Population dynamics of reintroduced elk (Cervus elaphus) in eastern North America

Studies that focus on identifying factors that influence reintroduction success have often taken an individual population approach; however, investigating multiple populations can provide additional insight. The overall objective of this research was to emphasize the value of using within- and among-population approaches to identifying factors that influence the population dynamics of a reintroduced species. Elk (Cervus elaphus), a species that was extirpated from eastern North America during the late 1800s, has been reintroduced to portions of its former range over the past century through several initiatives. Today, there are several established populations across eastern regions of the USA and Canada, for which extensive monitoring data are available, creating an opportunity to investigate reintroduction success. I aimed to use these data to identify factors associated with changes in the survival and population growth rates of 10 reintroduced elk populations across eastern North America. More specifically, I: (1) performed a literature review detailing the history of elk reintroduction in eastern North America over the past century, (2) identified factors associated with the variation in population growth rates (reintroduction success) for 10 reintroduced elk populations using an among-population approach, (3) identified and assessed how climate affected the population growth rates of 7 reintroduced elk populations, and (4) investigated direct causes of mortality (predation and train collisions) associated with a single elk population experiencing low population growth. Although the number of successful elk restoration attempts has increased over the past century, there has been substantial variation in population growth rates among reintroductions. Major iv causes of elk mortality in restored populations differed between the pre- to post-acclimation phases of reintroduction. Population growth rates were negatively related to the percentage of coniferous forest within elk population range, suggesting that expansive areas of coniferous forests in eastern North America may represent sub-optimal elk habitat. The Burwash elk population in Ontario had low growth rate compared to most other populations reintroduced into eastern North America. Predation and train collisions were the most important source of mortality for this population. The number of annual elk-train collisions, as well as their locations, were monitored and recorded over 14 years. Collision locations were highly sitespecific and were positively correlated to the proximity of bends in the railway. By relating the number of annual elk-train collisions to various climate factors, I found that collision rates were positively related to snow depth. By analyzing field camera data, I found that elk used the railway mostly during the fall and spring, when elk commonly travel to and from wintering grounds. However, by examining VHF telemetry locations, I determined that elk were closer to the railway in winter than in any other season. Railways likely are perceived by elk as easy travel corridors, especially in the winter, and deep snow might prevent escape from oncoming trains. Black bear (Ursus americanus) and wolves (Canis lupus) were the major predators of elk in the Burwash population. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), elk (Cervus elaphus), and moose (Alces alces), were the ungulate prey species available to both predators. To determine if predators prefer one ungulate species over another, and to identify which predator species is likely to have a greater impact on elk survival, I investigated predator diets. To compare rates of v ungulate use by predators in relation to prey availability, I calculated the relative abundance of each ungulate species. I found that wolves used juvenile and adult elk as their primary ungulate prey in greater proportions in comparison to their availability. Bears on the other hand, tended to use all ungulate species in proportion to their availability. Climate is well known to affect ungulate population dynamics; however, several factors (e.g.: density, predator presence), can govern the response. Relating the annual growth rates of 7 elk populations to various climate factors I found that responses were population specific. Increased annual snow fall was associated with declines in population growth rates for 2 of the 7 populations assessed and only 1 population responded negatively to increased summer temperatures. Climate likely interacts with other environmental variables to influence fluctuations in annual population growth rates which warrants further investigation. The results of this research will contribute to informed planning of future elk reintroductions and should support development through improved management. In addition, this research highlights the importance of using within- and among- populations approaches to investigating factors that influence elk reintroduction success.Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Boreal Ecolog

Female site fidelity of the Mealy Mountain caribou herd (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in Labrador

The Mealy Mountain caribou population of southeastern Labrador is listed as threatened. Site fidelity - the philopatric tendency of an animal to remain in or return to the same site - has often been suspected in sedentary caribou like the Mealy Mountain, but rarely has been examined. Philopatric behaviours are important because fidelity sites may then receive priority protection from human disturbance. To describe and document site fidelity for the Mealy Mountain herd, satellite telemetry data from 12 collared adult females during three years was examined. The mean distance between locations in consecutive years of tracking the individual caribou was calculated and an annual profile of site fidelity generated. This profile illustrated that the lowest inter-year distances occurred during calving, when caribou returned to within 39 km (2005-06) and 11.5 km (2006-07) of the previous year's location, and during post-calving, when the mean distance was 7.7 km (2005-06). Spring snow depths were substantially greater in 2007 and appeared to weaken calving site fidelity. This spatial information may serve as a basis for detecting anthropogenic effects on woodland caribou

Indigenous Guardianship and Moose Monitoring: Weaving Indigenous and Western Ways of Knowing

Increasing global rates of wildlife species extinctions, extirpations, and declines warrant improvements to population monitoring and management approaches. To address regional environmental and wildlife issues, Indigenous communities globally are re-establishing traditional roles as stewards of the land through emerging Indigenous Guardianship Programs (IGPs). By providing the opportunity for community-level participation in monitoring and management, IGPs help foster cohesive solutions for long-term conservation of species while promoting environmental stewardship at the community level. Addressing challenges in monitoring and management of wildlife is especially critical for species that are of cultural and ecological importance at both community and distribution-wide scales. Herein, we describe IGPs in Canada with a focus on moose (Alces alces), an important species to many Indigenous Peoples across the species’ distribution. We outline common Western approaches to moose monitoring applied across Canadian jurisdictions and discuss ways in which weaving Indigenous knowledge systems and information gathered through local participation from Indigenous communities enhances monitoring initiatives at regional levels. We elaborate on a case study on moose monitoring and co-management in the community of Gitanyow in British Columbia, Canada to highlight the value of Guardianship to communities and species conservation in relation to moose. Our study reveals how IGPs and the weaving of Indigenous and Western knowledge systems can contribute to the maintenance of both ecological and cultural integrity to strengthen wildlife monitoring and management under changing global environments

AN ASSESSMENT OF MOOSE AND ELK TRAIN COLLISIONS IN ONTARIO, CANADA

To better understand train collision mortality of moose (Alces alces) and elk (Cervus elaphus) in Ontario, we measured collisions along a 20 km segment of railway using post-winter railbed surveys (11 consecutive years), remote cameras, and radio-telemetered elk. We used these data to estimate provincial moose-train collision rates by extrapolating collision rates, moose density, and amount of high use railway per Wildlife Management Unit (WMU). The annual collision rate varied from 0 to 7 moose and 2 to 22 elk on the 20 km section of railway; the combined collision rate of moose and elk was highest in winters with above average snowfall. The extrapolated collision rates of moose indicated that ~1/3 of WMUs had a rate > 0.08 moose/km high use railway/yr; ~2/3 had a rate > 0.04. A conservative estimate of annual mortality was ~265 moose province-wide. Given that railway expansion is predicted globally, and specifically in Ontario, planning should include potential mitigation strategies that minimize ungulate-train collisions

Weaving Indigenous knowledge systems and Western sciences in terrestrial research, monitoring and management in Canada: A protocol for a systematic map

Human activities and development have contributed to declines in biodiversity across the globe.Understanding and addressing biodiversity loss will require the mobilization of diverse knowledge systems. While calls for interdisciplinary practices in environmental research date back decades, there has been a more recent push for weaving multiple knowledge systems in environmental research and management, specifically Indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) and Western sciences. The use of multiple knowledge systems in environmental research can improve understanding of socio-ecological connections, build trust in research findings and help implement evidence-based action towards biodiversity conservation. Mobilizing multiple types of knowledge in environmental research and management can be beneficial; however, challenges remain. There is a need to understand how and where studies have woven IKS and Western sciences together in order to learn about frameworks and processes used, and identify best practices. Here, we present a protocol for a systematic map that will examine the extent, range and nature of the published literature that weaves IKS and Western sciences in terrestrial ecosystems research, monitoring and management in Canada. The systematic map will aim to capture all available and relevant studies found in the published academic and grey literature. The search will use standardized search terms across four publication databases, four specialized websites and one web-based search engine. Bibliographies of relevant review articles captured by our search strategy will be cross-checked to identify additional studies. Calls for evidence among professional networks will also complement the search strategy. All searches will be conducted in English. Search results will be reviewed in two stages: (1) title and abstract and (2) full text. All screening decisions at the full-text stage will be included into the map database. The systematic map will use a narrative synthesis approach employing descriptive tables, statistics and figures (including a map with geospatially referenced studies) to summarize findings. Results from this mapping exercise can serve to support environmental research and management efforts working across IKS and Western sciences by highlighting best practices, as well as evidence gaps

Seasonal Use of Railways by Wildlife

Despite the rapid advancements in the field of road ecology, very little research has been done in railway ecology. Basic research, such as railway use by wildlife, is relatively undocumented, albeit very important in understanding the potential negative and positive effects of railways on wildlife and ecosystems. We provide one of the first studies documenting wildlife railway use using motion-triggered cameras along a 20 km stretch of railway in Ontario. Our objectives were to develop a much-needed baseline understanding of railway use by endemic wildlife species, investigate differences in frequency of use among species, compare diurnal versus nocturnal use, and determine if railway use by wildlife was uniform or spatially varied. We found a significant proportion of medium-to-large resident mammalian fauna and several avian species non-uniformly using the studied railway. Some species used the railway as a travel corridor, while others appeared to use it incidentally. Diel and seasonal patterns of use were apparent for many species. Our findings emphasize the importance of species-specific investigations of railway ecology. The collection of baseline information on railway use by wildlife is critical in view of the dearth of available data, and we highly encourage further research in all aspects of wildlife–railway ecology

Elk (Cervus elaphus) Seasonal Habitat Selection in a Heterogeneous Forest Structure

Seasonal habitat selection by the reintroduced Burwash elk population, approximately 30 km south of Sudbury, Ontario, has been analysed in order to assist in the development of future management. Twenty-five adult females were radio-collared and tracked 1–3 times a week for 3 years. The most prominent patterns included selection of intolerant hardwood forests (trembling aspen, white birch, and balsam poplar) during all seasons, while Great Lakes-St. Lawrence pines (white and red pine dominated stands) were used less than expected based on availability for all seasons. The selection patterns are likely associated with seasonal climatic conditions and forage preferences. Because the selection behaviours displayed here varied greatly from other elk habitat studies, it is suggested that managers consider the importance of population-specific habitat studies before developing related strategies

Abyssal deposit feeders are secondary consumers of detritus and rely on nutrition derived from microbial communities in their guts

Abstract Trophic ecology of detrital-based food webs is still poorly understood. Abyssal plains depend entirely on detritus and are among the most understudied ecosystems, with deposit feeders dominating megafaunal communities. We used compound-specific stable isotope ratios of amino acids (CSIA-AA) to estimate the trophic position of three abundant species of deposit feeders collected from the abyssal plain of the Northeast Pacific (Station M; ~ 4000 m depth), and compared it to the trophic position of their gut contents and the surrounding sediments. Our results suggest that detritus forms the base of the food web and gut contents of deposit feeders have a trophic position consistent with primary consumers and are largely composed of a living biomass of heterotrophic prokaryotes. Subsequently, deposit feeders are a trophic level above their gut contents making them secondary consumers of detritus on the abyssal plain. Based on δ13C values of essential amino acids, we found that gut contents of deposit feeders are distinct from the surrounding surface detritus and form a unique food source, which was assimilated by the deposit feeders primarily in periods of low food supply. Overall, our results show that the guts of deposit feeders constitute hotspots of organic matter on the abyssal plain that occupy one trophic level above detritus, increasing the food-chain length in this detritus-based ecosystem

Weaving Indigenous knowledge systems and Western sciences in terrestrial research, monitoring and management in Canada: A protocol for a systematic map

Human activities and development have contributed to declines in biodiversity across the globe.Understanding and addressing biodiversity loss will require the mobilization of diverse knowledge systems. While calls for interdisciplinary practices in environmental research date back decades, there has been a more recent push for weaving multiple knowledge systems in environmental research and management, specifically Indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) and Western sciences. The use of multiple knowledge systems in environmental research can improve understanding of socio-ecological connections, build trust in research findings and help implement evidence-based action towards biodiversity conservation. Mobilizing multiple types of knowledge in environmental research and management can be beneficial; however, challenges remain. There is a need to understand how and where studies have woven IKS and Western sciences together in order to learn about frameworks and processes used, and identify best practices. Here, we present a protocol for a systematic map that will examine the extent, range and nature of the published literature that weaves IKS and Western sciences in terrestrial ecosystems research, monitoring and management in Canada. The systematic map will aim to capture all available and relevant studies found in the published academic and grey literature. The search will use standardized search terms across four publication databases, four specialized websites and one web-based search engine. Bibliographies of relevant review articles captured by our search strategy will be cross-checked to identify additional studies. Calls for evidence among professional networks will also complement the search strategy. All searches will be conducted in English. Search results will be reviewed in two stages: (1) title and abstract and (2) full text. All screening decisions at the full-text stage will be included into the map database. The systematic map will use a narrative synthesis approach employing descriptive tables, statistics and figures (including a map with geospatially referenced studies) to summarize findings. Results from this mapping exercise can serve to support environmental research and management efforts working across IKS and Western sciences by highlighting best practices, as well as evidence gaps