Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Macroecological patterns of abundance, occurrence, species richness and body size distribution have been described for various taxa including mammals and birds. However, the mechanisms behind most of these patterns have not been tested yet, possibly because they are rooted in different theoretical frameworks. In addition, these mechanisms have often been considered in isolation even though they must be necessary linked, as the same individual organisms contribute to all of them. Landscape and local patterns may differ from these macroecological patterns. Interactions between local and landscape processes are also poorly understood, but potentially complex because many processes co-vary with the level of fragmentation. Recently, it has been suggested that movement and dispersal patterns may also be important determinants of these patterns. The main goal of the proposed research program is to investigate the patterns of abundance, occurrence, species richness, movement, and body size distribution across spatial scales. Specifically, our objectives are: (1) to investigate these patterns at the regional, landscape, and local spatial scales by focusing on the ""anatomy"" (e.g. shape, gaps, skewness) of their distribution as well as the linkages among the variables; (2) to examine the role played by the body size distribution in determining other ecological patterns; and (3) to investigate animal movement and dispersal patterns and their interactions with other ecological patterns. To achieve these objectives, we will obtain data from field studies (live-trapping, radio telemetry, GPS telemetry), computer simulations, and macroecological databases. Analyses will involve the use of the Geographic Information System (GIS), spatial statistics, mathematical-physics concepts, and various univaritate and multivariate statistical tests. This project will improve our understanding of ecological patterns and the mechanisms that create them. It will also help to gain a better theoretical understanding of the effects of the spatial scale on ecological patterns and processes.