Le succès reproducteur au début de la vie, la longévité et le succès reproducteur tardif chez la femelle de la chèvre de montagne

La théorie biodémographique liée à l’âge prédit un compromis entre l'allocation reproductrice au début de la vie et la reproduction tardive, la survie, ou ces deux composantes de la valeur adaptative à la fois. Actuellement, la notion de compromis a été démontrée par plusieurs études en milieu naturel. Par contre, l’effet des conditions environnementales et de la qualité des individus a rarement été étudié. Grâce aux données longitudinales récoltées dans la population de chèvres de montagne (Oreamnos americanus) de Caw Ridge, Alberta, nous avons pu examiner l'influence de l'âge à la première reproduction (APR) et du succès reproducteur au début de la vie (SRD) sur la longévité et sur le succès reproducteur tardif, en tenant compte des conditions environnementales natales et de la qualité des individus. Contrairement à nos prédictions, nous n'avons pas détecté la présence d’un compromis entre l'allocation reproductrice au début de la vie et la performance tardive dans cette population. Au contraire, l'APR et le SRD avaient des effets directs et faiblement positifs sur le succès reproducteur tardif. La densité de population à la naissance d'une femelle a fortement réduit le succès reproducteur tardif de manière directe. Elle l'affectait également de manière indirecte par son effet sur l'APR et le SRD. La densité était le seul facteur déterminant de la longévité, par un effet direct et fortement négatif. Tel que démontré dans des études précédentes sur la même population, les femelles de bonne qualité avaient un SRD élevé par rapport aux femelles de mauvaise qualité. Ces résultats fournissent une vision intégrée des compromis au début et à la fin de la vie, en soulignant l'importance de tenir compte des conditions environnementales, qui pourraient engendrer des implications à long terme sur la dynamique des populations.The life-history theories of aging, which describe the mechanisms underlying age-related physiological declines, predict lifetime trade-offs between early reproductive allocation and latelife survival, reproduction, or both components of fitness. Recent studies in wild populations have found evidence for these early-late life trade-offs, but rarely across multiple traits while exploring the additional effects of variation in environmental conditions and individual quality. Benefiting from 27 years of longitudinal data from monitoring adult female mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) at Caw Ridge, Alberta, we investigated the influence of age at first reproduction (AFR) and early reproductive success (ERS) on longevity and late reproductive success, while accounting for the influence of natal environmental conditions and individual quality. Contrary to our predictions, we did not find evidence for early-late life trade-offs in this population. AFR and ERS instead had positive but weak direct effects on late reproductive success. Population density in the year of a female's birth strongly reduced late reproductive success both directly and indirectly through AFR and ERS. The sole determinant of female longevity was the direct, negative effect of density. As predicted by previous studies in this population, high-quality females had a higher ERS compared to low-quality females. The results of this investigation provide an integrated picture of early-late life trade-offs, underscoring the importance of accounting for environmental conditions due to their potentially strong implications for population dynamics

Models of classroom assessment for course-based research experiences

Course-based research pedagogy involves positioning students as contributors to authentic research projects as part of an engaging educational experience that promotes their learning and persistence in science. To develop a model for assessing and grading students engaged in this type of learning experience, the assessment aims and practices of a community of experienced course-based research instructors were collected and analyzed. This approach defines four aims of course-based research assessment—(1) Assessing Laboratory Work and Scientific Thinking; (2) Evaluating Mastery of Concepts, Quantitative Thinking and Skills; (3) Appraising Forms of Scientific Communication; and (4) Metacognition of Learning—along with a set of practices for each aim. These aims and practices of assessment were then integrated with previously developed models of course-based research instruction to reveal an assessment program in which instructors provide extensive feedback to support productive student engagement in research while grading those aspects of research that are necessary for the student to succeed. Assessment conducted in this way delicately balances the need to facilitate students’ ongoing research with the requirement of a final grade without undercutting the important aims of a CRE education

Individualism Submerged: Climate Change and the Perils of an Engineered Environment

[No abstract

Individualism Submerged: Climate Change and the Perils of an Engineered Environment

[No abstract

Differentiating between Vocations and Careers

Recently, there have been a significant number of calls for constructionist forms of career counseling and development which prioritize occupational decision-making that honor the values of the client or participant, rather than those which solely stress approaches which meet the needs of the labor market (Savickas et al., 2009). Encouraging participants to consider their occupational identity as a ‘vocation’ as opposed to a ‘job’ or a ‘career’ is a small, but significant nuance that changes how individuals develop career plans and learn. Due to the ongoing prevalence of the ‘career paradigm’, however, it can often prove difficult for university students to differentiate between jobs, occupations, careers, professions and vocations. This paper aims to clarify how vocational thinking differs from other forms of occupational idealization in a way which is informed by the authors experience in introducing the concept of vocational thinking to undergraduate and postgraduate business students. The paper hopes to assist faculty, researchers, career counselors, students and others who work with, or in fields associated with, the concept of the vocation, in order to clarify how theory on the concept has developed over time and to suggest avenues for developing vocational practice, as well as signposting areas requiring additional research

Caw Ridge Lifetime Data

Description of data: Both sheets contain longitudinal data set collected on female mountain goats at Caw Ridge, Alberta, Canada between 1988-2015. The first sheet includes annual data related to reproduction, survival, population density, and a quality index based on female social rank and body mass. This data was used to produce Table 2, Figure 4, and Table S3. The second sheet includes lifetime data related to reproduction, longevity, population density, and a quality index. This data was used to produce Table 1, Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, Table A1, Table S1, Table S2, and Figure S1

Caw Ridge Annual Data

Description of data: Both sheets contain longitudinal data set collected on female mountain goats at Caw Ridge, Alberta, Canada between 1988-2015. The first sheet includes annual data related to reproduction, survival, population density, and a quality index based on female social rank and body mass. This data was used to produce Table 2, Figure 4, and Table S3. The second sheet includes lifetime data related to reproduction, longevity, population density, and a quality index. This data was used to produce Table 1, Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, Table A1, Table S1, Table S2, and Figure S1