Foothills Research Institute’s GRIZZLY BEAR PROJECT · Foothills Research Institute’s GRIZZLY...
Transcript of Foothills Research Institute’s GRIZZLY BEAR PROJECT · Foothills Research Institute’s GRIZZLY...
Tracking Landscape
Change
Foothills Research Institute’s GRIZZLY BEAR PROJECT
GIS Tools and Training Why?: Landscape and habitat models must be dynamic
and predictive so that resource managers can effectively
accommodate the needs of grizzly bears in their
development plans. . What are they?: Scripts integrated with standard GIS
software incorporate new or proposed features such as
roads, cut blocks, and well sites into the base landscape
and automatically calculates how these changes impact
grizzly bear habitat. Results: Planners can now forecast and compare the
effect of different development scenarios on various
aspects of habitat quality for grizzly bears. We also
provide a training program on how to used these products
so users are confident with the application of these tools. GIS tools led by Jerome Cranston (Arctos Ecological Services)
Training Program led by ENFORM
Why?: Given the rapid pace of development within grizzly
bear range in western Alberta, we need to identify and map
landscape changes so that we can better understand how
grizzly bears respond to habitat alterations. How?: New methods have been developed to detect and
record landscape change using both manual and remote-
sensing based techniques. Results: We have completed
mapping an area of 75,000
sq. km of the eastern slopes of
the Rockies, showing annual
changes in landscape structure
and human use features over
an 8-year period. These maps
can be matched to grizzly bear
health and movement data to
investigate the relationship with
human activity. Tracking Landscape Changes is led by Dr. Steven Franklin
(U of Saskatchewan) and Greg McDermid (U of Calgary)
Long Term Goal and Ongoing Work We will have completed RSF, mortality and corridor models and maps for all of the grizzly
bear range in Alberta by 2010. These completed maps will be delivered to all government
and industry partners along with training on how to use these products and our GIS tools
appropriately.
Our goal is to monitor grizzly bear populations using techniques that do not require the capture and handling of live
animals. We plan to estimate population size using DNA-based hair-snag techniques; to monitor grizzly bear health using
scat, and tissue samples obtained from biopsy darts; and to track natural and anthropogenic changes in habitat using
remote sensing tools. With this information we can focus conservation efforts more effectively and provide resource
managers with the knowledge and planning tools to ensure the long-term conservation of grizzlies in Alberta.
The future of grizzly bears will be based on societal
decisions on how we manage our natural resources
Program Partners
284 km new roads
297 ha new mines
128 new well sites
6012 ha cut blocks
THE CHALLENGE OF COEXISTENCE
Foothills Research Institute
Hinton, Alberta, Canada
www.foothillsresearchinstitute.ca
Contact
1999-2001 Change Features
Ainsworth Lumber Co. Ltd.
Alberta Conservation Association
Alberta Fish & Game Association
Anadarko Canada Corporation
.
Anderson Resources Ltd.
AVID Canada
B P Canada Energy Company
BC Oil and Gas Commission
Buchanan Lumber – Tolko OSB
Canada Centre for Remote Sensing
Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP)
Alberta Upstream Petroleum Research Fund
Canadian Natural Resources Ltd.
Canfor Corporation
Center for Wildlife Conservation
ConocoPhillips Canada
Conservation Biology Institute
Daishowa Marubeni International Ltd.
Devon Canada Corp
Anderson Exploration Ltd
Enbridge Inc.
Encana Corporation
Followit
Foothills Research Institute (formerly Foothills Model Forest)
Forest Resources Improvement Association of Alberta (FRIAA)
G&A Petroleum Services
GeoAnalytic Inc.
Government of Alberta
Alberta Advanced Education and Technology (formerly
Innovation and Science)
Alberta Environment
Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (ASRD)
Government of Canada
Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada
Canadian Wildlife Service
Environment Canada – HSP
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
of Canada (NSERC)
Parks Canada
Banff National Park
Jasper National Park
Hinton Fish and Game Association
Hinton Training Centre
Husky Energy Inc.
Komex International Ltd.
Lehigh Inland Cement Ltd
Luscar Ltd
Gregg River Operations
Manning Diversified Forest Products Ltd.
Manning Forestry Research Fund
Millar Western Forest Products Ltd.
Mountain Equipment Co-op
Natural Resources Services
Nexen Inc.
Northrock Resources Ltd.
Peregrine Helicopters
Petro Canada Ltd.
Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada (PTAC)
Peyto Energy Trust
Precision Drilling Corporation
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation - Canada
Shell Canada Ltd
Sherritt International Corporation
Coal Valley Resources Inc
Spray Lake Sawmills Ltd.
Suncor Energy Inc.
Sundance Forest Industries Ltd.
Talisman Energy Inc.
Teck Cominco Limited (formerly Fording Canadian Coal
Trust) Cardinal River Operations
Telemetry Solutions
TransCanada Pipelines Ltd.
University of Alberta
University of Calgary
University of Lethbridge
University of Saskatchewan
Western College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Washington
University of Waterloo
Veritas DGC Inc.
West Fraser Mills Ltd.
Alberta Plywood
Alberta Newsprint
Blue Ridge Lumber Inc
Hinton Pulp
Hinton Wood Products
Slave Lake Pulp
Sundre Forest Products
Weyerhaeuser Company Ltd
Wilfred Laurier University
World Wildlife Fund Canada