The conservation of wildlife habitat is an essential component of wildlife management and remains a priority for provincial and federal governments, industry, non-profit organizations as well as indigenous communities. This course addresses the concepts and management of wildlife habitat as well as the habitat protection measures designed to reduce potential effects of industrial development on wildlife including species at risk. The course emphasizes ecological processes and applied aspects of wildlife habitat relationships including habitat assessment as well as the response of wildlife populations to anthropogenic disturbance with a focus on oil and gas development and forest management. The cultural significance of wildlife to indigenous communities including the contribution of traditional knowledge to wildlife habitat conservation is examined using case studies.
Credits: 3
Hours: 45 (Seminars and Tutorials: 45)
Total Weeks: 15
Prerequisites:
BIOL125 or permission of the instructor
Non-Course Prerequisites:
None
Co-requisites:
None
Course Content:
Introduction to Wildlife Habitat
- Define and describe the process of wildlife management
- Describe the role habitat plays in wildlife conservation and management
- Describe the various government agencies and partners responsible for managing wildlife in Canada including the legislation and regulations that protect wildlife habitat in British Columbia
- Summarize the history of wildlife management and explain how it is has informed present management practices legislation and regulations
- Describe the various government agencies and partners responsible for managing wildlife in Canada and British Columbia
- Identify provincial and federal legislation and regulations designed to protect wildlife and wildlife habitat
Social and Cultural Values of Wildlife
- Describe various ways people value wildlife (societal values)
- Describe the cultural significance of wildlife and wildlife habitat to indigenous communities
- Explain how Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge (ATK) can be used to complement the assessment and protection of wildlife habitat
Defining Wildlife Habitat
- Define and explain habitat terminology (i.e., habitat use, selection, availability, quality)
- Define the components of habitat and the influence of vegetation patterns and the physical environment on habitat
- Recognize and discuss the importance of escape terrain to mountain ungulates
Demographic Consequences
- Describe how demographic parameters affect population growth rates
- Describe habitat-population relationships (e.g., importance of multiple habitats to meet species needs across life stages)
- Differentiate between individual and population level effects
- Describe how wildlife habitat can be affected indirectly due to anthropogenic noise and light
Managing Wildlife Habitat
- Describe and compare a species-specific and ecosystem management approach to maintaining biodiversity
- Discuss the challenges associated with managing wildlife habitat and monitoring species
- Define adaptive management and explain how this approach can be used to manage and monitor wildlife
Key Wildlife Habitats and Features
- Describe key wildlife habitats (e.g., old growth forest, riparian, wetlands) and species that depend on them
- Describe the objectives and management practices in designated Wildlife Habitat Areas (WHA), Ungulate Winter Ranges (UWR) and Old Growth Management Areas (OGMA)
- Discuss the importance of thermal and snow interception cover to wintering ungulates
- Identify and discuss the importance of maintaining wildlife habitat features (e.g., nests, mineral licks, wallows)
Wildlife Habitat Assessment
- Apply desktop assessment methods to identify key wildlife habitats and wildlife species occurrence using online tools such as CDC iMap and BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer
- Develop a Species Account and evaluate habitat suitability (field assessment) using the BC Wildlife Habitat Assessment Form and Wildlife Habitat Ratings Standards
Habitat Loss and Degradation
- Differentiate between habitat loss and fragmentation
- Define edge effect and describe the process of habitat fragmentation
- Discuss the implications of small patch size on interior forest conditions. Differentiate between individual and population level effects
- Explain the importance of defining habitat quality to describe species abundance and occupancy
- Describe how wildlife habitat can be affected indirectly due to anthropogenic noise and light
Habitat Fragmentation and Corridors
- Define landscape ecology, fragmentation and corridor
- Discuss the importance of maintaining habitat linkages and connectivity in industrial landscapes
- Explain the importance of identifying wildlife movement and migration corridors to wildlife populations
Disturbance and Succession
- Describe the effects of disturbance and succession on wildlife habitat (e.g., fire)
- Discuss the importance of spatial and temporal scales of disturbance and succession
- Recognize the variability of post- disturbance succession (i.e., wildlife habitats might not return to pre-disturbance conditions)
Wildlife Habitat and Forest Management
- Evaluate the potential effects of forest harvesting and silvicultural practices on wildlife habitat
-Define silvicultural systems and discuss how they affect wildlife habitat (i.e., forest structure and composition)
- Describe the influence of horizontal and vertical structure on wildlife species diversity
- Define Sustainable Forest Management
- Discuss stand-level and landscape-level approaches to maintaining biodiversity
- Recommend best management practices to reduce potential effects of forest harvesting on wildlife (e.g., wildlife tree retention)
Energy Development and Wildlife
- Discuss the potential effects of energy development on wildlife habitat including oil and gas, coal mining, hydroelectric and renewable resources
- Differentiate between direct and indirect effects
- Describe how various wildlife species respond to oil and gas infrastructure including roads, well pad development as well as potential sensory disturbance associated with compressor stations
Cumulative Effects
- Define cumulative effects and explain the various ways cumulative effects occur
- Describe the British Columbia Cumulative Effects Framework
Mitigation Planning
- Describe and explain the mitigation hierarchy (i.e., avoid, minimize and restore)
- Apply best management practices (BMP) to protect wildlife habitat (e.g., timing windows, pre-construction surveys)
- Describe the components of a Wildlife Mitigation Plan
- Identify the constraints of operating in designated wildlife habitats (e.g. WHAs)
- Define zone of influence
- Describe boreal caribou mitigation to reduce potential effects of linear development (i.e., pipelines and seismic lines)
Wildlife Habitat Restoration
- Define wildlife habitat restoration
- Discuss the principles and challenges related to wildlife habitat restoration
- Describe the components of an effective wildlife habitat restoration plan
- Explain the constraints related to wildlife habitat restoration (e.g., ecological, financial)
- Increase awareness and describe how traditional knowledge can be used in wildlife habitat conservation and restoration
Learning Outcomes:
- Define and describe the process of adaptive management as it relates to wildlife habitat conservation
- Describe the legislation and regulations as well as habitat protection measures designed to protect wildlife habitat in British Columbia
- Describe the cultural significance of wildlife to indigenous communities and how traditional knowledge can be integrated into a framework for environmental stewardship and wildlife habitat conservation
- Describe the habitat requirements of selected wildlife species that occur in western Canada with an emphasis on species that occur in the Peace Region
- Apply habitats assessment methods to evaluate habitat suitability for various species
- Discuss how potential land use activities (e.g., oil and gas, forestry) affect wildlife habitat and populations
- Define and discuss the concepts of habitat fragmentation and corridors
- Apply mitigation measures and describe best management practices to reduce potential effects of industrial development on wildlife habitat with an emphasis on oil and gas activities and forest management
- Describe the key components of a wildlife habitat restoration plan and discuss ways to improve effectiveness of restoration efforts
- Compare and contrast traditional knowledge and western science-based methods used to inform woodland caribou recovery efforts
Grading System: Letter Grades
Passing Grade: D (50%)
Percent Individual Work: 80
Percent Group Work: 20
Textbooks:
Textbooks are subject to change. Please contact the bookstore at your local campus for current book lists.