By Emmanuelle Barreau, a PhD student at the Université du Québec en Outaouais
In May 2023, I participated at the Advanced Field School in Computational Ecology at the Couvent de Val-Morin, during which we studied prey-predator relationships in natural environments and the analytical methods for these complex datasets.
Throughout the week, we were key players in an experimental approach, the “TrophIE game”. Similar to cat-and-mouse game, each player metamorphoses and plays the role of either prey or predator. Our playground was located in the magnificent Laurentian-Eco parc.
Once equipped with sensors to record our behavior and trajectories, the TrophIE game begins! The rules are very simple. First, the “prey” players scatter throughout the forest, gradually exploring, finding hiding places and seeking out food resources or refuges, as indicated by previously installed stakes. Prey players can also choose between generalist and specialist diets. A few minutes after the prey have dispersed into the woods, “predator” players enter in the game. Prey and predators share a common behavior: eating to survive and eventually reproduce. To do this, it’s important to acquire knowledge of the environment, and in particular, the location of resources and refuges. The only difference lies in the type of food resource targeted. As a prey animal, you need to acquire resources while minimizing predation pressure. This requires extra vigilance, the ability to hide, a good knowledge of the playground and the location of food resources, as well as of refuges to protect oneself from predators. Predators also need to know the locations of resources and refuges, to increase their likelihood of finding prey . Alternatively, they can attempt stalking strategies or chases for the fastest and most intrepid through the playground’s fiery vegetation and rocky slopes. The game lasts around twenty minutes, enough time to give each player the experience of what it’s like in the wild – both, for the prey who must eat without being spotted, and for the predators who must find, run and catch their prey before they reach a refuge. We repeated several games over the week, with some changes in rules to add competition pressure. A truly immersive experience, where every creak in the forest kept us highly vigilant!
The field school’s activities were conducted as if they were part of a real research program. Once the games had been played, everyone could discuss their feelings and game strategy, as preys or predators. Then, the data from each sensor was downloaded. Each game yielded an insane amount of information on the different players’ strategies according to the role played, prey vs. predator, and this data was acquired for each time the game was played. The questions one can explore are manifold! How does the experience between games influence prey survival? What are the different behaviors of prey and predators that can be identified and classified over the course of the games? How does predation pressure influence prey distribution? Are some resource locations used more than others? What was the most efficient way to survive between generalist or specialist diet? To what extent does competition between prey for the same resource influence the spatial behavior of prey and predators? The dataset represents a real goldmine for scientific minds, and naturally, an atmosphere of interdisciplinary collaboration emerged between us during the week. Ideas were flying all over the place! Discussions were had all the time about potential projects to be born, hypotheses or theories we’d like to test with this precious data…
For my first participation in an international doctoral school, I was very grateful to be part of this enriching working atmosphere and incredible mutual support. I was very impressed by the gathering of mentors and students from all horizons and all motivated by the same research interests.
The week was also an excellent opportunity to discuss our careers as young researchers, our training and our experiences in the field, and our future projects. Next to the fire, we shared our doubts and difficulties about the world of research, and ways of overcoming them and maintaining personal fulfillment. On the last evening, we sang together with guitar chords, happy but kind of sad that the school wasn’t going to last longer. From start to finish, the school was full of action, collaboration and emotion. My participation has been beneficial to my professional and academic development. I gained in-depth knowledge in several key areas of ecology, interacted with other passionate students and researchers and was inspired to explore new approaches in my future studies. I wish others to be able to benefit from a great experience like I had during this school.
About the author: Emmanuelle is a PhD student at the University du Québec in Outaouais, studying spatial and social ecology of beluga with Prof. Angelique Dupuch’s and Dr. Veronique Lesage. Her research contributes to increase knowledge on spatial and social ecology of the beluga population. Her PhD project contributed to increase knowledge on behavioral ecology of beluga, as part of a research programs aiming to evaluate noise impact on the population in Saint-Lawrence Estuarine, led by Prof. Clément Chion.
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