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Retrieving deer collars

5/17/2016

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 By: Zach Szablewski

This month, I assisted Apryle Craig with the Predator Ecology Lab's ongoing research on deer-wolf interactions in eastern Washington. Apryle and I were on a mission to retrieve deer collars that had been separated from the deer for some reason or another. The collars are programmed to send the deer's coordinates in an email to the researcher so the researchers can analyze deer movement patterns with respect to habitat, terrain, human development or roads, predators, seasons, competitors such as cattle, and other biological and physical attributes. A portion of the collared deer will be predated on by mountain lions, wolves, or hunters, or hit by cars. For those deer that survive, the collars fall of over time. Each collar has a cotton spacer, which wears away with weather and abrasion and the collar will fall off the deer. When the collar lays still for a pre-programmed number of hours, either because the deer died or the collar fell off over time, it sends a "retrieval email", to the biologist with the coordinates of the collar location. The biologist then hikes to the location and performs a CSI-style site investigation to determine if the collar wore away naturally or if it was a depredation event. 
​The collars are strewn about the countryside and typically in the most inconvenient of places, which made for a memorable adventure. ​Despite a two-hour long search, we were unable to uncover the first collar located in the burned sage brush country on the flanks of Tunk Mountain. Although we found the carcass and determined this event was likely a mountain lion depredation, the collar alluded us. However, we tracked down the second collar after an arduous 1.25 mile (1400 vertical feet) bushwhack in Bonaparte Recreation Area. 


Researcher holding a tracking collar in a wooded area
Searching for the collar is like a treasure hunt with the added reward of knowing I am contributing to research that will help land managers better understand deer populations and the predators that depend on them.
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Aaron's Antipodal Adventure

4/9/2016

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by Aaron Wirsing

On the 24th of March, while on sabbatical leave, I travelled to Sydney, Australia to begin a six-week research sojourn sponsored by two of my colleagues at the University of Sydney: Thomas Newsome and Chris Dickman. Over the next few weeks, I'll be updating this post with dispatches from down under.
Two white trucks on road in Australian outback
Shortly after arriving in Sydney, on the 30th of March, we set forth for the Simpson Desert for a week of field research, traveling in two of Australia's iconic field vehicles: Toyota LandCruisers and Hiluxes (pictured). After crossing the Blue Mountains outside of Sydney, and dining on meat pies (another Aussie institution), we found ourselves in open farm country, which in turn gave way to dry rangelands and eventually desert. The emptiness of Australia's interior is truly striking and, for someone like me who spends so much time in the city, something to be cherished.
As we passed from New South Wales into Queensland, Tom and I encountered the dingo proof fence, the world's longest fence at approximately 5,500 km! The fence is an attempt to protect sheep by excluding dingoes (Canis dingo) from almost a quarter of the continent, and is a sobering reminder of the dingo's dubious status as a pest here in Australia. A growing number of studies now point to the dingo's role as an important top predator that suppresses herbivory by kangaroos and numbers of smaller, invasive carnivores (red foxes and feral cats), creating a paradox whereby these canids are cast as both villains and ecological heroes (photo by Tom Newsome).
Aaron Wirsing standing at sign noting the presence of a dingo barrier fence
View of blue sky and the Simpson Desert in western Queensland
Overlooking Australia's "Red Center", on the outskirts of the Simpson Desert in western Queensland (taken April 1, 2016).
We reached the Desert Ecology Research Group (DERG) camp, in the Ethabuka Nature Reserve, on the 1st of April, after three grueling days of driving through New South Wales and Queensland. Now in its 26th year(!), Chris Dickman's longitudinal study in the Simpson Desert has become one of the world's signature explorations of the controls on animal behavior and abundance in arid environments. Among many other pursuits, Chris is currently examining whether cover augmentation, in the form of artificial tunnels, might mitigate the impacts of predation by introduced cats and red foxes on native marsupials, including his favorite species the hairy-footed dunnart (Sminthopsis hirtipes).
Sunset at a desert campsite in Australian outback
The Ethabuka campsite, at sunset. Sunsets were a favorite time for me in the Simpson Desert because they set the red sands ablaze. 
Each morning during my weeklong stay in the desert, we began by checking several grids of pitfall traps. Chris Dickman and his colleagues have been using these traps to track fluctuations in the abundance of sensitive small mammals and reptiles in relation to environmental changes such as rainfall and the presence of predators like red foxes. The highlight of these trapping sessions for me was getting to handle and release a mulgara (Dasycercus cristacauda), Australia's 8th largest native mammalian predator. Mulgaras can deliver quite a bite, so I had to stay on my toes while mugging for this photo (by Tom Newsome).
Aaron Wirsing holding a mulgara, a small Australian mammal, in the outback
The undisputed highlight of my stay in the desert was a near face-to-face with a dingo. Tom and I were searching a watering point for predator scat with a couple of volunteers, when all of a sudden a lone 'black and tan' dingo burst from the brush, not five meters away! I was so startled that I didn't get any pictures, and soon the dingo had disappeared into the bush again, but I'll never forget being so close to Australia's top mammalian carnivore. Later on, I snapped this photo of some reasonably fresh dingo tracks, which as is often the case were following a road (dingoes like to travel efficiently just as we do).
Dingo tracks in red dirt
Aaron Wirsing holding a small lizard in the Australian outback
My first catch of the day (photo by Eveline Rijksen).
Near the end of my stay in the Simpson, I got the chance to assist with capturing a few military dragons (Ctenophorus isolepis). These small lizards are really quick, so catching them is no small feat. The capture method involves using a monofilament noose at the end of a fishing rod; yep, that's right, lizard fishing! The key is to approach stealthily, so as not to elicit flight, and then to carefully slip the noose over the lizard's head and pull it tight. I snagged three in this manner, but not without a bunch of near misses first. All of the dragons we captured had been equipped with transmitters, for the purpose of tracking their movements in relation to temperature. From my discussions with the graduate student doing the work, Eveline Rijksen, military dragons are good at staying cool despite punishing heat that can exceed 70 degrees C at ground level during the summer.
On the 7th of April, I said goodbye to the Simpson, but not before taking in more of its savannah-like landscapes and another sunset.
Photo of sunny day in Australian outback
Colorful sunset in the Australia outback
Back in Sydney, I got the chance to spend a few days as a guest of the Dickmans. Chris and his wife Carol were wonderfully gracious hosts, who among other things took me to Centennial Park to see the resident flying fox (Pteropus poliocephalus) colony. Flying foxes are fruit eaters, and the members of this huge colony, which numbers in the thousands, make use of the Park's many fig trees. The bats were everywhere and made quite a ruckus. I'm surprised that they aren't more of a tourist attraction, especially given that the Park itself is quite stunning.
View of river with small trees and bushes
From April 14-16, I had the pleasure of spending a few days in Melbourne (Victoria). Much like the the rivalry between Seattle and Portland for top honors in the Pacific Northwest, Sydney and Melbourne are engaged in an eternal contest for the title of Australia's trendiest city. Both have their charms, with Sydney sporting spectacular scenery and Melbourne a vibrant central business district (CBD). I was there to give an invited talk at Melbourne's Deakin University, where Tom has a postdoc appointment. My talk titled, "Ecological impacts of gray wolf recolonization in managed landscapes of the western USA" was well received. Many thanks to Euan Ritchie and the Centre for Integrative Ecology for hosting!
Buildings along a large river in Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne's famous central business district (CBD), along the Yarra River.
Yesterday (April 21), I gave a guest seminar at Sydney's Taronga Zoo, as part of the Youth at the Zoo (YATZ) program. The crowd consisted of about 20 high schoolers, aged 13-19, to whom I lectured about wolves and my wolf-prey research in Eastern Washington. At the same time, Tom Newsome drew parallels to Australia's top canid predator, the dingo. The students ate it up and asked lots of great questions. I hope at least one of them left with renewed appreciation for top predators, and especially for dingoes, whose perception down here definitely needs a makeover.
Photos from a presentation about the dingo and the wolf
On ANZAC Day (April 25th), we set forth to the Tanami Desert, where Tom Newsome conducted his dissertation research on dingoes nearly a decade ago. We first flew to Alice Springs, the fabled Australian city with the shortest average distance to coastline, and then drove to the remote town of Yuendumu, one of central Australia's largest indigenous townships. There, we were joined by four members of the Central Land Council, which administers much of the area around Alice Springs on behalf of region's Aboriginal communities. Our goal was to explore dingo diets across the Tanami region by sampling scats, or "gunna". Upon reaching the Desert, we were joined by several more helpers from the local Newmont Mine, at which point the gunna sampling team was complete!
View down an isolated road with red dirt on both sides
​The legendary 'Tanami Track', a 700+ km stretch from Alice Springs to Halls Creek (WA) that lacks any services and features breathtaking desert vistas. Many adventurous Aussies prepare for years to tackle it. With its many corrugations (washboards) and potholes, I can attest that this road isn't for the timid.
Group of researchers in Australian outback
Group of researchers in Australian outback
The April 2016 "gunna" sampling team. We spent three long days scouring the Tanami Desert for dingo droppings, ultimately collecting more than 800. Tom will now use these samples as the basis for a diet study.
The Tanami Desert features the striking contrast of huge, bright red termite mounds, some more than two meters tall, set against meadows of verdantly green spinifex grass. I found the combination to be spellbinding, particularly with the right lighting. Interestingly, termites are the only herbivores that can digest spinifex, which is high in silica.
Red termite mound in Australian outback
Many red termite mounds in Australian outback
On our first day of scat sampling (April 27th), we were lucky enough to encounter some dingoes that, presumably because of past reliance on anthropogenic subsidies (garbage), had lost much of their fear of humans. Instead, they allowed us to get close enough for some really great pictures, and one even ran off with a roll of our garbage bags. Here, a resting dingo allowed me to snap a few photos, with no magnification, before running off. 
Dingo sitting on side of red dirt road in Australian outback
Dingo walking along side of red dirt road in Australian outback
Dingo sitting on side of red dirt road in Australian outback
Dingo walking along side of red dirt road in Australian outback
​As a PhD student at the University of Sydney, Tom found that access to human foods in some regions of the Tanami had led dingoes to alter their diets, abandon territoriality, and instead gather in large numbers around subsidized locations. As a first step, we'll use the scats we sampled to test whether the closure of the dumps on which some dingoes in the Tanami used to rely has resulted in more natural foraging patterns. Fortunately, we sampled several areas that were far from any human impacts. These areas will serve as baselines for establishing 'normal' dingo diets that can then be compared to areas where dingoes used to exploit human foods.
​The next day, we sampled Mount Davidson, a remote area of the Desert that is free of human food subsidies and, consequently, where dingoes must make use of wild foods. Our arrival startled three dingoes, which unlike the previous group quickly retreated into the bush. Hence, no pictures, but happy to have spotted truly wild dingoes.
Australian outback with red dirt and small plants
Small buildings in Australian outback with red dirt and small plants
Australian outback with red dirt and small plants
Australian outback with red dirt and small plants
Mount Davidson in the distance. Because of its remote location, the Tanami Desert is home to among the purist dingoes in Australia, with almost no genetic evidence of interbreeding with domestic dogs. Better yet, the dingoes at Mount Davidson exist far from any current human activity and must therefore make a more 'natural' living off of bush tucker.
Our final day of sampling in the Tanami took us to the area surrounding Sangsters Bore, which is of genuine personal and conservation significance. In 1958, Tom's father Alan, a renowned Australian ecologist and expert on dingoes and other denizens of the Red Centre, discovered a remnant population of Mala (rufous hare-wallaby, Lagorchestes hirsutus), which at the time were believed to be extinct. The site of this momentous find was a large sand dune (below, behind me), rare for the region and sporting distinctive vegetation. The reason why Mala held on at this peculiar dune while being wiped out by feral cat and fox predarion elsewhere remains a mystery.
Aaron Wirsing standing among small plants in Australian outback
Later, beginning in 1980, other scientists returned to the dune site to initiate a last-ditch Mala rescue operation. Working out of this lonely caravan and surrounded by seemingly endless (albeit enchantingly beautiful) desert, they captured the last few Mala to start a captive breeding effort that continues to this day. Today, no Mala live in the wild on the Australian mainland, though small reintroduced populations do exist on a few offshore islands (e.g., in Shark Bay). All that remains of their memory in the Tanami is contained inside the caravan, in which you can still find a white board tallying the biologists' final efforts to eradicate foxes.
Trailer in Australian outback among small plants
Australian outback with red dirt and small plants
Australian outback with red dirt, termite mounds, and small plants
Whiteboard with notes about fox sightings
At the conclusion of our Tanami endeavor, we were seen off by another desert sunset.
Australian outback with red dirt, termite mounds, and small plants
Sunset with colorful clouds on the Australian outback
With my Australian sojourn winding down, I shifted into tourist mode and spent a few days south of Alice Springs visiting iconic Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. On the way, we passed by Mount Connor, a formation so often mistaken for Uluru that it has been dubbed "Fooluru".
Cloudy day on Australian outback with red dirt and Uluru in the background
Mount Connor is indeed impressive, but it pales in comparison to Uluru. Uluru, or Ayers Rock, is the world's largest "cleanskin" rock and among the oldest rocks in existence. Rising majestically out of surprisingly verdant surroundings, it is utterly mesmerizing. For me, Uluru is among a very small number of places that are truly unique and special. I cannot wait to return, in particular because cloudy weather robbed me of prime sunset and sunrise viewing.
The red rock formation of Uluru in the Australian outback
Behold, Uluru! Thank goodness for "panoramic" mode. The hike around its base is 10.6 km, and an absolutely must for all lovers of adventure.
Less appreciated but just as stunning, Kata Tjuta (sometimes called "The Olgas") offers better hiking and one absolutely breathtaking overlook (#2). The cloudy weather may have diminished the area's myriad colors, but neither the rocks' splendor nor my enjoyment.
Red rock formations at Kata Tjuta in the Australian outback
The view from the second overlook at Kata Tjuta (right). The hike to its top is challenging, but well worth the effort. Further improving the experience, I had the park virtually to myself. Accordingly, I was able to freely photograph my surroundings and wore out both of my cameras. Haven't gone that crazy since a trip to Glacier NP back in the early 2000s.
Red rock formations with green plants at Kata Tjuta in the Australian outback
Kata Tjuta combines brilliant red rocks, green spinifex, and blue skies. It's paradise.
Aaron among red rock formations at Kata Tjuta in the Australian outback
One the eve of my departure (May 7), I returned to Bondi Beach for one last run along the headlands. Gazing out over the Pacific Ocean at an overlook along the way, I experienced a bittersweet moment, saddened that my unforgettable stay in Australia was coming to a close but also eager to begin the voyage home. Seattle, here I come!
Aaron Wirsing standing at the ocean on a sunny day
Photo of sand and water at Coogee Beach, Australia
Coogee Beach (above). A nearby overlook offered some amazing views (to the right, and below).
Don't worry Brooke, I was wearing a protective hat (the Australian sun is notoriously brutal), but doffed it for this picture because of shadowing. The run took me six kilometers south of Bondi, to nearby Coogee Beach, along a truly majestic stretch of coastline.
Photo of white Coogee Pavilion building
Photo of buildings and trees along Australian coastline
Photo of view along Australian coast with people and buildings in the background
Well folks, that's all. See you back in the office!
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Join us at the Graduate Student Symposium, March 4

2/25/2016

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by: Apryle Craig

The 2016 Graduate Student Symposium (GSS) is coming up on Friday, March 4 in the Forest Club Room (AND 207). We have four presenters from our lab. The preliminary presentation times are listed below, but please check with coordinators day-of to confirm times:

11:30am, Shannon Kachel
Snow leopards, wolves and the ecology of fear on the roof of the world

1:30pm Apryle Craig
Wolves, deer, & fear: how top predators shape prey behaviors

3:45pm Christine Phelan
Terrain tactics: topography-dependent vigilance in deer

4:45pm Clint Robins
Investigating the role of managed landscapes in cougar foraging ecology along the urban-wildland gradient of western Washington

Open to the public and everyone in the SEFS community, GSS is a friendly gathering to share student work and hone presentation skills. As is tradition, the symposium will be followed by a Dead Elk party—the perfect opportunity to discuss the presentations and posters over food and drinks.


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Snow leopard ecology study is (finally) underway with historic collaring

11/4/2015

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​By Shannon Kachel
Two researchers fitting a snow leopard with a tracking collar in a rocky area
Photo Credit: R. Kulenbekov/Panthera/Kaiberen/NCMRD/SAEF/NAS/UW/SU
I'm excited and relieved to check in once again from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. This time I'm on my way home to Seattle. I return far from empty-handed, bringing non-invasive genetic samples of wolves, snow leopards and brown bears, as well as thousands of camera trap photos for some unfortunate undergraduates to plow through, and most significantly, for the next 20 months, five daily updates on the movements of F1, a 38 kg female snow leopard, who my partners and I at Panthera fit with a GPS collar, and by so doing kicked off our study of the ecological and behavioral dynamics among snow leopards, wolves and their shared prey. This was a first here in Kyrgyzstan, and came only as the result of months (and in some cases years) of dedication from an entire team of individuals from all over the world. With this hurdle behind us, we can finally get to the gnitty-gritty of the day to day science that will help us to understand and conserve this enigmatic species and the high mountains ecosystems it calls home. 
Snow leopard approaching camera in mountain area
Collection of snares on the ground
Paw print in dirty snow
Bear walking through snowy area in mountains
Ungulate parent and infant in rocky mountain area
Wold walking along path in mountain area
Photo Credit: Panthera/Kaiberen/NCMRD/SAEF/NAS/UW/SU
My collaborators and I will use camera traps and fecal genetics to estimate a range of population parameters for both wolves and snow leopards in a spatially explicit context - we will literally map the density of these animals as a changing variable across the study area, almost like a heat map in a weather forecast. Then, like any other landscape covariate, we can compare numerical patterns with the behavioral observations of our collared animals (again in a spatially explicit context). Behavior in turn will help us create maps of potential or naïve predation risk to ungulates based on the hunting and kill rates we observe. Taken together, these behavioral and numerical insights will help us to predict, test and understand patterns in prey behavior and numbers, as well as those of both carnivores. In an applied context, this information has potential prescriptive value to reduce carnivore-human conflicts and to identify key habitat components and configurations necessary for high mountain predators to survive. 
Heat map of area.
Heat map of area.
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Deer Behavior Internship: Winter 2016 Quarter

11/2/2015

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By: Apryle Craig

Project Background: In northeast Washington, mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) may be trading off food and safety due to increased risk of predation from naturally recolonizing gray wolves (Canis lupus). Increased vigilance and the subsequent decrease in time spent foraging may lead to differences in fitness between groups or changes in impacts to vegetation communities as a result of trophic cascade. To test this hypothesis, my research team outfitted deer with video collars that record their behavior from their point of view. 

Job Description: The Deer Behavior Intern will review video clips from the deer collars and record vigilance, foraging, group size, habitat variables, and other key characteristics in an Excel spreadsheet. The intern may have the opportunity to assist with other related projects in the lab as time permits. Reviewing the videos can be tedious and requires high attention to detail. An example of a video can be seen below. 

Time Commitment: The intern will work 4-6 hours per week, on-site at our lab in Winkenwerder Hall at the University of Washington for the duration of the UW winter quarter (Approx Jan 4-March 11). Preferred schedule is 2-3 hours on Mondays and 2-3 hours on Wednesdays. Exact start and end date is flexible and weekly schedule is flexible (if you’re only available Tuesdays/Thursdays, don’t let that stop you from applying). Although the position is unpaid, independent study credit is available for UW students. 
​

To apply: Please email your resume to apryle [ at ] uw dot edu, and include Deer Behavior Internship in the subject of the email. No cover letter necessary. In your email, please tell me what you hope to get out of the internship and what your preferred times are for Mondays and Wednesdays (or propose 2 other days and times). Thanks!
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Fires and vegetation study

10/31/2015

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By: Apryle Craig

This summer, fires cut our field season short and threatened some of the vegetation plots we installed. While these possible impacts to our research were a concern, they were overshadowed by our concern to for lives, property, and livelihoods of the communities impacted. 

Since the fires subsided, I was able to assess the impacts of the fire to the study. Some sites were highly impacted, others remained untouched. Many of the fences remained in place but will need reinforcing. The sites that were impacted by fire can no longer be included in the study in the same way. The plants may grow differently in the burned areas compared to unburned areas. I may use these sites to study the impacts of grazing on a fire-impacted landscape. 

The natural world is always changing. It's one of the exciting and challenging facets of studying ecology.
Fence through dry wooded area with trees
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Studying reef shark ecology in Tetiaroa

9/8/2015

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By Aaron Wirsing
This past August, I once again joined colleagues from Florida International University and the Tetiaroa Society to learn more about the ecology of reef sharks in Tetiaroa, a remote French Polynesian atoll. Specifically, along with FIU biologists Kirk Gastrich and Jimmy Kilfoil, I deployed baited remote underwater video cameras, or BRUVs, to monitor the presence and behavior of blacktip reef (Carcharhinus melanopterus) and sicklefin lemon (Negaprion acutidens) sharks throughout Tetiaroa's inner lagoon. Some of our BRUVs detected lots of shark activity (e.g., see the video posted below of a blacktip investigating one of our baits). Ultimately, we'll use the data we collected over two weeks to model when and where these shark species are active in the lagoon. In future years, we hope to expand our BRUV work to Tetiaroa's outer reef, where the ocean is much deeper and we might detect more and larger shark species. For now, we thank the Seeley family for their generous support of our research in Tetiaroa and encourage you to stay tuned for more findings! 
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Installing deer exclosures

8/20/2015

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by: Apryle Craig

This summer, I started installing deer exclosures to investigate the impact of wolves on plant communities in Northeastern Washington. 
Researchers measuring plants near a fence in wooded area
Paris measures a shrub while David records data inside a deer exclosure.
Each fenced exclosure plot is paired with a nearby unfenced plot. The only differences between these two plots is the exclusion of deer, so the unfenced plot acts as a control plot to assess what the plants would be like in the absence of herbivory. Using this paired plot design in wolf-recolonized and wolf-absent areas, I can compare vegetation characteristics including plant height, species composition, percent cover, and age class.
Researchers constructing a deer exclosure fence in wooded area
Emily and Alex build a deer exclosure to study plant communities.
Some studies have shown that the presence of predators may cause prey species to be less sedentary. When deer or other large herbivores move around more, the herbivory is dispersed and vegetation does not get browsed heavily in one spot. Alternatively, the risk of predation may have lead to concentrated herbivory if the presence of wolves causes deer to spend more time in "safe spots" such as near roads. If deer remain in one spot, the herbivory is concentrated and vegetation may become overbrowsed. In both of these two scenarios wolves could have an indirect effect on the plants by altering the behavior of their prey. A third possibility is that wolves may alter the behavior of deer, but those changes are not having any impacts on the vegetation community. 

The fences are approximately 36 square meters and 6 feet tall, with a small gap at the bottom to allow smaller animals to pass through.
Researcher measuring plants in wooded area
Ali measures the height of a snowberry bush.
Along with my team of volunteers this summer, we were able to install 21 sites across our study areas. 
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Another summer of brown bear research in Bristol Bay

7/23/2015

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by Aaron Wirsing

For the fourth year running, I've joined professor Tom Quinn (SAFS) at Lake Aleknagik in southwestern Alaska to sample brown bears exploiting the legendary Bristol Bay sockeye salmon run. Our study is noninvasive, relying on barbed wires strung across small spawning streams (see picture) to collect hair samples from passing bears. We then send the hair samples to Professor Lisette Waits, another of our collaborators at the University of Idaho, for individual genoptying, enabling us to determine how many bears use each stream. As we add more years to the investigation, we'll be able to ask a variety of exciting questions, including whether individual bears return to the same stream each year and if there is matrilineal transmission of foraging behavior (i.e., do cubs match the spatial hunting patterns of their mothers?). For now, we're off to check the wires!
Aaron Wirsing running barbed wire across a stream to collect animal hair samples
Photo by Dean Adams
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Interested in supporting our wolf research?

7/1/2015

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Picture
By Aaron Wirsing

The Washington Wolf Project is now entering its fourth year! This winter, beginning in December, we'll again be collaring deer to monitor their responses to recolonizing wolves. We'll also be testing whether the presence of wolves in eastern Washington is shaping the impacts of deer herbivory on plant communities and easing predation on fawns by suppressing coyotes (a major fawn predator). 

For the first time, you can help us to understand the ecological and economic impacts of wolves here in Washington through tax-deductible donations to a University of Washington gift account that is specific to our lab. Your contributions will be used exclusively to support graduate student research in field. For example, gift funds will support aerial helicopter captures of mule and white-tailed deer for GPS and camera collar deployment, the analysis of wolf scat samples so that we can determine what the wolves have been eating, and the purchase of GPS collars for cougars so that we can monitor responses of these top feline predators to the renewed presence of wolves. We thank you for your support!

Graduate student Carolyn Shores and her research assistant Christina Bankert out monitoring radio-collared deer fawns (photo by A. Wirsing).
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