The research of KCRL PhD student and World Wildlife Fund Fellow, Shambhu Paudel, was recently featured in Whale & Dolphin magazine. Whale & Dolphin magazine is a publication of Whale and Dolphin Conservation, the leading global charity dedicated to the conservation and protection of whales and dolphins. Shambhu received WDC’s Bharathi Viswanathan award for innovative, non-invasive research earlier this year.
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Congratulations to Jonathan Derbridge on his successful defense of his dissertation yesterday! Jonathan shared his research on the impacts of introduced Abert’s squirrels on the critically endangered native species, the Mt. Graham red squirrels.
Jonathan’s dissertation abstract:
Ecology and Conservation of Endangered Territorial Species Under Invasion
Biological invasions threaten biodiversity globally, and degraded ecosystems increase the potential for invaders to compete with threatened native populations. In natural systems, niche partitioning minimizes interspecific competition, but introduced species may alter expected outcomes by competing with ecologically similar species for scarce resources. Where food production is highly variable, coexistence of native and invasive competitors may depend on dietary niche flexibility. Territorial species under invasion face additional challenges in maintaining economically defendable territories. From 2011-2016, we conducted removal and behavior experiments to determine effects of non-territorial introduced Abert’s squirrels (Sciurus aberti) on diet, space use, and territoriality of endangered Mount Graham red squirrels (MGRS; Tamiasciurus fremonti grahamensis) in disturbed and fragmented habitat in the Pinaleño Mountains, Arizona. We collected comparative data from Arizona sites of natural syntopy between Abert’s and Fremont’s squirrels (hereafter, red squirrels; T. fremonti). Stable isotope analysis revealed similar dietary partitioning among populations. Removals did not affect MGRS diet but did affect MGRS space use. Territory sizes and body mass of MGRS were sensitive to conspecific population density and food production. Behavioral experiments showed MGRS were more aggressive than other red squirrels. Dietary flexibility of Abert’s squirrels may have facilitated coexistence with MGRS, possibly due to coevolved resource partitioning with red squirrels. However, aggressive territoriality toward Abert’s squirrels may incur fitness costs for MGRS especially during poor food production years. Climate change may reduce the advantage of ecological specialist species globally, and where introduced species are better-adapted to novel environmental conditions, native species may ultimately be replaced.
Jonathan Derbridge
What will the zoo of the future look like? John Koprowski, SNRE Professor of Wildlife and Fisheries Science and Associate Director, participated in the production of a documentary on the future of zoos produced by a UA Journalism course. Expanded partnerships among universities, land management agencies and zoos/aquariums are likely to be required to successfully manage biodiversity in the future, especially for highly endangered species.
Read the U A news story here.
Watch the trailer now:
UA Conservation Research Lab News 