Whitney HallMy research focuses on understanding how climate change and habitat alteration are influencing the distribution, ecology, and conservation of carnivores, with a particular emphasis on species interactions and hybridization dynamics. One of my projects investigates hybridization among gray wolves, eastern wolves, coyotes, and their hybrids across southern Canada. Using genetic data and species distribution models (SDMs), this research aims to identify the environmental and anthropogenic factors influencing current canid distributions and predict how these distributions may shift under future climate change scenarios. This project is especially focused on understanding the implications of increasing admixture among canid populations, including the potential threat to gray wolf genomic integrity as hybridization continues. The goal is to identify areas of elevated hybridization risk, regions that may serve as refugia for genetically distinct wolf populations, and how ongoing environmental change may influence the formation of hybrid swarms in the future. My second project examines the current and future distributions of Canada lynx, bobcats, and snowshoe hares in relation to environmental and anthropogenic factors throughout eastern Canada. This research aims to better understand habitat suitability, areas of potential range overlap, and future changes in ecological interactions among these species. Together, these projects contribute to broader efforts to understand how wildlife populations respond to rapidly changing environments and provide information that can support conservation and management strategies for carnivores and other ecologically important species in Canada.
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