNIVERSITYOFNATURALRESOURCESANDLIFE
SCIENCES;FANIEPELLETIER,UNIVERSITÉDESHERBROOKE/CEN
Selectingtherighthabitatinariskylandscapeiscrucialforanindividual'ssurvivalandreproduction.Inpredator-prey
systems,preyoftencananticipatethehabitatuseoftheirmainpredatorandmayuseprotectiveassociates(i.e.typically
anapexpredator)asshieldsagainstpredation.Althoughnevertested,suchmechanismsshouldalsoevolveinsystemsin
whichsexualconflictaffectsoffspringsurvival.Here,weassessedtherelationshipbetweenoffspringsurvivalandhabitat
selection,aswellastheuseofprotectiveassociates,inasysteminwhichsexuallyselectedinfanticide(SSI),ratherthan
interspecificpredation,affectsoffspringsurvival.WeusedtheScandinavianbrownbear(Ursusarctos)populationwith
SSIinahuman-dominatedlandscapeasourmodelsystem.Bears,especiallyadultmales,generallyavoidhumansinour
studysystem.WeusedresourceselectionfunctionstocontrasthabitatselectionofGPS-collaredmothersthatwere
successful(i.e.survivinglitters,n=19)andunsuccessful(i.e.completelitterloss,n=11)inkeepingtheiryoungduring
thematingseason(2005-2012).Habitatselectionwasindeedapredictoroflittersurvival.Successfulmothersweremore
likelytousehumansasprotectiveassociates,whereasunsuccessfulmothersavoidedhumans.Ourresultssuggestthat
principlesofpredator-preyandfearecologytheory(e.g.non-consumptiveandcascadingeffects)canalsobeappliedto
thecontextofsexualconflict.
Keywords:Largecarnivores,Brownbears,Predation,Infanticide,Europe,Habitatselection.
Phylogenetics
MONDAY09:45,ROOM:WCOAST
Environmental marginality and range limits in Arabidopsis lyrata
JULIELEE-YAW,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
MARCOFRACASSETTI,UNIVERSITATBASEL;YVONNEWILLI,UNIVERSITATBASEL
Understandingthefactorsthatgovernthedistributionofspeciesisacentralgoalofevolutionaryecology.Itiscommonly
assumedthatgeographicrangelimitsreflectecologicalnichelimitsandthatspeciesexperienceincreasinglymarginal
conditionstowardstheedgeoftheirranges.Usingspatialdataandecologicalnichemodelswetestedthesehypothesesin
Arabidopsislyrata.Specifically,weaskedwhetherrangelimitscoincidewithpredictednichelimitsinthissystemand
whetherthesuitabilityofsitesdeclinestowardstheedgeofthespecies'rangeinNorthAmerica.Wefurtherexplored
patternsofenvironmentalchangetowardstheedgeoftherangeandaskedwhethergenome-widepatternsofgenetic
diversitydeclinewithincreasingperipheralityandenvironmentalmarginality.Ourresultssuggestthatlatitudinalrange
limitscoincidewithnichelimits.Populationsexperiencedincreasinglymarginalenvironmentstowardstheselimits
thoughpatternsofenvironmentalchangeweremorecomplexthanmosttheoreticalmodelsforrangelimitsassume.
Genomicdiversitydeclinedtowardstheedgeofthespecies'rangeandwithincreasingdistancefromtheestimatedcentre
ofthespecies’nicheinenvironmentalspace,butnotwiththesuitabilityofsitesbasedonnichemodelpredictions.Thus
whilelatitudinalrangelimitsinthissystemarebroadlyassociatedwithnichelimits,thelinkbetweenenvironmental
conditionsandgeneticdiversity(andthustheadaptivepotentialofpopulations)islessclear.
Microbialecology
MONDAY09:15,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Microbial ecology of seaweed
MATTHEWLEMAY,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
LAURAPARFREY,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA
Marinemacroalgae(i.e.seaweed)provideessentialhabitatfordenseassemblagesofmarineorganismsandarea
significantsourceofenergyandnutrientsformarinefoodwebs.Thesurfacesofmacroalgaesupportdiversecommunities
ofmicrobialsymbiontsthatareessentialforthedevelopment,metabolicfunctioning,anddefenseoftheirhosts,andfor
facilitatingthetransferofcarbonfromalgalprimaryproductiontohighertrophiclevels.Therehasbeenmuchinterestin
understandingtheco-evolutionaryrelationshipsbetweenseaweedsandtheirmicrobialsymbionts,yetmulti-species
researchcomparingpatternsofmicrobialdiversityacrossmacroalgalcommunitieshavebeenlacking.Inthisstudy,we
quantifiedthediversityofhost-associatedmicrobes(bacteriaandmicro-eukaryotes)presentamong>40sympatric
speciesofseaweedfromasinglesiteonthecentralcoastofBritishColumbia.Wefoundthatsympatricspeciesofseaweed
haveahighproportionofsharedbacteria,yetalsoshowsignificantdifferencesinthestructureoftheirbacterial
communitiesamonghost-species.Bacterialcommunitystructuredoesnottrackhostphylogeny,butisinstead
significantlycorrelatedwithhost-morphology.Thisstudyprovidesthefirstcommunity-levelinvestigationofseaweedassociatedmicrobialcommunities,andsuggestsanovelmechanism(hostmorphology)thatmaystructurebacterial
communitiesacrossalgalhosts.
Keywords:Marine,Seaweed,Morphology,Symbiosis.
Canadianprotectedareasinachangingclimate:Across-ecosystemapproachsymposium
TUESDAY13:30,ROOM:SAANICH
Integrating static and dynamic spatial management for biodiversity persistence
under climate change
SHAWNJ.LEROUX,MEMORIALUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
CHRISTOPHERBLACKFORD,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO;CINDYCHU,ONTARIOMINISTRYOFNATURALRESOURCESANDFORESTRY;JANELLE
CURTIS,DEPARTMENTOFFISHERIESANDOCEANSCANADA;CASSIDYDALOIA,WOODSHOLEOCEANOGRAPHICINSTITUTION;EMILY
DARLING,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO;MARIE-JOSEEFORTIN,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO;FREDERICGUICHARD,MCGILLUNIVERSITY;
ALEXANDREMARTENSEN,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO;ILONANAUJOKAITIS-LEWIS,ENVIRONMENTANDCLIMATECHANGECANADA;
BRONWYNRAYFIELD,ISFORT,UNIVERSITEDUQUEBECENOUTAOUAIS;JENNIFERSUNDAY,BIODIVERSITYCENTRE,UNIVERSITYOF
BRITISHCOLUMBIA;AMANDAXUEREB,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO
Climatechangeisaffectingbothspeciesdistributions(e.g.,rangeshift,expansions,contractions)andthelandscapesand
waterscapesthattheyoccupy.Anumberofrecentclimateadaptationstrategieshavebeenproposedtoaccountfor
climatechangeinconservationplanningandspatialmanagement.Commonclimateadaptationstrategiesincludespecies
translocations,protectionofgeophysicalfeaturesorclimaterefugia,establishmentofmoreandlargeprotectedareas,and
enhancementoflandscapeconnectivityviacorridorsandsteppingstones.Rarely,however,aredynamicspatial
managementactions(i.e.,temporaryprotectedareas)proposedorimplementedasastrategytopreservebiodiversity
underchangingclimate.Inthistalk,wewillreviewexamplesofcurrentdynamicspatialmanagementinmarine,
freshwater,andterrestrialecosystems.Wewilloutlinetheadvantagesandlimitationsofapplyingsuchdynamic
managementactionsforbiodiversityconservationunderchangingclimate.Whilenotapanacea,wearguethatdynamic
spatialmanagementactionscanplayacriticalroleinnetworksofprotectedareasforthelong-termpersistenceof
biodiversity.
Microbialecology
MONDAY09:30,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
What's on your skin: New insights into the overall function and variation of skin
microbiome in amphibians
DAVIDLESBARRERES,LAURENTIANUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
BRANDONVARELA,MCGILLUNIVERSITY;ROBERTOIBANEZ,SMITHSONIANTROPICALRESEARCHINSTITUTE;DAVIDM.GREEN,MCGILL
UNIVERSITY
Theinteractionsbetweenvertebratehostsandtheirmicrobialcommunitieshaverecentlybecomeasubjectofinterest.In
particular,researchonamphibianskinmicrobiotahasfocusedonidentifyingbacterialtaxacapableofdeterringa
pathogenicchytridfungusresponsibleformassivemortalityevents.However,itremainsunclearhowsoilpHandrainfall
patterns(twofactorsknowntoshapeenvironmentalbacterialcommunities)affecttheamphibianskinbacterial
communities,andtheoverallfunctionoftheamphibianskinmicrobiotaremainsunexplored.Wesampledskinmicrobial
communitiesfromthreesympatricfrogspeciesbeforeandaftertheonsetofthewetseasoninonesite,andwesampled
onefrogspeciesacrossanenvironmentalgradientinthePanamaCanal.AftersequencingallDNAsamplesonanIllumina
MiSeq,weusedtheQuantitativeInsightsIntoMicrobialEcology(QIIME)pipelinetocreateanOperationalTaxonomic
Unit(OTUs)tableincluding27458bacterialtaxa.Wefoundthatfrogskinmicrobialcommunitystructurevariedacrossa
soilpHgradientandwasassociatedwiththeonsetofthewetseason,andthatthesecommunityshiftscorrespondedwith
changesinmicrobialfunctionalgroup.Wealsofoundthatalphadiversitydoesnotalwayscorrelatewithmicrobial
functionalgroupdiversity,challengingwidespreadassumptionslinkinghigherbacterialalphadiversitytohigher
bacterialfunctionalgroupsdiversity.Finally,ourresultssuggestthathost'smetabolicrequirementsfacilitatedbybacteria
followseasonalpatternsandthattheserequirementsmaybesite-specific.
Keywords:Microbes,Amphibians,Genomicsequencing,Symbiosis,Biodiversity.
Exploringtherolesofmechanisticandphenomenologicalmodelsinecologysymposium
MONDAY11:00,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Mechanistic and phenomenological models for animal movement patterns in ecology
MARKLEWIS,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA,[email protected]
Animalmovementpatternshavelongfascinatedmathematiciansandecologistsalike.Onetypeofprimarilymathematical
investigationfocusesonpatternformation.Howdoindividualbehaviouraldecisionrulestranslateintomacroscale
patternsofspaceuse?Heremechanisticmodels,usingrandomwalks,stochasticprocessesandpartialdifferential
equationshaveconnectedpatterntoprocess.Anothertypeofprimarilyecologicalinvestigationcorrelatesspaceuse
patternstounderlyingenvironmentalfeatures.Herestatisticalmodels,basedonresourceselectionhaveconnected
patternstoenvironmentalfeatures.InthistalkIwillbuildabridgebetweenmechanismandresourceselectionusingthe
conceptofcoupledstepselectionfunctions.Theapproachisbasedonamechanisticunderpinningforthemovement
process,butisalsoamenabletoeasystatisticalinferenceregardingspaceuse.Applicationswillbemadetoaspectrumof
differentanimalsrangingfromAmazonianbirdstocariboutocoyotes.
Lifehistories:phenology,sex,sexratio
TUESDAY09:15,ROOM:WCOAST
Shifting birthdates in bighorn sheep: Can individuals track changes in local
weather?
RENAUDLIMOILOU-AMÉLIE,UNIVERSITÉDESHERBROOKE,[email protected]
Intemperate,arcticandalpineenvironments,herbivoresbornlatemisspartoftheshortsummerseasonandoften
cannotstoreenoughresourcestosurvivewinter.Fitnessismaximizedwhenbirthistimedwithpeakfoodavailability,but
thetimingofthatpeakcanvaryfromyeartoyear.Phenotypicplasticityisonewaybywhichanorganismcanrapidly
adjustitsphenologytochangingenvironmentalconditions.Weinvestigatedphenotypicplasticityinbirthdatesofbighorn
sheepusinglong-termdatafromtheRamMountainpopulationinAlberta.Averagebirthdateshasadvancedby16days
overthelast21years.Sincenotallindividualsinapopulationexperiencethesameenvironmentalconditionsovertheir
lifetime,itisunclearwhetherchangesinmeteorologicalandclimaticvariablestriggeraresponseatthepopulationor
individuallevel.Weshowthatlocalweathervariablesaffectbirthdates.Warmersummertemperaturesresultinan
advanceinsubsequentbirthdatesthefollowingspring,whileanincreaseinspringsnowdelaysthemthesameyear.
Further,ewesshowaplasticresponsetorapidenvironmentalchanges,partlyexplainingthepopulationtrend.Recent
studies,however,haveshownthattimingofbirthisadirectconsequenceofoestrusdates,suggestingthatautumn
variablesmaybestrongerdriversofchangesthanspringvariables.Ourresearchcontributestounderstandinghowalpine
ungulateswillreactinthefaceofrapidglobalclimatechange,andsuggeststhatadaptivephenotypicplasticitymayplay
animportantroleinpopulationpersistence.
Keywords:Reproduction,Climatechange,Bighornsheep,Phenologychanges.
Invasivespecies
TUESDAY16:30,ROOM:VIEWROYAL
Non-native freshwater macroinvertebrates have density- and resource-dependent
effects on ecosystem functioning
CHELSEAJ.LITTLE,UNIVERSITYOFZURICH,EAWAGTHESWISSFEDERALINSTITUTEFORAQUATICSCIENCEANDTECHNOLOGY,
[email protected]
EMANUELA.FRONHOFER,UNIVERSITYOFZURICH,EAWAGTHESWISSFEDERALINSTITUTEFORAQUATICSCIENCEANDTECHNOLOGY;
FLORIANALTERMATT,UNIVERSITYOFZURICH,EAWAGTHESWISSFEDERALINSTITUTEFORAQUATICSCIENCEANDTECHNOLOGY
Freshwatercommunitiesarerapidlychangingwiththearrivalofnon-nativespecies.Thereisanurgentneedto
understandhowthesespecieswillaffectecosystemfunctioning.Here,weexaminedtheeffectofnon-native
macroinvertebrateshreddersontheprocessingofterrestrialleafdetritusbymanipulatingtheintraspecificdensityand
speciesrichnessofnativeandnon-nativeamphipods(Crustacea)inaseriesoffeedingexperiments.Wefoundthatnonnativeamphipodsoftenconsumelessleaflitterthantheequivalentbiomassofnativespecieswould,butthatthispattern
canreversedependingonthespeciesidentityofleavesavailable.Furthermore,co-existenceofnon-nativeandnative
amphipodsinexperimentalmesocosmscommonlyledtosynergisticeffectsontotalleafconsumption,withecosystem
functioningdeclininglessthanwouldbepredictedbasedonsingle-speciesleafconsumptionrates.Wealsofoundthat
acrossspecies,biomass-adjustedleafconsumptionratesweresubstantiallyhigheratlowdensities,whileintraspecific
interactionsreducedindividuals’leafconsumptionathighdensities.Thus,inpatchespreviouslyoccupiedbynative
conspecifics,shiftsinrelativeabundancesofnativeandnon-nativespecieschangeecosystemfunctioningovertime.The
mostprecipitousdeclineindecompositioncomeswithcompletespeciesreplacement.Inpatchesunoccupiedby
conspecifics,theper-individualeffectofnewimmigrantsonecosystemfunctioningdecreasesastheinvasionfront
becomesfullyoccupied.Weconcludethatextrapolatingeffectsofearlyinvadersonecosystemfunctiontoestimatethe
effectslaterinaninvasion,withouttakinginter-andintraspecificinteractionsintoaccount,wouldleadtoincorrect
predictionsofinvasivespecies’effectsonecosystemfunctioning.
Keywords:Invasion,Freshwater,Experiment,Densitydependence,Invertebrates,Ecosystemfunction.
Remotecameranetworkstoscaleupecologicalinsightsandconservationapplicationssymposium
TUESDAY09:30,ROOM:THEATRE
Advancing field conservation by developing new camera trap methods and
collaborations in the Pacific Northwest
ROBERTA.LONG,WOODLANDPARKZOO,[email protected]
PAULAMACKAY,INDEPENDENTRESEARCHER
WoodlandParkZoo’sFieldConservationDivision(FCD)iscommittedtoprojectsthatexemplifysoundscienceand
contributetoappliedconservationoutcomes.Here,wediscusstwoFCDeffortstoincreasetheconservationeffectiveness
ofcamera-trapprojectsinnorthwesternUSandSWCanada.Duringthepastdecadecamera-trappinghasemergedasa
primarywildliferesearchtool.Despitethedramaticincreaseincamera-trapping,however,datacollectedarestilldifficult
toshareacrossprojectsandburdensometoarchive.Further,manyprojectspossesstoofewcamerasorstafftocarry-out
studiesthatwillprovidescientifically-usefulresults.Mostproblematic,however,isthatonlyimagesofspecies-of-interest
aretypicallycodedindatabases,andinformationonnon-targetspeciesisoftennotretained.Toaddresstheseissues,we
launchedWildlifeCameraNetworkNorthwest(WCN-NW).WCN-NWattemptstofacilitatecommunicationamong
camera-trappingeffortssuchthatcoordinationandcollaborationispossible.Further,thenetworkpartnerswiththe
SmithsonianInstitution'seMammalprogramtofacilitatecoding,open-access,andlong-termarchivingofremotecamera
data.Wearealsopioneeringnewmethodsforsurveyinglow-densityspeciessuchaswolverines.Werecentlydevelopeda
surveyprotocolforwolverinesthatenablestheoperationofover-winter,scentedcameratrapstationsfor68monthsin
areaswithdeepsnowaccumulationandwithoutmaintenancebyresearchers.Themethodreliesonanovelcamera
deploymentprotocolpairedwithanultra-lowpowerscentluredispenser.Weanticipatethatthisprotocolwhen
combinedwithanappropriatesurveydesignwillenablethelong-termmonitoringofmultiplespeciesofconservation
concern.
UncertaintyinEcologyandConservationSymposium
MONDAY09:00,ROOM:SAANICH
Uncertainty in wildlife monitoring and management
ANNEE.LOOSEN,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA,[email protected]
MARKS.BOYCE,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA
Wildlifemanagersarefrequentlyrequiredtomakemanagementdecisionsbythe‘seatoftheirpants’withfewdata.One
ofthetenantsoftheNorthAmericanmodelofwildlifeconservationisthatmanagementisbasedonscience,yet,
monitoringcanbecostlyanddataforscience-baseddecisionmakingcanbedifficulttoobtain.Suchisthecasefor
Americanblackbears(Ursusamericanus)insouthwesternAlbertawheretherehasneverbeenanabundanceordensity
estimateyethuntingisallowed.Weusedspatiallyexplicitcapture-recapturemodelsofDNAfromhairsamplesto
estimateblackbeardensityinsouthwesternAlberta.Basedonourpopulationestimates,post-seasonharvestsindicated
that14.2%and39.0%ofthepopulationwasharvestedduringthelicensedhuntin2013and2014.Theseharvestrates
arehigh,yetapparentlysustainablebecausepopulationdensitiesareequaltoorgreaterthanadjacentblackbear
populationsthatarebothhuntedandun-hunted.Despiteinadequatemonitoring,sustainabilityisobtainedbydensitydependentdemographicresponse,andharvestregulationsprotectingfemaleswithcubs.Monitoringhasbeenbased
solelyonharvestestimatesthatmightallowgovernmentbiologiststoidentifyexcessiveharvests.Thisexampleillustrates
acommonpatternforharvestedwildlifethatpopulationresilience,harvestregulations,andcoarsemonitoringhavebeen
adequatetoensurelong-termviabilityofhuntedpopulationsofwildlifeinNorthAmerica.
Marineecology
TUESDAY16:15,ROOM:SIDNEY
Variation in intimacy between sea stars and their associated bacteria
ANDREWLOUDON,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
LAURAWEGENERPARFREY,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA
Allanimalslivecloselywithbacteria.Thelevelofintimacyanddependencybetweenahostandabacteriumcanvary,
wheresomebacteriaareobligateresidentsandcanprovidespecificfunctions;othersaretransientsandmaynotaffect
thehostatall.Weseektounderstandtherelationshipsbetweenakeystoneseastar,Pisasterochraceus,anditsassociated
bacteria.WesurveyedthebacterialcommunitiesassociatedwiththesurfacesandcecaofP.ochraceusatthreeB.C.
locationsusingcultureindependentampliconsequencing.ASpirochaeteoperationaltaxonomicunit(OTU)wasabundant,
ubiquitous,andspecifictoP.ochraceus.WepredictthatthisbacteriummayhaveastrongrelationshipwithP.ochraceus
andisacandidatetoprovideaconstantandnecessaryfunction;thisbacteriummaybesub-cutaneoussincecuticleswere
disturbedwhilesamplingandsomeechinodermshavesuchbacteria.Incontrast,therearemanyotherbacterialOTUson
seastarssurfacesthatarelessfrequentandabundant,andmanyarelikelyacquiredneutrallyfromtheenvironment;we
predictthatmanyofthesebacteriahaveweakerrelationshipstrengthswithseastars.Cecabacterialcommunitiesare
OTUpooranddominatedbyaMollicutesbacteriumthatwaspresentatalllocations,butnotallindividuals.Wepredict
thatthisbacteriummayhaveamoderatelystrongrelationshipwithP.ochraceusthatiscontextdependentandnot
necessaryforseastarsurvival.Toelucidatethestrengthandimportanceoftheserelationshipsweareusing
metagenomicstodevelophypothesesonthefunctionsoftheSpirochaeteandMollicutesbacteria.
Keywords:Seastars,Bacteria,Marine,Genomicsequencing.
Geneticstructureofpopulations
TUESDAY11:00,ROOM:COLWOOD
The effect of landscape on genetic differentiation in western Alberta populations of
the alpine butterfly Parnassius smintheus
MELISSALUCAS,WESTERNUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
GORDANARAIC,UNIVERSITYOFMELBOURNE;ARYHOFFMANN,UNIVERSITYOFMELBOURNE;NUSHAKEYGHOBADI,WESTERN
UNIVERSITY
Landscapeisanimportantfactorindeterminingthespatialgeneticstructureofpopulations.Landscapefeaturessuchas
landcovertype(e.g.meadow)mayfacilitateorinhibitdispersalandconsequentlygeneflow,shapingpopulationgenetic
structure.ThealpinebutterflyParnassiussmintheusprovidesanexcellentsystemtoexaminetheeffectsoflandcoveron
patternsofgeneticdifferentiation.Thesebutterfliesmovefreelywithinmeadowhabitatbuttheirmovementisrestricted
intheforestmatrixsurroundingmeadowpatches.Inpreviousstudies,patternsofisolationbydistancedifferedinregions
thathadhighversuslowforestcover.Myresearchinvestigateswhethertheseregionaldifferencescanbeexplainedby
theproportionandarrangementoflandcovertypes.IappliedrestrictionsiteassociatedDNAsequencing(RADseq)to
identifySNPsinindividualsfromseveralpopulationslocatedineachofthreeregionsofwesternAlberta,whichdifferin
theirproportionsofmeadowandforestcover.Iusedtheresistance-mappingsoftwareCircuitscapetoestimateresistance
distancesrelatingtolandcoverbetweenpopulations,whichwerecomparedwithgeneticdistancestodeterminethe
effectoflandcoverongeneticdifferentiation.Understandinghowthesepopulationsaregeneticallystructured,andhow
thisstructureisaffectedbythelandscape,iscriticaltopredictingtheirpersistenceandabilitytoadapttoachanging
environment.
Keywords:Populationgenetics,Resistancedistance,Landscape,Alpinebutterfly.
Forestecology
TUESDAY14:15,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Vegetation dynamics in SpaDES: The recoded LANDIS-II biomass succession
model
YONGLUO,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
ELIOTJ.B.MCINTIRE,NATURALRESOURCESCANADA;ALEXM.CHUBATY,NATURALRESOURCESCANADA;DAVIDANDISON,
BANDALOOPECOSYSTEMSERVICES;STEVEG.CUMMING,UNIVERSITÉLAVAL
TheLANDISIIbiomasssuccessionmodel(LBM)isapowerfultooltosimulateforestresponsestochangesinmanagement
practices,disturbanceregimeandclimate.Tofacilitateitsbroaderuseinecologicalmodellingapplications,werebuilt
LBMwithinSpaDES(SpatialDiscreteEventSimulator),anRpackageforsupportspatialsimulation,takingadvantageofR
featuresfordatamanipulation,statisticalandspatialanalysesandbugdetection.Weintroducedhashingandcaching
algorithmsintotherecodedmodeltoimproveefficiency,andunittestingtofacilitatebugdetection.Indeterministic
simulationsofmono-specificstands,LBMRandLMBhadperfectagreementingrowthandmortality.Withstochasticity,
LBMRreproducedLBMregenerationwithin95%confidenceintervals.Wealsoidentifiedandcorrectedabuginthe
originalLBMtoallowforconcurrentgrowthandmortalityofallspecieswithinaspatialunit,whichtheoriginalmodel
handledinanarbitrarysequentiallyorderwhichaffectedoutcomes.ThesimulatedabovegroundbiomassinLBMand
LBMRdifferedbyonly0.03%~0.05%.LBMRimprovedsimulationefficiencyasmeasuredbysimulationtimeand
scalabilitytoverylargestudyregions.WeconcludethattherevisedLBMRcanactinplaceoftheoriginalmodelinLANDIS
II.Inadditiontobeingcomputationallyfasterthantheoriginal,implementationinSpaDESpermitstheintegrationof
simulationandparameterestimation,andopensupthecodebasetoabroadercommunityofusersandresearchers.We
brieflydiscusscurrentusesofthisLBMRmodule.
Keywords:forest,disturbance,modelling,succession.
Habitatselectionanduse
WEDNESDAY09:00,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Land-use change and species occupancy in tropical bird communities
LEITHENM'GONIGLE,FLORIDASTATEUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
LUKEFRISHKOFF,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO;DANIELKARP,UNIVERSITYOFCALIFORNIADAVIS;CHASEMENDENHALL,STANFORD
UNIVERSITY
Land-usechangeand,specifically,conversiontoagriculturethreatensmanygroupsofspecies.Usingalong-termdata-set
fromCostaRica,weshowthatconversionfromforesttoagriculturereducesthephylogeneticdiversityofinhabitantbird
communities.Usingmulti-speciesoccupancymodels,weshowthatthisisaresultofreducedratesofbetween-season
persistenceforphylogeneticallyuniquebirds(i.e.,speciesonthetipsofthelongestbranchesinthephylogeny).Wealso
showthatthemostnegativelyaffectedspeciesarethosethatpreferhabitatswithwetmicro-climates.Becauseclimate
changeinthisregionisforecastedtoleadtodrying,land-usechangeandclimatechangecouldactsynergisticallyto
homogenizebirdcommunities.
Keywords:Birds,Landusechange,Agriculture,Modeling,Habitatselection,Biodiversity.
Fishecology
TUESDAY16:30,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Lowering the detection threshold: eDNA detection of low density juvenile salmon in
a controlled experiment
JEFFREYC.MACADAMS,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
MORGANHOCKING,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA;BENKOOP,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA;BRIANM.STARZOMSKI,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA
Conventionalfishmonitoringrequiresconsiderableinvestmentsofequipmentandlabour,andoftenharmfultechniques.
EmergingmethodsallowdetectionofaquaticanimalsbycollectingwaterandextractingDNAthathasbeenshedtothe
environment(eDNA).Presentknowledgegapsincludeminimumdensitiesnecessaryforconsistentdetection,and
persistenceofeDNAafteratargetspecieshasleftasite.WeconductedtwoexperimentsatasalmonhatcheryinBritish
Columbia(BC)toanswerthesequestions.Watersamplesweretakenfromflow-throughtankswithjuvenilecohosalmon
densitiesrangingfrom35.7g/kLto0.5g/kL.Tosimulatefieldsurveysinrecentlyabandonedhabitats,wesampledwater
fromtanksafterremovingfish,atflow-throughvolumesrangingfrom20kLto160kL(effectivefishdensitiesof1.2g/kL0.2g/kL).WatersampleswerefilteredandtheeDNAtrapped,isolated,andanalyzedforpresenceofcohoDNAbyPCRand
gelelectrophoresis.WealsoundertookafieldvalidationofthemethodatfivestreamsintheGreatBearRainforestofBC.
Watersamplesweretakenfromeachstreamandtestedforpresenceofcohosalmonandsalmonid(coastalcutthroat
trout)eDNA.Resultswerecomparedtothosefromconventionalmonitoringtechniquesforconsistencyofdetection,as
wellassamplingeffort.Inthetankexperiments,watersamplesfromtankscontainingoneormorefishtestedpositivefor
cohoDNAatleast70%ofthetime,increasingathigherdensities.Samplestakenafterremovingthefishhaddetection
probabilitiesof66%and40%atrespectiveflow-throughvolumesof20kLand40kL.Cohodetectionfailedatflowthroughvolumesgreaterthan40kL(effectivedensitylowerthan0.6g/kL).Instreamsamples,allsiteswithcohoor
salmonidpresenceconfirmedbytraditionaltrappingalsotestedpositivefortargetspecieseDNA.Onesitetestedpositive
forcohoeDNAwhereconventionalmethodsfailed,indicatingapossiblehighersensitivityofeDNAsampling.Wealso
mappedthedistributionofjuvenilecohosalmonthroughmultipletributariesofaproductivesalmonsystemwith
conventionalandeDNAdetections.Thisstudyimprovesonanemergingmethodwithanewspeciesbyaddressing
existinguncertaintiesregardingeDNAdetectionthreshold,andsignalpersistencethroughdilutioninasimulated
freshwaterhabitat.ItalsodemonstratesthateDNAmethodscanbeusedtoassesscoastalstreamsforjuvenilesalmonid
presence.
Keywords:Fish,EnvironmentalDNA,Salmon,Experiment,Methods,Monitoring.
Populationdynamics
TUESDAY09:30,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
What causes cyclical population dynamics? The roles of disease and fecundity in the
western tent caterpillar
PAULMACDONALD,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
JUDITHMYERS,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;JENNYCORY,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY
Manyspeciesofforestinsectsexhibitregularperiodiccyclesinabundance.Explicitmechanismsforsuchdynamics
remainasubjectofdebate.Weusedlong-termfielddatafromcyclicalpopulationsofthewesterntentcaterpillar
(Malacosomacalifornicumpluviale)inthesouthernGulfIslandsofBritishColumbia,toidentifytheunderlyingcauseof
thesepopulationdynamics.Thelengthofthedataset(1975-2016)andcomprehensivesetofpopulationmeasures
allowedustocomparetherelativeimportanceofmultiplefactorsovertime.Usinganinformationtheoreticapproach,we
revealedthatchangesinfecundity,diseaseprevalence(nucleopolyhedrovirus)andpopulationabundance(butnot
temperature)hadthegreatestcontributionstoannualrateofpopulationincrease.Weusedtherelationshipsbetween
thesefactorsandtherateofpopulationincreasefromonepopulationinasecond-orderdelayeddensity-dependent
modeltopredictthedynamicsofaseparatepopulation.Thismodelgeneratedstablelimitcyclesthatcorresponded
closelytotheobservedfielddynamics.Includingadelayedmaternaleffectofdiseaseprevalencegreatlyimprovedthe
modelperformance.Collectively,theseresultssuggestthatviralinfection,throughdirectmortalityandmaternaleffects,
contributesignificantlytothecyclicaldynamicsofnaturalpopulationsoftentcaterpillars
Keywords:Insects,Populationdynamics,Modeling,Densitydependence,Disease.
Biodiversity
TUESDAY10:30,ROOM:VIEWROYAL
Decoupling habitat fragmentation from habitat loss: Butterfly assemblages on lake
islands support the habitat amount hypothesis
ZACHARYG.MACDONALD,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA,[email protected]
IRALEIGHANDERSON,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA;JOHNH.ACORN,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA;SCOTTE.NIELSEN,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA
Aprioriparallelsbetweenoceanicislandsandhabitatpatchesonterrestriallandscapessuggestthathabitat
fragmentation(decreasingpatchsizeandincreasingpatchisolation)reducesspeciesdiversity.Incongruently,recent
researchsuggeststhatnegativefragmentationeffectsareartefactsofhabitatlossbecausetotalhabitatareacorrelates
positivelywithspeciesdiversity,andnegativelywithdegreeoffragmentation.Inthisstudy,weusedbutterfly
assemblagesonislandsofLakeoftheWoods,Ontario,Canadatodecouplehabitatfragmentationfromhabitatlossand
testtwocompetinghypotheses:(1)theislandeffecthypothesis,whichsuggeststhatdecreasingpatchsizeandincreasing
patchisolationreducesspeciesdiversity;and(2)thehabitatamounthypothesis,whichsuggeststhatpatchsizeand
isolationhavelittleeffectonspeciesdiversity,andonlytheaggregateamountofhabitatmattersbecausepatchedgesdo
notdelimitpopulations.Wetestedthesehypothesesattwodifferentscalesbycomparingbutterflyspeciesdiversity
acrosseightsetsofislandsthatmaintainedaggregatearealextentwhilevaryingthenumberandsizeofconstituent
islands.Setsofseveralsmallislandswerefoundtocontainsimilarnumbersofbutterflyspeciestofewer/singlelarge
islands,suggestingfragmentationdidnotreducediversityaftertotalhabitatareawascontrolledfor.Analysesofspecies
accumulationcurvesacrosssetsofislandsandextrapolationsofspecies-arearelationshipssimilarlysuggestedneutral
fragmentationeffects.Generalizedlinearmodelswereusedtotestthecombinedeffectsofislandisolation,plantdiversity,
andhabitatdiversityonbutterflyspeciesrichness.Overall,observedpatternsinbutterflydiversitysupportedthehabitat
amounthypothesis.
Keywords:Butterflies,Habitatloss,Habitatfragmentation,Islandeffecthypothesis,Habitatamounthypothesis.
Invasivespecies
WEDNESDAY11:15,ROOM:SAANICH
When outbreaks collide: Interactions between an invasive beetle and a native
defoliator on red spruce
MALLORYMACDONNELL,UNIVERSITYOFNEWBRUNSWICK,[email protected]
ROBJOHNS,UNIVERSITYOFNEWBRUNSWICK,NATURALRESOURCESCANADA;STEPHENHEARD,UNIVERSITYOFNEWBRUNSWICK
Herbivoreinvasionsintonovelhabitatscanleadtosignificantimpactsonlocalecosystemsthroughdirectimpactonlocal
plantsanddirectorindirecteffectsonco-occurringherbivores.Inthistalk,Iwilldiscussinteractionsbetweenaninvasive
barkbeetle,thebrownsprucelonghornbeetle(BSLB),andanativedefoliator,thesprucebudworm.Bothspeciesare
currentlyundergoingoutbreaksinseparateregionsofeasternCanada;however,thereisahighlikelihoodthatthese
outbreakswilloverlapwithinthenextdecade.Itremainsunknownwhatimpactconcurrentoutbreaksofthese
herbivoresmighthaveontreesoronoutbreaktrendsforeitherspecies.WeinvestigatedtheeffectsofBSLBon
interactionsbetweensprucebudwormandredspruce,usingfieldexperimentsonredsprucenearHalifax,NovaScotia.
Weestablishedfourstresstreatments,withfivebranchesoneachtreeassigneddensitiesofsprucebudworm.We
measureddefoliationandexamineditsdependenceonbudwormdensity.Survivalofsprucebudwormonredspruce
appearstobereducedasdensityrises,duepresumablytoreductionsintheavailabilityofthepreferreddeveloping
foliage.Therearealsoearlyindicationsthat,ingeneral,moderatelystressedtreesallowhigherlarvalsurvivalthaneither
loworhightreestress,althoughfurtheranalysesareneededtoconfirmthesignificanceofthistrend.Theserelationships
willprovideinsightintothepotentialimpactsofthesetwoinsectsiforwhentheiroutbreakscoincide.
Keywords:Invasion,Populationdeclines,Monitoring,Disease,Stress,Insects,Forest.
Pollution
TUESDAY11:00,ROOM:SAANICH
Parasitic infection: A missing piece of the ocean acidification puzzle
COLIND.MACLEOD,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
Oceanacidification(OA)researchhasmaturedintoasophisticatedexperimentalandtheoreticalscientificdiscipline,
whichnowutilizesmultiplestressor,mesocosmexperiments,andmathematicalsimulationmodelstopredictthenearfutureeffectsofcontinuedacidificationonmarineecosystems.TheseadvancedmethodologicalapproachestoOA
researchalsoincludethestudyofinter-specificinteractionsthatcouldbedisruptedifparticipantspeciesexhibit
differentialtolerancestostressorsassociatedwithOA.Thehost-parasiterelationshipisoneofthemostfundamental
ecologicalinteractions,alongsidecompetitionandpredation,whichcanregulateindividuals,populations,and
communities.TherecentintegrationofcompetitionandpredationintoOAresearchhasprovidedgreatinsightintothe
potentialeffectsofdifferentialtolerancestoacidifiedseawater,andthereisnoreasontobelievethatexpandingOA
researchtoincludeparasitologywillbelessfruitful.Thispresentationoutlinesourcurrent,limitedunderstandingofhow
OAwillaffectparasitismasanecologicalprocess,describespotentialpitfallsforresearcherswhoignoreparasitesandthe
effectsofinfection,andsuggestswaysofdevelopingparasitologyasasub-fieldofOAresearch.
Keywords:Marine,Oceanacidification,Parasitology,Methods,Climatechange,Interactions.
Anthropogenicinfluencesonhabitatselection
TUESDAY15:45,ROOM:SAANICH
Human activity at oil and gas well sites influences avoidance response and habitat
use by caribou
DOUGMACNEARNEY,FRIRESEARCH,[email protected]
BARRYNOBERT,FRIRESEARCH;KARINEPIGEON,FRIRESEARCH;MARKHEBBLEWHITE,UNIVERSITYOFMONTANA;DAVEHERVIEUX,
ALBERTAENVIRONMENTANDPARKS;FIONASCHMIEGELOW,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA;LAURAFINNEGAN,FRIRESEARCH
Woodlandcaribouareaspeciesatriskunderfederalandprovinciallegislation,dueinparttothedirectandindirect
effectsofoilandgasdevelopmentandotherhumanactivitieswithinandadjacenttocaribouranges.Restorationof
habitatisanticipatedtoplayacriticalroleincaribourecovery.Restorationeffortswillbemosteffectivewhendirected
towardsactionsthatyieldquantifiableimprovementsincaribouhabitatquality.Tosupporttheidentificationofpriority
areasforhabitatrestorationbasedoncontributiontoeffectivecaribouhabitat,weinvestigatedtherelationshipbetween
caribouhabitatselectionandtheactivitystatusandproximityofoilandgaswellsitesforfivecariboupopulationsin
westernAlbertaandeasternBritishColumbia.Wedefinedtheactivitystatusforwellsitesashigh,moderate,orlow,
basedondaterangeswhenwellsweredrilled,producingoilorgas,orundergoingreclamation,respectively.We
developedresourceselectionmodelsusingGPSlocationdatafromcollaredadultfemalecariboutodeterminetheeffectof
wellsiteactivitystatusandproximityonhabitatselectionbycaribou.Wefoundthatcaribouavoidedareasclosetowell
sitesmorethanexpectedbychance,regardlessofwellsiteactivitystatus.Avoidancewasgreaterforhighactivitywell
sitesthanformoderateorlowactivitywellsites.Wediscusstheimplicationsofwellsiteactivitystatusonindirecthabitat
lossforcaribou,andsuggestthatconsiderationofactivitystatusofindustrialfeatureswouldimprovetheefficiencyof
habitatrestorationeffortstoincreaseeffectivecaribouhabitat.
Keywords:Disturbance,Oilandgas,Caribou,Habitatselection,Speciesatrisk,Restoration.
Parasites,parasitoids,pathogens
WEDNESDAY11:00,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Epidemiological dynamics disrupt Red Queen cycles
AILENEMACPHERSON,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
SALLYOTTO,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA
Host-parasiteinteractionsintheformofinfectiousdiseasesareatopicofinterestinbothevolutionarybiologyandpublic
health.Bothfieldshavereliedonmathematicalmodelstopredictandunderstandthedynamicsandconsequencesof
theseinteractions.Yetfewmodelsexplicitlyincorporatebothepidemiologicalandcoevolutionarydynamics.By
comparingamatching-allelesmodelofcoevolution,asusceptible-infected-recovered-susceptiblecompartmentalmodel
fromepidemiology,andacombinedcoevolutionary-epidemiologymodelweassesstheeffectofthecoevolutionary
feedbackontheepidemiologicaldynamicsandviceversa.WefindthatRedQueencyclesarenotrobustinan
epidemiologicalframeworkandthatcoevolutionaryinteractionscanaltertheconditionsunderwhichepidemiccycles
arise.Incorporatingbothexplicitepidemiologyandgeneticdiversitymayhaveimportantimplicationsforthe
maintenanceofsexualreproductionaswellasdiseasemanagement.
Keywords:Modeling,Reproduction,Epidemiology,Evolution,Interactions.
Museumcollectionssymposium
MONDAY09:00,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Discovering and archiving the tree of life
WAYNEMADDISON,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
Whilewearenowresolvingphylogenywithanaccuracyunanticipateddecadesago,ourcurrentviewoftheTreeofLifeis
patheticallyincomplete,lacking80%ormoreofitsleaves(thespecies).Mostofthesemissingspeciesareuncollected.Of
thosespecieswehavecollected,many,perhapsmost,aretaxonomicallyundescribed.Ofthosespecieswehavedescribed,
mostweknowfromonlyafewspecimensinafewpartsoftheirrangesweknowverylittleaboutthem,apartfromtheir
existenceandafewdistinguishingfeatures.Howcanweclaimtoknowphylogeny,orbiodiversityingeneral,ifour
knowledgeissosparse?Downstreamusesofspecimensandtheirdatainecologyandevolutionarybiologycannotthrive
iftheupstream(andtraditional)partofthepipeline(sampling,taxonomy)isunattended.Formanyclades,themost
urgenttaskiscollecting,aswemayhaveonlyafewdecadestosamplethepre-Anthropocenebiodiversity.Taxonomic
workisvitaltoguidethesamplingandtogiverelevancetoourobservationsoforganismsbyprovidingtheanchoring
contexts,species,towhichtheobservationscanbeattributed.Ourgreateststoreoflatentdataonbiodiversityresidesin
naturalhistorycollections,butwearerunningoutoftimetosecureit.Weneedtochangehowwevalue,do,andteach
biodiversitydiscovery.
Parasites,parasitoids,pathogens
WEDNESDAY11:15,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Parasitic wasp Sudoku: Field studies of host-parasitoid interactions in an urban
forest
CAITLINMADER,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA,[email protected]
NADIRERBILGIN,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA;JIMWATTS,CITYOFCALGARY
Europeanelmscale(Eriococcusspurius)isanimportantpestofurbanelmtreesinwesternNorthAmerica,butno
effectivebiocontrolagenthasbeenfoundtomanageit.Abarriertothestudyofbiocontrolagentsspecifictotreepestsis
thedifficultyofimitatingmature-treecentredsystemsinagreenhouse,whereinsectpopulationandlifehistorystudies
canbemoreeasilycontrolled.Wepresentamethoddesignedtoaddresssomeofthechallengesofmovinglifehistory
studiesfromthegreenhousetothefield,whereamorecompletestorycanbetold.Wedocumentedthelifehistoryof
Coccophagusgossypariae,alittlestudiedAphelinidparasitoidofEuropeanelmscale.ThiswaspisnativetoEurope,butis
establishedonEuropeanelmscaleinCalgary,Alberta.Wefoundthatinthissystem,therelativetimingofparasitoidand
hostlifecyclesisespeciallykeytotheimpactsoftheparasitoidonitshost'spopulations,astheparasitoid'seffectsonhost
fecundityaremoreimportantthanitseffectsonhostmortality.Theprojectalsoexaminesotherenvironmentalconditions
requiredtomaintainEuropeanelmscalepopulationsatlevelsmeetingmanagementobjectives,asthissystemrequiresa
suiteofapproachesavailabletourbanforesterstoeffectivelymanageEuropeanelmscale.
Keywords:Forest,Urban,Invasion,Parasitology,Eriococcidae.
Marineecology
TUESDAY16:00,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Quantifying changes in the 3D structural complexity of coral reefs around
Kiritimati following El Niño-induced mass coral bleaching
JENNIFERM.T.MAGEL,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
JOHNH.R.BURNS,HAWAIIINSTITUTEOFMARINEBIOLOGY;JULIABAUM,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA
Coralreefsarehubsofmarinebiodiversityandproductivity,andprovidemanyimportantservicestocoastal
communitiesaroundtheworld.However,overthelastthreedecadesourplanet'sreefshavebeenexposedtorising
numbersofnaturalandanthropogenicdisturbances,leadingtounprecedenteddeclinesincoralcoverandincreasedreef
degradation.Thesechangesarehighlyproblematicfororganismssuchasfishesandmobileinvertebrates,manyspecies
ofwhichrelyonthestructureofcoralsforshelterfrompredators.Despitethisimportanceofphysicalstructureinreef
ecosystems,fewstudieshaveevaluatedtheeffectsofspecificdisturbancesoncoralreefhabitatcomplexity.Inthewakeof
therecentElNiñoandmasscoralbleachingevent,weaimtoquantifytheeffectsofbleaching-inducedcoralmortalityon
thestructuralcomplexityofreefsaroundKiritimati(RepublicofKiribati),theworld'slargestatoll.Toaccomplishthis,we
tookhigh-resolutionphotosofthereefsubstrateat9sitesaroundtheislandbefore,during,andafterthe2015-2016El
Niño.Usingstructure-from-motionphotogrammetry,weconstructeddetailed3Dmodelsofthereeffromthesephotos,
andanalyzedthemodelsinArcGIStoextractcomplexitymetricsandpreciselyquantifychangesinhabitatcomplexity
throughoutthebleachingevent.Giventhepredictedincreaseinseverebleachingeventsduetorisingwatertemperatures
andtheimportanceofphysicalstructureforthemaintenanceofhealthyreefecosystems,understandingtheeffectsof
bleachingonreefstructuralcomplexityiscriticaltothefuturepreservationoftheseimportantbutfragileecosystems.
Keywords:Coralreef,Landscapeconfiguration,Disturbance,Habitatcomplexity.
ECOLOGICAL,EVOLUTIONARYANDENVIRONMENTALSYNTHESISINTHE21STCENTURYSYMPOSIUM
TUESDAY15:45,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Making ecosystem science matter: Stakeholder-engaged research through co-design
and integrated social-ecological synthesis
ROXANEMARANGER,UNIVERSITÉDEMONTRÉAL,[email protected]
JEAN-FRANÇOISLAPIERRE,UNIVERSITÉDEMONTRÉAL;TIMOTHEPOISOT,UNIVERSITÉDEMONTRÉAL;PATRICKDUB,SOCIÉTÉ
DESARTSTECHNOLOGIQUES;NICOLASFORTINST-GELAIS,UNIVERSITÉDEMONTRÉAL;JANFRANSSEN,UNIVERSITÉDEMONTRÉAL;JULIE
TALBOT,UNIVERSITÉDEMONTRÉAL
Despitehugeeffortsonthepartofmanylargescientificprograms,thetimingfromrecognitionofanenvironmentalissue
toanactionablesolutionis25yearsonaverage.Partoftheproblemisthatecosystemsciencewhichisatthefoundation
ofhelpingtoresolvemajorenvironmentalissues-isoftenundermined1)bythepromiseofquickfixesthrough
technology(regardlessiftheywillwork)and/or2)limitedbytheabilityofscientistsbeinvolvedinaprocessthatleads
toactionablesustainablesolutions.Furthermore,giventhecomplexityofecologicalsciences,scientistsoftenlackthe
abilitytodeliveraclearmessagetoservecollectiveconservationgoals.Inthecurrentclimateofthesocialinnovationand
opensciencemovements,wesuggestaprocessthatcombinesboththroughasocial-ecologicalinnovationsystemcalled
ReseauLab,whichwearecurrentlytestingintheLaurentianregionofQuebec.Althoughattheearlystages,facilitatedcocreationworkshopshaveidentifiedscientificknowledgeproductneedsofseveralregionalpartners,whilemultidisciplinaryscientificsynthesisisgeneratingtheseproductsusingthebestavailableknowledgeatthetime.Knowledge
gapsareidentifiedandtheprocessisiterative,basedondesignprinciples.Regionalsocialinnovatorsarekeytothe
processastheyhelpidentifythehighestsocial-ecologicalleveragepointstoeffectchange,whichstreamlinesactionable
sustainablescientificsolutions.Wewillprovideaconcreteexamplearoundwaterqualityandbiodiversitymaintenanceat
theregionallandscapescale,showinghowthisapproachhasthepotentialtoacceleratesustainabilitywhilegenerating
highqualityfundamentalresearch
Sticklebackecologyandevolution
MONDAY08:00,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Convergent evolution of a color vision gene facilitates adaptive radiation of
threespine stickleback into different light environments
DAVIDA.MARQUES,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
DAVIDM.KINGSLEY,STANFORDUNIVERSITY;THOMASE.REIMCHEN,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA
Repeatedadaptationtoanewenvironmentoftenleadstoconvergentphenotypicchangeviaunknowngenetic
mechanisms.Westudiedconvergentadaptationofcolorvisioninthreespinesticklebackwhichrepeatedlycolonizedlakes
witheitherclearwaterorredlightdominatedblackwaterintheHaidaGwaiiarchipelago,Canada.Weusedwhole
genomesfromnaturalpopulationsandaselectionexperiment,inwhichblackwater-adaptedsticklebackweretransferred
intoanuninhabitedclearwaterpondandevolvedfor19years,totestforselectiononcolorvisiongenes.Wefounda
selectivesweepcenteredontheblue-lightsensitiveopsinSWS2,ofwhichoneallelewithred-shiftedlightsensitivitywas
favoredacrossblackwaterlakesandrapidlydisfavoredinclearwaterintheselectionexperiment.Remarkably,thesame
aminoacidchangescausingared-shiftalreadyoccurred200MYagointheancestorofallspiny-rayedfishafterthe
duplicationofSWS2andparalogdivergenceintoblue-andred-shiftedparalogs.Whileotherfishspeciesdivergently
expressthesetwoparalogsinclear-andblackwater,sticklebackhavelostoneparalogbutre-evolvedthesame
substitutionsforconvergentadaptationtothesehabitats.Convergentadaptationtothesameenvironmentcanthus
involvethesamegeneticchangesonverydifferentevolutionarytimescales,byrecoveringlostvariationviadenovo
mutationandsubsequentrepeatedusefromstandinggeneticvariation.
Keywords:Evolution,Fish,Convergentevolution,Genomicsequencing,Experiment.
Lifehistories:reproduction,senescence
TUESDAY11:15,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Effects of urbanization on fish life history traits: Lessons from guppies
PIATAMARQUES,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
LUISARESENDEMANNA,UNIVERSIDADEDOESTADODORIODEJANEIRO;ROSANAMAZZONI,UNIVERSIDADEDOESTADODORIODE
JANEIRO;RANAEL-SABAAWI,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA
Currently,3.9billionpeopleliveincitiesworldwide,andtheurbanpopulationisexpectedtoincreaseto6.4billionpeople
by2050.Thistrendsuggestsincreasesinthemagnitudeofthreatstourbanecosystemsinthenearfuture.Instream
ecosystems,urbanizationisknowntodegradethehabitat,disruptecosystemprocesses,andalterbiologicalinteractions.
Urbanizationmightalsoinducetraitchanges,butthemagnitudeandimpactsofthesechangesareunknown,especiallyfor
invasivespecies.Inthisstudy,weassessedtheeffectsofurbanizationonlifehistorytraitsofguppyfish,Poecilia
reticulata.Femaleguppieswerecaughtinurbanandnon-urbanstreamsinthecityofRiodeJaneiro,Brazil.Thenumber
ofmatureeggsandembryosperfishwerecounted.Individualbodyweightandgonadweightwasusedtoestimate
reproductiveinvestmentperfish.Theresultsindicateurbanizationincreasesguppyfecundityandreproductive
investment.Thissuggeststhaturbanizationhasasynergisticeffectonthefitnessofinvasivespecies,andmightincrease
theirimpactsonaquaticecosystems.
Keywords:Fish,Selection,Urbanecology,Plasticity,Lifehistory,Freshwater.
Stress,Antipredatorbehaviour
MONDAY11:45,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Winter temperature experience affects cognitive responses in black-capped
chickadees (Poecile atricapillus)
ROBERTJEFFMARTIN,UNIVERSITYOFWESTERNONTARIO,[email protected]
DAVIDF.SHERRY,UNIVERSITYOFWESTERNONTARIO
Non-migrantbirdsinhabitingnortherntemperatezonesendurestressfulclimaticconditions,oftenformonthsatatime.
Oneyear-roundresidentofthesenortherntemperatezonesistheblack-cappedchickadee(Poecileatricapillus).The
black-cappedchickadeesrangecoversalargeportionofNorthAmericaindicatingthatpopulationsofthesebirdscan
experiencearangeofdifferentclimates.Ithasbeenshownthatblack-cappedchickadeesinhabitingharshclimateshave
cognitiveadvantagesoverindividualsinhabitinglessharshclimates.Thesecognitivedifferenceshavebeenattributedto
thegeneticdivergenceofpopulationsduetolatitudinalorelevationaldifferences,incontrasttopossibleexperiential
effectsofclimate.Here,cognitiveperformanceofindividualsfromasingleOntariopopulationofblack-cappedchickadees
weretestedfollowingdifferentwinterexperiences.Temperature,amajorcomponentofaharshclimate,wasmanipulated
togiveindividualsdifferentexperienceoverthecourseofthewinterandcognitivescoresweretakenattheendofthe
two-monthexperimentalheatingperiod.Birds’performanceoncognitivetasksandneophobiawerecollected.
Preliminaryresultssuggestthatbirdssubjectedtowarmerwintersmaybemoreneophobicandhavecognitive
advantagescomparedtobirdsenduringnaturaltemperatures.
Keywords:Birds,Temperaturemodulation,Experiment,Cognition.
Policyandplanning
MONDAY15:45,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Timing of protection of critical habitat matters
TARAG.MARTIN,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,MONASHUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
ABBEYE.CAMACLANG,MONASHUNIVERSITY;HUGHP.POSSINGHAM,THENATURECONSERVANCY;LYNNA.MAGUIRE,DUKE
UNIVERSITY;IADINECHADÈS,THENATURECONSERVANCY
Withmanyconservationissuesrequiringurgentaction,determininghowmuchdataareneededtoinformgooddecisions
isacommonproblem.Weexaminethisprobleminrelationtotheprotectionofcriticalhabitat,thehabitatrequiredfor
speciesrecoveryandpersistence.Theprotectionofcriticalhabitatisanessentialstepinthethreatenedspeciesrecovery
process.Itisalsooneofthemostcontentiousandprotracteddecisionsfacedbyenvironmentalagencies.Uncertainty
aboutwhatconstitutescriticalhabitat,andthechallengesofbalancingcompetingsocietalobjectivesandofprotecting
criticalhabitatonceidentifiedarestallingtherecoveryprocess.Weofferinsightintothischallengebyinvestigatinghow
longwecanaffordtospendidentifyingcriticalhabitatbeforeopportunitiestorecoveraspeciesarelost.Weillustrateour
decisionmodelusingCanada’sthreatenednorthernabalone(Haliotiskamtschatkana).Ourmethoddeliversthestopping
timeatwhichhabitatprotectionmustbegin,despiteuncertainty,inordertoavoidanunacceptableriskofextinction.
Keywords:Conservationpractitioners,Management,Speciesatrisk,Spatialplanning.
Policyandplanning
MONDAY16:00,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Redefining ecological integrity by decoupling energy capture and conversion
CHARLESMARTIN,UNIVERSITÉDUQUÉBECÀTROIS-RIVIÈRES,[email protected]
RAPHAËLPROULX,UNIVERSITÉDUQUÉBECÀTROIS-RIVIÈRES
Countlessecosystemmanagementdecisionsaremadeeveryyear.Yet,ecologistsstillhavenotagreedonadefinitionof
"ecosystemhealth"thatisbasedontheoreticallysoundprinciplesandleadtomeasurablepredictions.Basedonthe
thermodynamicsofopensystems,weknowthatecosystemdevelopmentprinciplesaresummarizedinthefollowing
maxim:grabasmuchenergyaspossibleandholdontoitaslongaspossible.Theseprinciplesdefineadevelopment
trajectorywhereenergyconversionisoptimalforagivenlevelofenergycapture.Wetherebydefineecologicalintegrity
asthepositionofanecosystemrelativetothisoptimaldevelopmenttrajectory.Consequently,wedescribethedistanceto
thistrajectoryasameasureofintegritydeficit.Wethentransposethisframeworktoplantcommunities,wherecapture
capacityismeasuredwiththeleafareaindexandenergyconversionwithbiomassproduction.Bothmeasuresare
connectedthroughlightuseefficiency(LUE).Weshowthat,althoughLUEisthoughttobeecosystemspecific,all
ecosystemsessentiallyfollowthesamegeneralrelationship,albeitatdifferentlevelsofenergycapture.Ourresultspoint
toasimplemeasureofintegritydeficitthatwouldallowcomparingplantcommunitiesincontrastedecosystems.The
responseofourintegritymeasuretostressanddisturbancefactorsremainstobeexperimentallytested.
Keywords:Ecosystemfunction,Plants,Productivity,Mathematicalmodel.
ConsequencesofRapidEcologicalChangeinMountainEcosystemsSymposium
TUESDAY08:15,ROOM:SIDNEY
The conservation value of mountain environments to birds in North America
KATHYMARTIN,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
ALICEBOYLE,KANSASSTATEUNIVERSITYMANHATTAN
About24%ofthecontinentallandbaseofNorthAmericaisclassifiedasmountainous,includingover75%oftheBCand
Yukonlandbase.Temperatemountainsareconsideredtosupportrelativelylowdensityandspecializedbiodiversity.
Whilethereareonlysixalpineobligatebirds,over55birdspeciesbreedacrosswideelevationgradients(upto4000m).
Manyoftheseelevationgeneralistspeciesaredecliningintheirlowelevationhabitats.Usingfieldsurveysconductedin
BritishColumbia,wedetectedaremarkablediversityofbirds(95speciesin30families)usingalpine,subalpine,and
montaneforestforpost-breedingandmigrationstopovers.Fromanextensiveliterature-basedsurvey,wefoundthatonethirdofbirdspeciesbreedingincontinentalNorthAmericausemountainhabitatsforatleastonecriticalperiodoftheir
annuallifecycle(breeding,migrationorwinter),andthatallmajorhighelevationhabitatsareimportantforthefulllifecycleconservationofouravifauna.Ourfindingshighlighttheimportanceofhighelevationhabitatstomigratingbirds
fromwide-rangingbreedingdistributionsforatleastthreemonthsoftheyear,aperiodequivalenttothelengthofthe
breedingseasonformostspecies.Onequarterofthespeciesareonlistsofconservationconcern.Theseresultsemphasize
theneedforeffectiveconservationoffragilemountainhabitatsastherearenumerousthreatstohighelevationtaxa,
includingcomplexresponsestochangingclimateandtheinteractionsbetweenmultipledirectandindirectanthropogenic
disturbances.
Dispersal
WEDNESDAY11:00,ROOM:THEATRE
Dispersive bird species are at greater risk than sedentary species when humancaused landscape change is rapid
AMANDAE.MARTIN,CARLETONUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
LENOREFAHRIG,CARLETONUNIVERSITY
Human-causedlandscapechangeistypicallythoughttofavordispersivespeciesoversedentaryspecies,onthe
assumptionthatadispersivespeciescanpersistinfragmentedhabitatthroughrecolonizationoflocalextinctionand
rescueofsmallpopulations.However,empiricalstudieshavefoundbothlowerandhigherextinctionriskformore
dispersivespecies.Wepreviouslyusedindividual-based,spatiallyexplicitsimulationstodevelophypothesestoexplain
thesecontradictoryfindings.Thesesimulationssuggestthattheriskofbeingdispersive/sedentaryinahuman-altered
landscapedependsonhowfastthelandscapeischanging.Specifically,oursimulationspredictedthat,whenhumancausedlandscapechangeisslow,dispersivespeciesshouldbeatlessriskofextinctionthansedentaryspecies.
Conversely,whenlandscapechangeisrapid,dispersivespeciesshouldbeatgreaterriskthansedentaryspecies.We
testedthispredictionforNorthAmericanbreedingbirds,comparingthecross-speciesdispersalabilityversusrisk
relationshipsfor19BirdConservationRegions(BCR)withdifferentratesoflandscapechange.Aspredicted,wefound
thatdispersivebirdpopulationshadslowerratesofpopulationdecline(lowerrisk)thansedentarypopulationsinBCR
withslowlandscapechange,butfasterratesofdeclinethansedentarypopulationsinBCRwithrapidlandscapechange.
Whenlandscapechangeisrapid,andthereislittlehabitatlefttorecolonizeorrescue,thehigherratesofdispersal
mortalityfordispersivespeciesincreasestheirriskofextinction/extirpationrelativetosedentaryspecies.
Keywords:Birds,Landusechange,Dispersal,Spatialmodel,Animalmovement.
Lifehistories:phenology,sex,sexratio
TUESDAY08:30,ROOM:WCOAST
The effects of climate change on sex determination and growing time in a northern
population of snapping turtles
MELANIEMASSEY,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO,[email protected]
GRAHAMNANCEKIVELL,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH;RONALDJ.BROOKS,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH;NJALROLLINSON,UNIVERSITYOF
TORONTO
Manyreptilesexhibittemperature-dependentsexdetermination(TSD),wheresexisdeterminedduringa
thermosensitiveperiodofembryonicdevelopmentandisinfluencedbytemperature.Despitebeingdescribedas'canaries
inthecoalmine'forclimatechangeduetothepotentialfordemographiccollapsecausedbyskewedsexratios,itis
unclearwhatlong-termeffectsareactuallyoccurringinpopulationswithTSD.Toaddressthis,weexaminetwodecades
oflong-termdataonTSDinapopulationofsnappingturtle(Chelydraserpentina)fromAlgonquinPark.Between19811999,andagainin2016,weexcavatedclutchesofknownsnappingturtlesshortlyaftertheywerelaid,measuredand
weighedthem,andreburiedthemintheirnestswithtemperatureloggers.WeexcavatednestsinAugust-September,and
sexedlate-termembryosviamacroscopicdissection.Inthislong-termstudy,weexploretheeffectofthermal
environmentonsexratio,durationofthethermosensitiveperiod,andincubationtime,aswellashowthese
developmentaleventshavebeeninfluencedbyclimatechange.ThesnappingturtlesinthisintriguingNorthern
population,wheretheeffectsofclimatechangearethoughttobeexacerbated,provideinsightintohownaturalsystems
arerespondingtoanthropogenicglobalwarming.
Keywords:Reptiles,Climatechange,Populationdynamics,Reproduction,Selection,Temperaturemodulation,Lifehistory.
Parasites,parasitoids,pathogens
WEDNESDAY11:30,ROOM:OAKBAY2
The relative contribution of direct and environmental transmission in a hostpathogen avian flu model
MAYANNEMATA,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIAOKANAGAN,[email protected]
PRISCILLAGREENWOOD,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;REBECCATYSON,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIAOKANAGAN
Avianinfluenza(flu),aninfectiousdiseasecommonlyfoundinwildbirds,canspreadtoasusceptiblehostviacontact
withaninfectedhost(directtransmission)orthroughcontactwiththevirusinacontaminatedaquaticenvironment
(environmentaltransmission).Arecenthost-pathogenmodelforavianinfluenza,underaprobabilisticframework,
capturesthedominantperiodofobservedrecurrentepidemics,whichrangesfrom2to8years,andwasusedtoshow
thattheperiodicityofavianfluessentiallydependsontheintensityofenvironmentaltransmission.Thisfindingis,
however,obtainedbasedonaquestionableassumptionthatthedirecttransmissionrateislow.Inthisstudy,weanalyse
theavianflumodeltoassesstheroleofthetwodifferenttransmissionroutesincharacterisingtherecurrentpatternof
epidemics.Weconcludefromouranalysisthatthe2-to8-yeardominantoutbreakperiodcanbeexplainedbybothtypes
oftransmission,andevenbyeitheroneintheabsenceoftheother.Werecommendthatbothtransmissionroutesshould
beconsideredinfuturework.
Keywords:Birds,Disease,Modeling,Selection,Transmission.
Biodiversity
TUESDAY09:15,ROOM:VIEWROYAL
Preserving phylogenetic diversity can be a poor strategy for preserving functional
diversity
FLORENTMAZEL,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
ARNEMOOERS,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY;GIULIOVALENTINODALLARIVA,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;MATTHEWW.
PENNELL,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA
Fordecades,academicbiologistshaveadvocatedformakingconservationdecisionsinlightofevolutionaryhistory.
Specifically,theysuggestthatpolicymakersshouldprioritizeconservingphylogeneticallydiverseassemblages.Themost
prominentargumentisthatpreservingphylogeneticdiversity(PD)willalsopreservediversityintraitsandfeatures
(functionaldiversity;FD),whichmaybevaluableforanumberofreasons.TheclaimthatPD-maximized(‘maxPD’)setsof
taxawillalsohavehighFDisoftentakenatfacevalueandincaseswhereresearchershaveactuallytestedit,theyhave
donesobymeasuringthephylogeneticsignalinecologicallyimportanttraits.Therationaleisthatiftraitscloselymirror
phylogeny,thensavingthemaxPDsetoftaxawilltendtomaximizeFDandiftraitsdonothavephylogeneticstructure,
thensavingthemaxPDsetoftaxawillbenobetteratcapturingFDthancriteriathatignorePD.Inthispaper,weargue
thatthisisthewrongtestforevaluatingtheeffectivenessofusingPDinconservation.Weevolvetraitsunderseveral
differentmodelsand,forthefirsttime,directlycomparetheFDofasetoftaxathatmaximizePDtotheFDofarandomset
ofthesamesize.Undermanycommonmodelsoftraitevolutionandtreeshapes,conservingthemaxPDsetoftaxawill
preservemoreFDthanconservingarandomsetofthesamesize.However,thisresultcannotbegeneralizedtoother
classesofmodels.Wefindthatunderbiologicallyplausiblescenarios,usingPDtoselectspeciescanactuallyleadtoless
FDcomparedtoarandomset.Critically,thiscanoccurevenwhenthereisphylogeneticsignalinthetraits.Predicting
exactlywhenweexpectusingPDtobeagoodstrategyforpreservingFDischallenging,asitdependsoncomplex
interactionsbetweentreeshapeandtheassumptionsoftheevolutionarymodel.Nonetheless,thefactthatpreserving
taxabasedonPDwillnotreliablypreserveatleastasmuchFDaschoosingrandomlycanraiseseriousconcernsaboutthe
generalutilityofPDinconservation.
Keywords:Biodiversity,Functionaltraits,Management,Geneticvariation,Simulationmodel.
Selection
MONDAY15:45,ROOM:WCOAST
Is the experimental evolution of wild red squirrels repeatable?
ANDREWG.MCADAM,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH,[email protected]
DAVIDW.COLTMAN,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA;BENDANTZER,UNIVERSITYOFMICHIGAN;JAMIESONC.GORRELL,VANCOUVERISLAND
UNIVERSITY;MURRAYM.HUMPHRIES,MCGILLUNIVERSITY;JEFFE.LANE,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN;STANBOUTIN,UNIVERSITY
OFALBERTA
Oneofthegoalsofexperimentalevolutionistoexploretheconsistencywithwhichpopulationsevolveinresponseto
experimentalconditions.Incontrastwithlaboratorystudies,therehavebeenfewexperimentalstudiesofevolutioninthe
wild.Experimentalmanipulationsofagentsofnaturalselectioninthewild,however,canrevealtheimportanceofthese
agentswithinanotherwisevariablenaturalbackground.Aspartofourlong-termstudyofredsquirrelsintheYukon
Territory,wehaveincreasedpopulationdensitythroughfoodsupplementationinthreenaturalpopulationsofred
squirrels,whilethreeotherpopulationshavebeenmaintainedascontrols.Thispressmanipulationhasbeenmaintained
for12yearsandhasdoubledpopulationdensityinexperimentalareas.Inthistalkwewillexploretheeffectsofthis
densitymanipulationonnaturalselectionandevolutionofthetimingofspringbreeding.Inparticular,wewillexplorethe
consistencywithwhichthismanipulationalterednaturalselectionandresultedinadaptiveevolutionacrossthesesix
populations.
Keywords:Smallmammals,Phenologychanges,Experiment,Evolution,Naturalselection,Populationdynamics.
Metacommunitytheoryforreal-worldcommunities:theoreticalandempiricaladvancesfortrophicmetacommunities
symposium
TUESDAY08:45,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Embracing variability: Food webs in space and time
KEVINMCCANN,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH,[email protected]
Here,Iarguethatfoodwebshaveaninvariantgeneralistmodulethatrepeatsatavarietyofscales.Thismoduleallowsfor
rapidadaptivebehaviorthatcanactasapotentstabilizingagent(repeatedacrossscalesofthefoodweb).Ithenshow
thatthestructureofthefoodwebamazinglymapstopatternsinbrainsizesuggestingthatkeyspeciesmayhavethe
cognitivecapacitynecessarytorespondinastabilizingmanner.Iendwithanempiricalinlandlakesexampleofhowthis
keymodule,atalargespatialscale,respondstoclimatewarming.
Animaldiet
TUESDAY11:00,ROOM:WCOAST
DNA metabarcoding reveals the broad and flexible diet of a declining aerial
insectivore
BEVERLYMCCLENAGHAN,TRENTUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
ERICANOL,TRENTUNIVERSITY;KEVINKERR,TORONTOZOO
NorthAmericanaerialinsectivorousbirdshaveexperiencedwidespreadpopulationdeclinesoverthepast30years.This
ecologicallydiverseguildrepresentsbirdsfromawidetaxonomicbreadththatoccupydiversehabitats.Thetraitshared
byallspeciesinthisguildistheircommonfoodsource-flyinginsects-suggestingthatpopulationdeclinesmaybe
relatedtowidespreaddeclinesininsectpopulations.Establishingalinkbetweenthedietandpopulationdeclinesofthese
birdsishamperedbygapsinourknowledgeofbothinsectpopulationsandaviandiet.BarnSwallows(Hirundorustica)
aremembersofthisguildwhosedietinNorthAmericahasnotbeenwellstudied.WeusedMalaisetrapstomonitorinsect
diversityandabundanceatbarnswallownestingsitesandweusedDNAmetabarcodingtoidentifyinsectpreyremains
fromfecalsamplescollectedfrombelownests.Barnswallowshaveabroaddietwithover100insectfamiliesidentified
fromfecalsamples.ThefamiliesmostfrequentlyconsumedbyBarnSwallowsduringthebreedingseasonwerefoundat
lowabundancesinthehabitatwhichsuggestshighselectivityforthesepreyitems.Preliminaryresultsshowchangesin
dietcompositionoverthecourseofthebreedingseasonandbetweenyears.Thesechangescanberelatedtochangesin
preyavailabilitywhichsuggeststhatwhileBarnSwallowsareshowingselectivityforcertainpreyitemstheymaintaina
broadandflexiblediet.TheseresultsfillgapsinourknowledgeofBarnSwallowecologyinOntarioandwillhelpinform
decisionsfortheirprotectionandrecovery.
Keywords:Swallows,Genomicsequencing,Foraging,Populationdeclines.
Coralreefecology
TUESDAY16:15,ROOM:OAKBAY2
The unseen world of coral reefs: Impacts of local and global stressors on the coral
microbiome
JAMIEMCDEVITT-IRWIN,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
MELISSAGARREN,CALIFORNIASTATEUNIVERSITY;REBECCAVEGA-THURBER,OREGONSTATEUNIVERSITY;JULIABAUM,UNIVERSITYOF
VICTORIA
Recentstudieshaverevealedthatthecompositionofdiverseandabundantcoral-associatedmicrobialcommunitiesmay
influencecoralresistancetounwaveringstressorscurrentlythreateningreefsworldwide.Ourresearchuses16SrDNA
sequencingonthecoralspeciesMontiporafoliosaandPoriteslobata,toevaluatetheimpactoflocal(i.e.human
disturbance)andglobal(i.e.bleachingthermalstress)onthecoral-associatedmicrobialcommunitiesattheislandof
Kiritimati(ChristmasIsland),theworld’slargestatoll.Kiritimatiisanidealstudysitebecauseitspansalargegradientof
humandisturbancewithreefshighlydegradednearthevillagesandbecomingnearpristineatremotesites.Weevaluate
1)howmicrobialcommunitystructureisrelatedtoindividualcoralcoloniesand2)howtheserelationshipsare
influencedbyhumandisturbanceandableachinghotspotduringtheworld’sstrongestElNiñoevent.Coral-associated
microbialcommunitiesaresignificantlydifferentbetweencoralspecies,humandisturbancelevelsandapre-bleaching
andbleachinghotspot.Bothhumandisturbanceandthermalstressfromableachinghotspotinfluencemicrobialalpha
diversityandbeta-diversityamongcoralcolonies.Bydescribingmicrobialcommunitycompositionandvariability
betweencoralspecies,humandisturbancelevelsandduringanElNiñoevent,ourresearchprovidesnovelinsightsinto
microbialcommunityecologyandtheroleofmicrobesinreefresistancetobothlocalandglobalstressors.
Keywords:Coralreef,Bacteria,Genomicsequencing,Resilience,Disturbance,Coral.
Landscapes
TUESDAY15:30,ROOM:WESTCOAST
Building a continuous adaptive management system in SpaDES: Using historical
landscape variation for the LandWeb project
ELIOTMCINTIRE,NATURALRESOURCESCANADA,[email protected]
YONGLUO,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;ALEXM.CHUBATY,NATURALRESOURCESCANADA;DAVIDANDISON,BANDALOOP
ECOSYSTEMSERVICES;STEVEG.CUMMING,UNIVERSITÉLAVAL
AdaptivemanagementwasformallyintroducedbyHollingin1978,asaniterativeapproachtodecisionmakingintheface
ofuncertainty.Whiletherehavebeengreatsuccessesinthemanagementofresourcesinthisway,therehavealsobeen
majortechnologicalbarrierstoimplementingacontinuouslyupdated,real-timeadaptivemanagementapproach.With
theadventoftheRcomputerlanguage,anditsever-growinguniverseofusercontributedpackages,allthesoftwaretools
fordoingcontinuousadaptivemanagement(e.g.,webinterfaces,databasetransactions,GISoperations,statistical
analysis,visualization,uncertaintyanalysis,discreteeventsimulation,highperformancecomputing)areallavailableon
oneplatform.ThisuniversepermittedthedevelopmentoftheSpaDES(SpatialDiscreteEventSimulation)packagefor
integratedanalysisandspatialsimulation.WeillustrateitsapplicationintheLandWebproject,aimedatadaptive
managementofwesternCanadianborealforests.Weshowalivedecisionsupportwebapplicationthatisbeingusedby
forestcompanies,NGOs,andgovernmentstoevaluatetheirabilitytofulfilltherequirementsforcertificationandthe
CanadianBorealForestAgreement.Underlyingthewebappareecologicalmodulesforforestsuccession,seeddispersal,
andregeneration(allderivedfromLANDIS-II),severalalternativewildfiremodules,andnumerousdataprocessingand
visualizationmodules.Beinganintegratedsystem,weachievecontinuousadaptivemanagementthroughautomated
updatingevenasunderlyingdatasets,modules,parameters,andassumptionsarechanged.Wediscussourexperiences
workingwithstakeholdersanddemonstratehowthetransparencycreatedbythisprocessishelpingbuildbridges
betweengroupsthatpreviouslyhavestruggledtoworktogether.
Biodiversity
TUESDAY12:00,ROOM:VIEWROYAL
Assessing birds and lichen as indicators of biodiversity in a managed subboreal
watershed in British Columbia
KERRITHMCKAY,MCKAYENVIRONMENTALCONSULTINGLTD.,[email protected]
SYBILLEHAUESSLER,UNIVERSITYOFNORTHERNBRITISHCOLUMBIA
Ourprojectinvestigatestheeffectivenessofpost-harvestretentionofforeststandstructureatmaintainingbiodiversity
withinamanagedwatershedaccordingtotheobjectivesspecifiedinassociatedland-useplans.TheBabineWatershed
MonitoringTruststudyareacomprisestheentirewatershedoftheBabineRiverinNWBritishColumbiaintheSub-boreal
Sprucebiogeoclimaticsubzone.Thequestionweaskforthisstudy:Isthelevelofretentionofforeststandstructure
actuallyworkingtoconservebiodiversityatthestandscale?Ourstudydesignwasbasedonamodelselectionapproach
thataimedtosamplestandsacrossarangeofstructuralretentionandedgeinfluenceacrossseverallandusezonesto
quantifyriskstobiodiversityandpotentiallyidentifythresholdsformanagement.In26daysoffieldsampling(20142016),wemeasuredstandstructure,epiphyticlichensandforestbirds(2015)at56plots.Weusedcanonicalanalysisof
standstructure,lichenandbirdcommunitiesandmixedeffectsmodelselectiontoassessriskstobiodiversityacross
gradientsofforestretentionandedgeinfluence.Foreststandstructurevariedmostpredictablyacrossagradientfrom
clearcutsthroughvaryinglevelsofstripandpatchretentiontoclosed,interiorforest.Notably,longpiecesofcoarse
woodydebrisdecreasedwithretention,andtherewaslittlepoplarregeneration.Epiphyticlichencommunitiescurrently
varymoreacrossgeographicgradientsthanacrossmanagementgradients,withthemostdiversecommunities,
containingabundantcyanolichens,locatedatlowelevationnearlargewaterbodies.Thehighintensityofloggingandlack
ofregeneratingpoplarsintheseareasofgreatestlichendiversitysuggeststhatcyanolichencommunitiesface
considerablerisk.Birdspeciesrichnessismoreinfluencedbythepresenceoftallshrubsthanthetypeofretention,but
thereisanadditiveaffectonspeciesrichnesswhenintermediateandcanopytreesareretained.Thissmallstudy,thefirst
ofitskindintheregion,hasestablishedanimportantbaselinefortheBabineWatershedandwearehopefulthat
monitoringcancontinue.
Keywords:Birds,Lichen,Biodiversity,Management,Bioindicator.
EcologicalandEvolutionaryDynamicsinFluctuatingEnvironmentsSymposium
MONDAY08:15,ROOM:THEATRE
Hot and cold, wet and dry: The role of season in structuring aquatic food webs
BAILEYMCMEANS,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO,MISSISSAUGA,[email protected]
KEVINS.MCCANN,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH
Seasonisanearlyubiquitousdriverofbiologicalprocessesinaquaticecosystems.However,incrediblyfewdataexistfor
howfoodwebsrespondtoregular,temporalvariation.Weproposeaconceptualframeworkforhowabiotic-driven
variationinresourceavailabilitylowerinthefoodwebdrivesaquaticconsumerstoaltertheirforagingbehavior
seasonally.Specifically,anabundanceoflowertrophiclevelresources(plants,invertebrates)duringproductiveperiodsis
expectedtopromoteincreasedomnivory(lowertrophiclevelfeeding),whereasdecreasedomnivory(increasedtrophic
positions)andincreasedcouplingwithalternativecarbonsources(e.g.terrestrialdetritus)areexpectedduringless
productiveperiods.DietdataforselectspeciesfromhighlyseasonalaquaticecosystemsintheArcticandtropicssupport
thesegrosspredictions.However,giventhatbothclimatechangeandriverimpoundmentarealreadyalteringexisting
seasonalsignals,moreresearchisurgentlyneededtocharacterizethemulti-speciesandwholefoodwebresponsesto
seasonalvariation.Suchtemporalshiftsmayplaycentralrolesinsustainingecosystemfunctionsinthefaceofchanging
conditions.
Evolutionarytheory
MONDAY13:30,ROOM:WCOAST
Evolutionary bargaining games: Ecological and evolutionary stability in a
consumer-resource based model of mutualistic interactions
GORDONG.MCNICKLE,PURDUEUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
PAULA.ORLANDO,PURDUEUNIVERSITY
Modelsofmutualismhavebeenbesiegedwithbothecologicalandevolutionarystabilityproblems.Modelsareoftennot
ecologicallystablebecausepositivefeedbacksinmutualismleadtounboundedpopulationgrowth,andtheyareoftennot
evolutionarilystablebecausecheaterscanusuallyinvadecooperativestrategies.Wedevelopandanalyzeanecoevolutionarymathematicalmodelthataddressesandsolvestheproblemsofecologicalandevolutionarystability
inherentinmutualisms.Inourmodel,individualsfrom2speciestraderesourceswithoneanother.Weassumethat
individualshavesimpleadaptivebehaviortoaccepttradeofferswithhigherfrequencyiftheirpartneroffersmore
resource.Couchingtheinteractionsinanexplicitconsumerresourceframeworkeliminatesproblemsofecological
stability.Andincludingthesimpleadaptivebehavioreliminatesevolutionaryinstabilitybecausecheaterswhogive
nothingandonlytakecannotsuccessfullyinvade.Weanalyzethemodelintermsofbotheconomicandevolutionary
stabilityofthemutualism.Wefindthateconomicandevolutionarybargainingsolutionsareequivalentonlywhenthetwo
specieshavesymmetricparametersets.Whenthetwospeciespossessasymmetriccharacteristics,wefindthatthe
speciesthathasmoreresourcetogiveendsupgettingtheshortendofthebargain.
Keywords:Evolution,Mutualism,Interactions,Mathematicalmodel.
Geneticstructureofpopulations
TUESDAY11:15,ROOM:COLWOOD
Population genetics and invasion history of the invasive European fire ant, Myrmica
rubra, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
SHANNONA.MEADLEYDUNPHY,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO,[email protected]
PIERRE-JEANG.MAL,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO;MEGANE.FREDERICKSON,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO
Whensomespeciesareintroducedtoanewarea,theyrapidlyestablishandspread,becominghighlyinvasive.However,
forotherspeciesthereisalonglagtimebetweenintroductionandinvasiveness.TheEuropeanfireant,Myrmicarubra,
wasfirstrecordedinNorthAmericaover100yearsago,yetreportsofitbeinganinvasivepestareonlyfromthepast1020years.InordertounderstandthepopulationbiologyandrecentspreadofM.rubrainitsintroducedrange,we
examinedtheexistingpopulationgeneticstructureofM.rubrainurban-parklandareasofToronto.Weused
microsatellitemarkerstogenotypeworkersfromnestsacrossthestudyareaandfoundthatantsclusteredintotwo
geneticgroupsofunequalsizes.Thelargergroupcontainedworkersfromacrosstheentirestudyregion,andwereoften
collectedfromlarge,high-densitynests.Thesmallergroupwascomprisedofonly11%oftheworkersbuthadhigher
geneticdiversity,andtypicallyoccurredinthemosturbanareasofthestudyregion,insmaller,moreisolatednests.These
resultssuggestthatthetwogroupsofM.rubrainTorontomayrepresenttwoseparateintroductions;alternatelythetwo
groupscouldbelocallyadaptedtothedifferenthabitatswheretheyoccur.Currently,weareusingmitochondrialmarkers
toidentifypotentialEuropeansourcepopulations.
Keywords:Populationgenetics,Insects,Invasion,Populationdynamics.
Forestecology
WEDNESDAY11:15,ROOM:WCOAST
Assessing the relative utility of mesostigmatid versus oribatid mites as bioindicators
of disturbance in forested areas of Alberta, Canada
MATTHEWMEEHAN,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA,[email protected]
TYLERCOBB,ROYALALBERTAMUSEUM;LISALUMLEY,ROYALALBERTAMUSEUM;HEATHERPROCTOR,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA
Indicatortaxaareoftenusedtoestimatehowdisturbancesaffectecosystemhealththroughthepresence/absenceand
abundanceofparticulartaxawithintheenvironment.Highlydiversegroupsofsoilfauna,includingmites,havebeen
showntobeeffectivebioindicatorsoflandusechange,agriculturalmanagementandsoilcontamination.Oribatidmites
(Arachnida:Acariformes:Sarcoptiformes),whicharedetritivorousandfungivorous,arethemostfrequentlyusedmite
group,whileothergroups,includingthemostlypredatorymesostigmatidmites(Arachnida:Parasitiformes:
Mesostigmata),areusedlessoften.Althoughoribatidmitesareusedmoreoften,onemightpredictmesostigmatidmites
tobemoresensitivebioindicatorsduetotheirtrophicstatus,asextinctionriskthroughenvironmentalchangeisthought
tobegreaterforpredatorsthanfordetritivores.Throughamultivariateapproach,wetestwhetherMesostigmataor
OribatidaaremoreeffectiveasbioindicatorsoffourcommondisturbancetypesinborealAlberta:forestfires(12sites),
forestharvest(10sites),wellpads(6sites)andlinearfeatures(7sites).Miteassemblagesfromthesedisturbedsites
werecomparedtoassemblageswithinadjacentundisturbedborealforestsitestodeterminetheirutilityasbioindicators.
SamplesforthisstudywerecollectedbytheAlbertaBiodiversityMonitoringInstitute(ABMI),andweresampledfrom
20102015.ResultstodateindicatethatOribatidahasgreaterspeciesrichnessandnumberofindividualspersitethan
Mesostigmata.Tooursurprise,bothOribatidaandMesostigmatawereineffectivebioindicatorsofalldisturbancetypes,
contrarytowhatpaststudieshaveobserved.
Keywords:Landusechange,Bioindicator,Biodiversity,Mites,Disturbance.
Phylogenetics
MONDAY10:30,ROOM:WCOAST
Chromosome inversions and adaptation to heterogeneous environments in seaweed
flies
CLAIREMEROT,UNIVERSITÉLAVAL,[email protected]
SIMONBERNATCHEZ,UNIVERSITÉLAVAL;CHARLESBABIN,UNIVERSITÉLAVAL;MARENWELLENREUTHER,UNIVERSITYOFLUND,
UNIVERSITYOFAUCKLAND;LOUISBERNATCHEZ,UNIVERSITÉLAVAL
Largestructuralgenomicvariants,suchaschromosomalinversions,arethoughttobekeyfacilitatorsofadaptationby
limitingrecombination.Forinstance,variationininversionfrequenciesareassociatedwithenvironmentalclines,
supportingthetheoreticalviewthatinversionsareinvolvedinlocaladaptation.However,theforcesdrivingtheevolution
ofsuchstructuralvariantsarestilldebated,withempiricaldataremainingscarceandusuallylimitedtofewmodel
systems.Here,bycombiningclassicalecologicalstudiesandpopulationgeneticswithrecentadvancesingenomics,we
searchforempiricalevidenceoftheroleofchromosomalinversionsinlocaladaptationusinganunusualstudysystem,
theseaweedflyCoelopafrigida.Earliercytogeneticsstudiesfromthe1980sdescribedalargechromosomalinversion
comprisingapproximately10%ofC.frigidagenome,withafrequencythatvariesclinallyinEurope.Hereweinvestigatea
parallellatitudinalclineinNorthAmerica,samplingmorethan1,000fliesin15populationsfromMassachusetts(USA)to
theNorthCoastofStLawrenceRiver(Quebec)byquantifyingvariationininversionfrequenciesandassociatingwith
phenotypeandecologicalvariables.Thisallowstestingforclinalpatterns,whichareclassicalsignaturesoflocal
adaptation,aswellasenvironmentalassociation.Wearefurthercharacterizingthegenomeofthisspeciesusingthird
generationsequencing(10xgenomicsPacBio),whichletsusdissectthegenomiccontentoftheinvertedregion.
Altogether,theresultsshedlightonthemodalitiesbywhichinversionscontributetoadaptationinanon-modelspecies
andtheselectiveforcesandgeneticmechanismsunderlyingtheevolutionofsuchstructures.
Keywords:Insects,Evolution,Geneticvariation,Genomicsequencing,Chromosomeinversions.
Plantecology
MONDAY14:30,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Can traits predict changes in species abundance?
JULIEMESSIER,UNIVERSITYOFSHERBROOKE,[email protected]
BILLSHIPLEY,UNIVERSITYOFSHERBROOKE;CYRILLEVIOLLE,CENTRED'ÉCOLOGIEFONCTIONNELLEETÉVOLUTIVE,CNRS;MARKVELLEND,
UNIVERSITYOFSHERBROOKE
InNorthAmerica,weexpectclimatewarmingtocausenorthwardandupwardelevationalrangeshiftsinplantspecies
andchangesinlocalcommunitycomposition.Temporalchangesintaxonomiccompositionhasbeenstudied,butthe
abilityoffunctionaltraitstopredictwhichspecieswill‘win’or‘loose’inresponsetoclimatechangeisunknown.Although
researchindicatesthattraitsaregoodpredictorsofspeciesperformancealongspatialgradients,traitshaveseldombeen
usedtopredictchangesinspeciesrelativeabundancesovertime.Yet,knowinghowdifferentspecieswillrespondto
climatewarmingwouldallowustoanticipateandthereforemitigateitseffectsonplantcommunities.Toaddressthese
shortcomings,wetestedwhethercommonlymeasuredphenotypictraitscanpredictchangesinspeciesrelative
abundances.Weusedauniquedatasetassessingspeciesrelativeabundancesinthe1970’sand2010’sin50plotslocated
alonganelevationalgradientinaforestpresent.Wemeasuredtenkeyaboveandbelowgroundfunctionaltraitsonthe50
mostabundantunderstoryspeciesinthesecommunities.Wepresentpreliminaryresults.
Keywords:Climatechange,Plants,Speciesdistribution,Morphology.
Plasticsintheenvironment
MONDAY16:15,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Influence of subtidal and intertidal shellfish farming on microplastic contamination
in cultured Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) from British Columbia
MATTHEWR.MILLER,VANCOUVERISLANDUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
SARAHDUDAS,VANCOUVERISLANDUNIVERSITY
Microplasticsareacontaminantofincreasingconcernandarenowknowntobeubiquitousinthemarineenvironment.A
diverserangeofmarinetaxaacrossalltrophiclevelscaningestmicroplasticseitherdirectlyorindirectly,whichmay
resultinnegativebiologicalconsequencesthroughpseudo-satiation,physicalblockage,andchemicaltoxicity.Filterfeedingorganismssuchasoysters,clams,andmusselsareparticularlyvulnerabletomicroplasticsandmayconcentrate
theseparticles,possiblyleadingtobioaccumulationeffectsthroughthefoodweb.Duetothisfeedingstrategy,andtheir
commercialimportanceandrelevancetohumans,bivalvesaremodelorganismstostudythiscontaminant.British
Columbia(BC)isCanada’slargestproduceroffarmedPacificoysters(Crassostreagigas),whicharegrowninthemarine
environmentintwomainways:deep-waterraftcultureandintertidalbeachculture.Oystersproducedbythesemethods
mayhavedifferentexposurelevelstomicroplasticsduetothevariationbetweenpelagicandbenthicgrowing
environments,andthedifferencesinaquacultureinfrastructureused.Todetermineifculturemethodinfluences
microplasticconcentration,market-sizedoysterscollectedfromraftsandbeachesatthreefarmsitesinBCwere
chemicallydigested,filtered,andanalyzedvisuallyundermicroscopetoquantifymicroplastics.Preliminaryresultswill
bediscussed,addressingtherolethatculturemethodplaysintheconcentrationsofmicroplasticswithinoysters.This
knowledgemaybenefitshellfishfarmerswhenconsideringbestaquaculturepractises,andwillhelpseafoodconsumers
makeinformeddecisions.
Keywords:Shellfish,Microplastic,Marine,Aquaculture,Fisheries.
Salmonidecologyandevolution
MONDAY15:45,ROOM:SAANICH
Dietary thiaminase and its effects on reproductive traits in three populations of
Atlantic salmon
KIMBERLYT.MITCHELL,UNIVERSITYOFWESTERNONTARIO,[email protected]
TREVORE.PITCHER,UNIVERSITYOFWINDSOR,GREATLAKESINSTITUTEFORENVIRONMENTALRESEARCH;CHRISC.WILSON,AQUATIC
RESEARCHANDMONITORINGSECTION,ONTARIOMINISTRYOFNATURALRESOURCESANDFORESTRY,TRENTUNIVERSITY;BRYAND.
NEFF,UNIVERSITYOFWESTERNONTARIO
AtlanticsalmonwereonceabundantinLakeOntario,butwereextirpatedmorethanacenturyago.Therehavebeen
multipleattemptstoreintroduceAtlanticsalmonintoLakeOntario,buttheseattemptshavenotyetproducedaselfsustainingpopulation.OnepotentialobstacleistheintroductionofinvasivepreyfishesintoLakeOntario,including
alewifeandrainbowsmelt.Thesefishescontainhighconcentrationsoftheenzymethiaminase,whichbreaksdownthe
essentialvitaminthiamine(B1)andcaninducethiaminedeficiencyinsalmonthatconsumethisenzyme.Wecompared
theeffectofdietarythiaminaseonreproductivetraitsinthreeAtlanticsalmonpopulations(LaHave,LacSaint-Jean,
Sebago),whichhavepreviouslybeenusedinreintroductionefforts.Wehypothesizedthatahigh-thiaminasedietwould
affectreproductivetraitsandtheseeffectswoulddifferamongthethreepopulations.Totestourhypotheses,we
performedexperimentalcrosseswithourlow-andhigh-thiaminasetreatmentindividualswithinpopulationsand
measuredreproductivetraits.Wepresentdataontheeffectsofdietarythiaminaselevelsonmortality,yolkconversion
efficiency,specificgrowthrate,thiamineconcentrationsandspermquality.Wefurtherusethisdatatoassessthe
susceptibilityofthethreeAtlanticsalmonpopulationstoahigh-thiaminasediet,asispresentinLakeOntario,andinform
bestpracticesformanagingtheAtlanticsalmonreintroductioneffortinLakeOntario.
Keywords:Salmon,Freshwater,Invasion,Experiment,Reintroduction.
AcceleratingurbanecologyinCanada:Identifyingcurrentresearchapproaches,gaps,andneedsinCanadiancities
symposium
MONDAY08:00,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Linking urban landscape structure to ecosystem service provision
MATTMITCHELL,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
JONATHANRHODES,UNIVERSITYOFQUEENSLAND
Urbanlandscapesconsistofcomplexandfine-scalemosaicsofmultiplelandusesandlandcovers.Thestructureofthe
urbanlandscapeinfluencesthebiodiversityandecologicalprocessesthatoccurwithinurbanecosystems,andhowurban
residentsinteractwithurbanecosystems,bothofwhichareimportantforecosystemserviceprovision.However,the
specificwaysthaturbanlandscapestructureinfluencesecosystemservices,andtheimportanceoftheseeffectsrelativeto
otherdriverssuchasgeophysical,soils,socioeconomic,andurbanformvariablesislargelyunknown.Resultsfrom
Brisbane,Australia,showthaturbanlandscapestructurehasimportanteffectsonurbanvegetationandecosystem
services.Usinghigh-resolutiondataonthespatialandverticalstructureofurbanvegetation,wefoundthaturbantree
coverarea,treecoverpatchsize,andtreecoverclumpinesswerestronglyrelatedtovegetationverticalstructureand
abovegroundcarbon.Innearlyeverycase,theselandscapestructurevariablesbestexplainedurbanvegetationvertical
structureandabovegroundcarbonstoragecomparedtootherdrivers.Theseresultssuggestthatmanaginglandscape
structurewillbeanimportantwayforurbanplannersandmanagerstoimproveurbanbiodiversityandecosystem
serviceprovision.However,thesetypesofpatternsandrelationshipshavenotbeenwidelyinvestigatedinCanada.Akey
challengeforurbanecologyinCanadaistounderstandlandscapestructure-ecosystemservicerelationshipsformultiple
urbanecosystemservicesandidentifytheecologicalandsocialprocessesthatunderliethesepatterns.
Host-associatedmicrobes:fromprotectivemicrobestopathogenssymposium
MONDAY08:15,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Tree-ectomycorrhizal symbioses: Does diversity confer function?
HOLLYV.MOELLER,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
Manytreesformmutualisticrelationshipswithectomycorrhizalfungi,exchangingphotosyntheticallyderivedsugarsfor
belowgroundpathogendefense,nutrients,andwater.Thesehost-associatedcommunitiesarestrikinglyspeciose.For
example,asingletreecansimultaneouslyhostdozensoffungalpartners,andsometreespeciesareknowntoassociate
withthousandsoffungalspecies.Alongsidethisspeciesdiversity,accumulatingevidencesuggeststhatfungivaryintheir
functionaltraits(e.g.,watertransportandnutrientacquisitionstrategies)and,asaconsequence,theirpartnerquality.
Thus,tree-ectomycorrhizalsymbiosesserveasamodelsystemforthemulti-speciesmutualismsthataboundinnature.In
thistalk,Iexploretherolethatfungaldiversitymayplayinfacilitatingtreeestablishmentandgrowthinvaried
environmentalcontexts.Ialsohighlightthechallengesthatpartnerdiversitypresentstothemaintenanceandstabilityof
mutualisticrelationships,andconsidermechanismshosttreesmayevolvetoregulatetheirfungalpartners.
AcceleratingurbanecologyinCanada:Identifyingcurrentresearchapproaches,gaps,andneedsinCanadiancities
symposium
MONDAY09:45,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Connecting urban ecology and municipal infrastructure
MICHELLEMOLNAR,DAVIDSUZUKIFOUNDATION,[email protected]
InmunicipalitiesacrossCanada,infrastructureisshowingitsage,capitalandoperatingcostsarerisingandservice
deliveryisstrainedbygrowingpopulationsandshiftingconditions.Yet,forests,wetlandsandstreamscanprovidemany
coreservicesnormallydeliveredbyengineeredinfrastructure,includingwaterpurificationandstormwatermanagement.
Thequalityofecosystemservicesderivedfrom‘naturalassets’canmeetorexceedthoseofpipesandculverts-butoften
atamuchlowercostthatavoidscapitalexpendituresandproducesotherbenefitssuchascoolerurbantemperaturesand
healthiercities.TheMunicipalNaturalAssetInitiative(MNAI)isteamingupwithmunicipalitiestodevelopresilient,longterminfrastructurealternativesatsubstantialsavings.Thisuniquepartnershipdrawsuponarangeofdisciplinestodraw
outthelinkagesbetweennaturalassets,sustainableinfrastructure,communitywell-being,andresponsiblefiscal
management.Thistalkwillfocusonanessentialfactorofsuccess:thecreationofteamsofpeoplecommittedtochanging
thestatusquo,composedofindividualsfromdifferentgovernmentdepartments,differentdisciplines,levelsand
locations.
Effectsofclimatechange
TUESDAY16:15,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Fasting season length determines temporal limits for global polar bear persistence
PÉTERMOLNÁR,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO,[email protected]
Polarbearsarevulnerabletoclimatechangebecausetheyrequireseaicetoaccesstheirsealprey.Whilepolarbearscan
enduremonthsoffasting,asillustratedbytheon-shorefastofsouthernpopulationsduringsummerseaiceabsence,
climatewarmingwillextendtheseice-freeseasonsandultimatelywillmakeseasonalfastsalsonecessaryinpopulations
thatcurrentlyexperienceyear-roundice.Here,wecombineanEarthsystemmodelwithastate-of-the-artseaice
componentwithenergybudgetmodelsofpolarbearstoestimatewhenprolongedfastswillleadtorapiddeclinesin
reproductionand/orsurvivalinpopulationsworldwide.Undertheconservativeassumptionofnoclimatechangeimpacts
ontheforagingofbearswhilehuntingonice,andthusnoeffectsonthebodyconditionsatwhichbearsbeginanon-shore
fast,weestimatethatfemaleswillneedtocompromisemilkproduction,andthuscubsurvival,whenthefastexceeds111
days.Beyond160days(adultmales)and225days(adultfemales),weexpectmortalityincreasesby0.4-0.9%foreach
additionaldayoffasting.Carry-overeffectsofpoorbodyconditionbetweensequentiallyice-pooryearswouldaccelerate
thesedeclines,shorteningthefastingenduranceofbearsby2-4daysforeachpercentdeclineinthefast-initiatingbody
mass.Themodelsaccuratelycaptureobserveddemographicchangesacrossthespecies'rangeduring1979-2016,and
predictthatmorethanhalfofallpopulationswouldexperiencereproductivedeclinesbytheendofthecenturyunderlow
emissions(RCP4.5),whilealmostallpopulationswouldseeadditionaldeclinesinadultsurvivalunderhighemissions
(RCP8.5).
Keywords:Polarbears,Climatechange,Reproduction,Individualsurvival,Populationdeclines.
Ecology&EvolutioninaSocialContextSymposium
TUESDAY08:15,ROOM:COLWOOD
Social structure modulates the evolutionary consequences of social plasticity: A
social network perspective on interacting phenotypes
PIERRE-OLIVERMONTIGLIO,MCGILLUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
JOELW.MCGLOTHLIN,VIRGINIATECH;DAMIENR.FARINE,UNIVERSITYOFKONSTANZ,MAXPLANCKFORORNITHOLOGY
Organismsoftenexpressplasticphenotypicchangesduringsocialinteractions.Suchsocialplasticitycaninfluence
phenotypicevolutionbyalteringthevariationavailableforselectionandtheevolutionaryresponse.Theimplicationsof
socialplasticityforsocialevolutionhavebeenexploredindepth,butsofar,thisworkhasreliedonrelativelysimple
modelsofsocialstructure.Itisunclearhowthepredictionsofsocialevolutiontheoryapplytomorecomplexsocial
networks.Here,weextendthisworktoincludegeneralmodelsofsocialstructure.First,wedevelopanapproximationof
previousinteractingphenotypesmodelsthatapplytogeneralsocialnetworks.Second,weusesimulationstotestthese
analyticalmodelstoexplorehowthenumberofsocialconnectionsbetweenindividualsandpreferentialassociationswith
phenotypicallysimilarconspecificsaffectsphenotypicvariationandresponsetoselection.Phenotypicvariationwithin
groupswasmaximalwhenindividualsinteractedonaveragewithhalfoftheirgroupmembers.Insuchcases,populations
exhibitedagreaterproportionofphenotypicvariationwithingroupsthanamonggroups.Bycontrast,incaseswhere
individualsinteractedwithalltheothergroupmembers,populationsexhibitedagreaterportionofphenotypicvariation
amonggroupsandreducedphenotypicvariationwithingroups.Preferentialassociationsamongphenotypicallysimilar
individualsincreasedthephenotypicvarianceobservedamonggroupmembers.Ourresultsestablishafirstsetof
predictionsregardingtheevolutionaryimplicationsofsocialstructureinmodulatingthecontributionofphenotypic
plasticitytophenotypicvariationandheritability.Ourpredictionscanapplytostudytheevolutionofsocialbehaviorand
specializationwithinpopulations.
Keywords:Phenotypicvariation,Plasticity,Socialbehaviour,Selection,Modeling.
LinkingEnvironmentalLawandScienceSymposium
WEDNESDAY08:00,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Watershed connections in environmental decision-making
JONATHANW.MOORE,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
Flowsofwaterandmigrationsoffishlikesalmonunitewatersheds.InthistalkIwillfirstexaminehowtheselinkages
influencetheproductivityandresilienceofriverecosystemsandthendiscusstheimplicationsforenvironmental
decision-making.Connectivityandthenaturaltree-likestructureofriversmeansthatriversaremorethanasumortheir
parts.BasedonexperiencesandresearchinlargesalmonwatershedsinBritishColumbia,connectedanddiverse
watershedscanactasnaturalportfoliosthatdecreasevariationandattenuateclimatechange.Inaddition,specific
locationsthatactashabitatbottlenecksmaybedisproportionatelyimportanttomigratoryspecies.Accordingly,key
aspectsofenvironmentaldecision-makingarethescope,scale,andspecificsofthescienceofpotentialrisks.
Reproductiveecologyandbehaviour
MONDAY16:15,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
More reasons why picking the right spatial scale is so #@&! hard
ANDREWD.MORAGA,CARLETONUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
AMANDAMARTIN,CARLETONUNIVERSITY;LENOREFAHRIG,CARLETONUNIVERSITY
Todetectaneffectoflandscapecontextonanecologicalresponse,researchersneedtomeasurethelandscapevariablesat
theappropriatespatialextent('scaleofeffect').However,itisunknownwhetheritispossibletoselecttheappropriate
scaleofeffectaprioriastherearemanyfactorshypothesizedtoaffectit.Oneoftheseisthetemporalscaleregulatingthe
ecologicalresponse:thescaleofeffectispredictedtoincreasewiththetemporalscaleoftheresponse.Totestthis
hypothesiswecomparedthescaleofeffectforthreeresponseswithincreasingtemporalscalesofregulation-
reproductiverate,populationabundance,andoccurrence-forwoodfrogs(Lithobatessylvaticus)inponds.Wesurveyed
woodfrogeggmassesin34pondsatthecentersoflandscapesvaryinginthesurroundingroaddensity(ourlandscape
contextvariable).Wepredictedthatscaleofeffectwouldbesmallestforfecundity(numberofeggspereggmass),larger
forabundance(numberofeggmassesperpond),andlargestforoccurrence(presence/absenceofeggmassesinapond).
Wefoundthatthescaleofeffectdiddifferbetweenresponsesbutnotinthemannerpredicted.Ourresultssupportthe
predictionthatthescaleofeffectofthelandscapecandifferfordifferentresponsevariablesofthesamespecies.However,
theysuggestthatpredictingthescaleofeffectaprioriislikelynotgenerallypossible.Studiesoflandscapecontexteffects
shouldmeasurethelandscapevariable(s)atmultipleextentsandestimatethescaleofeffectempirically,ratherthan
conductingtheanalysesatasinglespatialscalethatis'guesstimated'apriori.
Keywords:Scale,Landscapeconfiguration,Amphibians,Temporalscale.
Birdmigration
TUESDAY09:30,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Stopover timing and refueling in relation to migration distance and sex in Wilson’s
warbler
YOLANDAE.MORBEY,WESTERNUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
QUENTINR.HAYS,WESTERNUNIVERSITY;KEITHA.HOBSON,WESTERNUNIVERSITY,ENVIRONMENTANDCLIMATECHANGECANADA;
JAMESE.LYONS,USGS;CHRISTOPHERG.GUGLIELMOWESTERNUNIVERSITY
WeinvestigatedhowindividualvariationinmigrationdistanceaffectsaspectsofstopoverecologyofWilson’swarbler
(Cardellinapusilla),acommonNearctic-Neotropicalleapfrogmigrantinwhichmalesandfemalesfromdifferentbreeding
destinationscanoccupythesamestopoversitesinatemporallysegregatedway.Wecapturedbirdsduringspringandfall
atadesertstopoversiteinsouthernArizona.Migrationdistanceofindividualswasinferredusingthehydrogenstable
isotoperatiooffeathers(d2Hf)whichshowsastronglatitudinalgradientinNorthAmerica.Refuelingratewasmeasured
usingplasmametaboliteanalysis,andstopoverdurationwasestimatedusingresightingsofcolor-bandedbirds.
Controllingforvariationincapturedate,wefoundnoevidencethatmigrationdistanceorsexaffectedrefuelingrate,sizecorrectedbodymass,fatscore,orstopoverdurationinthespring.Despitelownumbersofbirdsusingthesiteinthefall,
longerdistancemigrantsappearedtohaveahigherrefuelingratebutsimilarsize-correctedbodymass,fatscore,and
stopoverdurationasshorter-distancemigrants.Extendingknowledgeofmigrationinthisspecies,wefoundthatthe
compositionofbirdsfromdifferentbreedinglatitudesdifferedbetweenspringandfallinfemalesbutnotinmales,with
morespringfemalesoriginatingfromnortherlyratherthansoutherlybreedingregions.Thus,whilebreedinglatitudeand
sexarestrongandconsistentdeterminantsofmigrationtimingandpossiblyroutesinWilson’sWarblers,neitherseems
toconsistentlyinfluencerefuelingperformanceandstopoverduration.
Keywords:Birds,Behaviouralecology,Stableisotopes,Animalmovement,Foraging,Migration.
Sticklebackecologyandevolution
MONDAY08:15,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Heterozygosity and asymmetry in threespine stickleback
MATTHEWMORRIS,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY,[email protected]
SEANROGERS,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY
Theabilityofpopulationstorapidlyadapttonewenvironmentalconditionsdependsinpartontheamountofgenetic
variationalreadypresentinthepopulation.Suchstandinggeneticvariationmaypersistunderbalancingselectionif
multipleallelesareadaptiveunderdifferentcontexts.Sincethe1950sithasbeenhypothesizedthatgenome-wide
heterozygositycouldbufferagainstthegeneticandenvironmentalstressorsthatwouldotherwiseleadtodevelopmental
instability.Iftrue,selectionagainstasymmetryinbilateralorganismscouldmaintaingeneticvariationinapopulation.
However,untilrecentlyinsufficientcoverageacrossthegenomehashamperedtestsofthishypothesis.Herewereport
fluctuatingasymmetryforthepresence/absenceoflateralplatesforeachmyomerepositioninmarinethreespine
stickleback,rangingfromAlaskatoCalifornia.Wesequenced~3000SNPsin187individuals.Wefoundnoassociation
betweengenome-widestandardizedmultilocusheterozygosityandasymmetry.However,therewasasignificant
relationshipbetweenheterozygosityatamajoreffectlocus(Eda)andasymmetry,withheterozygotesshowingincreased
asymmetry.ThusvariationatEdamayconstituteaformofgeneticstressthatismaintainedduetotheotherfitness
consequencesofEda.
Keywords:Stickleback,Genomicsequencing,Adaptation,Stress,Geneticvariation,Plasticity.
Lifehistories:reproduction,senescence
TUESDAY11:30,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Does habitat selection constrain adaptive life-histories?
DOUGLASW.MORRIS,LAKEHEADUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
Theexpectednumberofoffspringthataparentproducesisaproductofadaptiveevolution.Innumerouscases,however,
themeanclutchorlittersizeofapopulationhasfailedtoevolveeventhoughitissmallerthanthemostproductivesize.
Mostresolutionsofthispeculiarparadoxpointanaccusatoryfingertowardanincreaseinmortality,orreducedfuture
reproduction,ofparentsthatproducelargeclutchsizes.Abnormallylowrecruitmentofoffspringfromlargelittersduring
unfavourabletimesandoptimizinginvestmentcanalsoyieldastrategyfavouringsmallerthanexpectedmeanlittersize.
Butitisalsopossiblethatadaptiveevolutionofincreasedlittersizeisconstrainedbythewayinwhichindividualsexploit
habitatvariationinspaceandtime.Robusttestsofthehabitatexplanationaremissingbecausetheyrequirelong-term
dataonreproductionandsurvivalacrossarangeofenvironmentalconditions.Iexplorethepotentialroleofhabitat
selectionwithdatafrom70breedingseasonsofwhite-footedmiceoccupyingthreehabitats.Long-termpatternsoflitter-
sizevariationinthispopulationsuggestthatenvironmentalvariancemayoftenberesponsiblefortheapparentinability
ofnaturalselectiontoincreaselittersize.Studiesthatfailtorecognizeandproperlyintegrateenvironmentalvariance
mighttherebyfalselyinterpretevolutionarystrategiesandmisleadourunderstandingofeco-evolutionarydynamics.
Keywords:Reproduction,Evolution,Selection,Smallmammals.
Geneticstructureofpopulations
TUESDAY16:00,ROOM:COLWOOD
Sharp reduction in genetic diversity of the coastal tailed frog (Ascaphus truei): A
phylogeographic study using multiple methods
CHERIEMOSHER,UNIVERSITYOFNORTHERNBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
BRENTMURRAY,UNIVERSITYOFNORTHERNBRITISHCOLUMBIA;CHRISJOHNSON,UNIVERSITYOFNORTHERNBRITISHCOLUMBIA
Northernmostpopulationsareoftencharacterizedbylowergeneticvariability,thisisespeciallytrueforAscaphustrueias
theyhavearelativelylowfecundityandlengthylarvalperiod.Wecomparedthewithinregiongeneticdiversityof
populationsnearthenorthernextentofA.truei'srange(nearTerraceBC)tofourotherregions(BellaCoolaBC,Chilliwack
BC,Mt.St.HelenWA,andtheOlympicPeninsulaWA),movingtowardsthecoreoftherangeinWashington,USA.Weused
twogenetictechniques-a9-microsatellitelocistudyandnext-generationsequencing-toexplorebroad-scalegenetic
diversification.Sampledregions(N=5)separatedinto4geneticclusterswiththetwomostnorthernregionsclustering
together.Theallelicrichnessandheterozygosityweresubstantiallylowerinthosetworegions.Thistalkwilldetailour
intriguingresultsandshowcaseinsightintoA.truei'suniqueevolutionarylineageinBritishColumbia.
Keywords:Amphibians,Populationrange,Geneticvariation,Evolution,Populationgenetics,Connectivity.
MarineEcology
TUESDAY16:45,ROOM:SIDNEY
Emergent consumption and ecosystem impacts of invasive Chinook salmon in
Patagonia
NICOLASMUÑOZ,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY,WESTERNUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
BRIANREID,CENTRODEINVESTIGACIÓNENECOSISTEMASDELAPATAGONIA;CRISTIANCORREA,UNIVERSIDADAUSTRALDECHILE;JOHN
REYNOLDS,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY
Whereasresearchontheimpactsofinvasivespecieshaslargelyfocusedonthedirect,top-downeffectsofinvaders,
speciesthatchangethemovementandavailabilityofresourcesarelikelytohavelargebottom-upeffectsonfoodwebs.
Overthepastthreedecades,Chinooksalmon(Oncorhynchustshawytscha)havebeencolonizingthePatagonianstreams
ofsouthernSouthAmerica.Salmoncanhavefar-reachingimpactsontheproductivityoffreshwaterandriparian
ecosystems,largelyduetotheenergyandnutrientsubsidiesthattheyprovideecosystemswithwhentheyspawnand
subsequentlydie.AsChinooksalmonexpandtheirabundanceanddistributioninPatagonia,thereispotentialforrapid,
widespreadchangeintheseecosystems.Intheaustralsummerandfallof2016,wemeasuredalgalproductivityand
nutrientpoolsizeinstreamreacheswithandwithoutspawningsalmon.Algalchlorophyllaconcentrationwashigherin
salmonreachesrelativetonon-salmonreaches,consistentwithanutrientsubsidyeffect.Wealsousedcameratrapsto
qualitativelydocumentriparianconsumptionofsalmoncarcasses.ThemostfrequentscavengerswerethenativeSouth
Americangrayfox(Lycalopexgriseus)andnon-nativemouse(Musmusculus),aswellasnon-nativemink(Neovison
vison).Otherconsumersincludednon-nativeyellowjackets(Vespulamaculifrons)andthenative,insectivorous
passerineChucaotapaculo,whichperchedoncarcassesdailytofeedonflylarvae.Thesefindingsindicatethattheenergy
andnutrientsubsidiesprovidedbyinvasiveChinooksalmonareaffectingtherelativelypristineecosystemsofPatagonia,
andthatotherinvadersmaybenefitfromtheirestablishment.
Foraging
TUESDAY11:30,ROOM:SIDNEY
Predator functional responses: Breathing new life into old theory
DENNISMURRAY,TRENTUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
KEVINCHAN,TRENTUNIVERSITY;THOMASHOSSIE,TRENTUNIVERSITY;MARKO’DONOGHUE,ENVIRONMENTYUKON;CHARLESJ.
KREBS,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;STANBOUTIN,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA
Predatorfunctionalresponses,definedasthevariationinpercapitapredationraterelativetopreydensity,havebeena
longstandingfocusofresearchinecology.Todate,theoryexplainingpredatorfunctionalresponseswasdevelopedmostly
usingprey-dependentinteractionsinsingle-preymodelsystems,andleadingtorelativelysimpleempiricaltestswith
limitedreal-worldrelevance.Analysisofpredationratesfromalong-termstudyofCanadalynxandcoyotesintheYukon,
inrelationtotheirprimary(snowshoehare)andalternate(redsquirrel)prey,showsthatpredatorfunctionalresponses:
i)differdramaticallybetweensimilar-sizedpredators;ii)oftenarebetterexplainedbypredator-dependentratherthan
prey-dependentprocesses;andiii)varybetweenprimaryandalternatepreyevenforthesamepredatorspecies.These
findingsarereinforcedbyobservedspatialheterogeneityanduseofspatialrefugiabyharesandsquirrels,suggestingthat
interferencecompetitionbetweenpredatorswhenpreyarescarcecancontributestronglytotheshapeandmagnitudeof
predatorfunctionalresponses.Experimentaltestsusingadragonfly-tadpolesystemconfirmtheroleofspatial
heterogeneityofpreyonpredatorinterferenceandfunctionalresponses.Insum,weinferthatpredatorfunctional
responsesarebestunderstoodbyextendinginvestigationsbeyondsingularpredator-preyinteractions,andweconclude
bydiscussinghowfutureresearchstudiescanbedesignedstrategicallytomorefullyrevealmechanismsunderlying
predator-preyrelationshipsandpredationrates.
Keywords:Predation,Predatorfunctionalresponse,Interactions,Experiment,Insects.
Invasivespecies
WEDNESDAY11:30,ROOM:SAANICH
Agent-based scenario models of invasion and movement of the orchard pest
Rhagoletis pomonella (Diptera: Tephritidae) within the southern interior of British
Columbia
BRIANMUSELLE,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIAOKANAGAN,[email protected]
JASONPITHER,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIAOKANAGAN;LAELPARROT,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIAOKANAGAN;HOWARD
THISTLEWOOD,AGRICULTUREANDAGRI-FOODCANADA
Theapplemaggot,Rhagoletispomonella,isaneconomicallyimportantpestofpomefruitsintheUnitedStatesand
southernCanada.Presently,BritishColumbia'sOkanaganRegionistheonlysignificantcommercialapple-producing
regioninNorthAmericathatremainsfreeofit.Thisislikelytochangesoon,asR.pomonellaiswellestablishedwithin
certaincountiesinadjacentWashingtonStateandhasbeendifficulttomanage.Extensivesamplingandcontrolefforts
havebeenundertakensinceitsarrivalinWashingtoninthelate1970’s.Theresultingdataprovidedthefoundationfor
spatiallyexplicitagent-basedmodels(ABM),usedtoevaluateflymovementandestablishmentunderdifferent
managementschemeswithinthecomparableOkanaganregion.Byfollowingsimplemovementrules,theseABMs
simulatetheapplemaggotspreadacrosstheOkanaganregion,interactingwithboththelandscapeandmanagement
practices.Thesimulationsyieldmapsexpressingriskofinfestationundervariousmanagementandlandchange
scenarios.Preliminaryfindingswillbepresented,aswellastheresultsofvalidationtestsagainstWashingtondata.Toour
knowledge,ABMshavenotpreviouslybeenusedtoexplorescenariosofspreadofaninsectpestintoanewregion.
Ultimately,theresultingABMswillbeusedtoinformmanagementandsurveyeffortsasR.pomonellaestablishesinthe
southerninteriorofBritishColumbia.
Keywords:Spatialmodel,Invasion,Insects,Simulationmodel,Animalmovement.
Dispersal
WEDNESDAY11:15,ROOM:THEATRE
Ecology, genetics and conservation units despite gene flow in highly-vagile
terrestrial mammals (caribou and wolves)
MARCOMUSIANI,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY,[email protected]
ConservationUnits(CUs)aregroupsoforganismsdistinguishableecologicallyandgenetically,anddefiningCUsis
instrumentalinconservingbiodiversitywithinspecies.Recently,theuseofbothgenomicsandecologicalinformationhas
beenadvocatedfordelineatingCUsthatbetterreflectlocaladaptations(notwithstandingthechallengesofdetectingreal
adaptations)-i.e.thetraitsthatintheoryallowforpopulationviabilityinthelong-term.However,CUsaredifficultto
detectinhighly-vagileterrestrialmammalscharacterizedbylong-rangedispersaland,potentially,highlevelsofgeneflow
(e.g.caribouandwolves).Mylab’sworkhelpeddefiningcaribouCUsbasedonconcordantdistributionsoftraits
potentiallyofadaptivesignificanceincludingbehavioural(migratory,partiallymigratoryorsedentaryCUs),ecological
(foragingspecializationofCUs),andgeneticvariationatvariedtemporalscales.Preliminarydataalsohighlightimportant
morphologicaldifferencesbetweenmigratoryandsedentarypopulations.WolfCUscouldalsobecharacterizedbased
upontraitsincludingbehavioural(migratoryvs.not),morphological(coatcoloration),ecological(preyspecialization),
andgeneticandgenomicvariation.Ourfindingsalsoconfirmedlong-rangedispersal(forwolves)andhighlevelsofgene
flowamongpopulations(forbothwolvesandcaribou).Thus,CUsarerecognizableeveninhighly-vagileterrestrial
mammalswithlong-rangedispersalandhighgeneflow,andintegrationofgeneticandecologicaldataallowsfor
understandingthepatternsofdifferentiationthatcouldbemaintainedinnature.
Keywords:Mammals,Populationdynamics,Geneticvariation,Dispersal.
Marineecology
TUESDAY14:00,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Benefits and challenges of UAV mapping for seagrass ecology and conservation
NATASHANAHIRNICK,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
PAULHUNTER,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,HIGHANGLEUAV;MAYCIRACOSTA,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA;SARAHSCHROEDER,
UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA
Thespatialdistributionofecologicalphenomenaisofgreatimportancetounderstandtherelationshipbetweenstructure
andfunctionofecosystems.Remotesensingtechnology,suchasairborneandsatelliteimagery,isoftenusedtodelineate
thesephenomena,butthesetechnologiesarelimitedbythespatialandtemporalscaleoftheimageryandthehighcostof
imagerycollection.Ground-basedsurveymethodsontheotherhand,canbeadministeredatscalesandfrequencies
appropriatefortheanalysisinquestion,butcanbeextremelytimeandlabourintensive.Bridgingthegapbetween
remotelysenseddataandground-basedmappingtechniquesisaerialimagerycollectedbyUnmannedAerialVehicle
(UAV).Providingsuperiorspatialresolution,highflexibilityfortask-specificflightplanning,andsignificantlydecreased
operationalcostscomparedtomannedaircraftorhighresolutionsatelliteimagery,UAVsarerevolutionizingthestudyof
localscalehabitatdistribution.WepresentthemethodologyandresultsfromseveralUAVmappingsurveysofeelgrass
(Zosteramarina)meadowsintheSouthernGulfIslands,BritishColumbia,exemplifyingthesuccessesandchallenges
associatedwiththeuseofUAVtechnologyforseagrassmapping.CanadianUAVregulations,UAVplatformsandmission
planning,specificenvironmentalparametersnecessaryforimageacquisition,thepost-processingworkflowofcollected
imagery,andmappingtechniquesfordelineationofeelgrassmeadowsarediscussed.
Keywords:Remotesensing,Marine,UAV,Mapping.
Canadianprotectedareasinachangingclimate:Across-ecosystemapproachsymposium
TUESDAY14:30,ROOM:SAANICH
Planning for Neo-tropical migratory bird conservation under climate change
ILONANAUJOKAITIS-LEWIS,ENVIRONMENTANDCLIMATECHANGECANADA,[email protected]
TARAG.MARTIN,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;HUGHP.POSSINGHAM,THENATURECONSERVANCY;MARIE-JOSÉEFORTIN,
UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO
Migratorybirdspeciespresentauniquechallengeforconservationplanningunderclimatechangeduetotheircomplex
lifehistories.Conservationplansmustaccountformultiplehabitatsrequiredacrosstheannualcycle,butfewspatial
conservationprioritizationsconsiderseasonalrangesthuslimitingtheclimateadaptationpotentialofprotectedareas.
Species'abilitytotrackchangingclimatesisconstrainedbytheavailabilityofhabitats,yetthesearerarelyconsideredin
global-scalespeciesdistributionmodels(SDMs)andspatialprioritizations.Accountingformultiplemodeluncertainties,
wequantifiedthesensitivityofspatialprioritiesunderprojectedclimatechangetotheinclusionofvegetationpredictors
withinSDMsacrossbreedingandnonbreedingrangesof28Nearctic-Neotropicalmigratorybirdspecies.Weshowthat
priorityareasidentifiedusingbothclimateandvegetationpredictorscontainedmoresuitablehabitatrelativetoclimate
modelsalone,undercurrentconditionsandfutureclimatechange.Spatialprioritiesidentifiedundercurrentclimatic
conditionsarenotprojectedtoberobusttofutureclimateconditionsacrossseasonalranges.Ourresultssuggestthatto
reduceriskyconservationinvestmentsunderclimatechange,spatialprioritiesdependentonSDMsmustincludebiotic
factorsthatrepresentkeyresourcedependencies.Givenmigratoryspecies'complexresponsestodynamicthreats,
shiftingconservationprioritieswillnecessitatenovelpoliticalalliancestoconserveglobally-sharedresources.
Keywords:Conservationpractitioners,Birds,Climatechange,Spatialplanning,Speciesdistributionmodel.
Biodiversity
TUESDAY11:00,ROOM:VIEWROYAL
Effects of disturbance and environmental factors on plant communities at
freshwater springs
KAYLEIGHG.NIELSON,UNIVERSITYOFLETHBRIDGE,[email protected]
KARENM.GILL,UNIVERSITYOFLETHBRIDGE;JERID.LEDBETTER,SPRINGSSTEWARDSHIPINSTITUTE,MUSEUMOFNORTHERNARIZONA;
ABEE.SPRINGER,UNIVERSITYOFNORTHERNARIZONA;LARRYE.STEVENS,SPRINGSSTEWARDSHIPINSTITUTE,MUSEUMOFNORTHERN
ARIZONA;STEWARTB.ROOD,UNIVERSITYOFLETHBRIDGE
Theintroductionofnon-nativespeciesisglobalconcernsincetheseinvasivespeciescanleadtoalossofbiodiversityas
wellasecosystemservices.InsouthernAlberta,freshwaterspringsrepresenthotspotsofbiodiversity.Springsarealso
utilizedbylivestockandhumansandthismayresultindisturbancethatcouldincreasetheoccurrenceofintroduced
plantspecies.Plantcommunitieswereinventoriedaround55springsinAlbertatodeterminethedensityandshootcover
ofnativeandintroducedplantspecies.Thesevalueswerecomparedwithlocalandregionalenvironmentalfactorsand
theextentofhumandisturbance.Thedensityandcoverofintroducedplantswasfoundtobegreaterwithincreased
humandisturbancebutnativeplantcoverwaslower.Introducedplantoccurrencefollowedlandscapepatterns;density
andcoverathighelevationspringsintheRockyMountainswaslowercomparedtothelowerelevationuplandsregion.
Thispatternlikelyreflectsdifferentlanduseastheuplandsregionsaregrazedextensively,whilemontaneregions
experiencelessindustrializationandaremorelikelytobeprotected.Sufficientenvironmentalmanagementprocedures
maybeabletoreducetheestablishmentofintroducedplantsatfreshwaterspringsandthuscontributetowardsthe
conservationoftheseecologicallydistinctivelandscapefeaturesthatarehighlyfavouredfortheirenvironmentaland
aestheticvalues.
Keywords:Invasion,Plants,Disturbance,Freshwater.
Forestecology
WEDNESDAY11:45,ROOM:WCOAST
Shore morphology and nearshore forest structure on Islands of BC’s Central Coast
WIEBENIJLAND,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,HAKAIINSTITUTE,[email protected]
OWENT.FITZPATRICK,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,HAKAIINSTITUTE;SARAB.WICKHAM,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,HAKAIINSTITUTE;
BRIANM.STARZOMSKI,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,HAKAIINSTITUTE
Near-shoreforestsaresubjecttostressesfromoceanicwindsandsalt-spray,butmayalsobenefitfrommarinenutrient
subsidiesintheformofseaweedwrackorbyanimalmovementsbetweenmarineandterrestrialecosystems.Shoreslope,
width,substrate,andothermorphologicalcharacteristicsregulatewrackretentionandshorehabitatandthereforeactas
astrongcontrolonshorezonepermeabilitytomarinenutrients.BritishColumbia’sCentralCoasthashighlyvariable
shoresdominatedbyrockcliffsandplatforms,butincludeswidespreadsandandgravelbeaches,mudslicks,and
shelteredbays.Commonlyavailableshorezonedataarebasedonobliqueimageinterpretationandprovideinsufficient
detailtostudynutrienttransferprocesses,especiallyonsmallislands.Weuseunmannedaerialphotogrammetryto
createhigh-resolution3Dmodelsofremoteislandsandderivedetailedmorphologicalmetricsaswellasinformationof
near-shorevegetationstructure.Thesedataprovidealookattheshorezoneandnearshorevegetationinunprecedented
detailandenableadirectevaluationoftherelationbetweenshoremorphologyandforeststructure.Ourresultscanbe
readilycombinedwithplotscaleobservationsofmarinederivednutrientstoquantifysubsidyeffectsandtherelation
betweenshoremorphologyandlandwardnutrientpermeability.
Keywords:Landscapeconfiguration,Remotesensing,Environmentalvariation,Marinesubsidies.
Movement,activity,wildlifemanagement
WEDNESDAY09:15,ROOM:OAKBAY2
The impact of mountain pine beetle and mountain pine beetle management on
caribou and grizzly bear food supply
BARRYR.NOBERT,FRIRESEARCH,[email protected]
TERRYA.LARSEN,FRIRESEARCH;KARINEE.PIGEON,FRIRESEARCH;GORDONB.STENHOUSE,FRIRESEARCH;LAURAFINNEGAN,FRI
RESEARCH
Themountainpinebeetle(Dendroctonusponderosae,MPB)isoneofthemostdestructiveagentsofpine(Pinusspp.)
forestsinwesternNorthAmerica.TomitigatetheimpactsofMPB,theAlbertagovernmenthasimplementedastrategyof
increasedtimberharvestofsusceptiblestandsandamanualcutandburnprogramthattargetsnewlyinfectedtrees.
Prescribedfireisanothermanagementtreatmentbeingimplemented,butprimarilyinareaswheretimberharvestisnot
possible.LandscapechangesassociatedwithMPBandMPBmanagementhavethepotentialtoimpactspecies-at-risklike
woodlandcaribou(Rangifertaranduscaribou)andgrizzlybear(Ursusarctos).Inparticular,changestounderstory
vegetationthatresultfromMPBmanagementcouldinfluencetheavailabilityoffoodresourcessuchasterrestriallichen
forcaribouandberryproducingshrubsforbears.Toaddressthisconcern,wemodelledtheoccurrenceandabundanceof
foodresourcesbasedonvegetationsurveysconductedwithinforeststandswithvaryinglevelsofMPBinfestationand
withinforeststandswherethreemanagementtreatments(timberharvest,cutandburn,andfire)wereimplemented.We
focusedvegetationsurveyswithinfivecaribourangesofthefoothillsandborealforestofAlbertawheregrizzlybearsalso
occur.WewilldiscussthechangesincaribouandgrizzlybearfoodsupplyresultingfromMPBinfestation,timberharvest,
cutandburn,andwildfire.Inaddition,wewilldiscusstheintegrationofthefoodmodelsintoatoolforpredictingthe
potentialconsequencesofMPBmanagementoncaribouandgrizzlybearfoodsupply.
Keywords:Management,Speciesatrisk,Foraging,Mammals,Landscapeconfiguration.
Livingintheeco-evolutionarytheatre:researchguidedandinspiredbyintensivefieldobservationssymposium
TUESDAY16:30,ROOM:THEATRE
Stability and change in the evolutionary dynamics of color-pattern loci
PATRIKNOSIL,UNIVERSITYOFSHEFFIELD,[email protected]
ROMAINVILLOUTREIX,UNIVERSITYOFSHEFFIELD;ZACHGOMPERT,UTAHSTATEUNIVERSITY;CLARISSAF.DECARVALHO,UNIVERSITYOF
SHEFFIELD;VÍCTORSORIA-CARRASCO,UNIVERSITYOFSHEFFIELD;MORITZMUSCHICK,EAWAGCENTREFORECOLOGY,EVOLUTIONAND
BIOGEOCHEMISTRY;DOROLINDKTE,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY;BERNARDJ.CRESPI,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY;JEFFFEDER,NOTRE
DAMEUNIVERSITY;CRISTINAP.SANDOVAL,UNIVERSITYOFCALIFORNIASANTABARBARA
Evolutionarydynamicsvaryacrosstime.Thecausesofthispatternarecriticalforunderstandinggeneticdiversityand
speciation.Westudytheevolutionofgeneticregionsunderlyingcrypticcolormorphsofastickinsect.Atthescaleofdays
toyears,theseregionsexperiencestrongerfrequencychangethantherestofthegenome,implyingpotentialforrapid
fixation.However,morphfrequenciesacross24yearsarefairlystable,exhibitingboundedfluctuationsassociatedwith
variableheterozygoteadvantage,frequencydependentselection,climaticvariation,andmigration.Atlongertimescales,
directionalchangeoccurswhennewhabitatsarecolonizedorfavoredmutationsoriginate.Thus,transientdirectional
changeisquicklyreplacedbyfluctuationsaroundadynamicequilibriumormovingoptimum.Ourresultsaccordwith
Simpson’smodelofadaptivezonesanddrawparallelstodynamicsseeninothercomplexecologicalandphysicalsystems.
LinkingEnvironmentalLawandScienceSymposium
WEDNESDAY10:30,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Accelerating the creation of effective marine protected areas in Canada: scientific
advice and the federal Oceans Act
LINDANOWLAN,WESTCOASTENVIRONMENTALLAW,[email protected]
ThefederalOceansAct,Canada'sflagshipmarineprotectionandmanagementlaw,givesregulatorsbroadpowersto
designatemarineprotectedareas(MPAs).Ensuringthatthesedecisionsareinformedbythebestavailablemarine
scienceisessentialtotheprotectionofoceanhealth.Thispresentationwilldiscusstwoproposetwolawreformstofill
thegapsbetweenscienceandlawinthecreationofMPAsintheOceansAct:(1)theinclusionofminimumprotection
standards,and(2)makingecologicalintegritytheforemostgoalforMPAmanagement.TheframeworkOceansActwas
meanttobesupplementedbyregulationstosupportimplementation.However,after20yearsnoregulationsenshrine
recognizedbestpracticesforeffectiveMPAs,suchastheneedforno-takeareasaspartofeachMPA.Withoutlegally
bindingstandardsofminimumprotection,thelawallowsforprohibitionsonindustrialactivitiestobenegotiatedona
case-by-casebasis,resultingintheexistenceofinconsistentprotectionschemes,lengthytimelinesforsecuring
designation,andoftenweakenedrestrictions.Mandatesformanagersofterrestrialparksandmarineareasdiffer.
AmendingtheOceansActtoincludeaprovisionequivalenttothatfoundintheCanadaNationalParksActwhichrequires
prioritizationof“themaintenanceorrestorationofecologicalintegrity”wouldhelptocorrectthis“doublestandard”
betweenmarineandterrestrialprotectedarealaw.Clarifyingtheprioritizationofthe‘P’inMPAwithintheOceansAct
wouldimprovethelinksbetweenscienceandlawinCanada’smarineenvironmentandreducethreatstoimperiled
marineareas.
Complexcoevolution:understandinghowcoevolutionmayoperatedifferentlyacrossdiverseinteractiontypes,
systems,andscalessymposium
TUESDAY09:15,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
The role of coevolution in the assembly and disassembly of mutualistic communities
SCOTTL.NUISMER,UNIVERSITYOFIDAHO,[email protected]
Mutualismsplayafundamentalbiologicalrole,facilitatingsuccession,enhancingecosystemservices,andinfluencingthe
robustnessofcommunities.Thistalkwillpresentresultsfrommathematicalmodelsexploringtherolecoevolutionplays
intheassemblyofmutualisticcommunitiesandinbufferingthesecommunitiesagainstdissasemblyinthefaceof
anthropogenicdisturbance.
Physiologicalecology,temperature
WEDNESDAY10:45,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Metabolic performance and fitness-related responses of a tropical freshwater fish
(Nile perch; Lates niloticus) to elevated temperatures
ELIZABETHNYBOER,MCGILLUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
LAURENCHAPMAN,MCGILLUNIVERSITY
Tropicalfishesarepredictedtobeespeciallyvulnerabletoclimatewarmingastheyarethoughttohavenarrowthermal
windowsrelativetotemperatespeciesandtobelivingneartheirupperedgeoftheirthermaltolerancelimits.However,
theeffectsofincreasingtemperaturesontropicalinlandfisheshaverarelybeentested,andmuchuncertaintyremains
regardingresponsesandmechanismsbywhichtropicalfreshwaterfishesreactoradapttothesechanges.Thisstudy
quantifiedeffectsofshort-term(3days)andlonger-term(3-weeks)acclimationtoelevatedwatertemperatureonthe
aerobicperformance(standardandmaximummetabolicrate,aerobicscope,EPOC)andthermaltolerance(CTmax)of
Nileperch,afishorfoodsecurityimportanceintheLakeVictoriaregionofEastAfrica.Both3-dayand3-weekacclimated
NileperchshowedalinearincreaseinCTmaxwithacclimationtemperature,andlongerthermalacclimationallowedNile
perchtopushtheirupperthermaltolerancelimitevenhigher.AcclimatedNileperchshowedreductionsinSMR,MMR
andAScomparedtoacutelyexposedfish,howeverthesechangeswereaccompaniedbydecreasesinEPOCacross
exposuretime,indicatingthatthedecreaseinmetabolicrateandASmaybeindicativeofphysiologicalchangesand
increasedefficiencyofcardio-respiratoryfunctionafteracclimation.Thisfindingissupportedbyimprovementsin
growthandconditionathigheracclimationtemperaturesandnegativerelationshipsbetweenASandgrowthin3-week
acclimatedfish.
Keywords:Africa,Temperaturemodulation,Physiology,Fish,Plasticity.
ECOLOGICAL,EVOLUTIONARYANDENVIRONMENTALSYNTHESISINTHE21STCENTURYSYMPOSIUM
TUESDAY16:15,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
The ultimate challenge: Synthesizing theory and data to understand ecological
change
MARYO'CONNOR,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
Synthesisecologyhasexpandedourunderstandingofecologicalpatternsandprocesses,andnowisapowerfulandstaple
componentofourtoolkittounderstandglobalecologicalchange.Acurrentmajorchallengeistounderstandratesof
biodiversitychangeinthecontextofhumanactivities.Thischallengerequiressynthesisnotonlyofdiversityand
diversitychangeestimates,butalsoofourtheoreticalunderstandingofbiodiversityandhowitvariesinspaceandtime.
Wetackledthischallengebysynthesizingtheoreticalexpectationsforwhybiodiversitychangevariesfromfinetobroad
spatialscales,andcomparingourexpectationswithempiricaldatafromcasestudiesandasynthesisofbiodiversitytimeseriescollectedforspatialscalesrangingfromsq-cmtoglobalforvertebrateandinvertebratetaxaacrosshabitats.We
observedspeciesgainsandlossesacrosseveryspatialscalesandforalltaxaandhabitats.However,wefoundthatmuch
oftheavailabletime-seriesdataisunabletosupportcross-scalecomparisonsofbiodiversitychangebecauseitis
measuredandobserveddifferentlyatdifferentspatialscales.Bysynthesizingdatainthecontextofbiodiversitychange
theories,itbecameclearthatsystematicandscaleexplicitapproachestoobservingbiodiversityanddetectingchangeare
criticallyneeded.Wedrawparallelsbetweenunderstandingbiodiversitychangeandclimatechangeimpacts,andwe
developaframeworkfordetectingandattributingbiodiversitychangewithconfidenceinthe21stCentury.Therobust
detectionofbiodiversitychangeisnotpossiblewithoutjointsynthesisoftheoryanddata.
Habitatselectionanduse
WEDNESDAY09:15,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Determining factors affecting dragonfly emergence, including a species-at-risk
(skillet clubtail: Gomphus ventricosus) in the lower St John river and Grand Lake
meadows area
ZOEO'MALLEY,UNIVERSITYOFNEWBRUNSWICK,[email protected]
ZACCHAEUSCOMPSON,UNIVERSITYOFNEWBRUNSWICK;JESSICAM.ORLOFSKE,UNIVERSITYOFNEWBRUNSWICK;WENDYA.MONK,
UNIVERSITYOFNEWBRUNSWICK;R.ALLENCURRY,UNIVERSITYOFNEWBRUNSWICK
Dragonfly(Odonata:Anisoptera)lifehistoriesareintricatelytiedwithaquaticandterrestrialhabitat,especiallyduring
thecriticaltransitionfromnymphtoadult.Thepurposeofthisstudyistodeterminethecriticalhabitatandemergence
requirementsforseveralOdonatespecies,includingtheendangeredSkilletClubtaildragonfly(Gomphusventricosus),
usingexuviae(shedexoskeletons).Aftertheadultsemerge,exuviaecanbecollectedandreliablyidentified,which
providesanonlethalsamplingmethodforrareandprotectedspecies.Exuviaewerecollectedfrom2014to2016from15
sitesnearGrandLakeandalongtheSaintJohnRiver,inFredericton,NewBrunswick.Throughoutthecollectingperiodwe
measuredabioticvariablessuchaswaterlevel,airandwatertemperature.Thepositionofeachexuviawaslinkedto
hydrologicdatabyrecordingtheverticalandhorizontaldistancetraveledrelativetothewaterlevel.Riparianhabitat
conditionswerealsoevaluatedusingtreeandvegetationsurveys.Structuralequationmodelingevaluatesthe
relationshipsbetweenemergingdragonfliesandtheirenvironmentbothinthewaterandonland.Hydrological
conditionsmayhavedirectimplicationsonemergencefordragonfliesinwhichspeciesmaybesignaledtoemergefrom
specificwaterlevelortemperaturecues.Alterationoftheseflowscouldimpactthecriticalemergencestageofthisand
otherspeciesfromthelossofbiologicalcuesorlimitedaccesstosuitableemergencehabitat.Understandingthe
relationshipbetweenriparianhabitats,hydrologicalconditionsandemergencecouldbecrucialfortheconservationand
managementoftheSkilletClubtaildragonfly.
Keywords:Dragonflies,Lakes,Habitatcomplexity,Hydrologicalcondition.
Animaldiet
TUESDAY11:15,ROOM:WCOAST
Stable isotopes and fatty acids reveal freshwater aquatic prey in the diet of wolves
SEANA.O’DONOVAN,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA,[email protected]
ALLICIAP.KELLY,GOVERNMENTOFNORTHWESTTERRITORIES;KEITHA.HOBSON,UNIVERSITYOFWESTERNONTARIO;SUZANNEM.
BUDGE,DALHOUSIEUNIVERSITY;ANDREWE.DEROCHER,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA
Stableisotopes(SI)andfattyacids(FA)areoftenusedtoexaminewildlifediets.SIhavebeenusedextensivelyacrossa
varietyofecosystems,whereasFAhaveprimarilybeenusedtoassessthedietsofmarineanimals.HerewecombineSI
(d13Candd15N)andFAanalysestogaininsightsintothedietofaterrestrialpredator:greywolves(Canislupus)in
southernNorthwestTerritories.Wesampledhair,muscleandadiposetissuefrom102wolvesharvestedduringwinter
between2012and2015.Wealsocollectedmuscletissuefrompotentialpreyspeciesinthestudyarea.Weare
particularlyinterestedinexaminingintrapopulationvariabilityinwolfdietbetweenthreesub-regionswithinthestudy
areacharacterizedbyuniqueassemblagesoflargeungulatepreyspecies.Preliminaryresultssuggestthatduringsummer
andwintertheremaybeconsistentdifferencesinwolfdietbetweensub-regions.Unexpectedly,analysisofwolfmuscle
tissueSIdatainBayesianmixingmodelssuggestedthat9-30%ofwinterdietwascomprisedofanaquaticsource.
PreliminaryanalysisofFAdataalsosuggeststhatinsomewolves,aquaticallysourcedFAarepresentinadiposetissue.
Wolvesfromareasnearcommunities,towardwhichourdatasetisbiased,mayhaveexploitedfishscrapsleftonicefrom
commercialfishingoperationsandbaitstationssettolurefurbearersintotrappedareas.SIdatafromhairsuggestthatan
aquaticfoodsourceisabsentinasubsetofthesamewolvesduringspringandsummermonths.Samplecollectionand
analysesareongoing.
Keywords:Wolves,Foraging,Stableisotopes,Fattyacidanalysis,Freshwater.
Biodiversity
TUESDAY11:45,ROOM:VIEWROYAL
Patterns of plant succession and scale of observation in an extreme environment
KATRIINAO’KANE,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
GREGHENRY,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA
Ourunderstandingoftheclassicconceptofsuccessionisfarfromcomplete,especiallyinextremeenvironmentssuchas
theHighArctic.Thisworkcontinuesastorythatbegan20yearsagoonEllesmereIslandintheCanadianArctic
archipelago.In1995,asmallsectionofTwinGlacierforelandwassurveyedtocharacterizethepatternsofsuccession.
Vegetationcoveranddiversitywereassessed,andassumingthissectionrepresentedachronosequence,thestudyfound
thatsuccessionatthesitefollowedadirectional-replacementmodel,transitioningthroughfourmainstagesover44
years.However,dotheseconclusionsstillholdtrueifwebroadenthescaleofoursurvey?In2016,wereturnedtoTwin
Glacierandre-surveyedthesamesmallsectionoftheforelandusingidenticalmethods,thusprolongingthetemporal
scaleofobservation.Wealsoenlargedthespatialscalebysurveyingamuchlargerareaoftheforeland.Theseadditions
bringnewinsightsintothepatternsofplantsuccessionobservedatTwinGlacier,andwillbethefocusofmy
presentation.
Keywords:Colonization,Plants,Arctic,Biodiversity,Timescales.
SeagrassecologyandconservationalongPacificandAtlanticcoastssymposium
TUESDAY10:45,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Seascape connectivity effects on the nursery value of temperate seagrass ecosystems
ANGELEENOLSON,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,HAKAIINSTITUTE,[email protected]
MARGOTHESSING-LEWIS,HAKAIINSTITUTE;FRANCISJUANES,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA
Nearshoremarinehabitatsprovidecriticalnurserygroundsforjuvenilefish,buttheirfunctionalrolerequiresthe
considerationoftheimpactsofspatialconnectivity.Ourstudyexaminesnurseryfunctioninseagrasshabitatsthrougha
marinelandscape(seascape)lens,focusingonthespatialinteractionsbetweenhabitats,andtheireffectsonpopulation
andtrophicdynamicsassociatedwithnurseryfunctiontorockfish(Sebastesspp.).InthetemperatePacificOcean,
rockfishdependonnearshorehabitatsafteranopen-ocean,pelagiclarvalperiod.Weinvestigatetheroleoftwo
importantspatialattributes,habitatadjacencyandcomplexity,onrockfishrecruitmenttoseagrassmeadows,andthe
provisionofsubsidiestorockfishinseagrassfoodwebs.Totestfortheseeffects,underwatervisualsurveysand
collectionsofyoung-of-the-year(YOY)copperrockfishrecruitment(summer2015)werecomparedacrossadjacent
seagrass,kelpforest,andsandhabitatswithinanearshoreseascapeontheCentralCoastofBritishColumbia.Recruitment
waspositivelyinfluencedbythestructuralcomplexityofseagrassandadjacencytokelpforestsites,howeveranegative
interactionbetweenseagrasscomplexityandkelpforestadjacencysuggeststhatpredationmodifiescopperrockfish
recruitmentdensities.Inaddition,usingd13Candd15Nisotopestodeterminethebasalcontributionstorockfishfood
webs,kelp-derivednutrientswereonaverage47%ofYOYcopperrockfishdiets,whichwas3xand67xgreaterthanthe
contributionofautochthonousseagrassproduction(seagrassepiphyteandseagrassblades,respectively).YOYcopper
rockfishdietsinseagrassadjacenttosandhabitatshadthegreatestamountsofkelp-derivednutrientsandharpacticoid
copepods,andconcurrentlyhadlowerbodyconditioncomparedtorockfishintheseagrasskelpedgesandinterior,
feedingpredominantlyonseagrassepiphytesandcalanoidcopepods.Thisstudyprovidesfurtherevidencethat
temperateseagrassesarenurseriesforrockfishandthatspatialelementsofseascapes,includingconnectivityviahabitat
adjacencyandvariabilityinhabitatstructure,altertherecruitmentanddietsofrockfishinseagrasshabitats.These
seascapenurseryeffectsareimportantconsiderationsformarineplanning,especiallygiventheglobaldeclineof
nearshorehabitats.
Keywords:Seagrass,Fish,Marine,Habitatselection,Habitatcomplexity,Connectivity.
LifeontheEdge:MechanismsofAdaptingtoClimateChangeSymposium
TUESDAY11:45,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Transcriptomic variability in population responses of Atlantic cod to temperature
REBEKAHOOMEN,DALHOUSIEUNIVERSITY,UNIVERSITYOFOSLO,INSTITUTEOFMARINERESEARCHFLØ[email protected]
HALVORKNUTSEN,UNIVERSITYOFOSLO,INSTITUTEOFMARINERESEARCHFLØDEVIGEN,UNIVERSITYOFAGDER;ESBENOLSEN,
INSTITUTEOFMARINERESEARCHFLØDEVIGEN,UNIVERSITYOFAGDER;SISSELJENTOFT,UNIVERSITYOFOSLO;NILSCHRISTIANSTENSETH,
UNIVERSITYOFOSLO;JEFFREYA.HUTCHINGS,DALHOUSIEUNIVERSITY,UNIVERSITYOFOSLO,UNIVERSITYOFAGDER
Understandingtheinterplaybetweenphenotypicplasticityandgeneticadaptationiscriticalforpredictingorganismal
responsestoenvironmentalchange.Byexploringspatialadaptationinplasticresponses,wecanbetterunderstandhow
populationshaveadaptedtotheirenvironmentsinthepast,theircontemporaryplasticresponses,andtheirpotentialfor
futureplasticand/oradaptivechange.Keyquestionssurroundingtheissueofvariablepopulationresponsesto
environmentalchangeincludethespatialscaleatwhichdifferencesinplasticityexistandthemolecularbasis(i.e.specific
genesorgeneticvariants)underlyingtheseadaptations.WeareinterestedinhowAtlanticcodinhabitingdifferent
thermalregimesresponddifferentlytochangesintemperature.Byintegratingcommon-gardenexperimentsacrossa
rangeoftemperatureswithgeneexpressionprofilesobtainedthroughRNAsequencing,weaimtobridgethegap
betweengenotypicandphenotypicvariation,andplasticandevolutionaryresponsestoclimatechangeamongcod
populationsontheNorwegiancoast.Thisapproachhasyieldedinsightinto:1)theresponseoflarvalcodgrowth,survival,
andgeneexpressiontotemperature;2)thepotentialforsmall-scalegeneticdifferencesinplasticresponsesinhighly
mobilemarinespecies;and3)themolecularbasisofthermaladaptationincod.Weaimtoinformpredictionsofthe
responsesofwildcodpopulationstochangingoceantemperaturesandeffectivemanagementofpopulationstoprevent
populationcollapseandbiodiversityloss.
LinkingEnvironmentalLawandScienceSymposium
WEDNESDAY09:30,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Should courts be 'Academies of Science'? Lessons From the misapplication of
"Adaptive Management" under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act
MARTINOLSZYNSKI,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY,[email protected]
Earlyoninthejurisprudencewithrespecttoenvironmentalassessment,Canadiancourtsdeclaredthattheywouldnotsit
as"academiesofscience"inthecontextoflegalchallengestothesufficiencyofenvironmentalassessments(Vancouver
IslandPeaceSocietyv.Canada[1992]3F.C.425).Overtime,thispositionhasevolvedintoa"lowthreshold"forthe
considerationofenvironmentaleffectsandtheirmitigation(OntarioPowerGenerationInc.v.GreenpeaceCanadaetal.
2015FCA186).Examiningthemisapplicationof"adaptivemanagement"intheenvironmentalassessmentcontext,this
presentationwillshowthedetrimentaleffectthattheCourts'hands-offapproachhashadonenvironmentalmanagement
andprotectioninCanada.
Evolutionarytheory
MONDAY13:45,ROOM:WCOAST
The genetic signature of evolutionary rescue with sex
MATTHEWOSMOND,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
GUILLAUMEMARTIN,UNIVERSITÉDEMONTPELLIER;OPHÉLIERONCE,UNIVERSITÉDEMONTPELLIER;SARAHOTTO,UNIVERSITYOF
BRITISHCOLUMBIA
Populationsareincreasinglyfacingstrongerenvironmentalshifts.Meanwhile,mosttheoriespredictingthedistributionof
fitness-effectsofallelesfixedduringadaptationassumeaninitiallywell-adaptedpopulation.Thisincongruitymayexplain
ourinabilitytopredictthedistributionoffitness-effectsfixedduring,forexample,theevolutionofresistanceto
antibiotics.Herewerelaxtheassumptionthatpopulationsareinitiallywell-adaptedandderivethedistributionoffitnesseffectsfixedduringevolutionaryrescue,conditionedonpersistence.Wedothisforbothasexualandsexualpopulations,
highlightinghowrecombinationsculptsthegeneticsignatureofevolutionaryrescue.
Keywords:Reproduction,Evolution,Populationgenetics,Simulationmodel.
Phylogenetics
MONDAY09:00,ROOM:WCOAST
Exploring the surprisingly finely dissected genomes of the Helianthus hybrid species
GREGORYL.OWENS,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
LORENH.RIESEBERG,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA
Homoploidhybridspeciationinvolvestwospecieshybridizing,withoutpolyploidy,toproduceathirdspeciesthatis
reproductivelyisolatedfrombothparents.Duringthehybridspeciationprocess,theinitiallylargegenomicfragmentsare
dividedbyrecombination.Thedegreetowhichtheparentalfragmentsaredividedcantellusaboutthestrengthof
selectionandpopulationsizesthatareneededforhybridspeciation.Someofthebestworkonthistopichasbeendonein
thesunflowerhybridspecies(Helianthusanomalus,H.deserticola,andH.paradoxus)whereearlymolecularwork
suggestedextremelylargeparentalblocksandrepeatablepatternsofcomposition.Hereweevaluatethesefindingsusing
next-gentranscriptomicdata.Incontrasttopreviouswork,wefindverysmallparentalfragmentsevenifweassume
extremelyhighgenotypingerrorrates.Despitethis,weconfirmthatverylargegenomictractsoftendocontain
preponderanceofgeneticmaterialfromoneparentortheother,andthatparallelismingenomiccompositionismuch
greaterthanexpectedbychance.Ourworksuggeststhatpopulationsizesduringhybridspeciationcanbemuchlarger
thanpreviouslysuspectedandthatselectionduringtheearlystagesofhybridspeciationplaysacriticalroleinshaping
thecompositionofhybridgenomes.
Keywords:Speciation,Hybridization,Genomicsequencing,Evolution,Plants.
Sticklebackecologyandevolution
MONDAY08:30,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Temporal variation shapes phenotypic and genetic diversity in bar-built estuary
populations of threespine stickleback
ANTOINEPACCARD,MCGILLUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
BENA.WASSERMAN,THEUNIVERSITYOFCALIFORNIASANTACRUZ;DIETAHANSON,MCGILLUNIVERSITY;LOUISASTORG,UNIVERSITÉ
DUQUÉBECÀMONTRÉAL;DANDURSTON,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA;SARAKURLAND,STOCKHOLMUNIVERSITY;TRAVISM.APGAR,
UNIVERSITYOFCALIFORNIASANTACRUZ;RANAW.EL-SABAAWI,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA;ANDREWP.HENDRY,MCGILLUNIVERSITY;
ERICP.PALKOVACS,UNIVERSITYOFCALIFORNIASANTACRUZ;ROWAND.H.BARRETT,MCGILLUNIVERSITY
Spatialselectionisknowntoshapespatialvariationinadaptivetraits.Whatislesscertainistheroleoftemporal
variation.Indeed,recenttheoreticalandempiricaladvancementsinecologyandpopulationgeneticsoftencometo
diametricallyopposedconclusionsabouttheimportanceoftemporalvariationinshapingtheadaptiveresponse.Here,
ourstudyfocusesonthreespinesticklebackfishpopulations(Gasterosteusaculeatus)encounteredacrossseveralbarbuiltestuariesofthecentralcoastofCaliforniaknownforhavingregularshiftsinenvironmentalconditions.Weaskedthe
followingquestions:Isphenotypicandgeneticvariationhigherinpopulationssubjecttostrongtemporalfluctuations
thanitisinpopulationssubjecttomorestableenvironments?Canwedetectevidenceofadaptivedivergenceamong
populationsexposedtodifferentselectivepressuresdespitetemporalvariationwithineachofthoseenvironments?We
usedstandardgeneticmarkerstotestforpopulationstructureandtheinfluenceofselection.Wealsoanalyzedclassic
sticklebackadaptivetraitstoassesslevelsofvariationinrelationtopredation.Finally,weaskedhoworganismal
stoichiometryvariesinrelationtophenotypes,genotypes,andpredationregime.Wefirstdiscoveredthatvariationin
bodyshapewasgreaterinourestuariesthaninknownstableenvironments.Second,despitetemporalvariations,we
detectedevidenceforadaptivedivergenceinpopulationsexposedtodifferentpredatorypressures.Ourresultssuggest
thattemporalenvironmentalchangesinducedshiftsinselectivepressure,whichinturnshapedtheobservedlevelsof
phenotypicandgeneticdiversity.
Keywords:Fish,Geneticvariation,Phenotypicvariation,Environmentalvariation,Selection.
AcceleratingurbanecologyinCanada:Identifyingcurrentresearchapproaches,gaps,andneedsinCanadiancities
symposium
MONDAY09:15,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Ecological health in Metro Vancouver: Current projects and emerging topics
MARCINPACHCINSKI,METROVANCOUVER,[email protected]
MetroVancouverisafederationof21municipalities,oneElectoralAreaandoneTreatyFirstNationthatcollaboratively
plansforanddeliversregional-scaleservices,includingutilities(water,sewer,andsolidwaste),regionalplanning,air
qualityregulation,regionalparks,andaffordablehousing.Metro2040,theregionalgrowthstrategy,providesthebasis
forMetroVancouver'sworkonecologicalhealth.ThisworkisguidedbyMetroVancouver'sEcologicalHealthActionPlan,
whichiscurrentlybeingrenewed.Ourworkfocusesonprovidingourmemberlocaljurisdictionsandresidentswithdata
andresourcestheyneedtomakebetterdecisionsrelatedtoecologicalhealth.MetroVancouveralsoservesaforumthat
bringstogetherenvironmentstafffromlocalgovernmentstodiscussissuesofregionalrelevance,suchasinvasive
species.ThepresentationwillhighlightcurrentprojectsMetroVancouverisworkingonrelatedtoecologicalhealth,such
asurbanforestryguidelinesandwww.growgreenguide.ca.Itwillalsopreviewemergingtopics,suchasecosystem
servicesvaluationandusinglandcoverdatatoanalyzeconnectivityaregionalscale.Gapsandneedsinresearchand
informationwillbepointedoutforeachtopicarea.
AcceleratingurbanecologyinCanada:Identifyingcurrentresearchapproaches,gaps,andneedsinCanadiancities
symposium
MONDAY09:30,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Whales, bees, forests, and birds: Raising the profile of biodiversity in Vancouver
NICKPAGE,VANCOUVERPARKBOARD,[email protected]
ANGELADANYLUK,CITYOFVANCOUVER
EnhancingbiodiversityhasbecomebothafunctionalandculturalgoalintheCityofVancouveraspartofawide-ranging
sustainabilityagenda.Unlikemanycitieswhichemphasizeregulatoryapproachestomanagingbiodiversityduring
development,Vancouver’surbanlandscapewaslargelyconstructedbeforeenvironmentalvalueswereembeddedin
urbanplanning.Mostofstreamswereculverted,wetlandswerefilled,andforestswerecutover100yearsago.But
Vancouverhasalsoembracedopportunitiestoprotectandrestoreremnantnaturalareas,andVancouver’sidentityis
definedasacitysurroundedbyforests,mountains,andthesea.Residentsarecaptivatedbythereturnofwhalesto
EnglishBay,beaverstopondsandwetlands,andevenasingledeerthatswamtoStanleyParkin2015.In2016,acitywideBiodiversityStrategywasadoptedtoguideeffortstosupportthecity’secologicalnetwork,andincreaseaccessto
natureforresidents.TheCityandParkBoardhaveagoalofrestoringorenhancing25haofnaturalareasbetween2010
and2020.TheBiodiversityStrategycomplimentsanexistingBirdStrategy,anUrbanForestStrategy,Environmental
EducationPlanandvariousdevelopmentpoliciesasafoundationforsupportingbiodiversityinthecity.Specificprojects
includetheconstructionofa1.5hacoastalsaltmarsh,meadowprojectstoenhancepollinators,andextensiveforest
restorationfocusingonnativecoastalforests.
Forestecology
WEDNESDAY09:30,ROOM:WCOAST
Boreal peat properties link to plant functional traits of ecosystem engineers
JULIAE.PALOZZI,WESTERNUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
ZOLINDO,WESTERNUNIVERSITY
Therelationshipbetweenplantsandsoilisespeciallyimportantinborealpeatlands,wheredominantvegetationtypes
dictatepeataccumulationandthereforecarbonstorage.Sphagnummossesfacilitatecarbonsequestration;however,
recentevidencesuggeststhatSphagnum-dominatedpeatlandsmayshiftunderfutureclimatechangeconditions.
Predictingconsequencesofvegetationshiftsforlong-termpeataccumulationrequireselucidatingrelationshipsbetween
dominantpeatlandplantsandpeatproperties.Wequantifiedvegetationcommunitycomposition,plantfunctionaltraits,
andpeatpropertiesintwopeatlandsitesdifferingindominantvegetationtype(SphagnummossesandCarexsedges),
andlinkplanttraitswithpeatpropertiesusingordination.Weshowthatplanttraitssignificantlyexplainmanypeat
properties,includingorganochemicalsthatareindicatorsofdecompositiondynamics.Specifically,Carex-dominatedsites
hadlargeramountofdecompositionproductswhilealargerproportionofundecomposedmaterialswasobservedin
Sphagnum-dominatedsites.Feedbacksinplant-soilsystemsareincreasinglybeingrecognisedasdriversofecosystem
processes.Inbothpeatlandtypes,abovegroundplanttraitsofthekeyecosystemengineerdrovepropertiesofthe
belowgroundpeatenvironment.BelowgroundpeatorganochemicalconstituentsbetweenSphagnum-dominatedand
Carex-dominatedsitesrevealdifferencesindecompositionratesandcarbonuseefficiency,andthustheconducive
potentialforcarbonstorage.
Keywords:Carbonstorage,Plants,Climatechange,Decomposition,Experiment.
Complexcoevolution:understandinghowcoevolutionmayoperatedifferentlyacrossdiverseinteractiontypes,
systems,andscalessymposium
TUESDAY09:00,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Co-evolution across the spectrum of host/microbiota integration
LAURAPARFREY,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
ANDREWLOUDON,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA
Allmulticellularorganismsarecolonizedbymicrobesandevolvedinthecontinuouspresenceofmicrobes.Thislong
evolutionaryhistoryhasproducedintimaterelationshipsbetweenhostandmicrobes.Hostsrelyonmicrobesforsuch
essentialfunctionsasinducingnormalmorphology,protectionfrompathogens,andimmunesystemdevelopment.In
somecaseshostshaveco-evolvedwithspecificmicrobesintightassociation,suchasinendosymbioses.However,the
associationbetweenahostanditsmicrobiotaisoftenmuchlooser,andmicrobiotacompositionvariableacross
individualsinaspecies.Thisisthecaseinseaweeds,whereepiphyticmicrobesareassembledfromtheenvironment,
varywidelyacrossindividuals,anddifferaccordingtoenvironmentalconditions.Inseaweeds,andmanyotherhosts,
thereisnocoresetofmicrobes,yetcollectivelythemicrobesperformcorefunctions.Workinavarietyofsystems,
includingseaweeds,suggeststhatmostfunctionscanbeperformedbymanymicrobialtaxa:thereishighfunctional
redundancy.Thus,selectionmayoperateonfunctionsratherthantaxonomicidentity.Idiscussexamplesalongthe
spectrumofhost-microberelationshipsandtheimplicationsforourunderstandingofco-evolution.
Habitatselectionanduse
WEDNESDAY09:30,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Density-dependent habitat selection predicts fitness and abundance of tree lizards
(Urosaurus ornatus)
JAMESE.PATERSON,UNIVERSITYOFOTTAWA,[email protected]
GABRIELBLOUIN-DEMERS,UNIVERSITYOFOTTAWA
Habitatselectiontheorypredictsthedistributionoforganismsbetweenhabitats.Thetheoryassumesthatindividuals
choosepatchestomaximizetheirfitness,andthatsomeimportantaspectofhabitatqualitydeclinesasdensityincreases,
forinstancefoodabundance.Temperature,however,isunaffectedbydensityandisoftenthemostimportantfactorfor
habitatselectioninectotherms,whichcomprisethevastmajorityofanimals.Lizardperformanceandhabitatselection
arestronglyaffectedbytemperature,thuslizardsmaynotselecthabitatsinadensity-dependentmanner.Using10tree
lizard(Urosaurusornatus)populationseachstraddlingtwoadjacenthabitats,wetestedtheassumptionsandpredictions
ofdensity-dependenthabitatselection:fitnessproxiesdeclinewithdensity,therearedifferencesinhabitatquality(food
abundanceandtemperature),habitatselectiondependsondensity,andfitnessproxiesequalizeacrosshabitats.Wefound
thatmonthlysurvivaldecreasedwithdensity,lizardspreferredthehabitatwithmorefoodandhigherthermalquality,
habitatselectiondependedondensity,andthatfitnessproxiesdidnotdifferbetweenhabitats.Thesepatternsare
consistentwithdensity-dependenthabitatselection,despitethermalqualitydifferencesbetweenhabitats.Weexpectthat
density-dependenthabitatselectioniswidespreadforterrestrialectothermswhendensitiesarehighandtemperatures
areclosetotheirpreferredrange.However,inareaswherethermalqualityislow,weexpectthatdepletableresources,
suchasfood,becomelesslimitingbecauseassimilatingresourcesbecomesmoredifficult.
Keywords:Habitatselection,Experiment,Reptiles,Densitydependence.
Dispersal
WEDNESDAY11:30,ROOM:THEATRE
How did the chick(adee) cross the road? Mapping arboreal connectivity in urban
landscapes
DEEL.PATRIQUIN,SOLSTICECANADACORPORATION,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA,[email protected]
IANBASFORD,SOLSTICECANADACORPORATION;ROBYNPERKINS,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA
Landmanagersinavarietyofcontextsareconcernedwithidentifyingconnectivehabitatforconservationplanning.
CircuitScapehasrecentlyemergedasaversatileoptionformappingconnectivehabitatatalandscapescale,toidentify
locationsrequiringconservationmanagement(e.g.,alternativepathways,pinchpoints).Aspartofanurbanconservation
project,weappliedCircuitScapeinacitylandscape,usingcoyoteandchickadeeasindicatorsofterrestrialandarboreal
movement,respectively.Thechickadeemodel,oneofthefirstapplicationsforurbanarborealmovement,highlighted
issuesnotpreviouslyreportedforterrestrialspecies,includinganislandeffectattheneighbourhoodlevelduetoroad
networks.Throughfurtherapplicationinasmallerurbanlandscape,supportedbywintersurveys,wehaveidentified
habitatfeaturesthatappeartoenhancearborealconnectivityintheurbancontext,andtheresultingdistributionof
chickadees.Songbirdsandotherarborealspeciesareoftenoverlookedinplanningurbanconservationefforts,yetprovide
avalued,andeasilyaccessiblewildlifeviewingopportunityforurbanresidents.Resultsofthisstudycanassisturban
plannersandecologistsinplanningfuturedevelopment,andinmaintainingandrestoringhabitatinalreadydeveloped
urbanareas.Ourworkalsosuggestsareasoffuturestudyforurbanecologistsrelativetofragmentationeffectsandurban
connectivity.
Keywords:Birds,Landscapeconfiguration,Urbanecology,Spatialmodel.
Physiologicalecology,temperature
WEDNESDAY11:00,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
To eat or thermoregulate? Determinants of home range size and density in
Sceloporus jarrovii lizards
LUCYD.PATTERSON,UNIVERSITYOFOTTAWA,[email protected]
GABRIELBLOUIN-DEMERS,UNIVERSITYOFOTTAWA
Accordingtotraditionalhabitatselectionmodels,animalsselecthabitatsbasedonresourceavailability,especiallyfood.
However,ectothermphysiologydependssostronglyontemperaturethattheseorganismsmayselecthabitatsbasedon
theirthermalpropertiesratherthanfoodavailability.Thus,Itestedtwohypotheses:thathabitatselectioninectotherms
isdrivenbythermoregulatoryrequirements,andthatitisdrivenbyfoodavailability.Ipredictedthat(1)thedensityof
lizardswouldcorrelatepositivelyandtheaveragehomerangesizewouldcorrelatenegativelywiththethermalquality
(orfoodavailability)oftheplot,and(2)afterexperimentallyincreasingplotthermalquality(orfoodavailability),lizard
densitywouldincreaseandtheaveragehomerangesizewoulddecreaserelativetocontrolplots.Iestablishedtwoplots
ineachoffourtreatments(shaded,food-supplemented,shadedandfood-supplemented,andcontrol),onatalusslopein
Arizona,USA.ImeasuredthedensityandhomerangesizeofYarrowsSpinyLizards(Sceloporusjarrovii)beforeandafter
manipulations,anddeterminedwhetherlizarddensityandhomerangesizewererelatedtonaturalarthropod(food)
availabilityorthermalqualityatthesurfaceandinretreatsites.Theexperimentalmanipulationshadnoeffectondensity
orhomerangesize.However,homerangesizeanddensitybothincreasedwithnaturalarthropodavailability,and
decreasedwithhigherthermalqualityinretreatsites.Theseresultsprovidepartialsupportforbothfoodavailabilityand
thermalqualityasdriversofhabitatselectioninS.jarrovii.
Keywords:Habitatselection,Experiment,Reptiles,Populationrange.
ECOLOGICAL,EVOLUTIONARYANDENVIRONMENTALSYNTHESISINTHE21STCENTURYSYMPOSIUM
TUESDAY15:30,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Dynamics of collapse and recovery in a marine community: insights from
multivariate dynamic statistical approaches
ERICJ.PEDERSEN,FISHERIESANDOCEANSCANADA,[email protected]
PATRICKL.THOMPSON,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;MARIE-JOSEEFORTIN,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO;TARIKC.GOUHIER,
NORTHEASTERNUNIVERSITY;HEIKELINK,KIELUNIVERSITY;CHARLOTTEMORITZ,PSLRESEARCHUNIVERSITY;HEDVIGNENZEN,
UNIVERSITEDUQUEBECAMONTREAL;RYANR.E.STANLEY,FISHERIESANDOCEANSCANADA;ZOFIAE.TARANU,UNIVERSITIEDE
MONTREAL;ANDREWGONZALEZ,MCGILL;FREDERICGUICHARD,MCGILL;PIERREPEPIN,FISHERIESANDOCEANSCANADA
Asthepaceandscaleofecologicalchangeincreasesthroughouttheanthropocene,ecologistsneedtoolstomodelrapid
ecologicalchangeincomplexcommunities.Mostofwhatweknowaboutthedynamicsofrapid,difficulttoreverse
ecologicalchanges(i.e.regimeshifts)derivesfrommodelsorexperimentsfocusingonrelativelysimplifiedsystemsor
verycoarsescales;wehaveamuchrougherideaofhowregimeshiftsplayoutindiverseorspatiallycomplex
communities.OneofthemosticoniccasesofrapidecologicalchangewasthecollapseofNewfoundlandgroundfishstocks
intheearly1990’s.Here,weusethegroundfishcollapseasacasestudytodemonstratehowmodernecologicalstatistical
approachescanbeusedtogainnewinsightsintoregimeshiftsincomplexsystems.Weusegeneralizedhierarchical
smoothmodelstosimultaneouslymodelthespatiotemporaldynamicsofcollapseandrecoveryofmultipleinteracting
species.Usingthismodel,Weshowhowtoidentifyspecieswithsimilardynamicresponses,findpotentialbeginningand
endpointsofdynamicregimes,andmodeltheratesatwhichdifferentlargescalecommunityindicators(biomass,
diversity,andcomposition)havechangedovertime.Weshowthatthethegroundfishcommunityasawholeexperienced
fourphasesofchange:1)aperiodofrapid,synchronousbiomasscollapse;2)aregimeshiftincommunitycomposition;3)
slowcompositionalrecovery,and;4)slowbiomassgrowth.Themethodsweapplyherehavebroadapplicationsfor
modellingthedynamicsofcomplexcommunitiesinawiderangeofecosystems.
Complexcoevolution:understandinghowcoevolutionmayoperatedifferentlyacrossdiverseinteractiontypes,
systems,andscalessymposium
TUESDAY08:15,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Evolution and specificity in an insect defensive symbiosis
STEVEJ.PERLMAN,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
MATTHEWJ.BALLINGER,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA;PHINEAST.HAMILTON,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,BCCANCERAGENCY
Thereisagrowingappreciationthatanimalscommonlyharbourmicrobesthatprotectthemagainstnaturalenemies,and
thatthesesymbiontsplayacriticalroleinshapingtheecologyandevolutionofhost-parasiteinteractions.Littleisknown
aboutspecificityofdefensivesymbionts,andwhetherandhowparasitesareabletoresistsymbiont-mediatedprotection.
WestudythesymbiosisbetweenDrosophilafliesandamaternallyinheritedbacterialendosymbiontcalledSpiroplasma
thatprotectsagainstinfectionbyparasiticnematodesandparasiticwasps.Protectionagainsttheseverydifferenttypesof
parasitesappearstoinvolveaclassoftoxins,calledribosome-inactivatingproteins(RIPs),thattargetahighlyconserved
regionofeukaryoticribosomes.SpiroplasmagenomesencodeadiverserepertoireofRIPtoxins,andwespeculatethat
host-symbiont-enemycoevolutionaryinteractionsaredrivenbytoxinspecificity.
Livingintheeco-evolutionarytheatre:researchguidedandinspiredbyintensivefieldobservationssymposium
TUESDAY16:45,ROOM:THEATRE
The architecture of adaptation: A master mutation or a mass of mutations?
CATHERINEPIECHEL,UNIVERSITYOFBERN,[email protected]
SOPHIEL.ARCHAMBEAULT,UNIVERSITYOFWASHINGTON,UNIVERSITYOFBERN
Amajorgoalofevolutionarybiologyistoidentifythegenotypesandphenotypesthatunderlieadaptationtodivergent
environments.Duetothehistoryofintensiveecologicalandevolutionaryresearchonthethreespinestickleback,these
fishhavebecomeapowerfulmodelsystemtouncoverthegeneticarchitectureofadaptation.Priorstudieshavefound
genomicregionsunderdivergentselectionbetweenmarineandfreshwaterpopulations.Inaddition,quantitativetraitloci
(QTL)mappingstudieshaveidentifiedgenomichotspots,whichharborQTLformanydifferentphenotypictraits.Inorder
todisentangletherelationshipsbetweengenotype,phenotypeandfitnessinthesegenomichotspots,wearefocusingona
16kbregionofmarine-freshwaterdivergenceencompassingtheEctodysplasin(Eda)geneonchromosomeIV.TheEda
genehasbeenshowntocontributetovariationinthreephenotypes(lateralplatenumber,laterallinepattern,schooling
behavior)thatdifferbetweenmarineandfreshwatersticklebacks.However,itisunknownwhethertheeffectsofEdaon
thesephenotypesareduetopleiotropiceffectsofasinglemutation,orlinkageofmultiplemutations.Todistinguish
betweenlinkageandpleiotropy,weareconductingassociationmappingacrossthis16kbregioninafreshwater
populationinLakeWashington(Seattle,USA),whereboththemarineandfreshwaterhaplotypesarepresent.
Surprisingly,wefindextensiverecombinationhasoccurredacrossthishaplotypeinLakeWashington.Ourpreliminary
analysesfurthersuggestthatlinkage,notpleiotropy,underliestheeffectsofEdaonmultiplephenotypes.Ultimately,our
goalistoidentifythespecificecologicalfactorsthatdriveselectiononthesegenotypesandphenotypes.
Anthropogenicinfluencesonhabitatselection
TUESDAY16:00,ROOM:SAANICH
Habitat heterogeneity and functional responses explain seasonal and behaviourbased selection of regenerating seismic lines for a social predator
KARINEPIGEON,FRIRESEARCH,[email protected]
DOUGMACNEARNEY,FRIRESEARCH;GORDSTENHOUSE,FRIRESEARCH;JEROMECRANSTON,ARCTOSECOLOGICALCONSULTANTS;
MARKHEBBLEWHITE,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY;MARCOMUSIANI,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY;LALENIANEUFELD,PARKSCANADA
Predationisakeyregulatoroftop-downeffectsonpreypopulations,andtheabilitytofindandkillpreyisinfluencedby
landscapecharacteristicsandanthropogenicdevelopment.Earlysuccessionalstandscreatedbyindustrycansupport
moreprimaryprey,inturndrivinganincreaseinpredatornumbers.Linearfeaturessuchasseismiclineshavealsobeen
associatedwithfacilitatedaccessandtravelefficiencyforwolves,thereforealteringencounterratesbetweenpredators
andprey.Consequently,anthropogenicdevelopmentscaninfluencethedistributionofwolves,andtheirencounterrates
withprimarypreyandthreatenedcaribou.WeusedwolfGPSdataandLiDARmeasurementsofvegetationheighton
seismiclinestoassesswolfhabitatselectionpatternsrelativetoregeneratingseismiclinesinwest-centralAlberta.We
usedaclusteringalgorithmtopartitionwolflocationsintotravellingandresting-feedingbehaviour,andinvestigated(1)
whetherease-of-travelorsearchforprimarypreybestexplainedseasonalselectionpatternsofwolvesnearseismiclines,
and(2)whetherthedensityofanthropogenicfeaturesledtohabitat-drivenfunctionalresponses.Wolvesgenerally
selectedareasnearseismiclinesatlowelevations,andareasnearwetseismiclineswithinearlysuccessionalstands.For
travellinglocations,wefoundnoevidenceofhabitat-drivenfunctionalresponses.However,forresting-feedinglocations,
wolvesshowedgreaterselectionforareasnearlow-vegetationheightseismiclinesinlow-disturbancelandscapes
comparedtomoredisturbedlandscapes.Ourresultshighlighttheimportanceofconsideringhabitatheterogeneityand
functionalresponsesinbehaviour-basedselectionpatternsandcanbeusedtoprioritizerestorationofseismiclines
towardseffectivecaribourecovery.
Keywords:Habitatselection,Humanfootprint,Foraging,Animalmovement.
Lifehistories:phenology,sex,sexratio
TUESDAY08:45,ROOM:WCOAST
Decomposing direct and indirect effects of early-life environment on fitness of
bighorn ewes
GABRIELPIGEON,UNIVERSITÉDESHERBROOKE,[email protected]
MARCOFESTA-BIANCHET,UNIVERSITÉDESHERBROOKE;FANIEPELLETIER,UNIVERSITÉDESHERBROOKE
Cohorteffectscanhaveamajorimpactonpopulationdynamics,astheycanleadtodelaysintheresponseofpopulation
growthratetoenvironmentalvariations.Cohorteffectsoccurwhenearly-lifeconditionsofagroupofindividuals
generatedifferencesintheirfutureperformance.Themechanismsbywhichenvironmentalconditionsatbirthcan
influencefutureperformancearedifficulttostudyinnature.Inordertoidentifythecausallinksbetweenbirthdensity,
ageatfirstreproduction,longevity,andlifetimereproductivesuccess,weusedpathanalysisalongwith40yearsof
individual-baseddataonbighornsheep.Ourresultsindicatethatbirthdensityaffectslifetimereproductivesuccess(LRS)
bybothdirectandindirecteffects.Contrarytowhatwasexpected,theindirecteffectsthroughadultbodyconditionwere
weak,explainingonly1.5%ofthetotaleffectsofdensityatbirth.Delaysinageatfirstreproductionandreducedlongevity
accountedfor13%and18%oftheeffectsofdensityatbirthonLRS,respectively.Thedirecteffectofdensityatbirthon
LRSwasstrongest(60%).Theseresultssuggestthatevenifenvironmentalconditionsimproveandindividualsundergo
compensatorygrowth,theirfitnessmayremainlow,possiblyexplainingtheobserveddelaysinthedynamicofthis
population.Ouruseofpathanalysisbringnovelinsightintothemechanismsbywhichearly-lifeenvironmentwill
influencefuturefitness.
Keywords:Populationdynamics,Densitydependence,Bighornsheep,Cohorteffects.
Conservationchallengesassociatedwithaquaticsoundscapessymposium
MONDAY14:30,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Understanding a dolphin's soundscape to assess the potential changes in habitat use
MATTHEWPINE,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
DINGWANG,INSTITUTEOFHYDROBIOLOGY,CHINESEACADEMYOFSCIENCES;KEXIONGWANG,INSTITUTEOFHYDROBIOLOGY,CHINESE
ACADEMYOFSCIENCES
Hometotheworld'slargestpopulationofIndo-Pacifichumpbackdolphins(Sousachinensis),thePearlRiverEstuary
(PRE)inChinaisoneoftheworld'sbusiestembayments.Quantitativeinvestigationsontheestuary'sunderwater
soundscapearelacking.Thisisparticularlyimportantduetothecontinuinglarge-scaledevelopmentsoccurringwithin
theestuaryanddecliningnumbersofIndo-Pacifichumpbackdolphinsinthearea.Wethereforeinvestigatedtheexisting
soundscapeofthePREtobetterunderstandhowfuturechangestoahabitatfromhumanactivitymayalterdolphin
distributions.Internationalanddomesticshippingdroveuptheambientnoiseflooroftheestuary.However,whentested
againstdolphindetectionrates,therewasnocorrelation.Significantcorrelations,however,wereobservedbetweenfish
chorusesanddolphindetectionrateswithhigheraveragedetectionratesoccurringattimesofpeakfishactivity.When
investigatingthespatio-temporalvariationinfishchoruses,asakeypreyitemoftheIndo-Pacifichumpbackdolphin,at
leastfivechorus-typeswereidentified.Eachchorus-typedemonstratedclearspatialandtemporalvariationsthroughout
thePearlRiverEstuarythatprovideanopportunitytoinvestigateseasonalpatternsindolphinactivityinrelationtotheir
prey.Suchworkwouldprovidefurtherunderstandingintothepossibilityofdolphinsshowingadegreeoftoleranceof
vesselnoiseinordertoforage.Thesefindingsalsoprovideindirectcauseforconcernregardingthevulnerabilityofthese
dolphinsfromdetrimentalchangesinpreyabundanceduetopollutionandoverfishing.Thisisacriticalconservation
issueforthisdolphinpopulationthatisfacingintenseanthropogenicpressure.
Salmonidecologyandevolution
MONDAY13:30,ROOM:SAANICH
Glacial recession and salmon futures
KARAPITMAN,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
MATTR.SLOAT,USDAFORESTSERVICE;VALENTINARADIC,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;ANDREWBLISS;JONATHANW.
MOORE,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY
Climatechangeisacceleratingtherateofdeglaciationwithpotentialchangesforsalmonecosystems.Forexample,
approximately75%ofglacialiceareaisprojectedtobelostintheBritishColumbiaCoastMountainsby2100.Onthe
coarsescale,asglaciersretreattheymayexposenewsalmonhabitatandpreviousworkhasfoundthatsalmonquickly
colonizethesenewhabitats.Herewepredicthowshiftsinglacialcoveragewillredistributesalmonhabitatinwestern
NorthAmerica.First,wequantifyhowthecurrentrelationshipbetweenglaciericeandotherlandscapevariables(e.g.
watershedarea,elevation,distancetocoast,lakearea)areassociatedwithsalmonabundanceacrosswatershedsfrom
WashingtontoAlaska.Usingtheserelationshipsaswellasfutureclimatescenariosandglaciermass-balancemodelsof
on-coming21stcenturydeglaciation,wepredictthefutureredistributionofsalmonproduction.Whileglaciallosswill
undoubtedlyhaveotherimportantpathwaysofimpactonsalmonsuchasthroughalteredflows,temperatures,and
sedimentloadsofrivers,thisworkprovidesaninitialcoarseperspectiveonhowglacialretreatwillredistributesalmon.
Thisinformationisasteptowardsforward-lookingmanagementdecisionsandclimateadaptationstrategiesforsalmon
futures.
Keywords:Salmon,Colonization,Populationrange,Climatechange,Freshwater.
Foraging
TUESDAY11:45,ROOM:SIDNEY
Has predator management neglected to consider the impact of ecology on predator
behaviour?
KYLEPLOTSKY,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY,[email protected]
SHELLEYM.ALEXANDER,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY
Ashiftinpublicsentimentoverthepastfewdecadeshasledtoincreasedconcernforanimalwelfareinthemanagement
ofpredators.Somemanagersandresearchershavetriedtomoveawayfromtraditionalandineffectivekillingof
predatorsthatcomeintoconflictwithpeople,pets,andlivestock.Theuseofnon-lethalmethodstocontrolcarnivore
conflicthasshownvaryingdegreesofsuccessduetotheplasticityofpredatorbehaviour.Therehasbeenscant
investigationintowhatecologicalfactorsinfluencetheeffectivenessofdifferentmanagementstrategies'impactonboth
individuallevelandpopulationlevelbehaviour.Usingprimaryandgreyliteratureoncanidmanagementresearch(1975-
2015),Ireviewtrendsrelatedtohowecologicalcontextisaddressedexplicitlyorimplicitlyinthesereports.Ihave
observedthat,todate,theevolvedabilityofcanidstobeplasticintheirbehaviourhasnotbeenconsideredinany
meaningfulway.Forinstance,pastlethalcontrolandseasonalitycaninfluencebehaviourandyetthesefactorsarerarely
described,letaloneaddressed.Iexplorepotentialreasonsforthisfailuretoconsiderecologicalcontextandits'influence
onbehaviour.Thishaspotentialnegativeimplicationsforgrowthintheecologicalsciencesbutalsoforthewelfareof
people,predators,andthelivestockthesemanagementstrategiesaremeanttoprotect.
Keywords:Predatorcontrol,Management,Behaviouralecology,Review.
AcceleratingurbanecologyinCanada:Identifyingcurrentresearchapproaches,gaps,andneedsinCanadiancities
symposium
MONDAY08:15,ROOM:OAKBAY2
What can human-wildlife encounters in the city tell us about urban ecology?
JUSTINPODUR,YORKUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
Urbanecologyisanecologyofconflictandcoexistence.Theurbanenvironmentprovidesuniquechallengesand
opportunitiesforecology.Speciesadapttotheurbanenvironmentandcanenterintoconflictwithhumans,whilewehave
theabilitytodesignourenvironmentstoimproverelationshipsofcoexistence.Wecanimproveourunderstandingof
urbanecologyandurban-adaptedspeciesbyusingdatathatbecomeavailableinthecity.Usingonspeciesdistributions
developedfromdataonurbanwildlifeencountersintheCityofToronto,thispaperexploresthepossibilitiesand
limitationsofextractingmeaningfulinformationabouturbanecologyfromencounterdatacollectedbywildlifecontrol
andbywildliferescueorganizations.
Geneticstructureofpopulations
TUESDAY16:15,ROOM:COLWOOD
Genetic rescue of a wild population of bighorn sheep
MARC-ANTOINEPOIRIER,UNIVERSITÉDESHERBROOKE,QUEBECCENTREFORBIODIVERSITYSCIENCE,CENTRED’ÉTUDES
NORDIQUES,[email protected]
MARCOFESTA-BIANCHET,UNIVERSITÉDESHERBROOKE,QUEBECCENTERFORBIODIVERSITYSCIENCE,CENTREFORNORTHERNSTUDIES
Theorypredictsthatsmallandisolatedpopulationswillexperiencereductionsinindividualfitnessthroughinbreeding
depression.Inbreedingcanreducepopulationgrowthrateandthusincreaseitsriskofextinction.Geneticrescue,which
consistsofincreasingtheoverallfitnessofthepopulationbyintroducingnewalleles,isapotentialsolutiontothethreats
facedbyseveralsmallpopulationsworldwide.However,inpractice,geneticrescueremainscontroversialandisrarely
applied,sothatfewcasehistoriesexisttodocumentitseffectiveness.ThebighornsheeppopulationofRamMountain,
Alberta,isisolatedandimmigrationisrare.Itsufferedadrasticdeclinefrom1992to2002andthenstagnatedatlow
numbers.Theadditionofadozenbighornsheepbytranslocationin2003-2007allowedustotesttheeffectivenessof
geneticrescueinthewild.Adeepanddetailedpedigreeofthepopulationallowedustoquantifythegeneticcontribution
oftranslocatedsheepandevaluatetheeffectofgeneticadmixtureondifferentfitness-relatedtraitsoflambs.DNA
sampleswerealsocollectedtoestimatepopulation-widegeneticdiversityduringpre-translocationandposttranslocationperiods.Accordingtoourresults,hybridlambswereheavieratweaningandhadhighersurvivalto1year
comparedtopureresidentlambs.Population-widegeneticdiversityincreasedaftertwogenerationsthroughtheaddition
ofnewalleles.Overall,ourdemographicandgeneticfindingssupportayoungandgrowingliteratureinfavorofgenetic
rescueasaconservationtoolinthewild.
Keywords:Bighornsheep,Geneticvariation,Inbreeding,Populationgenetics.
Geneticstructureofpopulations
TUESDAY11:30,ROOM:COLWOOD
Ancient diversification in glacial refugia leads to intraspecific diversity in caribou
JEANL.POLFUS,UNIVERSITYOFMANITOBA,[email protected]
MICHELINEMANSEAU,UNIVERSITYOFMANITOBA,PARKSCANADA;CORNELYAF.C.KÜLTSCH,TRENTUNIVERSITY;DEBORAHSIMMONS,
RENEWABLERESOURCESBOARD,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO;PAULJ.WILSON,TRENTUNIVERSITY
Glacial-interglacialcycleshaveinfluencedthecontemporarygeneticstructureofmanyNorthAmericanspecies.Caribou
(Rangifertarandus)exhibitsignificantmorphological,ecologicalandbehavioralphenotypicvariationandoccurredwithin
Beringianandsub-LaurentiderefugiaduringthePleistocene.Morespecifically,theborealecotypeofwoodlandcaribouis
generallyacceptedtohaveevolvedsouthoftheglacialextent,butinthenorthernpartoftheirrangetheyco-occurwith
caribouthathaveaBeringianorigin.Thisproximityprovidesanopportunitytotestwhetherwoodlandcariboucolonized
borealhabitatsfromasinglesouthernrefugialsourceorifindependentevolutiontoacommonecotyperesultedfrom
diversificationwithinrefugia.WeusedapproximateBayesiancomputationtodiscriminatebetweenalternate
evolutionaryhistoriesofcariboubelongingtoboreal,northernmountainandbarren-groundecotypesusing
microsatelliteandmtDNAmarkers.Ouranalysisindicatesthatunlikethesouthern-evolvedborealecotype,theboreal
ecotypeofcentralNorthwestTerritorieshasBeringianoriginsandarosefromacommonlineagewithbarren-groundand
mountaincaribou.Importantly,thedivergenceofthelineageresultinginthenorthernborealecotypesignificantly
predatestheLastGlacialMaximum.Wedemonstratethatindependentevolutionarytrajectoriescanconvergeonasimilar
phenotypeandforthefirsttimeshowthattheborealecotypeofcaribouinNorthAmericacontainstwophylogeographic
assemblages.TheancientdivergencesuggeststhatdiversificationwithinBeringiacouldhaveresultedinecological
specialization.Aneco-evolutionaryfocuswillbeessentialtodesigningbiodiversityconservationstrategiesforcaribou
thatmaximizegeneticdiversityandpreserveadaptivepotentialinthisintra-specificallydiversespecies.
Keywords:Caribou,Geneticvariation,Glacialrefugia,Populationgenetics.
SensoryandBehaviouralEcologySymposium
WEDNESDAY09:00,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Aggression and the evolution of color signals in stomatopod crustaceans
MEGANPORTER,UNIVERSITYOFHAWAII,[email protected]
MIKEBOK,LUNDUNIVERSITY;JENNYGUMM,STEPHENF.AUSTINSTATEUNIVERSITY
Stomatopodcrustaceanshavethemostcomplexvisualsystemsdescribedinanimalsanddisplayspecies-specificcolor
signalsusedinaggressiveinteractions;yetverylittleisknownabouttheevolutionorfunctionofcolorationinthese
species.Inparticular,manystomatopodshavespecies-specificcoloredpatchesontheinsideoftheraptorialappendages
called'meralspots'thataredisplayedinmultiplebehavioralcontexts.Tounderstandthedriversofdiversityinsignaling
colorationofthestomatopodmeralspot,weareinvestigatingthepatternsofcolorsignaltraitevolutionbroadlyacrossa
phylogeneticallydiversesetofspecies,aswellasafocusedlookwithinthegenusNeogonodactylus(Stomatopoda,
Crustacea).Wehavecollectedreflectanceandgeneticdatafrom20speciesofstomatopod,representingfivefamilies
withintwosuperfamiliesandspecieswithbothsmashingandspearingraptorialappendagetypes.Reflectancespectra
weremeasuredfromspecificregionsacrossthebody,includingthemeralspot,andwereusedtocalculatestandardcolor
metricincludinghue,brightness,andchroma.Sequencedatafromfivegenes(COI,16S,18S,28S,andH3)wereusedto
createaphylogenytoinvestigatepatternsofevolutionacrossthesampledspecies.WithintheNeogonodactyluswherewe
havealargersamplingofspecies,weusedancestralstatereconstructiontolookattheevolutionofmeralspotcolor.Our
resultssuggestthatcloselyrelatedspeciestendtodifferincolorofthemeralspotandthatcolorevolvedindependentlyin
cladesfoundinboththeAtlanticandPacific.Continuingstudieswillestimatedivergencetimesamongspeciestodatethe
timingofcolorchanges.
Keywords:Aggression,Marine,Invertebrates,Vision,Evolution.
Biodiversity
TUESDAY09:30,ROOM:VIEWROYAL
Are the most evolutionary distinct species the most original?
VAHABPOURFARAJ,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
Whiletraitdiversityisconsideredasacrucialcomponentofbiodiversityandfundingshortageforconservationprograms
makesprioritizationinevitable,metricsthatarebeingusedforspeciesprioritizationdonotexplicitlytaketraitdiversity
intoaccount.Here,Iconsideraspecies-specificmetricofconservationworth:evolutionarydistinctness(ED).Iusedthe
conceptofaveragetraitrarity,whichhasbeensuggestedasameasureof"originality,"wherebyoriginalspecies
contributemoretototaltraitrichness,andinvestigatetowhatextentprioritizingspeciesbasedonEDcapturestrait
rarity.UsingsimulatedphylogeniesandtraitssimulatedunderasimpleMarkovmodelofevolutionatvariousrates,Ifind
thatmeantraitrarityincreaseswithrateofevolutionaswellasthenumberoftraitsstates.Importantly,whileEDis
associatedwithtraitrarityinsmall-sizedphylogenies(n=64),thisrelationshipdeteriorateswithbiggertrees(n=1024).
Anothercommonmetricofdistinctnessusedincommunityecology,averagepairwisedistance(APD),showedhigh
correlationwithtraitrarityinallthreesizesofsurveyedphylogeniesandshowntobefairlyrobusttotreesize.The
findingscanbeseenasacautionarymessageforconservationplanning:differentfacetsofdiversitymaynotcovary.
Keywords:Evolution,Biodiversity,Rarity,Modeling.
Lifehistories:phenology,sex,sexratio
TUESDAY09:00,ROOM:WCOAST
The role of coding trinucleotide repeats within candidate genes in the adaptation of
an iconic northern mammal, Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis)
MELANIEPRENTICE,TRENTUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
JEFFBOWMAN,WILDLIFERESEARCH&MONITORINGSECTION,ONTARIOMINISTRYOFNATURALRESOURCESANDFORESTRY;PAUL
WILSON,TRENTUNIVERSITY
Consideringclimatechange,theabilityofspeciestopersistwillrelyontheirrespectivecapacitiestotracklarge-scale
environmentalchangesviarangeredistributionsortoevolvetowardsnewphysiologicaloptimaviaadaptation.Thefew
speciescapableoflarge-scaledispersal,however,areunlikelytoredistributetolandscapescontainingtheircomplete
suiteofoptimalhabitatconditions.Forexample,speciesredistributingtotrackshiftsintemperaturewillbeexposedto
novelphotoperiods,whichmayresultinsignificantreproductivechallengesforspeciesrelyingonthesecues.Thus,
microevolutionwillbenecessaryforspeciespersistenceunderclimatechange,andwilllikelyincludetheevolutionof
photoperiodicresponsemechanisms.Clockgenes,whichexhibitsubstantialcontroloverlife-historystrategies(e.g.,
reproductivetiming)usingexternalcuessuchasphotoperiod,arelikelycriticalforadaptationtoshiftingseasonal
conditionsandnovelenvironments.Codingtrinucleotiderepeats(cTNRs)havebeenobservedinseveralclockgenes,and
emergingstudieshavebeguntodemonstratetheevolutionaryandadaptiveimportanceofclockgenecTNRsinarangeof
species.Further,consideringtheimportanceofrapidadaptation,cTNRsmaybeparticularlyinterestingtargetsof
selectionduetotheircontainmentwithinexonicregionsofthegenomeandelevatedmutationratesincomparisonto
moreconventionallystudiedmarkers.ThisposterwillevaluateongoingworkonacTNRwithinthecandidateclockgene
NR1D1inCanadalynx.Weusespatialanalysesandenvironmentalcorrelationsonneutralmicrosatellitesandour
functionalcTNRmarker,toinvestigatetheroleofselectionontheNR1D1cTNRinCanadalynx.Further,wediscussthe
utilityofcTNRmarkersandthecandidategeneapproachforstudyingselectioninnaturalpopulations.
Keywords:Climatechange,Evolution,Biomarker,Adaptation,Mammals,Lifehistory,Geneticvariation.
Geneticstructureofpopulations
TUESDAY11:45,ROOM:COLWOOD
Genomic insights into local adaptations in Ovibos Moschatus
ERINPREWER,TRENTUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
CHRISTOPHERKYLE,TRENTUNIVERSITY;SUSANKUTZ,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY;LISAMARIELECLERC,GOVERNMENTOFNUNAVUT
MuskoxenareaniconicArcticspeciesthathaveexperiencedmultiplebottlenecksleavingthemgeneticallyimpoverished.
Asaresult,muskoxpopulationsmaybepoorlyequippedtodealwithrapidchangesinclimateconditions,changing
diseasedynamics,andincreasingenvironmentalstresstheyarecurrentlyfacing.Ourtalkwilldiscussourmultipronged
approachtobetterunderstandmuskoxhealthandvulnerabilitiesbyevaluatingthecorrelationbetweengeneticvariation,
diseasepresenceandmuskoxenfitness.Wehaveusedneutralgeneticmarkerstodeterminethegeneticvariationand
geneticstructureofmuskoxpopulations.Thiswillinformusofecologicalfactorsthatareinhibitingorenhancingthe
movementofmuskoxenandtheirpathogensbetweenpopulations.Totrackthedispersalandabundanceoftwo
muskoxenlungwormsthoughttoposeathreattoislandpopulations,wehavedevelopedaspecies-specificquantitative
PCRprotocolthatwillallowustoidentifybothspeciesoflungwormsimultaneously.Weareassemblingadenovomuskox
genomeinordertofindcandidategenestoperformpopulationgenomicsandidentifypatternsoflocaladaptationin
muskoxpopulationsinresponsetolocalandchangingselectivepressures.Weintendtofocusongenesassociatedwith
immuneresponsetoidentifypotentialvariantsassociatedwithpathogenresistanceaswellasthoseallowingmuskoxen
toexploittheharshArcticenvironment.Thisinformationwillprovideinsightintothecapacityofmuskoxpopulationsto
adapttothewarmingclimate.Overall,thesedatawillinformourcollaboratorsonmuskoxhealthandphysiology,and
helpdirectmanagementactionsaimedatconservingthisiconicspecies.
Keywords:Geneticbottleneck,Disease,Populationgenetics,Genomicsequencing,Arctic,Ungulates.
Salmonidecologyandevolution
MONDAY13:45,ROOM:SAANICH
Canada’s wild salmon policy: An assessment of conservation progress
MICHAELH.PRICE,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY,SKEENAWILDCONSERVATIONTRUST,[email protected]
KARLK.ENGLISH,LGLLIMITED-ENVIRONMENTALRESEARCHASSOCIATES;ANDREWG.ROSENBERGER,RAINCOASTCONSERVATION
FOUNDATION;S.MISTYMACDUFFEE,RAINCOASTCONSERVATIONFOUNDATION;JOHND.REYNOLDS,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY
Canada’sPolicyforConservationofWildPacificSalmon(WSP)isatransformativeapproachtothemanagementofwild
salmon(Oncorhynchusspp.)inBritishColumbia(BC),wherebyconservationisthehighestpriority.Forthcomingchanges
totheWSPpromptanenhancedunderstandingofwhetherornotourstateofknowledgeandthestatusofwildsalmonin
Canadahasindeedimprovedsinceitsadoption.Toaddressthesequestions,weused2indicesofimprovement:1)
monitoringeffort,and2)spawnerabundance.Ourresultsshowthatmonitoringefforthascontinuedtoerode,spawner
abundancehassignificantlydeclinedforseveralspecies,andthebiologicalstatusofmostspeciesareinzonesofconcern.
Whileresourcemanagershaverespondedpositivelytodiminishedsalmonreturnsbyreducingexploitationinocean
fisheries,42%ofconservationunitsthatweassessedasRed(threatened)wouldhaveimprovedinstatushadthe
Canadianfisherybeenfurtherreduced.Weconcludeourpaperwithrecommendationstoimproveourknowledgeof
salmoninBC,ensureadequateprotectionfordiminishedpopulations,andenablearobustandsuccessfullyimplemented
WSPforthefuture.
Keywords:Marine,Salmon,Survey,Conservationpracticioners,Management.
Geneticstructureofpopulations
TUESDAY14:15,ROOM:COLWOOD
Genetic structure of rhinoceros auklet populations throughout the North Pacific
MARIEPRILL,UNIVERSITYOFLETHBRIDGE,[email protected]
KATHARINESTUDHOLME,DALHOUSIEUNIVERSITY;MARKHIPFNER,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY;THERESABURG,UNIVERSITYOF
LETHBRIDGE
Levelsofgeneflowamongpopulationsplayacriticalroleinevolutionandareaffectedbygeographic,ecological,and
behaviouralbarriers.Seabirdshavehighpotentialforgeneflowyethighlevelsofdifferentiationcanexistoversmall
geographicdistances.TherhinocerosaukletisacolonialseabirdthatforagesoffthecontinentalshelfintheNorthPacific.
Usingmicrosatellitemarkerswewillexaminelevelsofpopulationgeneticstructureintherhinocerosauklets.Samples
fromtheeasternNorthPacificwillbeanalyzedforcontemporarypopulationgeneticstructuretotestifpatternsof
populationstructurecorrespondtoknowndispersalbarriers.
Keywords:Birds,Geneticvariation,Geneflow,Microsatellitemarkers.
Aquaticecology
TUESDAY13:30,ROOM:VIEWROYAL
Weak correlation between assemblages of non-biting midges (Diptera:
Chironomidae) and environmental factors in wetlands in Alberta, Canada
HEATHERPROCTOR,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA,[email protected]
QILIU,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA,CORDILLERACONSULTING;ZHUOYANSONG,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA;ROBERTHINCHLIFFE,ROYAL
ALBERTAMUSEUM;ROLFVINEBROOKE,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA
Toevaluatethepotentialuseofnon-bitingmidges(Diptera:Chironomidae)inwetlandbiomonitoring,weexaminedthe
relationshipsbetweenvariousaspectsofchironomidassemblages(multivariatestructure,Shannon-Wienerindex,
genericrichness,totalabundance,andabundanceofindividualgenera)andboththeirassociatedenvironmentalvariables
andvariousmeasuresof"humanfootprint"adjacenttothewetlands(amountofsurroundinglandalteredbyhuman
activities).Weusedchironomidsamplesthathadbeencollectedfrom270wetlandsbetween2009and2011bythe
AlbertaBiodiversityMonitoringInstituteinAlberta,Canada.Wefoundthatwaterquality,humanfootprint,elevationand
maximumdepthwerecorrelatedwithchironomidassemblages.However,overallrelationshipswereweak.All
chironomidresponses,exceptforthatoftheShannon-Wienerindexat33%,werepoorlyexplained(lessthan13%of
variation).Theweakcorrelationscouldbeduetolackofimportantbutunmeasuredenvironmentalvariables,insufficient
taxonomicresolution(weidentifiedonlytogenus),and/orthatchironomidscapableoflivinginAlbertanwetlandsare
robustgeneralistsmoretolerantofenvironmentalvariationthanarechironomidsassociatedwithflowingwater.
Keywords:Wetlands,Insects,Habitatselection,Humanfootprint.
Plasticsintheenvironment
MONDAY16:30,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Evaluating contaminants associated with plastic ingestion in an Arctic seabird
JENNIFERPROVENCHER,ACADIAUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
BIRGITBRAUNE,ENVIRONMENTANDCLIMATECHANGECANADA;ROBERTLETCHER,ENVIRONMENTANDCLIMATECHANGECANADA;
PETERROSS,VANCOUVERAQUARIUM;STEPHANIEAVERY-GOMM,UNIVERSITYOFQUEENSLAND;MAXLIBOIRON,MEMORIAL
UNIVERSITYOFNEWFOUNDLAND;MARKMALLORY,ENVIRONMENTANDCLIMATECHANGECANADA
Plasticdebrisiscommonlyingestedbyseabirds,eveninhighArcticwaters.Recentlyattentionhasbeenfocusedonwhat
theimpactsmaybeasaresultofthisingestedplasticdebris.Since2003severalspeciesofseabirdsintheCanadianArctic
havebeenexaminedthroughhunter-collectedsamplingforingestedplastics.Whilethelevelsofplasticingestionin
seabirdsisrelativelylowintheCanadianArcticcomparedtootherregions,thereisincreasingevidencethatoncemarine
plasticpollutionisinthegutofseabirds,contaminantsthatareadsorbedtoplasticsarereleased,whichmayhave
negativeeffectsontheexposedbirds.Thisprojectaimstoassesswhetherchemicalcontaminantsknowntobeassociated
withmarineplasticsarepotentiallytransferredtohoststhroughtheingestionofplastics,andthustransferredtoArctic
foodwebs.Thisprojectfocusesonthedeterminationoftwogroupsofchemicalcontaminants.First,weareanalysing
seabirdtissues(liver,fat,brainandbreastmuscle)forenvironmentalchemicalsthatareknowntobeassociatedwith
plasticsinthemarineenvironmentaswellasfoundinpreyitemstoassesshowingestedplasticsmaycontributeto
contaminantburdensintheexposedbirds.Second,wearealsoanalysingpreeningglandoilfromseabirdsforplasticizers
tospecificallyaddresswhetheringestedmarineplasticsarealsoactingasavectorforcontaminantsspecifictoplastics
intothefoodweb.ThisprojectwilladdtoourunderstandingofmarineplasticsintheArctic,andhowthispollutantmay
beimpactingArcticecosystems.
Keywords:Birds,Marine,Pollution,Plastic,Chemicalcontaminant,Foraging.
Ecology&EvolutioninaSocialContextSymposium
TUESDAY08:00,ROOM:COLWOOD
Selection on colony foraging aggressiveness favors social susceptibility in social
spiders
JONATHANN.PRUITT,UNIVERSITYOFCALIFORNIA-SANTABARBARA,[email protected]
Individualspossessingextremephenotypesoftenexhibitalargeinfluenceoverthecollectivebehavioroftheirgroups.In
thesocialspiderStegodyphusdumicola,veryboldindividualscatalyzegreaterforagingaggressivenessintheirshycolony
matesatdesertsites,butnotinwettersavannahhabitats.Toevaluatewhethertheapparentsite-specificsocialinfluence
ofboldindividualsisaconsequenceoftheirtraitsorthesocialsusceptibilityofshyindividuals,wemixedshyindividuals
fromaridsiteswithboldindividualsfromwetsitesandviceversa.Ourresultssuggestthatitisnotthetraitsofbold
individualsfromaridsitesthatexplaintheircatalyticeffects,butinsteadthesocialsusceptibilityoftheirshygroupmates
thatexplainsthisphenomenon.Shyindividualsfromaridsiteswillincreasetheirforagingaggressivenessinthepresence
ofveryboldindividualsregardlessofwheretheboldindividualscomefrom(wetorshysites),andwillevenshifttheir
behaviorinresponsetobold,non-socialcongeners.Shyindividualsfromwetsitesexhibitednosuchpatterns.Using240
non-chimericexperimentalcoloniesdeployedacrosssouthernAfrica,wefoundthatcolonyforagingaggressivenessis
underpositiveselectionataridsitesbutnotsavannahhabitats.Thus,thesociallysusceptibilityofshyspidersfromarid
siteshelpstocreatecolony-levelphenotypesthatareadvantageousattheirsites,butnotelsewhere.Theseresultssuggest
thatsocialsusceptibilityisanunderappreciatedtraitinanimalsocieties.
Salmonidecologyandevolution
MONDAY11:15,ROOM:SAANICH
Determinants of brook charr resource polymorphism in Canadian Shield lakes
VINCENTRAINVILLE,UNIVERSITÉDUQUÉBECÀTROIS-RIVIÈRES,[email protected]
MARCPÉPINO,UNIVERSITÉDUQUÉBECÀTROIS-RIVIÈRES;PIERREMAGNAN,UNIVERSITÉDUQUÉBECÀTROIS-RIVIÈRES
Resourcepolymorphismamongvertebratesismorecommonthanwefirstthought.Thisphenomenonoccurswhen
individualsofthesamepopulationexhibitdiscretephenotypesassociatedwithdifferentialresourceuse.Resource
polymorphismisanimportantmechanismforadaptationtolocalconditionsandmayrepresentthefirststepinadaptive
evolution.Somenativebrookcharr(Salvelinusfontinalis)populationsexhibitasubtleresourcepolymorphismin
CanadianShieldlakes,wherealittoralformfeedsmostlyonbenthicpreyinshallowwaterandapelagicformfeeds
mainlyonzooplanktoninopenwater.However,thefewlakepopulationsstudiedsofarhaverevealedvariationsinthe
expressionofresourcepolymorphism(e.g.,relativeabundance,morphology)amongpopulations.Theseresultshighlight
thepotentialroleofbioticandabioticfactorsontheexpressionofresourcepolymorphism.Themainobjectiveofthis
studywastoidentifytheinfluenceofinterspecificcompetitionaswellasenvironmentalfactorsonbrookcharrresource
polymorphismatabroaderscale.Weinvestigatedthemaindeterminantsofrelativeabundance,morphology,and
resourceuseofbrookcharrinboththelittoralandpelagichabitatsof28CanadianShieldlakes.Ourresultssuggestthat
interspecificcompetitionandhighwatertemperatureinthelittoralhabitatareinverselyrelatedtobrookcharr
abundance,probablybylimitingaccesstolittoralresources.Resultsonresourceuseandmorphologyofindividuals
capturedinbothzoneswillalsobepresented.
Keywords:Fish,Environmentalvariation,Foraging,Lakes,Plasticity,Evolution.
Museumcollectionssymposium
MONDAY11:45,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
The dead keep talking
LEAHR.RAMSAY,BCCONSERVATIONDATACENTRE,MINISTRYOFENVIRONMENT,[email protected]
Naturalhistorycollectionsandtheassociateddatahousedinmuseumsandotherinstitutionsareusedformany
purposes.Collectionsarevitalinprovidinginformationusedtodeterminetheconservationstatusofaspecies.
Informationderivedfromcollectionsincludesdatathatinformsassessmentcriteriasucharangeextent,areaof
occupancyandchangesindistributionandabundance.Distributionpatternscanbeassessedusingmuseumspecimen
dataandhelpidentifyspeciesthatareconcentratedinareaswithhistoricorcurrenthabitatchange,orinareasthatare
abouttoundergothosechangesfromproposedactivities.Thisisoftentheonlyinformationthatisavailablefortaxonomic
groupsthataredifficulttoidentify,arepoorlyknownorhavefewspecialistsworkingonthem,(e.g.someplantgenera
andmanyinvertebrategroups).Thereareanumberofstudieswhererelativeabundanceofhistoriccollectionshasbeen
usedtomakeinferencesonchangesinstatus.Thisworksbestwithtaxonomicgroupsthathavebeenwellcollected.The
B.C.ConservationDataCentre,CanadianGeneralStatusProgramandCOSEWIChaveusedspecimendataextensivelyfor
speciesassessmentpurposes.Thedeaddokeeptalking!
Keywords:Museumcollection,Biodiversity,Populationrange,Historicalrecords.
Reproductiveecologyandbehaviour
MONDAY16:30,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Spatial autocorrelation of white-throated sparrow song variation at the
neighbourhood scale
SCOTTM.RAMSAY,WILFRIDLAURIERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
JACALYNNORMANDEAU,WILFRIDLAURIERUNIVERSITY
Thesingingbehaviourofwhite-throatedsparrowshasbeenthesubjectofextensiveresearchsincethe1960s,including
someoftheearliestworkonneighbour-strangerdiscriminationbymalesongbirds.Anearlysurveyofsongvariationin
thisspeciesfailedtodetectanyevidenceofspatialvariationinsongstructure.However,morerecentworkhas
demonstratedaculturalshiftinthestructureoftheterminalstropheofthesong,originatingincentralBritishColumbia
andsweepingeastwardacrossthespeciesrange.Atalocalscale,fieldobservationssuggestedthatneighbouringmales
mayfallintoclustersbasedonthecharacteristicsoftheintroductoryportionoftheirsongs.Usingfactoranalysiswe
derivedpairwisedistancemeasuresofsongcharacteristics,andfoundsignificantspatialautocorrelationacrossyearsand
siteswithinAlgonquinPark,Ontario.Theperiodofourstudyalsocapturedapartoftheculturalshiftinterminalstrophes
asitpassedacrossOntario.Thelocalclusteringweobserveisconsistentwithevidencefromotherspecies,including
repertoiresingers,showingthatsongsimilaritymayfacilitateneighbour-strangerrecognition.Fieldobservationsof
white-throatedsparrowsfromacrossthespeciesrangeareconsistentwiththepossibilitythatmalesmaygointotheir
firstbreedingseasonwithopensongtemplates,andselectiveattritionallowsthemtocrystallizeonthevariantmost
similartotheirnewneighbours.Furtherstudywillberequired,however,todeterminetheactualdevelopmental
mechanismbehindthisspatialpatterning.
Keywords:Birds,Behaviouralecology,Selection,Socialbehaviour,Reproduction.
Forestecology
WEDNESDAY11:30,ROOM:WCOAST
Effects of wildfires on tree establishment in conifer-dominated boreal forests in
southern Northwest Territories
KIRSTENREID,WILFRIDLAURIERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
STEVECUMMING,UNIVERSITÉLAVAL;NICOLADAY,WILFRIDLAURIERUNIVERSITY;JILLJOHNSTONE,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN;
MICHELLEMACK,NORTHERNARIZONAUNIVERSITY;MERRITTTURETSKY,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH;XANTHEWALKER,NORTHERN
ARIZONAUNIVERSITY;JENNIFERBALTZER,WILFRIDLAURIERUNIVERSITY
Naturalwildfireistheprimarydriverofborealforestdynamics.PinusbanksianaandPiceamarianaaredominantconifers
intheborealandregeneratealmostexclusivelyafterfireduetoconeserotiny.Historically,firereturnintervalsinwestern
Canadaare50-200years;whenforestsburn,P.banksianaandP.marianahavematuredandproducedseedsthatare
availablefordispersal.Climatewarmingisalteringthefireregimeintheborealbyincreasingthefrequencyandseverity
offireyears.ThefateoftheNorthwestTerritories(NWT)borealforestsunderanalteredfireregimeisunclear;theymay
beresilientandexperiencetypicalsuccessionalpatternsofstandreplacementortheymayshifttoanewstablestate
dominatedbyadifferentsetofspecies,ashasbeenobservedinAlaska.Theyear2014wasanhistoricallyunprecedented
fireseasonintheNWT.Inresponse,in2015weestablished224vegetationplotsacrossa400kmlatitudinalgradientin
conifer-dominatedstandsthatburnedin2014.Resultssuggestthatthedegreeofcanopyconsumptionisthemajordriver
ofPiceamarianaseedrainpost-fire.Establishmentofdeciduousseedlings(PopulustremuloidesandBetulaneolaskana)
wasdeterminedbyseedbedcharacteristicsfollowingfire.Dateofburnwasimportantindeterminingwhichspeciesof
coniferestablished;earlyseasonfiresledtotherecruitmentofPiceamarianawhilePinusbanksianaestablishment
respondedpositivelytolateseasonfires.ThisworkprovidesinsightintotheimpactsofachangingfireregimeintheNWT
andunparalleleddataforpost-fireforestsuccessionintheNWT.
Keywords:Disturbance,Fire,Plants,Forest,Climatechange.
Physiologicalecology,temperature
WEDNESDAY11:15,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
It's not the heat, it's the humidity: Environmental effects on insect-plant
interactions
MARYL.REID,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY,[email protected]
SANGWOOKAHN,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY
Hightemperaturesandlowprecipitationarewidelyrecognizedasstressorsofplantsthatcanincreasevulnerabilityto
herbivores.Lesswellunderstoodaretheeffectsoftheseenvironmentalconditionsoninsectsandtheircapacityto
withstandplantdefences.Wepredictedthatreducedenergyandwaterreserveswoulddecreasetheabilityofmountain
pinebeetles,Dendroctonusponderosae,totoleratemonoterpenedefencesofitshosttrees.Priortoexposureto
monoterpenes,wemanipulatedbeetlefatandwatercontentinthreetreatments:1)ambientconditions(moderate
temperature,lowhumidity),2)highhumidity(moderatetemperature)and3)cooltemperatures(4degreesC).Beetlesin
thehumidtreatmenthadthesamefatcontentasambientbeetlesbutlessthancoolbeetles.Conversely,theyhadhigher
watercontentthanambientbeetlesandthesameascoolbeetles.Whentheywerethenexposedtomonoterpenesunder
constantconditions,survivorshipofbeetlesfromthehumidtreatmentwashigherthanthosefromtheambienttreatment
andthesameasthosefromthecooltreatment.Weconcludethatwaterstatusiskeytoinsectdetoxificationofplant
chemicaldefences,andthatlowhumidityconditionswilllimitinsectherbivoresaswellasplants.
Keywords:Interactions,Individualsurvival,Insects,Pinebeetle,Foraging.
Sticklebackecologyandevolution
MONDAY08:45,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Ecological interactions and genome structure contribute to repeatable patterns of
genomic divergence in threespine stickleback
DIANAJ.RENNISON,UNIVERSITYOFBERN,[email protected]
YOELE.STUART,UNIVERSITYOFTEXASATAUSTIN;DANIELI.BOLNICK,UNIVERSITYOFTEXASATAUSTIN;CATHERINEL.PEICHEL,
UNIVERSITYOFBERN
Therepeatedevolutionofsimilarphenotypesinindependentpopulationsprovidesaremarkableopportunitytoidentify
theecologicalandgeneticfactorsthatcontributetoadaptation.Streamandlakeecotypesofthreespinestickleback
(Gasterosteusaculeatus)haveevolvedrepeatedlyandexhibitparallelphenotypicdivergence.Weusethissystemto
investigatethecontributionofecologicalfactorsandgeneticconstraintstopatternsofgenomicdivergenceduring
adaptation.Wegeneratedgenome-widesequencedatafor16independentlyderivedpairsoflakeandstreamstickleback
andintegratedthesegenomicdatawithestimatesof94bioticandabioticvariablesfromthe32locations.Bayesian
methodswereusedtoestimatethecorrelationsbetweenallelefrequenciesandourecologicalvariables;theseanalyses
identifiedthegenomicregionsandecologicalfactorsimportantforlocaladaptationineachecotype.Wethenlookedat
howrepeatablethesepatternswereacrossindependentlyderivedpopulations.Wefoundthatthedegreeofgenomic
parallelismvariednotonlybetweenpairsofstream-lakesticklebackbutalsowithinthegenome.Thisvariationin
parallelismwaspartiallyexplainedbyenvironmentalvariationamonglake-streampopulationpairsandpartiallyby
variationingenomestructure.Togethertheseanalyseshaveprovidednewinsightintotheecologicalmechanismsand
genomicconstraintsthatinfluencetherepeatabilityofevolution.
Keywords:Stickleback,Genomicsequencing,Freshwater,Selection.
Biodiversity
TUESDAY09:45,ROOM:VIEWROYAL
Diversity-stability hypothesis: Are we looking at the right scale?
GUILLAUMERHEAULT,UNIVERSITÉDUQUÉBECÀTROIS-RIVIÈRES,[email protected]
ESTHERLÉVESQUE,UNIVERSITÉDUQUÉBECÀTROIS-RIVIÈRES;RAPHAËLPROULX,UNIVERSITÉDUQUÉBECÀTROIS-RIVIÈRES
Thediversity-stabilityhypothesisproposesthatbiodiversityactsasaninsurancepolicyonthemaintenanceofecosystem
processesovertime.Yet,thehypothesishasseldombeentestedinnaturalsettings.Thegrowingseasonlength(GSL)isa
keycomponentofwetlandecosystems,whichdrivescarbonuptakeandnutrientrecyclingprocesses,whilerespondsto
climateandspeciesrangeshifts.Theobjectiveofthisstudywastopartitiontheeffectofbothalphaandbetadiversityon
GSLvariationover4years.From2013to2016,108plantcommunitiesweremonitoredacrossfiveecosystemsofthe
SAuVERnetwork.TimelapsecameraswereusedtotrackchangesinspeciescompositionandGSL.Communitiesineach
ecosystemwereselectedalongagradientofspeciesrichnessthatisindependentofthegeographiclocationoredaphic
conditions.Theecosystemtypeexplainedalmosthalf(43%)ofGSLvariation,whereasspeciesrichness(i.e.,alpha
diversity)explainedverylittle.GSLvariedmorebetweencommunities(32%)inagivenyear,thanbetweenyearsina
givencommunity(0.09%).ResidualvariationinGSL(16%)wasrelatedtotheasynchronousdynamicsofplant
communities,pointingtoastabilizingeffectofbetadiversityovertime.Whilethenumberofplantspeciesinalocal
communitydoesnotseemtoinfluenceGSL,thebiodiversityattheecosystemscaleappearstohavestabilizingeffecton
GSLthroughtime.Thisstudyemphasizestheimportanceofconsideringthescaleatwhichbiodiversityconservation
strategiesshouldbeorientedandthattheecosystemscaleshouldbeprioritized.
Keywords:Biodiversity,Phenologychanges,Betadiversity,Wetlands.
Socialsystems
MONDAY16:15,ROOM:THEATRE
Nest-site competition and the socioecology of reproduction in eastern carpenter bees
MIRIAMRICHARDS,BROCKUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
Insectsarerarelythesubjectsoflong-termfieldstudies,becausesmallbodysizeandhighmobilitymakeitdifficultto
trackindividualsevenforafewdays.However,beesbuildneststowhichtheyregularlyreturn,creatingopportunitiesto
markandtrackindividualsandpopulationsfromyeartoyear.Wehavestudiedthesocioecologyofeasterncarpenter
bees,Xylocopavirginica,insouthernOntariosince2003.Thislarge,facultativelysocialspeciesbuildslong-lastingnests
thatareoccupiedbysuccessivegenerationsforyearsordecades.Thecostofnestconstructionishigh,sonestsarea
valuableresource.Whenpopulationdensityrises,greatercompetitionfornestsresultsinhigherfrequencyofsocial
nestingandmoreattemptsbyfemalestojoinnewsocialgroups.Withinsocialgroups,competitionresultsinthe
formationoflinearreproductivequeuesinwhichthefirst-rankedfemalebreeds,whilelower-rankedfemalesawait
opportunitiestoreplaceher.Competitionalsohelpstoexplaintheevolutionofalternativelifehistorystrategiesin
females:mostfemalesbreedintheirfirstspringanddiesoonafter,butverysmallfemalescanoverwintertwice,
postponingreproductionuntiltheirsecondspring.
Keywords:Insects,Competition,Reproduction,Socialbehaviour.
Remotecameranetworkstoscaleupecologicalinsightsandconservationapplicationssymposium
TUESDAY11:00,ROOM:THEATRE
Camera trapping for pollinators: Using time-lapse cameras on a flower lure to index
pollinators in fragmented boreal forests
FEDERICORIVA,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA,LANDRECLAMATIONINTERNATIONALGRADUATESCHOOL,[email protected]
TOBIASW.H.TAN,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA;CASSONDRAJ.STEVENSON,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA;JOHNH.ACORN,UNIVERSITYOF
ALBERTA;SCOTTE.NIELSEN,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA,LANDRECLAMATIONINTERNATIONALGRADUATESCHOOL
Theuseofcameratrapshasgrownrapidlyinthelast20years,rangingfromfaunalinventoriestobehaviouraland
occupancystudies.Moststudies,however,havefocusedonlargevertebrates.Recenttechnologicaladvancesnowmakeit
possibletoapplycameratrapstosmallerorganisms,includinginsects.However,empiricaltestsofthesealternative
applications,andtestsoftheirlimitations,arescarce.Hereweusedatime-lapseset-upwiththeWingscapes
TimelapseCamandacommonmobile(potted)flowerlure(sunflower:Helianthusannuus)totestwhetherpollinator
activitydiffersinanthropogenicdisturbancescomparedtoundisturbed(control)forestsintheAlbertaoilsands.
Samplingsiteswerestratifiedtocontrolforestsversuseither3-mwideseismiclinesor9-mwideseismiclineswhere
treesandshrubshadbeencleared.Twelvecamerasweresetatdifferentsitesonadailyrotationwithcameras
approximately20cmfromflowersandpicturescapturedat10secondintervalsduringpeakinsectactivityperiods,
between11:00AMand2:00PM(N=1080picture/site).Initialresultssuggesthigherpollinatoractivityinthelargest
disturbancesandthelowestincontrolforests.Wediscusssomeofthelimitationsinusingthistechnique,includingthe
useofasinglenon-nativespeciesasalureandthetradeoffbetweenfocallength(andthusdepthoffield)andresolution
whensamplingsmallspecimens,wheredetailisneededforidentification.Cameraresolutiondidnotmakeitpossibleto
identifymostpollinatorstospecies,particularlywhenbodysizewassmall,butindicesofbroadfunctionalgroupswas
possiblemakingcameratrappingforpollinatorsaneffectivetoolinaddressingfunctionalquestionsofpollinatoractivity,
butnotquestionsofspeciesdiversity.
EcologicalEpigeneticsSymposium
TUESDAY08:15,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Genetic and epigenetic response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in S. alterniflora
MARTAROBERTSON,UNIVERSITYOFSOUTHFLORIDA,[email protected]
MARIANOALVAREZ,DUKEUNIVERSITY;CHRISTINARICHARDS,UNIVERSITYOFSOUTHFLORIDA
Populationsrespondtoenvironmentalstressorsusingadiversearrayofmolecularmachinery,howevertheextentto
whichchangesinthismachinerycanaffectresultingpopulationstructureandevolutionarytrajectoriesisunclear.
Catastrophiceventsofferauniqueopportunitytostudyrapidpopulationresponsetostressinnaturalsettings.Following
theDeepwaterHorizonoilspill,wesimultaneouslyexaminedthegeneticandepigeneticstructureofrecovering
populationsofSpartinaalterniflora,akeystonesaltmarshgrass.SomepopulationsofS.alterniflorareboundedquickly
followingtheoilspillandepigeneticmechanisms,inconcertwithgeneticvariation,mayexplainthehighresilienceofS.
alternifloratooilexposure.Epigeneticmodifications,suchasDNAmethylation,mayofferarapidmechanismofresponse
tosevereenvironmentalchallenges,liketheDeepwaterHorizonoilspill.Weusedareduced-representationbisulfite
sequencingapproach,epigenotyping-by-sequencing(epiGBS),tolookforgeneticandepigeneticresponsetooilexposure.
WecatalogedSNPsanddifferentiallymethylatedpositionsandregionsinresponsetooilexposure.Weexploredthe
functionalityoftheselociusingheterologousannotationdatafromOryzasativa.Overall,thesefindingsallowustostudy
theinteractiveeffectsofgeneticandepigeneticresponsetoenvironmentalstressandtheircombinedimpacton
populationchange.
Matechoice,hybridization
MONDAY14:15,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Flexible mate choice may regulate gene flow between sympatric pumpkinseed
sunfish ecotypes (Lepomis gibbosus)
BERENROBINSON,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH,[email protected]
WILLJARVIS,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH;SCOTTCOLBORNE,UNIVERSITYOFWINDSOR
Themovementofgeneswithinandbetweenpopulationshasfundamentaleffectsontheoriginsandmaintenanceof
biodiversity,buttheecologicalandbehaviouralfactorsthatgoverngeneflowarepoorlyunderstood,particularlyatthe
earlieststagesofpopulationdivergence.Wetestthehypothesisthatmatechoicehasevolvedbetweentrophicecotypesof
polyphenicpumpkinseedsunfish(Lepomisgibbosus)thathavedivergedinsympatryinAshbyLake,ONoverapost-glacial
intervalof12,000yrs.Weassessedtheecotypeofnestingmalesandfemalesusingstableisotopebasedestimatesofdiet
andadivergentmalemorphologicalcharacter,oraljawwidth.Wefoundweakpositiveassortativematingbetween
ecotypesinacommonnestinghabitatalongopenshorelinesthatappearstobevariablyexpressedbyoccurringinoneof
twosamplingyears.Nestdepthandproximitytoshorelinehadnoaffectontheassortativematingsignal,suggestingthat
microhabitatselectiononthesefactorsdidnotoccur.Thisisconsistentwithactivematechoicebeingexpressedwithin
ecotypes,althoughthefactorsthatinfluencethevariableexpressionofmatechoiceareunclear.Agrowingbodyof
evidenceindicatesthatmatechoicebehaviourcanbeahighlyplastictrait,andwediscusstheimplicationsforgeneflow
andforadaptivedivergence.
Keywords:Reproduction,Fish,Speciation,Morphology,Evolution.
Coralreefecology
TUESDAY16:30,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Redundancy in system-indicators reveals exploitation impacts in coral reef fisheries
JAMESROBINSON,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
ADELHEENAN,PACIFICISLANDSFISHERIESSCIENCECENTER,NOAA;IVORWILLIAMS,PACIFICISLANDSFISHERIESSCIENCECENTER,
NOAA;JULIABAUM,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA
Incoralreefecosystems,artisanalsmall-scalefisheriesareanimportantfoodresourcefordevelopingcoastalnations.Our
abilitytotrackexploitationimpactsinreeffisheriesrequiresecologicalindicatorsthatlinktofisheriesproperties(e.g.,
biomass),respondpredictablytoenvironmentalvariability,andcanbequantifiedindata-poorsystems.Although
universalindicatorsofreeffisheryhealthwouldimprovemanagementefficiency,ourunderstandingofregional
variabilityandredundancyamongindicatorsispoor.Here,usingunderwatervisualcensusdatacollectedacross38
Pacificislands,weexaminedredundancyamong11community-levelindicators,andindicatorspecificitytohumanand
abioticdrivers.Ourindicatorsetcontainedestablishedfisheriesindicatorsthatrespondpredictablytoexploitation
(biomass,meansize,sizespectra),aswellasnewtrophic-basedsystemindicatorsthatreflectemergentpropertiesof
marineecosystems.Acrossocean-basingradientsintemperature,oceanicproductivity,andexploitationhistory,wefound
thatdegradedreefswerecharacterisedbyincreasedhumanpresence,reducedbiomassoflarge-bodiedfishes,and
concentrationofbiomassinlowertrophiclevels.Weusedfactoranalysistodeterminethattheunderlyingstructureof
size-andtrophic-basedindicatorswasrepresentedbytwocompositeindicators,whichrespondedconsistentlyto
variationinexploitationpressure,temperature,andoceanicproductivity.Redundancyamongsize-andtrophic-based
indicatorsetssuggeststhatexploitationimpactsmaybeeffectivelycapturedsimplybymeasuringbiomass,sizespectra,
andcumulativebiomass~TLrelationships.Bysimplifyingindicatorsetsanddemonstratinghowindicatorsrespondto
abioticandhumandrivers,weprovideaframeworkforefficientlytrackingexploitationimpactsincoralreefandother
fisheries.
Keywords:Fisheries,Management,Coralreef,Marine,Modeling,Morphology.
Beeecologyandbehaviour
WEDNESDAY10:45,ROOM:OAKBAY1
The spatial distribution of central place foraging pollinators in mass-flowering crops
SAMUELV.J.ROBINSON,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY,[email protected]
RALPHV.CARTAR,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY;STEPHENF.PERNAL,AGRICULTUREANDAGRI-FOODCANADA;SHELLEYE.R.HOOVER,
ALBERTAAGRICULTUREANDFORESTRY
Central-placeforagingtheorydescribesthespaceuseoforganismswhoreturntoacentralplace(nest,burrow,hive)after
boutsofforaging.Thedistancethatacentral-placeforager(CPF)willtravelfromtheircentralplacedependsinparton
thecostsoftravel,aswellastherewardsreceivedduringforaging.CompetitionamongCPFscandepleteresources
locally,changingthestructureofrewardsandcausingCPFstomovefurtheraway.ManymodelsofCPFbehaviourhave
examinedcompetition,patchexploitation,andenergetics,butnonehaveconnectedthesepiecestobuildageneralmodel
ofCPFbehaviourinlargeforagingenvironments.Inthisstudy,wedescribeanenergeticallyexplicitmodelofcentralplaceforagingbasedontheidealfreedistribution,andtestitusingobservationsofhoneybees(ApismelliferaL.)foraging
inmass-floweringcanola(BrassicanapusL.)fieldsinsouthernAlberta,Canada.Wefoundthathoneybeesmostclosely
followthepredictionsmadebysolitary,efficiencymaximizingforagers.Thismodelcouldbeextendedforuseby
agronomists(forpredictingpollinationinagivencrop)orapiculturists(forpredictinghoneyyieldinagivenlandscape).
Keywords:Honeybees,Foraging,Competition,Densitydependence.
Phylogenetics
MONDAY10:45,ROOM:WCOAST
The genomic significance of pervasive broad-scale heterogeneity in recombination
rate along chromosomes during early population divergence
MARIUSROESTI,UNIVERSITYOFBASEL,[email protected]
DANIELBERNER,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA
Geneticdifferentiationbetweendiversifyingpopulationsisoftengreaterinchromosomecentersthanperipheries.
Commonlyoverlooked,thispatternissometimesascribedtoheterogeneityintherateofrecombinationandhencelinked
selectionwithinchromosomes,buttheunderlyingmechanismsremainincompletelyresolved.Reviewingthegenetic
mappingliterature,wefindthateukaryoticchromosomesgenerallyexhibitreducedrecombinationintheircenter.Using
simulationsofpopulationsdivergingintoecologicallydifferenthabitatsthroughsortingofstandinggeneticvariation,we
thendemonstratethatsuchheterogeneityinrecombination,combinedwithpolygenicdivergentselection,causesmore
extendedhitchhikingandespeciallybarrierstogeneflowacrosschromosomecenters.Withoutrequiringselectionon
novelmutations,thisdrivesrelativelyelevatedpopulationdifferentiationinchromosomecenters.Wefurther
demonstratethatsuchbroad-scaleheterogeneityindifferentiationcanhampertheinferenceofparallelevolutionand
phylogeneticrelationshipsamongpopulations,thedetectionofselectionoutliers,andtheinterpretationofthestrengthof
selectionongeneticloci.Thiscallsforgreaterattentiontochromosome-wideheterogeneityinrecombinationratein
evolutionarygenomics.
Keywords:Literaturesynthesis,,Evolution,Populationmodels,Geneticvariation.
Sticklebackecologyandevolution
MONDAY09:00,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Speciation seen through the lens of biomechanics: A multidisciplinary approach
using fish locomotion and feeding in marine and freshwater threespine stickleback
SEANROGERS,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY,[email protected]
TIMOTHYE.HIGHAM,UNIVERSITYOFCALIFORNIARIVERSIDE;KEVINJAGNANDAN,UNIVERSITYOFCALIFORNIARIVERSIDE;SARASMITH,
UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY;ANDHEATHERA.JAMNICZKY,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY
Locomotionandfeedingarekeyaxesofdiversityamongfishes,andthesearecommonlyintegratedforsuccessfulprey
capture.Predator-preyinteractionsmaybedriversofdecreasedfitnessofhybridsandmigrantsduringadaptive
populationdivergenceandspeciation.However,littleisknownabouttheconsequencesofbiomechanicalvariationamong
highlydivergentpopulationsoffishes,orhowhybridsfunctioninrelationtotheoriginalpopulations.Threespine
stickleback,Gasterosteusaculeatus,isanidealspeciesforteasingaparttheintricaterelationshipsbetweenecology,form,
andfunctiongiventhenumerousindependentinvasionsoffreshwaterlakesandstreamsfromamarineancestor.We
investigateddifferencesinsuctionfeedingkinematicsandramspeedin30individualsfromthewestcoastofBritish
Columbiaspanningfreshwater,marine,andhybrid(marinexfreshwater)individuals.Thisincludedbothwild-caughtfish
andlabcrosses.Feedingsequenceswereobtainedusingahigh-speedcamera(500fps),andmicroCTwasusedtolink
differencesinkinematicswiththree-dimensionalgeometricmorphometrics.Fromthis,wecandetermineifthereis
concordanceoramismatchbetweenmorphologyandbiomechanicsandthepotentialcontributionofthesetraitsto
reproductiveisolationandecologicalspeciation.
Keywords:Stickleback,Selection,Predation,Hybridization,Evolution,Freshwater,Marine.
Populationdynamics
TUESDAY09:45,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Population dynamics of the adopted migrant life history in fish
LUKEA.ROGERS,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO,[email protected]
MARTINKRKOŠEK,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO
Theinfluenceofdispersalonpopulationstructureanddynamicsiscentraltobasicandappliedecology.Dispersalthat
deliversjuvenilestosuitablehabitatinopenandclosedpopulationsofreeffisheshasbeenextensivelystudied.By
contrast,thereisscanttheoreticalorempiricalworkontheroleofjuveniledispersalinthepopulationdynamicsandlife
historyofpelagicfishes.Forthesefishes,dispersaldeliversjuvenilesintoamigratoryadultpopulationratherthantoa
suitablehabitat.Theadoptedmigranthypothesisexplainsthisdeliverybyasociallytransmittedbehaviourthat
segregatesadultfishpopulationsindependentofgeneticdifferentiation,influencingdynamicsandthestructureof
populationsinspace.Spatialstructureisimportantbecauseitcanhaveastabilizing(e.g.,portfolio)ordestabilizing(e.g.,
extinction-pronesynchrony)effect.Tocharacterizethepopulationdynamicsoftheadoptedmigrantlife-history,we
developedandanalysedamathematicalmodelofthedynamicsoftwopopulations.Inthismodeltherecruitmentsuccess
ofjuvenilesdispersingintoafocaladultpopulationwasdependentontherelativeabundancesoftheadultpopulationsas
wellastheextenttowhichadultsandjuvenilesoverlapinspace,timeandrecruitmentcues.Ourresultsdemonstratethat
theadoptedmigrantlifehistorycanmaintainspatialstructureamongpopulationsbyeffectingstablecoexistence
betweendistinctadultpopulationsthatareconnectedbyjuveniledispersal,butalsothatitcanrenderthosesame
populationsvulnerabletocollapseviaademographicAlleeeffect.
Keywords:Populationdynamics,Fish,Dispersal,Mathematicalmodel,Adoptedmigranthypothesis.
Effectsofclimatechange
TUESDAY16:30,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Loss of early-winter snow threatens alpine butterfly populations
JENSROLAND,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA,[email protected]
STEVEMATTER,UNIVERSITYOFCINCINNATI
Butterfliesserveasoneofthebestexamplesofbio-geographicalrange-shiftsduetoclimatechange.Themechanismsby
whichweatherandclimatealterbutterflydynamicsare,however,oftenlacking.Weusetechniquesoftree-based
regression(randomForestsandrecursivepartitioning[rpart]),combinedwithlinearmixed-effectsmodels,toidentify
weathervariables(meansand/orextremes)thatbestexplainannualratesofpopulationchange(Rt)ofadultsofthe
alpineapollobutterfly,Parnassiussmintheus,intheRockyMountainsofAlberta.Wedosowithaviewtodeterminingthe
mechanism(s)bywhichclimatechangemayacttoalteritsgeographicrangethroughitseffectonpopulationgrowthand
decline.Basedon21yearsofpopulationabundanceandgrowthdatafrom21sub-populations,wefoundthatextreme
cold,andextremewarmtemperaturesinNovemberareassociatedwithdramaticpopulationdeclines,particularlyin
yearswithlittleornosnow.Weatheratanyothertimeofyearbearslittlerelationtoannualpopulationchange.Results
implythatover-winteringeggsareparticularlysusceptibletotemperatureextremesinearlywinter,andthatsnowcover
atthistimeofyeariscriticalforamelioratingtheeffectsofsuchextremes.Hi-resolution(30cm)satelliteimageryofsnow
coverofourstudypopulationsinlateNovemberprovidesadirectindicationofpopulationgrowthbetweensequential
summers.Resultsserveastheimpetusforexperimentsmonitoringeggfatesthroughthewinter,wheresnowhasbeen
manipulatedbytheuseofsnowfences.
Keywords:Alpineapollobutterfly,Climatechange,Populationdynamics,Mountain,Populationdeclines.
Mammalianmovementandactivity
TUESDAY11:45,ROOM:THEATRE
Spatially explicit density estimation in a large-scale grizzly bear study using spatial
capture-recapture models
ANDYJ.ROYLE,USGSPATUXENTWILDLIFERESEARCHCENTER,[email protected]
TABITHAGRAVES,USGSNORTHERNROCKYMOUNTAINRESEARCHCENTER;KATEKENDALL,USGSNORTHERNROCKYMOUNTAIN
RESEARCHCENTER;AMYMACLEOD,USGSNORTHERNROCKYMOUNTAINRESEARCHCENTER;KEVINMCKELVEY,USFSROCKY
MOUNTAINRESEARCHSTATION;JOHNBOULANGER,INTEGRATEDECOLOGICALRESEARCH
Spatialcapture-recapture(SCR)isarelativelynewclassofmethodsforinferenceaboutthespatialecologyofpopulations
fromcapture-recapturedata.WeappliedSCRmodelstoastudyofgrizzlybearsintheNorthCentralDivideEcosystem
usingnoninvasivegeneticidentificationofindividualsfromhairsamplingusingrubtrees.During5yearsofsampling
(2004,2009-2012)between4305-4946rubsweresampledperyearovera33,300squaredkmarea.Thisisthelargest
capture-recapturestudyeverconductedonmammals.Wefitted171SCRmodelsusingmaximumlikelihoodintheR
packageoSCR.ThetopmodelbyAICallowedforyear-specificdensity.Detectionprobabilityeffectsincludedyearandsex
structure,abehavioralresponse,andeffectsofdateanddurationofhairaccumulation.TheSCRspatialscaleparameter
wassexandyearspecific.Usingthetopmodel,theestimatedgeometricmeanrateofgrowthwas5.6%peryear(95%
confidenceinterval:3.3%-7.0%).SCRpermitsestimationofexplicitdensitymapsprovidingspatiallyexplicitestimatesof
populationsizeinspecificmanagementunitsassistinginevaluationofthestatusofthespeciesanditsmanagement.
Keywords:Grizzlybear,Capture-recapture(SCR),Spatialmodel,Rubtrees,Populationdynamics.
Host-associatedmicrobes:fromprotectivemicrobestopathogenssymposium
MONDAY09:00,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Strong community structuring of defensive heritable symbionts is shaped by
context-dependent transmission rates
JACOBRUSSELL,DREXELUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
ANDREWH.SMITH,DREXELUNIVERSITY;KERRYM.OLIVER,UNIVERSITYOFGEORGIA;DANIELLEROCK,DREXELUNIVERSITY
Maternallytransferredbacteriaareprevalentacrosstheinsectswheretheyhavemajorimpactsuponhostnutrition,
defense,andreproduction.Adiverserangeofbacteriahaveevolvedsuchlifestyles,andopportunitiesforco-infection
existinanumberofinsectsharboringmultiplematernallytransferredsymbiontspecies.Inthisstudywepresent
evidenceforstrongstructuringofmaternallytransferredsymbiontcommunitieswithinindividualhostsofthepeaaphid,
Acyrthosiphonpisum.ExtensivesamplingovertimeandacrosstheUnitedStatesrevealsconsistentpairwisepartnerships
betweenanumberofbacteria,whileshowingthatseveralcommunitytypesaremuchrarerthanexpected.Afield-based
studyontransmissionratesprovidesapartialexplanationforthesefindings,assymbionts'ratesofmaternal
transmissionareimpactedbytheidentitiesofco-infectingbacterialspecies.Thesediscoverieshaveimplicationsforour
understandingofsymbiontfunctionwithinthemodelpeaaphidsystem,duetoalackofresearchonsymbiont-induced
phenotypesforhostswithmultiplesymbionts.Theyalsosuggestthepotentialforactivecooperationandcompetitionin
thewithin-hostarena,raisingquestionsabouttheevolutionofsymbiont-symbiontinteractionsinthebroadercontextofa
defensivehost-microbesymbiosiswithpotentialimpactsonarthropodcommunitiesinagriculturalsystems.
EcologicalEpigeneticsSymposium
TUESDAY08:00,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Why so bitter? The epigenetics of flavour and aroma in hops.
LINDAY.RUTLEDGE,PRINCETONUNIVERSITY,TRENTUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
REBECCAKARTZINEL,PRINCETONUNIVERSITY,BROWNUNIVERSITY;ELIZABETHHEPPENHEIMER,PRINCETONUNIVERSITY;BRIDGETT
VONHOLDT,PRINCETONUNIVERSITY
Hops(Humuluslupulus)areperennialclimbingplantswhosefloweringconesareoneofthemainingredientsinbeer.
Differenthopvarietiesproducedifferentlevelsofchemicalcomponentsthatprovidebeerwithvariousaromas,flavours,
orbitteringagents.Thespecialtysectorofcraftbrewerssetsitselfapartfromthemajorbreweriesbyproducingbeerthat
hasaparticularand/oruniqueflavourthatisoftenassociatedwithdifferentcharacteristicsofthevarioushopvarieties.
AlthoughthehopgenomewasrecentlycompletedandgeneexpressionworkwithRNAtranscriptsisongoing,akey
componentthatislikelyinfluencingtheexpressionofphenotypeinhopsistheepigenome.Epigeneticsincludesthestudy
ofmethylationpatternsonthegenomethatinfluenceexpressionofgenes.Understandingthemechanismsbywhich
chemicalcomponentsofthehopconeareexpressedhasimportantramificationsforhopgrowersandthebrewing
industry.Weusedreduced-represensationbisulfidesequencing(RRBS)toinvestigatedifferentialmethylationintwo
varietiesofhops:Cascade(anaroma-typecultivar)andNugget(abittering-typecultivar).Theprimaryfocuswasto
identifydifferentialmethylationpatternsbetweenthetwovarietiesthatmaynotbeevidentinthegenomealone.This
researchrepresentsapreliminaryinvestigationintotheepigeneticpathwaysresponsibleforphenotypicvariability
amongvarietiesofacommerciallyimportantcropspecies.Wehopetoextendthisresearchtoinvestigatetheinfluenceof
differentlifestagesandvariablegrowingconditionsonmethylation.
Salmonidecologyandevolution
MONDAY15:30,ROOM:SAANICH
Fishing for sympatry: Historical and contemporary neutral processes shaping
Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) in Labrador, Canada
SARAHSALISBURY,DALHOUSIEUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
CONNORBOOKER,DALHOUSIEUNIVERSITY;GREGORY,R.MCCRACKEN,DALHOUSIEUNIVERSITY;TOMKNIGHT,PARKSCANADA;DON
KEEFE,DEPARTMENTOFENVIRONMENTANDCONSERVATIONNEWFOUNDLAND;R.PERRY,DEPARTMENTOFENVIRONMENTAND
CONSERVATION;DANIELE.RUZZANTE,DALHOUSIEUNIVERSITY
Arcticchar(Salvelinusalpinus)inLabradorofferanidealmodelsystemtostudytherelativeinfluenceofhistoricaland
contemporaryneutralprocessesongeneticstructure.Historically,Labradorwascolonizedbydescendantsofboththe
AtlanticandArcticglacialrefugiawhilecontemporarily,bothanadromousandlandlockedcharpopulationsarepresentin
Labrador.However,theinfluenceofhistoricalglaciallineageoncontemporarylifehistoryincharremainslargely
unknown.Usingmicrosatellitemarkerswefoundgeneticsubgroupsinbothanadromousandlandlockedpopulations.The
twogeneticsubgroupsfoundwithinthesea-accessiblesite,Ramah,differedinsizeatmaturation.Thesubgroup
containingindividualsthatmaturedatasmallsizearelikelyresidentswhereasthesubgroupcontainingindividualsthat
maturedatalargesizeareanadromous.Thepotentialforreproductiveisolationofthesesubgroupsissupportedbythe
presenceofmaturemalesandfemalesinbothsubgroups.Toourknowledge,thisisthefirstevidenceofgenetic
distinctionamongco-occurringanadromousandresidentArcticchar.Severallinesofevidencesuggestthattheseforms
recentlyarosesympatrically:AtlanticandArcticglaciallineagemitochondrialhaplotypeswereobservedineach
subgroupinequalfrequenciesandrelativelylowneutralgeneticdivergencewasobservedamongthesesubgroups.Both
thespatialcomplexityassociatedwiththelacustrinesiteRamahandtheevolutionaryageofLabradorcharpopulations
haslikelyspurredthissympatricgeneticdivergence.
Keywords:Fish,Populationgenetics,Evolution,Reproductiveisolation,Sympatry,Geneticvariation.
Ecology&EvolutioninaSocialContextSymposium
TUESDAY09:15,ROOM:COLWOOD
Gene-environment interplay in behavior and evolution: lessons from Drosophila
melanogaster
JULIAB.SALTZ,RICEUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
Evolutionaryquantitativegeneticsalmostalwaysassumesthatgenotypesandenvironmentshaveindependenteffectson
phenotypicvariation.Atthesametime,animalshavenear-unlimitedopportunitiestodeterminetheenvironmentsthey
experience,especiallytheirsocialenvironments.Whengenotypesdifferinbehaviorsthatinfluencetheirsocial
environments,thengeneticandenvironmentalvariationbecomecorrelated.Here,Idescribetheoryanddatasuggesting
thatthisphenomenonislikelytobecommonandexploringitsimplicationsforfundamentalevolutionarygenetics
parameters.Isuggestthatstudyinglinkagesbetweengenotypeandenvironmentwillrevealnovelpathwaysbywhich
behaviordevelopsandevolves.
Keywords:Evolution,Phenotypicvariation,Behaviouralecology,Geneticvariation,Environmentalvariation.
SensoryandBehaviouralEcologySymposium
WEDNESDAY08:15,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Visual ecology of the starry flounder
ILARIASAVELLI,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
INIGONOVALESFLAMARIQUE,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY
Theretinaoftheyoung,post-metamorphicstarryflounder(~5ginweight)hassingleanddoubleconephotoreceptors
that,together,expressuptosevendifferentvisualpigments(oneUV,threeshortwavelength-Sorblue,twomiddle
wavelength-Morgreen,andonelongwavelength-Lorred).Atthisyoungstage,thedoubleconesmayhousethesame
visualpigmentineachmemberandbeequalM/Ms(λmaxinnm:527/527)or,alternatively,canbeunequalM/M
(527/545)orM/L(527/557)pairs.ThesingleconeshouseUVorSvisualpigments.Amongtheconepopulation,many
unequalM/Mdoubleconeshaveamemberthatco-expressesthe527and545visualpigments,locatedatthetipandbase
oftheoutersegment,respectively(theothermemberhasonly527visualpigment).Similarly,manysingleconescoexpresstwovisualpigments,a456nmatthebaseanda437nmatthetip.Incontrast,thelargejuvenile(~200g)does
nothaveco-expressingconesandthenumberofvisualpigmentsisrestrictedtofour,twoS(withmeanλmaxat445and
459nm)inseparatesinglecones,andtwoMaspartofequaldoublecones(526/526)orunequaldoublecones
(528/548).Thisreductioninvisualpigmentsparallelsaprogressionfromlifeatshallowdepths(<20m)todeeperwaters
(>50m)characterizedbyareductioninambientUVandlongwavelengths.
AcceleratingurbanecologyinCanada:Identifyingcurrentresearchapproaches,gaps,andneedsinCanadiancities
symposium
MONDAY08:30,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Incorporating novel ecosystems and layered landscapes for ecological restoration in
cities
VALENTINSCHAEFER,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
Thereisnooneapproachtoecologicalrestoration.It’snotassimpleasusingnativespecies,workingwithsuccessionor
usinghistoricalecosystemsasrestorationtargets.Whatandhowwedoitisshapedbycontextandthisisespeciallythe
caseincities.Wedealwithradicallyalteredenvironments,challengedwithlargeareasofimpervioussurfaces,invasive
speciesandparallelartificialsystemsfortransportingwater,wasteandenergy.Thesearenovelecosystemsandthe
restorationtargetsrarelyalignwiththeecosystemsthathistoricallyexistedintheareabeforehumancontact.Novel
ecosystemsdifferincompositionand/orfunctionfrompresentandpastsystemsandaremorerelevantinlightofhuman
action,climatechangeandinvasivespecies.Thenovelecosystemapproachfocusesonspeciesofconservationinterest,
mayincorporateinvasivespeciesinthefinaloutcomeandinvolvesaconstantlyadaptiveapproach.Incities,thenovel
ecosystemapproachalsoacknowledgesthatcomplexsocio-ecologicalhistoriesofasitehaveshapedthemovertime.In
additiontooftenbeingnovel,urbanlandscapesmustalsodealwithmanylayersofimpacts.Thesecanbehistorical,
presentandfuture,andtheycanbeecological,socialorpolitical.Thelayeredlandscapeconceptmaintainsthatprioruses,
meaningsandecologiesshapepossibilitiesforthefuture.Restorationplanningengagesdiversevaluesandvisionsthat
cangeneratecompetingvisionsforasitethatneedtoberesolvedinsettingtherestorationtarget.
Communityecology
TUESDAY14:00,ROOM:WCOAST
Testing for variation in competition importance and intensity among old-field plant
species
BRANDONSCHAMP,ALGOMAUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
RYANPELLETIER,ALGOMAUNIVERSITY
Weexperimentallyvariedneighbourhoodplantdensitysurrounding20targetplantsof16differentherbaceousplant
species,andmeasuredtargetplantgrowthovertheensuinggrowingseason.Wealsomeasuredlocalsoilnutrients,soil
moisture,neighbourhoodbiomass,andinitialtargetbiomassandusedthesetotestwhetherdensitydependence
influencedthegrowthoftargetplants,whetherdensitydependencedifferedamongspecies,andwhethermatureplant
sizeinfluencedwhetheraspecieswasmoreorlessdensitydependent.
Keywords:Plants,Densitydependence,Competition,Experiment.
Livingintheeco-evolutionarytheatre:researchguidedandinspiredbyintensivefieldobservationssymposium
TUESDAY14:00,ROOM:THEATRE
The evolution of interspecific interactions
DOLPHSCHLUTER,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
DIANARENNISON,UNIVERSITYOFBERN;SARAMILLER,CORNELLUNIVERSITY
Isummarizerecentworkaddressingtheeffectsofbioticinteractionsonsticklebackevolution.Inacomparativegenome
studywefoundasurprisingnumberofgeneticchangesrepeatedlyassociatedwiththepresence/absenceofanintraguild
predator.Apondevolutionexperimenttestedtheroleofapredatorspeciesondivergentselection.Resultsfromboth
studiessuggestareasonwhybioticinteractionshavesuchprofoundeffectsondivergenceandpossiblyspeciation.
Microbialecology
MONDAY09:45,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Understanding the impacts of environmental exposure on gut microbiome diversity
and host health using a wild population of deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus)
ELLIOTSCHMIDT,LAURENTIANUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
NADIAMYKYTCZUK,LAURENTIANUNIVERSITY;GARYBURNESS,TRENTUNIVERSITY;ALBRECHTSCHULTE-HOSTEDDE,LAURENTIAN
UNIVERSITY
Thegutmicrobiomeisadiverseandcomplexecosystemcomposedofanarrayofmicrobialspecies(mainlybacteria)that
colonizethegutshortlyafterbirth.Somemicrobialspecieshavedevelopedmutualisticrelationshipswiththeirhostsand
collaborateinshapingthehost'simmunesystem.Weusedaneco-immunologicalapproachtodeterminehowthe
environment,gutmicrobiome,andimmunesysteminteract.Wepredictthat1)increasedearly-lifeexposuretothe
naturalenvironmentwouldincreasegutmicrobiomediversity(GMD)and2)GMDispositivelycorrelatedwithan
individual'simmuneresponse.Awildpopulationofdeermice(Peromyscusmaniculatus)wasusedtotestthese
hypotheses.Basedonwhereeachindividualwasborn(laborwild)aswellaswheretheywereheldforthedurationof
theexperiment(laborwild)individualswereassignedintooneoffourgroups:lab-lab,lab-wild,wild-laborwild-wild.
GMDwasassessedthroughfecalsamplescollectedonaweeklybasisandwholecommunityanalysesusinghighthroughputsequencing.Immunesystemfunctionwasassessedthroughhematocritratios,whitebloodcellcountsaswell
asimmune-challengesusingabacteriakillingassay.Itisanticipatedthatresultswillprovideameasureoftheimpactof
environmentalexposureonGMDandhosthealth,thusprovidingusefulinformationforanimalpopulationsincaptive
and/orreintroductionprograms.
Keywords:Experiment,Smallmammals,Bacteria,Interactions.
Foraging
TUESDAY10:45,ROOM:SIDNEY
Does access to anthropogenic food subsidies affect glucose metabolism of raccoons?
ALBRECHTSCHULTE-HOSTEDDE,LAURENTIANUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
ZVIAMAZAL,LAURENTIANUNIVERSITY;CLAIREJARDINE,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH;JEFFGAGNON,LAURENTIANUNIVERSITY
Citiesandtheirassociatedinfrastructurearerapidlyexpandingashumanpopulationsbecomeincreasinglyurbanized.
Anthropogenicfoodsubsidiesintheformofhumanrefuseisincreasinglybeingrecognizedasanimportantecological
factorinthepopulationdistributionsanddynamicsofurbanwildlife,butlittleisknownabouttheirsub-lethal
consequencesattheindividuallevel.Theconsumptionofhigh-energyfoodmayhaveconsequencesforglucose
metabolisminspeciesthatarenotadaptedforsuchadiet.Wesampledraccoons(Procyonlotor)atthreesitesthatvaried
inthepresenceofhumanrefuse(low,mediumandhigh),predictingthatraccoonswiththegreatestaccesstohuman
refusewouldbeheavierandhavethehighestlevelofcirculatingglucose.Weusedacommercialassayforglycatedserum
protein(GSP),whichprovidesa2-3weekwindowintocirculatingglucoselevels.Bodymasswassignificantlycorrelated
withGSPconcentration,andraccoonswithhighaccesstogarbagewereheavierandhadhigherGSPconcentrationsthan
theircounterpartswithlowandmediumaccesstogarbage.Thefitnessconsequencesofhyperglycemiaareunknown,and
thusfutureworkwillassesstheserelationships,aswellasdetermineifurbanraccoonsexhibitotheraspectsofmetabolic
diseaseattributabletotheirdiet.
Keywords:Raccoon,Urban,Urbanecology,Foraging,Epidemiology.
Forestecology
TUESDAY14:30,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Host mycorrhizal association and soil fertility influence plant-soil feedback in a
Dipterocarp rainforest
MAXSEGNITZ,STANFORDUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
SABRINAE.RUSSO,UNIVERSITYOFNEBRASKA;KABIRG.PEAY,STANFORDUNIVERSITY
Microbe-mediatedplant-soilfeedback(PSF)isanimportantdriverofplantcommunitydynamics.Variationinstrength
anddirectionoffeedbackimpactsplantcommunities,andmaydriveorreinforcethedominanceorrarityofindividual
species.PreviousstudieshavesuggestedthatnegativePSFmaybeacommonmechanismsupportingcoexistencein
tropicalforestsdominatedbytreesformingarbuscularmycorrhizas(AM),whereaspositivefeedbacksarerareand
associatedwithmonodominantstandsofectomycorrhizal(EM)hostspecies.However,amajorityofstudiesontropical
PSFhavetakenplaceintheNeotropics,andfewhavecharacterizedPSFamongbothAMandEMhostsinnonmonodominanttropicalforestwhereEMhostsarediverseandabundant.WeassessedthegeneralityofnegativePSFin
tropicalforestsusingalarge-scaleshade-houseexperimentinBorneo,wherediversityofbothAMandEMhostsishigh.
OurstudyincludedbothEMandAMtreespeciesfromphylogeneticallyvariedlineagestobetterunderstandtheroleof
fungalmutualistsindeterminingfeedbackstrength.Wetestedtheinfluenceofevolutionaryhistoryonstrengthand
directionoffeedbackusingaphylogeneticallystructureddesign,andutilizedsoilscollectedacrossasoil-resource
gradienttoexaminehowresourceavailabilityaffectsPSF.Wedocumentedsignificanteffectsofseedling-soilphylogenetic
distanceonseedlinggrowth,thoughthiseffecthadsignificantinteractionswithhostmycorrhizaltype.Further,the
strengthanddirectionoffeedbackwasinfluencedbysoilchemistry,suggestingthatfeedbacksmaybecontextdependent.
Keywords:fungus,experiment,mutualism,forest,soil.
Habitatselectionanduse
WEDNESDAY09:45,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Characterizing Dakota skipper (Hesperia dacotae) habitat and distribution in
southeastern Saskatchewan
KELSEYM.SEIDLE,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN,[email protected]
ERICG.LAMB,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN;JEAN-MICHELDEVINK,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN
TheDakotaskipperisanativeprairiespecialistLepidopteraspeciesthatisSARA-listedasThreatenedandCOSEWIClistedasEndangered.ThisspeciesinhabitsthesouthernportionsofCanadianprovincesSaskatchewanandManitoba’s
mesicmixed-grassprairieecoregion.Lossofthemesicmixed-grassnativeprairieecoregionisconsideredthemain
contributortodeclinesinDakotaskipperabundanceanddistribution.TheDakotaskipperinhabitsthemesicmixed-grass
prairie,butitisnotclearwhatdeterminesitsdistributionwithintheecoregion.Therefore,wehavedetermined
environmentalparametersthatcharacterizeDakotaskipperhabitat.ResultsindicatethatDakotaskipperhabitatisnot
significantlylinkedtovegetativecommunitystructure,butthepresenceofspeciesincludingPediomelumargophyllum,
Schizachyriumscoparium,andZiziaapteraissignificant.TheDakotaskipperinhabitsasubsetofsoil,landscape,and
climateconditionswithinsoutheasternSaskatchewan.SignificantlandscapeandclimatevariablesforDakotaskipper
inhabitantsincludesteepslopes,lowerextremesindiurnaltemperaturerange,andincreasedprecipitationduringthe
driestperiodoftheyear.Fromthisinformationapredictivehabitatsuitabilitymodelisbeingdeveloped,whichwill
enableestimationofpotentialDakotaskipperdistributionwithinsoutheasternSaskatchewan.Thishabitatsuitability
modelallowsforgreateraccuracyoffuturesurveysaimingtoassessanddiscovernewpopulations,andidentifieswhere
repopulationoftheDakotaskippermaybefeasible.Thismodelisnecessaryinordertocreatearecoverystrategyforthe
Dakotaskipper.
Keywords:Speciesdistribution,Speciesatrisk,Birds,Spatialmodel.
HERB
MONDAY16:15,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Effects of resource manipulation on temperate grassland vegetation under a
changing climate
JOHNSERAFINI,QUEEN'SUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
PAULGROGAN,QUEEN'SUNIVERSITY;LONNIEAARSSEN,QUEEN'SUNIVERSITY
Wateravailabilityisobviouslyaprimaryregulatorofplantproductivityandspeciesinteractionsinaridecosystems,
wheremanypreviousstudieshavedocumentedtheseeffectsbymanipulatingsoilmoistureavailability.Theimpactof
alteredprecipitationpatterns-predictedasaconsequenceofclimatechange-however,islessclearformoremesic
temperatehabitats.Howmuchdoesvariationinsoilmoistureavailabilitymatterhererelativetootherkeyenvironmental
factors?Toaddressthis,weusedalongtermfieldexperimenttoexplorehowtheinteractionofbelow-groundwaterand
nutrientavailabilityandabove-groundherbivory,interactasregulatorsofneighbourhoodbiomassproductionand
speciescompositioninanold-fieldmeadowinEasternOntario.Afterfiveyearsofsoilwaterlevelandnutrientlevel
manipulation,withandwithoutherbivoreexclosures,werecordedabovegrounddrymassforeachresidentspecies
withinreplicateplots.Analysisoftreatmenteffectsshowedthatabove-groundbiomassincreasedwiththeadditionofsoil
nutrients,decreasedunderreducedwaterlevels,andwasunaffectedbyincreasingwaterlevelsorthepresenceof
herbivoreexclosures.Comparatively,speciesrichnesswasalteredbyallappliedtreatmentswiththesoilwaterlevel
manipulationshavingthegreatesteffects.Wehavealsoexploredwhethervariationinplanttraits,suchasbodysizeand
fecundityallocation,maypredicttreatmentinducedchangesinspeciescomposition.
Evolutionarytheory
MONDAY11:15,ROOM:WCOAST
The effect of ploidy level on the rate and spectrum of new mutations
NATHANIELSHARP,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
LINNEASANDELL,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;CHRISJAMES,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;SALLYOTTO,UNIVERSITYOF
BRITISHCOLUMBIA
Ploidylevel-thenumberofgenomecopies-variesamongspeciesandlifestages,withimportantevolutionary
consequences.Indiploids,wheretherearetwocopiesofeachchromosome,theeffectsofnewrecessivemutationswill
initiallybemasked,slowingthespreadofbeneficialmutationsandtheeliminationofdeleteriousmutations.Diploidcells
couldbesubjecttoagreater“load”ofdeleteriousmutations,sincetheyhavetwicethenumberofpotentially-mutable
sitescomparedtohaploids.Themutationrateperbase-pairmayalsodependonploidy,duetodifferencesinDNArepair
mechanisms.Inparticular,diploidyshouldallowDNAdouble-strandbreakstobeconservativelyrepairedusinga
homologouschromosometemplate,whereashaploidsmustuseerror-pronerepairpathwaysthatgenerate
insertion/deletionevents.Totestthesepredictionsweconductedamutationaccumulationexperimentbybottlenecking
over200linesofhaploidanddiploidyeast(Saccharomycescerevisiae)formorethan1500generations.Insomelines,we
firstdeletedageneinvolvedinhomologousdouble-strandbreakrepair(RDH54)totesttheimportanceofthispathwayto
thespontaneousmutationalspectrum.Basedongrowthrateassays,wefindthattherateofmutationalfitnessdecline
wasgreaterindiploidsthaninhaploids,particularlyindiploidswiththeRDH54deletion.Genomesequencingofthese
linesisinprogress,whichwillrevealtheunderlyinggeneticbasisforthesefitnessdifferences,andtheeffectofploidyon
therateandspectrumofspontaneousmutations.Thesefindingswillhelptoclarifytheevolutionaryconsequencesof
transitionsbetweenploidylevels.
Keywords:Evolution,Ploidy,Geneticbottleneck,Mutation,Experiment.
Marineecology
TUESDAY14:30,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Migratory salmon usage of estuary nursery habitat
CIARAE.SHARPE,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
CHARMAINECARR-HARRIS,SKEENAFISHERIESCOMMISSION;MICHAELARBEIDER,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY;JONATHANW.MOORE,
SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY
Mobileandmigratoryspeciesmayusemanydifferenthabitatsthroughouttheirlife-cycle.Agreaterunderstandingofthe
locationanddimensionsofhabitatsthatunderpintheselife-cyclesisatthefoundationofevaluatingpotentialrisksfrom
development.Assessmentofenvironmentalriskoftenfocusesonsimplehabitatdescriptionsforfocalspecies,yetsimple
metricsofhabitatmaynotaccuratelycapturetheirtrueneeds.Althoughtheestuariesoflargesalmonriversmayprovide
criticalrearinghabitatformultiplespecies,thereisscientificuncertaintyaroundthedimensionsofpotentialsalmon
habitat.WeconductedjuvenilesalmonsamplingthroughouttheSkeenaRiverestuaryfortwoyearsatdifferenthabitat
typesincludingeelgrass,open-waterchannels,sandybanksandrockyshores.Salmonabundancevariedbyoveranorder
ofmagnitudeacrossthedifferentsitesintheestuary.Combinationsofdynamicabioticandbioticvariables,which
differingacrosssalmonspecies,betterpredicatedsalmonabundancethanhabitattypealone.Forexample,cohoand
Chinooksalmontendedtobefoundclosertoshorebutthiswasnotthecaseforsockeyesalmon.Althoughallspeciesof
juvenilesalmonutilizedeelgrasshabitattypemorefrequently,amultifacetedapproachtounderstandingsalmonuseof
estuariesprovidesmoreinsight.Simpleclassificationofestuaryhabitatmayleadtoundervaluingthecomplexnatureof
salmonhabitatpreferenceandthedynamismofestuaries.Byunderstandingwhichabioticandbioticfactorsarelinkedto
juvenilesalmonabundanceintheestuary,weadvanceabetterunderstandingofestuaryhabitatforsalmonthatis
relevanttoconservationandmanagementofestuaries.
Keywords:Salmon,Habitatselection,Animalmovement,Estuary.
Salmonidecologyandevolution
MONDAY16:00,ROOM:SAANICH
Environmental pathogen transmission between farmed and wild salmon populations
DYLANSHEA,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO,[email protected]
ANDREWBATEMAN,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA;KRISTIMILLER-SAUNDERS,
DEPARTMENTOFFISHERIESANDOCEANS,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;LINDSEYOGSTEN,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO;STEVEN
SHORT,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO;MARTINKRKOSEK,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO
BritishColumbiasupportsamajorAtlanticsalmonfarmingindustry,withhighdensitiesofopennetpensalmonfarms
operatingalongPacificsalmonmigrationcorridors.Undernaturalconditions,migratingjuvenilePacificsalmonare
temporallyseparatedfrompotentiallyinfectiousadultsbytheirseasonalmigrationregimes.Theplacementofhigh
densitiesofnon-native,adultfarmedsalmonalongjuvenilemigrationroutesdegradesthisnaturalbarriertoinfection.
ThereisevidencethatjuvenilePacificsalmonsufferanelevatedriskofectoparasiticsealiceinfectionwhilemigrating
pastactivefishfarms,however,itremainsunclearhowsalmonfarminginfluencestheirriskofexposuretopathogenic
microorganisms.Thisprojectsoughttoevaluatethepotentialforenvironmentalpathogentransmissionofforty-seven
keyviral,bacterial,andeukaryoticpathogensknowntoinfectsalmon.Wecollectedandfilteredwatersamplesfromfiftysevensalmonfarmsites,twenty-twoofwhichwerestockedwithAtlanticsalmon,inordertoassesspathogenabundances
usingqPCR.CharacterizingtheenvironmentalhazardswhichjuvenilePacificsalmonareexposedtoduringmigration
mayhelpustoforecaststocksuccessintoadulthoodandbegintomitigatethenegativeeffectsofaquaculture.
Keywords:Salmon,Aquaculture,Parasitology,Pathogens.
Dispersal
WEDNESDAY11:45,ROOM:THEATRE
Morphology and gene expression associated with dispersal capability in mountain
pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae)
VICTORSHEGELSKI,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA,[email protected]
MAYAEVENDEN,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA;FELIXSPERLING,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA
Inrecentyears,mountainpinebeetles(MPB),Dendroctonusponderosae,havebecomemajorforestpestsinWestern
Canada,causingimmenseeconomiclossesinforestry.DispersalbyMPBispoorlyunderstoodandmorethorough
knowledgeofitsdispersalcapabilitieswouldimprovepredictivemodelling,allowingmoreefficientallocationof
managementresources.Flightmorphologyandpropensityaretwokeyelementsthatoftenhaveaneffectonflight
performance;thisstudyaimstoidentifymorphologicalcharactersandgenesassociatedwithdispersalcapabilityinMPB.
Beetleswereflownonflightmillstocollectflightdata,andmeasurementsweremadeonthebodyandwingsbeforeRNA
wasextractedforRNA-seqanddifferentialgeneanalysis.Dimensionsofthewings,bodyandflightmuscleswere
comparedtoflightperformance.Multipleregressionshowedthatsomeofthevariationinflightperformancecouldbe
explainedwithwingandbodymorphologybasedmodels;previousstudieshavedemonstratedthatbodysizeoftenhas
relationshipwithdispersalcapability,butthisstudyshowsthattheinclusionofwingmorphologycandrasticallyimprove
thepredictivepowerofthisrelationship.Regardless,onlyapproximately25%ofthedispersalcapabilityisexplainedby
themorphologyofthebeetle.Quantileregressionshowsthatmorphologyhasagreaterinfluenceonstrongdispersers
whileitseemstohavelittleornoeffectonweakdispersers.Thissuggeststhatbehaviouraltraits-inparticularflight
propensity-arealsolikelytobeimportantfactorsaffectingdispersalcapability.RNA-seqdatahasbeencollectedandis
beinganalyzedfordifferentialgeneexpressionassociatedwithflightpropensity.
Keywords:Pinebeetle,Animalmovement,Dispersal,Experiment,Morphology.
Bacterialsymbiosis
TUESDAY09:45,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Diversity and nutritional mutualism of Wolbachia in Bat flies (Streblidae,
Nycteribiidae)
HAEWONSHIN,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
KATHARINADITTMAR,UNIVERSITYOFBUFFALO
Wolbachiaareextremelywidespreadbacterialsymbionts,estimatedtoinfect~40%ofterrestrialarthropodspecies.
AlthoughWolbachiaarebestknownasreproductiveparasitesthatmanipulatehostreproductiontoincreasetheir
frequency,howmostWolbachiastrainspersistintheirhostsisnotknown.Weusedcomparativegenomedata,
phylogeneticanalysesandfluorescenthistologicaltechniquestoinvestigatethediversityandfunctionofWolbachiainbat
flies(Streblidae,Nycteribiidae),whichareobligateblood-feedingbatparasites.Likeotherexclusivelyhematophagous
insects,theyareexpectedtorelyonendosymbiontsfortheirnutritionaldemands.WefoundthatWolbachiastrainsinbat
fliesareverydiverse,withevidencesupportingrelativelyrecentacquisitionswithinbatflyclades.Moreover,wefound
thatstrainsfromsupergroupFarecommon,andhaveveryhighinfectionrates(~60-95%)insomespecies.Interestingly,
thesestrainsarecloselyrelatedtowCle,anobligatenutritionalstrainfoundinthebedbug,Cimexlectularius.LikewCle,
batflyWolbachiacontainbiotinsyntheticgenesintheirgenomes.Consideringthehighinfectionrateandpresenceofan
intactbiotinpathway,Wolbachiamaybeintransitionfromfacultativesymbiontstoobligatemutualistsinbatflies.
Keywords:Bacteria,Insects,Symbiosis,Mutualism,Evolution.
Geneticstructureofpopulations
TUESDAY16:30,ROOM:COLWOOD
Analyses of American mink (Neovison vison) haplotypes in Ontario and Nova Scotia
KRISTASHOFSTALL,LAURENTIANUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
JEFFBOWMAN,ONTARIOMINISTRYOFNATURALRESOURCES,TRENTUNIVERSITY;ALBRECHTI.SCHULTE-HOSTEDDE,LAURENTIAN
UNIVERSITY
TheAmericanmink(Neovisonvison)isaninvasivespeciesinmanypartsoftheworldbecauseofdeliberatereleasesand
accidentalescapesfromminkfarms.InNorthAmerica,domesticminkthathaveescapedcaninteractwithwild
conspecifics.Domesticandwildminkarephenotypicallyandgenotypicallydistinctpopulationsthatareknownfrom
studiesofmicrosatellitestohybridizeandintrogress.Thewildminkpopulationhasdeclinedinrecentyearsand
hybridizationwiththedomesticminkmaybeoneofthecauses.Somestudieshavesuggestedthatdomesticmalemink
havelowfitnessinthewildcontext.Weusedpartofthematernally-inheritedmitochondrialcontrolregiontotestthis
idea.Wehadthreemainpredictions:(1)thatthedomesticpopulationwillhavelowgeneticdiversity,(2)minkwillhave
haplotypesspecifictothesourcepopulation,and(3)domesticandwildminkwillhavebiaseddirectionalgeneflowwith
domesticfemalesbreedingwithwildmales.WeexaminedvariationinmtDNAtodetermineregionaldifferencesandthe
directionofhybridizationoccurringinthewildanddomesticpopulations.Wesequenceda300basepairfragmentofthe
mtDNAcontrolregionin319individualsofwild,domestic,andhybridoriginfrombothOntarioandNovaScotia.There
were74haplotypesintotaland31ofthoseoverlappedwithhaplotypespreviouslyidentified,whichwashigherthan
expected.Somehaplotypeswereveryspecifictotheregiontakenorfarmorigin.
Keywords:Mink,Populationgenetics,Geneticvariation,Invasion.
Pollution
TUESDAY11:15,ROOM:SAANICH
Impacts of industrial noise on owl occupancy and seasonal use in the boreal forest
JULIASHONFIELD,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA,[email protected]
ERINBAYNE,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA
Noiseinanenvironmentcanmaskimportantacousticsignalsusedforanimalcommunication.Owlsusevocalizationsto
attractmatesanddefendterritories,andrelyonacousticcuestolocateprey.Industrialnoisehasbeenshownto
negativelyaffectowlhuntingsuccessbyaffectingpreydetection.Itremainsunknownifthisresultsinreducedhabitat
qualityforowlsinareasclosetochronicindustrialnoise.Todetermineifowlsavoidforestedareassurrounding
industrialnoisesourcesinnortheasternAlbertaandatwhatscale,weconductedpassiveacousticsurveysforowlsinthe
springusingautonomousrecordingunitsdeployedatsiteswithandwithoutindustrialnoisesources.Detectionsofowls
wereextractedfromrecordingsusingautomatedrecognitionandanalyzedusingoccupancymodels.Wewereableto
efficientlyprocessallrecordingscollectedinthefieldandobtainalargerdatasetofowldetectionsthanwouldhavebeen
possiblewithonlylisteningtoasubsetofrecordings.Barredowls,greathornedowls,andborealowlswereequallylikely
tooccupynoisysitescomparedtositeswithnonoise,indicatingthatoccupancyatahomerangescalewasunaffectedby
thepresenceofnoisesourcesonthelandscape.However,atalocalscale,seasonalusearoundstationswithhighernoise
levelsdeclinedforbarredowlsbutnotforborealowlsandgreathornedowls.Thisresearchcontributestogrowing
evidencethatanthropogenicnoisecanimpactwildlifeanddegradesuitablehabitat,thoughsomespeciesseemtobemore
sensitivethanothers.
Keywords:Birds,Survey,Boreal,BehaviouralEcology,Disturbance.
Plasticsintheenvironment
MONDAY16:45,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Plastics and other anthropogenic debris in freshwater birds from Canada
DAVESHUTLER,ACADIAUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
ERIKAR.HOLLAND,ACADIAUNIVERSITY;MARKMALLORY,ACADIAUNIVERSITY
Plasticsinmarineenvironmentsareaglobalenvironmentalissue.Plasticingestionisassociatedwithavarietyof
deleterioushealtheffectsinmarinewildlife,andisafocusofmuchinternationalresearchandmonitoring.However,little
researchhasfocusedonramificationsofplasticdebrisforfreshwaterorganisms,despitemarineandfreshwater
environmentsoftenhavingcomparableplasticconcentrations.Wefoundplasticandotheranthropogenicdebrisin11.1%
of350individualsof17freshwaterandonemarinebirdspeciescollectedacrossCanada.Thisworkestablishesthat
plasticsandotheranthropogenicdebrisareagenuineconcernformanagementofthehealthoffreshwaterecosystems,
andprovidesabaselinefortheprevalenceofplasticandotheranthropogenicdebrisingestioninfreshwaterbirdsin
Canada,withrelevanceformanyotherlocations.
Keywords:Birds,Plastic,Freshwater,Management.
Physiologicalecology,temperature
WEDNESDAY11:30,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Heat wave intensity exacerbates fitness trade-offs in the splash pool copepod,
Tigriopus californicus
MATTHEWR.SIEGLE,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
MARYI.O'CONNOR,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA
Heatwavesareincreasinginintensityandfrequency,yettheeffectofincreasingextremeheateventsonthedemographic
processesunderlyingpersistence,growthoradaptationfollowingheateventsremainunresolved.Heatwaveshavelethal
andsublethaleffectsonpopulationprocesses;evenmoderatestresscanimpactenergybalance,alteringtrade-offs
betweensurvivalandreproduction.Weexperimentallytestedthehypothesisthattwoaspectsofheatwaves-maximum
temperatureandconsecutivedaysofexposure-reduceaerobicenergyproduction,consequentlyexacerbatingpotential
survival/reproductivetrade-offs.Wesubjectedgroupsofthecopepod,Tigriopuscalifornicus,tosixheatwavetreatments
thatdifferedinmaximumexposuretemperature(26degreesCor32degreesC)andnumberofconsecutiveexposure
days(1,2,or7).Wemeasuredaerobicrespirationdurationtheheatwave,andsurvivorshipandoffspringproductionfor
twoweeksfollowingtheheatwave.Heatwavemaximumtemperatureandexposuredurationdidnotaffectsurvivorship,
butindividualsthatsurvivedthehotterheatwavesproducedfeweroffspringoverall,andfeweroffspringpercapitain
clutchesproducedimmediatelyaftertheheatwavethansurvivorsofthe26degreesCheatwaves.Aerobicrespiration
ratesdidnotdifferbetweentheheatwavetreatments,andwerelowerthanexpectedbasedonArrheniuseffects,
consistentwithaquiescentstateormetabolicdepression.Ourresultsareconsistentwiththehypothesisthatincreasing
thermalstressexacerbatessurvival/reproductivetrade-offsthroughchangestoenergyhomeostasis.Tofullyaddressthe
impactofheatwaves,weneedtoincorporatesublethalbutdemographicallyimportanteffectsofrepeatedheatstress.
Keywords:Thermaltolerance,Invertebrate,Marine,Intertidal,Individualsurvival,Reproduction,Experiment.
Communication
MONDAY16:30,ROOM:WCOAST
Media and storytelling as a tool for science communication
JOSHSILBERG,HAKAIINSTITUTE,[email protected]
Sciencecommunicationcanbringanaudiencebehind-the-scenes,putesotericresearchintoabroadercontext,orinspire
people'sinterestinthescientificworldaroundthem.Butwhatisthebestwaytosharesciencewiththebroaderscientific
communityandinterestedpublic?Itdepends.Beforeyouandyourteamembarkonasciencecommunicationproject,you
mustfirstchooseatargetaudience.Otherkeyconsiderationsduringtheplanningstagesincludesettingdesiredoutcomes
andidentifyingyourorganization'scapacity.Fromthere,youcandeterminethemostappropriatemethod(s)toreachthat
audienceandmeetyourgoals.Sciencecommunicationcomesinmanyforms:storytelling,photoessays,blogs,podcasts,
infographics,videos,socialmedia,liveshows,comics,andcartoons.FindouthowthemediateamattheBritishColumbiabasedHakaiInstituteturnssciencecommunicationideasintofinishedproductsinmanyforms.
Keywords:Sciencecommunication,Global,Scienceoutreach,Methods.
StudentSymposium
MONDAY11:45,ROOM:THEATRE
Reptile phylogeny and the origin and early radiation of lepidosaurs
TIAGORODRIGUESSIMÕES,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA,[email protected]
Theevolutionaryhistoryoflepidosaursdatesbacktoatleast230millionyearsagowhensquamates(lizardsandsnakes)
andsphenodontians(e.g.Sphenodon)divergedfromotherreptilelineages.Despitepreviousstudiesonbroadlevelreptile
relationships,theearlyradiationoflepidosaursremainslargelyenigmaticbyseveralfactors,includinglimitedtaxon
sampling,logical/biologicalbiasesinmorphologicaldatasetconstruction,andconflictsbetweenthemorphologicaland
moleculardata.Here,Iprovidethefirstphylogeneticdatasetinclusiveofallthemajordiapsidreptileandlepidosaurian
lineages(livingandfossil)atthespecieslevelinordertoidentifythecompositionandearlyradiationoflepidosaurs.It
includespersonallycollectedmorphologicaldataon150speciesfrom51collectionsaroundtheworld(plus3DCT-scans)
andmoleculardata(10nuclear/mitochondrialDNAloci)fortheextantlepidosaurs.Iappliedmultiplemethodsof
phylogeneticinvestigation,includingBayesianinference(non-clockandclockbasedanalysesusingtotalevidencedating)
andmakinguseofmorphologicalpartitions.Theresultsindicatenovelrelationshipsamongdiapsidsandearly
lepidosaurs.Previouslyproposedearlylepidosaursarefoundtobelongtootherlineagesofreptiles.Importantly,
heretoforeunrecognizedsquamatefossilsarefoundastheearliestsquamates,datingbacktotheEarlyTriassic,thus
fillingwhatwasthoughttobeafossilgapofatleast50millionyears.Inmostresults(morphologicalandcombined
evidence)geckosaretheearliestsquamatecrowncladeandiguaniansarealwaysfoundaslaterevolvingsquamates,thus
providingagreementbetweenmorphologicalandmoleculardata.
Keywords:Evolution,Reptiles,Lepidosaurs,Morphology.
Evolutionarytheory
MONDAY11:30,ROOM:WCOAST
The evolution of constraint as an adaptation
ANDREWSIMONS,CARLETONUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
Naturalselectionresultsinorganismsequippedtosurviveandreproduceundervariableconditions.Here,Iuseempirical
resultsfromobservational,manipulationandexperimentalevolutionstudiestoarguethatthetraditionalideaofa
tradeoffbetweenmeanfitnessandvarianceinfitnessisbetterformulatedasatensionbetweenconstraintandadaptation
overdifferenttimescales.
Keywords:Naturalselection,Evolution,Adaptation,Timescales.
Communityecology
TUESDAY14:15,ROOM:WCOAST
Relative importance of colonist quantity, quality, and arrival frequency to the
extinction of two zooplankton species
JAMESS.SINCLAIR,QUEEN'SUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
SHELLEYE.ARNOTT,QUEEN'SUNIVERSITY
Colonistquantity,quality,andarrivalfrequencycanallindividuallydrivethedynamicsandextinctionofnewpopulations.
However,wedonotunderstandwhichhasthestrongestinfluence,northecircumstancesunderwhichtheirrelative
importancemaychange.Weconductedafieldmesocosmexperimentthatmanipulatedcolonistquantity,quality,and
arrivalfrequencyintwozooplanktonspecies(DaphniapulicariaandSkistodiaptomusoregonensis).Wefoundthatthe
extinctionofD.pulicariawasnotparticularlyaffectedbycolonistquantityorfrequency,withintroductionsofjusttwo
individualsperformedaswellaslargerormorefrequentintroductions,buttherewassomeindicationofqualityeffects
onpopulationdynamics.Conversely,S.oregonensisextinctionwasstronglydrivenbyarrivalfrequency.Populationsthat
arrivedinasingleeventexhibitedhighratesofextinction(75-83%),withthisprobabilitydecliningdramaticallywhen
colonistswereintroducedovermultipleevents(33%extinction).Ourresultsshowthatotherlessstudiedaspectsofthe
colonistpool,suchasqualityorarrivalfrequency,couldbeasimportanttopopulationpersistenceastheinitialquantity
ofarrivingcolonists.Additionally,therearelikelynumerousspeciesthatarewellsuitedtosucceedingwithanextremely
smallnumberoffounders,andwhosesuccessisthereforenotnecessarilydependentuponcolonistquantity,quality,or
arrivalfrequency.
Keywords:Colonization,Zooplankton,Populationdynamics,Experiment.
Socialsystems
MONDAY16:30,ROOM:THEATRE
Effects of neighbour familiarity on intrusion risk and behavioural time budgets in a
territorial squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)
ERINSIRACUSA,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH,[email protected]
DAVIDR.WILSON,MEMORIALUNIVERSITY;STANBOUTIN,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA;MURRAYM.HUMPHRIES,MCGILLUNIVERSITY;
JAMIESONC.GORRELL,VANCOUVERISLANDUNIVERSITY;DAVIDW.COLTMAN,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA;BENDANTZER,UNIVERSITYOF
MICHIGAN;JEFFERYLANE,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN;ANDREWG.MCADAM,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH
Itisincreasinglyacknowledgedthatthephenotypiccompositionofthesocialenvironmentcanvary,andthatthis
variationmayhaveprofoundeffectsonindividualbehaviourandfitness.Usingtemporaryremovalsofterritoryowners
weinvestigatedtheimportanceofthecompositionofthesocialenvironmentinaterritorialspeciesbyassessingwhether
NorthAmericanredsquirrelsfaceincreasedriskofintrusionfromunrelatedorunfamiliarneighboursintheirsocial
environment.Wefoundthatneighbourhoodswithlowaveragefamiliarityhadahigherriskofintrusionandthat
unfamiliarneighboursweremorelikelytointrude.Usingacombinationofbehaviouralobservationsandaudiorecordings
wethendemonstratedthatredsquirrelsrespondtothisriskinabehaviourallyplasticmannerbyincreasingthetime
devotedtoterritorialbehaviouranddecreasingnestuseinunfamiliarneighbourhoods.Theresultsfromourresearch
demonstratethatfamiliaritywithneighboursaffectsintrusionriskandbehaviouraltimebudgetsinredsquirrels,
suggestingthatthecompositionofthesocialenvironmentmaybeapreviouslyunderappreciatedselectivepressurein
speciesconsideredtobe‘asocial’.
Keywords:Socialbehaviour,Smallmammals,Behaviouralecology,Populationdynamics,Interactions.
Beeecologyandbehaviour
WEDNESDAY11:00,ROOM:OAKBAY1
An approach to the managed relocation of declining North American bumblebee
species under climate change
CATHERINESIROIS-DELISLE,UNIVERSITYOFOTTAWA,[email protected]
JEREMYKERR,UNIVERSITYOFOTTAWA
Itwasrecentlyobservedthatsomebumblebeespeciesfailedtotrackclimatechangeattheleadinglatitudinalthermal
limitonacontinentalscale.Newconservationstrategiesallowingspeciestotracktheirclimatictolerances,likemanaged
relocation(MR),maybetheonlyfeasiblestrategytoavoidtheirextinction.Iamaddressingthefollowingresearch
question:aretherepotentialhotspotsforthemanagedrelocationofdecliningbumblebeespeciesthatcouldbenefitmany
speciesandwhererisksofharmtolocalspeciesarelikelytobesmall?Abroad-scalequantitativestudyisusedtoexplore
thisquestion,usingamassivedatasetofgeoreferencedbumblebeeobservationsandgeneralcirculationmodels.Aseries
ofspeciesdistributionmodelsweregeneratedtoassesstheimpactofdifferentclimatechangescenariosonclimatically
suitableareasfor31bumblebeespeciesandtoidentifyMRhotspots.Themainobjectiveofthisresearchistomap
hotspotsfortheMRofNorthAmericanbumblebeespeciesbymodelingtheirpotentialfuturedistributionasaresponseto
climatechange.Whilethisresearchcannotleadtotheimmediateimplementationofmanagedrelocationplans,itwill
serveasafoundationforbroaderdiscussionandresearchinanascentresearcharea.Itmayassistinestablishing
localitieswherefirstmanagedrelocationeffortscouldbedirectedforvulnerablebumblebeespecies.
Keywords:Bumblebees,Speciesdistributionmodel,Populationdeclines,Climatechange,Relocation.
Policyandplanning
MONDAY16:15,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
The effect of target setting on conservation in Canada's boreal: What is the right
amount of area to protect?
DARRENJ.H.SLEEP,NATIONALCOUNCILFORAIRANDSTREAMIMPROVEMENT,INC.,[email protected]
YOLANDAF.WIERSMA,MEMORIALUNIVERSITY
ConservationofCanada'sborealforesthasbeentiedtovariouscampaignsadvocatingspecificarea-basedtargetsaspart
ofabroaderSystematicConservationPlanning(SCP)effort.AlthoughtargetsettingisanimportantcomponentofSCP,it
isknownthatthefinaloutcomesofconservationplansaresensitivetothetargetchosen.Therehavenotbeensystematic
evaluationsofhowtheseoutcomeschangewithtargets.Here,weusedistributionofterrestrialmammalsintheBoreal
ShieldEcozoneofCanadatoassesstheeffectsoftargetsonconservationplanswithindividualsitesthatarepredictedto
belargeenoughtoallowforspeciespersistence.Weexaminethreetypesoftargets;percentageoflandscape,percentage
ofumbrellaspeciesrange,andminimumnumberofsites,toseehowthefinalset(intermsofnumbersofsitesand
percentofland)isaffectedandhowwellthefinalsetrepresentsthefullsuiteofmammalspecies.Wefoundalarge
discrepancy(164,000squarekm)inthelandrequiredtoachieveminimalrepresentationtargetsdependingonthetarget
used.Theminimumnumberofsitestargetwasmostefficientandrequiredonly1.25%oftheecozone,whilethesmallest
percentagetargetthatcouldcaptureallspecieswas10%.Theuseofanumbrellaspeciesrangewastheleasteffective
target,asseveralspeciescouldnotberepresentedatanypercentageoftheumbrellaspeciesrange.Thus,conservation
plannersworkingintheborealshouldbemindfuloftheimpactstheirtargetshaveonthefinaldesign.
Keywords:Reservedesign,Area-basedtarget,Populationrange,Mammals,Boreal.
Sticklebackecologyandevolution
MONDAY09:15,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Genetic basis of covariation between temperature-associated traits in marine and
freshwater threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus)
SARAJ.SMITH,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY,[email protected]
ROWAND.H.BARRETT,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY;SEANM.ROGERS,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY
Traitcorrelationscausedbypleiotropyorlinkagedisequilibriummayconstrainevolutionarychangeorreflectselection
forintegratedtraits,buttheevolutionaryconsequencesunderlyingsuchcorrelatedtraitsremainslargelyunknownin
naturalpopulations.Temperatureisapredominantfactorinthedistribution,abundanceandperformanceofectotherms
andisknowntoaffecttheevolutionofbehaviouralandphysiologicaltraits,buttheroleoftemperature-associatedtrait
correlationshasneverbeentestedinfishes.Inthisstudy,Iassessphenotypiccovariationforthermaltoleranceand
preferencetraitsinmarineandfreshwaterthreespinestickleback(Gasterosteusaculeatus).Marineandfreshwater
environmentsdifferintheirtemperatureregimes,wherefreshwaterhabitatsaremorevariableonaseasonalbasisand
lessvariableonadailybasisthanmarinenear-shorehabitatsare.Weusedacommongardenenvironmentwithwild,F1
pureandhybridF1crossestotestthegeneticbasisofcriticalthermalminimumandmaximumtemperaturetolerance
andpreferenceandtoassesstraitcorrelations.Collectivelythisstudywillcontributetowardsanunderstandingofhow
temperature-associatedtraitcorrelationsmayconstrainorfacilitateadaptivechangeintheevolutionoffishpopulations
inresponsetocontemporaryclimatechange.Understandingthebasisofthiscorrelationwillaidindeterminingthelongtermevolutionarydynamicsofthesetraits,whichwillvarydependingonwhetherenvironmentalmechanisms,
pleiotropy,orlinkagedisequilibriumareresponsible.
Keywords:Fish,Geneticvariation,Thermaltolerance,Evolution,Experiment.
Invasivespecies
TUESDAY16:45,ROOM:VIEWROYAL
The diversity-invasibility relationship: Does spatial scale really explain the invasion
paradox?
NICOLAS.SMITH,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
ISABELLECÔTÉ,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY
Classicecologicaltheorysuggeststhatspecies-richenvironmentsshouldbelesseasilyinvadedthanspecies-poor
environments,butempiricalevidencedoesnotconsistentlysupportthisprediction.Whilefine-scaleexperimentstendto
yieldthepredictednegativeassociationbetweendiversityandinvasibility,broad-scaleobservationalsurveysgenerally
reportapositiveassociation.Thisconflictingpatternbetweenexperimentsandobservationalstudies,i.e.,theinvasion
paradox,isthoughttoarisebecausedifferentprocessescontrolspeciescompositionatdifferentspatialscales.
Experimentsaretypicallyconductedatfinespatialscaleswherebioticinteractionssuchasnichepartitioningarethought
todrivecommunitycomposition.Incontrast,observationalstudiesaretypicallyconductedatbroadspatialscaleswhere
extrinsicfactorsthatcovarywithdiversitysuchasenvironmentalheterogeneityarethoughttodrivespeciescomposition.
Weaskedwhethertheinvasionparadoxdisappearswhenthepotentiallyconfoundingissueofscaleisremoved.Todoso,
weconductedameta-analysisofover75studiestoquantifythestrengthanddirectionofpublisheddiversity-invasibility
relationships,limitingourreviewtoterrestrialandaquaticstudiesconductedatfinespatialscales.Contraryto
expectation,westillfoundheterogeneityindiversity-invasibilityrelationships.Small-scaleexperimentsshoweda
moderate,negativeassociationbetweendiversityandinvasibility,whereassmall-scaleobservationalstudiesshowedthe
oppositeeffect.Discrepanciesinspatialscalethereforedonotunderpintheinvasionparadox.Instead,someecologists
haverecentlyproposedthatdifferencesinthetemporalscaleofexperimentsversusobservationalstudiesmightbeakey
determinantofdiversity-invasibilitypatterns.Wearecurrentlyinvestigatingthishypothesis.
Keywords:Scale,Invasion,Biodiversity,Meta-analysis.
Parasitismandsymbiosis
TUESDAY14:15,ROOM:SIDNEY
Fine-scale spatial correlations of parasite prevalence with final-host abundance and
waterbody age in a waterfowl-Gammarus-acanthocephalan system
ZHUOYANSONG,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA,[email protected]
HEATHERPROCTOR,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA
Infreshwaterecosystems,parasiteprevalenceinawaterbodycanbeinfluencedbycolonizationtimesforhostand
parasite,waterbodysizeandenvironmentalconditions,orhostabundance.However,empiricalevidenceremainsscarce
regardinghowthesebioticandabioticfactorsinteracttoinfluenceparasiteprevalenceinnaturalsystems.Weuseatwofield-seasondatasetfromawaterfowl-Gammarus-acanthocephalansystemtotesttheeffectsofwaterbodyageandsize,
waterqualityvariables,andabundanceofwaterfowl(finalhost)andGammarus(intermediatehost)onacanthocephalan
prevalenceinGammarus.Ourresultsshowthatwaterbodyageandwaterfowlabundancehadstrongpositivecorrelations
withacanthocephalanprevalenceoverthetwofieldseasons,whileothersignificantcorrelatesofacanthocephalan
prevalenceweredifferentindifferentfieldseasons.Surprisingly,abundanceoftheGammarusintermediatehostwasnot
significantlyrelatedtoacanthocephalanprevalenceoverthetwofieldseasons.Theseresultsprovideevidencethat
abundanceoffinalhostsandamountoftimeavailableforcolonizationbyintermediatehostsandparasitescanaffect
prevalenceoffreshwaterparasites.
Keywords:Freshwater,Birds,Parasitology,Amphipods.
Pollinationsystems
TUESDAY11:45,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Global trends in pollinator community diversity and composition in response to
interactive climate and land-use changes
PETERSOROYE,UNIVERSITYOFOTTAWA,[email protected]
JEREMYKERR,UNIVERSITYOFOTTAWA
Land-usechangeandclimatechangearecurrentlycriticaldriversofbiodiversitydecline,contributingtodeclining
abundances,rangelosses,andincreasingextinctionrisk.Theseglobalchangedriversinteracttogether,buttheinteractive
effectstheyhaveonspeciesrichnessandcommunitycompositionisstillunclearandunderstudied.Trackingtheeffectsof
theseglobalchangesonpollinatorssuchasbumblebees(Bombus),areespeciallyinterestingasbumblebeesperform
criticalecosystemservices.Usingglobaldatasetsofland-useandclimategoingbackto1900,weassessedtheindividual
andinteractiveeffectsofchangesinland-use,land-useintensity,andclimateonbumblebeecommunityrichnessand
compositionacrossNorthAmericaandEurope.Ratesofland-usechangevaryconsiderablyacrossNorthAmerica.While
bumblebeerangeresponsestoeitherclimateorland-usechangecanbelargeenoughtoimperilthesespecies,their
responsestotheseaspectsofglobalchangereflectregionally-distinctcombinationsoftheseaspects.Effectsofglobal
changedriversonrichnessandcommunitycompositionwerevariableacrossregions,suggestingthatregionally
distinctivecombinationsofthesedriverscontributeuniquelytochangingspecies'extinctionrisks.Landuseandclimate
changecontributedistinctlyandinteractivelytoimperilbumblebeespeciesacrosscontinents.Pollinatorconservation
andmanagementstrategiesshouldaccountforspecificland-useandclimatepressuresintargetregionsandhowtheir
interactionsalterconservationprospectsinthesecriticalpollinators.
Keywords:Pollinators,Climatechange,Land-usechange,Bumblebees,Historicalrecords,Global.
Matechoice,hybridization
MONDAY14:30,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Rapid evolution of reproductive isolation during speciation: Evidence from
Lochmaea capreae leaf beetle
SHAGHAYEGHSOUDI,BIELEFELDUNIVERSITY,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY,[email protected]
KLAUSREINHOLD,BIELEFELDUNIVERSITY;LEIFENGQVIST,BIELEFELDUNIVERSITY,UNIVERSITYOFBERN
Theoriginofbiologicaldiversity,viatheformationofnewspecies,canbeinextricablylinkedtoadaptationtothe
ecologicalenvironment.Specifically,ecologicalprocessesarecentraltotheformationofnewspecieswhenbarriersto
geneflowevolvebetweenpopulationsasaresultofecologically-baseddivergentnaturalselection.Lochmaeacapreaeisa
chrysomelidwhichexhibitssympatrichostracesonwillowandbirchwithabout2%geneflowandofferagood
opportunitytoinvestigatetheroleofecologyinspeciation.Here,weinvestigatethepresenceofbehaviouralandseveral
crypticbarriersbetweenthesympatricwillowandbirchhostracesofLochmaeacapreae.Behaviouralisolationdidnot
haveanyprofoundeffectonpreventinggeneflow.Yetdespitepairsmatingindiscriminately,nooffspringwereproduced
fromtheheterospecificmatingsbetweenbirchfemalesandwillowmalesduetotheinabilityofmalestotransferspermto
females.Wefoundevidencefordifferencesingenitalmorphologywhichmaycontributetofailedinseminationattempts
duringcopulation.Theheterospecificmatingsbetweenwillowfemalesandbirchmalesresultedinviableoffspring.Yet
fecundityandhatchabilitywasremarkablyreduced,whichislikelytheresultoflowerefficiencyinspermtransportation
andstorageandlowersurvivalofspermintheforeignreproductivetract.Ourresultsprovideevidenceforthe
contributionofmechanicalandseveralpostmating-prezygoticbarrierswhichpredatebehavioralisolationandactas
primaryinhibitorsofgeneflowinthissystem.Thisisasurprising,yetperhapsoftenoverlookedfeatureofbarriersacting
earlyinsympatricspeciationprocess.
Keywords:Evolution,Insects,Reproduction,Speciation,Morphology,Sympatry.
Metacommunitytheoryforreal-worldcommunities:theoreticalandempiricaladvancesfortrophicmetacommunities
symposium
TUESDAY09:30,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Coupled spatial-trophic dynamics in bromeliad food webs
DIANESRIVASTAVA,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
BROMELIADWORKINGGROUP
Foodwebsareoftenconsideredasclosedsystems,eventhoughweknowthatthespecieswithinfoodwebscanbe
influencedbyspatialprocessesatthescaleofpatches(patchsize),metacommunities(patchnumber)andregions
(speciespool).Here,Iusethemacroinvertebratefoodwebswithinbromeliadsasamodelsystemforunderstandinghow
suchspatialprocessesaffecttrophicstructure,andhowtheresultanttrophicprocessesinturnaffectthespatialstructure
offoodwebs.Bromeliadsizecanstronglyaffectthelarvalsurvivalofthetoppredator,adamselflylarva,initiatingapatch
size-dependenttrophiccascade-butonlyinregionswithdamselfliesinthespeciespool.Thistrophiccascadecaninturn
affectratesofcarbonandnutrientflux-butonlyinregionswitheasilydigestiblelitter.Finally,thenumberofbromeliads
inthelandscapeaffectspreyabundance,withbottom-upeffectsonthetoppredator.Suchcoupledspatial-trophic
processesarecurrentlypoorlyintegratedinmetacommunitytheory.
Movement,activity,wildlifemanagement
WEDNESDAY09:30,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Why are train strikes on grizzly bears increasing in the mountain parks and what
can we do about it?
COLLEENCASSADYST.CLAIR,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA,[email protected]
JONATHANBACKS,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA;ALYSSAFRIESEN,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA;ADITYAGANGADHARAN,UNIVERSITYOF
ALBERTA;PATRICKGILHOOLY,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA;MAUREENMURRAY,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA;SONYAPOLLOCK,UNIVERSITYOF
ALBERTA;SCOTTNIELSEN,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA;JESSEWHITTINGTON,PARKSCANADA
Train-wildlifecollisionspotentiallythreatenwildlifepopulationsaroundtheworld,buthaveattractedverylittlestudy.
ForgrizzlybearsinBanffNationalPark,thesecollisionshavebecometheleadingcauseofmortality,whichsomehave
attributedtograinspilledfromhoppercars.Resultingpublicpressuresupportedacooperativeresearchprojectinwhich
wemeasuredspilledgrainandotherattractants,andcomparedtheirdistributiontohabitatusebybearsfittedwithGPS
collars.Graindepositionbytrainsand/orrailusebybearsincreasedinspringandfall,atrailwaysidings,athigher
elevationswithslowertrainspeeds,andwithincreasingterrainruggedness,butthesefactorsdidnotpredictcollision
sites.Bycontrast,severalcollisionsoccurredwheretherewasacombinationofadjacentattractants,movementbarriers,
andtrackcurvature,whichmaybeespeciallydisadvantageousforinexperiencedbears.Wesuggestthatidentifyingsites
withelevatedcollisionriskfornativeanimalscouldsupportpartialmitigation,hereandelsewhere,viaaninexpensive
warningdevicethatalertswildlifeofapproachingtrains.
Keywords:Roads,Grizzlybears,Management,Behaviouralecology,Animalmovement,Foraging.
Metacommunitytheoryforreal-worldcommunities:theoreticalandempiricaladvancesfortrophicmetacommunities
symposium
TUESDAY09:15,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Ecological drift across trophic levels: Consequences for metacommunities
DENONSTART,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO,[email protected]
BENJAMINGILBERT,UNIVERSITYOFTORONTO
Ecologicalcommunitiesarefundamentallystructuredbytwotypesofprocesses-stochasticanddeterministic.Weareonly
beginningtounderstandwhichtypesofcommunitiesarestructuredbystochasticordeterministicprocessesandthe
implicationsofthesedifferences.Usingdatafromafieldexperimentinartificialold-fieldfragmentsandtheirassociated
arthropodfaunasweshowthatstochasticprocessesaredominantinsmall,isolated,andhigh-trophiclevelcommunities.
Predatorandparasitoidcommunitiesweremorestronglystructuredbystochasticforcesbothbecauseconsumersare
lessabundantbutalsobecausetheyrespondtostochasticchangesincommunityassemblyatlowertrophiclevels.We
furthershowthatincreaseddriftinthesecommunitiesreducesdiversity,causespredatorextinction,andultimately
allowstrophicrelease.Thus,shiftsinstochasticcommunityassemblymechanismsassociatedwithcommon
metacommunityfactorsandtrophicrankcancreatepredictableandpervasivepatternsofdiversityandspecies
interactions.
Invasivespecies
TUESDAY15:30,ROOM:VIEWROYAL
How do mountain pine beetle attacks impact understory vegetation in lodgepole
pine forests in a novel area in west-central Alberta?
JULIESTEINKE,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA,[email protected]
ELLENMACDONALD,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA;ANNEMCINTOSH,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA;LORISCHROEDER,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA
Mountainpinebeetle(MPB)isanativebarkbeetlethatkillsmaturelodgepolepinetrees;itisexpandingintonovelareas
furthereastintowest-centralAlberta,wherepineforestsdifferfromhistoricalMPBhabitat.Theobjectiveofthisstudyis
tounderstandtheeffectsofMPBattackinAlbertabyconductinganexperimentalstudyinlodgepolepine-dominated
forests.MPBattackwassimulatedbysteminjectionswithglyphosateresultinginapatternofstand-levelmortalitythat
closelyresemblesthatfollowingMPBattack.Treatmentsincluded:highmortality,mediummortality,simulatedsalvage
loggingoperation,anduntreatedcontrol.Standsweresampledforunderstoryvegetation,soilmoistureandnutrient
availability,andpercentcanopycoveroneyearpriortodisturbance,theyeartreatmentswereapplied,one-yearposttreatment,andfiveandsevenyearspost-treatment.Mixedeffectsmodelsandordinationwereusedtoexamineresponses
ofunderstoryvegetationtotheabove-andbelow-groundchangesthataroseduetotreemortalityinducedbythe
treatments.Canopycoverandlighthadbeguntochangebyfiveyearspost-treatmentandthiswasfollowedbysome
changesinunderstoryvegetation.Understoryvegetationchangesinthesimulatedsalvageloggingtreatmentwere
immediateanddramatic.UnderstandinghowMPB-disturbedtreecanopiesinAlbertaimpactunderstoryvegetationand
lodgepolepineregenerationcanhelpusunderstandthetransformationsinforestcomposition,structure,diversity,and
successionalpathwaysthatmaydeveloponthischanginglandscape.
Keywords:Pinebeetle,Modeling,Experiment,Forest,Management.
Mammalianmovementandactivity
TUESDAY11:30,ROOM:THEATRE
Camera traps tell us where animals live, but more so, where animals move
FRANCESSTEWART,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
JASONT.FISHER,INNOTECHALBERTA,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA;A.COLEBURTON,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;MARGOPYBUS,
ALBERTAENVIRONMENTFISHANDWILDLIFE;DRAGOMIRVUJNOVIC,ALBERTAENVIRONMENTANDPARKS;GLYNNISHOOD,UNIVERSITY
OFALBERTAAUGUSTANA;JOHNP.VOLPE,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA
Animalsmoveacrossspaceandacrosstime.Biologistssamplethisdynamicarraybycollectingsnapshotsofanimal
occurrence.Speciesoccurrencedata(SOD)—Includingpresence-absenceorcountdata—providethefoundationfor
ecologicalresearchandconservationmanagement.Despitethelargeapplicabilityandeaseofcollection,applicationsof
SODrelyupon,andderivefrom,assumptionofspace-useandmovementthatarerarelytestedorexplicitlyacknowledged
inresearchstudies.Forexample,anincreasinglypopularcontemporarymethodforcollectingwildlifeoccurrencedatais
cameratrapping.Thesedataarecollectedfromstationarypointsinspaceandtime,butresultfrom
individuals’distributionandmovementonthelandscape.Toquantifytheaccuracyandprecisionofthespace-useand
movementassumptionsinherentinSODweemployapaireddatasetof14GPScollaredfisher(Pekankiapennanti)to
quantifyspace-useandmovementaround64stationarycameratraps.Weutilizegeneralizedlinearregressionsand
occupancymodelstodemonstratethatSODbetterrepresentanimalmovementsthantheirlocationsinspace,anddiscuss
theprofoundimplicationstheseresultshaveonourabilitytoinferandmanageecologicalprocess.
Keywords:Fishers,Populationdynamics,Experiment,Animalmovement,Speciesdistribution.
Phylogenetics
MONDAY09:15,ROOM:WCOAST
Comparison of genomic and microsatellite profiles from wolves and coyotes
ASTRIDV.STRONEN,AALBORGUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
NATHALIETESSIER,MINISTÈREDESFORÊTSDELAFAUNEETDESPARCSDUQUÉBEC,UNIVERSITÉDEMONTRÉAL;ANITAROGIC,
UNIVERSITÉDEMONTRÉAL,MONTSINAI;MARIOVILLEMURE,PARCNATIONALDUMONT-TREMBLANT;FRANÇOIS-JOSEPHLAPOINTE,
UNIVERSITÉDEMONTRÉAL;HUGUESTENNIER,PARCNATIONALDUMONT-TREMBLANT;DAWNMARSHALL,MEMORIALUNIVERSITY;
ELIZABETHPERRY,MEMORIALUNIVERSITY;TIMSALLOWS,RIDINGMOUNTAINNATIONALPARK;GLORIAGOULET,UNAFFILIATED;PAUL
PAQUET,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,RAINCOASTCONSERVATIONFOUNDATION;ETTORERANDI,ISTITUTOSUPERIOREPERLAPROTEZIONEE
LARICERCAAMBIENTALE
Canidhybridizationinvolvinggraywolves(Canislupus),easternwolves(C.l.lycaonorC.lycaon)and/orcoyotes(C.
latrans)appearscommonineasternNorthAmericaandmayimplicatedifferentcanidtypesinlandscapesvariously
affectedbyhumandevelopment.Furthermore,thecontinuingeastwardrangeexpansionbycoyotessuggeststhe
presenceofhybridfrontsinnortheasternCanada,whichmayaffectwolfpopulationstructureandecologicalfunction.
Previousanalyseswith12microsatellitelociindicatedhighlevelsofadmixtureinQuébeccomparedwiththeCanadian
Prairies(Manitoba,Saskatchewan).Subsequentanalyseswith66Ksinglenucleotidepolymorphism(SNP)markersfrom
theIlluminaCanineHDBeadChipsupportedearlierfindingsofadmixture.Wecomparedmicrosatellite(11loci)andSNP
(66Kloci)profilesfor80canidsfromthePrairiesandQuébec.MicrosatelliteandSNPprofilesindicatedoverlapbetween
Québeccoyotesandwolves,andbetweenQuébecandPrairiecoyotes.PrairiewolveshadSNPprofilesseparatedfromall
coyotesandmostindividualsweredivergentfromQuébecwolves;thesepatternsweresimilarbutlessdistinctfor
microsatelliteprofiles.ForQuébecwolvesandcoyotes,SNPprofilesshowedhigherresolutionbetweengroupsand
suggestSNPsofferimprovedopportunitiestoidentifyhybridsandestimateancestry.Improvedidentificationofhybrid
profilesmaynotimmediatelyhelpclarifytheevolutionaryhistoryofadmixedcanidsbutcouldhelpresolvewhether
differentmethodsmightbeasourceofdiscrepancyinreportingofresults.Moreover,ourfindingscanbeusedtoidentify
priorityareasformonitoringwithhigh-resolutiontechniquestotrackhybridization,includingthepresenceand
movementofhybridfronts.
Keywords:Canidae,Hybridization,Genomicsequencing,Populationrange,Populationdynamics.
Canadianprotectedareasinachangingclimate:Across-ecosystemapproachsymposium
TUESDAY14:00,ROOM:SAANICH
Responses of marine habitat-forming organisms to climate change: conserving the
stage when the players build the set
JENNIFERM.SUNDAY,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
KATHARINAE.FABRICIUS;KRISTYJ.KROEKER;KATHRYNM.ANDERSON;NORAHE.BROWN;JAMESP.BARRY;SEAND.CONNELL;SAM
DUPONT;BRIANGAYLORD;JASONM.HALL-SPENCER;TERRIEKLINGER;MARCOMILAZZO;PHILIPL.MUNDAY;BAYDEND.RUSSELL;
ERICSANFORD;VENGATESENTHIYAGARAJAN;MEGANL.H.VAUGHAN;STEPHENWIDDICOMBE;CHRISTOPHERD.G.HARLEY
Habitat-formingcanopyspecieshavestrongpositiveinteractionswithmanymarineassociatedspecies,suchthattheir
responsestowarmingandoceanacidificationmayhaveparticularlystrongcascadingeffectsonlocalbiodiversity.HereI
presentsyntheticanalysesfrominsitustudies,whichtogetherleadtothepredictionthattheeffectsofoceanacidification
willleadtolowerspeciesdiversityincoralreefs,musselbeds,andsomemacroalgalhabitats,buttoincreasesindiversity
inseagrassandothermacroalgalhabitats.Availableinsitudatasupportthepredictionofdecreasedbiodiversityincoral
reefs,butnotthepredictionofbiodiversitygainsinseagrassbeds.Inlightoftheseresults,Isummarizeourapproachto
coarse-filterconservationapproacheswhen“nature’sstage”itselfrespondstoclimatechange
ECOLOGICAL,EVOLUTIONARYANDENVIRONMENTALSYNTHESISINTHE21STCENTURYSYMPOSIUM
TUESDAY14:15,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Cross-scale resilience from theory to practice: Results from a synthesis
collaboration
SHANASUNDSTROM,UNIVERSITYOFNEBRASKALINCOLN,[email protected]
CRAIGR.ALLEN,UNIVERSITYOFNEBRASKA;KIRSTYNASH,JAMESCOOKUNIVERSITY
Resiliencescienceoffersaconceptualframeworkforquantitativelyassessingtheabilityofasystemtoremainina
particularstate.However,muchoftheresilienceresearchtodatehasbeenqualitativeinnature,andframeworks
developedfortheimplementationofresiliencesciencehavebeeneithervagueorfocusedonthesocialcomponentof
social-ecologicalsystems.Attemptstoquantifyresilienceandoperationalizetheconceptincludethecross-scaleresilience
model,thediscontinuityhypothesisandthedetectionofearlywarningsignalsofregimeshifts.Oursynthesis
collaborationsoughttoaddressgapsinthescienceofecologicalresilienceinordertofacilitateitsusebynaturalresource
managers.Ourprimaryfocuswasthecross-scaleresiliencemodelandthediscontinuityhypothesis,astogethertheyare
themostquantitativemethodologyavailableforassessingsystemresilience.Weexecutedaseriesofrelatedtasksthat
wouldtakehourstorelate,sothispresentationwillfocusonseveralanalysesthataddressedpropositionscentraltothe
cross-scaleresiliencemodel,includingtherelationshipbetweenthescalesofavailableresourcestructureand
discontinuitiesinanimalbodymassdistributions(areductioninthenumberofscalesincoralreefstructurecorrelated
withalossinbodysizeclassesinthefishcommunity),whetherspecieswithindeterminategrowthrequiredifferent
methodsfordetectingdiscontinuitiesinbodymassdistributions(theydo),andwhetherchangesinabodymass
distributioncanactasanearlywarningsignalofanimpendingregimeshift(paleoecologicaldiatomcommunitydatawith
aknownregimeshiftexperiencedasignificantchangeindiatombodysizedistributionsapproximately150yearsbefore
theshift).
Policyandplanning
MONDAY14:30,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Proactive conservation planning for high-value habitats of caribou and grizzly bears
in the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area, northeast British Columbia
NOBUYASUZUKI,UNIVERSITYOFNORTHERNBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
KATHERINEL.PARKER,UNIVERSITYOFNORTHERNBRITISHCOLUMBIA
ToconservewildlifehabitatsinanintactborealwildlandoftheMuskwa-KechikaManagementAreainnortheastBritish
Columbia,weusedaconservationplanningtool,Marxan,tosimulatechangesinlandscapecharacteristicsofhigh-value
habitatsforcaribouandgrizzlybearsinresponsetopotentialdevelopmentofnaturalresources,includingoil,gas,
minerals,forests,andwindpower.Wesimulatedconservationoptionsintendedtopreservehigh-valuehabitats:1)in
spatialpatternsthatmaximizehabitatconnectivity(ConnectivityOption);2)inlowresourcepotentialareas(Conflict
AvoidanceOption);3)inhighresourcepotentialareas(BlockingDevelopmentOption);and4)byavoidinghigh-value
habitatsofwolves,moose,andelk(Predation-riskAvoidanceOption).Landscapecharacteristicsofhigh-valuehabitats
followingsimulateddevelopmentbecameleastfavorableforcaribouinthePredation-riskAvoidanceOption,followedby
theConflictAvoidanceOption.Areductionof14%inhigh-valuehabitatsresultedin50%and38%reductionsininterior
habitats,and12%and7%increasesinlengthsofhabitatedgeinthese2options,respectively.ConflictAvoidanceand
BlockDevelopmentOptionsproducedsimilarlandscapecharacteristicsforhigh-valuehabitatsofgrizzlybears.The
ConflictAvoidanceOptionforbothcaribouandgrizzlybearsandthePredation-riskAvoidanceOptionforcaribouall
resultedinagreaternumberofcontiguoushigh-valuehabitatpatchesofsmallersize,whereastheConnectivityand
BlockingDevelopmentOptionsmaintainedlargecontiguouspatchesofhigh-valuehabitatwithfewersmallisolatedpatches.Maximizinghabitatconnectivityregardlessoflevelsofresourcepotentialwasbyfarthebestplanningstrategy
forconservationforbothspecies.
Keywords:Landusechange,Development,Spatialplanning,Interactions,Connectivity.
Parasitismandsymbiosis
TUESDAY14:30,ROOM:SIDNEY
Adaptive genetic variation at salivary protein genes in blood-feeding generalist
ectoparasites
BENOITTALBOT,WESTERNUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
ONDREJBALVIN,CZECHUNIVERSITYOFLIFESCIENCESPRAGUE;MAARTENJ.VONHOF,WESTERNMICHIGANUNIVERSITY;HUGHG.
BRODERS,SAINTMARY'SUNIVERSITY;BROCKFENTON,WESTERNUNIVERSITY;NUSHAKEYGHOBADI,WESTERNUNIVERSITY
Weexpectparasitestodisplaygeneticsignaturesrepresentativeofthehostwithwhichtheyassociate,throughprocesses
suchasanevolutionaryarmsrace.However,individualsofsomeparasitespeciesassociatewithoneofafewhostspecies,
thatareinsomecasesevolutionarilyverydifferent.Inthosecases,itisn'tclearhowhostspeciesmayaffectgenetic
variationintheparasitespecies.InCimexgenus,parasitespeciesassociatewitharangeofhosts,includingbats,humans,
andswallows.Inmydoctoralproject,Iwantedtodeterminehowhostsaffectadaptivegeneticvariationinthese
generalistectoparasites.Ianalyzedtwosalivaryproteingenes,codingforanapyraseandanitrophorin,intenspeciesof
Cimex.Thesegenesaffectthewayparasitesfeedontheirhosts,bypreventingclottingandvasoconstriction,andtheir
efficiencymaydependonparticularecologicalorphysiologicalpropertiesofthehost.Ialsoanalyzed,usinganextgenerationsequencingapproach,thedistributionofallelesatthetwogenesinaspeciesusuallyassociatedwithoneof
severalbatspeciesinNorthAmerica,Cimexadjunctus.Overall,Ifoundthathostslargelyaffectadaptivegeneticvariation
oftheirparasites,andthatistrueevenforgeneralistparasites,suchasinCimex.
Keywords:Parasitology,Genomicsequencing,Invertebrates,Geneticvariation.
HERB
MONDAY16:45,ROOM:OAKBAY1
The role of bison as ecosystem engineers in the aspen parkland
PETERTARLETON,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN,[email protected]
ERICLAMB,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN
Largeherbivoresplayacriticalroleinstructuringtheirecosystemsbyintroducingspeciesselectiveandspatiallyvariable
disturbance.Thisisespeciallytrueintransitionalecosystems,whereclimaticconditionsaresuchthatdisturbances
readilyshiftcommunitiesbetweenalternatestablestates.Theinteractionbetweenbison(Bisonbison)andthestructure
ofcommunitiesoftheaspenparklandprovidesanintriguingmodelofhowthisprocessfunctions.Weconductedtwo
experimentsinaspenparklandcommunitiesinRidingMountainNationalParktoexaminethisprocess.Inthefirst,atotal
of88permanentplotswereestablishedacrossthegrassland-forestecotoneinthreeareas;thosebeinghistorically
occupied,newlyoccupied,andunoccupiedbybison.Lifehistorycharacteristicsandphysicalstructureofthewoodyplant
communityintheseplotsweremonitoredover1.5years.Observedchangesintheshrubcommunitywerecomplexand
variedwiththedistancefromtheecotone.Inthesecondexperiment,atotalof29rangeexclosureswereestablishedin
grasslandspreviouslyandnewlyoccupiedbybison.Plantcover,biomass,swardheight,andlightinterceptionwere
measuredwithineachexclosureandadjacentcontrolspriortoandoneyearafterestablishment.Experimentalremoval
oradditionofbisonoverasingleyearresultedincomplexchangesinspeciescomposition,markedbytheincreaseofthe
invasivePoapratensis,aswellaschangestothephysicalstructureofthecommunity.
Keywords:Bison,Interactions,Experiment,Disturbance,Ecosystemengineer.
Anthropogenicinfluencesonhabitatselection
TUESDAY16:15,ROOM:SAANICH
Large mammal responses to seismic line restoration
ERINTATTERSALL,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
COLEBURTON,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;JASONFISHER,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,INNOTECHALBERTA;JOANNABURGAR,
UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA
SeismiclinesmakeupalargeportionofanthropogenicdisturbancesinAlberta,cuttingvastnumbersoflinearcorridors
throughtheborealforest.Thishassevereconsequencesforthewoodlandcaribou,causinghabitatfragmentationand
providingmovementcorridorsforpredators(wolves,blackbears)intopreviouslyinaccessiblehabitat.Asaresult,andin
responsetofederalandprovincialcaribourecoverystrategies,energycompaniesareincreasinglypursuingrestoration
projectstofacilitatevegetativeregenerationalongseismiclineswithincaribouhabitat.Onesuchprojectisbeing
implementedintheAlgarregionsouthwestofFortMcMurray.Theaimofourcurrentresearchistousecameratrapsto
examinetheefficacyofseismiclinerestorationwithintherangeoftheAlgarcariboupopulation.Specifically,weare
comparingdetectionratesbetweentreatedandcontrollinestodeterminewhetherrestorationdoesindeedreduce
predatormovementsandincreasecariboupresence.Here,Ireportonpreliminaryresultsfromourpilotstudyof24
cameratrapsactivefromNovember2015-November2016.Ialsooutlinefutureresearchquestionsasweexpandthe
scopeoftheprojecttoincludenaturallyregeneratinglinesandthosereservedforhumanuse.Resultsofthisresearchwill
offerinsightintohoweffectivelyrestorationprojectsreclaimcaribouhabitat,aswellasexploretheireffectsonpredatorpreyrelationshipsintheborealforestmammalcommunity.Thiswillhaveimplicationsforconservationeffortsinregions
ofmajorindustrialactivityandmayinformfuturepoliciesonreclaimingtheseareas.
Keywords:Mammals,Landusechange,Disturbance,Restoration,Management.
Livingintheeco-evolutionarytheatre:researchguidedandinspiredbyintensivefieldobservationssymposium
TUESDAY16:15,ROOM:THEATRE
Are camouflaged flounder hiding from predators or prey?
JOHNS.TAYLOR,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
Pollution
TUESDAY11:30,ROOM:SAANICH
Inferring growth dilution from latitudinal variation in fish growth and mercury
bioaccumulation
SHYAMTHOMAS,RYERSONUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
STEPHANIEMELLES,RYERSONUNIVERSITY;SATYENDRABHAVSAR,ONTARIOMINISTRYOFTHEENVIRONMENTANDCLIMATECHANGE
Fishsizeandagearetwocloselyrelatedbioticvariablesthataffectmercurybioaccumulationthroughvaryinggrowth
rates.Allelsebeingequal,itisassumedthatforfishesofthesameage,fastgrowingfisheswillattainalargersizeand
accumulatelessmercuryduetogrowthdilution.Inthisstudy,wemakeuseofalarge-scalefishmercurymonitoring
datasettobetterunderstandhowbodysizeandagedeterminemercurylevels,andtheroleofvaryinggrowthratesand
growthdilutioninmodulatingit.Overall,wehypothesizethatgrowthdilutionwillbemoreevidentwhenlatitudinal
differenceingrowthratestranslatesintopredictablelatitudinaldifferenceinmercurybioaccumulation.Splittingthe
spatialdatainto3latitudinalbands,wefirstpredictthatgrowthrateswilldecreasefromSouthtoNorth.Consequently,
mercurylevelswillshowtheoppositelatitudinaltrend,ifgrowthdilutionplaysastrongmodulatoryrole.Linearmixedeffectsregressionmodelswereusedtocapturevariationingrowthratesandbioaccumulationacrossthethreelatitudinal
bands.AspredictedaclearlatitudinaltrendwasevidentforWalleye,whereingrowthratesdroppedwhilemercury
bioaccumulationincreasedfromSouthtoNorth;butthislatitudinalpatternwaslessevidentinNorthernPike.Plotting
bioaccumulationcoefficientsagainstgrowthcoefficientsforalluniquelatitudesfurthershowedsignificantnegative
correlationssuggestinggrowthdilution.However,themagnitudeofgrowthdilutionwasgreaterinWalleye,andis
apparentlydrivenbyvariationingrowthratesacrosslatitudes.TherelativelyweakergrowthdilutioninNorthernPike
suggeststhatthereareotherfactorsbesideslatitudinalvariationingrowthdrivingthepattern.
Keywords:Fish,Bioaccumulation,Modeling,Growth.
Anthropogenicinfluencesonhabitatselection
TUESDAY16:30,ROOM:SAANICH
Patch occupancy of two boreal mammals in response to salvage logging
JULIETHOMAS,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY,[email protected]
MARYL.REID,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY;ROBERTM.R.BARCLAY,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY
Intheborealforestthefrequencyandseverityofforestfiresandinsectinfestationshasincreasedinrecentdecades,
resultinginthewidespreadpracticeofpost-disturbancelogging(knownassalvagelogging).Recentstudiesdemonstrate
thatsalvageloggingcandisruptpost-disturbancesuccessionandaltercriticalwildlifehabitat,thushavingagreater
impactthantheoriginalnaturaldisturbance;however,dataarescarceformammals.Insummer2016,Istudiedthe
influenceofbarkbeetleinfestationandsubsequentsalvageloggingonpatternsofhabitatusebymoose(Alcesalces)and
snowshoehare(Lepusamericanus)insouthwestYukon,Canada.Remotewildlifecamerasweredeployedat90sitesin
barkbeetle-affectedforestandinsalvage-loggedstandsofvaryingloggingintensityandage.Iusedoccupancymodelsto
examinetherelationshipbetweenmammalhabitatuseandsalvageloggingactivity,standstructure,andstandage.Moose
preferredintensivelyloggedstandsoverintactbeetle-affectedstands,likelybenefittingfromenhancedunderstory
productivity,whilesnowshoehareavoidedsalvage-loggedareas,irrespectiveofretentionlevelandstandage.Ialso
examinedtheeffectsofcutsize,predatorpresence,andvariouslandscape-levelcharacteristicsincludingsurrounding
foresttypeandproximitytoedgehabitat.Thecontrastingresultsformooseandharehighlighttheimportanceofstudying
multiplespeciessimultaneously,tobetterinformconservationandforestmanagementpolicies.
Keywords:Mammals,Boreal,Landusechange,Habitatselection,Disturbance,Landscapeconfiguration.
Speciesinteractionsinawarmingworldsymposium
TUESDAY13:45,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Dispersal governs the reorganization of ecological networks under environmental
change
PATRICKTHOMPSON,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
ANDREWGONZALEZ,MCGILLUNIVERSITY
Ecologicalnetworks,suchasfoodwebs,mutualistwebs,andhost-parasitewebs,arereorganizingasspeciesabundances
andspatialdistributionsshiftinresponsetoenvironmentalchange.Currenttheoreticalexpectationsforhowthis
reorganizationwilloccurareforcompetitionorforpartsofinteractionnetworksandmaynotextendtomorecomplex
networks.Hereweusemetacommunitytheorytodevelopnewexpectationsforhowcomplexnetworkswillreorganize
underenvironmentalchange,andshowthatdispersaliscrucialfordeterminingthedegreetowhichnetworkswillretain
theircompositionandstructure.Whendispersalbetweenhabitatpatchesislow,alltypesofspeciesinteractionsactasa
strongdeterminantofwhetherspeciescancolonizesuitablehabitats;thiscolonizationresistancedrivesspeciesturnover,
whichbreaksapartcurrentnetworksandleadstotheformationofnewnetworks.However,whendispersalratesare
increased,colonistsarriveinhighabundanceinhabitatswheretheyarewelladapted,sointeractionswithresident
speciescontributelesstocolonizationsuccess.Dispersalensuresthatspeciesassociationsaremaintainedastheyshiftin
space,sonetworksretainsimilarcompositionandstructure.Thecrucialroleofdispersalreinforcestheneedtomanage
habitatconnectivitytosustainspeciesandinteractiondiversityintothefuture.
Communityecology
TUESDAY14:30,ROOM:WCOAST
What is the nature of the interaction between a flower weevil and a leaf beetle, two
biocontrol agents of purple loosestrife: Competitive, complementary, or neutral?
MARINATORREBLANCA,UNIVERSITYOFOTTAWA,[email protected]
RISAD.SARGENT,UNIVERSITYOFOTTAWA
Theorypredictsthat,uponreleasefromnaturalenemiesinthenewrange,invasivespecieswillevolvetoallocatemore
resourcestowardstraitsthatimprovetheirabilitytocompetewithnativespecies.Themotivationformostbiological
controlprogramsistore-introducenativeenemiesinordertoopposethiseffectandreduceorevenreversesomeofthe
negativeimpactsofinvasivespeciesonnativeecosystems.Inmanycases,multiplebiocontrolagentsareintroduced,often
undertheassumptionthattheirimpactswillbecomplementary.However,studiesthatquantifythenatureofinteractions
amongbiocontrolagentsonthesameinvasivespecieshavefoundfewgeneralities.Herewedescribethefindingsofa
studyoftheimpactsofinfestationbyonespeciesofbiocontrolagentofinvasivepurpleloosestrife,theleafbeetle
Neogalerucellacalmariensis,onthereproductivesuccessofasecondbiocontrolagent,theflowerfeedingweevil
Nanophyesmarmoratus.Somewhatsurprisingly,wefoundthatweevilreproductivesuccesswashigheramongplantsthat
weresimultaneouslyinfestedwithleafbeetles.Thiswastrueevenwhendifferencesininflorescencelengthamongplants
wastakenintoaccount.Wediscussthepossibilitythatbiocontrolinduceddifferencesinfloweringphenologyareatleast
partiallyresponsibleforourfindings.
Keywords:Insects,Interactions,Invasion,Reproduction,Management,Conservationpractitioners.
Lifehistories:phenology,sex,sexratio
TUESDAY09:30,ROOM:WCOAST
Lack of diapause in aphid parasitoids from mild winter areas: Ecological and
evolutionary insights
KÉVINTOUGERON,UNIVERSITÉDEMONTRÉAL,[email protected]
Insectsfromtemperateareasusuallyenterdiapausetooverwinter.Climatechangemayseverelyimpactinsect
communitiesthroughchangesinphenologyandseasonalecology.InWesternFranceforinstance,therehasbeenarecent
changeinparasitoidspeciescompositionincerealfieldswithsomespeciesthatusedtooverwinterindiapauseoverthe
past30yearsnowbeingactivethroughoutwinter.Thisrecentpatternmaybeduetoalackofdiapauseexpressionand
couldleadtochangesinspeciesinteractionsandimpairbiologicalpestcontrol.Wetestedwhetherfourparasitoidspecies
fromthismildwinterareawerestillabletoundergodiapauseunderninedifferentphotoperiodandtemperature
conditionsinthelaboratory.Wefoundthat2outof4speciesdidnotexpressdiapauseatanyoftheconditionstested.The
twootherspeciesentereddiapauseatverylowlevels.Wedevelopedtwohypothesestoexplainchangesindiapause
incidenceoverthelastdecades(i)parasitoidshaveevolvedotherstrategiestooverwinter,diapauseexpressionbeing
geneticallylostinallorpartofthepopulationor(ii)phenotypicplasticityisnotexpressedunderunsuitable
environmentalsignals.Host-parasitoidcommunitycompositionchangesinthefieldbetween2010and2017willalsobe
presented.Theseresultsarediscussedinrelationtotheecologicalcostsofdiapauseexpressioninparasitoids
experiencingwarmertemperaturesandincreasedhostavailabilityduringwinterfollowingclimatechanges.
Keywords:Insects,Climatechange,Phenologychanges,Diapause.
Reproductiveecologyandbehaviour
MONDAY16:45,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
The causes and consequences of the variability in incubation behaviour in tree
swallows (Tachycineta bicolor)
NGHIATRAN,UNIVERSITÉDESHERBROOKE,QUEBECCENTERFORBIODIVERSITYSCIENCE,[email protected]
DANYGARANT,UNIVERSITÉDESHERBROOKE,QUEBECCENTERFORBIODIVERSITYSCIENCE;FANIEPELLETIER,UNIVERSITÉDE
SHERBROOKE,QUEBECCENTERFORBIODIVERSITYSCIENCE
Duringtheincubationperiod,birdsmustbalancethetimetheyspendincubatingtheireggswithotheractivitiessuchas
foraging.Asaresult,eggsareexposedtovariableconditionsthroughouttheirdevelopment,especiallyinpasserinebirds,
whichareforthemostpartuni-parentalincubators.Westudiedincubationbehaviourinatreeswallowpopulation
nestinginsouthernQuebecusingautomatedtemperaturedataloggers(iButtons)toassessthevariationinthedaily
proportionoftimeeggsarebeingincubated.Wefoundthatdailyproportionoftimespentincubatingincreasedbefore
clutchcompletiondayandremainedstablethroughouttheincubationperiod.Clutchsizewasfoundtobeanimportant
factorinshapingincubationbehaviour,withlargerclutchesbeingincubatedforalargerproportionofthedaytime.
Althoughdailyproportionoftimespentincubatingremainedstableafterclutchcompletionday,otherincubationrelated
behaviourmightchangethroughouttheincubationperiod.Incubationbehaviourmaybeanimportantaspectforfitness
astheproportionofegghatchingincreaseswhentheclutchesarebeinglessexposedtoambienttemperature.Incubation
duration(fromclutchcompletiondatetohatching)wasalsoinfluencedbyincubationbehaviour.Theeffectishowever
moreimportantduringtheearlystageofeggdevelopment.
Keywords:Birds,BehaviouralEcology,Incubation,Reproduction.
ConsequencesofRapidEcologicalChangeinMountainEcosystemsSymposium
TUESDAY08:00,ROOM:SIDNEY
A century of ecosystem change in the Canadian Rocky Mountains
ANDREWTRANT,UNIVERSITYOFWATERLOO,[email protected]
JULIEFORTIN,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA;BRIANSTARZOMSKI,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA;ERICHIGGS,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA
Mountainecosystemsserveassentinelsofchange,andthoseintheCanadianRockyMountainshaveundergonean
exceptionalshiftoverthepastcentury.Thischangehasbeendrivenbymanagementpractices,disturbanceregimesand
anthropogenicclimatechange.Withmorethanacenturyofstronghumaninfluence,haveweensuredthatecosystem
noveltywillprevail?Canhistoricreferencespredatingthe20thcentury,beusedtoidentifyboundariesandthresholdsof
change?Wepresentquantitativeanalysesof100high-resolutionimagepairsofsystematichistoricsurveyandrepeat
photographsofmountainhabitatsacquiredintheCanadianRockyMountains,measuringtreelineadvance,changesin
forestcover,andextentofforestregeneration.Withatimelapseof70to100yearsbetweenimagepairs,these
photographscontaincriticalinformationaboutrelativelylong-termecologicalchangethatcannotbefoundelsewhere.In
the220kmofmountainhabitatexamined,wefoundhighlevelsofvariabilityintheecosystemdynamics,although
generalpatternsofincreasedconiferouscoverandanaltitudinaladvancetreelinewereprominent.Toexplainthe
processesdrivingtheobservedpatterns,weexploreclimate-drivenecosystemresponsesfromchangesindisturbance
andland-usehistory.Justoverhalfoftheecosystemscapturedbytheimagesrespondedinthedirectionpredicted(i.e.,
upwardadvanceofthetreelineecotoneandinfillingofforestcover)withdisturbanceplayingasignificantrole.These
resultsarediscussedfromtheperspectiveofemergingnoveltyinmountainecosystemsandtheimplicationsfor
conservationandrestoration.
Movement,activity,wildlifemanagement
WEDNESDAY09:00,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Endangered endemic cyprinid minnow exhibits different spatial and temporal
patterns to native and invasive species in a perennial desert stream
CAROLYNTROMBLEY,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH,[email protected]
ASTRIDSCHWALB,TEXASSTATEUNIVERSITY;THOMASHARDY,TEXASSTATEUNIVERSITY;KARLCOTTENIE,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH
TheVirginRiverisaperennialdesertstreaminthesouthwesternUnitedStates,flowingfromitsheadwatersaboveZion
NationalPark(Utah)toLakeMead(Nevada).Thisriversupportsseveraldifferentfishspecies,including6nativeand13
introduced.Woundfin(Plagopterusargentissimus)isanendemicspecieslistedasendangeredbytheUnitedStatesFish
andWildlifeServicethathasdeclineddrasticallyinbothdistributionandabundance.Redshiner(Cyprinellalutrensis),an
introducedspecies,havesuccessfullyinvadedtheriverandbeenlinkedtothedeclineofwoundfin.Usingadatasetoffish
abundancesin10sitesover23yearsintheVirginRiver,weinvestigatedtherelativeimportanceofspatialandtemporal
factorstothestructureofthefishassemblagesintheriver.Weextractedabundancerecordsforthe8mostabundant
species(98.5%cumulativeabundances)inallrunhabitatsthenranPCNManalysesinRtoexaminetherelationships
betweenspatiallocation,date,andspecies.Wefoundthatspatialandtemporalfactorsweresignificant(p=0.001)and
togetherexplained59%ofthedatawhilebeingrelativelyindependent(5%overlap).Nativespeciesshowedpatterns
differenttothoseofthetwoinvasivespecies,redshinerandmosquitofish(Gambusiaaffinas),withwoundfinexhibiting
differentpatternsfromothernativespecies,suggestingthatwoundfinmaybeparticularlysusceptibletoinvasionbynonnativespeciesorfactorscoincidingwithinvasions.
Keywords:Speciesatrisk,Fish,Freshwater,Invasion.
Usingexperimentalevolutiontorevealtheeco-evolutionaryimpactsofglobalchangesymposium
WEDNESDAY09:15,ROOM:THEATRE
Experimental evolution in ecological communities: Predators mediate rapid
evolution of herbivores and resources to warming
MICHELLETSENG,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
Globalchangesinclimateandhabitatqualityarealteringtheabioticenvironmentexperiencedbyorganismsworldwide.
Organismsregularlyinteractwithotherspecies,yetwhetherthesespeciesinteractionshelporhinderevolutionary
adaptationtoabioticstressesisnotwellunderstood.InthistalkIwillpresentpublisheddatademonstratingthe
importantroleofpredatorsinmediatingherbivoreevolutiontowarmingtemperatures,andI'llgiveasneakpeakinto
newdatashowingthefitnessconsequencesofmismatchesbetweenevolutionaryratesofresourcesvs.consumersto
experimentalwarming.
UncertaintyinEcologyandConservationSymposium
MONDAY08:00,ROOM:SAANICH
Uncertainty and the relationship between human and environmental well-being
SHRIPADTULJAPURKAR,STANFORDUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
Ipresentasimpleframeworktoshowhowdemographyandproductivityshapehumanwell-being.Iusethattodiscuss
thedistinctdimensionsofhumanandenvironmentalwell-being,theirrelationships.andthemeaningofsustainability.I
highlighttheimportanceofandtheconnectionsbetweenuncertaintyindemographicandecologicalprocesses.
Usingexperimentalevolutiontorevealtheeco-evolutionaryimpactsofglobalchangesymposium
WEDNESDAY08:30,ROOM:THEATRE
An experimental test of the effects of rapid evolution on species coexistence in the
field
MARTINTURCOTTE,UNIVERSITYOFPITTSBURGH,[email protected]
SIMONP.HART,EIDGENÖSSISCHETECHNISCHEHOCHSCHULEZÜRICH;JONATHANM.LEVINE,EIDGENÖSSISCHETECHNISCHE
HOCHSCHULEZÜRICH
Therecentrecognitionthatevolutionoccursonecologicaltime-scalesistransformingbiology.Yetrecentadvancesinour
understandingofthemechanismsthatmaintainspeciesdiversityassumethatspeciesarefixed,andsorarelyconsiderthe
influenceofrapidchangesinspecies-leveltraitsontheoutcomeofspeciesinteractions.Usingapowerfulnewempirical
systembasedontheworld’ssmallestfloweringplants—duckweeds—wemanipulatedtheabilityoftwocompeting
speciestocoevolveacrossapproximately15generationsinthefield.Wethenquantifiedtheinfluenceofrapidevolution
ontheoutcomeofcompetitionbycomparingthetrajectoriesofthecompetingpopulationsinthepresencevs.absenceof
coevolution.Ourresultsdemonstratethatcoevolutionaltersthestrengthofcoexistenceonecologicaltimescales.There
weresignificantdifferencesinthetrajectoriesofcompetingspecieswhenthesespeciescouldcoevolve.Mostofthese
effectsoccurredduetoevolutioninonespecies,L.minor,whichwasquantifiedusingmoleculargenetics.However,the
effectsofcoevolutiononL.minorcauseditspopulationsizetodeclineinrelativeabundance.Parameterizedcompetitive
populationdynamicmodelsrevealedthatcoevolutioncausedL.minortodoubleitslow-densitygrowthrate.Yet
concomitantincreasesinL.minor’ssensitivitytointra-andinterspecificcompetitionnegatedanybenefitsofevolutionfor
itsinterspecificcompetitiveability.Ultimately,coevolutioncreatedanetadvantageforthepreviouslyinferiorcompetitor
throughchangesinaveragefitnessdifferencesandnotnichedifferences.Ourresultsproviderareexperimentalsupport
fortheroleofrapidevolutionininfluencingthemaintenanceofspeciesdiversity.
Geneticstructureofpopulations
TUESDAY14:30,ROOM:COLWOOD
Fine-scale genetic structure and effective size of an isolated and endangered
population of woodland caribou
GENEVIÈVETURGEON,UNIVERSITÉDESHERBROOKE,[email protected]
Maintenanceofgeneticdiversityiscrucialforadaptationtoenvironmentalchanges.Insmallpopulations,however,it
representsaconservationchallengesincepopulationdeclinesandisolationareoftenfollowedbylossesingenetic
diversity.Caribouandreindeer(Rangifertarandus)aredecliningworldwideandtheGaspésie-Atlanticcariboupopulation
isnoexception.Thisherdwasalreadygeneticallydifferentiatedfromothercariboupopulationsattheendofthe‘90s,and
showedamongthelowestgeneticdiversity,evenifthepopulationsizewastwiceitscurrentsize.Theheterogeneous
environmentmayalsohaveenhancedthedeclineandisolationeffectsonlossesofgeneticdiversitybecausesubgroupsof
individualsareusingdifferentmountainsummits,withlimitedexchangesrecordedbetweencollaredindividuals.Here
ourgoalsweretocharacterizethegeneticdiversityandstructureofthisherd,toestimateitseffectivepopulationsizeand
toassesshowtheseparametershavechangedbetween1998and2013.Todoso,atotalof75caribous(31in1998and44
in2013)weregenotypedat15microsatelliteloci.Geneticdiversitywascomparablebetweenyearsbutaspatially-explicit
geneticstructureemergedin2013,withdifferencesbetweenindividualslivingeastofanationalroadcomparedtothose
livingwestoftheroad.Duringthesametime,theeffectivepopulationsizedecreasedbyhalf,from39individuals[23:87
(95%CI)]to20[15:26].Ourresultssuggestthatthespatialgeneticstructurecombinedwiththeverysmalleffective
populationsizecouldhavedetrimentalconsequencesforfuturegeneticdiversityandultimatelyforthepersistenceofthis
isolatedpopulation.
Keywords:Speciesatrisk,Caribou,Geneticvariation,Isolation.
Movement,activity,wildlifemanagement
WEDNESDAY09:45,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Tracing the origin of migratory pest species European starling (Sturnus vulgaris):
Application of geochemical fingerprinting in south central British Columbia,
Canada
KCUPAMA,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIAOKANAGAN,[email protected]
CURTISJEFFERSON,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIAOKANAGAN
TheEuropeanStarling(Sturnusvulgaris)isaninvasivebirdtoNorthAmericawhereitisanagriculturalpest.InBritish
Columbia,Canadapopulationsofstarlingsincreaseinfall,coincidingwithripeningfruits.Starlingsalsocreatedamagein
dairyfarmsandfeedlotsbyeatingandcontaminatingfoodandspreadingdiseases.Damagecanbepartlymitigatedbythe
useofscaredeterrents.However,scaretechniquesmainlyservetodivertflocksuntiltheybecomeacclimated.
Interceptingstarlingsbeforetheymovetofieldsandfarmsisthemostpracticalmeansofpreventingdamagebutrequires
knowledgeofthenatalorigin.Withinasmall(20,829squarekm),agriculturallysignificantportionofsouth-central
BritishColumbia,theOkanaganValley,weemployedamultivariatestatisticalanalysisofmulti-elementgeochemical
fingerprintsinbonetissuethatidentifiedthreedistinctsourcepopulationsofstarlings(northern,centralandsouthern
83-100%).Problembirdstrappedinvineyardsandorchards,andindairyfarmsandfeedlotsweremeasuredand
comparedtosourcepopulations.Themajorityofstarlingscaughtinvineyardsandorchards(80%)arederivedfrom
withintheOkanaganValley,mainlyfromsouthernandnorthernpopulationsandonly20%areimmigrantstothevalley.
Incontrast,themajorityofbirdscaughtatdairyfarmsandfeedlotsareimmigrants(90%),andonly10%arelocalbirds.It
isunlikelythatstarlingsfromoutsidetheregionweremisidentifiedasOkanaganValleystarlings,becausethe
geochemicalfingerprintsofpopulationsoutsideofthevalleyareverydistinct.Thesefindingssuggestedthatfurther
controlofstarlingsinvineyardsandorchards,primarilylocatedinthesouth,betargetedtothesouthernandnorthern
regions.Controlofstarlingsindairyfarmsandfeedlots,primarilylocatedinthenorth,willrequireanexpansionofthe
trappingprogramoutsidetheregion.
Keywords:Europeanstarling,Pest,Geochemicalfingerprints,Migration.
Lifehistories:reproduction,senescence
TUESDAY11:45,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Hunting promotes slow life histories in brown bears
JOANIEVANDEWALLE,UNIVERSITÉDESHERBROOKE,CENTERFORNORTHERNSTUDIES,QUEBECCENTREFORBIODIVERSITYSCIENCE,
[email protected]
GABRIELPIGEON,UNIVERSITÉDESHERBROOKE,QUEBECCENTREFORBIODIVERSITYSCIENCE;ANDREASZEDROSSER,UNIVERSITYCOLLEGE
OFSOUTHEASTNORWAY,UNIVERSITYOFNATURALRESOURCESANDLIFESCIENCESVIENNA;JONE.SWENSON,NORWEGIANUNIVERSITY
OFLIFESCIENCES,NORWEGIANINSTITUTEFORNATURERESEARCH;FANIEPELLETIER,UNIVERSITÉDESHERBROOKE,CENTERFOR
NORTHERNSTUDIES,QUEBECCENTREFORBIODIVERSITYSCIENCE
Huntingistypicallynon-randomandcanartificiallyselectforphenotypictraitsandaffectwildlifepopulationdynamics.In
manyhuntingsystems,huntersavoidkillingmembersoffamilygroups(i.e.femalesanddependentoffspring)forethical
reasonsorbecausetheyarelegallyprotected.However,thispracticedivertsthehunttowardsnon-reproducingfemales
andmayselectforlongermother-offspringassociations,withunknownconsequencesforindividualfitnessand
populationdynamics.Inthisstudy,wecontrasttheeffectsoftwotacticsofmaternalcare(providingmaternalcarefor
either1.5yearsor2.5years)onindividualfitnessandpopulationdynamics,using>20yearsofdatafromanindividualbasedlong-termstudyofScandinavianbrownbears.Theoccurrenceofthetactic2.5yearshasincreasedinrecentyears
from0%before1993toabout26%in1993-2015.Femalesusingthistactichad7%highersurvivalrates,but52%lower
recruitmentratescomparedtofemalesusingtactic1.5years.Usingtactic-specificage-structuredpopulationmodels,we
showthatthestableage-structureofatheoreticalpopulationconsistingofonlyfemalesusingtactic2.5yearscomprised
13%moreadultfemales.However,highersurvivalwithtactic2.5yearsappearstocompensateforreducedrecruitment,
asasymptoticpopulationgrowthrateswerehighlycomparableamongtactics(95%CI:1.5=[1.05,1.13],2.5=[1.05,1.15]).
Wealsoshowthatthebesttacticdependsonhuntingpressure,withtactic2.5yearsbecomingincreasinglyadvantageous
ashuntingpressureintensifies.Therefore,protectionoffamilygroupshasthepotentialtoslowdownlifehistoriesand
drivepopulationdynamicsinhuntedpopulations.
Keywords:Largecarnivores,Grizzlybears,Hunting,Reproduction,Populationmodels.
Geneticstructureofpopulations
TUESDAY14:45,ROOM:COLWOOD
Assessing genetic structure in subalpine larch (Larix lyallii), a high-elevation
deciduous conifer species
MARIEC.VANCE,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA,[email protected]
PATRICKVONADERKAS,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA
Subalpinelarch(Larixlyallii)isadeciduousconiferthatonlygrowsattimberlineintheCascadeRangeandRocky
MountainsofthePacificNorthwest.Predictedclimatechangecouldfurtherreduceavailablehabitatbyincreasingthe
frequencyoflate-summerdroughteventsand/orbyencouragingtheupwardmigrationofmorecompetitivetimberline
species.Tocopewithitschangingenvironment,subalpinelarchwillberequiredtoadaptinsituorfacemaladaptation
andeventualdecline.Unfortunatelythisspeciesmaynotbeparticularlyadaptable.Demographicfactorssuchasa
relativelylonggenerationtime(average500years)andlatearrivalatsexualmaturity(100-200years)willslow
adaptation.Lowlevelsofgeneticdiversitycouldfurtherlimitthemagnitudeofapotentiallyadaptiveresponseto
selection.Toassesstheamountofgeneticvariationwithinpopulationsandthestructureofthatvariationacrossthe
landscape,Isampled61populationsdistributedacrossthespecies’naturalrange.Individualsweregenotypedusing
singlenucleotidepolymorphisms(SNPs)identifiedviarestrictionenzymeassociatedDNAsequencing(RADseq).
Comparedtoitsmorewidelydistributedsisterspecies,westernlarch,subalpinelarchhaslowgeneticdiversity,most
likelyduetostrongdriftactingoversuccessivefoundereventsasthespeciesmigratednorthwardaftertheretreatofthe
Cordilleranicesheetapproximately10,000yearsago.Elucidatingpatternsofgeneticdiversityinthisspecieswillidentify
geneticallyuniquepopulationsthatshouldbeprioritizedforfutureconservationeffortsandhelpmanagersdevelopa
conservationplanforthisspecies.
Keywords:Populationgenetics,Geneticvariation,Adaptation,Climatechange,Plants.
Birdmigration
TUESDAY09:45,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Large variation in migration routes of hybrid flycatchers
THORVEEN,QUESTUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
JAKUBRYBINSKI,UPPSALAUNIVERSITY;KIERADELMORE,MAXPLANCKINSTITUTEFOREVOLUTIONARYBIOLOGY;ANNAQVARNSTRÖM,
UPPSALAUNIVERSITY
Longdistanceavianmigrationoftenfollowswelldefinedroutes,asdeviationsarebelievedtobeselectedagainst.Hybrids
betweenspecieswithdistinctmigratoryroutesareoftenbelievedtofollowanintermediaterouteandarepredictedto
faceincreasedmortality.Hybridsbetweenthecollaredandpiedflycatcherhoweverdonothavereducedreturnratesto
thebreedinggrounds,despitetheverydifferenteastern(collared)andwestern(pied)migrationroutesandwintering
sitesoftheparentalspecies.Usingsmalllight-levelrecordingdevices(geolocators)werevealedthemigrationroutesof
twohybrids.Bothhybridshaveacollaredmotherandpiedfather,buttheytakeverydifferentroutes.Wediscussthe
implicationsoftheseresultsforourunderstandingofavianmigration.
Keywords:Birds,Migration,Behaviouralecology,Hybridization.
Thetensionbetweenscienceandadvocacyinecology,evolution,andconservationbiologysymposium
TUESDAY08:00,ROOM:SAANICH
Safeguarding scientific credibility in ecology and conservation biology
MARKVELLEND,UNIVERSITÉDESHERBROOKE,[email protected]
Whenlearningofastudyfundedbyanagrochemicalcompanyfindingnoadverseeffectsofapesticide,thetypical
ecologist'sresponseisarolloftheeyes,signalingsomethingbetweenskepticismanddismissal.How,then,doyou
supposethegeneralpublicperceivesscientistsalliedinsomewaywithenvironmentaladvocacyorganizationsor
protectedareas(i.e.,manyCSEEmembers)whentheyreportthatnatureisintroubleandinneedofprotection?Fromits
inceptionthefieldofconservationbiologyhasbeenbasedonthepostulatethat'diversityoforganismsisgood',aclear
declarationofvalues.Otherwidelysharedvaluesamongecologistsincludeapreferencefornativeovernon-native
species,andforpristineoverhuman-modifiedhabitats.Wearethusfacedwiththemajorchallengeofdisentangling
politicalmotivationsfromobjectiveinterpretationofevidencewhendrawingconclusionsabouttheconsequencesof
thingslikehabitatalterationornon-nativespecies.Researchersinthefieldofsciencestudiestakeus'scientists'astheir
objectsofstudy,andhavediagnosedaclearpotentialthreatoftheabove-describedissuestoscientificcredibility.
Countermeasuresthatcanhelpsafeguardscientificcredibilityinclude(i)aconcertedefforttoapplyanequallycriticaleye
tostudieswhoseresultsalignwithpre-heldvaluesastothosethatdonot;(ii)recognizingwhenscientificresultsdonot
makeamajorcontributiontoapolicydebate(i.e.,whenthedebateisreallyaboutcompetingvalues);(iii)attemptingto
broadenratherthannarrowtherangeofoptionsthatpolicymakersmightconsider.
Policyandplanning
MONDAY16:30,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Global Human Footprint project
OSCARVENTER,UNIVERSITYOFNORTHERNBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
Humanpressuresontheenvironmentarechangingspatiallyandtemporally,withprofoundimplicationsfortheplanet's
biodiversityandhumaneconomies.InthistalkIwillpresentourworktomapinfrastructures,landcoverandhuman
accessintonaturalareastoconstructaglobally-standardizedmeasureofthecumulativehumanfootprintonthe
terrestrialenvironmentat1squarekmresolutionfrom1993to2009.Iwillalsodiscussourfindingsusingthesedatato
quantifywildernessdecline,ecologicalconditioninworldheritagesitesandglobalspeciesendangerment.
Keywords:Speciesatrisk,Biodiversity,Landusechange,Spatialmodel,Global.
Anthropogenicinfluencesonhabitatselection
TUESDAY16:45,ROOM:SAANICH
Understanding predation and energy limitations on woodland caribou recruitment
through habitat selection
REBECCAVIEJOU,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH,[email protected]
MADELINEMCGREER,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH;ERINMALLON,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH;ANDREWM.KITTLE,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH;
TALAVGAR,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH;JIMA.BAKER,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH;GLENS.BROWN,ONTARIOMINISTRYOFNATURAL
RESOURCES;JEVONHAGENS,ONTARIOMINISTRYOFNATURALRESOURCES;EDIWACHEWSKI,ONTARIOMINISTRYOFNATURAL
RESOURCES;ANNAMOSSER,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH;BRENTR.PATTERSON,CANADIANFORESTSERVICE;DOUGE.B.REID,ONTARIO
MINISTRYOFNATURALRESOURCES;ARTR.RODGERS,ONTARIOMINISTRYOFNATURALRESOURCES;JENNIFERSHUTER,ONTARIO
MINISTRYOFNATURALRESOURCES;GARRETTM.STREET,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH;IAND.THOMPSON,CANADIANFORESTSERVICE;
JOHNM.FRYXELL,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH
Therelativeimportanceoftop-downandbottom-upsourcesofpopulationlimitationcanbeindicatedbythestrengthof
habitatselectionacrossspatialscalesandseasons.Weexaminedthefactorsinfluencinghabitatselectionbywoodland
caribouduringtheearlyoffspringrecruitmentperiodinnorthernOntariobycomparingthestrengthofhabitatselection
onthebasisoffoodavailabilityandavoidanceofpredationriskforfemaleswithcalvesvs.thosewithoutcalves.We
combinedestablishedmethodsoffittingresourceandstepselectionfunctionsderivedfromtelemetrydatawiththe
newertechniquesofidentifyingcalfstatusfromvideocollardataandseasonalhabitatselectionanalysisthroughlatent
selectiondifferencefunctions.Wefoundthatfemaleswithcalvesavoidedpredationandselectedfoodavailabilitymore
stronglythanfemaleswithoutcalveswithintheirhomeranges.Atfinerscales,femaleswithcalvesavoidedpredation
morestronglythanfemaleswithoutcalves.Femaleswithcalvessacrificedfoodacquisitiontoenhancepredation
avoidanceuponcalving,whereasfemaleswithoutcalvessacrificedpredationavoidancetoenhancefoodacquisition
acrossthesameseason.Thesebehavioralresponsessuggestthathabitatselectionbywoodlandcaribouisinfluencedby
reproductivestate,particularlywithrespecttopredationriskbutsecondarilybytheavailabilityofenergy-richforage
species.
Keywords:Caribou,Habitatselection,Speciesatrisk,Foraging,Reproduction,Predation,Mammals.
Aquaticecology
TUESDAY13:45,ROOM:VIEWROYAL
How Pacific salmon shape streams and riparian forests: Implications for ecosystembased management
JESSICAC.WALSH,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
JANEE.PENDRAY,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY;KYLEA.ARTELLE,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY;SEANC.GODWIN,SIMONFRASER
UNIVERSITY;HOLLYK.KINDSVATER,RUTGERSUNIVERSITY;JOHND.REYNOLDS,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY
Determiningobjectivesforecosystem-basedmanagementcanbehinderedbylimitedknowledgeoftheecological
thresholdsatwhichecosystemsmaximisetheirproductivity.Pacificsalmonarewellknownfortheirinfluenceon
temperateterrestrialandfreshwaterecosystems,throughthedispersalofmarinederivednutrientsandecosystem
engineeringofstreambedswhenspawning.Inaddition,theysupportlargecommercial,recreationalandsubsistence
fisheries,particularlyalongthewestcoastofCanadaandUSA.Thetrade-offsassociatedwithmaintaininghealthysalmon
populations,supportingtheirsurroundingecosystems,andmaximisingtheeconomicandsocialbenefitsfromfishingare
largelyunknown.Weconductedacomprehensiveliteraturereviewofstudiesthatinvestigatedtheeffectofsalmon
densitiesonecologicalprocessesandcomponents,toidentifyhowmanysalmonarerequiredtosupportfunctional
ecosystems.Over50studieshavequantifiedtheinfluenceofsalmondensityonspeciesabundance,diversity,food
provision,concentrationofmarinederivedisotopes,nutrientenhancementandphenology.Theserelationshipsoccur
acrossadiversesetoftaxonomicgroups,includingbears,birds,aquaticandterrestrialinsects,freshwaterfish,
periphyton,plants,inadditiontoabioticfactors.Around25%oftherelationshipswerebestdescribedwithanasymptotic
curve,whileanotherquarterwerelinearrelationshipswithnoobservedsaturationathighersalmondensities.The
asymptoticthresholdofsalmondensityrequiredtomaximizeeachecosystemprocessdifferedacrosstaxa.Understanding
thediversityandmagnitudeoftheseecologicalthresholdsisanimportantstepforimplementingecosystem-based
management,toensurethatsalmonfishingquotasadequatelyaccountfortherequirementsofupstreamecosystems.
Keywords:Management,Salmon,Ecosystemfunction,Fish,Forest,Literaturesynthesis.
UncertaintyinEcologyandConservationSymposium
MONDAY09:30,ROOM:SAANICH
The widespread failure of adaptive management in fisheries
CARLJ.WALTERS,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
Phylogenetics
MONDAY11:00,ROOM:WCOAST
Tracing the footprints of a moving Setophaga warbler hybrid zone
SILUWANG,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
DARRENIRWIN,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA
Theevolutionofreproductiveisolationisthekeyprocessofspeciation.Itcanbeobservedinhybridzones,where
previouslydivergedlineagesinterbreed.Manyhybridzonesaremovingovertime,butthecauseandconsequencesof
suchmovementisnotwellunderstood.TheTownsend’sandHermitWarblerhybridzoneintheCascadeMountainsofthe
PacificNorthwestisagreatopportunitytounderstandthedynamicsofhybridzonemovement.Thishybridzonehasbeen
movingsouthovertime,potentiallyduetomalecompetitivedisplacement.Weestimatedwarblerplumagehybridindices
(HI)overdecadesandhavedetectedcontinuoussouthwardmovementinthishybridzone.Wefurtherinvestigatedother
signaturesofhybridzonemovementwithineachtimeperiod.Bothclineanalysisandlinkagedisequilibriumrevealed
hybridzonemovementdynamics.Toinvestigatethecauseofhybridzonemovement,wetestedthecompetitive
displacementhypothesis:thatthemoreaggressivetaxonpushestheothertaxonaway,drivingthehybridzonetowards
therecessivetaxon.Wemeasuredmaleterritorialbehaviorbyintruderstimulationduringbreedingseasons.
Interestingly,althoughindividualmaleaggressionisnotassociatedwithplumageHI,meanmaleaggressionispositively
correlatedwiththeshiftofHIateachsiteovertime.Thissuggestslocalaggressionculturemighthavebeenfacilitating
and/orshapedbyintrogressioninthismovinghybridzone.Werevealedapotentialcauseandconsequencesofthe
movinghybridzone,whichwillenablebetterunderstandingofspeciationandbiodiversity.
Keywords:Hybridization,Reproduction,Birds,Populationrange.
Matechoice,hybridization
MONDAY14:45,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Sexual conflict can constrain the evolution of reinforcement
ALISONWARDLAW,UNIVERSITYOFMINNESOTA,[email protected]
YANIVBRANDVAIN,UNIVERSITYOFMINNESOTA
Characterizingtheforcesmaintainingspeciesboundariesisalongstandinggoalofevolutionarybiology.Therecent
divergenceofZeamaysmays(hereafter,maize)anditswildrelativeZeamaysmexicana(hereafter,mexicana)offersan
opportunitytostudytheearlystagesofthespeciationprocessandtheconsequencesofmisalignedmaleandfemale
interests.Insympatry,maizeandmexicanaproducelowfitnesshybrids.Inthiscase,evolutionarytheorypredictsthat
naturalselectionwill'reinforce'theevolutionofprematingisolatingbarriers.Indeed,thesesubspeciesareseparatedby
threeknownpollen-pistilincompatibilitiesthatarefoundinsympatrybutnotallopatry.However,thereisalsoevidence
thatconflictbetweenmalesandfemalesbreaksdownreinforcementaspolleninsomepopulationsofmaizecan
overcomethepistilbarrierofmexicana.Theconflictbetweenthesexesarisesbecausefemalesareselectedtoavoidthe
productionoflowfitnesshybrids,whilemalesthatavoidgametewastagebyfertilizingheterospecificshavehigherfitness
thanmalesthatcannotovercomeheterospecificpistilbarriers.Inspiredbymaize,Idevelopedageneralpopulation
geneticmodeltotrackallelefrequenciesatpollen-pistilincompatibilitylociinsympatricandallopatricpopulationsof
twoincipientplantspecies.Ishowthatinsomeconditionstheevolutionofreinforcementistransientandallelesto
overcomepistilbarriersspreadintobothspecieswhenfoundtogetherinsympatry.Thetransientevolutionof
reinforcementmayexplainthepresenceofmultiplepollen-pistilincompatibilitiesbetweenmaizeandmexicana,and
moregenerally,contributetoourunderstandingofthebreakdownofisolatingbarriersbetweenspecies.
Keywords:Evolution,Speciation,Plants,Reproduction.
Parasites,parasitoids,pathogens
WEDNESDAY11:45,ROOM:OAKBAY2
The importance of dyadic social ties for pathogen dynamics in a gregarious ungulate
QUINNWEBBER,MEMORIALUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
ERICVANDERWAL,MEMORIALUNIVERSITY
Incorporatinghostbehaviouralvariationintoepidemiologicalmodelsisimportantforpredictinghost-pathogen
dynamics.Animalslivingathighdensitiesorwithmanystrongsocialinteractionsarepredictedtohavegreaterriskof
acquiringpathogens.Usingsocialnetworkanalyseswetestedthehypothesisthatvariationthestrengthofdyadicsocial
interactionswouldinfluencepathogendynamicsinelk(Cervuscanadensis).Wequantifiedfine-scaledyadicsocial
interactionsforcaptiveelkatthreeexperimentallymanipulateddensitiesandwildelkattwonaturaldensities.We
appliedsusceptible-infectedepidemiologicalmodelstoourelknetworkstoinfertherelationshipbetweenfine-scalehost
socialityandmodel-predictedpathogenprevalence.Networkswerefilteredbasedonfourassociationthresholdsto
determinehowvariationinthestrengthofdyadicsocialassociationsinfluencedpathogendynamics.Oursimulations
suggestthatsocialityinteractswithpopulationdensitytopredictpathogenprevalence.Athighdensities,elkhadstrong
socialassociations,resultinginhigherpathogenprevalence.Wealsoobservedaneffectofpathogenvirulence,captured
byedge-filtering,wherehighlyvirulentpathogenslikelydisseminatewithinnetworksindependentofdensityorsociality,
whilepathogenswithlowvirulencefade-outatlow,butnothigh,densities.Ourresultshighlighthowvariationinthe
interactionbetweenhostsociality,density,andpathogenvirulencecandriveanepidemic,withpotentialforpathogensto
switchfromdensity-tofrequency-dependent.Elkarereservoirhostsfornumerousimportantinfectiousdiseasesandour
modelssuggestthathostsociality,asafunctionofdensity,coulddrivepathogendynamicswithinandbetweenelkgroups
withimportantimplicationsforelkasreservoirhosts.
Keywords:Epidemiology,Socialbehaviour,Disease,Densitydependence,Mammals.
LinkingEnvironmentalLawandScienceSymposium
WEDNESDAY09:15,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Watershed connections in environmental decision-making
JILLWEITZ,SALMONBEYONDBORDERS,[email protected]
Thedevelopmentofsharedwatershedsrequiresacoordinatedapproachtogovernancethatensuresequitableand
reasonableutilizationofresources.TheripariannationsoftheUnitedStatesandCanadasharefifteentransboundary
rivers.Alaska'sborderwithB.C.andtheYukoncompriseseightofthefifteenUS/Canadatransboundaryrivers.Threeof
theseparticularwatershedsaresomeofthelargestsalmonproducingriversintheworld,flowingfromNorthwestBritish
ColumbiabeforepouringintothewatersofSoutheastAlaska-aneconomicpowerhouseforthecommercialfishingand
tourismindustriesoftheUnitedStates.Inthispresentation,IwillgiveanoverviewoftheworkunderwayinSoutheast
AlaskaandNorthwestBritishColumbiainregardstotheaforementionedtransboundaryTaku,Stikine,andUnuk
watershedsthathousemorethantenlarge-scaleB.C.minesindifferentstagesofdevelopment,andthecallmadefrom
thousandsofAlaskanstosecureenforceableprotectionsandfinancialassurancesindefenseoftherivers,jobs,andwayof
lifeinthisiconicregion.
Aquaticecology
TUESDAY14:00,ROOM:VIEWROYAL
Diversity meets decomposition: Are local decomposer communities influenced by
local riparian conditions?
NATALIEWESTWOOD,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
ALISONDERRY,UNIVERSITÉDEQUÉBECÀMONTRÉAL
Thelinkbetweenecosystemfunctionandbiodiversityhasbeenhotlydebatedinthepast,asthisrelationshipisnotwell
understood.Thisrelationshipisoftencomplicatedandfrequentlydependentonlocalfactorsandregionaldifferences.
Decomposition—anessentialecosystemprocess—isresponsiblefortherecyclingofnutrientsandbridgingaquaticand
terrestrialecosystems.Ourstudyexaminedifmacroinvertebratesarelocallyoptimizedtodecomposelocalleaflitterover
non-local(homefieldadvantage).Usingspeckledalder(Alnusincanarugosa),weperformedareciprocaltransplant
betweentwostreamsintwodifferentbiomes.Wemeasuredpercentdryweightlosstoestimatedecompositionand
identifiedmacroinvertebratestofamilylevel.Usingthemacroinvertebratedata,wedeterminedtaxonomicabundance,
richness,evenness,anddiversity.Wedidnotfindanyevidenceforhomefieldadvantageineithertheleafdecomposition
orinbiodiversityofthemacroinvertebratecommunity.However,bothdiversityandevennesswerestronglypositively
correlatedwithdecomposition,withthehighestdiversity,evenness,anddecompositionoccurringinthemixedwoods
stream.Theseresultsareconsistentwithanumberofotherstudiesthathavefoundlittleevidenceofhomefield
advantageindecomposercommunities,whilesupportingthatthereisapositiverelationshipbetweenecosystemfunction
andbiodiversity.
Keywords:Ecosystemfunction,Transplant,Macroinvertebrate,Biodiversity,Decomposition.
Ecology&EvolutioninaSocialContextSymposium
TUESDAY08:45,ROOM:COLWOOD
Ecological variation, mate sharing, and the potential for sperm competition in
Wellington tree weta
TINAWEY,UNIVERSITÉOFQUÉBECAMONTRÉAL,[email protected]
CLINTD.KELLY,UNIVERSITÉOFQUÉBECAMONTRÉAL
Ecologicalvariationinresourcescaninfluencethedistributionsandencounterratesofpotentialmatesandcompetitors,
andconsequentlytheopportunityforsexualselection.Insystemswithspermcompetition,ecologicalfactorsthat
influencethelikelihoodthatfemalesmatemultiplycouldalsoaffectthepotentialnumberofspermcompetitors.In
Wellingtontreeweta(Hemideinacrassidens),thesizeoftreecavities(calledgalleries)usedasrefugesandmatingsitesis
animportantdeterminantoffemaledistributionand,asaresult,opportunityforsexualselectionanddirectionalselection
onmaleweaponry.Femaletreewetamatemultiplyandstoresperm,butpatternsofpotentialspermcompetitionhave
notbeensystematicallyinvestigated.Inthisstudy,weaskedifgallerysizeormaleweaponrysizeaffectedthestructureof
connectionsamongpotentialspermcompetitors.Wefoundthatfemalewetaweremorelikelytomatemultiplyinsmall
galleriesandthatpotentialspermcompetitionintensitywashigherinsmallgalleries.However,maleweaponrywasnot
associatedwithdifferencesinnumberofpotentialspermcompetitors,andthenumberofpotentialspermcompetitors
wasnegativelycorrelatedwithestimatedmatingsuccessregardlessofgallerysize.Overallourresultsindicatethat
ecologicalvariationinaresourceislikelytoinfluencenumbersofspermcompetitorsandthatpost-copulatorysexual
selectioninthissystemcouldincreaseexpectedvariationinoverallreproductivesuccess.
Borealforestregeneration
TUESDAY09:45,ROOM:SIDNEY
Drivers of post-fire understory regeneration in the conifer dominated boreal forest
of southern Northwest Territories
ALISONWHITE,WILFRIDLAURIERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
STEVECUMMING,UNIVERSITÉLAVAL;NICOLADAY,WILFRIDLAURIERUNIVERSITY;JILLJOHNSTONE,UNIVERSITYOFSASKATCHEWAN;
MICHELLEMACK,NORTHERNARIZONAUNIVERSITY;MERRITTTURETSKY,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH;XANTHEWALKER,NORTHERN
ARIZONAUNIVERSITY;JENNIFERBALTZER,WILFRIDLAURIERUNIVERSITY
In2014,anunprecedented3.4MhaofborealforestburnedintheNorthwestTerritories(NWT).Theborealforestis
adaptedtoregularwildfirewithfireregimeplayingakeyroleinplantcommunityassemblypost-fire.Thefrequencyand
severityoffirefiltersplantregenerationstrategies,suchastheabilitytoresproutfromundergroundtissue.
Understandinghowvariationsinfireseverityandotherenvironmentalvariablesimpactthemechanismsofunderstory
establishmentmayenableustopredictplantregenerationresponsestochangingfireregimesinthefaceofclimate
change.ThisresearchaddresseswhetherthesouthernborealforestoftheNWTisexperiencingchangesinits
successionaltrajectory,asseeninotherwesternboreallocations,followingthemostseverefireyearonrecord.Altering
communitycompositioncanimpactecosystemfunctioningandwildlifehabitat.Inthefirsttwogrowingseasonsfollowing
theNWTfire,weestablished220vegetationplotsacrosstwoecoregions;arangeofabioticandbioticvariableswas
measured,includingdepthoforganiclayer,fireseverityandpre-firestandcompositionthroughoutconifer-dominated
stands.Speciespresenceandmodesofregenerationofvascularspecieswererecorded.Basedonpreviousworkinthe
borealforest,itwashypothesizedthatvariationsinfireseveritywouldimpacttherelativesuccessofplantregeneration
strategies,influencingcommunitycompositionpost-fire.Resultssuggestthatresidualorganicmaterialandtheseasonal
timingoftheburnmaybekeydeterminantsinpredictingthedominantmodeofregeneration.Theresultsofthisresearch
haveimplicationsformodelingwildlifehabitatandmanagingforestsinachangingclimate.
Keywords:Forest,Fire,Disturbance,Climatechange.
Remotecameranetworkstoscaleupecologicalinsightsandconservationapplicationssymposium
TUESDAY09:45,ROOM:THEATRE
Monitoring large-scale trends in wildlife populations using remote cameras
JESSEWHITTINGTON,PARKSCANADARESOURCECONSERVATION,[email protected]
RICHARDCHANDLER,UNIVERSITYOFGEORGIA;ANNEFORSHNER,PARKSCANADARESOURCECONSERVATION;MARKHEBBLEWHITE,
UNIVERSITYOFMONTANA;BARBJOHNSTON,PARKSCANADARESOURCECONSERVATION;DEREKPETERSEN,PARKSCANADARESOURCE
CONSERVATION;BRENDASHEPHERD,PARKSCANADARESOURCECONSERVATION
Remotecamerasrepresentapromisingmethodformonitoringwildlifepopulationsacrossvastlandscapesbecausethey
arenon-invasiveandarerelativelyinexpensive.Wehighlighttwocasestudieswhereremotecameraswereusedto
monitortrendsinabundanceanddistributionalongtheCanadianRockyMountains.First,wecombinedthreeyearsof
remotecameraandGPSradio-collardatatoestimategrizzlybeardensityinBanff,Kootenay,andYohoNationalParks.We
appliedageneralizedspatialmark-resightmodelthatincludedboththecollaringandresightingprocesses.Inclusionofa
spatialcapture-recapturesubmodelforthecollaringprocesswasrequiredbecausethemarkedandunmarkedbears
differedintheirspatialdistributionandthusencounterratesatcameras.Weaveragedclosedpopulationdensity
estimatesfrom2012-2014.Densityestimatesof13.6+/-1.7grizzlybearsper1,000squarekmsuggestthepopulation
wasstablecomparedtopreviousDNA-basedestimates.Second,wecombinedremotecameradatafromWatertonLakes
NationalParkthroughtoJasperNationalParktoassesschangesinoccupancyfor14mammalspeciesfrom2011through
2015.Resultsfromthemulti-speciesmulti-yearoccupancymodelwerecombinedintoawildlifeoccupancyindexasa
metricofecologicalintegrity.Together,thesestudiesdemonstratethepowerofremotecamerastoefficientlymonitor
changesintheabundanceanddistributionofwildlife.
Thetensionbetweenscienceandadvocacyinecology,evolution,andconservationbiologysymposium
TUESDAY09:45,ROOM:SAANICH
Conservation of peripheral populations illustrate the tension between advice and
advocacy in the absence of scientific consensus
JEANNETTEWHITTON,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
Opportunitiesforacademicstobroadentheircontributionstosocietyareincreasingly(ifnotuniversally)valuedasa
meansofextendingtheimpactandrelevanceofourexpertise.Evenamongengagedscientists,therearediverseviews
abouttherightandwrongwaytoproceed.Theblurrylinesbetweencommunicatingandadvocatingforscience,
providingpolicyadviceandadvocatingforpolicyoutcomes,areperceivedandacteduponbyindividualswithunique
perspectives,includingtheirownimplicitvalue-drivenbiases.Becausesociety'svaluesarealsoreflectedinlawsand
policies,therangeofoptionsthatscientistsareaskedtoevaluatemaybelimitedbyandentangledwiththevalues
embeddedinpolicies.OnesuchexampleinvolvesSARA,Canada'sSpeciesatRiskAct,whichprovidesfortherecoveryof
endangeredorthreatenedspeciesinCanada,placingimplicitvalueonbiodiversityconservation.MorethanhalfofSARA
listedspeciesareperipheralpopulationsofgloballysecurespeciesmorebroadlydistributedoutsideCanada.Among
conservationbiologists,thereisnoclearconsensusaboutwhetherorhowtoprioritizeconservationtheseperipheral
populations.Intheabsenceofclearadvicederivingfromscience,shouldscientistsadvocatefortheuseofthe
precautionaryprincipletojustifyconservingthesepopulations?Wouldpromotingtheexclusionofperipheralpopulations
fromSARAprotectionsbeanylessfraught?Istherearoleforscienceinthisdiscussion?Thisexampleillustratesthe
complexrelationshipbetweenembeddedvalues,scientificconsensusandscienceadvicethatcontributetomaintaining
thetensionbetweenscienceandadvocacy.
UncertaintyinEcologyandConservationSymposium
MONDAY08:45,ROOM:SAANICH
Managing natural resources in the face of uncertainty in future environments
BYRONK.WILLIAMS,THEWILDLIFESOCIETY,[email protected]
Themanagementofnaturalresourcesfacesanumberofuncertaintieswithpotentialconsequencesforresourcedynamics
anddecisionmaking.Oneexpressionofuncertaintyisalimitedabilitytorecognizefutureresourcetrajectoriesin
responsetomanagementstrategy.Thisinturnreflectslimitationsonourunderstandingaboutresourcedynamicsand
theprocessesinfluencingdynamics,andlimitationsonthevalueofdecisionmakingitself.InthistalkIpresenta
frameworkfordecisionmakingintermsofstochasticresourcetransitions,rewards,andvaluation,andincorporate4
uncertaintyfactorsinit.Ithenfocuson2factorsthatareprevalentinnaturalresourcesmanagement,namelypartial
observabilityandprocessorstructuraluncertainty.Finally,Ishowhowoptimaldecisionmakinginthepresenceof
uncertaintycanbetiedtometricsforthevalueofinformation.
Landscapes
TUESDAY15:45,ROOM:WESTCOAST
Rapid evolution accelerates the expansion of plant populations in fragmented
experimental landscapes
JENNIFERWILLIAMS,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
BRUCEE.KENDALL,UNIVERSITYOFCALIFORNIA;JONATHANLEVINE,ETHZURICH
Topredicthowquicklynativespecieswillmigrateinresponsetoclimatechangeandbiologicalinvasionswillexpandin
theirnewrangesrequiresunderstandingtheecologicalandevolutionarydynamicsofspreadingpopulations.Theory
predictsthatevolutioncanacceleratethespreadvelocityofaspecies,butempiricaltestsarerare,leavingtheextentand
predictabilityofevolutioninspreadingpopulationsnotwellunderstood.Further,howmuchthepatchinessofa
landscape,whichcanbeanimportantcontrolovertraitsunderselection,influencesthisprocessisunknown.We
manipulatedtheresponsetoselectioninpopulationsofamodelplantspecies(Arabidopsisthaliana)spreadingthrough
replicatedexperimentallandscapesthatvariedinpatchiness.Aftersixgenerationsofchange,evolvingpopulationsspread
11%furtherthannon-evolvingpopulationsincontinuouslyfavorablelandscapes,and200%furtherinthemost
fragmentedlandscapes.Thegreatereffectofevolutiononspreadinpatchierlandscapeswasconsistentwiththeevolution
ofdispersalandcompetitiveability.Weconcludethataccountingforevolutionarychangemaybecriticalwhenpredicting
thevelocityofrangeexpansions.
LinkingEnvironmentalLawandScienceSymposium
WEDNESDAY09:00,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
How Haida law embraces traditional and scientific knowledge
TERRI-LYNNWILLIAMS-DAVIDSON,WHITERAVENLAWCORPORATION,[email protected]
Forestecology
TUESDAY14:45,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Evaluating differences in plant community composition and stand structure caused
by road fragmentation in forested wetlands
CAITLINWILLIER,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA,[email protected]
KEVINDEVITO,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA;SCOTTE.NIELSEN,UNIVERSITYOFALBERTA
Roadscanactasdamstowaterflowwhentheydisrupthydrologicallinkages.Whenthishappenstreesontheupstream
sideofaroadbecomewaterloggedresultinginstuntedgrowthormortality.Incontrast,thewatertableonthe
downstreamsideofaroadisreducedcausinggreaterrootdepthandgrowth(height).However,thisphenomenonisnot
consistentlyobservedacrossallwetlands.Infact,thesameroadconstructedthroughtwowetlandsmaydisrupttree
growthpatternsinone,whiletheotherappearsunaffected.Thisstudyexaminestheconditionsthatmaintainwetland
treestructureandplantcompositionwithroaddisturbancesbasedonlandscapepositionandsoilsubstrate.Specifically,
weusedLiDARderivedtreecanopyheightandcoverfrom96peatlandsandvegetationfieldsampleplotsfrom48
peatlandsinNorthEasternAlbertatoidentifywetlandfactorsthatresultinvegetationchangeswhenroadsarepresent.
Weusedgeneralizedlinearmixedmodelstoexplainthevariationincanopyheightandcoverbasedonsideofroad,
substrate,andlandscapeposition.Resultsfromthisstudywillhelpguidemanagementdecisionsbyidentifyingpeatland
andsubstratetypesthataremoresusceptibletoroadimpactsandthussitestoavoidroaddevelopment.
Keywords:Peatland,Landusechange,Landscapeconfiguration,Fragmentation,Roads.
Salmonidecologyandevolution
MONDAY14:00,ROOM:SAANICH
Long-term shifts in the phenology of juvenile salmon migration across species and
location
JONATHANW.MOORE,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY
SAMANTHAWILSON,SIMONFRASERUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
Climatechangeisalteringthelengthofseasonsresultinginearlierspringsandlaterfalls,butitisunclearifthelife
historiesofanimalscankeeppacewiththischange.Warmingspringtemperatureshaveresultedinadvancing
phenologiesofspecies,however,notallspeciesorpopulationsareshiftingatthesamerate.Differingratesof
phenologicalchangecandecoupleinterspecificinteractions.Forexample,climatechangeisadvancingthemarinespring
planktonbloomatarateatwhichseawardmigratingjuvenilesalmonmaybestrugglingtotrack.Timingoftheseaward
migrationofjuvenilePacificsalmonissignalledbyacombinationofenvironmentalcuessuchastemperature,riverflow,
andphotoperiod,andthesecombinationsdifferbyspeciesandpopulation.Thesemigratorycuesmayenablecertain
speciesorpopulationstomorecloselytrackchangingpatternsinoceantemperatureandfoodavailabilityinthemarine
environment,comparedtoothers.Weexamineddailyoutmigrationtimingacross20yearsforpink,sockeye,chum,
chinook,andcohosalmonandsteelheadtroutfrompopulationsrangingfromCaliforniatoAlaska.Thedegreeofchange
inoutmigrationtimingvariedbetweenspeciesandacrosslocations.Thesedifferingratesofphenologicalchange
demonstratethatnotallspeciesarekeepingpacewiththechangingclimate.
Keywords:Phenologychanges,Salmon,Climatechange,Interactions,Resourcelimitation,Migration.
Forestecology
TUESDAY15:30,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Should I stay or should I go? Range stasis versus range shifts of plants in the North
Cascades
RACHELWILSON,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
AMYANGERT,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;CHRISKOPP,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA;JANNEKEHILLE-RISLAMBERS,
WESTERNUNIVERSITY
Asanthropogenicclimatechangeprogresses,themostimmediateoptionformanyspeciestomitigatefitnesscostswillbe
totrackchangingdistributionsofsuitablehabitat.Comparisonsofcontemporarydatatohistoricalbaselinesindicatethat
climatechangehasalreadyalteredspeciesrangesandabundances.Thoughgeneralpatternsareslowlyemerging,there
appearstobeconsiderablevariationinresponsesamongspecies,someofwhichmaybeexplainedbydifferencesin
functionaltraits.WeresurveyedhistoricalvegetationplotsinNorthCascadesNationalParktodetectelevationalrange
shiftsandchangesinabundanceofplantspeciesovera30-yearperiod,duringwhichtimetheareahaswarmedby0.8
degreesC.Wethentestedwhetherspeciesvariationinrangeshiftscouldbeexplainedbyfunctionaltraits.Overall,most
speciesexhibitedrangestasis.Ofthespeciesthatinitiallyappearedtoexhibitarangeshift,morethanhalfwere
eliminatedafteraccountingforfiresanddifferencesinsurveyeffortbetweenyears.Mostspeciesappearedtodecreasein
abundance,thoughthistrendwasoftennotsignificant.Predictionsfromtraitmodelswereinconsistent,dependingonthe
modelingframeworkandthemetricusedforrangeshifts.Rangestasiswaslikelydrivenbydispersallimitation,butmay
havealsoresultedfromacclimation,slowdemography,microclimatebufferingofatmospherictemperatures,orsome
combinationoftheseandotherfactors.Variationinthedegreeofrangeshiftscouldnotbeexplainedsatisfactorilyby
functionaltraits,castingdoubtontheiruseinageneralframeworktopredictfutureresponses.
Keywords:Plants,Climatechange,Populationrange,Functionaltraits,Speciesdistribution.
EcologicalandEvolutionaryDynamicsinFluctuatingEnvironmentsSymposium
MONDAY08:45,ROOM:THEATRE
The role of phenological assembly in plant communities
ELIZABETHM.WOLKOVICH,HARVARDUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
Inrecentyearsincreasingattentionhasfocusedonplantphenologyasanimportantindicatorofclimatechange,asmany
plantshaveshiftedtheirleafingandfloweringearlierwithincreasingtemperatures.Asdatahaveaccumulated,
researchershavefoundacorrelationbetweenphenologicalresponsestowarmingandplantperformanceandinvasions.
Yetalongsidethisincreasinginterestinphenology,importantissuesremainunanswered:responsestowarmingfor
speciesatthesamesiteorinthesamegenusvaryoftenbyweeksormoreandtheexplanatorypowerofphenologyfor
performanceandinvasionswhenanalyzedacrossdiversedatasetsremainslow.Progresscancomefromtheroleof
phenologyinplantcommunityassembly.Inthislightphenologyishypothesizedasacriticaltraitdefiningspecies
temporalnichesandthuswemaypredicthowthephenologyandphenologicalcuesofdifferentspecieswithina
communitywillvary.HereIgiveanoverviewofthesepredictionsandthentestthemusingtwoapproaches.First,I
reviewmeta-analyticfindingsfromlong-termobservationaldataonhowthephenologyofplantspecieswithindiverse
communitieshasshifted.NextIshowresultsfromexperimentalandobservationalresearchof28speciesinnortheastern
NorthAmericantemperateforests;Ifindthatspecieswithinthiscommunityshowadiversifiedsetofphenologicalcues.
Myresultssuggestphenologymaybeacriticalassemblytraitinmanytemperatecommunities.Therefore,shiftsin
phenologywithglobalchangemayalsofundamentallydisassembleandreassemblecommunities.
SeagrassecologyandconservationalongPacificandAtlanticcoastssymposium
TUESDAY10:30,ROOM:OAKBAY2
Secondary production of macrobenthic communities in seagrass (Zostera marina,
eelgrass) beds and bare soft-sediments across differing environmental conditions in
Atlantic Canada
MELISAC.WONG,BEDFORDINSTITUTEOFOCEANOGRAPHY,FISHERIESANDOCEANSCANADA,[email protected]
Incoastalecosystems,structuredhabitats(e.g.,eelgrassbeds)areoftenassumedtohavehigherecosystemfunctionthan
non-structuredhabitats(e.g.,mudflats).However,suchrelationshipsarealsolikelydependentonthesurrounding
environmentalconditions.Inthisstudy,Iexaminetherobustnessofhabitat-specificdifferencesinecosystemfunction
(usingsecondaryproductionasametric)foreelgrassandbaresoft-sedimenthabitatslocatedacrossvarying
environmentalconditions.Ialsodeterminerelationshipsofsecondaryproductionwithmeasuredenvironmental
variables(waterdepth,temperature,exposure,sedimentandplantproperties).Communitysecondaryproductionand
theunderlyingfaunalstructurewereestimatedfrombenthicinfaunaandepifauna(=500m).Communityproductionwas
higherinseagrasscomparedtobaresedimentonlywhenconditionsincludedhighexposure,sandysedimentswithlow
organiccontent,anddeepcoolwater.Multiplelinearregressionsrelatingcommunitysecondaryproductiontothe
environmentalvariablesexplained60%ofthevariance,whileconstrainedordinationsexplained16%ofthecommunity
structure.Importantdeterminantsofcommunityproductionwereshootdensity,watertemperatureanddepth,and
exposure.Communitystructurewasinfluencedbythesevariablesandalsosedimentsandcontentandbelowgroundplant
biomass,althoughothervariablesremainunidentified.Thisstudyshowsthathabitat-specificrelationshipsincommunity
secondaryproductionandstructuremaynotbeconsistentacrossvaryingenvironmentalconditions.Furthermore,
seagrassbedsmaynotalwaysprovidehigherecosystemfunctionthanadjacentbaresoft-sediments.Thisimpliesthat
whenusingsecondaryproductiontoevaluateecosystemfunction,thesurroundingenvironmentalconditionsshouldbe
consideredinadditiontothepresenceorabsenceofhabitatstructureitself.
Physiologicalecology,temperature
WEDNESDAY11:45,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Temperature modulation of biological clock gene expression in a reef building coral
DANIELM.WUITCHIK,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY,[email protected]
PETERD.VIZE,UNIVERSITYOFCALGARY
CoralsoftheGreatBarrierReefreproduceonceayearinahighlysynchronizedmassspawningevent.Thisisaneffective
strategytomaximizefertilizationandtocoincidewithfavorableoceanconditionsforlarvaldevelopment,dispersaland
settlement.Coralsutilizevariousenvironmentalcuestodeterminetimeofreproduction.Notably,seasonalincreasesin
temperaturemayinitiategametogenesisandpreparecoralforspawning.Furthermore,coralssensechangesinmoonlight
andtimespawningtoaspecificlunarphase.Inthisexperiment,areef-buildingcoral,Acroporamillepora,wascollected
andplacedintotwoflow-throughexperimentalaquariaattheHeronIslandResearchStationtomimicsummerand
winterwatertemperatures.RNAwasisolatedandsampledfromcoraltissueatmultiplepointsthroughoutthedayand
acrossthelunarmonth.FromthisRNAthetranscriptomicresponsetochangesinmoonlightandseasonaldifferencesin
wintervssummertemperaturewasexploredusingnext-generationRNA-seq.RNA-seqdatawasanalysedtoelucidate
genesinvolvedinalunarclockthatchangewithtemperature.
Keywords:Coralreef,Experiment,Reproduction,Temperaturemodulation.
Complexcoevolution:understandinghowcoevolutionmayoperatedifferentlyacrossdiverseinteractiontypes,
systems,andscalessymposium
TUESDAY08:30,ROOM:NEWCOMBERBCM
Sanctions, partner recognition, and variation in mutualism
JEREMYYODER,UNIVERSITYOFBRITISHCOLUMBIA,[email protected]
PETERTIFFIN,UNIVERSITYOFMINNESOTA
Mutualismscanbestabilizedagainstinvasionbynon-cooperativeindividualsbyputtingsuch"cheaters"ataselective
disadvantage.Selectionagainstcheatersshouldeliminategeneticvariationinpartnerqualityyetsuchvariationisoften
foundinnaturalpopulations.Oneexplanationforthisparadoxisthatmutualismoutcomesaredeterminednotonlyby
responsestopartnerperformance,butalsobypartnersignals.Amodelofmutualistcoevolutionincludingbothsanctions
againstnon-cooperativepartnersandrecognitionofpartnersignalsallowsvariationtopersistwithoutdestabilizingthe
interaction.Theseresultspredictthatmutualistscanmaintainvariationinrecognitionofpartnersignals,orintheability
tosanctionnon-cooperators,withoutdestabilizingmutualism,andreinforcethenotionthatstudiesofmutualismshould
considercommunicationbetweenpartnersaswellastheexchangeofbenefits.
Keywords:Interactions,Mutualism,Coevolution,Modeling.
Animaldiet
TUESDAY11:30,ROOM:WCOAST
A temporal shift in prey species availability decreases trophic diversity in
community structure among a predator assemblage in a changing Arctic
DAVIDJ.YURKOWSKI,UNIVERSITYOFMANITOBA,[email protected]
NIGELE.HUSSEY,UNIVERSITYOFWINDSOR;AARONT.FISK,UNIVERSITYOFWINDSOR;MARIANNEMARCOUX,FRESHWATERINSTITUTE,
FISHERIESANDOCEANSCANADA;STEVENH.FERGUSON,UNIVERSITYOFMANITOBA,FRESHWATERINSTITUTE,FISHERIESANDOCEANS
CANADA
ClimatechangeismostpronouncedintheArcticleadingtonorthwardshiftsinspeciesdistributionswithalterationsto
inter-specificinteractionsandresultantdietshiftsofendemicArcticpredators.However,theeffectsofclimate-driven
dietaryshiftsfrommultipleconcurrentpredatorsonoverallcommunitystructurehasnotbeenquantified.Here,duringa
30-yearperiod(1982-2012)ofincreasingseatemperatureanddecreasingseaiceextentinCumberlandSound,we
examinedthestructureofanear-apexpredatorassemblagepriorto(1982-2002)andafter(2004-2012)anincreasein
theavailabilityofcapelinaseacanaryforawarmingclimate.Stableisotopeswereusedtoassessshiftsindiet,nichesize
andcommunity-widemetricsinaBayesianframeworkforbeluga(n=88),ringedseals(n=228),Greenlandhalibut(n=5)
andanadromousArcticchar(n=68).After2004,theconsumptionofforagefishincreasedforGreenlandhalibut(79%
versus95%)andbytwo-fold(29%versus69%),three-fold(12%versus35%)andfour-fold(12%versus49%)forArctic
char,belugaandringedseals,respectively,suggestingflexibilityinforagingtactics.Anassociatedtemporalshifttowards
alesstrophicallydiverseandmoretrophicallyredundantpredatorassemblageoccurredwherepredatorsnowplay
similartrophicrolesbyprimarilyconsumingpreyfromthepelagicenergypathway.Thisincreaseinresource
heterogeneitybetweenpelagicandbenthicenergypathwayscouldintheorydecoupleanddestabilizeArcticecosystem
structurebyincreasingitssusceptibilitytoperturbations.Thesechangessignifyclimate-drivenecologicalregimeshifts
havealreadyoccurredintheArcticwithimplicationsonthetrophodynamicsandfunctioningoftheecosystem.
Keywords:Foodweb,Arctic,Stableisotopes,Foraging,Interactions,Marine.
Remotecameranetworkstoscaleupecologicalinsightsandconservationapplicationssymposium
TUESDAY08:45,ROOM:THEATRE
A new Automated Behavioural Response system to integrate playback experiments
into camera trap studies
LIANAZANETTE,WESTERNUNIVERSITY,[email protected]
MICHAELCLINCHY,WESTERNUNIVERSITY;JUSTINSURACI,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA;BADRUMUGERWA,WESTERNUNIVERSITY;
MICHAELDELSEY,UNIVERSITYOFVICTORIA;JUSTINESMITH,UNIVERSITYOFCALIFORNIASANTACRUZ;CHRISWILMERS,UNIVERSITYOF
CALIFORNIASANTACRUZ;DAVIDMACDONALD,OXFORDUNIVERSITY
Howanimalsrespondtoanthropogenicdisturbancesisacorecomponentofconservationbiologyandhowtheyrespond
topredatorsandcompetitorsisofequallycentralimportancetowildlifeecology.Cameratrapshavebecomeacriticaltool
inwildliferesearch,providingafullyautomatedmeansofobservinganimalswithoutneedinganobserverpresent,
permittingdatatobecollectedonrareorelusivespeciesandinfrequentevents.Snapshotsfromcameratrapshavebeen
usedtogaugebehaviour,but,lackingexperimentalcontrols,suchdatapermitonlycorrelationalanalysespotentiallyopen
toconfoundingeffects.Playbackexperimentsprovideapowerfulmeanstodirectlytestthebehaviouralresponsesof
animals,enablingstronginferencesandrigorousconclusionsnotsubjecttothepotentialconfoundsaffectingsnapshot
data;theprincipalfactorlimitingtheuseofplaybackexperimentsbeingtheneedtohaveanobserverpresent.We
developedanAutomatedBehaviouralResponsesystem(ABR)comprisingacustom-builtmotion-sensitivespeaker
systemthatcanbepairedwithanycameratrap.DeployingourABRsinUganda,CanadaandtheUSApermittedusto
directlyexperimentallytesttheeffectsofanthropogenicdisturbances,andinteractionsamonglargecarnivores,inspecies
asdiverseaselephants,blackbears,chimpanzeesandcougars;experimentsthatwouldbecompletelyinfeasiblewithout
theABR.Byintegratingtherigourplaybackexperimentsprovidewiththecapacitycameratrapsoffertostudyanyanimal
anywhere,theABRcanbothgreatlyexpandtherangeofresearchquestionsconservationbiologistsandwildlife
ecologistscanaddressandimprovethequalityoftheresultingconclusions.
Invasivespecies
WEDNESDAY11:45,ROOM:SAANICH
When two invasive species meet: Potential interactions between Asian jumping
worms and common buckthorn
CARLYZITER,UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN-MADISON,[email protected]
MONICATURNER,UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN-MADISON
Therelationshipbetweenbioticinvasionandecosystemservices(ES)iscomplex,withconsequencesoftenassumed
despitelimitedevidence.Thiscomplexityisparticularlyapparentinurbanareas,wherenon-nativeandinvasivespecies
compriseasignificantproportionoftotalbiodiversity.Additionally,mostinvasion-ESresearchemphasizessinglespecies,
whileatmanagement-relevantscalesmultipleinvaderscanhavecompoundingimpacts.Weconductedreciprocalfield
experimentsattheUniversityofWisconsin-MadisonArboretumtoaskhowtheAsianjumpingworm(Amynthas
tokioensis),arecentlydiscoveredspeciesinthecityofMadison,mightinteractwithanestablishedinvader,common
buckthorn(Rhamnuscathartica)withimplicationsforESinMadisonandthesurroundingarea.Buckthorn,awidespread
shrub,isamongthemostharmfulinvadersinMidwesternUSforests,creatingdensethicketsthatreducecarbonstorage,
impederecreation,andshelterharmfulcroppests.TheAsianjumpingworm,discoveredinWisconsinin2013,isalargely
unstudiedearthwormspeciesexpectedtoimpactlocalforests.Whilefacilitativeinteractionsbetweenbuckthornand
invasiveEuropeanearthwormshavebeendocumented,theecologicalconsequencesofexoticAsianspecies,including
Amynthas,arerelativelyunknown.Weasked:Doesapositivefeedbackexistbetweenbuckthornandjumpingworms?
Specifically:a)arejumpingwormsmoresuccessfulinenvironmentsthathavebeeninvadedbybuckthorn,and;b)Does
jumpingwormpresenceincreasebuckthorngermination?Contrarytoexpectationsbasedonwell-studiedEuropean
earthwormspecies,wefindlimitedevidenceofpositivefeedbacksbetweenbuckthornandjumpingworms,withpositive
implicationsforinvasivespeciesmanagementandlocalESprovision.
Keywords:Ecosystemservices,Experiment,Invertebrates,Management,Forest.
SensoryandBehaviouralEcologySymposium
WEDNESDAY08:45,ROOM:OAKBAY1
Rapid evolution in silence: Adaptation to the loss of a sexual signal
MARLENEZUK,UNIVERSITYOFMINNESOTA,[email protected]
RACHELOLZER,UNIVERSITYOFMINNESOTA;JUSTAHEINEN-KAY,UNIVERSITYOFMINNESOTA
Aquaticecology
WEDNESDAY11:30,ROOM:ESQUIMALT
Thermokarst expansion rates and the effects on long-term soil carbon storage in
interior Alaska
NATALIEJ.ZWANENBURG,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH,[email protected]
MERRITTR.TURETSKY,UNIVERSITYOFGUELPH
Permafrostsoilsstoreagloballysignificantcarbonstockbutitisnotclearhowmuchcarbonwillbevulnerableto
enhanceddecompositiononcepermafrostthaws.Inice-richpermafrost,thawleadstogroundsubsidencefollowedby
inundationofwaterandleadstodramaticecosystemchange(suchasconversionofforestsintowetlandsorlakes).While
thereisampleevidenceofthermokarstacrossAlaskaandCanada,wehavealimitedunderstandingofhowthislateral
thawimpactsecosystemsandtheircarbonstocks.Thisresearchusedachronosequence(spacefortimesubstitution)
approachtoquantifycontrolsonlateralthermokarstexpansionratesanditsconsequencesforsoilcarbonstorage.We
collectedmultiplethermokarstcoresin14differentthermokarstfeaturesinthreeecoregionsofinteriorAlaska.We
sampled1)newthermokarstatactivemargins,2)olderthermokarstinthecentreofeachfeature,and3)stable
permafrostadjacenttoeachfeature.Coresweresegmentedinto3cmdepthintervalsforbulkdensityand%carbon
measurements.Preliminaryresultsshowthatthermokarstinitiallyleadstolossofecosystemcarbon,butthatovertime
thesefeaturesreaccumulatecarbonthroughnewpeatformation.Thisresearchwillprovideinformationonbothvertical
andlateralchangesinsoildevelopmentandecosystemcarbonstoragefollowingthermokarst,andwillfillanimportant
knowledgegapaboutthefateofterrestrialcarbonfollowingthawofice-richpermafrost.
Keywords:Carbonstorage,Permafrost,Thermokarst,Chronosequence.
AttendeeFirstName
AttendeeLastName
Affiliation(s)
Email
MadisonJ.
Acker
LaurentianUniversity
[email protected]
EmilyM.
Adamczyk
UniversityofBritishColumbia
[email protected]
Sally
Aitken
UniversityofBritishColumbia
[email protected]
LucasJ.
Albano
UniversityofGuelph
[email protected]
GeraldineA.
Allen
UniversityofVictoria
[email protected]
Justine
Ammendolia
MemorialUniversity
[email protected]
Sarah
Amundrud
UniversityofBritishColumbia
[email protected]
Jennifer
Anderson
UniversityofNewBrunswick
[email protected]
KathrynM.
Anderson
UniversityofBritishColumbia
[email protected]
StevenR.
Anderson
UniversityofManitoba
[email protected]
Sean
Anderson
UniversityofWashington
[email protected]
Luke
Andersson
SimonFraserUniversity
[email protected]
Fred
Andreka
HolohilSystems
Amy
Angert
UniversityofBritishColumbia
[email protected]
JosephA.
Antos
UniversityofVictoria
[email protected]
Michael
Arbeider
SimonFraserUniversity
[email protected]
Devin
Arbuthnott
UniversityofBritishColumbia
[email protected]
LuisA.
Arias-Medellin
UniversityofToronto
[email protected]
Asma
Asemaninejad
UniversityofWesternOntario
[email protected]
Louis
Astorg
UniversitéduQuébecàMontréal,Groupe
interuniversitaireenlimnologieet
[email protected]
écologieaquatique
WilliamI.
Atlas
SimonFraserUniversity
[email protected]
DavidN.
Awde
BrockUniversity
[email protected]
Erin
Baerwald
AmericanWindWildlifeInstitute
[email protected]
Jiaxin
Bai
McGillUniversity
[email protected]
ColinJ.
Bailey
SimonFraserUniversity
[email protected]
DonaldJ.
Baird
EnvironmentandClimateChangeCanada,
[email protected]
UniversityofNewBrunswick
KevinR.
Bairos-Novak
UniversityofSaskatchewan
[email protected]
SarahJ.
Baldwin
McGillUniversity
[email protected]
MatthewJ.
Ballinger
UniversityofVictoria
[email protected]
Jennifer
Baltzer
WilfridLaurierUniversity
[email protected]
KatherineH.
Bannar-Martin
FisheriesandOceansCanada
[email protected]
AdrinaC.
Bardekjian
TreeCanada,UniversityofBritish
Columbia
[email protected]
Carlos
Barreto
UniversityofWesternOntario
[email protected]
Rowan
Barrett
McGillUniversity
[email protected]
IsabelC.
Barrio
UniversityofIceland
[email protected]
Tegan
Barry
UniversityofCalgary
[email protected]
TimothyJ.
Bartley
UniversityofGuelph
[email protected]
Sean
Basquill
NovaScotiaDepartmentofNatural
Resources
[email protected]
Andrew
Bateman
UniversityofVictoria
[email protected]
Philip
Batista
UniversityofNorthernBritishColumbia
[email protected]
RebeccaT.
Batstone
UniversityofToronto
[email protected]
a
Julia
Baum
UniversityofVictoria
[email protected]
Rick
Baydack
UniversityofManitoba
[email protected]
David
Beauchesne
UniversitéduQuébecàRimouski
[email protected]
Marc-Olivier
Beausoleil
McGillUniversity
[email protected]
Emily
Behrman
UniversityofPennsylvania
[email protected]
Beatrix
Beisner
UniversitéduQuébecàMontréal
[email protected]
Graham
Bell
McGillUniversity
[email protected]
MichaelA.
Bell
StonyBrookUniversity
[email protected]
JonathanA.
Bennett
UniversityofBritishColumbiaOkanagan
[email protected]
AdrienneE.
Berchtold
SimonFraserUniversity
[email protected]
Patrick
Bergeron
Bishop’sUniversity
[email protected]
CarolynA.
Bergstrom
UniversityofAlaskaSoutheast
[email protected]
JoeyR.
Bernhardt
UniversityofBritishColumbia
Kazuhiro
Bessho
JSPS/TheGraduate
UniversityforAdvancedStudies
[email protected]
a
[email protected]
om
RebeccaJ.
Best
UniversityofNorthernArizona
[email protected]
GustavoS.
Betini
UniversityofGuelph
[email protected]
Alannah
Biega
SimonFraserUniversity
[email protected]
JenniferS.
Bigman
SimonFraserUniversity
[email protected]
Cory
Bishop
St.FrancisXavierUniversity
[email protected]
Katherine
Black
WilfridLaurierUniversity
[email protected]
Morgan
Black
UniversityofVictoria;VancouverIsland
University
[email protected]
Christopher
Blackford
UniversityofToronto
[email protected]
nto.ca
Stephanie
Blain
UniversityofBritishColumbia
[email protected]
F.Guillaume
Blanchet
UniversitédeSherbrooke
Guillaume.Blanchet@usherbrooke.
ca
Léa
Blondel
McGillUniversity
[email protected]
Kyle
Bobiwash
SimonFraserUniversity
[email protected]
Korryn
Bodner
UniversityofToronto
[email protected]
MannfredM.A.
Boehm
UniversityofBritishColumbia
[email protected]
Benjamin
Bolker
McMasterUniversity
[email protected]
Maegwin
Bonar
MemorialUniversity
[email protected]
MeganGene
Bontrager
UniversityofBritishColumbia
[email protected]
Rudy
Boonstra
UniversityofTorontoScarborough
[email protected]
AneeshP.H.
Bose
McMasterUniversity
[email protected]
Véronique
BoucherLalonde
UniversitédeSherbrooke
veronique.boucher.lalonde@gmail
.com
ElizabethG.
Boulding
UniversityofGuelph
[email protected]
Jeff
Bowman
OntarioMinistryofNaturalResourcesand
[email protected]
Forestry,TrentUniversity
MarkS.
Boyce
UniversityofAlberta
[email protected]
SeanP.
Boyle
LaurentianUniversity
[email protected]
Matthew
Brachmann
UniversityofGuelph
[email protected]
Cole
Brachmann
UniversityofAlberta
[email protected]
StevenP.
Brady
KingCounty
[email protected]
StevenP.
Brady
DartmouthCollege
[email protected]
Lucas
Brehaut
MemorialUniversity
[email protected]
NorahE.M.
Brown
UniversityofBritishColumbia
[email protected]
Katie
Brown
UniversityofToronto
[email protected]
Carissa
Brown
MemorialUniversity
[email protected]
Anne
Bruneau
UniversitédeMontréal
[email protected]
Kristin
Brzeski
PrincetonUniversity
[email protected]
Lauren
Buckley
UniversityofWashington
[email protected]
Desiree
Bulger
UniversityofVictoria
[email protected]
Daniel
Buonaiuto
HarvardUniversity
[email protected]
Joseph
Burant
UniversityofGuelph
[email protected]
Theresa
Burg
UniversityofLethbridge
[email protected]
Joanna
Burgar
UniversityofVictoria,UniversityofBritish
[email protected]
Columbia
Lily
Burke
UniversityofVictoria
[email protected]
Cole
Burton
UniversityofBritishColumbia
[email protected]
Doreen
Cabrera
UniversityofExeter
[email protected]
James
Cahill
UniversityofAlberta
[email protected]
Piero
Calosi
UniversitéduQuébecàRimouski
[email protected]
ErinK.
Cameron
UniversityofCopenhagen,Universityof
Helsinki
[email protected]
Rosaline
Canessa
UniversityofVictoria
[email protected]
Cameron
Carlyle
UniversityofAlberta
[email protected]
Juli
Carrillo
PurdueUniversity,UniversityofBritish
Columbia
[email protected]
EmmaK.
Carroll
UniversityofCalgary
[email protected]
Ralph
Cartar
UniversityofCalgary
[email protected]
Bruno
Carturan
UniversityofBritishColumbiaOkanagan
[email protected]
Rowshyra
Castañeda
UniversityofToronto,Universityof
TorontoatScarborough
[email protected]
Lia
Chalifour
UniversityofVictoria
[email protected]
Catherine
Chamberlain
HarvardUniversity
[email protected]
Julia
Charlebois
UniversityofOttawa
[email protected]
Emily
Chase
AcadiaUniversity
[email protected]
Carmen
Chelick
UniversityofBritishColumbiaOkanagan
[email protected]
Helen
Chen
WesternUniversity
[email protected]
Melissa
Chen
UniversityofBritishColumbia
[email protected]
Cheryl
Chetkiewicz
WildlifeConservationSocietyCanada
[email protected]
Kyle
Chezik
SimonFraserUniversity
[email protected]
Chelsea
Chisholm
UniversityofCopenhagen
[email protected]
KatherineS.
Christie
TheAlaskaSeaLifeCenter
[email protected]
Cindy
Chu
OntarioMinistryofNaturalResources
[email protected]
AlexM.
Chubaty
NatualResourcesCanada,PacificForestry
[email protected]
Centre
DanielleC.
Claar
UniversityofVictoria
[email protected]
Alana
Clason
UniversityofNorthernBritishColumbia
[email protected]
Michael
Clinchy
UniversityofWesternOntario
[email protected]
Ilona
Clocher
UniversityofCalgary
[email protected]
SheilaR.
Colla
YorkUniversity
[email protected]
Lynda
Collins
UniversityofOttawa
[email protected]
NicholasC.
Collins
UniversityofToronto
[email protected]
David
Coltman
UniversityofAlberta
[email protected]
ZacchaeusG.
Compson
UniversityofNewBrunswick
[email protected]
om
TenleyM.
Conway
UniversityofToronto,Mississauga
[email protected]
Andrew
Cook
UniversityofAlberta
[email protected]
LauraE.
Coristine
UniversityofCalgary
[email protected]
Gregoire
Cortial
UniversityofQuebecatRimouski
[email protected]
JennyS
Cory
SimonFraserUniversity
[email protected]
JuliaYamagishi
Costa
UniversidadeFederaldeUberlândia
[email protected]
Isabelle
Côté
SimonFraserUniversity
[email protected]
Karl
Cottenie
UniversityofGuelph
[email protected]
GarthA.
Covernton
UniversityofVictoria
[email protected]
KieranD.
Cox
HakaiInstitute,UniversityofVictoria,
Victoria,VancouverIslandUniversity
[email protected]
Vanessa
Craig
CollegeofAppliedBiologyVictoria
[email protected]
Colleen
Crill
UniversityofSaskatchewan
[email protected]
Varina
Crisfield
RoyalAlbertaMuseum,Alberta
BiodiversityMonitoringInstitute
[email protected]
John
Cristiani
UniversityofBritishColumbia
[email protected]
AnnaL.
Crofts
MemorialUniversity
[email protected]
ShannonM.
Crowley
JohnPrinceResearchForest
[email protected]
Kim
Cuddington
UniversityofWaterloo
[email protected]
Steve
Cumming
UniversitéLaval
[email protected]
Douglas
Curley
UniversityofCalgary
[email protected]
ColinJ.
Curry
UniversityofNewBrunswick
[email protected]
Caitlin
Curtis
UniversityofVictoria
[email protected]
Mathieu
Cusson
UniversitéduQuébecàChicoutimi
[email protected]
MarkR.T.
Dale
UniversityofNorthernBritishColumbia
[email protected]
Angela
Danyluk
CityofVancouver
[email protected]
Chris
Darimont
UniversityofVictoria
[email protected]
Emily
Darling
UniversityofTorontoandWildlife
ConservationSocietyCanada
[email protected]
Siobhan
Darlington
UniversityofVictoria
[email protected]
Katie
Davidson
UniversityofVictoria,HakaiInstitute
[email protected]
LindsayN.K.
Davidson
SimonFraserUniversity
[email protected]
Jonathan
Davies
McGillUniversity
[email protected]
Rod
Davis
UniversityofVictoria
[email protected]
NicolaJ.
Day
WilfridLaurierUniversity
[email protected]
Charlotte
deKeyzer
UniversityofToronto,TheRocky
MountainBiologicalLaboratory
[email protected]
Jessica
Deakin
WesternUniversity
[email protected]
Zach
Dempsey
UniversityofLethbridge
[email protected]
Danielle
Denley
DalhousieUniversity
[email protected]
Allison
Dennert
SimonFraserUniversity
[email protected]
Alison
Derry
UniversitéduQuébecàMontréal,Groupe
interuniversitaireenlimnologieet
[email protected]
écologieaquatique
Simone
DesRoches
UCSantaCruz
[email protected]
Pauline
Deschodt
SimonFraserUniversity
[email protected]
Rodolphe
Devillers
MemorialUniversityofNewfoundland
[email protected]
GreatLakesInstituteforEnvironmental
[email protected]
Research,UniversityofWindsor
UniversityofOslo,UPMCUniv,University
[email protected]
ofBergen
Cody
Dey
Beatriz
DiazPauli
CatherineM.
Dieleman
UniversityofGuelph
[email protected]
MaggieM.
Dietterle
VancouverIslandUniversity
[email protected]
Kathleen
Dogantzis
YorkUniversity
[email protected]
KimberlyM.
Dohms
EnvironmentandClimateChangeCanada-
[email protected]
CanadianWildlifeService
Sarah
Dolson
UniversityofGuelph
[email protected]
MarcelE.
Dorken
TrentUniversity
[email protected]
Emily
Drummond
UniversityofBritishColumbia
[email protected]
Sarah
Dudas
VancouverIslandUniversity
[email protected]
Nicholas
Dulvy
SimonFraserUniversity
[email protected]
SarahZ.
Dungan
UniversityofToronto
[email protected]
Greg
Dwyer
UniversityofChicago
[email protected]
Russell
Easy
AcadiaUniversity
[email protected]
ChristopherG.
Eckert
Queen'sUniversity
[email protected]
Brie
Edwards
WildlifeConservationSocietyCanada
[email protected]
Kate
Edwards
NaturalResourcesCanada
[email protected]
AaronM.
Eger
UniversityofVictoria
[email protected]
Anthony
Einfeldt
UniversityofNewBrunswick
[email protected]
Morgan
Eisenlord
CornellUniversity
[email protected]
RanaW.
El-Sabaawi
UniversityofVictoria
[email protected]
SachaC.
Engelhardt
UniversitédeSherbrooke
[email protected]
Philina
English
SimonFraserUniversity
[email protected]
DavidJ.
Ensing
Queen'sUniversity
[email protected]
Piers
Evans
MemorialUniversity
[email protected]
Lesley
EvansOgden
FreelanceJournalist
Dan
Farr
Brett
Favaro
MemorialUniversity
[email protected]
Jamie
Fenneman
UniversityofBritishColumbia
[email protected]
Anne-Laure
Ferchaud
UniversitéLaval
[email protected]
Marco
Festa-Bianchet
UniversitédeSherbrooke
[email protected]
Alessandro
Filazzola
YorkUniversity
[email protected]
Laura
Finnegan
fRIResearch
[email protected]
David
Fisher
UniversityofGuelph
[email protected]
Alina
Fisher
UniversityofVictoria
[email protected]
JasonT.
Fisher
UniversityofVictoria,InnoTechAlberta
[email protected]
OwenT.
Fitzpatrick
UniversityofVictoria,HakaiInstitute
[email protected]
m
Allie
Flinn
AcadiaUniversity
[email protected]
Katie
Florko
YorkUniversity
[email protected]
Justine
Fontaine-Topaloff
Centred’ÉtudedelaForêt,Centredela
SciencedelaBiodiversitéduQuébec
[email protected]
Jennifer
Foote
AlgomaUniversity
[email protected]
Coreen
Forbes
UniversityofBritishColumbia
[email protected]
Jennifer
Forbey
BoiseStateUniversity
[email protected]
Adam
Ford
UniversityofBritishColumbiaOkanagan
[email protected]
Jessica
Forrest
UniversityofOttawa,RockyMountain
BiologicalLaboratory
[email protected]
Leila
Forsyth
UniversityofToronto
[email protected]
Julie
Fortin
UniversityofVictoria
[email protected]
Caroline
Fox
DalhousieUniversity,Raincoast
ConservationFoundation
[email protected]
FionaT.
Francis
SimonFraserUniversity
[email protected]
Oliver
Franklin
UniversityofGuelph
[email protected]
James
Franklin
UniversityofGuelph
[email protected]
Gillian
Fraser
UniversityofVictoria
[email protected]
ThereseC.
Frauendorf
UniversityofVictoria
[email protected]
Megan
Frederickson
UniversityofToronto
[email protected]
Esther
Frei
UniversityofBritishColumbia
[email protected]
[email protected]
Cameron
Freshwater
UniversityofVictoria
[email protected]
Sandra
Frey
UniversityofVictoria
[email protected]
Sarah
Friesen
UniversityofVictoria
[email protected]
John
Fryxell
UniversityofGuelph
[email protected]
AngelaP.
Fuentes-Pardo
DalhousieUniversity
[email protected]
Vincent
Fugère
McGillUniversity
[email protected]
Jérémie
Fuller
Angela
Fuller
Marianne
Gagnon
Paul
Galpern
UniversityofCalgary
[email protected]
Alyssa-Lois
Gehman
UniversityofBritishColumbia
[email protected]
Rachel
Germain
UniversityofBritishColumbia
[email protected]
AmandaK.
Gibson
EmoryUniversity
[email protected]
Amber
GigiHoi
UniversityofToronto
[email protected]
Sophie
Gilbert
UniversityofIdaho
[email protected]
Benjamin
Gilbert
UniversityofToronto
[email protected]
Sandra
Gillespie
SimonFraserUniversity
[email protected]
Sean
Godwin
SimonFraserUniversity
[email protected]
Andrew
Gonzalez
McGillUniversity
[email protected]
Andrew
Gonzalez
McGillUniversity
[email protected]
ManuelA.
González
DoñanaBiologicalStation
[email protected]
Katie
Goodwin
TJ
Gooliaff
UniversityofBritishColumbiaOkanagan
[email protected]
Susan
Gordon
MichiganStateUniversity
[email protected]
Root
Gorelick
CarletonUniversity
[email protected]
Jamie
Gorrell
VancouverIslandUniversity
[email protected]
Thierry
Gosselin
CSIROOceansandAtmosphereFlagship,
[email protected]
BedfordInstituteofOceanography
Tess
Grainger
UniversityofToronto
[email protected]
Dominique
Gravel
UniversitédeSherbrooke
[email protected]
a
Derek
Gray
WilfredLaurierUniversity
[email protected]
Jelena
Grbic
RyersonUniversity
[email protected]
Jemma
Green
UniversityofVictoria
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StephanieJ.
Green
StanfordUniversity,OregonState
University
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Dan
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SimonFraserUniversity
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Ariel
Greiner
McGillUniversity
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RuthJ.
Greuel
UniversityofSaskatchewan
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Jessica
Guezen
UniversityofOttawa
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UniversitéLaval,Centred’Études
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intégrativeetdessystèmes
U.S.GeologicalSurvey,NewYork
CooperativeFishandWildlifeResearch [email protected]
Unit,CornellUniversity
UniversitéLaval,CaribouUngava,Centre
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d’étudesnordique
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AmandaL.
Guy
UniversityofSaskatchewan
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LauraMelissa
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UniversityofBritishColumbia
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Jesse
Hacker
DePaulUniversity
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WilliamD.
Halliday
WildlifeConservationSocietyCanada
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Abdel
Halloway
UniversityofIllinois,MoffittCancer
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Anni
Hämäläinen
UniversityofAlberta
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Hilary
Hamilton
McGillUniversity
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Phineas
Hamilton
BCCancerAgency
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StephanieE.
Hampton
WashingtonStateUniversity
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Vincent
Hanlon
UniversityofBritishColumbia
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Anna
Hargreaves
McGillUniversity
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JoriB.
Harrison
UniversityofCalgary
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William
Harrower
UniversityofBritishColumbia
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Hawkins
UniversityofVictoria
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Stephen
Heard
UniversityofNewBrunswick
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MemorialUniversityofNewfoundland
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UniversityofRegina
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UniversityofVictoria
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McGillUniversity
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UniversityofBritishColumbia
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MemorialUniversity
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UniversityofBritishColumbia
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SimonFraserUniversity
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Hik
UniversityofAlberta
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AcadiaUniversity
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UniversityofFlorida
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UniversityofVictoria
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Howell
McGillUniversity
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DezeneP.W.
Huber
UniversityofNorthernBritishColumbia
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A.Randall
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NortheasternUniversity
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Peter
Hurd
UniversityofAlberta
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AmyL.
Hurford
MemorialUniversity
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Jenna
Hutchen
UniversityofBritishColumbiaOkanagan
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JeffreyA.
Hutchings
DalhousieUniversity
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JosephineC.
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UniversityofVictoria
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DavidJ.
Innes
MemorialUniversity
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Stephen
Insley
WildlifeConservationSocietyCanada
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Darren
Irwin
UniversityofBritishColumbia
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Minako
Ito
HokkaidoUniversity
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ThompsonRiversUniversity
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Iwanicki
UniversityofHawai'i
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Jacob
YellowstonetoYukonConservation
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Patrick
James
UniversitédeMontréal
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Jasmine
Janes
UniversityofNewEngland,Australia
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Maryam
Jangjoo
WesternUniversity
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Melanie
Jean
UniversityofSaskatchewan
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Deborah
Jenkins
TrentUniversity,UniversityofMoncton,
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Centred'EtudesNordiques
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Jensen
UniversityofBritishColumbiaOkanagan
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Johns
Jill
Johnstone
UniversityofSaskatchewan
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Johnstone
AcadiaUniversity
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Natalie
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UniversityofCaliforniaSanDiego
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Juanes
UniversityofVictoria
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Rebecca
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PrincetonUniversity,BrownUniversity
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Laura
Kaupas
UniversityofCalgary
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Katrina
Kaur
UniversityofToronto
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Laura
Kehoe
UniversityofVictoria
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Steven
Kembel
UniversitéduQuébecàMontréal
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Alice
Kenney
UniversityofBritishColumbia
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ClementF.
Kent
YorkUniversity
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Jeremy
Kerr
UniversityofOttawa
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Tony
Kess
UniversityofGuelph
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HeatherM.
Kharouba
UniversityofOttawa
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HannahM.
Kienzle
UniversityofCalgary
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Julia
Kilgour
UniversityofGuelph
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KaylaC.
King
UniversityofOxford
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David
Kingsley
StanfordUniversity
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Mackenzie
Kinney
UniversityofBritishColumbia
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Terrie
Klinger
UniversityofWashington
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Koch
UniversityofAlberta
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Vasileios
Kokkoris
UniversityofBritishColumbiaOkanagan
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Janet
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RyersonUniversity
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PeterM.
Kotanen
UniversityofTorontoMississauga
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Donald
Kramer
McGillUniversity
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Mélodie
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UniversityofAlberta
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Anna
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UniversityofHelsinki
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JillianM.
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UniversityofSaskatchewan
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Terri
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UniversityofVictoria
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Isabelle
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UniversiteduQuebec
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om
MichelP.
Laforge
UniversityofSaskatchewan,Memorial
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Robert
Laird
UniversityofLethbridge
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Geneviève
Lajoie
UniversitéduQuébecàMontréal
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RobertG.
Lalonde
UniversityofBritishColumbiaOkanagan
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EricG.
Lamb
UniversityofSaskatchewan
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ClaytonT.
Lamb
UniversityofAlberta
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Myles
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HancockWildlifeFoundation
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Jalene
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DePaulUniversity
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Jeffrey
Lane
UniversityofSaskatchewan
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Larocque
UniversityofBritishColumbia
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Jennifer
Lau
MichiganStateUniversity
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Peter
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UniversityofRegina
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MartinJ.
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McGillUniversity
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UniversitédeSherbrooke/CEN
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UniversityofBritishColumbia
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DePaulUniversity
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BaileyD.H.
Lei
UniversityofTorontoMississauga
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Lemay
UniversityofBritishColumbia
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MemorialUniversity
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SimonFraserUniversity
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LaurentianUniversity
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UniversityofAlberta
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SimonFraserUniversity
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Li
UniversityofBritishColumbia
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Liboiron
MemorialUniversity
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YorkUniversity
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UniversityofNorthernBritishColumbia
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WesternUniversity
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UniversityofZurich,EawagtheSwiss
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Long
WoodlandParkZoo
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AnneE.
Loosen
UniversityofAlberta
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Kathleen
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NaturalSciencesandEngineering
ResearchCouncilofCanada
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UniversityofBritishColumbia
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WesternUniversity
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Luo
UniversityofBritishColumbia
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FloridaStateUniversity
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UniversityofVictoria
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SimonFraserUniversity
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UniversityofAlberta
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UniversityofNewBrunswick
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UniversityofGuelph
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Geoff
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ColinD.
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UniversityofBritishColumbia
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NaturalSciencesandEngineering
ResearchCouncilofCanada
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fRIResearch
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UniversityofBritishColumbia
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MemorialUniversity
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UniversityofBritishColumbia
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Caitlin
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UniversityofAlberta
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JenniferM.T.
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UniversityofVictoria
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Roxane
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UniversitédeMontréal
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Darrel
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DavidA.
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UniversityofVictoria
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Piata
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UniversityofVictoria
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Ronan
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UniversityofTorontoMississauga
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Kathy
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UniversityofBritishColumbia
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RobertJeff
Martin
UniversityofWesternOntario
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TaraG.
Martin
UniversityofBritishColumbia,Monash
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AmandaE.
Martin
CarletonUniversity
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GillianK.
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UniversitéduQuébecàMontréal
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Charles
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UniversitéduQuébecàTrois-Rivières
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Gloria
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UniversitéduQuébecàRimouski
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Melanie
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UniversityofToronto
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MayAnne
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UniversityofBritishColumbiaOkanagan
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Remi
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UniversityofBritishColumbia
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Florent
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SimonFraserUniversity
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AndrewG.
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UniversityofGuelph
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Erin
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UniversityofManitoba
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Kevin
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UniversityofGuelph
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Beverly
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TrentUniversity
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UniversityofVictoria
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UniversityofCalgary
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NaturalResourcesCanada
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UniversityofAlberta
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Kerrith
McKay
McKayEnvironmentalConsultingLtd.
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Tracy
McKay
fRIResearch
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McMeans
UniversityofToronto