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MULTISAR : a multi-species conservation strategy for species at risk in the Grassland Natural Region of Alberta : 2013-2014 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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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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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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CWD program review 2012

Description

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an invasive alien prion agent that recently arrived in eastern Alberta. The prion causes fatal infections in cervids and significantly alters the population... More ≫

Description

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an invasive alien prion agent that recently arrived in eastern Alberta. The prion causes fatal infections in cervids and significantly alters the population structure and viability of local deer herds. There is no natural barrier to further spread, no treatment to eliminate infections, and no feasible live animal test to identify infected deer. CWD has significant environmental, social, and economic effects by altering major ecosystem structure and function, as well as decreasing recreational harvest and guiding/outfitting activity. Alberta was proactive in looking for occurrence of CWD and initially proactive in responding once it was found. Current programs focus on monitoring the ongoing geographic spread and numerical increase in eastern deer populations. Hunter harvest is the primary tool to find infected deer. Population reduction is the only known tool to manage CWD in wild deer.

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Surveys of damage agents affecting young tree genetics research plantations and seed orchards in Alberta and a summary of control treatments

Description

The results of the surveys reported here provide a summary of the biotic and abiotic agents affecting cones, seedlings and trees, gives a distributional summary of damage agents according to... More ≫

Description

The results of the surveys reported here provide a summary of the biotic and abiotic agents affecting cones, seedlings and trees, gives a distributional summary of damage agents according to plantation sites established within the province up to 1994, and indicates the relative importance of each agent. The report also provides a listing of unpublished technical reports that resulted from the work described here and can be referred to for further details where necessary.

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Analysis of researching amphibian numbers in Alberta (RANA) project : amphibian captures at pitfall trapping sites 1997-2008

Description

Declines in amphibian populations at local, regional and global scales have focused attention on this group of vertebrates. Of the 10 amphibian species in Alberta, seven are listed as "at risk" by... More ≫

Description

Declines in amphibian populations at local, regional and global scales have focused attention on this group of vertebrates. Of the 10 amphibian species in Alberta, seven are listed as "at risk" by provincial or federal agencies. In response to concern about amphibians populations, and a lack of amphibian monitoring in the province, the Researching Amphibian Numbers in Alberta (RANA) program was initiated in 1997 with two main objectives: to collect long-term information on amphibian populations, and to increase public awareness of the importance of amphibians and wetland conservation. Seven RANA sites were established in Alberta and monitored using pitfall trapping at a designated poind within each study area. This report presents an analysis of pitfall trapping data collected between 1997 and 2008.

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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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Buck Lake walleye management : fisheries management update - prairies area

Description

Buck Lake has native fish populations of Walleye, Lake Whitefish, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Burbot, White Sucker, Trout-perch, Brook Stickleback, Iowa Darter and Spottail Shiner. The lake has a... More ≫

Description

Buck Lake has native fish populations of Walleye, Lake Whitefish, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Burbot, White Sucker, Trout-perch, Brook Stickleback, Iowa Darter and Spottail Shiner. The lake has a long history of providing an excellent summer Walleye sport fishery and a winter Lake Whitefish commercial fishery. It also supports a First Nations fishery. Over the past decade, fisheries biologists have noted a decline in the populations of both Walleye and Lake Whitefish. Furthermore, the size of Walleye being caught has decreased. These trends are a concern to the resource users who fish Buck Lake, as well as the fisheries biologists who manage it. Background Recreational fishing, ongoing summer kills and cumulative habitat loss are currently the main factors affecting fish populations in Buck Lake. Other factors, such as the harvest of Lake Whitefish through the commercial and First Nations fisheries are relatively minor. Recent surveys of recreational fisheries indicate that the...

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Patterns of optimal growth for white spruce provenances in Alberta

Description

This paper describes the pattern of genetic variation for growth potential among white spruce provenances in Alberta. It uses total height and diameter at breast height at 27-years from seed to... More ≫

Description

This paper describes the pattern of genetic variation for growth potential among white spruce provenances in Alberta. It uses total height and diameter at breast height at 27-years from seed to identify provenance differences in relation to latitude and elevation of weed origin. Latitude and elevation are the main variables that adequately describe climatic variability in Alberta.

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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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