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September 2011
Welcome to On the Wild Side, WCS Canada’s e-newsletter. Through this newsletter we keep our colleagues and supporters informed about the great wildlife conservation work being done by WCS across Canada.
Fishy sleuthing
WCS Fish Conservation Research Associate Dr. Jenni McDermid has been busy working on lake sturgeon – on many fronts. Lake sturgeon are in decline or extirpated from all developed areas of North America as a result of overfishing for their meat and eggs (caviar) and habitat loss caused by the damming of rivers. Recently, Jenni has been looking at the impacts of hydro development on sturgeon genetic variability (the idea being that hydro developments may divide populations and therefore create genetic differences). While her work did lead to the documentation of new genetic group in Northern Ontario, it also found that genetics alone are not a strong indicator of habitat disturbance and that good old fashioned population surveys are still needed. Full details are in an upcoming article by Jenni and colleagues in the Journal of Applied Ichthyology.
Jenni also attended a symposium, hosted by Kitcisakik Anicinapek Council in Quebec, on lake sturgeon and Aboriginal people’s role in the conservation of lake sturgeon. This symposium focused on the cultural significance of lake sturgeon, traditional and scientific knowledge, conservation issues and research projects. Jenni’s participation in this workshop supported her efforts in preparing a report for the Moose Cree First Nation who are developing protection plans for lake sturgeon within their traditional territory as well as safe consumption guidelines for traditional country foods.
Above: Dr. Jenni McDermid holds a large lake sturgeon
Yukon’s spring and summer are short but the days are long. Throughout June, the work day starts at three in the morning for WCS Canada’s Yukon scientist Hilary Cooke and her two assistants. They were conducting surveys for birds breeding in old stands of white spruce which occur primarily in small patches along streams, rivers, and lakes. These old-growth forests are important habitat for wildlife, including breeding birds like the Varied Thrush. These areas are also valuable to forestry and agriculture. Hilary and her assistants intensively mapped bird territories and the information collected this summer will be used to develop recommendations for forestry and agricultural activities, including the types and amount of old-growth forest that should receive protection. As part of a broader project focused on conservation issues in the valley bottom habitats of southern Yukon, information from this project will also provide guidance on the conservation and management of riparian forests within land-use planning processes.
Above: Varied Thrush - Photo: Ben Schonewille, Society of Yukon Bird Observatories
Writing the arctic biodiversity story
WCS Canada’s Don Reid has been invited to join the team of international scientists writing the Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA) for Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF). The goal of this huge international effort is to provide a comprehensive international assessment of the overall state of Arctic wildlife species and their habitats to policy makers, the media and the public, thereby providing science-based arguments for dealing with the threats to biodiversity conservation in the arctic.
The ABA is one of a number of international intergovernmental efforts to address issues of common concern to all arctic nations. The report should be ready in 2013 and will include major sections on wildlife, terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems, and genetic diversity. Don will coordinate the writing of the mammals chapter with a number of co-authors.
Another step forward for Peel protection
After a six-year planning process, the Peel Watershed Planning Commission has released its final plan with recommendations to governments for the future of this wilderness watershed in central Yukon. The final plan continues to call for 80% of the land base to be included in protected areas, with no new road access. It suggests that 55% of the land base be put in permanent long-term protection, with another 35% being in wilderness areas that should be protected now, but could be re-assessed during a plan review in the future. These recommendations are very similar to those in the recommended plan released 18 months ago, demonstrating a strong and consistent message that reflects the great majority of public input. WCS Canada’s Don Reid was a technical adviser to the Commission in its deliberations leading up to the recommended plan.
It is now up to the First Nations' and Territorial governments to negotiate a way forward, and decide whether to ratify the plan, which two First Nations have already endorsed. The Yukon Government will conduct yet another round of public consultations this fall.
Recent Papers
Chetkiewicz, C.L.B. and J.L. McDermid. 2011. An annotated review and compilation of the published literature on lake sturgeon, traditional diets, and safe consumption guidelines in subarctic and arctic ecosystems in North America. A report for Moose Cree First Nation. 37 pp.
Dawson, F.N., A.J. Magoun, J. Bowman, and J.C. Ray. 2010. Wolverine, Gulo gulo, home range and denning habitat in lowland boreal forest in Ontario, Canada. Canadian Field Naturalist 124(2): 139–144.
Festa-Bianchet, M., J. C. Ray, S. Boutin, S.D. Côté and A. Gunn. 2011. Caribou conservation in Canada: an uncertain future. Canadian Journal of Zoology 89:419-434.
Krebs, C.J., Reid, D., Kenney, A.J., and Gilbert, S. 2011. Fluctuations in lemming populations in north Yukon, Canada, 2007–2010. Canadian Journal of Zoology 89: 297-306.
McDermid, J.L., M. Alshamlih, K. Wozney, and CC. Wilson. 2011. Genetic assessment of ancestry of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) in Cold Lake, Alberta. A report for the Government of Alberta. 21 pp.
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