Fisher research

We set out to determine why the fisher had made such a remarkable recovery in Ontario. We have used 2 radio telemetry studies, a genetic study, and assessments of live trapping and fur harvest data. Some aspects of the research are ongoing, but it appears that the fisher recovery has been largely driven by population growth in the southern portions of their range. In particular, we found considerable immigration into Ontario from Adirondack Park. More recently we have used our fisher genetics dataset in the development of landscape genetics analytical methods.

Alumni

Susan Tully, M.Sc. graduate, 2006, Watershed Ecosystems Graduate Program, Trent University

Habitat selection of fishers in an untrapped refugium, Algonquin Provincial Park

Denis Carr, M.Sc. graduate, 2005, Watershed Ecosystems Graduate Program, Trent University

Genetic structure of a recolonizing population of fishers, Martes pennanti

Co-supervised with Dr. Paul J. Wilson

Fisher publications

Garroway, C. J., J. Bowman, and P. J. Wilson. 2011. Using a genetic network to parameterize a landscape resistance surface for fishers, Martes pennanti. Molecular Ecology 20: 3978-3988.

Schulte-Hostedde, A. I., J. Bowman, and K. R. Middel. 2011. Allometry of the baculum and sexual size dimorphism in American martens and fishers (Mammalia: Mustelidae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 104: 955-963.

Garroway, C. J., J. Bowman, D. Carr, and P. J. Wilson. 2008. Applications of graph theory to landscape genetics. Evolutionary Applications 1: 620-630. (This article was selected for the journal's cover.)

Lancaster, P. A., J. Bowman, and B. A. Pond. 2008. Fishers, farms, and forests in eastern North America. Environmental Management 42: 93-101.

Carr, D., J. Bowman, C. J. Kyle, S. M. Tully, E. L. Koen , J.-F. Robitaille, and P. J. Wilson. 2007. Rapid homogenization of multiple sources: genetic structure of a recolonizing population of fishers. Journal of Wildlife Management 71: 1853-1861.

Carr, D., J. Bowman, and P. J. Wilson. 2007. Density-dependent dispersal suggests a genetic measure of habitat suitability. Oikos 116: 629-635.