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Copyright of Canadian Geographer is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Species vary in their responses to urban habitat; most species avoid these environments, whereas others tolerate or even thrive in them. To better characterize the extent to which species vary in their responses to urban habitat (from this point forwards "urban tolerance"), we used several methods to quantify these responses at a continental scale across all birds. Using open access community science‐derived data from the eBird Status and Trends Products and two different types of high‐resolution geospatial data that quantify urbanization of landscapes, we calculated urban tolerance for 432 species with breeding ranges that overlap large cities in Canada or the USA. We developed six different calculations to characterize species‐level urban tolerance, allowing us to assess how each species' relative abundance across their breeding range varied with estimates of urban habitat use and intensity. We assessed correlations among these six indices, then compressed the two best‐performing indices into a single principal component (multivariate urban tolerance index) that captured variation in urban tolerance among species. We assessed the accuracy of our single and multivariate urban tolerance indices using 24 test species that have been well characterized for their tolerance or avoidance of the urban habitat, as well as with previously published, independent urban tolerance estimates. Here, we provide this new dataset of species‐level urban tolerance estimates that improves upon previous metrics by incorporating continental‐scale, continuous estimates that better differentiate species' tolerance of urban habitat compared with existing, categorical methods. These refined metrics can be used to test hypotheses that link ecological, life history, and behavioral traits to avian urban tolerance. The dataset is licensed as CC‐By Attribution 4.0 International. Users must appropriately cite the data paper and dataset if used in publications and scientific presentations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Elateridae, or click beetles are abundant and diverse in most terrestrial ecosystems in North America, acting as plant pests and filling many other ecological roles. The 112 genera of Elateridae Leach, 1815, or click beetles, known from Canada and USA are included in a first comprehensive digital interactive key to adults. A link to an online peer-reviewed LUCID key to elaterid genera and downloadable LUCID files are provided. Diagnostic morphological summaries using information from the 61 characters and 158 character states of the matrix key are presented for all genera. A table summarizes current understanding of habitat use by all elaterid genera in Canada and USA from literature, collections, citizen science, and our own observations. Diversity of elaterid genera was high throughout warm and cool temperate regions, especially in mountainous areas and mesic woodlands. Larvae of most genera were associated with soil, litter and decaying wood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental Reviews is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Physical ocean circulation features, especially the Gaspé Current (GC) intrusion, influence the transport and aggregation of whale prey, thereby influencing the whale foraging habitat in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (GSL), Canada. We employ satellite altimetry-derived sea level anomaly (SLA) indices to monitor interannual variations in the intensity of the GC in the North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis; NARW) habitat in the GSL. Measurements of surface slope and volume transport are taken from the SLA profiles along a repeating ground track of the Jason-2/3 satellites. These are employed as complementary proxies in characterizations of physical processes in the GSL. The relationship between altimetric indices and indices of zooplankton abundance are explored in the southern GSL. Results demonstrate that an altimetric index estimated from surface slope (Index s l o p e − h a l f ) is correlated with river discharge of the St. Lawrence River and can be utilized to infer variations in GC intensities. Time series of the altimetric indices during 2009–2021 are found to exhibit interannual and seasonal environmental variability, which influence transport into the southern GSL. As captured by the altimetric indices, these features of the surface ocean circulation can be linked to zooplankton variations in the Shediac Valley, where NARWs are frequently observed. Therefore, in linking physical drivers of ocean dynamics to the NARW foraging habitat, variations in these indices can also potentially help describe some features of the distribution patterns of NARW sightings in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While agriculture is a driver of global biodiversity loss, agricultural lands provide important habitat for many species. The Canadian Species at Risk Act exists to protect species from extinction, however, it does not afford adequate protection for species or their habitats on private lands. Under the federal legislation, only listed migratory or aquatic species are protected on private land, necessitating an approach of voluntary stewardship by landowners. Therefore, it is critical to understand their attitudes and willingness to protect species at risk on their private land. Building on previous research with older farmers, this article presents a case study of young farmers in Prince Edward Island where almost all of the land is privately owned, with almost half representing farmland. Using an online survey and follow-up semi-structured interviews, the knowledge and attitudes of young farmers (18–50 years) and their willingness to engage in voluntary stewardship and protection of species at risk on their land was investigated. Similar to older farmers (51 years and older), almost all participants knew what was meant by the term 'species at risk' but were not familiar with the federal Act. As with older farmers, almost all agreed that such species should be protected and were willing to change their land management strategies in order to do so. While recognizing their own important role in protecting species at risk, farmers also said that provincial government should engage with them, providing more education and, in some cases, financial compensation to enable them to protect species at risk on their farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing wildlife habitat suitability has been an important tool in species conservation for generations of wildlife managers, despite changes in technology and theoretical frameworks. The goal of this study was to quantify differences in habitat suitability indices (HSIs) for blue-winged teal derived from our re-creation of traditional paper-based outputs and GIS-based outputs using the same inputs and to determine how HSIs for blue-winged teal would respond to fine-scale applications in Miquelon Lake Provincial Park, Canada. The subsequent models assessed the four original variables presented by the 1985 USFWS model: wetland density, wetland area, horizontal cover, and proximity to wetlands for three components of breeding habitat including pair bonding, nesting, and brood rearing. For a subset of GIS models, vertical cover was also incorporated into our analyses to determine its applicability in the model's assessment of aerial predation risk for blue-winged teal. The paper-based model consistently produced higher habitat suitability scores when compared to the GIS model, with only the brood-rearing model being slightly lower. When vertical cover was included in the GIS model either by itself or combined with horizontal cover, the area of high suitability habitat was reduced to 0% and ∼3%, respectively. Results revealed that the species did not show a special preference to high or moderately suitable habitats. Given the overestimation of habitat suitability at all breeding stages for blue-winged teal, the comparative utility of the actual HSI scores derived manually from such models are limited; however, the long-term ecological insights into model inputs are invaluable when integrated with emerging spatial data for computer-based habitat modelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the status of endangered species can be challenging because the efficacy of conservation actions is often uncertain. Conservation aquaculture has been the main recovery action for endangered white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) in the Transboundary Reach of the upper Columbia River. Using long-term mark-recapture data (2002–2018), we predicted variation in growth rates due to genetic, environmental, and competition effects to evaluate the efficacy of the aquaculture program. Environmental conditions (by season and country) and competition had the greatest effects on growth. Growth, length-at-age, weight-at-age, and condition factor were higher for fish residing in reservoir habitats (US) compared to those in riverine habitat (Canada). Growth declined over the study period but growth in length for larger fish remained higher in the US as fish > 100 cm fork length in Canada were not growing. Small differences in growth among families indicate that differences in genetics among parents spawned in the hatchery had negligible effects on growth in the wild. Our estimate of substantive negative density-dependent growth in Canada is important for management of conservation aquaculture for sturgeons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental impact assessments (EIAs) aim to assess the predicted effects of future projects on the environment, human health, and the economic potential of a region. They are an instrumental tool for sustainable development and to reduce the impact of large-scale industrial projects on biodiversity. The accurate assessment of the effects of projects on wildlife populations has a variety of ecological, cultural, and economic implications. However, assessments are commonly done using indirect indicators such as the predicted impact of changes in the quantity and quality of wildlife habitat and (or) predicted changes in nonspecific wildlife population metrics (e.g., relative abundance). In recent decades, the interpretation of wildlife health has moved from the classical dichotomous state of "disease presence/absence" to a broader concept that integrates the interaction of biological, social, and environmental health determinants. We sought to determine how wildlife health metrics are used in EIA processes and propose a framework to characterize, quantify, and monitor wildlife health in future EIAs. First, we performed a targeted review of EIA documents from three jurisdictions in Canada to characterize the relevance and use of "wildlife health" in these documents. Then, we reviewed case studies and research examples to understand wildlife health in different contexts associated with conservation biology to propose a framework to incorporate wildlife health into baseline monitoring and mitigation processes in EIAs. Our targeted review illustrates that while wildlife health and related terminology is often invoked in the main and specific objectives of EIAs, it is rarely tracked and quantified in EIAs and related processes. We identified approaches that can be used to effectively incorporate wildlife health in EIAs, including context-specific wildlife health metrics, participatory epidemiology, community-based sampling, and local ecological knowledge. We illustrate case studies where wildlife health can facilitate the inclusion of communities, Indigenous governments, and local ecological knowledge into the evaluation process of projects and developments and into comanagement practices of wildlife. Our work highlights the critical need to move towards incorporating wildlife health into EIA processes to provide a more direct and holistic perspective on the potential environmental impacts and improve the opportunities for early implementation of mitigation measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil contains a diverse fauna and microflora that are vital for maintaining healthy soils and their various ecosystem services. Oribatid mites are typically highly abundant arthropods in the soil and are used as indicators for environmental monitoring. The aim of this study was to determine oribatid mite community response to natural land cover, anthropogenic disturbance, space, and climate in the oil sands region of Alberta, Canada. Our results found that oribatid mite total abundance was significantly reduced by mining, cultivation, and well sites. Species richness was significantly reduced by mining and cultivation. Shannon's diversity index was significantly higher for all natural land cover types, seismic lines, and forest harvest. Additionally, species diversity was lower under the relative influence of energy-related soft linear disturbances than for naturally vegetated sites and forest harvesting, and was lowered further by anthropogenic disturbances with more impact on soil integrity (cultivation, mines, urban/industrial, road/trail verges, well sites). Abundance, richness, and diversity also increased with increased frost free period and with eastward longitude. Mite community composition included a notable composition difference between lowland habitats and upland forest types, and between natural land cover and intense anthropogenic disturbance types (e.g., mines, cultivation). Our study highlighted oribatid mite communities' response to natural land cover, anthropogenic disturbance and spatial–climatic factors assessed over broad spatial scales and the potential utility of oribatid mites as ecosystem health indicators under multiple ecological drivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most research on boreal populations of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) has been conducted in areas of high anthropogenic disturbance. However, a large portion of the species' range overlaps relatively pristine areas primarily affected by natural disturbances, such as wildfire. Climate‐driven habitat change is a key concern for the conservation of boreal‐dependent species, where management decisions have yet to consider knowledge from multiple ecological domains integrated into a cohesive and spatially explicit forecast of species‐specific habitat and demography. We used a novel ecological forecasting framework to provide climate‐sensitive projections of habitat and demography for five boreal caribou monitoring areas within the Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada, over 90 years. Importantly, we quantify uncertainty around forecasted mean values. Our results suggest habitat suitability may increase in central and southwest regions of the NWT's Taiga Plains ecozone but decrease in southern and northwestern regions driven by conversion of coniferous to deciduous forests. We do not project that boreal caribou population growth rates will change despite forecasted changes to habitat suitability. Our results emphasize the importance of efforts to protect and restore northern boreal caribou habitat despite climate uncertainty while highlighting expected spatial variations that are important considerations for local people who rely on them. An ability to reproduce previous work, and critical thought when incorporating sources of uncertainty, will be important to refine forecasts, derive management decisions, and improve conservation efficacy for northern species at risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest fragmentation and introduced pathogens are negatively impacting trees and forests globally, including the Carolinian forest of southern Ontario, Canada. Multiple species at risk live in this threatened but biodiverse forest, including the endangered Cornus florida (eastern flowering dogwood), which is now limited to fragmented woodlots, and has been decimated by the introduced fungal pathogen Discula destructiva (dogwood anthracnose). Ongoing management of C. florida in Canada is challenged by multiple knowledge gaps, two of which we aimed to address in this study. We first evaluated the association between anthracnose disease prevalence and a suite of ecological and environmental variables across 21 sites. Across our sites, larger trees tended to have the highest disease incidence, and trees on shallow slopes had the most crown dieback. We then quantified genetic diversity and gene flow, and found that genetic structure has not been substantially impacted by habitat fragmentation, although dispersal typically covers short distances. However, genetic diversity is relatively low in smaller populations and in younger trees. Localized dispersal and eroding genetic diversity may limit future adaptation and hence exacerbate population declines. We recommend that managers prioritize plantings in small populations, avoid shallow slopes, and track younger trees to evaluate age-related mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protecting habitat of species at risk is critical to their recovery, but can be contentious. For example, protecting species that are locally imperilled but globally common is often thought to distract from protecting globally imperilled species. However, such perceived trade-offs are based on the assumption that threatened groups have little spatial overlap, which is rarely quantified. We compiled range maps of terrestrial species at risk in Canada to assess the geographic overlap of nationally and globally at-risk species with each other, among taxonomic groups, and with protected areas. While many nationally at-risk taxa only occur in Canada at their northern range edge, they are not significantly more peripheral in Canada than globally at-risk species. Further, 56% of hotspots of nationally at-risk taxa are also hotspots of globally at-risk species, undercutting the perceived trade-off in their protection. While strong spatial overlap across threat levels and taxa should facilitate efficient habitat protection, less than 7% of the area in Canada's at-risk hotspots is protected, and two-thirds of nationally and globally at-risk species in Canada have less than 10% of their Canadian range protected. Our results counter the perception that protecting nationally versus globally at-risk species are at odds, and identify critical areas to target as Canada strives to increase its protected areas and promote recovery of species at risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canada's ocean ecosystem health and functioning is critical to sustaining a strong maritime economy and resilient coastal communities. Yet despite the importance of Canada's oceans and coasts, federal ocean policy and management have diverged substantially from marine science in the past decade. In this paper, key areas where this is apparent are reviewed: failure to fully implement the Oceans Act , alterations to habitat protections historically afforded under Canada's Fisheries Act , and lack of federal leadership on marine species at risk. Additionally, the capacity of the federal government to conduct and communicate ocean science has been eroded of late, and this situation poses a significant threat to current and future oceans public policy. On the eve of a federal election, these disconcerting threats are described and a set of recommendations to address them is developed. These trends are analyzed and summarized so that Canadians understand ongoing changes to the health of Canada's oceans and the role that their elected officials can play in addressing or ignoring them. Additionally, we urge the incoming Canadian government, regardless of political persuasion, to consider the changes we have documented and commit to aligning federal ocean policy with ocean science to ensure the health of Canada's oceans and ocean dependent communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous Peoples around the northern hemisphere have long relied on caribou for subsistence and for ceremonial and community purposes. Unfortunately, despite recovery efforts by federal and provincial agencies, caribou are currently in decline in many areas across Canada. In response to recent and dramatic declines of mountain caribou populations within their traditional territory, West Moberly First Nations and Saulteau First Nations (collectively, the "Nations") came together to create a new vision for caribou recovery on the lands they have long stewarded and shared. The Nations focused on the Klinse‐Za subpopulation, which had once encompassed so many caribou that West Moberly Elders remarked that they were "like bugs on the landscape." The Klinse‐Za caribou declined from ~250 in the 1990s to only 38 in 2013, rendering Indigenous harvest of caribou nonviable and infringing on treaty rights to a subsistence livelihood. In collaboration with many groups and governments, this Indigenous‐led conservation initiative paired short‐term population recovery actions, predator reduction and maternal penning, with long‐term habitat protection in an effort to create a self‐sustaining caribou population. Here, we review these recovery actions and the promising evidence that the abundance of Klinse‐Za caribou has more than doubled from 38 animals in 2013 to 101 in 2021, representing rapid population growth in response to recovery actions. With looming extirpation averted, the Nations focused efforts on securing a landmark conservation agreement in 2020 that protects caribou habitat over a 7986‐km2 area. The Agreement provides habitat protection for >85% of the Klinse‐Za subpopulation (up from only 1.8% protected pre‐conservation agreement) and affords moderate protection for neighboring caribou subpopulations (29%–47% of subpopulation areas, up from 0%–20%). This Indigenous‐led conservation initiative has set both the Indigenous and Canadian governments on the path to recover the Klinse‐Za subpopulation and reinstate a culturally meaningful caribou hunt. This effort highlights how Indigenous governance and leadership can be the catalyst needed to establish meaningful conservation actions, enhance endangered species recovery, and honor cultural connections to now imperiled wildlife. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much of Canada's terrestrial biodiversity is supported by boreal forests. Natural resource development in boreal forests poses risks to this biodiversity. This paper reviews the scientific literature to assess the effects of natural resource development on terrestrial biodiversity in Canadian boreal forests. We address four questions: (1) To what extent have Canadian boreal forests changed due to natural resource development? (2) How has biodiversity responded to these changes? (3) Will the biodiversity of second-growth forests converge with that of primary boreal forests? (4) Are we losing species from boreal forests? We focus on trees, understory plants, insects, fungi, selected mammals, and songbirds because these groups have been most studied. We review more than 600 studies and found that changes in community composition are prevalent in response to large-scale conversion of forest types, changes in stand structures and age distributions, and altered landscape structure resulting from forest management and habitat loss associated with other developments such as oil and gas, hydroelectric, and mining. The southern boreal forest has been more highly impacted than the north due to more extensive forest management and the cumulative effects of multiple forms of development. There is abundant evidence that most species are not in danger of being extirpated from the boreal forest due to these anthropogenic changes. A few species, including woodland caribou ( Rangifer tarandus) and grizzly bear ( Ursus arctos), have, however, undergone long-term range contractions. Significant gaps in our ability to assess the effects of natural resource development on biodiversity in the boreal zone are the lack of long-term spatial and population data to monitor the impact of forest changes on ecosystems and species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Calicioids are a group of lichenized and non-lichenized fungi that are superficially similar to each other in appearance. Many members of this group tend to be restricted to old-growth forests, for which they have been used as indicators. However, the definition of old-growth varies among jurisdictions and forest types. In addition, variables other than tree age, which is often used to define old-growth, have been postulated to be important for influencing the presence of calicioids (e.g., continuity, scale, and ecological and structural variability). These variables, in combination, can be taken to indicate something about forest condition, particularly its ecological integrity. To understand better the ability of calicioids to serve as indicators of forest condition, we recorded the number of species in 51 stands across a chronosequence in Canada's most homogenous forest ecosystem with the most frequent natural disturbance regime; the boreal forest. We restricted our sampling spatially and temporally in stands with similar tree cover and soil type. We recorded the number of species and biomass of all lichens in each stand along with forest stand attributes. We constructed 13 competing models to explain calicioid species diversity and show that stand age is important, but only in combination with stand condition. The strongest positive correlations were between calicioid density and lichen biomass and richness. Therefore, calicioid diversity appears to be a good indicator of habitat condition or conservation value in the boreal forest, which includes continuity. Similar research in other forest types that are more heterogeneous and have longer natural disturbance regimes will help build a better understanding of how calicioids can be reliably used as indicators of forest quality more broadly for conservation purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Botany is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In recent decades, there has been an increase in conservation and restoration projects targeting Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar – AS), as populations in eastern Canada decline. Missing however, is an understanding of thermo‐hydraulic habitat use by adult AS during summer, and thus the actual benefits of altering in‐river physical structures. Here, we illustrated how optical and thermal infrared (TIR) imagery acquired from a UAV can be used in concert with in‐situ depth and velocity data to map adult AS and develop models of thermo‐hydraulic habitats in the Miramichi River, New Brunswick. We found during normal temperature conditions (<19°C) boulder proximity, depth, velocity, and Froude number, a non‐dimensional hydraulic metric, were key parameters that characterized adult AS habitat. However, during behavioural thermoregulation events (>19°C), proximity to the cool thermal plume and Froude number were critical controls on habitat use. We also observed AS forming a distinct geometric formation during behavioural thermoregulation events, and term this formation a "thermal‐peloton"; in reference to competitive cycling in which groups of cyclists pack together. The primary function of the peloton is undoubtedly to reduce thermally induced stressed; however, we conceptualize that the geometry of the peloton attenuates hydraulic‐drag, and reduces the energetic expenditure of individuals practicing behavioural thermoregulation. These data provide a blue print for Atlantic salmon restoration work. The use of UAV‐based sensors has the potential to initiate a paradigm shift for river sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2016, the Anguniaqvia niqiqyuam Marine Protected Area (ANMPA) became the second marine protected area designated in Canada's Arctic under the Oceans Act. The ANMPA encompasses marine habitat on the western shores of Darnley Bay near the community of Paulatuk, NT, in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. Ecological indicators to evaluate the status of the conservation objectives were selected by an expert panel, guided by the latest scientific knowledge for the area, and community priorities provided by the ANMPA Working Group. A three-tiered indicator concept was developed to ensure sufficient data are collected to link potential changes in valued upper-trophic level animals and their habitats to the drivers of change: (a) five indicators are recommended to provide background environmental context required to interpret change in biological indicators, (b) 11 indicators are recommended to monitor biological and food web integrity directly linked to the conservation objectives, and (c) two indicators are recommended to monitor current pressures and threats to the biological system, acknowledging that re-evaluation will be necessary on a regular basis. Information currently available to support each indicator is summarized, and key monitoring strategies and measurement parameters are proposed. Appendix C provides a summary table of recommended measurement parameters and considerations. In some cases, accessing data/information collected at a spatial scale larger than the ANMPA will be vital to increase the reach and contextual value of monitoring data. Most of the indicators can be monitored by community-based monitoring programs, a combination of inshore and offshore sampling, remote sensing, and/or partnering with established research and harvest monitoring programs to optimize the efficiency of data collection. In some cases, follow-on analyses of existing samples and data are required to establish baseline conditions. The information provided herein is an update to science advice previously provided by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and is intended to support the development of an ecological monitoring plan for the ANMPA through the ANMPA Working Group, Western Arctic MPA Steering Committee, and other relevant partner forums. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canada's federal recovery strategy for boreal woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) classifies areas burned by forest fire as disturbed habitat. This assignment of fire as a disturbance has potential economic and social implications across Canada, and influences plans and actions to achieve caribou conservation and recovery. Previous researchers have reported caribou avoid burned habitat, but these studies did not typically consider unburned residual patches within fire perimeters. Additionally, the implications of burned habitat on individual caribou survival is unclear. We examined resource selection by boreal woodland caribou of burns, and unburned residual patches, using global positioning system (GPS) locations for 201 caribou across 6 caribou populations in Alberta, Canada. We also examined if burned habitat affected the survival of adult female caribou. Caribou avoided burns and unburned residual patches. Increased use of burned habitats, however, did not lower the survival of adult caribou. Collectively, these results provide evidence to support current assertions that burns, and the embedded unburned residual patches are not preferred caribou habitat and increase our understanding of the implications of forest fire for caribou vital rates. Our investigation offers important information about the role of forest fire in caribou ecology and enhances the identification of disturbed habitat under recovery strategy guidelines to effectively address caribou population declines. © 2021 The Wildlife Society. : Woodland caribou in Alberta, Canada avoid burned habitat including unburned residual patches; however, there was no relationship between burned habitat use and adult female survival. This suggests fire disturbance is not a key influence of caribou population persistence, and we recommend reevaluation of the current approach listed in the federal boreal caribou recovery strategy that includes anthropogenic and fire disturbance in a cumulative assessment of disturbed habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the exceptional spatiotemporal extent of the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey (WBPHS) has substantially contributed to our understanding of the ecology of North American waterfowl, vast geographical areas remain excluded from the survey. The unprecedented number of observations generated by the recent boom in citizen science initiatives could help resolve these spatial gaps and increase the density of records in regions already covered. The study objective was to assess the value of the integrated species distribution modeling (ISDM) approach for integrating WBPHS and eBird data to model waterfowl distribution across the Canadian western boreal forest, where WBPHS data are sparse. Following the ISDM approach, we used a state‐space point process formulation that combined a model for the "true" species distribution and two observation models for how WBPHS and eBird data were generated. Our results highlighted the importance of observational processes related to sampling effort and site accessibility for modeling eBird data. In addition, our models allowed identifying waterfowl–habitat associations related to geoclimatic, forest, and hydrological factors that explained the distribution of target species. To assess the individual contribution of WBPHS and eBird data, we re‐fitted the models using only one of the two data sets and compared the results obtained against those from the integrated approach. Waterfowl–habitat associations and predictions derived from the models using both data sets and those fitted with WBPHS data only were close and consistent with the observed species distribution. However, it was more difficult to extract an ecological signal from models fitted with eBird data only. Interestingly, predictions from models combining both data sets were closer to the WBPHS records than the predictions from models fitted with WBPHS data only. By facilitating the combination of all available data sources, we demonstrated the potential of the ISDM approach for modeling and mapping species distributions. We encourage future North American waterfowl modeling attempts to use this method, especially for resolving gaps in the WBPHS coverage. As multiple data sets can be added to the original framework, integration efforts must not be restricted to the additional contribution of eBird data alone and could consider, for example, provincial atlases and regional helicopter surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Impacts of longitudinal gradients on species distributions have received less attention than latitudinal gradients. In Canada, precipitation varies longitudinally, with direct effects on plant growth and fire regimes. Despite the geographical extent of Canadian boreal forests, vascular plant diversity is relatively limited, with just under 300 species. Understorey communities comprise most of this diversity and play key roles in forests, affecting succession, nutrient cycling and wildlife habitat. Our objective was to evaluate the relative impacts of local and regional environmental conditions on vascular plant community composition and diversity in the boreal forest. Location: Sampling took place in 33 trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) stands along a transcontinental gradient in precipitation and fire regimes in boreal Canada. Methods: We measured community composition and vegetation diversity indices of the vascular understorey in 400-m² plots and measured environmental variables at the local (drainage, nutrient and light availability, site heterogeneity) and regional (annual temperature and precipitation, fire weather index, landscape heterogeneity) scales. Multivariate analyses and hierarchical model selection were used to analyze patterns. Results: Species composition varied longitudinally, with western and eastern species pools. Western indicator species tended to be fire-adapted pioneer species, while indicator species at eastern sites were fire avoiders and late-successional species. Species richness and intra-site beta diversity seemed primarily driven by local variables and did not vary across the country. Species evenness, however, was slightly higher in the western region and decreased under higher precipitation, colder temperatures, and higher landscape-level heterogeneity. Conclusion: Our results suggested that even for similar canopy composition environmental variables play a key role in the establishment of plant communities and structure local plant assemblages by selecting or eliminating species from the regional pool, which was also controlled by fire regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-indigenous species are often identified as threats to native species and communities. Yet, the mechanisms that enable many of these invaders to thrive and alter their newly invaded habitats are still not fully understood. This applies to habitats such as widespread sedimentary shorelines characterized by the presence of scattered biogenic clumps of blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) structurally more complex than bare sediments. In Atlantic Canada, some of these shorelines are numerically dominated by native mud crabs (Dyspanopeus sayi) but have been gradually invaded by the European green crab (Carcinus maenas). This study describes between-habitat (mussel clump vs. bare sediment) differences in density and diversity of invertebrates. It also tests the impact of juvenile green crabs in comparison to native mud crabs using two approaches: First, measuring habitat-related differences in these crabs' feeding rates on a common prey (soft-shell clams, Mya arenaria). Second, measuring their influence on invertebrate communities associated with mussel clumps. The results show that mussel clumps hold higher invertebrate density and diversity than surrounding sedimentary bottoms. In the laboratory, the feeding rates of native mud crabs were dependent on the type of habitat (sand flat > mussel clump), whereas those of green crabs were significantly higher and unrelated to the habitat in which predation occurred. In field experiments, juvenile green crabs were also the only predators that changed community structure in the mussel clump habitat. These results indicate that green crabs can cause a significant impact on native species and communities. Moreover, they suggest that the ability of this species to overcome the refuge provided by complex biogenic habitats for prey may represent an unexplored mechanism to explain this invader's expansion here and elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate current and future dynamics of 25 tree species spanning United States and Canada. Location: United States and Canada. Methods: We combine, for the first time, the species compositions from relative importance derived from the USA's Forest Inventory Analysis (FIA) with gridded estimates based on Canada's National Forest Inventory (NFI‐kNN))‐based photo plot data to evaluate future habitats and colonization potentials for 25 tree species. Using 21 climatic variables under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5, we model climatic habitat suitability (HQ) within a consensus‐based multimodel ensemble regression approach. A migration model is used to assess colonization likelihoods (CL) for ~100 years and combined with HQ to evaluate the various combinations of HQ + CL outcomes for the 25 species. Results: At a continental scale, many species in the conterminous United States lose suitable climatic habitat (especially under RCP 8.5) while Canada and USA's Alaska gain climate habitat. For most species, even under optimistic migration rates, only a small portion of overall future suitable habitat is projected to be naturally colonized in ~100 years, although considerable variation exists among species. Main conclusions: For the species examined here, habitat losses were primarily experienced along southern range limits, while habitat gains were associated with northern range limits (especially under RCP 8.5). However, for many species, southern range limits are projected to remain relatively intact, albeit with reduced habitat quality. Our models predict that only a small portion of the climatic habitat generated by climate change will be colonized naturally by the end of the current century—even with optimistic tree migration rates. However, considerable variation among species points to the need for significant management efforts, including assisted migration, for economic or ecological reasons. Our work highlights the need to employ range‐wide data, evaluate colonization potentials and enhance cross‐border collaborations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bank Swallows (Riparia riparia) are designated as Threatened in Canada, in part due to loss of natural breeding habitat along lakeshores and rivers. Excavation in sand and gravel pits (aka aggregate pits) has increased availability of potential nesting habitat away from lakes and rivers, and these substitute habitats may be important to stabilize the decline experienced by some Bank Swallow populations. Over 2 yr, we collected data on Bank Swallow reproductive success from 2 natural lakeshore habitat sites along bluffs of the north shore of Lake Ontario and 7 aggregate pits in southern Ontario, within 100 km of the lakeshore. Nests at the lakeshore habitat were initiated earlier than in aggregate pits, 8 days earlier in 2014 and 13 days earlier in 2015. Neither clutch size nor number of nestlings were different between the 2 habitat types. There were differences in the number of fledglings produced between the habitat types, with Bank Swallows nesting in aggregate pits raising more fledglings per successful nest. However, birds nesting in aggregate pits also had significantly more nests that raised no fledglings, even though eggs in those nests hatched. Breeding adults from aggregate pits were initially heavier than those from the lakeshore habitat, but their mass decreased significantly over the nesting season. Fledgling masses were not significantly different between habitat types. Parasite loads on fledgling Bank Swallows from aggregate pits were significantly lower than on fledglings from the lakeshore. These indicators suggest that aggregate pits can provide at least equivalent habitat for Bank Swallows to that provided by natural lakeshore habitat, making them potentially key for the recovery of this species in Ontario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Northern form Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma malma) have been designated as a species of Special Concern in Canada due to declines in population abundance and potential threats. Concern over detrimental effects of low flows on population abundance prompted research on how variability in discharge regimes influence habitat availability. Habitat suitability indices for prespawning and spawning adult anadromous Dolly Varden from two streams were integrated into a two‐dimensional hydrodynamic habitat model to assess the effect of flow variability on usable habitat. Regional hydrographs were used to identify an ecologically relevant range of flows that provided optimal spawning habitat for these populations and examine the relationship between abundance and discharge. Adults spawned in the tail end of pools at moderate water depths and water velocities, and used pebble‐ to cobble‐sized substrate for building redds; whereas, prespawning adults occupied deeper pools with moderate velocities and used cobble for cover. Model outputs showed that spawning habitat availability was optimized at flow rates between 1.6 and 3.0 m3/s and between 1.0 and 6.0 m3/s in Fish Hole Creek (FHC) and Little Fish Creek, respectively. A positive relationship between flows during the fall spawning period and abundance of the FHC population suggests that higher flows coinciding with optimal habitat availability may have contributed to positive recruitment. To strengthen and refine this habitat–population relationship for Dolly Varden in this area requires investigation of a broader suite of variables associated with environmental regimes and physical habitat in reaches used for spawning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structurally complex cobble seafloor protects against predators, and is generally assumed to be the only meaningful habitat for settlement and benthic recruitment of American lobsters (Homarus americanus H. Milne Edwards, 1837). Accordingly, historical surveys on featureless substrates such as mud have found few and only older juveniles. Mud, however, is far more common than cobble across the lobster's range, and may be of increasing importance in regions where the lobster population has been growing over the past few decades. As a first step to determining whether mud seafloor serves as meaningful recruitment habitat for juvenile lobsters, we deployed artificial habitats (bio-collectors) at five locations varying from 100% mud to mostly cobble, in Maces Bay, Bay of Fundy, NB, Canada, to capture young lobsters. A broad size range of lobsters, from new settlers up to adolescents, colonized bio-collectors in all locations, suggesting that lobsters settle and spend at least some of their juvenile life on mud. Differences in body condition (length-standardized mass) of lobsters sampled from the different locations suggest that some individuals must reside on mud for at least months to years, long enough to show differential growth between habitats. The greater relative abundance of adolescents in bio-collectors on mud also suggests their net movement from densely populated cobble beds into mud habitat. We propose that mud seafloor may be a more important habitat for settlement and early survival of American lobsters than is currently appreciated, especially given the current potential saturation of scarce cobble nursery habitat by growing lobster populations and, in some regions, reduced predation on mud seafloor due to overfishing of groundfish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A range of organisms, from plankton to fish, commonly shift their habitat distributions horizontally or vertically due to predation risk. Juvenile lake trout, Salvelinus namaycush, are generally viewed as occupying deep areas of lakes to decrease predation pressure from adults. In contrast, we found that juvenile lake trout from Great Bear Lake, NT, Canada, occupied a variety of habitats and from shallow to deep depths (0–150 m), overlapping with adult lake trout. No evidence occurred for a length depth‐based segregation (e.g., ontogenetic shift). Genetic variation was also similar among juveniles in the different depth zones. However, isotopic niches and C:N ratios among juveniles showed some variability in niche widths and positions for individuals caught from the 51–150 m zone compared to juvenile individuals caught from 0–20 m and 21–50 m zones. The uniformly distributed adult lake trout in Great Bear Lake may evenly distribute predation pressure (including cannibalism) across shallow‐ and deep‐water habitats more than in other lakes. As a result, juveniles may respond to differences in foraging opportunities rather than predation risks. Juvenile lake trout did not appear to conform to the general pattern of juveniles seeking a deep‐water refuge to reduce predation risks. In contrast, juvenile lake trout of Great Bear Lake displayed broad resource use across all depths and habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While there is no denying that oil sands development in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR) has large impacts upon the habitat it disturbs, developers are legally required to return this land to “an equivalent land capability.” While still early in the process of reclamation, land undergoing reclamation offers an opportunity to study factors influencing reclamation success, as well as how reclaimed ecosystems function. As such, an Early Successional Wildlife Dynamics (ESWD) program was created to study how wildlife return to and use reclaimed upland boreal habitat in the AOSR. Wildlife data comprising 182 taxa of mammals, birds, and amphibians, collected between 2011 and 2017 and from five oil sands leases, were compared from multiple habitat types (burned [BRN], cleared [CLR], compensation lakes [COMP], logged [LOG], mature forest [MF], and reclaimed sites [REC]). Overall, similarity of wildlife communities in REC and MF plots varied greatly, even at 33 years since reclamation (31–62% with an average of 52%). However, an average community similarity of 52% so early in the successional process suggests that current reclamation efforts are progressing towards increased similarity compared to mature forest plots. Conversely, our data suggest that REC plots are recovering differently than plots impacted by natural (BRN) or other anthropogenic disturbances (LOG), which is likely due to differences associated with soil reconstruction and development on reclaimed plots. Regardless of the developmental trajectory of reclaimed habitats, progression towards increased wildlife community similarity at REC and MF plots is apparent in our data. While there is no expectation that reclaimed upland habitats will resemble or function identically to naturally occurring boreal forest, the degree of similarity observed in our study suggests that comparable ecological functionality is possible, increasing the probability that oil sands operators will be able to fulfill their regulatory requirements and duty to reclaim regarding wildlife and wildlife habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The designation of marine protected areas (MPAs) requires the development of a monitoring design to assess the effectiveness of the closure in meeting its conservation objectives. Natural variability should be considered in the design, ideally determined using baseline information collected at the scale of the closure.Monitoring benthos informs on general ecosystem state. Benthic habitat maps are widely used as surrogates of benthos in marine spatial planning, and could potentially be used to inform monitoring by minimizing confounding habitat effects.Here, epibenthic diversity was assessed in the St. Anns Bank MPA in Atlantic Canada, the first assessment of benthic patterns at the scale of this closure. Epibenthic assemblages were determined using a photographic camera system along a single transect (~100–150 m in length) at 44 locations in 2013 and 2014 (with 10 or 11 images per location, providing a total of 438 images), prior to the designation of the MPA. Epibenthic patterns were correlated with a previously developed benthic habitat (benthoscape) map to determine the potential of using benthoscape classes as units for monitoring.Hierarchical agglomerative clustering of epibenthic assemblages and similarity profile analysis revealed five clusters of assemblages in the MPA (P < 0.01), each of which were associated with specific indicator taxa. Some clusters of assemblages correlated well with distinct benthoscape classes representing either hard/coarse (gravel) or soft sediment (sand and mud), whereas clusters associated with mixed sediment segregated spatially. The within‐cluster variability in assemblages between locations was lower overall than within the management zones, but differed between clusters.Similarities were detected with previous coarser‐scale assessments of epibenthic diversity in the St. Anns Bank MPA, but this study revealed a more complex benthic structure than previously thought. A monitoring design should thus consider this natural variability to reliably monitor change and aid in determining the effectiveness of the MPA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tree cavities provide a critical resource for cavity-nesting animals, and high quality cavities can be difficult for animals to acquire in habitats where competition is high. We investigated the breeding performance of Lewis's Woodpeckers in three habitat types in British Columbia, Canada in 2013 and 2014. We also assessed whether the number of nest competitors and cavity availability influenced the habitat specific breeding performance of this threatened cavity nesting species. We found that daily nest survival rate was lower in burned habitat (0.15 ± 0.08 (0.05–0.37)) than in live pine (0.72 ± 0.10 (0.51–0.87)) or cottonwood (0.69 ± 0.09 (0.51–0.83)) habitats. However, hatching success (the proportion of eggs that hatch) was lower in live pine habitat (0.59 ± 0.09 95% CI) than burned (0.77 ± 0.19 95% CI) or cottonwood (0.80 ± 0.07 95% CI) habitat, and the fledging success of successful nests in live pine and burned habitat (1.86 ± 0.31 and 1.88 ± 0.59 95% CI, respectively) was slightly lower than in cottonwood habitat (2.61 ± 0.45 95% CI). Consequently, Lewis's Woodpeckers in cottonwood habitat produced more fledglings per nesting attempt (2.05 ± 0.49 95% CI) than in live pine (1.53 ± 0.35 95% CI) or burned (0.79 ± 0.49 95% CI) habitat. Habitats differed in the number of nesting competitors and the number of suitable cavities surrounding active Lewis's Woodpecker nests. Our results showed that cavity density best explained breeding performance differences although the mechanisms remain unclear. There was no evidence that the number of heterospecific nest competitors, including the invasive European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), explained or influenced Lewis's Woodpecker breeding performance. Cavity density influenced the productivity of successful nests but did not explain habitat differences in hatching success or daily nest survival. Further work is required to understand the mechanistic basis for the habitat specific breeding performance of Lewis's Woodpeckers. Habitat differences in breeding performance in British Columbia are not consistent with those in other regions, highlighting the importance of regionally-specific demographic data for managing species at risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic diversity at immune genes and levels of parasitism are known to affect patterns of (dis)assortative mating in several species. Heterozygote advantage and/or good genes should shape mate choice originating from pathogen/parasite-driven selection at immune genes. However, the stability of these associations, and whether they vary with environmental conditions, are still rarely documented. In this study, we describe mating patterns in a wild population of tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) over 4 years and assess the effects of haemosporidian parasite infection and immune genetic diversity at β-defensin genes on those patterns within two habitats of contrasting environmental quality, in southern Québec, Canada. We first show that mating patterns were only very weakly related to individual status of infection by haemosporidian parasites. However, we found a difference between habitats in mating patterns related to infection status, which was likely due to a non-random distribution of individuals, as noninfected mating pairs were more frequent in lower quality habitats. Mating patterns also differed depending on β-defensin heterozygosity at AvBD2, but only for genetic partners outside of the social couple, with heterozygous individuals pairing together. Our study underlines the importance of considering habitat heterogeneity in studies of sexual selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Condor: Ornithological Applications is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A survey of the United States and Canadian governmental agencies investigated the environmental impact and relative invasiveness of free-roaming domestic non-native carnivores--dogs, cats, and ferrets. Agencies represented wildlife, fish, game, natural or environmental resources, parks and recreation, veterinary and human health, animal control, and agriculture. Respondents were asked to document the number and frequency of sightings of unconfined animals, evidence for environmental harm, and the resulting "degree of concern" in their respective jurisdictions. Results confirmed the existence of feral (breeding) cats and dogs, documenting high levels of concern regarding the impact of these animals on both continental and surrounding insular habitats. Except for occasional strays, no free-roaming or feral ferrets were reported; nor were there reports of ferrets impacting native wildlife, including ground-nesting birds, or sensitive species. This is the first study to report the relative impact of free-roaming domestic carnivores. Dogs and cats meet the current definition of "invasive" species, whereas ferrets do not. Differences in how each species impacts the North American environment highlights the complex interaction between non-native species and their environment. Public attitudes and perceptions regarding these species may be a factor in their control and agency management priorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Forest Research is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Forest Research is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Native Studies is the property of Brandon University, CJNS, Faculty of Arts and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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Copyright of Canadian Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Pennatulacean octocorals (sea pens), one of the primary conservation targets of the Laurentian Channel Marine Protected Area (MPA) in eastern Canada, occur at high densities in some deep-sea sedimentary habitats. Considered important habitat-forming organisms for many megafaunal organisms, the effect of sea pens on nearby sedimentary macrofaunal communities remains unexplored. During two cruises in September 2017 and July 2018, we sampled 9 stations within the MPA (336-445 m depth), including sea pen fields and bare sedimentary habitats, targeting individual sea pens in a subset of the cores to assess small-scale effects. We evaluated macrofaunal density, taxonomic diversity, vertical distribution, community composition, and biological trait expression, and investigated variation between sea pen fields and other (bare) sedimentary habitats, as well as between cores with and without sea pen specimens. Using multivariate analyses, we identified abiotic and biotic drivers of macrofaunal community composition and biological trait expression. Enhancement of macrofaunal density and taxonomic diversity and higher percentages of organisms in the upper sediment layers characterized sea pen fields in autumn, with more variable results in summer. Community composition and biological trait expression consistently differed in sea pen fields compared to bare sedimentary habitats, with Pennatula sea pen density as one of the primary drivers of variation especially for community composition, along with other environmental drivers (depth, grain size, and organic matter quantity and quality). We also detected small-scale enhancement of macrofaunal diversity in cores containing sea pens at stations characterized by predominantly bare sediments. Our results indicate that macrofaunal communities within sea pen fields differ from those in bare sediments and we propose sea pens play a role in influencing those patterns by increasing food availability, stability, and small-scale heterogeneity in sedimentary habitats, acknowledging that other environmental factors might also play a role in determining the observed patterns. Characteristics of macrofaunal communities within sea pen fields also suggested potentially higher sensitivity to disturbance, which amplifies the need for protection of sea pen fields in deep-sea sedimentary environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to characterize spatial patterns and environmental and biological drivers of organic matter remineralization and nutrient regeneration in deep-sea sedimentary habitats, we measured fluxes of nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, phosphate, and silicate at the sediment-water interface during 48-h ex situ incubation of sediment cores. We sampled a total of 6 stations (351–445 m depth) inside the Laurentian Channel Marine Protected Area (MPA), on the outer continental shelf of Newfoundland (Canada). We assessed the potential effect of octocoral sea pens on uni- and multivariate benthic nutrient fluxes at large- and small-scale by comparing sea pen fields and other sedimentary habitats, and cores with and without sea pens. For each station, we evaluated a wide range of environmental variables, including physico-chemical and sedimentary factors, and we identified macrofaunal organisms inhabiting the cores, assessed their taxonomic diversity, community composition, and biological trait expression. Our analysis identified macrofaunal species richness and the density of a few key taxa, as well as environmental factors such as the quantity of sedimentary organic matter as the primary drivers of variation of multivariate benthic fluxes. Macrofauna explained up to 41% of the variation in benthic fluxes, whereas environmental variables only explained up to 19%, highlighting the importance of biodiversity for ecosystem functioning. Uni- and multivariate analysis of fluxes did not reveal clear spatial patterns within the MPA habitats and stations, and fluxes showed high small-scale variability. We found enhanced ammonium efflux rates associated with the presence of sea pens at both small- and large-scale, likely reflecting both direct and indirect effects of these soft corals on organic matter deposition and sedimentary biogeochemical processes. Sea pens, however, did not appear to influence other fluxes, leaving their role for organic matter remineralization unclear. The extreme complexity and small-scale heterogeneity of benthic processes, particularly within what appears to be a relatively homogeneous environment, underscores the need for further studies to facilitate generalizations of patterns and drivers of benthic nutrient fluxes at larger scales, which will ultimately enable the effective integration of ecosystem functioning into conservation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wetlands play a key role in regional and global environments, and are critically linked to major issues such as climate change, wildlife habitat, biodiversity, water quality protection, and global carbon and methane cycles. Remotely-sensed imagery provides a means to detect and monitor wetlands on large scales and with regular frequency. In this project, methodologies were developed to classify wetlands (Open Bog, Treed Bog, Open Fen, Treed Fen, and Swamps) from multi-source remotely sensed data using advanced classification algorithms. The data utilized included multispectral optical and thermal data (Landsat-5) and Radar imagery from RADARSAT-2 and Sentinel-1. The goals were to determine the best way to combine the aforementioned imagery to classify wetlands, and determine the most significant image features. Classification algorithms investigated in this study were Naive Bayes, K-Nearest Neighbor (K-NN), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Random Forest (RF). Based on the test results in the study area in Northern Ontario, Canada (49°31′.34N, 80°43′37.04W), a RF based classification methodology produced the most accurate classification result (87.51%). SVM, in some cases, produced results of comparable or better accuracy than RF. Our work also showed that the use of surface temperature (an untraditional feature choice) could aid in the classification process if the image is from an abnormally warm spring. This study found that wetlands were best classified using the NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetative Index) calculated from optical imagery obtained in the spring months, radar backscatter coefficients, surface temperature, and ancillary data such as surface slope, computed through either an RF or SVM classifier. It was also found that preselection of features using Log-normal or RF variable importance analysis was an effective way of identifying low quality features and to a lesser extent features which were of higher quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the history of fisheries management, forest management, and range management. It mentions traditional wisdom in Christian Europe stated that species do not become extinct, because that would indicate that God was imperfect in his creations; and also mentions American bison lived in gigantic herds easily observed on American prairies and plains.