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

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物种的影响是未知的，特别是在种群可能处于生态边缘的山脉边缘附近。生态学家缺乏知识的范围边缘种群是可行的，在长期与不太可能持续，我的研究的一个主要目的是确定哪些因素预测范围边缘种群的持久性。这条调查线是直接相关的生态理论（为什么物种是他们在哪里）和应用的保护决策，例如是否提供法律的保护濒危范围边缘人口在一个国家或省的范围核心人口在其他管辖区没有风险。考虑到火灾正在影响范围边缘和范围核心的种群，我还在研究物种对火灾的反应是否在整个范围内都是相似的，或者范围边缘的种群是否更脆弱。因此，我的研究问几种森林野生动物物种如何应对不同年龄，大小和严重程度的火灾在不同的范围;我还将研究野生动物如何应对火灾后抢救伐木。我在这里提出的研究包括在中部和南部的不列颠哥伦比亚省，华盛顿，蒙大拿州和怀俄明州研究领域的5个研究生项目。我和我的学生将研究雪鞋野兔、加拿大猞猁、山猫、老鼠和田鼠对火的反应。我们将使用一系列实地方法，包括无线电项圈，用于人口估计的活体诱捕，以及详细的雪地跟踪以评估运动和行为。最后，第六名学生将在保护政策工作，研究如何使用法律的标准，以保护濒危物种立法下列出的物种的关键栖息地，以及在何种程度上干扰，如火灾正在纳入政策决定。我的工作扩展了我们的生态知识，野生动物如何应对火灾和抢救伐木，以及火灾是否会更严重地影响范围边缘种群。这项工作对加拿大具有重要的实际意义，因为我们选择哪些物种或种群列入法律的保护，保护濒危物种的栖息地，管理毛皮收获，并对规定的火灾，抢救伐木和大规模森林管理作出重要决定。

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.