Thesis (M.S.)--University of Montana, 2007. / Title from PDF title page (viewed Aug. 28, 2007). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Alberta, 2010. / Title from pdf file main screen (viewed on July 15, 2010). A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Montana, 2007. / Title from title screen. Description based on contents viewed Aug. 19, 2008. Includes bibliographical references (p. 173-190).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Victoria, 1998. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 94-103).

Thesis (M.Sc.)--York University, 2004. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 81-88). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pMQ99335

Senescence is an intricate, multifaceted process that can vary among populations, individuals, and traits within individuals. However, the relative importance of factors generating observed differences in senescence patterns remains poorly understood. In particular, there is a lack of studies that quantify both age-dependent and state dependent components of senescence, and do so across different environmental conditions. Also, few studies have explicitly tested cumulative reproductive costs, or how early-life conditions like maternal age and state at offspring birth affect offspring adult phenotypes and senescence trajectories. I use individual-based long-term data from wild yellow-bellied marmots, to quantify chronological (age-dependent) and biological (state-dependent) senescence in female reproductive success and season-specific body mass across two different elevational environments. Since previous reproductive history could influence biological age, I also estimate costs of previous short-term and cumulative long-term reproduction on females' current reproductive success. Finally, I test whether maternal age and state at daughter birth affect daughter reproduction and senescence. I demonstrate complex senescence patterns in body mass and reproductive success. First, senescence in body mass has both age-dependent and state-dependent components, and effects are greater at lower elevation than higher elevation and greater in late summer than in spring. Second, at both elevations, females that reproduced frequently and weaned large litters in previous years have reduced current reproductive probability, while there are no short-term effects of previous reproduction. Finally, higher chronological age and closer proximity to death of the mother have positive environment-dependent effects on daughter reproductive trajectories. Overall, my findings reveal the need to investigate senescence patterns across multiple environments and over long time periods to allow capturing certain intra-individual and inter-generational effects. The persistence of maternal effects into daughters' adult lives highlights the complexity of life-history trade-offs, and calls for more studies that consider such long-term transgenerational effects when studying life-history variation and senescence in wild populations.

When to reproduce for the first time is a key question in evolutionary ecology. Indeed, age at first reproduction has clear impacts on population dynamics and fitness. Breeding early in life may impair survival due to a resource allocation trade-off between survival, growth, and reproduction. Postponing reproduction, however, reduces reproductive opportunities and increases the chances of dying before reproducing. Here, I investigate the consequences of age at first reproduction on both survival and lifetime reproductive success by using long-term monitoring data of a population of yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventer) at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (Colorado, USA). Mixed models were employed to analyze the relationships between age at first reproduction in females and their lifetime reproductive success, as well as three survival components: longevity, the number of years after first reproduction, and annual survival probability. The results showed that postponing reproduction until 2 years of age increased longevity, but delaying it beyond 2 years did not yield additional survival benefits. Females reproducing for the first time after 3 years exhibited high rates of actuarial senescence. Furthermore, delaying first reproduction beyond 3 years old did not lead to a compensatory increase in lifetime reproductive success that would offset the reduction in survival associated with postponing first reproduction. These results suggest that the optimal age at first reproduction, in terms of survival and reproductive success, is 2 years. The reproductive strategy might be governed by body condition or environmental factors. These findings shed light on the trade-offs between early reproduction and survival, as well as reproductive success, illustrating the complexity of reproductive strategies in relation to individual fitness.

Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka begreppet hälsa bland kvinnliga georgiska internflyktingar (Internal Displaced People, IDP). Detta är en empirisk studie med en kvalitativ metod som bygger på semi-strukturerade intervjuer. Sammanlagt sju IDP kvinnor i staden Zugdidi i Georgien deltog. Dataanalysen var inspirerad av Burnard's (1991) innehållsanalys, och resulterade i två kategorier: 1) Upplevelsen av kontroll med underrubrikerna Social situation, Familj och Avsaknad av pengar och 2) Upplevelsen av identitet med underrubrikerna Ursprung, Anpassningsförmåga och Självkänsla. Dessa är alla avgörande faktorer för att deltagarna skall kunna leva ett liv med värdighet och kontroll; båda viktiga faktorer för hälsan. Marmots teori om sociala bestämningsfaktorer för hälsa har influerat dataanalys och kategorisering. Ytterligare studier i detta ämne skulle vara av värde för att vägleda sjukvården i hur man bättre kan arbeta förebyggande samt möta behoven hos kvinnliga internflyktingar samt internationella flyktingar. / The aim of this study was to examine the health concept of Georgian female IDP´s. This is an empirical study with a qualitative approach based on semi-structured interviews. In total seven IDP women in the city of Zugdidi in Georgia participated. The data analysis was inspired by Burnard’s (1991) content analysis, and resulted in two categories: 1) The experience of Control with the sub-headings Social Situation, Family and Lack of money and 2) The experience of Identity with the sub-headings Origin, Ability to cope and Self-worth. These are all crucial factors for the participants to lead a life with dignity and in control, which are important for having health. Marmot’s theory on social determinants of health has influenced the data analysis and categorization. Further studies on this subject would be of value to guide the healthcare system in how to better prevent and meet the needs of female IDP’s and refuges.

Comprendre l'impact des changements globaux sur la dynamique des populations animales représente un enjeu sociétal majeur pour favoriser le maintien de la biodiversité. Le milieu de montagne permet de travailler sur de petites communautés d'herbivores à forte valeur patrimoniale, cynégétique ou emblématique. Il s'agit en effet d'un milieu en pleine mutation depuis plusieurs décennies à cause de la déprise agricole et du développement récent de l'écotourisme et des activités humaines récréatives. Ces changements ont conduit à l'aménagement et à la modification de nombreux habitats. Par ailleurs, le milieu montagnard est fortement saisonnier et semble particulièrement sensible au changement global actuel. L'effet des changements climatiques récents reste pourtant encore mal évalué. L'augmentation de la température moyenne des 30 dernières années est susceptible de modifier la dynamique des ressources disponibles pour les herbivores, mais aussi la chronologie d'accès à ces ressources, notamment à travers la diminution du couvert neigeux en hiver et sa fonte accélérée au printemps. L'objectif de cette thèse est donc d'évaluer l'effet des variables climatiques locales et globales sur les traits d'histoire de vie des herbivores de montagne, principalement à travers l'exemple de la marmotte alpine (Marmota marmota), un mammifère social et hibernant. Ce travail a permis de mieux appréhender les mécanismes d'action du climat sur la démographie des espèces de montagne, mais aussi de mettre en évidence le déclin continu d'une population de marmottes Alpines, dans les Alpes françaises, depuis les années 1990. Il pourrait ainsi servir de base pour établir les règles de gestion de cette espèce emblématique, et maintenir une forte biodiversité dans les écosystèmes de montagne / Natural systems responses to global change are of major concern for human societies to maintain high species diversity. Mountains, and particularly alpine climate, offer the opportunity to work with small mammalian herbivore communities, with a strong patrimonial, hunting or emblematic value. Since the last decades, mountains are indeed facing major changes, due to the loss of agricultural lands and the recent development of ecotourism and human recreational activities. Those changes have modified natural habitats and their management planning a lot. Additionally, alpine climate is strongly seasonal and seem particularly sensitive to the actual global change. However, the recent impact of climate change on species and natural habitats is still under-evaluated. The increase in the average global temperature of the last 30 years could modify resources dynamics for a wide variety of species. The availability of resources, but also the chronology of access to these resources, for example through the decrease of snow cover in winter and its accelerated thaw in spring, is of crucial importance for herbivore populations. The aim of this thesis is therefore to evaluate the potential role of local and global climatic factors on life history traits of mountain herbivores, mostly through the example of the alpine marmot (Marmota marmota), a social and hibernating mammal. This work allowed us to better understand the mechanisms underlying the effect of climate change on mountain mammal population dynamics and demography; but also to highlight the continuous decline of an alpine marmot population in the French Alps since the 90s. Conservation strategies and practices could thus arise from this work, in order to maintain biodiversity in mountainous ecosystems