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Grizzly Bear Research ProgramAGM June 2009

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FRI Grizzly Bear Research Program

Past, Present and Future

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Long Term Program Goal

• To provide resource managers with the necessary knowledge and planning tools to ensure the long-term conservation of grizzly bears in Alberta.

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A Program based on partnerships

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Program Research Team�Habitat Mapping and Landscape Change

Dr. Steven Franklin (U of Saskatchewan)

Dr. Greg McDermid (U of Calgary)

Dr. Nicholas Coops (UBC)

Dr. Mike Wulder (CFS-Victoria)

David Laskin – RS technician & PhD student

Julia Linke – PhD student

Adam Collingwood – PhD student

�Graph Theory ModelingBarb Schwab (WLU) – PhD student

�Statistical Analysis and ModelingDr. Scott Nielsen (U of A)

John Boulanger – (statistician)

�Camera CollarsDr. Naser El-Sheimy (U of Calgary)

Dr. Andrew Hunter (U of Calgary)

�DNA – Status and TrendsDr. David Paetkau

Dr. Michael Proctor

�Wildlife HealthDr. Marc Cattet (CCWHC)

Dr. Matt Vijayan (U of Waterloo)

Dr. David Janz (U of S)

Bryan McBeth – PhD student

Bryan Sarauer – Lab technician

Ruth Carlson – PhD student

Jason Hamilton – MSc student

� GIS Applications - FMFJerome Cranston

Julie Duval

� Grizzly Bear EcologyGordon Stenhouse

Karen Graham

Terry Larsen – MSc student

Karine Pigeon – PhD student

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Program Sponsors• Ainsworth Lumber• Alberta Conservation

Association• Alberta SRD• Alberta Fish and Game• Alberta Newsprint• Alberta Advanced Education

and Technology (Innovation and Science)

• Anadarko • Anderson Exploration Ltd.• Anderson Resources Ltd. • AVID Canada• BP Canada Energy Company• Banff National Park• BC Oil & Gas Commission• Buchanan Lumber-Tolko• Burlington Resources Ltd.• Canada Centre for Remote

Sensing• Canadian Hunter • Canadian Wildlife Service• Canfor • Cardinal River Operations• Canadian Forest Service• CNRL• Conoco Phillips Ltd.• Conservation Biology Institute

• Devon Canada Corp.• DMI• Elk Valley Coal• Enbridge Inc.• EnCana Corp.• Environment Canada –HSP• Foothills Model Forest• Fording Coal• FRIAA• GeoAnalytic Ltd.• Gregg River Resources• Husky Energy• Jasper National Park• Komex International Ltd.• Lehigh Inland Cement• Luscar Ltd.-Coal Valley• Manning Forestry Research• Millar Western Ltd.• Mountain Equipment Co-op• Nexen• Natural Resources Service• Northrock Resources Ltd.• NSERC • Petro Canada• Peyto Exploration• Precision Drilling Ltd.• PTAC (CAPP)• Rocky Mountain Elk

Foundation• Shell Canada

• Spray Lake Sawmills• Suncor Energy• Sundance Forest

Industries• Talisman Energy Ltd.• Telemetry Solutions• Trans Canada Pipelines• University of Alberta• University of Calgary

• University of Lethbridge

• University of Saskatchewan

• University of Washington

• Veritas• West Fraser

Hinton Wood ProductsBlue Ridge LumberSundre Forest ProductsSlave Lake Pulp

• Western College of Veterinary Medicine

• Weyerhaeuser Ltd.• World Wildlife Fund

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Research Supporting Management

Our Approach –

Providing maps and models for all grizzly bear habitat in Alberta.

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Mapping History and Expansion

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Classified Landcover map (10-class)30m resolution

Remote Sensing Products

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Crown closure model 30m resolution

Remote Sensing Products

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Species composition model (coniferous/deciduous mix)

30m resolution

Remote Sensing Products

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Classified Landcover map (15-class)30m resolution

Created by combining the 10-class Landcover with crown closure and species composition models.

Remote Sensing Products

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Agricultural mask30m resolution

Remote Sensing Products

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Agricultural classes (vector)

Remote Sensing Products

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Collection of Bear Data

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GPS locations collected:

1999-2008

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Total: 205,610

Bear Habitat use data

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Produce RSF Maps

Remote sensing is the basis for grizzly bear habitat mapping. Landsat TM5 imagery is used to create classified landcover maps of all grizzly bear range in Alberta.

The landcover maps have been combined with the GPS locations

to create Resource Selection Function (RSF) models of grizzly

bear distribution.

…and a map showing the probability of occurrence of grizzly

bears can be created

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Seasonal RSF models have now also been developed for the Clear Hills area (Chinchaga)

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Grizzly Bear travel corridors

Graph Theory travel corridors connect areas of high-quality habitat. The darker and thicker the lines, the more likely they are to be used as travel routes.

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Although bears use areas with high risk, use of these areas results in lower survival rates

Mortality riskDefining mortality sites

Human-causedmortality risk:

lowmoderatehighvery high

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Safe Harbours for Grizzly Bears

Where are the areas of best habitat and lowest probability of mortality for grizzly bears on the landscape?

We have termed these areas - safe harbours.

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Raw Landsat imagery

ClassifiedLandcover grid

ResourceSelection Function

GraphTheory Corridors

What has been provided to date:The models are GIS layers that can be overlaid with other feature layers, such as proposed developments, to determine their interaction.

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New GIS tools to support application of research findings

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The RSF_calculator script allows the user to choose an analysis extent and, optionally, add new roads and openings.

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Similarly, the risk_calculator script allows the user to choose an analysis extent and, optionally, add new roads, trails, and cut blocks.

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Grizzly Bearsand Habitat Modeling

Now Available!

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How Good are These models? - an independent test

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Research results and

Products used for management

Provincial Grizzly Bear DNA Inventory

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Bears investigating the scent leave tufts of hair on the wire, which is then collected and analyzed for DNA profiles from which a population size can be estimated.

What is a DNA mark-recapture survey?

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RSF models –BMA 3

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RSF models –BMA 3

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Watershed Delineation

by RSF models –BMA 3

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Mortality Risk

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1

0.00 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.10 0.12 0.14

access density

Surv

ival

rat

e

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Does the Research Get

Used?

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Sound Science to support management decisions

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Present Activities…….

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Grizzly Bear Health – different landscapes

Evidence found to indicate that different grizzly bear populations in Alberta exhibit different reproductive output and show different “health characteristics”.

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Traditional Approach to Wildlife Management – N!

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Detecting Landscape Effects on Wildlife Health: An Approach to

Monitoring Populations

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Stress Biomarkers In Blood Serum

Blood collection fromcaptured bears

Separation of serumfrom blood cells

Measurement of stress-associatedsubstances (cortisol, heat-shock proteins, etc.)

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Stress Biomarkers In Skin & Muscle

Remote biopsy collection

Custom protein array(“bear stress chip”)

Stress-associatedprotein profile

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Hair Cortisol: A Relevant Measure of Long Term Stress

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Tools & Techniques Applicable to Other Species of Concern

E.g., Polar bears of Hudson Bay

Long-term Stress as Indicated bySerum Heat-shock protein 70 Levels95% Confidence interval for:Western Hudson Bay (WH) = 1.2-1.7 ng/mlSouthern Hudson Bay (SH) = 0.7-1.0 ng/ml

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Tracking Landscape ChangeHuman Activities and Grizzly Bears

in the Kakwa- an example.

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Linking Geospatial data to Bear data

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New Geospatial datasets

Annual change features

Roads, pipelines, well sites, and cut blocks have been classified by year of construction in BMA 3 (1998-2005) and BMA 4 (2002 -2005)

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AnthropogenicChange

Humanactivity

Habitatchange/loss

Immunity

Long-termstress

Growth

Reproduction

Remote sensingand

habitat mapping

- lab researchWildlife health- field research

Meta Analysis now underway

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The challenge of studying a species that is found in remote habitats and

difficult to follow or observe

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Our new Approach – Animal Pathfinder

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Bear Path from GPS Points alone

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assumed travel path using traditional approach

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actual travel path using data from animal pathfinder

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Movement Phases with Sensors

)ln( rll

rss

rff

lsf eNeNeNy λλλ λλλ ++=

1minm52

ln1

−=

−=

ss

ff

sfc N

Nr

λλ

λλ

Adapted from Silby et al (1990) and Johnson (2002)

N: number of movements

λ: Prob. that an event occurs in the next movement rate interval

r: movement rate1minm223

ln1

−=

−=

ll

ss

lsc N

Nrλλ

λλ

LocomotionSearching

Foraging

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Denning and climate variables:10 years of data in place:

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Habitat selection and climate:10 years of data in place:

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Mountain Pine Beetle:grizzly bear response

How will grizzly bears respond to MPB and associated management actions?

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• Classified image data;• Tasseled Cap Wetness (based on image spectral values);• Wombled edges (brightness relates strength);• Class transitions at edge locations and combine with model input, describe outputs /

trends

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The Future…………

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Population Trend - Unknown

Time

N

New Approaches to Monitor Population Status of Grizzly Bears In Alberta. (N with health)

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Grizzly Bear Foods

1. Plant Phenology

2. Energetics

Understanding the carrying capacity of the landscape for grizzly bear populations

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International Collaboration –

Scandinavian Brown Bear Project

• Grizzly Bears extirpated in Norway by 1930’s

• By 1970 only 140 grizzly bears remaining in Sweden

•Major management activities undertaken to recover species

•Currently 3500 grizzly bears in Sweden with some expansion into Norway

•Sweden now has an annual well managed grizzly bear hunt

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Collaboration Topics:Health Movements

Forestry responses Dispersal of expanding populations

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Questions