Baptiste Brault
Université de Sherbrooke
Ph.D. candidate
Supervisor: Fanie Pelletier
Andreas Zedrosser, University of South-Eastern Norway
Start: 2023-08-28
Ph.D. candidate
Supervisor: Fanie Pelletier
Andreas Zedrosser, University of South-Eastern Norway
Start: 2023-08-28
Project
The effects of climate change on hibernation and life history traits of the brown bearClimate change has a profound impact on habitats, forcing wildlife to adapt and modifying their behavior. It is crucial to determine whether long-lived animals can respond rapidly to environmental changes. For the brown bear, a species adapted to harsh winters, rising temperatures can alter its hibernation behavior, with implications for population dynamics and interactions with humans. In my research project, my objective is to study the evolution of den entry and emergence dates for brown bears in Sweden over the past 20 years in response to temperature increases. I aim to quantify the effects of these changes on the physical condition of female bears and cubs, taking into account individual differences such as den type and reproductive status. The second objective of this project is to estimate den entry and emergence dates for ten European populations of brown bears. This will help identify the temperature threshold at which bears begin to rely on hibernation to survive the winter and evaluate the consequences of this hibernation adaptation on the life history traits of brown bears.
