We are seeking candidates for a post-doctoral position of 12 months for studying inter-individual variation in ranging behaviour of black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus) on the Haida Gwaii archipelago, BC, Canada. The general aim of the project is to use intensive monitoring at distance with GPS collar technology to identify how individuals vary in their response to environmental heterogeneity and, in particular, with respect to the behavioural trade-off between resource acquisition and risk avoidance.
The post will be based in the CEFS-INRA (Toulouse) under the supervision of Mark Hewison and Nicolas Morellet, but the person will also interact frequently with Jean-Louis Martin and Simon Chamaillé at the CEFE-CNRS (Montpellier) in the context of the ongoing ANR funded project “BAMBI” which aims to understand the mechanisms underlying the observation that large herbivores living in risk-free environments appear able to thrive even in severely resource-depleted habitat by limiting the costs of anti-predator behaviours.
The post-doctoral post will exploit the substantial data set accumulated since the beginning of the project through the GPS collaring of over 30 individual deer on three islands of the archipelago with marked contrasts in terms of the balance between risk and resource availability. This data set includes data on movements (monitored at two temporal scales) and activity of the deer, coupled with detailed information on the distribution of resources (habitat map, vegetation sampling), deer density and behaviour through direct observation (e.g. vigilance). By comparing patterns of variation in behaviour of deer across contrasting environmental contexts, between day and night, and in response to an experimental manipulation of risk on one island (through hunting), the post-doc will analyse how individuals differ in their behavioural tactics (e.g. habitat selection) for solving the risk-resource trade-off. By exploiting the availability of detailed individual-level information, we hope to be able to explore the inter-relationships among different facets of behaviour (ranging, activity, vigilance, stress) and so identify a risk management syndrome in this large herbivore.
Candidates should have a recent PhD in animal ecology and/or behaviour, preferably with experience of handling large spatially explicit data sets, and an interest in movement ecology. Experience with GIS and/or analysis of GPS data would be a considerable asset. The person selected will have good personal skills to facilitate working in collaboration with both partner organisations. The position is scheduled to start in the autumn of 2013.
Candidates should contact either Mark Hewison (05 61 28 51 23, Mark.Hewison@toulouse.inra.fr) or Nicolas Morellet (Nicolas.Morellet@toulouse.inra.fr) for more information.