My research interest focus on understanding the behavioural and genetic mechanisms of dispersal and migratory movements. Movement is important evolutionarily and ecologically because it manifests itself as biodiversity through the redistribution of populations, and thus alleles, in space and time. Most mechanisms linked with movement come from studies on morphological and physiological traits, however, far less is known about the genetic components that are involved. I use the fruit fly to study behavioural mechanisms underlying dispersal in the field and implement a combination of experimental approaches in the laboratory and the field to study the functional genes that underlie these types of movements. I also apply my interest in movement ecology to conservation biology. I collaborate with Ontario Nature and the Nature Conservancy of Canada on the cryptic and endangered Queensnake. Here we address how the movement of the snakes influence their crayfish prey and how the spatial distribution of crayfish limit snake survivorship.
website:
http://aedelsparre.wix.com/research
Publications
Edelsparre, Allan H., Vesterberg, Anders, Lim, Jang H., Anwari, Milad, Fitzpatrick, Mark J. 2014.
Alleles underlying larval foraging behaviour influence adult dispersal in nature. Ecology Letters. 17:
333-339.
Edelsparre, Allan H., McLaughlin, Robert L., Rodriguez, Marco A. 2013. Risk taking not foraging
behaviour predicts dispersal in recently emerged brook char (Salvelinus fontinalis). Ecosphere (online
journal of the Ecological Society of America). 4. Art73: 1-19.
Edelsparre, Allan, H. and Pulfer, Tanya, L. 2014. Where have all the flowers gone: Even common
species are affected by climate change. Ontario Nature: Nature Summer 2014: 8 Invited contribution.
Oral presentations
Edelsparre, Allan, H., McLaughlin, Robert L. and Rodriguez, Marco A. 2012. Risk taking not foraging
behaviour predicts dispersal in recently emerged brook charr (Salvelinus fontinalis). Symposium on the
Behavioural Ecology of Animal Movement. Lund, Sweden.
Edelsparre, Allan H., McLaughlin, Robert L. and Rodriguez, Marco A. 2010. Elements of personality
affect the propensity to disperse. Canadian Conferences for Fisheries Research. Winnipeg, Manitoba,
Canada. Invited speaker.
Edelsparre, Allan H., McLaughlin, Robert L. 2009. Is there a general movement syndrome in young of
the year brook charr? Canadian Conferences for Fisheries Research. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Edelsparre, Allan H., Fitzpatrick, Mark J. and Rodriguez, Marco A. 2014. On the move: How food,
genes, and environmental heterogeneity affect dispersal. Genomes to biomes, Montreal, Quebec.
Edelsparre, Allan H. and Fitzpatrick, Mark J. 2012. A genetic link between foraging tactic and
dispersal. 1st Joint Congress on Evolutionary Biology. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
McLaughlin, Robert L., Edelsparre, Allan H., Rodriguez, Marco A., Wilson, Alex, Farwell, Michelle.
2011. Linking movement and habitat use to personality in fishes. American Fisheries Society. Seattle,
Washington, USA.
Edelsparre, Allan. H., Pulfer, Tanya L., McCarter, Jennifer I., White, Rachel and Lobb, Tom. 2014.
Population dynamics and habitat selection in a rare and cryptic species, Regina septemvittata. Recovery
team meeting, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
McCarter, Jennifer I., Pulfer, Tanya L.,, White, Rachel and A.H. Edelsparre. 2013. Queensnake
population size and habitat selection in the Lower Maitland River Valley. Canadian Amphibian and
Reptile Conservation Network (CARCNET). Orford, Quebec, Canada.
Funding and awards
Zimmerman Weis Award (2014-2015)
Species at Risk Stewardship Fund (2014-2015)
Canadian Wildlife Federation (2012-2013)