Ian Warkentin, B.Sc., Ph.D. (Saskatchewan)
Environmental Science professor & program chair
Phone: (709) 637-6246
Email: ian.warkentin@grenfell.mun.ca
Office: AS215
Profile
I am broadly interested in how human activities
influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that
we create. My students and I investigate
how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and
population dynamics of forest wildlife.
Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence
where individuals settle, how they access the resources they need to survive
and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Recent projects include (1) an examination of
the factors influencing introduced Mink Frog and Green Frog distribution in
western Newfoundland, (2) a collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to
examine the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird
communities in Gros Morne National Park, (3) a collaboration with Parks Canada
scientists and scientists affiliated with the New York State Museum to study
the taxonomy, habitat use and distribution of the imperilled Gray-cheeked
Thrush, (4) further study of the habitat use of Gray-cheeked Thrush and how
introduced red squirrels may be affecting population numbers on the Island of
Newfoundland, as well as ascertaining the location of Newfoundland Gray-cheeked
Thrush wintering habitat through the use of GPS tag technology.
Research interests and expertise
- Impact of harvesting and management practices on boreal forest birds - movement behaviour, population dynamics and habitat use
- Population dynamics and ecology of merlins
- Boreal forest carbon dynamics in the context of climate change
- Birds of prey, raptors, merlins
- Neo-tropical migratory songbirds
- Amphibians (frogs) in Newfoundland
Recent awards
Memorial University - Grenfell Campus Research Award
Current research projects and grants
1. Influence of silviculture and red squirrels on Gray-cheeked Thrush in montane forests
- Gov't of NL, Centre for Forest Science and Innovation
- Parks Canada – Gros Morne National Park
2. Winter range and migratory routes for Newfoundland Gray-cheeked Thrush
- Parks Canada - Gros Morne National Park
- Canadian Wildlife Service - Environmental Stewardship Branch
- Environment Canada - National Hydrology Research Center
3. Taxonomy, phylogeography, status and habitat associations of gray-cheeked thrush
- Gov't of NL, Centre for Forest Science and Innovation
4. Modelling connectivity for postfledging boreal songbirds
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grant
Publications
- Kelly DO, Scott RJ, Campbell CE & Warkentin IG. 2017. Initial dispersal and breeding habitat use of newly introduced Mink Frogs in western Newfoundland, Canada. Copeia 105:389-398. doi.org/10.1643/CH-16-485
- FitzGerald AM, Whitaker DM, Ralston J, Kirchman JJ & Warkentin IG. 2017. Taxonomy and distribution of the imperilled Newfoundland Gray-cheeked Thrush, Catharus minimus minimus. Avian Conservation & Ecology 12(1):10. [online] https://doi.org/10.5751/ACE-00976-120110
- Munro KJ, Warkentin IG & Doucet CM. 2016. Testing a habitat suitability index model for Boreal Owls in western Newfoundland, Canada. Journal of Raptor Research 50:325-337. doi: 10.3356/JRR-15-51.
- Warkentin IG, Espie RHM, Lieske DJ & James PC. 2016. Variation in selection pressures acting on body size by age and sex for a reverse sexually size dimorphic bird. Ibis 158:656-669. doi: 10.1111/ibi.12369
- Mourocq E, Bize P, Bouwhuis S, Bradley RW, Charmantier A, de la Cruz C, Drobniak SM, Espie RHM, Hötker H, Kempenaers B, Krüger O, Herényi M, Marzluff JM, Nakagawa S, Møller AP, Phillips RA, Radford AN, Roulin A, Schlicht E, Sheldon BC, Török J, Valencia J, Van de Pol M, Warkentin IG, Wood AG, Winney IS & Griesser M. 2016. Lifespan and reproductive cost explain interspecific variation in the optimal onset of reproduction. Evolution 70-2:296-313. doi:10.1111/evo.12853
- Bradshaw CJA & Warkentin IG. 2015. Global estimates of boreal forest carbon stocks and flux. Global and Planetary Change 128:24 30. doi:10.1016/j.gloplacha.2015.02.004 (review paper)
- Moen J, L Rist, K Bishop, FS Chapin III, D Ellison, T Kuuluvainen, H Petersson, K Puettmann, J Rayner, IG Warkentin & CJA Bradshaw. 2014. Eye on the Taiga: removing global policy impediments to safeguard the boreal forest. Conservation Letters 7:408-418 doi: 10.1111/conl.12098 (Review paper)
- Rae LF, Whitaker DM & Warkentin IG. 2014. Multiscale impacts of forest degradation through browsing by hyperabundant moose (Alces alces) on songbird assemblages. Diversity and Distributions 20:382-395. doi: 10.1111/ddi.12133
- Bradshaw CJA, Warkentin IG & Sodhi NS. 2009. Urgent preservation of boreal carbon stocks and biodiversity. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 24:541-548. (Review paper)
- Warkentin IG, Bickford DP, Sodhi NS & Bradshaw CJA. 2009. Eating frogs to extinction. Conservation Biology 23:1056-1059.