Members of the Forest Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour Lab
(a.k.a. "The Nocera Lab")
Current Graduate Students and Staff
Jesse Bellamy
M.Sc. Biology
Co-supervised by Dr. Brian Hayden (UNB Biology)
Jesse is studying the diet of feral and semi-feral cats and estimating the impacts of this on natural populations of rodents and birds. She is taking an isotopic approach to diet discrimination and estimation. A number of agencies are partnered with us in this meaningful research and the results of the study may easily find a future home in policies and regulations.
Patricia Nancekivell
M.Sc. Environmental Management
Patricia is investigating the dietary breadth of aerial insectivore guilds. Specifically, she is asking: Why do the aerial insectivore guilds experience population decline unevenly? That is, why do swallows, swifts, and nightjars decline more steeply than flycatcher species? Using metagenomics (DNA barcoding) she will be examining whether Flycatchers have a greater dietary breadth and migratory flexibility than other guilds.
Meghan Oliver
M.Sc. Environmental Management
Meghan is investigating the breeding dispersal of Bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) after nest failure. She is testing the hypotheses that they remain at the site and try to renest, (ii) that they remain local but only as reproductive floaters, or (iii) they undertake longer distance dispersal and/or begin an early migration. She is using MOTUS radiotags to follow these movements. She is also undertaking a review of the amount of 'critical habitat' in New Brunswick.
Kiirsti Owen
Ph.D. Student
Co-supervised with Mark Mallory at Acadia University
Kiirsti is using wildlife survey data collected over 40+ years, principally from federal government monitoring, but also from diverse provincial government and non-governmental organizations, as well as directed social science research with stakeholder groups to examine changes in bird use of saltmarshes and coastal wetlands through time, changes in site (habitat) quality due to various conservation or agricultural policies, and perspectives from stakeholders on what has enhanced or detracted from the value of these habitats.
Madeline Parlee
M.Sc. Environmental Management
Madee is researching how the biological insecticide "Btk" (used to control spruce budworm) changes avian diet. This biocide is used as part of an Early Intervention Strategy in managing NB's forests. She is capturing individuals of several focal species (budworm-linked warblers) and using DNA metabarcoding to determine diet pre- and post-spray. She is also estimating relative reproductive success in those same sites. Her work is in direct partnership and collaboration with the Healthy Forest Partnership and Natural Resources Canada.
Charlotte Toner
B.Sc. Honours - Environmental Management
Charlote is doing her Honours' research on habitat selection and diet of Bobolinks during the post-breeding staging period. She is especially interested in determining when these birds switch from a primarily insectivorous diet to a granivorous one. Very little is known about Bobolink habitat selection at this stage, and Charlotte's work will set the foundation for further studies.
Dani Warren
M.Sc. Forestry
Co-supervised with Chris Edge at Canadian Forest Service
Dani's research asks: What are the spatiotemporal patterns of co-occurrence of woodpeckers and Eastern Gray Treefrogs (Dryophytes versicolor)? In particular, she seeks to determine the cavity characteristics that Eastern Gray Treefrogs prefer, and which woodpecker species Eastern Gray Treefrogs most associate with (at their northeastern range extent).