Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

This research project is examining how and where juvenile animals decide where to settle and establish their own territory or home range.  As new patches of habitat come into being (e.g. a growing forest), and other older patches disappear (through human or natural disturbance), animal populations 'shift' across landscapes.  This shifting primarily takes place through the dispersal, or relocation, of juvenile animals.  Thus, an understanding of how juvenile animals perceive their environment, and what cues they use for making decisions on where to explore and settle, is critical to our ability to predict if and how populations will be maintained on the landscape. For this project, we are focusing on red squirrels, a common forest-dwelling animal.  We are tracking the movements and responses of juvenile squirrels, while simultaneously conducting experiments to see what cues or habitat features are most important to these animals.  Juvenile red squirrels make circling 'forays' off of their mothers' territories, as they attempt to gather information on habitat availability. To monitor the movements and behaviour of these small mammals, we use a combination of radio-tracking, live-trapping, and the recording of tracks (footprints) in small tunnels.  Our ability to follow the movements and fates of these animals makes them excellent subjects for studying dispersal. The information we gather from studying red squirrels can be used to generate predictions or additional research on other species, including those not so common. This work is taking place in the forests surrounding  Kamloops, British Columbia.