Browsing by Author "Cantin, Ariane"

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    A Guide for Undergraduate Research at UCalgary
    (University of Calgary, 2022-01) Flanagan, Kyla; Braun, Rachel; Cantin, Ariane; Loy, Kara; Summers, Mindi
    Undergraduate research activities are meaningful Experiential Learning (EL) opportunities where students “learn by doing” and develop research and transferable skills. High-quality research experiences intentionally evoke students’ curiosity, engage students in the discovery process, ensure opportunities to disseminate findings, and extend learning through critical reflection. With thoughtful design and mentorship, undergraduate research immerses students deeply in a topic while encouraging students to take risks, develop as people and professionals, and build resiliency by overcoming inevitable challenges that arise in research. Research is a meaningful way to engage students as partners in inquiry, inviting them to become creators and contributors of discovery and knowledge. Our intended audience for this guide is instructors designing curricular undergraduate research experiences or research mentors supporting undergraduate research experiences in an apprenticeship model during curricular or non-curricular undergraduate research experiences. We have written this guide with an awareness of the disciplinary differences in research and student diversity while still providing meaningful guidance and direction for the research process. We hope you will use this guide to design research-based courses or develop support for one-on-one mentorship of research experiences. We may use the terms “instructors” and “research mentors” interchangeably throughout or use one title or the other to signal curricular or non-curricular research experiences. Graduate Teaching Assistants supporting undergraduates conducting research will also find value in this guide. Finally, undergraduate students undertaking a research project may also find this guide beneficial in understanding the research process and designing their investigation.
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    Habitat Structures Rainbow Trout Population Dynamics Across Spatial Scales
    (2018-12-19) Cantin, Ariane; Post, John R.; Bender, Darren J.; Askey, Paul J.
    Density-dependent processes play an important role in structuring population dynamics – as the number of organisms within a set area increases, population vital rates and life history traits will also change arising from increased competition for limited food and space. In this thesis I explore how variation in the quantity of habitat available impacts size-structured animal populations using lake-dwelling rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). First, I developed hypotheses on the biological processes by which habitat impacts population dynamics using a multi-habitat age-structured population model. This theoretical model showed that habitat limitations at any life stage can bottleneck the population and impact its dynamics, but that the timing of regulation influences population outcomes. Limited habitat in early life led to high early mortality, resulting in low overall population density of larger fish, while limited habitat in adult life led to high early survival and a high density of stunted fish populations. I then compared the model predictions to empirical data from 39 wild rainbow trout populations and to results of a harvest experiment. The field results corroborated the model predictions and showed that lakes with a higher early (stream) to late (lake) life stage habitat ratio presented higher number of recruits, later age at maturity and a smaller maximum size than lakes in which stream habitat was limiting. The density manipulation also supported the model predictions as the lake with the lowest habitat ratio presented the lowest compensatory reserve and showed a density-dependent growth response to harvest. Finally, I used the knowledge acquired at the lake-scale to predict rainbow trout production at the landscape-scale. I developed a methodology that describes rainbow trout distribution based on stream network characteristics and connectivity. Then I used a landscape-scale proxy of stream habitat availability, stream order, and lake area to predict stream to lake habitat ratio and infer population dynamics. I combined this landscape-scale production information with recreational fishing demand to identify regions more prone to being impacted by overfishing or habitat perturbations. My research details how local habitat availability influences fish populations and can be used to predict population dynamics across a landscape of lakes providing a valuable tool to managers.
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    Keeping their secrets: Conflicting evidence on the status and trajectory of long-toed salamanders, Ambystoma macrodactylum, breeding in the Bow and Kananaskis Valleys
    (2024-04-29) Baumgartner, Emily Ann; Vamosi, Steven Michael; Cantin, Ariane; LaMontagne, Jalene; Alexander, Shelley; Benard, Michael
    Amidst worldwide habitat fragmentation and biodiversity loss, amphibians are the most at-risk vertebrates, with over 41% of species listed as threatened. In Alberta, long-toed salamanders, Ambystoma macrodactylum, have been listed as at-risk due to the likelihood of habitat loss and degradation, as well as their data deficiency in the province. In this thesis, I monitored 19 breeding groups of long-toed salamanders in the Bow and Kananaskis Valleys, 10 of which provided sufficient data for the further assessment of the future trajectory of the population network from multiple perspectives. I first addressed the health (scaled mass index) and stress (dermal CORT concentrations) of individuals in these breeding groups and found relatively low levels of dCORT and no significant variation in SMI or dCORT among groups. With my second objective, I investigated the potential synchrony of breeding and developmental phenology of these populations. I found breeding activity was more synchronous than larval development among these populations. Phenology of breeding and development are marginally influenced by both regional climate and local conditions. Next, I used genomic information from individuals at 12 breeding ponds to quantify the genetic structure of this network and to estimate contemporary dispersal rates among populations of interest which were then used to parameterize a population viability analysis. I did not find significant genetic differentiation among breeding ponds, or significant rates of dispersal. For my final objective, I used capture-recapture methods to estimate adult population sizes and survival rates using robust design models and accumulated other demographic rates for long-toed salamanders from published literature. I concluded this objective by running multiple stage-structured population viability analyses, to project the fate of this population network over the next 75 years under with various estimates of adult survival, dispersal, and potential drought scenarios. Collectively, these results provide a baseline for the trajectory and potential influential factors of these populations and highlight the complex and precarious nature of their future status.