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>Ecology Department
Doctoral Research
My primary research efforts involve using DNA and stable isotope analysis to assist in answering the following questions that are relevant to the management and conservation of an omnivorous black bear population in Yosemite National Park.
1) What is the distribution and abundance of black bears that forage on anthropogenic food?
2) How has the percent contribution of anthropogenic food in human-food-conditioned (FC) bears’ diets changed over time due to modifications in human-bear management?
3) Does genetic evidence support the claim that the vertical transmission of FC behavior is passed from female bears to offspring?
4) How does human use affect the distribution and abundance of bears in developed areas?
Other research questions:
Is aversive conditioning an effective management strategy for FC black bears?
Can bears that forage on unnatural foods spilled from trains in Banff National Park be detected using non-invasive sampling and stable isotope analysis? If so, what is the minimum count of bears that feed on these unnatural sources? Do female bears that forage on these foods pass this unnatural foraging behavior to their young?
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