An animal's ability to move influences every aspect of its behavior, ecology, and evolution. At the most superficial level, locomotion is the ability of an animal to interact with its medium. However, locomotion is made possible by a complex set of well timed processes that include the ability to convert metabolic energy to mechanical work, the response loops used to react to external feedback, and the structures used to interact with the environment. Each of these processes is constrained by the fundamental laws of physics and chemistry, but is also the target of strong selective pressure because any failure can be fatal. I am interested in questions that look at the physical limitations of size and shape, and the real-world consequences of locomotor performance during high-stakes behavior in aquatic, aerial, and terrestrial organisms. My research interests include the following questions:
D. Cade
1) How do size and shape influence aquatic maneuvering performance?
In spite of their enormous size, whales make their living as the world's largest predators. To catch their much smaller, more maneuverable prey, they have developed several unique locomotor strategies that require high energetic input, high mechanical power output, and a surprising degree of agility. Using non-invasive, suction-cup attached bio-loggers outfitted with accelerometers, magnetometers, and gyroscopes we can analyze maneuvering performance across several axes of motion. Understanding how cetaceans move across different geographic and temporal scales will help us understand how marine mammal populations are responding to changing environmental and climatic conditions. In collaboration with the
Goldbogen Lab at Stanford University, the University of Pretoria
Whale Unit, the
Fortune Lab at Dalhousie University, the
Kahane-Rapport Lab at Old Dominion University, and many others.
P. Segre
2) How are vertebrate populations in Northeast Wisconsin responding to a changing landscape? The UWGB campus is situated in the Wisconsin Tension Zone, where the mixed forests of the Northwoods meet the broadleaf forests of the south. This area is characterized by a patchwork of ecosystems and land uses, and represents a landscape undergoing tremendous change. On one hand, the temperature is warming, developed areas are expanding, and vehicular traffic is increasing. On the other hand, industrial contamination is being cleaned up, new natural reserves are being established, and degraded habitats are being restored. UWGB manages over 1,400 acres of protected areas in Northeast Wisconsin, spanning a range of ecosystems and conservation statuses. My students use active (bird banding, point counts, geotrackers, baited monitoring stations) and passive (camera traps, acoustic recorders, habitat surveys) field techniques to monitor populations of birds, amphibians, and mammals. Although the projects vary considerably in scope, they all examine how local animal populations are adapting to anthropogenic change. In collaboration with the Cofrin Center for Biodiversity, conservation NGOs, government agencies, and other local stakeholders.
M. Wendt
3) How do avian raptors move through habitats and landscapes, and how does this affect migratory patterns, reproduction, and survival? The westerly winds and western shore of Lake Michigan act as a funnel for migratory raptors who do not generally travel over open water. Therefore, during the spring and fall, Wisconsin is a critical migratory corridor for eagles, hawks, falcons, owls, and vultures. Although some species just pass through, other species stop and nest in the region's forests. In addition to maintaining the UWGB peregrine falcon nest box, my students use a range of banding and geotracking techniques to understand the migratory and breeding behaviors of resident and non-resident raptor species. In collaboration with the Cedar Grove Ornithological Research Station and other local stakeholders.
B. Goller
4) What is the relationship between morphology, physiology, maneuverability, and competitive success? Maneuverability, or the ability to change speed and direction, is thought to play an important role in competition, courtship, hunting and foraging, territory defense, escape from predation, and a variety of other behaviors. However, since maneuverability is rapid, dynamic and difficult to quantify, the mechanical and physiological basis for maneuvering performance is not well understood. My research on hummingbird maneuverability has used automated video tracking to demonstrate that: 1) individual maneuvering performance is directly related to the ability of the muscles to produce burst, anaerobic power; 2) as elevation increases, the ability to translate muscular power to aerodynamic power is reduced by the lower air density; and 3) across species of tropical hummingbirds, differential ability to produce burst muscular force results in different maneuvering capabilities. In collaboration with the Altshuler Lab at the University of British Columbia and the Dakin Lab at Carleton University
P. Segre
5) How do juvenile birds manage the trade-offs associated with growth and development while transitioning from terrestrial to aerial locomotion? During their fledgling stages juvenile birds undergo rapid physiological, neurological, and kinematic development as they transition from hindlimb dominated to forelimb dominated locomotor strategies. The length of this developmental period varies widely across species with different evolutionary lineages and life history strategies across the altricial-precocial spectrum. My research focuses on the kinematic and behavioral strategies that different species use to negotiate this critical life stage, both in a controlled laboratory environment and in their natural habitat. These types of studies on avian locomotor development for escape, foraging, and dispersal may explain much about the diversity of adult avian phenotypes. In collaboration with the University of Montana Flight Lab.
