The impact of human disturbance on habitat selection and social behaviour in Manitoba elk

We live in a world that is increasingly dominated by humans which places wildlife under extra pressure to cope with changes to their landscape. One of the most important ways that animals can cope with these changes is to show plasticity in their behaviour. Altering their social behaviour to allow them to reduce the risks of using human-modified areas while utilising energy-rich food sources improves their ability to cope. This project will use a new combination of techniques to investigate whether elk in Manitoba alter their movement patterns and social behaviour in response to agricultural land use. This will allow us to provide local stakeholders with information on how best to conserve these declining elk populations in terms of their land-use decisions.

Faculty Supervisor:

Eric Vander Wal

Student:

Partner:

Bangor University

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Education

University:

Memorial University of Newfoundland

Program: