Sharing space on a crowded planet: spatiotemporal responses of large mammals to human disturbance
Kaitlyn Gaynor, University of British Columbia
February 03, 2026 | 15h00 | CIBIO’s Auditorium and Online (Zoom Link; Passcode: 1212)
The global expansion of human activity has had profound consequences for wildlife. In addition to the well-documented effects of habitat destruction and harvest on species and ecosystems, human disturbance can also alter the natural world by modifying animal behaviour. Our presence can instil strong fear in wild animals, but it can also be associated with attractants like food subsidies, creating complex trade-offs as animals navigate human-modified landscapes in space and time. In her talk, Dr. Kaitlyn Gaynor will discuss the influence of human activity and infrastructure on wildlife diel activity, habitat selection, movement, and species interactions. She will draw on case studies from a diversity of large mammals, including elephants in Mozambique and black bears in the United States, and present findings from global meta-analyses.
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