Team

The black bear (Ursus americanus) is a generalist omnivore capable of living in a wide variety of habitats. This species, present almost everywhere in Quebec, is valued through hunting and trapping. As of today, management decisions for black bears are based on data from the early 1990s. This information may no longer represent the current reality. Indeed, black bear productivity may have increased as a result of changes in their habitat due to logging and climate change. In order to update our knowledge of this species, my project aims to study the determinants of the reproductive success of female black bears in Quebec. I will try to determine if this success is more influenced by the intrinsic quality of the female, by her habitat at the landscape level or by the choices she makes in her home range. My results will allow the decision-making regarding black bear management to be more adapted to the current context, where recent changes in the environment is expected to positively influence black bea reproduction, and thus their population dynamics.