Kalene Gould | ALES Graduate Seminar

Event details: A graduate exam seminar is a presentation of the student’s final research project for their degree. This is an ALES MSc Final Exam Seminar by Kalene Gould. This seminar is open to the general public to attend.

Zoom Link: https://ualberta-ca.zoom.us/j/91498148849

MSc with Drs. Scott Nielsen and Mark Edwards.

Thesis Topic: Effect of Habitat Supply, Behaviour-restricted Habitat Selection, and Landscape Change on Wood Bison Carrying Capacity

Abstract:

The Ronald Lake wood bison are a small (~272), free-ranging wood bison population in northeast Alberta, Canada. Despite conservation interest, little is known about the habitat-related carrying capacity limits of this population. To address this gap, I compared carrying capacity estimates for different scenarios of landscape change. The maximum nutritional potential of bison forage in the winter range could support 1,947 to 3,711 bison (2.01 bison/km²). However, when considering habitat use by bison from GPS telemetry data, the carrying capacity estimate is reduced ~90% to 210–371 individuals (0.21 bison/km²). I used scenario comparisons of theoretical industry-related habitat loss, habitat enhancements, and climate change-induced drying of wetlands to demonstrate potential changes in carrying capacity of -62.1% to +132.8%. Although there are many assumptions and limitations with carrying capacity estimates, a comparative habitat supply approach as used in this work illustrates that predictions of relative population size can be used as a tool to assess the effects of landscape change on wildlife populations.