| AnnouncementsMoose (Alces alces) Wildlife Habitat Decision Aid “In BC, specific amounts of habitats critical for the winter survival of moose are maintained under the Forest Planning and Practices Regulation (FPPR) and protected under the Government Actions Regulation (GAR). Key habitat elements such as mineral licks and significant wallows, can be protected as a practice requirement under the FPPR as Wildlife Habitat Features. Other seasonal habitat elements, such as buffers on wetlands and riparian reserve areas receive limited protection under these statutes and are protected to varying degrees across the range of the species. A number of land use plans have made recommendations for maintenance of moose habitat. This new Wildlife Habitat Decision Aid (WHDA) summarizes key seasonal habitat elements and provides information for land and resource managers to consider when addressing the seasonal habitat requirements for moose in managed forest areas.”For more details… Scanning the Conservation Horizon: A Guide to Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment “Rapid climate change is the defining conservation issue of our generation. […] To provide the best possible chance for conserving species and ecosystems in a rapidly changing climate, it is essential that managers have the ability to both identify what we need to do differently in the future, as well as which existing strategies and activities continue to make sense from a climate adaptation perspective. […] Vulnerability assessments are a key tool for informing adaptation planning and enabling resource managers to make such judgments. Scanning the Conservation Horizon is designed to assist fish and wildlife managers and other conservation and resource professionals to better plan, execute, and interpret climate change vulnerability assessments.”For more details… Climate Change, Uncertainty, and Natural Resource Management “Climate change and its associated uncertainties are of concern to natural resource managers. Although aspects of climate change may be novel (e.g., system change and nonstationarity), natural resource managers have long dealt with uncertainties and have developed corresponding approaches to decision-making. […] We identified 4 types of uncertainty that characterize problems in natural resource management. We examined ways in which climate change is expected to exacerbate these uncertainties, as well as potential approaches to dealing with them. As a case study, we examined North American waterfowl harvest management and considered problems anticipated to result from climate change and potential solutions.”For more details… New Book – Columbia’s Inland Rainforest: Ecology, Conservation, and Management “The vast temperate rainforests of coastal British Columbia are world renowned, but much less is known about the other rainforest located 500 kilometres inland along the western slopes of the interior mountains. The unique integration of continentality and humidity in this region favours the development of lush rainforest communities that incorporate both coastal and boreal elements. The domain of grizzly bears, ancient forests, and plant species with a maritime affinity, the rainforest is also home to the mountain caribou, mountain hemlock, and alpine tundra, species more closely linked to a cold continental climate. In British Columbia’s Inland Rainforest, scientists bring together, for the first time, a broad spectrum of information about the ecology, management, and conservation of this distinctive ecosystem.”For more details… North America’s Environmental Outlook: Nine Topics to Watch for 2011 and Beyond “What is the future for North America’s environment? Much of the answer is up to us. A new report by Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) examines the major forces and underlying trends likely to shape the environment of North America in 2030 and outlines nine areas where decisions today will affect our environmental future in varying degrees. In fact, while the pressures on North America’s environment will continue to increase over the next 20 years, the report emphasizes that it would be a mistake to assume that our choices today can’t influence environmental quality down the road.”For more details… New Website – BC’s Coast Region: Species and Ecosystems of Conservation Concern “This is a joint venture product that provides an up-to-date, comprehensive exploration of representative species and plant communities that are of regional, provincial and federal conservation concern in British Columbia. This new set of online resources builds on the Field Guide to Species at Risk in the Coast Region of British Columbia produced in 2003 by Interfor and the BC Ministry of Environment. Revised in a new user friendly and informative format for 2010, these online factsheets provide a virtual desktop and field reference for government staff, industry, environmental professionals and naturalists. This reflects audiences that not only have an interest in local biodiversity, but are involved in influencing conservation and land use decisions to protect it. Each factsheet provides species conservation ranking, field identification tips, ecology and links to management requirements and resources.”For more details… US National Park Service Climate Change Response Strategy “The NPS Climate Change Response Strategy provides direction to our agency and employees to address the impacts of climate change. It describes goals and objectives to guide our actions under four integrated components: science, adaptation, mitigation, and communication. The four integrated components throughout the strategy call for an overarching legal and policy framework that will ensure the legality, consistency and appropriateness of management decisions. Changing climatic conditions will require updating interpretations of policy, mandates, and approaches to resource stewardship throughout the National Park Service.”For more details… The State of Marine and Coastal Adaptation In North America: A Synthesis of Emerging Ideas “The intent of this report is to provide a brief overview of key climate change impacts on the natural and built environments in marine and coastal North America and a review of adaptation options available to and in use by marine and coastal managers. This report presents the results of EcoAdapt’s efforts to survey, inventory, and assess adaptation projects from different regions, jurisdictions, and scales throughout North America’s marine and coastal environments.”For more details… Should We Implement Monitoring or Research for Conservation? “The primary aim of our paper on monitoring was to inspire managers to think about how they allocate resources to monitoring conservation management actions. This is precisely what Geupel et al. have done in responding to our work. Having evaluated some of their own monitoring programs, they correctly contend that monitoring and research are not necessarily mutually exclusive. However, we would argue that, in most cases, if we were aiming for shrewd decision-making, they should be. Our paper was aimed at deciding whether monitoring to guide management is worthwhile, given a particular conservation problem. No amount of monitoring can guide management if the drivers of a decline or potential management options to stem that decline are not known.”For more details… Monitoring Decisions: Not as Simple as They Seem? “McDonald-Madden et al. provide a simple framework for identifying management situations where the monetary expense of monitoring is justified given the information generated. The framework requires the use of a decision tree to determine if the information required be obtained for the least cost, or is at least traded-off against the benefits of other actions. In our opinion, this requirement severely limits the application of their decision framework. We applied this decision tree to some of our ongoing monitoring work, both to assess the utility of the tree and to explore some of our own decisions. In doing so, we identified several crucial steps within the decision tree that we believe merit careful consideration.”For more details… Challenges in Connecting Cumulative Effects Analysis to Effective Wildlife Conservation Planning “Wildlife populations are affected by habitat loss and fragmentation resulting from actions undertaken by various parties across broad geographic scales. One way to account for these effects is through cumulative effects analysis (CEA)[…]. This article provides an overview of the CEA requirement, and uses the US Forest Service’s approach as a platform for assessing the promises and pitfalls of connecting CEA to effective wildlife conservation planning.”For more details… New Book – Energy Development and Wildlife Conservation in Western North America “Energy Development and Wildlife Conservation in Western North America offers a road map for securing our energy future while safeguarding our wildlife heritage. Contributors show how science can help craft solutions to conflicts between wildlife and energy development by delineating core areas, identifying landscapes that support viable populations, and forecasting future development scenarios to aid in conservation design.”For more details… Columbia River Basin Biodiversity Atlas – Selkirk College A new version of the Columbia River Basin Biodiversity Atlas has just launched and includes GIS and text-based information of 32 species of management concern, three ecosystems and three “influences” (including the latest information for conservation properties in the region). The Atlas is managed by Selkirk College’s Geospatial Research Centre in partnership with major funders including the Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program, Columbia Basin Trust, The Nature Trust and a multi-stakeholder steering committee.For more details… Climate Change, Aquatic Ecosystems, and Fishes in the Rocky Mountain West: Implications and Alternatives for Management “Anthropogenic climate change is rapidly altering aquatic ecosystems across the Rocky Mountain West and may detrimentally impact populations of sensitive species that are often the focus of conservation efforts. The objective of this report is to synthesize a growing literature on these topics to address the following questions: (1) What is changing in climate and related physical/hydrological processes that may influence aquatic species and their habitats? (2) What are the implications for fish populations, aquatic communities, and related conservation values? (3) What can we do about it?”For more details… FAO Releases State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2010 “The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) has released “State of the World’s Fisheries and Aquaculture, ”which stresses that the contribution of fish to global diets has increased and that the status of global fish stocks has not improved. The report highlights that approximately 32% of the world’s fish stocks are estimated to be over-exploited, depleted or recovering, while only 15% of the FAO-monitored stocks are under-exploited or moderately exploited. The report underscores the growing importance of aquaculture for meeting global fish demand and […] includes a section on “climate change implications for fisheries and aquaculture,” which details: current scientific knowledge; the ecological and physical impacts of climate change; fishers and their communities; and aquaculture.”For more details… The Route to Best Science in Implementation of the Endangered Species Act’s Consultation Mandate: The Benefits of Structured Effects Analysis “The Endangered Species Act is intended to conserve at-risk species and the ecosystems upon which they depend, and it is premised on the notion that if the wildlife agencies that are charged with implementing the statute use the best available scientific information, they can successfully carry out this intention. We assess effects analysis as a tool for using best science to guide agency decisions under the Act. After introducing effects analysis, we propose a framework that facilitates identification and use of the best available information in the development of agency determinations.”For more details… FREP Extension Note 17: Riparian Management “From 2005 to 2008, FREP assessed stream and riparian conditions of 1441 stream reaches in, or adjacent to, randomly selected harvest areas, logged between 1996 and 2006. The objective of these assessments was to determine whether forest and range practices had been effective in maintaining the “health” or “properly functioning condition” (PFC) of streams and the adjacent riparian areas. […] The key purpose of this extension note is to inform resource management professionals of the biophysical outcomes of management practices on riparian and stream function.”For more details… Using Occupancy and Population Models to Assess Habitat Conservation Opportunities for an Isolated Population of Fishers “An isolated population of the fisher (Martes pennanti) in the southern Sierra Nevada, California, is threatened by small size and habitat alteration from wildfires, fuels management, and other factors. We assessed the population’s status and conservation options for its habitat using a spatially explicit population model coupled with a fisher probability of occurrence model. […] We estimated equilibrium population sizes (or carrying capacities) within currently occupied areas, and identified likely population source, sink, and expansion areas, by simulating population processes for 20 years using different demographic rates, dispersal distances, and territory sizes.”For more details… FAO Releases Publication on Managing Forests for Climate Change “The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has released a report entitled “Managing Forests for Climate Change,” which examines the role of forests and sustainable forest management in climate change mitigation and adaptation. The report describes the FAO’s integrated approach to sustainable forest management and outlines the ways forest management can help tackle climate change, including through carbon sequestration, strengthening adaptive capacity of trees, forests and forest-dependent communities, and conserving forest carbon stocks.”For more details… Dynamic Invasive Species Research Vision: Opportunities and Priorities 2009–2029 Invasive species are one of the greatest threats to forest, range, aquatic, and urban forest ecosystem health. They contribute to the endangerment of native species and may lead to other severe ecological and financial consequences in our wildlands and urban forests. In this report, the U.S. Forest Service R&D team identifies research priorities on this field for the next two decades.For more details… Invasive Species, Climate Change and Ecosystem-Based Adaptation: Addressing Multiple Drivers of Global Change “Individually, climate change and invasive species present two of the greatest threats to biodiversity and the provision of valuable ecosystem services. […] Combined, the complexity of the interaction of these two global drivers increases dramatically, and evidence is rapidly growing on how climate change is compounding the already devastating effects of invasive species. […] This report is targeted at policy-makers, particularly those responsible for developing climate mitigation and adaption strategies that address issues like conservation, ecosystem services, agriculture and sustainable livelihoods. It focuses on the primary linkages between invasive species and climate change, as well as the secondary and tertiary interactions of their corresponding impacts. Finally, the enclosed recommendations are intended to provide guidance on the best ways to integrate invasive species prevention and management into the consideration of climate change responses across a range of sectors.”For more details… Free Conservation Biology Text In support of this year being the International Year for Biodiversity, Oxford University Press has made the following Conservation Biology textbook freely available: Sodhi, N. S. and P. R. Ehrlich (Eds.) Conservation Biology for All. Oxford University Press (2010). 350 pp.For more details… Notice of Public Consultation for the BC Hydro Integrated Resource Plan BC Hydro is inviting the public, First Nations, and stakeholders to participate in the upcoming consultation on development of its Integrated Resource Plan. They want to hear from you about setting the course for a clean energy future. While British Columbians are doing more than ever to conserve electricity, B.C.’s overall electricity use is expected to continue to increase as a result of projected population growth and increased demand in the industrial sector. Public, First Nations, and stakeholder consultation is being undertaken from March 1 to April 30, 2011, to gather input on development of the draft Integrated Resource Plan. You can attend one of the meetings around the province or review and comment on-line.For more details… Valuing Biodiversity through Multi-criteria Analysis “Social and economic aspects should be considered alongside environmental issues when valuing benefits provided by ecosystems and biodiversity. A recently published study outlines the use of multi-criteria assessment methods for valuation that simultaneously take into account a wide variety of economic, social and environmental decision criteria.”For more details… Economic Analysis for Ecosystem Service Assessments “The paper seeks to contribute to the expanding literature on ecosystem service assessment by considering its integration with economic analyses of such services. Focusing upon analyses for future orientated policy and decision making, we initially consider a single period during which ecological stocks are maintained at sustainable levels. The flow of ecosystems services and their contribution to welfare bearing goods is considered and methods for valuing resultant benefits are reviewed and illustrated via a case study of land use change.”For more details… How to Get There From Here: Ecological and Economic Dynamics of Ecosystem Service Provision “Using a bioeconomic model of a coral reef-mangrove-seagrass system, we analyze the dynamic path of incentives to achieve an efficient transition to the steady state levels of fish biomass and mangrove habitat conservation. Our model nests different types of species habitat dependency and allows for changes in the extent of habitat to affect the growth rate and the long-run fish level. […] Finally, we demonstrate how dynamic conservation incentives (payments for ecosystem services) for a particular habitat with multiple services are interdependent, change over time, and can be greater than contemporaneous fishing profits when the ecosystem is degraded.”For more details… Regional Strategies for Restoring Invaded Prairies “Invasive plants, especially non-native perennial grasses, are a critical threat to remnant prairies and oak savannas in the Pacific Northwest. We evaluated the effectiveness of restoration treatments designed to 1) reduce target exotic weeds with minimal non-target impacts and 2) increase native species diversity and abundance. […]Our results show that restoration of degraded grasslands is most successful when it employs a variety of strategies applied in combination over several years, and where the type, timing, and number of treatments are carefully chosen based on a thorough understanding of limiting conditions, species biology, and grassland ecology.”For more details… Analysing and Managing Urban Growth “Over the last decades, continuous urban expansion at rates much higher than population growth has resulted in a massive urban footprint on Europe – fragmenting rural space, blocking ecosystem services and increasing the demand for transport and energy. […]The extension of urban areas offers benefits, allowing people more living space, single-family houses and gardens. But it can also create negative environmental, social and economic impacts for Europe’s cities and countryside, in particular in the case of low density and scattered urban sprawl. These include increasing energy demand, human health problems and declining stocks of natural resources. From a social perspective, urban sprawl exacerbates social and economic divisions.”For more details… Non-native Species Impacts on Pond Occupancy by An Anuran “Non-native fish and bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) are frequently cited as contributing to the decline of ranid frogs in the western United States, so we hypothesized that non-native species, habitat, or a combination of these relate to the probability of local extinction for northern red-legged frogs (Rana aurora) in Oregon, USA. We also hypothesized that the probability of colonization relates to land use, wetland size, or riparian forest. In a 5-yr study, we found no support for an effect of non-native species on northern red-legged frogs. Instead, probability of local extinction decreased with the extent of emergent vegetation and riparian forest. This finding suggests that managers consider the role of habitat when confronting non-native species problems.””For more details… Assessing Terrestrial Lichen Biomass Using Ecoforest Maps: A Suitable Approach to Plan Conservation Areas for Forest-dwelling Caribou “Terrestrial lichens are an important part of the winter diet of forest-dwelling caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou (Gmelin, 1788)), and developing forest management guidelines to support high lichen biomass could enhance both individual- and population-level health of this threatened species. Our objective was to develop an index to assess terrestrial lichen biomass available to caribou at the landscape scale using ecoforest maps based on forest characteristics (age, density, and height) and geographical variables (slope, altitude, and latitude). […] Using this index could prioritize conservation of areas that are most likely to contain high lichen biomass, thus favoring caribou population maintenance in logged landscapes.”For more details… Polar Bears: Proceedings of the 15th Working Meeting of the IUCN/SSC Polar Bear Specialist Group “These proceedings provide an overview of the ongoing research and management activities on polar bears in the circumpolar Arctic. They address more recent concerns of threats arising as a consequence of increased human activities in both the Arctic and in regions far beyond the Arctic. They also provide a more comprehensive assessment of all threats to the status of each polar bear subpopulation.”For more details… Selective Fishing and Balanced Harvest in Relation to Fisheries and Ecosystem Sustainability “This document reports on the results of a workshop on selective fishing and balanced harvest which took place in Nagoya in October 2010. The workshop examined the extent to which selective fishing as currently and traditionally practiced is able to contribute effectively to both ecosystem and fisheries sustainability. The workshop also discussed what a shift from the conventional paradigm of gear/fishery selectivity to that of a more ‘balanced harvest’ would imply for the ecological and management dimensions of sustainability.”For more details… Sustainable Development of The World’s Large Marine Ecosystems During Climate Change “This book’s opening three chapters by world renowned leaders argue for coalitions of industries, governments, and citizens to lead actions for promoting sustainable development of world resources and implementing reductions in greenhouse gases. The chapters that follow describe actions underway in a global movement to restore and sustain the world’s Large Marine Ecosystems and their multi-trillion dollar annual contribution to the world economy.”For more details… News January 25, 2011 – Scenic Views Protected in Highway 5 Corridor “A Forest Practices Board audit found that forest companies and BC Timber Sales (BCTS) did a good job of protecting important scenic areas between Clearwater and Valemount from the visual impacts of forestry activities, according to a report released today. […] The audit examined activities and planning on 73 cutblocks within designated scenic areas along the Highway 5 corridor, which took place between August 2007 and August 2009. Highway 5 passes through areas of exceptional natural scenery and provides access to national and provincial parks.”Read the full story… January 31, 2011 – Free to Grow or Free to Fail? Emerging Science Raises Questions about Health of Our Future Forests “As tree-planting company representatives from across British Columbia gather in Kelowna for a conference this week, a lot of attention will focus on the question of just how significant a reforestation challenge we have on our hands in the province. Even those of us who know comparatively little about our forests understand that some astonishing things have occurred in recent years that raise questions about the health of one of our most important publicly owned resources. Two of the more evident of those things are the epic mountain pine beetle attack that has left in its wake one billion or so dead older pine trees, and a spate of terrifically intense fires that have burned forests across huge swaths of land.”Read the full story… January 31, 2011 – Fate of Border-crossing Wolves in Hands of U.S. Judge “Are the wolves of the American Northwest actually the animal version of dual citizens, casually crossing the U.S.-Canada border to hang out with the B.C. and Alberta populations from which they were transplanted 15 years ago?”Read the full story… February 1, 2011 – Alberta Still Wears Pollution Blinders: Report “Denial is a river that runs deep in the petro state of Alberta, and a new scientific report on oil sands environmental monitoring shows how deep these corrupt currents have become in the province’s psyche. For more than a decade now, industry and government have claimed that the world’s largest energy project and one of Canada’s largest sources of cancer makers, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, have had no impact on the Athabasca River.”Read the full story… February 1, 2011 – Study Finds Wood Energy to Be more Harmful than Originally Thought “Burning branches, treetops, stumps and waste wood as energy is not as environmentally friendly as the government assumes in its bioenergy policy papers. A study published on Tuesday by the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) says that forest biomass is not as carbon-neutral as had been claimed.”Read the full story… February 2, 2011 – Kinder Morgan Plans Pipeline Expansion to B.C. “Kinder Morgan Canada is accelerating plans to boost deliveries of Alberta crude to the West Coast, pressing ahead with new pipeline capacity that raises the stakes in a high-profile race to export Canadian energy to Asia. The company is preparing to accept bids for a substantial expansion of its 1,150-kilometre Trans Mountain pipe, which connects Edmonton with British Columbia’s Lower Mainland. There, oil can be loaded on ships and sent to destinations in China, South Korea and California.”Read the full story… February 4, 2011 – NOAA, Canada To Study Impact Of ‘Coast-wide’ Chinook Fisheries On Killer Whale Recovery “NOAA Fisheries announced Wednesday that it will convene a multi-session science workshop to discuss killer whale recovery. The series of workshop follows completion of preliminary analysis that shows that killer whales depend to a substantial degree on large chinook salmon as a high-calorie food source, and concludes that killer whale productivity is affected by chinook abundance.”Read the full story… February 7, 2011 – Report: Killing Predators Considered to Help Owls “Federal wildlife officials looking to protect the spotted owl will likely recommend shooting the endangered species’ biggest threat — a larger, more aggressive type of owl — according to a newspaper report. Along with habitat loss, barred owls are the biggest threat to spotted owls, which are federally protected. That sets up a wrenching decision splitting wildlife biologists and environmentalists. […] Over the next year, 1,200 to 1,500 barred owls in three or more study areas from Washington to northern California might be killed under the plan.”Read the full story… February 11, 2011 – Watchdog Wants Big Trees Protected “Creative ways should be found to protect the ancient giants in B.C.’s forests, says the Forest Practices Board. The watchdog board investigated a complaint about massive old-growth trees being cut near Port Renfrew and concluded that, although the forest company -Teal Cedar Products Ltd. -did nothing wrong, government and forest companies should pay more attention to trees of exceptional size, form, age or historical significance.”Read the full story… February 13, 2011 – Government of Canada to Send Wood Bison to Russian Conservation Project “On behalf of the Honourable Peter Kent, Canada’s Environment Minister and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, Mr. Leon Benoit, Member of Parliament for Vegreville—Wainwright, today announced that 30 wood bison will be provided to the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Russia, to support the conservation of this globally at-risk animal. The bison will join a small herd that has grown from 30 bison provided by Elk Island National Park in 2006 as a foundation herd to help restore the bison population in the area.”Read the full story… February 15, 2011 – B.C. Needs Endangered Species Legislation “As a conservation biologist, I am charged with the responsibility of maintaining the genetic tapestry of life on our planet. And as a science communicator my job is to explain why nature and a healthy environment are crucial to the well-being of corporations, governments and children. Super, natural British Columbia is awesome, with more than 4,373 known forms of life. At more than double the size of the state of California, B.C. is breathtaking”Read the full story… February 16, 2011 – Fertilizers Boost Declining B.C. Fish Populations “Young steelhead and salmon grew dramatically in streams seeded with sacks of slow release fertilizer, a method that shows real promise to help rebuild collapsed spawning populations, according to B.C. biologists. The method has proven effective at improving steelhead growth and survival in Vancouver Island streams in programs dating back to 1989.”Read the full story… February 16, 2011 – Protecting Wildlife May Produce New Offset Market, Investor Says “Protecting plants, animals and habitats could generate offset credits and a market that is bigger than United Nations emissions trading, according to Climate Change Capital. The U.K. government is likely to require or encourage property developers and other companies to mitigate ecological damages from their operations, said Ben Caldecott, head of U.K. and European Union policy for the London-based investor in greenhouse-gas certificates. Companies could generate credits by funding projects that protect endangered species or ecosystems, Climate Change Capital said in a report on its website.”Read the full story… February 17, 2011 – U.N. Biodiversity Panel Could Guide on Trade, Farms “A U.N. scientific panel meant to help safeguard animal and plant species should help guide governments with practical studies of issues such as trade, farming or energy, experts said on Thursday. They said the panel, whose role has not yet been clearly defined, should also do more to value nature. […] “Knowing likely consequences of alternative policy options is critical to the choice of the best strategy,” four leading experts wrote in the journal Science, urging the panel to help predict the impact of government choices on nature. Environment ministers from around the world will meet in Nairobi next week to discuss how to set up the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), inspired by a U.N. panel on climate change.”Read the full story… February 18, 2011 – The Beaver’s New Brand: Eco-saviour “Our bucktoothed icon is hard-working and monogamous, steadfast and stable in the Canuck way. But beloved? Not when one drops a tree on your cottage or floods your land with its dam. These days, however, the beaver has a new brand: eco-saviour. An increasingly vocal group of scientists and conservationists believes the dam-building rodent is an overlooked tool to mitigate climate change � a natural remedy for our sick rivers and ravaged wildlife. Fly away with that, bald eagle; it’s the beaver’s avid dam-building that makes it a star with conservationists.”Read the full story… February 18, 2011 – Exploring The Wild Frontier of Jumbo Valley, B.C. “Twenty years of intense bickering over a complex array of subsidiary issues have rendered Jumbo a bitter and near undecipherable mess. Now, two recent developments – a groundbreaking grizzly bear census and the Ktunaxa Nation’s declaration that it will do everything within its power to protect the land – have changed the landscape of the battle.”Read the full story… February 21, 2011 – Alberta Government Refuses Answers on Status of Woodland Caribou “The Alberta government is refusing to release recommendations from a scientific subcommittee that studied whether or not woodland caribou should be designated as endangered. University of Alberta biologist Stan Boutin, who has been involved in Alberta’s caribou conservation efforts since 1991, said there is ironclad evidence that shows the species should be classified as endangered.”Read the full story… Events Call For Papers Call For Abstracts New AdditionsConferences March 15–17, 2011. 4th Annual British Columbia Aboriginal Networking Meeting for Species at Risk. Penticton, BC. The planning committee for the upcoming 4th Annual British Columbia Aboriginal Networking Meeting for Species at Risk invites your participation, in the “Species at Risk Workshop: Transforming Our Indigenous Worldviews into Management of Species and Critical Habitat”, being held on March 15th, 16th and 17th, 2011, at the Penticton Lakeside Resort. For registration and further information on this event, please contact Geraldine Manossa (SAR Aboriginal Networking Mtg. Coordinator) at manossa@vip.net or (250) 493-7181. March 22–24, 2011. International Symposium on Ecosystem and Landscape-level Approaches to Sustainability. Burgos, Spain. This conference, organized by the Regional Government of Castilla y Le�n, Spain, the International Model Forest Network Secretariat, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the United Nations Secretariat to the Convention on Biological Diversity, has the following obectives: 1. To draw together some of the world’s most accomplished and experienced professionals (policy and practice) in various aspects of, and approaches to, ecosystem-based management in order to describe and reflect on the state of the art to ecosystem-based management; 2. To understand aspects and approaches to ecosystem-based management in a forum that encourages a holistic consideration of their attributes and interconnections in order to better conceptualize future options and scenarios for improvement 3. To stimulate reflection and discussion on the way forward, scientifically, programmatically, and politically to support effective ecosystem-based management; and, 4. To draw together representatives of like-minded and like-mandated organizations and initiatives, to catalyze opportunities for networking and collaboration.For more details… May 4–7, 2011. 2011 Annual Applied Biology Conference. Nanaimo, BC. This is the annual conference of the Association of Professional Biology of BC. Non-members are welcome. Rainforest to Reef will examine prevailing problems, ingenuity and successes of biology professionals working with: fin- and shell-fish aquaculture; fish and water stewardship; sensitive area development; marine habitat management; wildlife habitat management; species at risk; invasive species; and habitat conservation.For more details… May 4–18, 2011. 2nd International Marine Conservation Congress – Making Marine Science Matter. Victoria, BC. This event is targeted to individuals or groups involved in cutting edge marine conservation science or practice. The themes of the congress include: Innovative techniques and technology for marine conservation; The human dimension of marine conservation; International treaties and marine conservation; The changing Arctic; Marine conservation awareness and outreach; Climate change and the oceans; Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture; Conservation at the land/sea interface; Marine protected area effectiveness and marine spatial planning.For more details… June 15–16, 2011. Carbon Management in British Columbia Ecosystems – A search for opportunities to mitigate climate change. Nelson, BC. The first call for presentation and poster abstracts showcasing your recent work in bear research and management will be from September 1, 2010 to November 30, 2010.For more details… June 19–23, 2011. 8th North American Forest Ecology Workshop. Roanoke, VA. This conference serves forest ecologists and natural resource managers from Canada, Mexico and the United States and provides an opportunity to exchange new research results and applications through plenary speakers and volunteered and organized oral and poster presentations. There will be mid-conference field trips to a variety of local forests including hardwood forests of the southern Appalachian Mountains and loblolly pine plantations of Virginia’s Piedmont region.For more details… July 17–23, 2011. 20th International Conference on Bear Research & Management. Ottawa, ON. The first call for presentation and poster abstracts showcasing your recent work in bear research and management will be from September 1, 2010 to November 30, 2010.For more details… July 29–August 4, 2011. 2011 International Biodiversity Conference. Ba�os, Ecuador. The program selection committee of the 2011 International Biodiversity Conference is now accepting abstracts to participate in its third conference in Ba�os, Ecuador, July 29 – August 4, 2011. The committee encourages all researchers, wildlife managers, field ecologists, and environmental educators to share their research and findings in the areas of biodiversity, field ecology, environmental conflict resolution, and biogeography. Our general paper categories include: Ecological Biodiversity Research; Species-Specific Research from around the world; Biodiversity in a changing climate; Biogeography projects and related research; Physical impact of volcanism upon biodiversity; GIS and spatial ecology research; Innovative Environmental Education/Community Programs.For more details… August 21–25, 2011. 4th World Conference on Ecological Restoration. M�rida, Mexico. SER2011 will be an important forum for addressing the global challenges of biodiversity and habitat loss, climate change, and sustainable development. It will provide a global venue for professionals, researchers, students and the public to come together, learn and share their knowledge and experiences, and identify practical solutions for restoring nature and sustaining critical ecosystem goods and services. SER2011 will include the presentation and discussion of cutting-edge research and new developments in the science and practice of ecological restoration as well as numerous exciting networking opportunities.For more details… November 28–December 2, 2011. 25th International Congress for Conservation Biology (ICCB 2011). Christchurch, New Zealand. The Society for Conservation Biology International Congress for Conservation Biology (ICCB) is recognized as the most important international meeting for conservation professionals and students. ICCBs are a forum for addressing conservation challenges. They are the global venue for presenting and discussing new research and developments in conservation science and practice. Most importantly, they connect our global community of conservation professionals and serve as the major networking outlet for anyone interested in conservation. The 2011 congress theme is Engaging Society in Conservation. Biodiversity around the world continues to decline at an ever-increasing pace, yet much of society carries on business as usual. How can conservation biologists engage with society to achieve positive outcomes for conservation without compromising our scientific rigour or integrity?For more details… August 28–31, 2012. Second International Conference on Biodiversity in Forest Ecosystems and Landscapes. Cork, Ireland. This conference will provide an international forum for researchers, practitioners and students to discuss the challenges of maintaining and enhancing biodiversity in forests, and consider emerging trends in the sustainable management of forest ecosystems and landscapes. This conference will build on the success of the first IUFRO International Conference on Biodiversity in Forest Ecosystems and Landscapes which was held in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada in 2008.For more details…Workshops March 3, 2011. Carbon Management in British Columbia’s Forests (FORREX Online Webinar). Carbon management is moving rapidly from concept to practice. Although the science is reasonably well understood, the implications for forest operations are still largely unknown. The webinar will provide an overview of policies affecting forest carbon management in BC, evolving institutional and market rules that need to be in place, some viewpoints of key stakeholders on successes, barriers and suggestions for improvement. This webinar will present forest carbon management information currently available for British Columbia based on the update of the popular FORREX Series 24 “Carbon Management in British Columbia’s Forests: Opportunities and Challenges” first published in 2009. The authors who recently conducted the update, Michael Greig, Enfor Consultants and Gary Bull, UBC are invited to be the presenters at this one-hour free webinar.For more details… March 22, 23, and 28, 2011. Natural Capital and Ecosystems Goods and Services in Natural Resource Management (Free Online Webinars). Natural capital is the stock of ecological assets which provide a flow of goods and services that people value. Many ecosystem services arise from functioning ecosystems whose productivity is determined by the amount and quality of the stock of natural capital, and by corollary the extent to which it is depreciated. A particular challenge in managing natural capital is that while many services from ecosystems may be highly valued, these values are not captured by prices or reflected in the incentives facing land managers or decision-makers. This webinar series builds on the work developed by a number of experts, recently published by the Sustainable Forest Management Network as a State of Knowledge Report, which reviewed this topic and explored the question of whether valuing ecosystem services and creating new markets for them can help guide sustainable forest management. The webinar series is composed of four complementary webinars: the first one will provide an introduction to the topic and will review all relevant conceptual background; the second, third and fourth webinars will focus respectively on the economic, policy and legal aspects of valuing and managing for natural capital and ecosystem services.For more details… March 7–11, 2011 or March 21–25, 2011. (Dates to be confirmed) Modeling Patterns and Dynamics of Species Occurrence Workshop. Vancouver, BC. The presence or absence of a species across a set of landscape units is a fundamental concept widely used in ecology (e.g., species range or distribution, epidemiology, habitat modeling, resource selection probability functions, as a monitoring metric, metapopulation studies, biodiversity and species co-occurrence). This workshop will cover many of the latest methods for modeling patterns and dynamics of species occurrence in a landscape while accounting for the imperfect detection of the species. Participants will be introduced to available software through worked examples, and there will be special emphasis on aspects of study design. While primarily aimed at the beginner and intermediate level, more experienced researchers will also benefit from attending.For more details… April 12–14, 2011. Trend Analysis and Environmental Impact Assessment. Revelstoke, BC. Environmental monitoring often looks at trends over time. Environmental impact assessments want to know if trends over time differ between control and impact sites. Statistical methods for the analysis of trends over time use many of the same methods as the analysis of experimental data (e.g. ANOVA, regression) but must now deal with problems such as autocorrelation and process error.For more details… April 18–20, 2011. Design and Analysis of Mark-recapture Studies. Revelstoke, BC. This course will examine common mark-recapture methods. While the focus will be on methods commonly used in fisheries management, the methodology presented is suitable for many other situations. Aspects of study design (e.g., sample size) and the analysis of the final results will be presented. The course will consist of theory and worked examples, using mostly MARK. There will be an opportunity for participants to work through their own projects. An overview of methods coming in the future will also be presented.For more details… May 13, 2011. Marxan for Managers Course. Victoria, BC. Marxan is a software program that supports the design of marine and terrestrial reserve networks. Using Marxan, conservation planners can identify a system of conservation sites that meet biodiversity targets at minimal cost. This applied workshop offered by the Pacific Marine Analysis and Research Association (PacMARA) will provide a high-level background of marine and terrestrial conservation planning, and will cover the questions of when, where, and why to use Marxan and other decision support tools.For more details… May 27–28, 2011. Conservation of Open Spaces – The Future of Agricultural Land in the East Kootenay. Cranbrook, BC. EKCP is in the early stages of organizing a workshop related to conserving open spaces because of their importance to a healthy environment and because people who live here identified this as being important to them. If you have ideas for this workshop or an interest in helping out please contact Wayne. Other Events April 1–3, 2011. Land Trust Alliance of BC’s Annual Conservation and Stewardship Seminar Series. Victoria, BC. Join BC’s land trusts, naturalists, stewardship, conservation and land use organizations & agencies in this three day Conservation and Stewardship conference. This event is open to all and includes: Site visits to Madrona Farm, Island View Beach and other beautiful Victoria areas; Full and half day workshops on: Innovative Conservation Financing, Building Sustainable Board and Governance Structures; Renowned Plenary Speakers: Story Clark and Richard Hebda; and more than 15 Seminars on conserving, sustaining and stewarding BC’s natural and cultural diversity. Early Bird rates will be given to those who register by March 1.For more details… April 5, 2011. Presentation on the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (Online Webinar). Coastal planners and resource managers working in the marine environment routinely face challenges related to data availability and consistency. Often, different types of data from multiple sources must be integrated to fully characterize an area. The Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS) is an ecological classification system that provides a framework for this integration. It is universally applicable for coastal and marine systems and complementary to existing wetland and upland systems.For more details… May 12, 2011. CMI Annual Researchers’ Meeting. Kimberley, BC. Every year CMI members get together to provide updates on their projects (research, field trials, new initiatives in southeastern British Columbia), network, and catch up on each other’s news. It’s an informal atmosphere and non-CMI members and post-secondary students are welcome to attend or make a presentation. Presentations will be on Thursday, May 12 with field trips during the last part of the afternoon (timing subject to change, depending on how many talks and field trips are offered). This year we’d like to emphasize a “grasslands” theme, which could include the following topics: Research on grassland species (birds, mammals, plants, insects); Grassland management and conservation (livestock, wildlife, invasive plants, ecosystem restoration, etc.); and Grasslands and people (First Nations, ranchers, private landowners).For more details… June 21, 2011. Influence of Landslides on Biodiversity. Victoria, BC. As part of the Research Seminar Series, Marten Geertsema, Regional Geomorphologist, will present on landslides and their influence on biodiversity. Participation via conference call will be also available.For more details… |
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