Leann Kanda Section 11
My work is in mammalian behavioral ecology and population dynamics. My main fieldwork is on spatial ecology and dispersal, that is, how and why animals use their space and move from one space to another. While my experience is in mammals, I am also interested in movement ecology of other organisms, particularly dispersal at the edge of species’ ranges and migratory movements, and how these movements influence the population dynamics and distributions of the species. Student interests will help drive what research facets I emphasize. Please note that in many cases, fieldwork on mammals in Ithaca cannot begin each year until late spring (April or May), so it may not be appropriate for spring-term 302 research.
Muskrat and mink movement ecology
We have a field project tracking free-ranging muskrat at the Cornell Research Ponds in Lansing. Radio-tagged animals are tested for exploratory behavior in a captive arena before they are returned to the wild. My research question asks whether juvenile exploratory behavior in a captive setting reflects their exploratory movements around the natal site, and whether either can be correlated to the manner in which the juvenile moves to its breeding site. A large number of additional ecological questions can be addressed with location data on known individuals, on aspects such as habitat choices, foraging activity patterns, and social interactions. I encourage students to develop their own research questions. To gather detailed movement path data, we are working on developing technology for automated location telemetry. Once deployed, the system needs calibration and field-verification. At this time, we locate animals using hand-held radios.
Recently mink, the major predator of the muskrat, arrived at the ponds. We will also be tagging adult mink and tracking their movements. I am interested in examining the predator-prey dynamics in space and time.
Small mammals and mesocarnivores on IC natural lands
The Ithaca College Natural Lands Committee is charged with recommending management and conservation practices on natural areas owned by the college. This includes South Hill, which is currently under consideration for a number of different resource use strategies. The plant communities have been examined here, but nothing is known about what mammal (or other animal!) communities are present. The proximity of South Hill to urban campus development makes it of particular interest for examining the urban-wildlife interface. Initial surveys are needed to understand what mammals are present, and how they are using the different habitats available within South Hill.
Computer modeling of dispersal
With the advent of powerful computers, spatially-explicit modeling has become a useful tool in making theoretical predictions of species’ behavior in different landscapes. In today’s changing landscapes, the manner of dispersal movement will influence the character and size of populations at the edge of the distribution and in fragmented habitats. Students with a mathematical and/or computer programming bent can contribute to the development of these models and examination of model population behavior under different scenarios.
Relationship between social status and movement behaviors in dwarf hamsters
As a complement to examining space use in wild animals, I am establishing a captive group of dwarf hamsters for behavioral tests in the laboratory. One theory linking social and movement behaviors is referred to as the “proactive” or “boldness” syndrome. It suggests that individuals who tend to be socially dominant are also more “bold” in the face of predation risk and more willing to explore novel areas. We will be testing to see if these three behaviors do correlate across individuals. We will test individuals at different times in their lives to see if they are consistent (is a bold animal at weaning still bold when it is an adult?). By breeding individuals based upon their exploratory behavior, we will be looking for heritability in the behaviors. Opportunities on this project will include scoring and analyzing variability among individual’s behaviors, testing individual repeatability of behaviors, and designing and implementing a test for dispersal behavior.
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