The identification of demographically independent populations is a fundamental component to managing any wildlife species. Identification of populations and connectivity levels among them can inform the prioritization of habitats for conservation and identify habitat and anthropogenic features that impair the connectivity among populations. We are using genetic markers to identify populations and the connectivity among them.

Sandhill cranes throughout Ontario and Quebec can damage agricultural crops. We are working in close collaboration with Environment and Climate Change Canada to capture and radio-mark sandhill cranes. We are tracking birds to assess habitat selection, movement ecology, and to better understand the potential for conflict with agricultural producers.

Raptors are a significant predator group for greater sage-grouse. We have conducted raptor surveys and are developing models of abundance and distribution throughout sage-grouse habitats. These models will be used to integrate predation pressure into models of sage-grouse habitat use and survival.

We are working as part of a large collaborative to understand genetic connectivity across the entire range of greater sage-grouse. Collaborators include the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, the University of Montana, and 11 state fish and wildlife agencies.

Predator composition can change in response to landscape disturbance. We are using camera traps to understand the distribution of mesopredators in relation to habitat reclamation and disturbance.

Non-renewable energy development has played a substantial role in the loss of sagebrush habitat and can exacerbate regional declines of sagebrush obligate species. However, when the energy resources are eventually exhausted sites can be restored. We are assessing the effectiveness of reclamation for avian wildlife within sagebrush ecosystems. Our study sites are in Northeastern Wyoming and represent an ideal experimental gradient of disturbance from undisturbed sites, reclaimed habitats, and active oil and gas development. 

Canada’s Western Boreal Forest (WBF) supports 12 to 15 million breeding waterfowl annually and is considered the second most important breeding area in North America. However, changes in habitat in the WBF caused by the development of natural resources may threaten waterfowl carrying capacity. Consequently, quantifying the effect of landscape change on waterfowl population vital rates, such as nest success, is essential to advance conservation planning. 

Eastern milksnakes are currently listed as Special Concern in Canada and information suggests that populations surrounding the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) are in decline. Given the extreme and increasing fragmentation of natural habitat across the GTA we collected data using several ecological approaches (e.g., radio telemetry, species distribution modelling, landscape genetics) to understand how individual milksnakes utilize habitat in disturbed regions and establish how these patterns scale up to determine regional patterns of connectedness across the GTA.