Article
Ecology
Andrew N. Stillman, Teresa J. Lorenz, Philip C. Fischer, Rodney B. Siegel, Robert L. Wilkerson, Matthew Johnson, Morgan W. Tingley
Summary: Research on the black-backed woodpecker post-fire survival shows that the severity of fire and time since leaving the nest are crucial factors affecting fledgling and juvenile survival rates. High-severity fires may provide nesting and foraging sites for adult woodpeckers but lower survival rates for fledglings.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rob Skakun, Guillermo Castilla, Juha Metsaranta, Ellen Whitman, Sebastien Rodrigue, John Little, Kathleen Groenewegen, Matthew Coyle
Summary: Wildfires are a significant issue in Canada, and their frequency is expected to increase due to climate change. To accurately analyze trends in burned area and understand the impacts of fire frequency, duration, and extent, a long-term and reliable dataset is needed. In this study, the National Burned Area Composite (NBAC) dataset was extended to include data from 1986 to 2020. The dataset consists of annual maps in polygon format, with different mapping methods and data sources used to delineate the burned area. The results show that the majority of the burned area was derived from change detection methods using Landsat satellite imagery. Confidence intervals were calculated for each year to reflect the accuracy and contribution of different data sources, and the NBAC dataset had narrower confidence intervals compared to the Canadian National Fire Database (CNFDB). Furthermore, the NBAC dataset identified additional fire events that were missing in the CNFDB, highlighting its importance for regional fire analysis and ecological studies.
Article
Ecology
Laura Finnegan, Mark Hebblewhite, Karine E. Pigeon
Summary: Linear features are widespread in the boreal forest of Canada and have negative impacts on various wildlife species. Understanding how different characteristics of linear features affect wildlife is crucial for effective landscape restoration. Current restoration efforts focus on recovering the woodland caribou, but this may inadvertently affect other boreal species like moose. Evaluating moose response to different linear features can help guide targeted restoration efforts.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Steven F. Wilson, Thomas D. Nudds, Andrew de Vries
Summary: With the urgency of conservation actions increasing, the identification of causal relationships becomes crucial for the successful recovery of endangered species. While observational studies are the main source of information, limitations in experimental conditions may lead to weak inferences, constraining decision-making.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Kristina Dzivakova, Zdenek Faltynek Fric, Vladimir Hula
Summary: This study examined the overwintering ecology of three endangered jumping spiders species, finding that the choice of overwintering sites is influenced by microenvironmental factors and the presence of vegetation nearby, particularly for female individuals.
Article
Forestry
Denys Yemshanov, Triin Hart, Jeff Cameron, Ning Liu, Frank H. Koch, Mathieu Leblond
Summary: Industrial forestry activities can lead to landscape fragmentation and negatively impact wildlife populations. A study conducted in Ontario, Canada compared the effectiveness of the Dynamic Caribou Harvest Schedule (DCHS) with an alternative zoning approach in protecting woodland caribou. The results showed that the zoning approach provided better protection for caribou habitat and old-growth stands, while also resulting in lower timber costs.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Pei Cai, Qijia Cai, Feng He, Yuhong Huang, Cuicui Tian, Xingqiang Wu, Chunbo Wang, Bangding Xiao
Summary: Temperature plays a key role in driving the overwintering strategy of Microcystis, with lower temperatures leading to overwintering in sediments and higher temperatures allowing for overwintering in the water column. Warmer winter temperatures may result in pelagic Microcystis becoming the primary inoculum sources in the spring.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
M. Dickie, R. S. McNay, G. D. Sutherland, G. G. Sherman, M. Cody
Summary: This study evaluated the effectiveness of silvicultural treatments to reduce predator and prey use of linear features, finding that all four species were less likely to be present at treated sites. Individual moose, bears, and wolves showed a decline in use of treated linear features, particularly with higher intensity treatments, though the reduction did not significantly impact overall line-use within the treatment area. The study emphasizes the complexity of monitoring and evaluating the success of habitat restoration, highlighting the importance of understanding long-term responses for effective restoration.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Melanie Dickie, Geoff G. Sherman, Glenn D. Sutherland, Robert S. McNay, Michael Cody
Summary: Restoration of human-altered habitat is crucial for maintaining self-sustaining woodland caribou populations. This study evaluated the impact of restoration on predator-prey dynamics by measuring the movement speeds of predators and their associated prey on treated and untreated seismic lines. The results show that restoration treatments reduce travel speeds of predators and caribou, potentially leading to a decrease in caribou mortality.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Laura Finnegan, Rebecca Viejou, Doug MacNearney, Karine E. Pigeon, Gordon B. Stenhouse
Summary: The study found that anthropogenic disturbances impact the daily movements of large threatened mammals, with grizzly bears and caribou adjusting their movements differently according to the type and regeneration of disturbances across seasons. Assessing these impacts provides valuable insights for conservation strategies.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jennifer D. Watts, Susan M. Natali, Christina Minions, Dave Risk, Kyle Arndt, Donatella Zona, Eugenie S. Euskirchen, Adrian Rocha, Oliver Sonnentag, Manuel Helbig, Aram Kalhori, Walt Oechel, Hiroki Ikawa, Masahito Ueyama, Rikie Suzuki, Hideki Kobayashi, Gerardo Celis, Edward A. G. Schuur, Elyn Humphreys, Yongwon Kim, Bang-Yong Lee, Scott Goetz, Nima Madani, Luke D. Schiferl, Roisin Commane, John S. Kimball, Zhihua Liu, Margaret S. Torn, Stefano Potter, Jonathan A. Wang, M. Torre Jorgenson, Jingfeng Xiao, Xing Li, Colin Edgar
Summary: Research indicates that soil respiration in the Arctic-boreal region is most significant during the summer, with considerable emissions even during the winter despite frozen surface conditions. Model estimates suggest that the region experienced an annual loss of approximately 591 Tg CO2 from soil respiration during the 2016-2017 period, with summer months contributing 58%, winter months contributing 15%, and shoulder months contributing 27%.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Fabien St-Pierre, Pierre Drapeau, Martin-Hugues St-Laurent
Summary: This study investigated the natural regrowth of logging roads in Canada's eastern boreal forest. The results showed that the number of growing degree-days and the proportion of coniferous stands in the surroundings were the main factors influencing vegetation regrowth. Soil compaction was found to be the most important variable impeding vegetation establishment on logging roads, while a higher proportion of wetlands surrounding the road segment contributed to poor regrowth.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Jackie L. O'Sullivan, Claire N. Foster, Damian R. Michael, Wade Blanchard, David B. Lindenmayer
Summary: Understanding the factors that influence retreat-site selection by fauna is important for habitat management and species conservation. However, there is limited knowledge about the attributes of surface rocks that contribute to their use in agricultural landscapes, especially during the winter months when reptiles are brumating.
Editorial Material
Education, Scientific Disciplines
Lucas J. Trout, Ashley Weisman, James S. Miller, Corina Kramer, Salmaan Keshavjee, Arthur M. Kleinman, Suchitra Kulkarni, Teressa Baldwin, Matthew L. Tobey, Timothy Buffey, N. Stuart Harris
Summary: American Indians and Alaska Natives face health disparities despite having a state-conferred right to health. Academic medical centers, such as Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, can address these challenges through partnerships like Siamit with Maniilaq Association, focusing on physician staffing, training, and quality improvement in tribal health. The outcomes of this partnership demonstrate that relatively small investments can lead to meaningful and positive impacts on community health.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
JiHyun Kim, Yeonjoo Kim, Donatella Zona, Walter Oechel, Sang-Jong Park, Bang-Yong Lee, Yonghong Yi, Angela Erb, Crystal L. Schaaf
Summary: The ongoing disproportionate increases in temperature and precipitation in Alaska may alter the latitudinal gradients in greenup and snowmelt timings as well as carbon dynamics. With a broad range of datasets and model results, the authors show that the carbon response to early greenup or delayed snowmelt varies greatly depending upon local climatic limits.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)