This list posting, published by FORREX Forum for Research and Extension in Natural Resources, is supported in part by BC Ministry of Forests and Range through the Forest Investment Account, Forest Science Program. For details or to contact FORREX, visit www.forrex.org
———-TABLE OF CONTENTS————————————-
1. Special Announcements
2. Conservation Biology News/Headlines
3. Conservation Biology Events/Conferences
4. Conservation Biology Workshops/Courses
5. …and for something on the lighter side…
**Note: if you have anything you would like to include in the next conservation biology listserv, scheduled for mailout on May 10th, 2007, please send it to Carolyn Whittaker (carolyn.whittaker@forrex.org).
—– 1. SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS —–
Renewal of the Fisheries Act
A Bill to revise the Fisheries Act was tabled before Parliament on December 13, 2006 and represents a general overhaul of the current Fisheries Act.
Bill C-45 renames the Act as the Fisheries Act, 2007 and coincides with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Environmental Process Modernization Plan (the “EPMP”). For more information and opinions, check:
http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/media/backgrou/2006/hq-ac46e_e.htm
http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/oceans-habitat/habitat/modernizing-moderniser/index
_e.asp
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Language=E&Parl=39
&Ses=1&Mode=1&Pub=Bill&Doc=C-45_1&File=14
http://www.parl.gc.ca/legisinfo/index.asp?Language=E&Session=14&query=4901&L
ist=toc
http://www.elc.ab.ca/publications/NewsBriefDetails.cfm?id=1008
**
Stewardship Works Website
Stewardship groups need more volunteers, but lack the capacity to take on more. Potential volunteers looking for stewardship volunteer opportunities have a hard time finding them. To help address the difficulty potential volunteers are facing, a new website hosted by the Stewardship Centre of BC, called www.StewardshipWorks.bc.ca has been created. This website is dedicated to serving the needs of B.C. stewardship groups.
StewardshipWorks.bc.ca provides a place where the stewardship community can:
– Profile their stewardship group with personalized stories and images,
– Post stewardship activities using the latest technology in interactive maps, and send the link of the posting to their volunteers,
– Access recent research and information on stewardship group volunteering in B.C., and
– Download a PowerPoint presentation on Land Stewardship that can be modified and used for presentations.
Take a look and help us demonstrate that stewardship works!
If you have any comments, please forward them to info@stewardshipworks.bc.ca.
**
National Wildlife Week: April 7-13, 2007 Earth Day: April 22, 2007
—– 2. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY NEWS / HEADLINES —–
February 27, 2007 – BC Energy Plan outlines vision for clean energy – The new BC Energy Plan: A Vision for Clean Energy Leadership puts British Columbia at the forefront with aggressive targets for zero net greenhouse gas emissions, new investments in innovation, and an ambitious target to acquire 50 per cent of BC Hydro’s incremental resource needs through conservation by 2020, announced Richard Neufeld, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources. Full story at:
http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_releases_2005-2009/2007EMPR0008-000178.htm
March 14, 2007 – Tories to spend $225M for Land Conservation – The federal government will contribute $225 million to help preserve ecologically fragile lands across the country, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced Wednesday. The government, with the Nature Conservancy of Canada and its partners, will invest in a campaign that will try to preserve about 200,000 hectares of land, he said. Full story at:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/03/14/harper-conservation.html
March 19, 2007 – Green Budget Falls Short for Environmental Groups – The federal budget’s $4.5 billion in environmental spending on green cars, clean water and renewable fuels didn’t impress opposition parties and did little to ease the concerns of environmental groups. “Today we act to improve our environment,” Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said while introducing the budget. While the budget represents a change in Conservative policy on “green” spending, opposition parties criticized it for containing no mention of the Kyoto Protocol, and said it didn’t amount to a significant change in government policy. Full story at:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2007/03/19/budget-environment.html
March 22, 2007 – Fresh Water in Limited Supply – One in six people today don’t have access to safe drinking water. Documented species extinctions are more than 15 times higher in fresh water than in oceans. And the outlook for fresh water resources is now more serious than ever. On this World Water Day, Earth’s dwindling supply of fresh water is exacerbating the spread of disease, the rise of poverty, and the disruption of ecosystems worldwide.
Should we allow our fresh water to run dry or become polluted, neither people nor the unique species that depend on lakes, rivers, and streams will survive. Costa Rica recognized this danger long ago, and has been working successfully to prevent it. All the while, China has been watching and is in the early stages of implementing similar solutions. Full story at:
http://www.conservation.org/xp/frontlines/2007/03220701.xml
—– 3. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY EVENTS / CONFERENCES —–
CFP = call for papers; CFA = call for abstracts
** – new additions
April 10-12, 2007. CMI’s Ordinary and Logistic Regression Course.
Revelstoke, BC. Regression analysis is one of the most commonly used methods in ecology. Analyses range from the very simple (a single response vs a single predictor) to the very complex (hundreds of predictors). In this three day course we will review the use of regression methods using modern statistical software. As well, regression methods have been extended to try and predict categorical responses (e.g. predicting live vs dead using logistic regression) and predicting counts (e.g. stem counts in forest surveys as a function of covariates). An introduction to generalized linear modelling using these more advanced methods will be given. This course is taught by Dr. Carl Schwarz from Simon Fraser University. Participants can attend one, two, or all three days. Cost is $200 per day plus GST. More details at: www.cmiae.org in the Upcoming Courses Section.
**May 2-4, 2007. Annual Applied Biology Conference. Victoria, BC.
http://www.apbbc.bc.ca/page_loader.php?page=38
May 5-6, 2007. CMI Annual Researchers’ Meeting. Radium Hot Springs, BC.
Every year CMI members get together to provide updates on their projects, catch up on the news, and hear about new ecological initiatives in southeastern British Columbia. This year, in addition to the regular assortment of talks, we are planning to highlight habitat restoration activities in the East Kootenays. It’s an informal atmosphere and non-CMI members are welcome.
http://www.cmiae.org/conferences.htm#CMI_Annual_Researchers_Meeting_and_AGM_
May 30-June 2, 2007. VI International Conference on Disturbance Dynamics in Boreal Forests, Fairbanks, Alaska USA.
http://www.ipy.org/development/eoi/details.php?id=93
May 8-9, 2007. Introduction to R software course. Nelson, BC.
http://www.cmiae.org/conferences.htm
May 15-18, 2007. 5th International Fisheries Observer Conference. Victoria, BC. http://www.fisheriesobserverconference.com/
**June 2-7, 2007. 43rd North American Moose Conference and Workshop. Prince George, BC. The University of Northern British Columbia in collaboration with the British Columbia Ministry of Forests and Range, the Ministry of Environment, and the Peace/Williston Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program, are please to host the 43rd North American Moose Conference and Workshop.
The conference will be held at the University of Northern BC, Prince George, Canada from June 2 – 7, 2007 with an aim of bringing together moose managers, biologists and other interested parties from across the range of moose to exchange ideas and share new developments in the area of moose research, management and biology.
http://resweb.res.unbc.ca/namericanmooseconference2007/index.htm
June 15-17, 2007. Sustainable Social and Ecosystem Stewardship. Wilfred Laurier University, Waterloo, ON. Contact Dr. Sanjay Sharma. 1-519-884-0710.
http://www.greeningofindustry.org/june2007.htm
June 18 to 22, 2007. 6th North American Forest Ecology Workshop. Vancouver, BC. http://www.nafew2007.org
June 19-20, 2007. Northern Silviculture Committee Summer Field Tour.
Smithers, BC. The Northern Silviculture Committee will be organizing another two day workshop with relevant and timely presentations. The workshop is a great venue for keeping up to date on the latest trends in silviculture and networking with new and old friends. The NSC promotes co-operation, understanding and improvement in the application of silvicultural practices at the field level through this winter workshop and a summer field tour in June. http://www.unbc.ca/continuingstudies/nrme/index.html#IntroductiontoGPS
July 10-11, 2007. Mountain Pine Beetle and Watershed Hydrology Workshop:
Preliminary Results of Research from BC and Alberta. Kelowna, BC. FORREX, the BC Ministry of Forests and Range and the Canadian Water Resources Association – BC Branch are collaborating to organize a 1-day workshop on the hydrologic effects of the Mountain Pine Beetle. The objective of the workshop is to present preliminary research results from ongoing projects in BC and Alberta. Rapid communication of relevant, interim research results is needed in order to incorporate the most current and best available knowledge into BC’s forests land management response to the MPB infestation.
http://www.selkirk-management.com/mpb_and_water_hydrology.html.
August 5-9, 2007. International Conference on Wind and Trees. Vancouver, UBC.
http://www.feric.ca/index.cfm?objectid=BD377EAE-C09F-3A58-EAB81B7379E1467D&C
FID=63658&CFTOKEN=66188684
**October 10-11, 2007. Soil bioengineering. Cranbrook, BC. This two day course taught by David Polster of Polster Environmental Services (Duncan BC) will focus on soil bioengineering techniques and options involved in restoration and reclamation of damaged ecosystems using a combination of structural materials, vegetative cuttings and other specialized techniques.
Soil bioengineering is an applied science that uses live plant materials to perform an engineering function such as slope stabilization, soil erosion control, or seepage control. Details, registration, and course outline at www.cmiae.org
**CFP. October 12-13, 2007. Ecological Restoration in Southeastern British
Columbia: Grasslands to Mountaintops. Cranbrook, BC. The BC Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER-BC) and the Columbia Mountains Institute of Applied Ecology (CMI) have teamed up to host this important regional conference on ecological restoration. Themes to be covered at this conference include, but are not limited to, the following:
* Restoration of grassland and adjacent forests
* Rehabilitation of mine spoils
* Restoration of riparian areas.
While showcasing the local activities, this event also welcomes papers and posters from neighbouring areas, and on subjects of global interest to restoration work, such as climate change, invasive plants, and the use of traditional knowledge. Conference participants will have the opportunity to further their knowledge about ecological restoration through 1? days of presentations, a poster session, and field trips, as well as through informal networking. A banquet and dance will also be offered. Time will be allotted for the short Annual General Meeting of SER-BC.
We are seeking papers, posters, and field trip leaders for this regional conference on ecological restoration. Send your information by June 1.
Details are at www.cmiae.org.
**CFP. November 7-8, 2007. Managing Environmental Impacts of Linear Corridors and Infrastructure. Revelstoke, BC. This workshop will examine problems and solutions related to environmental management of linear corridors and related infrastructure. What are the impacts of railways, highways, pipelines, transmission lines, and seismic lines, and how can they be managed? We are soliciting papers and posters on the following broad
themes: Emergency response: prevention, planning, and preparedness; Right of way management vegetation, non-native weeds, wildlife forage and mortality, etc. Corridors and wildlife reducing mortality, improving permeability, etc.; Meeting regulatory requirements and standards; Project planning and management. Information due by JUNE 1, 2007.
This event builds on the five Roads, Rails, and Environment workshops hosted by the Columbia Mountains Institute since 1996. It is intended for an interdisciplinary audience of biologists, engineers, resource managers concerned with improving the environmental management of their facilities.
Full details at: http://www.cmiae.org/
2008
**June 21-25, 2008. 11th North American Forest Soils Conference. Blacksburg, VA. http://www.cpe.vt.edu/nafsc/
—– 4. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY WORKSHOPS / COURSES —–
University of Victoria: Division of Continuing Studies http://www.uvcs.uvic.ca/programs/
Spring Explorations at Summer Point Lodge Apr 23-27, 2007
———
Selkirk Management Services
http://www.selkirk-management.com/events.html
**Soil Conservation Survey Accreditation Course
May 22-24/07 Sorrento
**Case Studies for Species At Risk, Riparian Area Regulations, & the Develop With Care Guidelines
April 26/07 Chilliwack
April 27/07 Surrey
May 1/07 Whistler
May 8/07 Mission
Dates to be announced for Powell River, Sechelt and Burnaby
———
Streamkeepers Training
** Apr 14-15, 2007
Hastings Creek (Princess Park in North Vancouver) The course will cover Modules 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 & 11 of the Streamkeepers Handbook and Modules For more information, please call Dianne Ramage at
604-317-2974 or Zo Ann Morten at 604- 986-5059 or email at zmorten@shaw.ca
———
Wetlandkeepers – Learn how to Monitor & Protect Wetlands
** April 20-22, 2007
Courtenay
The BC Wildlife Federation and the Comox Valley Project Watershed are sponsoring a “Wetlandkeepers Course” in Courtenay. Join instructors Michele Jones, Julie Micksch, and Herpetologist Elke Wind for an exciting weekend of wetland ecology and monitoring.
Wetlandkeepers is a 2.5 day introduction to Wetland Stewardship offering an opportunity for hands-on practice of wetland conservation skills, such as conducting wetland plant, bird and amphibian surveys and public environmental education. The third day will be specifically geared towards amphibians. Participants that successfully complete the course are awarded a Wetlandkeepers Certificate.
For more information please contact:
Mary Ellen Grant,
BCWF Wetlands Education Program Director
250.376.6772 or toll free voice mail 1.888.881.2293 (ext. 225)
email: maryellen@bcwf.bc.ca
———
Malaspina Natural Resources Extension Program
see: http://www.mala.ca/nrep/Schedule.asp
**Electrofishing: Theory, Safety and Uses
Apr 14-15, 2007. Nanaimo
Apr 14-15, 2007. Kelowna
Apr 17-18, 2007. West Vancouver
Apr 21-22, 2007. Victoria
Apr 28-29, 2007. Prince George
Apr 28-29, 2007. Merritt
May 22-23, 2007. Castlegar
May 29-30, 2007. Fort St. John
Riparian Area Regulation
Apr.16-18, 2007 Vancouver
Erosion and Sediment Control
**Apr 10-12, 2007. Kelowna
**Apr 17-19, 2007. Prince George
Jun.5-7, 2007 Chilliwack
Jun.5-7, 2007 Fort St. John
Jun.11-13, 2007 Campbell River
**Essential Fisheries Field Skills
Mar 26-Apr 5, 2007. Campbell River
Apr 30-May 11, 2007. Kelowna
Fisheries Field Technician Certificate Program
Jan.29-Mar.2, 2007 Port McNeil
**Identification of Freshwater Fishes
Apr 11-12, 2007. Prince George
**Resource Inventory Standards Committee Field Operator GPS Training
Apr 3-4, 2007. Nanaimo
**Riparian Area Regulation
Apr 2-4, 2007. Kamloops
Apr 17-19, 2007. Vancouver
**S-100 Fire Suppression and Safety
Jun 2-3, 2007. Nanaimo
———
UNBC Continuing Studies
http://www.unbc.ca/continuingstudies/
Basic Forest Soils
May 14, 2007 Prince George
Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification (BEC)
May 15-16, 2007 Prince George
Eco-Forestry Workshop
May 10-11, 2007 Prince George
Forest Road Construction Practices & Procedures
Apr 17-19, 2007 Prince George
Geotechnical Engineering & Resource Road Workshop
Apr 10-11, 2007 Fort St. John
Apr 16-17, 2007 Cranbrook
Invasive Species Management Workshop
June 5-6, 2007 Kamloops
Residue and Waste Survey Certificate
May 7-10, 2007 Prince George
Soil Conservation Survey Accreditation Course
June 25-27, 2007 Prince George
Stream Bank Restoration Using Bioengineering Techniques
April 19-20, 2007 Prince George
Wildlife Habitat Mini-Course
Apr 27-29, 2007 Fort St. James
**Wildlife Danger Tree Assessors Certification
Mar 27-28, 2007 Forest Harvest & Silviculture Port McNeill
Apr 16-17, 2007 Forest Harvest & Silviculture Vernon
Apr 17-18, 2007 Parks & Recreation Module Masset
Apr 19-20, 2007 Forest Harvest & Silviculture Campbell River
Apr 26-27, 2007 Wildland Fire Safety Module Prince George
Apr 30-May 1, 2007 Forest Harvest & Silviculture Williams Lake
May 1-2, 2007 Forest Harvest & Silviculture Smithers
May 9-10, 2007 Forest Harvest & Silviculture Prince George
May 22-23 2007 Parks & Recreation Module Cranbrook
May 24-25, 2007 Parks & Recreation Module Kelowna
May 28-29, 2007 Forest Harvest & Silviculture Nelson
May 29-30, 2007 Parks & Recreation Module Victoria
May 29-30, 2007 Forest Harvest & Silviculture Fraser Lake
June 5-6, 2007 Wildland Fire Safety Module Kamloops
June 13-14, 2007 Wildland Fire Safety Module Penticton
June 21-22 2007 Wildland Fire Safety Module Nelson
Northern Silviculture Committee Summer Field Tour
June 19-20, 2007 Smithers
—– 5. AND FOR SOMETHING ON THE LIGHTER SIDE —–
40 million years without sex?
A group of microscopic aquatic animals have managed to evolve into many separate species over the past 40 million years without sexual reproduction, according to a study published on Tuesday.
The curious case of the organisms challenges the assumption that sexual reproduction is necessary for species to diverge, the authors contend.
Scanning electron micrographs show physical variations among bdelloid rotifers which suggest the aquatic animals have split into different species.
The research, published in PLoS Biology, focused on bdelloid rotifers, a group of microscopic aquatic animals that live in ponds, rivers, and occasionally wet habitats like soils, mosses and lichens. Bdelloid rotifers are asexual and multiply by producing eggs that are genetic clones of the mother. There are no males, just females.
Asexual animals and plants can evolve and mutate over time, but usually do not diversify any further and do not usually last long. But fossil records of bdelloid rotifers show the creatures have been around for more than 40 million years.
And like creatures that sexually reproduce, the study found the bdelloid rotifers have managed to evolve into hundreds of distinct species uniquely adapted to their environments: allowing some to prosper in hot springs while other swim in Antarctic waters.
Biologists Diego Fontaneto from the University of Milan, Timothy Barraclough from Imperial College London and a team of international scientists found evidence of distinct species of the bdelloid rotifers by comparing DNA sequencing and jaw measurements of animals living across the U.K., Italy and other parts of the world.
“We found evidence that different populations of these creatures have diverged into distinct species, not just because they become isolated in different places, but because of the differing selection pressures in different environments,” said Barraclough in a statement.
“One remarkable example is of two species living in close proximity on the body of another animal, a water louse,” he said. “One lives around its legs, the other on its chest, yet they have diverged in body size and jaw shape to occupy these distinct ecological niches.
“Our results show that, over millions of years, natural selection has caused divergence into distinct entities equivalent to the species found in sexual organisms.”
Sexual reproduction was long thought to be necessary for species to split into divergent species because interbreeding introduced genetic variety to the offspring, the authors said. But they argue the case of bdelloid rotifers disproves this theory.
The conclusion, however, still leaves the scientists with another question:
how do these other species diverge without new genetic material added to the mix? It’s a question they are still puzzling over.
“These really are amazing creatures, whose very existence calls into question scientific understanding, because it is generally thought that asexual creatures die out quickly, but these have been around for millions of years,” said Barraclough.
***
This mailing list is sponsored by Conservation Biology extension program of FORREX. FORREX is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to promoting healthy and sustainable ecosystems through extension and research. For more information, visit http://www.forrex.org. For more information about the Conservation Biology extension program, please navigate to http://www.forrex.org/programs/program9.asp.
Any feedback you can provide on this service is most welcome. Please contact Carolyn Whittaker with your comments at Carolyn.Whittaker@forrex.org
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