Overview OverviewThe extent and diversity of ecosystems in British Columbia provide habitat for many wildlife species, and their conservation is sometimes in conflict with forest management. In order to make informed decisions, resource managers require scientifically reliable information on the structure and function of forest ecosystems and a greater understanding of species and their habitat use. The most vulnerable species may inhabit a range of geographical scales, from caribou, which are sensitive to landscape-level habitat fragmentation, to marbled murrelets, which are sensitive to stand-level disturbance because they occupy large trees in coastal old-growth forests. The Wildlife Habitat research program focuses on studying species that are particularly sensitive to forest management activities. It specifically studies aspects such as habitat selection and use, behaviour, population dynamics, and mortality factors. Researchers seek to develop land use management options and silvicultural systems that can accommodate timber harvesting, maintain wildlife habitat, and protect biodiversity. Research results are incorporated into complex analytic and decision-making models that can be used to assess spatial-temporal species habitat supply requirements, integrate economic and social factors into resource management decisions, and account for factors that contribute to uncertainty and risk in decision-making. The Wildlife Habitat research program is actively involved in a variety of Ministry initiatives, including accommodating resource values other than timber in land use and sustainable forest management planning, and developing tools to assist forest managers to respond to large-scale concerns such as the mountain pine beetle outbreak or climate change. Wildlife habitat researchers have contributed expertise to the Future Forest Ecosystems Initiative, Forests for Tomorrow program implementation, the Forest and Range Practices Act Forest Resource Evaluation Program (FRPA/FREP), the Biodiversity Team, and the conservation and recovery of species at risk. For more detailed information on the wildlife habitat research conducted by the Research Branch please visit the following web pages: Current Focus Areas
Research Highlights
Extension and ConsultationsWildlife ecology researchers dedicate a significant amount of time to communicating research results and recommendations through extension and consultation on a variety of wildlife-related issues. Researchers consult with the Chief Forester’s office, Regional Management Teams, District staff, First Nations managers, and other agencies (such as the Integrated Land Management Branch) on topics such as management responses to the mountain pine beetle outbreak, implementation of the Forest and Range Evaluation Program Biodiversity Resource values, and implementation of the Species at Risk Recovery Plan. As a member of the Provincial Mountain Caribou Science Team, we have provided consultation and research results on caribou recovery to a spectrum of stakeholders, from mining company staff to First Nations and environmental non-governmental organizations. Wildlife ecology researchers participate on several formal committees:
Recent PublicationsApps, C.D., and B.N. McLellan. 2006. Factors influencing the dispersion and fragmentation of mountain caribou populations. Biol. Conserv. 130:84–97. [abstract]
Apps, C.D., B.N. McLellan, and J.G. Woods. 2006. Landscape partitioning and spatial inferences of competition between black and grizzly bears. Ecography 29:561–572. [abstract] Morgan, D.G., S.B. Abdallah, and P. Lasserre. [2007]. A “real options” approach to forest management decision making to protect caribou under the threat of extinction. Ecol. and Soc.. In press. Serrouya, R., B.N. McLellan, and J.P. Flaa. 2007. Scale-dependent microhabitat selection by threatened mountain caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in cedar-hemlock forests during winter. Can. J. For. Res. 37(6):1082-1092. [abstract] Sturtevant, B.R., A. Fall, D.D. Kneeshaw, N.P.P. Simon, M.J. Papaik, K. Berninger, F. Doyon, D.G. Morgan, and C. Messier. 2007. A toolkit modeling approach for sustainable forest management planning: achieving balance between science and local needs. Ecol. and Soc. 12(2):7. [pdf] Wittmer, H.U., B.N. McLellan, R. Serrouya, and C.D. Apps. 2007. Changes in landscape composition influences the decline of a threatened woodland caribou population. J. Animal Ecol. 76:568-579. [pdf]
Wittmer, H.U., F.W. Hovey, and B.N. McLellan. 2006. Factors influencing variation in site fidelity of mountain caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in southeastern British Columbia. Can. J. Zool. 84:537–545. [abstract]
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