Ongoing projects

Integrating telomeres and nutrition to the Pace-of-Life syndrome hypothesis in the Eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus)

Understanding the diversity of aging patterns and life history strategies is of key interest in evolutionary ecology. The Pace-of-Life (POL) Syndrome hypothesis posits that life-history, physiological and behavioral traits have co-evolved and mediate the trade-offs between current and future reproduction (or survival), explaining the diversity of strategies observed. A slow Pace Of Life (POL) is characterized by a slow growth rate, late reproduction, low fecundity and prolonged lifespan. At the other extreme, a fast POL is represented by fast growth, early reproduction, high fecundity and short lifespan.

In Southern Québec, Eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus) usually reproduce in spring, after the production of beechnuts in the fall, and wean their pups in summer (spring cohort). However, they can also reproduce in summer, in anticipation of beechnut abundance (summer cohort). Recent studies on this population of chipmunks suggest the existence of a fast POL in individuals from the summer cohort and a slow pace of life in individuals from the spring cohort.

In this project, we seek to :

1) improve our understanding of what determines the anticipative summer reproduction, especially the role of red maple consumption and its high content in vitamin B3;

2) integrate telomeres (the protective caps of chromosome, known to be involved in aging and considered as good markers of life-expectancy) to the POLS hypothesis.

Publications #13 and #17 here

>> Advisors: Patrick Bergeron (Ubishops), Denis Réale (UQAM) and Dany Garant (Université de Sherbrooke).

>> Co-supervised student on the project: Jimmy Allain is studying how age at primiparity influences reproductive senescence in male and female chipmunks

Key micronutrients and bee performance: consequences of corn monocultures and benefits of sunflower for wild bees

Malnutrition is increasingly thought to be one of the leading causes in the decline of pollinators worldwide. It is aggravated by the generalization of crop monocultures, which constrain many pollinator species to monotonous diets. Corn, even though it is mostly considered as wind-pollinated, can be an intensively used pollen resource for honey bee colonies but also for wild bees. Despite this, we are still lacking information on the effects of corn pollen, and more specifically on how deficiencies in essential amino acids (EAAs) and vitamins in this crop might affect bee health, cognition, behavior, reproduction, survival and ultimately colony growth. Given that corn is the main crop grown on a global scale, often associated to massive monocultures, studying how it can affect pollinators from a nutritional perspective is of key concern in ecology. Specifically, we are:

1) Investigating the effects of deficiencies in tryptophan and vitamin B3 caused by consumption of corn pollen on the buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)

>> Collaboration with Mathieu Lihoreau (CRCA, Toulouse, France)

>> People involved: Tamara Gomez (Post-doc), Stéphane Kraus (PhD candidate) Johanna Conhoc (Master 1 student), Tristan Martin (Master 1 student), Audrey Baylet (Master 2 student), Maxime Choblet (Master 2 student)

Publication #18 here.

2) Studying the benefits of sunflower pollen for bumblebee performance and health in Southern Quebec

>> Advisor: Valérie Fournier (ULaval, Canada)

>> Collaboration with Frédéric McCune (ULaval, Canada), Geneviève Labrie (CRAM, Canada), Lynn Adler (UMass, USA), Marc Bélisle (U. Sherbrooke, Canada) and Joany Brodeur (producer, l'Arôme des Champs)

Improving the success of restocking programs for the European hamster (Cricetus cricetus)

Populations of European hamsters are declining since the 90s. Despite the implementation of conservation programs that have allowed to slower-down the decline, populations are still not recovering.

In France, the species has lost about 94% of its range in the past decades.

While work is ongoing to improve the habitat of the species (read more here), there is also a need to improve the success of restocking programs, that are implemented for 2 decades now. Every year, captive-bred hamsters are released in unharvested fields, in collaboration with farmers and the French Office of Biodiversity (OFB). However, the success of these release remain very low.

Julie Fleitz is doing her PhD project on this thematic. She is co-supervised by Yves Handrich (IPHC) and myself. Her main aim is to provide solutions to improve the survival and reproduction of captive-bred hamsters after their release. By combining experiments on anti-predatory responses in captive facilities, a pre-release phase in a 0.3 ha mesocosms mimicking wild conditions, she aims at refining the protocole of release, in collaboration with the OFB, as part of the National Plan of Action to preserve the species in France.

>> Collaborations and persons involved: Charlotte Kourkgy & Julien Eidenschenck (OFB), Anouk Aubry & Lorène Garnier (IPHC), Jonathan Jumeau (Conseil Départemental du Bas-Rhin)

Previous projects

Conservation biology of the European hamster (Cricetus cricetus)

The European hamster (Cricetus cricetus), a food-hoarding and hibernating rodent mostly found in farmlands, is on the verge of extinction in Western-Europe. Despite the implementation of conservation programs since the 90s, populations have not recovered and the decline continues. My PhD, done under the supervision of Caroline Habold and Yves Handrich (University of Strasbourg-CNRS, France) as part of the LIFE ALISTER program, had two main objectives:

1) Investigating the nutritional values of crops (mainly corn and wheat) for hamsters to find associations of economic and agronomic interests favorable to the species by combining research in the lab, in mesocosms and in agro-ecosystems

Publications #3 #5 and #7 here

2) Reconnecting wild populations by reducing predation and improving the effectiveness of wildlife underpasses

Publications #4, #9 and #11 here

My PhD thesis "Conservation Biology of the European hamster (Cricetus cricetus): nutritional effects of crops on hamsters fitness and evaluation of their antipredatory behavior to upgrade wildlife underpasses." can be found here.

>> Outreach

>> Awarded two PhD prices

Maternal effects and ageing processes

I conducted my MSc under the supervision of Tony D. Williams (SFU, Canada) and François Criscuolo (University of Strasbourg-CNRS, France) on how maternally-derived hormones may shape the phenotype and ageing trajectories of Zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) offspring.

Publications #1 and #2 here