Taiwan boasts rich biodiversity and considerable variation in landscape, despite its small geographic size. Small mammals, specifically rodents, are widespread across the island, vary in traits, and can be problematic for agriculture. Therefore, they are apt model species for behavioral ecology and agronomy research. Rodents are equipped with antipredator defenses, which includes the ability to discriminate predator odors and modify their behavior to avoid potentially fatal encounters. How different species respond to risk may also vary between species, and these mechanisms may be linked to physiological, morphological and life history traits. In this talk, I will introduce the research from my PhD where I examined the behavioral responses of small mammals to different risk cues in both laboratory and field settings. Additionally, I investigated the perceived pest severity and functional role of rodents in agricultural systems with the use of a social survey.

The Natural Resources & Environmental Studies Institute (NRESi) at UNBC hosts a weekly lecture series at the Prince George campus. Anyone from the university or wider community with interest in the topic area is welcome to attend. Presentations are also made available to remote participants through Zoom Webinar. Go to http://www.unbc.ca/nres-institute/colloquium-webcasts to view the presentation remotely.

Past NRESi colloquium presentations and special lectures can be viewed on our video archive, available here.