Ecology and conservation of peripheral populations in the face of increasing disturbance

面临日益增加的干扰时外围种群的生态和保护

• 批准号: RGPIN-2017-03726
• 负责人: Hodges, Karen
• 金额: $ 2.04万
• 依托单位: University of British Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=710502
• 关键词: Ecology; conservation; peripheral; populations; face

Wildfires in western forests are increasing in size, frequency, and severity. These substantial changes in the landscape have unknown impacts on forest wildlife species, especially near the range edges where populations may be ecologically marginal. Ecologists lack knowledge for which range edge populations are viable in the long-term versus unlikely to persist, and one major aim of my research is to determine which factors predict persistence of range edge populations. This line of inquiry is directly relevant both for ecological theory (why species are where they are) and for applied conservation decisions, for example whether to offer legal protection to imperiled range edge populations in one country or province when the range core populations in other jurisdictions are not at risk. Given that fires are affecting populations both in range edges and range cores, I am also examining whether species' responses to fire are similar throughout the range or if range-edge populations are more vulnerable. My research thus asks how several forest wildlife species respond to fires of different ages, sizes, and severities in different parts of the range; I will also examine how wildlife respond to post-fire salvage logging. The research I propose here includes 5 graduate student projects in study areas in central and southern British Columbia, Washington, Montana, and Wyoming. My students and I will examine snowshoe hares, Canada lynx, bobcats, and mice and voles in response to fire. We will use a range of field methods including radio-collaring, live-trapping for population estimates, and detailed snow-tracking to assess movements and behaviours. Finally, a 6th student will work in conservation policy, examining how legal criteria are being used to protect critical habitat for listed species under endangered species legislation, and the extent to which disturbances such as fire are being incorporated in policy decisions. My work expands our ecological knowledge of how wildlife respond to fires and to salvage logging, and whether fires impact range edge populations more severely. This work has important practical implications for Canada, as we choose which species or populations to list for legal protection, protect habitats for imperiled species, manage furbearer harvests, and make important decisions about prescribed fires, salvage logging, and landscape-scale forest management.

西部森林的野火在规模、频率和严重程度上都在增加。景观的这些重大变化对森林野生动物物种产生了未知的影响，特别是在山脉边缘附近，那里的种群可能处于生态边缘。生态学家缺乏关于哪些范围边缘种群在长期内是可行的，而哪些不太可能持续的知识，我研究的一个主要目的是确定哪些因素可以预测范围边缘种群的持久性。这一问题直接关系到生态学理论(为什么物种在它们所在的地方)和应用的保护决策，例如，当其他司法管辖区的范围核心种群没有受到威胁时，是否为一个国家或省份的濒危范围边缘种群提供法律保护。鉴于火灾正在影响射程边缘和射程核心的种群，我还在研究物种对火灾的反应是否在整个射程内是相似的，还是射程边缘的种群更脆弱。因此，我的研究询问了几种森林野生动物物种如何应对范围内不同地区不同年龄、大小和严重程度的火灾；我还将研究野生动物对火灾后抢救伐木的反应。我在这里提出的研究包括在不列颠哥伦比亚省中部和南部、华盛顿州、蒙大拿州和怀俄明州的研究区的5个研究生项目。我的学生和我将研究雪鞋兔、加拿大山猫、山猫以及老鼠和田鼠对火的反应。我们将使用一系列现场方法，包括无线电项圈、活体诱捕以估计人口，以及详细的雪迹跟踪来评估活动和行为。最后，第六名学生将从事保护政策方面的工作，研究法律标准如何被用于根据濒危物种立法保护被列入名单的物种的关键栖息地，以及火灾等干扰因素被纳入政策决策的程度。我的工作扩大了我们的生态学知识，了解野生动物如何应对火灾和抢救伐木，以及火灾是否会对范围边缘的种群造成更严重的影响。这项工作对加拿大具有重要的实际意义，因为我们选择将哪些物种或种群列入法律保护名单，保护濒危物种的栖息地，管理林木收获，并就规定的火灾、抢救伐木和景观规模的森林管理做出重要决定。