A habitat-based framework for grizzly bear conservation in Alberta

Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos L.) populations in Alberta are threatened by habitat loss and high rates of human-caused mortality. Spatial depictions of fitness would greatly improve management and conservation action. We are currently challenged, however, in our ability to parameterize demographic rates necessary for describing fitness, especially across gradients of human disturbance and for land cover types. Alternative approaches are therefore needed. We describe here a method of estimating relative habitat states and conditions as surrogates of fitness using models of occupancy and mortality risk. By combining occurrence and risk models into a two-dimensional habitat framework, we identified indices of attractive sinks and safe harbour habitats, as well as five habitat states: non-critical habitats, secondary habitats (low-quality and secure), primary habitats (high-quality and secure), secondary sinks (low-quality, but high risk), and primary sinks (high-quality and high risk). Primary sink or high attractive sink situations were evident in the foothills where bears were using forest edges associated with forestry and oil and gas activities on Crown lands, while primary habitats or safe harbour sites were most common to protected alpine/sub-alpine sites. We suggest that habitat states and indices be used for setting baseline conditions for management and comparison of habitat conditions over time and identification of grizzly bear conservation reserves. A no net loss policy of critical habitats could be used to maintain existing habitat conditions for landscapes threatened by human development. Under such a policy, conversions of primary habitat would require restoration of equivalent amounts of primary sinks through decommissioning of roads.     

Grizzly bear response to human development and activities in the Bow River Watershed, Alberta, Canada

Few studies have reported the effects of multiple human activities on grizzly bears, Ursus arctos. We document the degree of grizzly bear response to various human developments as a function of multiple interacting variables based on observed median distances to roads, trails and development features in a landscape where human presence is widespread. Female grizzly bears remained further than males from paved roads regardless of habitat quality or time of day. Males were found closer to paved roads when within or adjacent to high quality habitat and during the period of least human activity. The combination of traffic volume and highway configuration, however, overrides a bear’s attraction to high quality habitats for high-speed, high-volume, highways. Avoidance of busy transportation corridors was strongest in the adult segment of the population. Bears were found closer to trails during the human inactive period when within high quality habitat and further from trails when distant to high quality habitat. Our data indicated an inverse relationship between the sexes in response to vehicles and traffic noise compared to the response to human settlement and encountering people. Female bears were found further away than males in relation to vehicles and traffic noise, yet found closer than males to human settlement and places where people may be encountered. Those males that were more willing to exploit high quality habitat near roads, did so at night and where hiding cover was present. Adult females were the most risk-averse cohort, choosing to avoid humans instead of seeking out high quality habitats. Adult female grizzly bears were influenced most by human activities and development. Management agencies must maintain access to high quality habitat, especially for adult females, and create new opportunities to support the reproductive potential of the population.     

Genetic diversity and relatedness of boreal caribou populations in western Canada

We studied genetic diversity within and gene flow among six ‘threatened’ populations of boreal caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) inhabiting Alberta and British Columbia, Canada. Mean expected heterozygosity (H_E) across 11 loci spanned a narrow range between 0.74 and 0.79. Estimates of H_E were in the mid to high range of those typically observed in natural populations of large mammals, including caribou, and were not suggestive of any immediate threat to survival. We concluded that recent anthropogenic fragmentation of caribou range in western Canada has yet to affect genetic diversity of populations. Analysis of population structure identified a region of relatively low gene flow corresponding with the valley of the Peace River. The highest value of F_ST observed between populations on the same side of the river was 0.025, whereas the lowest value that spanned the river was 0.044. Confirming this result, an assignment test demonstrated that 96.5% of animals could be assigned to the correct side of the Peace River, though only 66.0% of animals could, on average, be assigned to populations of actual origin. Taken as a whole, our results support the existence of two discrete metapopulations bisected by the Peace River, within each of which there exist multiple populations, or at least multiple regions, which experience considerably higher levels of interchange. For caribou inhabiting the boreal plains, large rivers such as the Peace and Mackenzie may serve as biologically meaningful boundaries for managing metapopulations.     

Consequences of the spatial configuration of resources for the distribution and dynamics of the endangered Parnassius apollo butterfly

Based on several years of data from two populations of the endangered Apollo butterfly (Parnassius apollo, L. 1758), we study how the amount and spatial location of patches of larval (host-plant) and adult (nectar plant) resources affects the distribution of females and their larval offspring in the following year. In the coastal population (nectar-plant and host-plant patches spatially segregated), females moved frequently between patches to aggregate on larger host-plant patches close to nectar-plant patches. In the archipelago population (where nectar-plants and host-plants co-occur), the abundance of females increased with higher proximity to other host-plant patches and with more nectar-plants on the patch. Next year’s larval abundance correlated with the abundance of females in the previous season in both populations. A model of the population dynamics in the two populations in relation to the spatial configuration of nectar and host-plant patches showed that the spatial configuration of larval and adult resources had population-dynamical consequences. In many organisms, different life-history stages use different resources. Incorporation of information on the location and abundance of adult resources can provide additional insight for the suitability of a particular landscape in harbouring a population.     

Tillage erosion within potato production in Atlantic Canada: II: Erosivity of primary and secondary tillage operations

To date, tillage erosion experiments in Canada have only been conducted on conventionally tilled corn-based production systems in Ontario and conventionally tilled cereal-based production in Manitoba. Estimates and assumptions have been made for all other production systems. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the erosivity of primary and secondary tillage operations within conventional and conservation potato production systems used in Atlantic Canada. Regression analysis determined that a direct relationship exists between slope gradient and both the mean displacement distance of the tilled layer (T_L) and the mass of translocated soil (T_M) for the chisel plough (CP), mouldboard plough (MP) and offset disc (OD), but not for the vibrashank (VS). Overall, the potential for tillage erosion of the MP, CP, and OD was similar (1.8–1.9 kg m⁻¹ %⁻¹ pass⁻¹) and larger than that of the VS (0.3 kg m⁻¹ %⁻¹ pass⁻¹). The regression coefficients for each implement were improved after including slope curvature, and we recommend that curvature be included in any future tillage erosion modelling. Our results show that both residue management to control wind and water erosion and soil movement to control tillage erosion must be considered when choosing implements and developing best management practices with regards to reducing the negative impacts of total soil erosion on potato production systems in Atlantic Canada.     

Managing successional species: Modelling the dependence of heath fritillary populations on the spatial distribution of woodland management

Species that persist on a shifting mosaic of successional habitat offer particular challenges to conservation, to monitoring methods, and to population dynamic modelling. The conservation of the heath fritillary butterfly (Melitaea athalia) in woodland in England, for example, depends on the creation of woodland clearings by coppicing (rotational cutting). We have developed a simulation model to assist in the conservation of such populations, called MANAGE. We have parameterised the model for the M. athalia population in the Blean Woods in Kent, and used it to answer several management questions. We find that: (1) simulations predict that the observed rates of coppicing will not be enough to meet existing conservation (Biodiversity Action Plan) targets, except when the most generous modelling assumptions are made; (2) the greatest uncertainty in the model outcome arises from uncertainty in the colonisation parameters; (3) in the worst case scenario (using the most pessimistic model assumptions), a population would require 2.3% of the Blean Woods to be coppiced each year, which is around double the currently-observed rate; (4) the four management units of the Blean where coppicing is practised are not independent metapopulations– they support each other; and (5) to sustain a population in a smaller landscape would require less coppicing overall, but more as a percentage of the landscape. This modelling approach may prove useful in the development of conservation management plans for other species that inhabit successional habitats.     

Indicator species and the problem of spatial inconsistency in nestedness patterns

The potential as indicators of species richness were investigated for 178 species belonging to six ecologically defined species groups (epiphytic bryophytes on nutrient-rich bark, epiphytic macrolichens on nutrient rich bark, pendant lichens on conifer trees, bryophytes on siliceous rocks, bryophytes on dead conifer wood, and polypore fungi on dead conifer wood), using species data from 0.25 ha plots from three different coniferous forest areas (ca. 200 ha each). A species was defined as a potential indicator species for a species group within a study area if its distribution was statistically significantly nested within the species-plot matrix ranked according to species richness, and if the plot frequency of the species was less than 25%.Only two species were identified as potential indicators within all three areas and on average ≈80% of the potential indicator species were lost from one area to another. The results indicate that inconsistency between areas in the species’ frequency distributions and their position in nested hierarchies may strongly reduce the general predictive power of indicator species of species richness, even if significantly nested patterns are found at the community level. We suggest that indicators related to amount and quality of habitats may be an alternative to lists of indicator species of species richness.     

The spatial distribution of exoenzyme activities across the soil micro-landscape,as measured in micro- and macro-aggregates,and ecosystem processes

The spatial ecology of soil microbial communities and their functioning is an understudied aspect of soil microbial ecology. Much of our understanding of the spatial organisation of microbial communities has been obtained at scales that are inappropriate for identifying how microbial functioning and spatial patterns are related. In order to reveal the spatial strategies of soil microorganisms, we measured the microscale spatial distribution of 6 exoenzyme activities (EEA) and related them to the catalytic potential of three soils. The relationship between EEA profiles and microbial community structure was also measured in soil aggregates. All the EEA exhibited scale-invariant spatial clustering. The extent of spatial clustering varied significantly among EEA, suggesting that microbial communities employ different spatial strategies when foraging for different elements. The dispersed distribution of alkaline phosphatase suggests that microorganisms invest more heavily in the acquisition of P. The EEA associated with the C and N cycles, but not the P cycle, were significantly affected by management practices in the loamy soil. A significant negative relationship between the extent of spatial clustering of EEA and the overall intensity of the EEA was identified in the two loamy soils, indicating that the microscale spatial ecology of microbial activity may have a significant impact on biogeochemical cycles. No relationship was found between microbial community structure and EEA profiles in aggregates. However, a number of negative relationships between the relative abundance of certain taxa and the most dispersed EEA (alkaline phosphatase and β-glucosidase) were found, suggesting that these taxa make the EEA products available by means other than the production of exoenzymes (e.g. solubilisation of phosphate through the production of organic acids).     

Vigilance behaviour of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the context of wildlife-viewing activities at Churchill, Manitoba, Canada

Viewing of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from tundra vehicles has been offered at Churchill, Manitoba since the early 1980s. This form of wildlife viewing has provided a unique and safe way for tourists to learn about polar bears. However, these activities have largely been carried out without examining possible effects on polar bear behaviour. We studied vigilance behaviour (a scanning of the immediate vicinity and beyond) of resting polar bears to evaluate impacts from tundra vehicle activity. Focal animal sampling was used to examine whether a difference in vigilance behaviour existed when vehicles were present. We recorded the numbers of head-ups, vigilance bout length, and between-bout intervals for polar bears. In general, the frequency of head-ups increased, and the between-bout intervals decreased for male bears, when vehicles were present. Female bears behaved opposite to males. The vigilance bout lengths did not differ significantly between vehicle presence and absence. Vigilance behaviour of male bears was not magnified with increasing numbers of vehicles; therefore the threshold is one vehicle. We suggest that manipulative studies be conducted to examine how distances between vehicles and bears, tundra vehicle activity in the immediate vicinity of a bear during viewing, and noise of tourists affect increased vigilance.     

Impacts of chronic marine oil pollution and the murre hunt in Newfoundland on thick-billed murre Uria lomvia populations in the eastern Canadian Arctic

We developed a deterministic and stochastic age-based matrix projection population model to assess and quantify the impact of mortality caused by chronic oil pollution and legal hunting on thick-billed murre Uria lomvia populations breeding and wintering in eastern Canada. We calculate the potential population growth rate in the absence of anthropogenic mortality sources using a modeling technique that translates absolute number of birds killed from anthropogenic mortality to potential survival rates in the absence of these anthropogenic impacts. The intrinsic growth rate of the deterministic matrix based on vital rates from Coats Island (λ_d=1.0102), as well as the stochastic growth rate (λ_s=1.0098, 95% C.I. 0.9969-1.0226), matched observed population trends. Hunting mortality reduced population growth rate by 0.020 (0.012-0.039), oiling mortality reduced population growth rate by 0.025 (0.012-0.039). Combined these sources reduced the population growth rate by 0.047 (0.033-0.610). Although thick-billed murre populations are stable or slowly growing in eastern Canada, anthropogenic sources of mortality are reducing the ability of the population to grow, and increase vulnerability in these populations to changes in their environment and other pulse perturbations. Our modeling technique could be used to assess specific anthropogenic impacts on populations where a vital rates and numbers killed are known, but no long-term trend information is available.     

Climate-based estimates of forage yields in the prairie region of western Canada

Abstract. A forage model (FORYLD) was used to estimate average potential (constraint-free) yields ( B _y) and yields under rainfed conditions ( B _ya) of alfalfa and wheatgrasses for the prairie region of Western Canada. Yield estimates were determined using 30-year climatic means (monthly values) and assumed available water-holding capacities (AWC) of soils ranging from 50 to 280 mm as inputs to the model. Calculations were made for 252 areas or zones known as Agroecological Resource Areas (ARAs) for the region. Estimates of B _y for alfalfa ranged from over 17.5 t/ha, in areas where three cuts of alfalfa were feasible if the crop were fully irrigated, to less than 10 t/ha in some northern ARAs where restricted length of the growing season limited potential to only one cut. For wheatgrasses B _y ranged from 15 to 17.5 t/ha in most areas where two cuts are possible. Estimates of B _ya for alfalfa, based on the predominant AWC for soils in each ARA, ranged from less than 2 t/ha in the driest portion of the prairie region to more than 8 t/ha in the more humid areas. Yields of wheatgrasses were very similar to those of alfalfa in the driest zones but slightly more in some of the more humid regions. Effects of varying soil AWC on yield estimates are presented for the major soil groups of the prairies.     

Modelling tillage erosion in the topographically complex landscapes of southwestern Ontario, Canada

A tillage erosion model was developed for southwestern Ontario based on the relationship between tillage translocation and slope gradient and slope curvature. Two studies of tillage translocation and tillage erosion were used to calibrate this model, one a comparison of upslope and downslope tillage translocation on shoulder slopes, the other an examination of tillage translocation throughout topographically complex landscapes. Two field sites were used for validation of the model. For both sites, past tillage practices were known and past soil erosion was determined using ¹³⁷Cs as an indicator of soil redistribution. The model accurately predicted the pattern of soil redistribution that had occurred within the two field sites. Severe soil loss was observed and predicted on convex landscape positions and soil accumulation was observed and predicted on concave landscape positions. The model accounted for almost all of the soil lost from the convex upper slope positions where tillage erosion was expected to be the dominant erosion process. There was considerable soil loss and accumulation elsewhere in the landscapes which could not be accounted for by the model and was presumed to be primarily the result of water erosion. It was concluded that tillage erosion must be incorporated into soil erosion modelling for the purposes of soil conservation.     

Sediment flow behavior in agro-watersheds of the purple soil region in China under different storm types and spatial scales

Conservation tillage has proved to be an effective option to reduce erosion and particulate phosphorus (PP) losses from fields to watercourses. However, it usually leads to the higher losses of P in dissolved reactive (DRP) form if P accumulates into the uppermost soil layer.In this study we investigated the influence of CaCO₃-rich boardmill sludge (BMS, applied 7 years ago) on soil properties and percolate quality with soil samples as well as undisturbed soil columns taken from a long-term conservation-tilled clay field experiment. A short-term laboratory experiment was undertaken to evaluate whether newly added BMS (FS) can be used to improve the quality of percolate waters by reducing turbidity, PP and DRP.The hypothesis was that BMS reduces the risk of dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) leaching from conservation-tilled soil. BMS served as a liming agent and counteracted the no-till-induced acidification and accumulation of DRP in the surface soil layer. Surface soil pH was on average 0.3 units higher and soil Ca 500 mg kg⁻¹ higher in the BMS-treated plots than in the plots without BMS. The ability of BMS to enhance the availability of P for plants may prevent the surface accumulation of P in NT cultivation. At the same time, BMS-induced increase in Ca and EC of the surface soil suppress the diffuse double layer by reducing P desorption and leaching risk.In the laboratory experiment, FS reduced percolate turbidity by 80% and PP and DRP concentrations by 62% and 50%, respectively. FS probably improved stability of soil aggregates in the laboratory experiment, obviously through enhanced microbial activity. The covering effect and infiltration of water through the 0–5 cm soil layer seemed to be crucial factors in reducing P losses.BMS proved to be a promising material for the applications to the conservation-tilled fields. The effect of BMS on microbes and immobilization of nutrients, should, however, be studied further in fields under a wider diversity of conditions.     

Beaver (Castor canadensis) mitigate the effects of climate on the area of open water in boreal wetlands in western Canada

Shallow open water wetlands provide critical habitat for numerous species, yet they have become increasingly vulnerable to drought and warming temperatures and are often reduced in size and depth or disappear during drought. We examined how temperature, precipitation and beaver (Castor canadensis) activity influenced the area of open water in wetlands over a 54-year period in the mixed-wood boreal region of east-central Alberta, Canada. This entire glacial landscape with intermittently connected drainage patterns and shallow wetland lakes with few streams lost all beaver in the 19th century, with beaver returning to the study area in 1954. We assessed the area of open water in wetlands using 12 aerial photo mosaics from 1948 to 2002, which covered wet and dry periods, when beaver were absent on the landscape to a time when they had become well established. The number of active beaver lodges explained over 80% of the variability in the area of open water during that period. Temperature, precipitation and climatic variables were much less important than beaver in maintaining open water areas. In addition, during wet and dry years, the presence of beaver was associated with a 9-fold increase in open water area when compared to a period when beaver were absent from those same sites. Thus, beaver have a dramatic influence on the creation and maintenance of wetlands even during extreme drought. Given the important role of beaver in wetland preservation and in light of a drying climate in this region, their removal should be considered a wetland disturbance that should be avoided.     

黄土旱塬塬面生态系统土壤硝酸盐累积分布特征

研究了渭北旱塬塬面不同土地利用方式下土壤剖面硝酸盐含量与分布特征,并与长期田间定位试验结果进行对比分析。结果表明,地表有植物生长与氮肥投入显著影响土壤剖面硝态氮含量与分布。土壤0-400.cm硝态氮累积含量顺序是:苹果园高产粮田裸地刺槐林地荒草地人工草地。苹果园土壤剖面硝态氮在深层累积严重,累积层在80-160.cm,最高含量达201.9.mg／kg。高产农田也发生了硝态氮的淋溶累积,累积峰出现在120-140cm土层,最高含量为44.1.mg/kg。林草地因为没有氮肥投入,剖面硝态氮含量处于很低水平。由于塬面土地大部分为高产农田与苹果园,土壤中累积的大量硝态氮既浪费了资源又可能对环境造成潜在的威胁,建议降低氮肥用量,特别是果园,并建议对大量施用化肥对区域生态环境与苹果品质的影响进行研究。     

Amphibian distribution in a traditionally managed rural landscape of Eastern Europe: Probing the effect of landscape composition

A massive decline of biodiversity is caused by land-use changes. Efforts must therefore be made to better understand the factors that govern organismal distribution, especially for countries where traditional management is about to be intensified such as in Romania. We here document the spatial distribution of amphibians from a Romanian rural landscape where land-use is still largely traditional. We related the occurrence of nine amphibian species and species richness to measures of composition and configuration of the landscape surrounding 54 ponds at three spatial scales: circular areas of 400, 600 and 800 m radii. Busy roads most severely impacted single species and amphibian richness whereas landscape composition measures, such as cover of urban areas, agricultural areas, pastures, forests and wetlands were of little importance. We suggest that the relative unimportance of landscape compositional measures on amphibians is a consequence of the traditional management of these landscapes that keep the environmental conditions favorable for most species.     

大汶河流域杨树根系的生物量组成和空间分布

根系生物量在不同直径根系中的分配是根系重要的结构特征,采用分层挖掘法,研究大汶河流域杨树不同径级根系的生物量组成和空间分布.结果表明：1）不同直径根系的生物量差异显著,其中根系直径d为10mm＜d＜20 mm的根系生物量最大,其次是d＜2mm的根系,d＞20 mm根系的生物量最小.2）不同直径根系生物量的空间分布规律基本一致,在水平方向上各土层间分布的根系生物量差异性极显著,距离树干愈远,土层中的根系生物量愈小.垂直方向上杨树根系生物量集中于0～60 cm土层中,各土层间根系生物量差异性显著,但其空间分布无明显规律.3）土壤有机质及有效氮、磷、钾等养分质量分数总体上随着土层的加深递减,细根生物量的空间分布与土壤养分呈弱正相关性.     

Biotic and abiotic factors controlling the spatial and temporal variation of soil respiration in an agricultural ecosystem

Based on the continuous observation of soil respiration and environmental factors in a maize ecosystem from late April to late September in 2005, the spatial and temporal variation of soil respiration and their controlling factors were analyzed. There was a significant spatial pattern for soil respiration at the plant scale and higher soil respiration rates tended to occur near the maize plant during the growing season. On one measurement moment, root biomass (B) in soil collars exerted significant influence on the spatial pattern of soil respiration under the relatively homogeneous environmental conditions. A linear relationship existed between soil respiration rate and root biomass

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