Current lab members

Past lab members/mentees

Natasha Noble, BSc Thesis 2015

Natasha investigated the sex ratio of juvenile freshwater turtles being hit by cars on the roads.  While a lot is known about adult mortality, and its effects on population viability, relatively little is understood about juveniles because their sex is determined by temperature rather than genetics, thus making it impossible to determine the sex of juvenile Painted and Snapping Turtles without dissection.  Natasha found that the sex ratio was approximately equal for Snapping Turtles, by male biased for Painted Turtles.

Jennifer Pichette, BSc Thesis 2015

While the majority of road ecologists focus on the impact roads have on vertebrates, few investigate the effect roadways can have on biological processes.  Jennifer's BSc measured the size and magnitude of the road-effects zone of major and minor roads on microbial communities and their contribution to important nutrient cycles such as carbon, and decomposition. She found that although there was not a major difference between the road types, these important processes were greatly hindered up to 15 m from the road edge.

Mary Balsdon, BSc Thesis 2016

A variety of things can cause your sample detection to be reduced.  On standardized surveys, Mary investigated the time that Anuran carcasses remained on the road after they had been hit by cars,  By examining various factors, including traffic volume, rainfall, scavenging and temperature, she was able to discern what environmental factors played the biggest role in carcass persistence.  Although the relationship was species-specific, traffic volume had a greater effect than any other factor.

Julie Lamoureaux, BSc Literature Review 2016

Julie was interested in studying animal behaviour around roads for her literature review.  Flight initiation distance is a commonly used metric of perceived risk in birds where a researcher records the distance they can approach an individual before they take flight. Unfortunately, most birds lack the spatial awareness to fully evaluate the risk of oncoming vehicles. Julie performed a review of any literature documenting the flight initiation distances of birds from vehicles. She found that differences were most apparent taxonomically, and discussed how this could be specifically applicable to the conservation of particular species.

Rachel Dillon, BSc Thesis 2017

With a passion for snakes and animal behaviour, Rachel was focused on investigating how the behaviour of snakes could inform our conservation strategies for them.  Wildlife crossing tunnels are frequently used structures designed to mitigate the effect of habitat fragmentation on wildlife,  but still relatively little is known about their effectiveness for herpetofauna.  Rachel designed behavioral trials to observe the willingness to utilize these tunnels by garter snakes. Finding not only that there appears to be no aversion to the tunnels, but evidence of habituation to them, she was able to inform the Park she was working in, but also future mitigation endevours targeted at similar species.