Animal movement patterns provide a rich source of information for examining a wide range of ecological interactions that span ecological scales from foraging behaviors of individuals to the spread of populations across landscapes. I investigated the causes and consequences of consumer movement, from the localized movements of individuals to the patterns of spread of populations across landscapes, using a series of complimentary microcosm experiments with a model consumer-resource system. In chapter one, I conducted a series of experiments designed to test differences in the fine-scale movement characteristics of swimming rotifers under experimental manipulations of local resource and conspecific abundance. Individual turn frequencies increased in resource-rich environments but were unaffected by competitor density. In contrast, individual swimming speeds increased at high competitor densities but were unaffected by resources. I demonstrated how these contrasting behaviors could be integrated to form predictions of population spread under different ecological scenarios. In chapter two, I tested the predictions established in chapter one by directly measuring the rates of spread of many replicate populations of rotifers in one-dimensional environments. Experimental treatments included a wide range of resource and conspecific densities, and starved versus sated rotifers in the presence versus absence of predator chemical cues. Rates of population spread were negatively correlated with resource abundance, especially when conspecific density was high, and rates of spread of both starved and risk-exposed populations were significantly lower than controls. In chapter three, I tested the effect of resource patchiness, conspecific density, and their interaction, on population spread through a two dimensional landscape. I found that rates of population spread decayed over time indicative of a sub-diffusive movement processes explained by positive density-dependent movement responses. Neither the rate of spread nor the magnitude of its decay differed between patchy and evenly distributed resource treatments, despite observed rotifer preferences for patches. These findings suggest that under certain ecological circumstances resource distribution may be less crucial in predicting population spread than density-dependence. Overall, my research demonstrates mechanistic links between the behavioural responses of individuals to their environment and the resulting larger scale phenomena of population-level movement patterns.

4 ANNOTATION The diploma thesis deals with parental behavior and recognition of youngs by two kinds of desert geckos of genus Teratoscincus, specifically T. scincus and T. keyserlingii. The geckos inhabit a very extreme environment where it is not easy to survive, especially for the small hatchlings. Therefore, it is probable that small hatchlings live together with their parents in their territory for some time. If the parents tolerated them inside their territory, they would provide them with an indirect form of parental care. In the first part of the thesis the hypothesis that adults tolerate to the presence of juvenile conspecifics and heterospecifics (Eublepharis macularius) was tested. The main goal was to determine whether adults tolerate juveniles generally or whether they recognize juveniles conspecifics. To support the hypothesis of the adults' tolerance of juveniles the eggs of the adult geckos living in pair were left in their terrarium until the hatching of the juvenile. Further, the reaction of adult geckos to the presence of a E. macularius juvenile (small), admitted into the terrarium, was tested. The aim was to find out whether the two kinds of geckos, preying other geckoes in the nature, show predatory behavior toward the E. macularius. The standard experiment was carried out in the second...

The brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) (Stål) is known for overwintering in human homes. Studies were conducted to understand the behavior of adult bugs in response to characteristics of potential overwintering structures including gap sizes, light, and presence of dead conspecifics. In a test where bugs were placed in increasingly tight boxes, most bugs settled in gaps 4.5 - 5.5 mm high. None settled in a space less than 3.5 mm high. In boxes with constant tightness, bugs tended to move to the back, and primarily settled along walls and in corners. In both box types, bugs tended to turn and face the cavity entrance during settling. In tests of responses of disturbed overwintering bugs to common household light bulbs over the course of a year, bugs were taken from shelters and exposed to lit bulbs. Bug responses were seasonal, with attraction to light bulbs in spring and summer, but little or no consistent response in fall or winter. The lack of response occurred more often at night than in afternoons. Because not all bugs survive the winter, corpses can accumulate. Single shelter-seeking H. halys were found not to respond to the presence of dead aggregations from the previous years unless touch was possible, in which case aggregations were joined. Dead aggregations from the same year had a repellent effect. Presence of a single dead bug from the same year did not provide any survivorship advantage to overwintering bugs. Results suggest possible improvements to trap shelters. / Master of Science in Life Sciences / The brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) is known for overwintering in human homes. This research investigated the responses of these bugs to some characteristics of overwintering structures, including crevice tightness preference, light sources, and dead bugs leftover from previous years. Tightness experiments indicated that bugs in crevices with hard walls prefer to settle in spaces between 4.5 and 5.5 mm high. Bugs also tended to stay on the floor, go back as far as they could, and face the entrance of the crevice. These findings will help improve overwintering box designs for collection and research, and will help pest control professionals focus their efforts. When bugs were disturbed and exposed to common household light bulbs, they tended to move toward the bulbs in late summer and in spring, but responded less in fall and winter, and responded more often in the afternoon than at night. Bugs were also exposed to other dead bugs in several ways. When lone bugs were exposed to groups of dead bugs from previous years, they went to them only if they could touch them. Single dead bugs had less of an impact. Exposure to groups of dead bugs from the same year drove live bugs away. Overwintering brown marmorated stink bugs do not appear to eat other bugs that have recently died. These results suggest several possible improvements to the designs of trap shelters used for research and control.

Zebrafish, a novel vertebrate model organism, has a high nucleotide sequence homology with human genes. Its transparent and fast developing embryo allows the analysis of physiological and anatomical characteristics, many of which are similar to those of mammals. Although the prolific nature of zebrafish can facilitate genetic studies, linking genes and behaviour is difficult because behaviour is not well investigated in zebrafish. The aim of this project is to develop robust behavioural tests that can quantify shoaling with conspecifics and fear responses to natural predators. Eight conditions using different computer-animated stimuli were used to induce behavioural responses. The results demonstrate that shoaling behaviours and fear responses can be successfully induced. More importantly, the behaviours caused by the computer-animated images confirm previous research findings using natural conspecifics and predators. Thus, computer-animated images will help standardize behavioural tests in zebrafish and will lead the way to more sophisticated and better controlled experiments.

Zebrafish, a novel vertebrate model organism, has a high nucleotide sequence homology with human genes. Its transparent and fast developing embryo allows the analysis of physiological and anatomical characteristics, many of which are similar to those of mammals. Although the prolific nature of zebrafish can facilitate genetic studies, linking genes and behaviour is difficult because behaviour is not well investigated in zebrafish. The aim of this project is to develop robust behavioural tests that can quantify shoaling with conspecifics and fear responses to natural predators. Eight conditions using different computer-animated stimuli were used to induce behavioural responses. The results demonstrate that shoaling behaviours and fear responses can be successfully induced. More importantly, the behaviours caused by the computer-animated images confirm previous research findings using natural conspecifics and predators. Thus, computer-animated images will help standardize behavioural tests in zebrafish and will lead the way to more sophisticated and better controlled experiments.

Résumé : En Amérique du Nord, la superficie des monocultures utilisatrices d’intrants tels que des fertilisants et des pesticides couvre aujourd’hui 85 % des surfaces agricoles et autant de pâturages ont disparus en 50 ans afin de répondre aux besoins de l’Homme. Ces changements d’usage des terres ont profondément transformé le paysage et altéré la biodiversité des agro-écosystèmes. Parmi les espèces d’oiseaux champêtres, les insectivores aériens tels l’Hirondelle bicolore, Tachycineta bicolor, ici étudiée, présentent un fort taux de déclin des effectifs, reflétant probablement une dégradation des agro-écosystèmes. Les mécanismes biologiques à l’origine de ce déclin sont encore méconnus ainsi que les patrons de dispersion chez les passereaux migrateurs. Le présent travail vise à étudier les effets environnementaux sur les traits individuels (survie et succès reproducteur) et la dispersion de reproduction (probabilité de disperser et taux d’occupation des sites de reproduction) chez l’Hirondelle bicolore. Pour ce faire, 2200 reproducteurs et 8000 oisillons ont été bagués entre 2004 et 2013 et suivis en reproduction pendant 10 ans sur une aire d’étude au Sud du Québec, laquelle est composée de 40 sites et couvre une mosaïque de paysages agricoles hétérogènes. Le développement d’un nouveau modèle de capture-marquage-recapture, flexible d’utilisation, a permis de réduire les biais d’estimation des probabilités de survie et de dispersion de l’espèce. Cette approche a permis de tester l’effet de plusieurs variables en lien avec la qualité de l’habitat, l’information publique et les caractéristiques individuelles sur la variabilité des paramètres de dispersion, de survie et de succès reproducteur au niveau individuel. Les milieux cultivés intensivement associés à la présence du Moineau domestique, Passer domesticus, un compétiteur pour les cavités de reproduction, diminuaient au maximum de 19 % la survie des mâles. Les femelles étaient quant à elles affectées par le coût de la reproduction, qui était d’autant plus grand en milieu intensif qu’il y avait une présence de moineaux et une disponibilité moindre en ressources alimentaires. Pour autant, la décision de disperser n’était pas affectée par les conditions environnementales que ce soit par la présence de compétiteurs ou la qualité du milieu, et ne dépassait pas les 4 % chez les mâles. Les femelles dispersant jusqu’à 14 fois plus s’appuyaient sur leur expérience personnelle pour décider de disperser. Un échec de reproduction augmentait jusqu’à 7 fois la probabilité de disperser et pour la première fois chez une espèce à courte durée de vie, nous avons montré que la probabilité de disperser était augmentée l’année suivant une première dispersion. Ces patrons de dispersion étaient stables dans le temps. La dispersion semblait donc être un processus coûteux, comparé à la fidélité au site, qui apparaissait comme un phénotype minoritaire dans la population. Elle répondait à des conditions défavorables de reproduction. Enfin, ce travail montre l’utilisation de l’information publique dans la décision de s’établir sur un site généralement fortement dense et productif en jeunes l’année précédente et ce, une fois que la décision de disperser est amorcée. La présence de moineaux et la forte proportion de cultures intensives dans un rayon proche participaient également à ll‘évitement des sites lors de l’établissement. D’après ces résultats, le milieu intensif contribuerait au déclin de l’Hirondelle bicolore. / Abstract : In North America, monoculture areas using high inputs of fertilizers and pesticides cover 85 % of agricultural lands, and as many pastures disappeared in the past 20 years to satisfy human food needs. These land-use changes have deeply transformed landscapes and altered the biodiversity of agro-ecosystems. Among farmland birds, aerial insectivores such as Tree Swallow, Tachycineta bicolor, studied here show a high rate of decline in their abundance, partly reflecting the degradation of agro-ecosystems where they breed. Biological mechanisms leading to the decline and dispersal patterns in migratory passerines are still poorly known. The present work quantifies the environmental effects on Tree Swallow individual traits (survival, reproductive success) and breeding dispersal (probability to disperse and occupation rates of breeding sites). Between 2004 and 2013, 2200 breeders and 8000 chicks were ringed and monitored during 10 breeding seasons on a study area composed of 40 sites and covering a mosaic of heterogeneous agricultural landscapes in southern Québec. The development of a new, flexible capture-mark-recapture model has reduced estimate bias of survival and dispersal probabilities of Tree Swallows. This approach allowed to assess the effect of several variables linked to habitat quality, public information and individual characteristics on dispersal, survival and reproductive success parameters of individuals. Within intensively cultivated landscapes associated to the presence of a nest site competitor, the House sparrow, Passer domesticus, male survival is up to 19 % lower. Females were affected by the cost of reproduction, especially in intensive landscapes where House sparrows and found and where food resources and nest site appear limited. Dispersal probability was not affected by environmental conditions either through the presence of House sparrows or habitat quality, and was restricted to 4 % in males. Females, which dispersed up to 14 times more than males, based their decision on their personal experience. Breeding failure increased up to 7 times the probability to disperse and for the first time in a short-lived species, I show that dispersal likelihood increased if the individual had dispersed in the previous year. These dispersal patterns were stable in time. Dispersal appeared as a costly process compared to site fidelity and was a minority phenotype in the population. It appeared an answer to unfavorable condition for reproduction. Finally, this work shows the use of public information (partners density, fledglings productivity the previous year) on the decision to settle on a site and this, after the dispersal decision had been initiated. The presence of House sparrows and the proportion of intensive areas near nest boxes were used as information to select a breeding site. Based on these findings, agricultural intensification likely plays a role in the decline of Tree swallow populations.