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The 2013 loggerhead shrike survey in Alberta

Description

In Alberta, the loggerhead shrike is considered to be a Species of Special Concern. Since 1987, a prairie-wide roadside survey has been conducted every five years to monitor populations. This... More ≫

Description

In Alberta, the loggerhead shrike is considered to be a Species of Special Concern. Since 1987, a prairie-wide roadside survey has been conducted every five years to monitor populations. This report summarizes results of the 2013 survey conducted in Alberta, and compares results with surveys conducted in 1987, 1998, 2003 and 2008.

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Alberta greater sage-grouse avian predator survey

Description

A greater sage-grouse avian predator monitoring survey was needed to provide information on distribution, habitat associations, and baseline populations prior to initiation of a sage-grouse... More ≫

Description

A greater sage-grouse avian predator monitoring survey was needed to provide information on distribution, habitat associations, and baseline populations prior to initiation of a sage-grouse predator management program. The survey is designed for repeating in subsequent years once predator management is underway, thereby providing a potential measure of program effectiveness. This report describes the avian predator monitoring protocol and results of the 2013 survey. The survey area is within the current Alberta sage-grouse range, an area of ~3800 km in in the extreme south-eastern corner of the province. The monitoring protocol was designed for collection of data on avian predators, particularly corvids (American crows, black-billed magpies, common ravens). A systematic roadside survey was designed using a series of point samples contributing to a continuous observation zone along a series of 19 road-based transects, each of 10 kilometers length.

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MULTISAR : a multi-species conservation strategy for species at risk in the Grassland Natural Region of Alberta : 2012-2013 report

Description

The Milk River Basin Species at Risk Conservation Strategy outlines a process by provide appropriate management on critical parts of the landscape to achieve multi-species conservation. This... More ≫

Description

The Milk River Basin Species at Risk Conservation Strategy outlines a process by provide appropriate management on critical parts of the landscape to achieve multi-species conservation. This year's report includes a summary of existing information on species at risk, identification of data gaps, results of fish and wildlife inventories from within the project area, and a species selection process. Also included are habitat suitability models for project management species, maps showing habitat distribution throughout the Milk River Basin, descriptions of natural processes within the grassland natural region, and a demonstration of beneficial management practices.

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Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) monitoring in southeast Alberta : 1968-2012

Description

Greater sage-grouse populations in Canada have declined by at least 80 per cent from historical levels. Threats to the Alberta population of sage-grouse include agricultural activities,... More ≫

Description

Greater sage-grouse populations in Canada have declined by at least 80 per cent from historical levels. Threats to the Alberta population of sage-grouse include agricultural activities, development in the energy sector, road and power line development, increasing predator populations and disease. Consistent monitoring is important so that population trends can be compared between years and linked to landscape activities. The objective of this report is to compile population monitoring efforts and corresponding methodologies that have been conducted and developed in Alberta since 1968 in order to provide an indication of trend for population decline.

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The general status of Alberta wild species

Description

The 2000 edition of the General Status of Alberta Wild Species represents a substantial improvement in the knowledge base of wild species in Alberta. Preliminary status assessments were prepared... More ≫

Description

The 2000 edition of the General Status of Alberta Wild Species represents a substantial improvement in the knowledge base of wild species in Alberta. Preliminary status assessments were prepared for 4 735 species of birds, mammals, herpetiles (amphibians and reptiles), freshwater fish, molluscs (gastropods and bivalves), odonates (dragonflies and damselflies), lepidopterans (butterflies and skippers), vascular plants, nonvascular plants and fungi in Alberta. Of these groups, Alberta, along with all other provinces and territories, agreed to report on eight to Environment Canada so that a national evaluation could be undertaken (see Background of the Present General Status Evaluation Exercise). These groups included the birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, freshwater fish, butterflies, orchids and ferns. The status of species in these categories is provided here.

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The willow flycatcher in Alberta : habitat model and field surveys

Description

The willow flycatcher inhabits shrub habitats in in many parts of North America, including the foothills of the Rocky Mountains of Alberta. In 2002, the Alberta Endangered Species Conservation... More ≫

Description

The willow flycatcher inhabits shrub habitats in in many parts of North America, including the foothills of the Rocky Mountains of Alberta. In 2002, the Alberta Endangered Species Conservation Committee declared that there was insufficient information on the species to determine an official risk status for the province. The purpose of this study was to help clarify the status of the willow flycatcher in Alberta by compiling all reliable historical records of the species in the province developing a model to identify potential breeding habitat and conducting field surveys to document occupancy of historical sites and of sites identified by the model as being suitable for breeding by willow flycatchers.

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MULTISAR : a multi-species conservation strategy for species at risk in the Grassland Natural Region of Alberta : 2011-2012 report

Description

The Milk River Basin Species at Risk Conservation Strategy outlines a process by provide appropriate management on critical parts of the landscape to achieve multi-species conservation. This... More ≫

Description

The Milk River Basin Species at Risk Conservation Strategy outlines a process by provide appropriate management on critical parts of the landscape to achieve multi-species conservation. This year's report includes a summary of existing information on species at risk, identification of data gaps, results of fish and wildlife inventories from within the project area, and a species selection process. Also included are habitat suitability models for project management species, maps showing habitat distribution throughout the Milk River Basin, descriptions of natural processes within the grassland natural region, and a demonstration of beneficial management practices.

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Ferruginous hawk artificial nest poles : inventory and construction protocol

Description

The ferruginous hawk, an endangered species in Alberta, breeds exclusively in the grasslands of North America. Availability of nesting sites has been identified as a key limiting factor of this... More ≫

Description

The ferruginous hawk, an endangered species in Alberta, breeds exclusively in the grasslands of North America. Availability of nesting sites has been identified as a key limiting factor of this species. Artificial nests poles (ANPs) were identified as a possible recovery action by the Alberta Ferruginous Hawk Recovery Team, however a number of questions were raised on how effective the installation of ANPs in the past have been in maintaining ferruginous hawks. The Ferruginous Nest Pole Inventory was completed in 2009, and included cataloguing the nest platforms and their state of repair, identifying their use by ferruginous hawks and other species, and evaluating any conflicts that their placement may have created for other species at risk. Of the149 poles evaluated, 45 had active ferruginous hawk nests. A number of issues were identified that may have caused poles not to be active through this inventory. ANP’s may be an appropriate recovery action for ferruginous hawks in areas...

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MULTISAR : a multi-species conservation strategy for species at risk in the Grassland Natural Region of Alberta : 2010-2011 report

Description

The Milk River Basin Species at Risk Conservation Strategy outlines a process by provide appropriate management on critical parts of the landscape to achieve multi-species conservation. This... More ≫

Description

The Milk River Basin Species at Risk Conservation Strategy outlines a process by provide appropriate management on critical parts of the landscape to achieve multi-species conservation. This year's report includes a summary of existing information on species at risk, identification of data gaps, results of fish and wildlife inventories from within the project area, and a species selection process. Also included are habitat suitability models for project management species, maps showing habitat distribution throughout the Milk River Basin, descriptions of natural processes within the grassland natural region, and a demonstration of beneficial management practices.

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An occurrence-based habitat model for the Ord's kangaroo rat (Dipodomys ordii) in Alberta

Description

Ord’s kangaroo rat is a small, nocturnal rodent adapted to arid environments. It is considered an endangered species both in Alberta and nationally. The recovery plan identifies a number of... More ≫

Description

Ord’s kangaroo rat is a small, nocturnal rodent adapted to arid environments. It is considered an endangered species both in Alberta and nationally. The recovery plan identifies a number of activities necessary to recover the species in Alberta, including identification of distribution, habitat requirements, and essential habitat. These needs are addressed in this report, which presents information about the current distribution and habitat requirements for the species across its range in the province.

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