DOCSLIB.ORG

Food Availability and Grizzly Bear (Ursus Arctos) Selection of Post-Fire and Thinned Forests in the Mountain National Parks of Canada

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Food Availability and Grizzly Bear (Ursus Arctos) Selection of Post-Fire and Thinned Forests in the Mountain National Parks of Canada Food availability and grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) selection of post-fire and thinned forests in the mountain national parks of Canada by Charles Robert McLellan A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Conservation Biology Department of Renewable Resources University of Alberta © Charles Robert McLellan, 2018 Abstract Human-caused mortality and habitat loss have led to the extirpation of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) across much of their North American range. Today, these factors continue to limit extant grizzly bear populations as productive habitats often occur in areas with elevated mortality risk creating ecological traps. Maintaining viable grizzly bear populations and preventing further range loss requires minimizing human-caused mortality and maintaining, or enhancing, productive habitats in secure locations. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of post-fire and forest thinning on grizzly bear habitat quality in Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay national parks to assess whether these disturbances enhance grizzly bear habitat. Specifically, I first estimated grizzly bear selection of post-fire habitats across different spatial and temporal scales using data from 26 radio-collared grizzly bears. Factors that influenced grizzly bear selection of burns were then used to predict locations (map) where prescribed burning will most effectively create habitat attractive to bears. Second, I compared the presence and abundance of 25 known grizzly bear foods between burns, thinned forests, and adjacent undisturbed forests testing which factors (climate, terrain, or disturbance) most contributed to their occurrence thus informing future burn or thinning prescriptions. Grizzly bear selection of burns was scale dependant. Burns did not affect home range selection (placement) within the study area but were selected within their home range across the active season (April to November). Compared to thinned or forested areas, burns provided a greater abundance of important early spring, summer, and fall food resources, whereas thinned areas had more abundant green, herbaceous vegetation that is favoured by bears in late spring and early summer. This study provides a more comprehensive understanding of grizzly bear food ii resources and habitat use of burned and thinned areas and supports the use of prescribed fire and thinning for enhancements of grizzly bear habitat in remote, secure areas of the parks. Models from this thesis can assist with planning the locations of future prescribed fires and forest thinning treatments in the region. iii Preface This thesis is an original work by Charles McLellan. Chapter 2 and 3 are intended for publication along with co-authors S.E. Nielsen and J. Park. I contributed to the concept formation, study design, and led work on field data collection, data analysis, and manuscript composition. Scott E. Nielsen and Jane Park contributed to the concept formation, study design, data analysis, and thesis edits. The GPS collar data used for this project was collected by the Parks Canada agency under capture permit number LL-2012-10975. iv Acknowledgements I thank my supervisor, Dr. Scott Nielsen for his support, profound knowledge, and passion for ecological conservation. Scott is a great mentor and he resonates his passion for conservation with everyone who is fortunate enough to work with him. I thank my committee member, Jane Park for her support and mentorship during this research, as well as during other challenging situations we have encountered while working together. I would also like to thank my committee member, Dr. Colleen Cassady St. Clair for her support and commitment to this project, as well as the philosophical conversations that we have shared. Funding for this project was provided by the Joint Action Plan of the Canadian Pacific Railway and Parks Canada. I would like to thank both groups for supporting research that focused on reducing grizzly bear mortality in Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay National Parks. I would also like to thank Parks Canada agency personnel for a successful GPS radio-collaring program. It was these capture efforts that made this research possible. This thesis would not have been possible without the field staff whom hiked or bushwhacked thousands of kilometers to collect data for this project. I will forever look back at those long days, cold creek crossings, and blistered feet with fond memory. Thank you: Kate Johnson, Leah Pengelly, Gavin Hurd, Brigitte Dreger, Tyler Bateman, Andrew Braid, and many others. I would like to thank my parents and sister for their life-long commitment to both grizzly bear research and parenthood. Not a day passes where I don’t cherish my unique childhood and the challenges my parents must have endured. Finally, thank you Alli Banting for all your support along the way. It has been great sharing an office with you. v Table of Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... ii Preface............................................................................................................................................ iv Acknowledgements ..........................................................................................................................v Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... vi List of Tables ............................................................................................................................... viii List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ ix List of Appendices ........................................................................................................................ xii Chapter 1: General Introduction ......................................................................................................1 1. Literature Cited ....................................................................................................................... 7 Chapter 2: Multi-scale selection of post-fire habitats by grizzly bears in Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay National Parks, Canada .................................................................................................13 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 13 2. Methods ................................................................................................................................. 16 2.1 Study Area ....................................................................................................................... 16 2.2 Landscape mapping and covariate descriptions .............................................................. 17 2.3 Grizzly bear habitat use ................................................................................................... 20 2.4 Multi-scale resource selection and predictive mapping .................................................. 22 3. Results ................................................................................................................................... 25 3.1 Influence of recent burns, older burns, and human-use habitats on grizzly bear home range selection (second-order scale). ..................................................................................... 26 3.2 Seasonal selection of burns, older burns and human-use habitats within home range (third-order scale) .................................................................................................................. 26 3.3 Seasonal within-patch selection of recent burns (fourth-order scale) ............................. 29 4. Discussion ............................................................................................................................. 31 5. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 36 6. Literature Cited ..................................................................................................................... 39 Chapter 3: Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) food production in post-fire and forest-thinned habitats in Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay National Parks, Canada .....................................................................57 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 57 2. Methods ................................................................................................................................. 60 vi 2.1 Study Area ....................................................................................................................... 60 2.2 Grizzly bear foods ........................................................................................................... 61 2.3 Field Sampling ................................................................................................................. 63 2.4 Comparing grizzly bear food occurrence among burns, thinned and control areas ........ 64 2.5 Grizzly bear food productivity ........................................................................................ 65 3. Results ..................................................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Grizzly Bear Scientific Name: Ursus Arctos Species Code: M-URAR Status
    Grizzly Bear Scientific Name: Ursus arctos Species Code: M-URAR Status: Blue-listed Distribution • Provincial Range Grizzly bears are distributed throughout most of the mainland of the province. They are absent from Vancouver Island, the Queen Charlotte Islands and outer coastal islands. They occur in all biogeoclimatic zones in the province, except the Coastal Douglas Fir zone (CDF). They utilize a wide variety of habitats ranging from coastal estuaries to alpine meadows. • Elevational Range: Sea-Level to Alpine • Provincial Context Grizzly bears are most abundant in the coastal ecosystems and in areas in the southern Rocky Mountains (Flathead area and Glacier National Park). The current population estimate for grizzly bears in British Columbia is approximately 13,000 (Fuhr and Demarchi 1990). • Range in Project Area: Ecoprovince: Southern Interior Mountains Ecoregions: Columbia Mountains and Highlands, Southern Rocky Mountain Trench, Western Continental Ranges Ecosections: Eastern Purcell Mountains, East Kootenay Trench, Southern Park Ranges Biogeoclimatic Zones: IDFdm2; MSdk; ESSFdk, ESSFdku; ESSFdkp; ESSFwm; AT Ecology and Key Habitat Requirements Habitat use by grizzly bears is influenced primarily by food availability, the presence of suitable resting, denning and mating sites, the presence of other bears and by human development. They are very adaptable and inhabit a wide variety of habitat types from coastal coniferous forests through boreal forests to alpine/subalpine meadows and alpine tundra. Grizzly bears are omnivorous and opportunistic in their feeding habits. In late spring and early summer, the bulk of their diet is green leafy material. They will also feed on insects, fruits, berries, fish, carrion and small and large mammals.
    [Show full text]
  • The Role of the Brown Bear Ursus Arctos As Seed Disperser: a Case Study with the Bilberry Vaccinium Myrtillus
    The role of the brown bear Ursus arctos as seed disperser: a case study with the bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus Rola niedźwiedzia brunatnego Ursus arctos w rozprzestrzenianiu nasion: studium przypadku na przykładzie borówki czarnej Vaccinium myrtillus PhD thesis Alberto García-Rodríguez Kraków, 2021 To the memory of José Ignacio and Javier Rodríguez Val Female brown bear with two cubs of the year feeding on bilberry fruits in Tatra National Park (July 2020) “They thought they were burying you, they did not know they were burying a seed” Ernesto Cardenal, Nicaraguan priest, poet and politician PhD CANDIDATE mgr. ALBERTO GARCÍA-RODRÍGUEZ Institute of Nature Conservation of the Polish Academy of Sciences Al. Adama Mickiewicza 33, 31-120, Krakow, Poland SUPERVISOR dr. hab. NURIA SELVA FERNÁNDEZ Institute of Nature Conservation of the Polish Academy of Sciences Al. Adama Mickiewicza 33, 31-120, Krakow, Poland CO-SUPERVISOR dr. JÖRG ALBRECHT Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F) Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The PhD thesis was prepared during doctoral studies in the Doctoral Study of Natural Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Kraków. CONTENTS SUMMARY…………..……………..…………………………...………………………………………………...5 STRESZCZENIE……...………….……………………………………………………………………………….8 INTRODUCTION……………………...………………………………………………….……………………...11 PAPER I The role of the brown bear Ursus arctos as a legitimate megafaunal seed disperser………………..…30 PAPER II The bear-berry connection: ecological and management implications of
    [Show full text]
  • Natural Communities of Michigan: Classification and Description
    Natural Communities of Michigan: Classification and Description Prepared by: Michael A. Kost, Dennis A. Albert, Joshua G. Cohen, Bradford S. Slaughter, Rebecca K. Schillo, Christopher R. Weber, and Kim A. Chapman Michigan Natural Features Inventory P.O. Box 13036 Lansing, MI 48901-3036 For: Michigan Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division and Forest, Mineral and Fire Management Division September 30, 2007 Report Number 2007-21 Version 1.2 Last Updated: July 9, 2010 Suggested Citation: Kost, M.A., D.A. Albert, J.G. Cohen, B.S. Slaughter, R.K. Schillo, C.R. Weber, and K.A. Chapman. 2007. Natural Communities of Michigan: Classification and Description. Michigan Natural Features Inventory, Report Number 2007-21, Lansing, MI. 314 pp. Copyright 2007 Michigan State University Board of Trustees. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status or family status. Cover photos: Top left, Dry Sand Prairie at Indian Lake, Newaygo County (M. Kost); top right, Limestone Bedrock Lakeshore, Summer Island, Delta County (J. Cohen); lower left, Muskeg, Luce County (J. Cohen); and lower right, Mesic Northern Forest as a matrix natural community, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, Ontonagon County (M. Kost). Acknowledgements We thank the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division and Forest, Mineral, and Fire Management Division for funding this effort to classify and describe the natural communities of Michigan. This work relied heavily on data collected by many present and former Michigan Natural Features Inventory (MNFI) field scientists and collaborators, including members of the Michigan Natural Areas Council.
    [Show full text]
  • Auggie Creek Restoration/Fuels Project Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive Plant Report Darlene Lavelle December 17, 2008
    Auggie Creek Restoration/Fuels Project Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive Plant Report Darlene Lavelle December 17, 2008 Introduction The Seeley Lake Ranger District, Lolo National Forest (LNF), is proposing a restoration project designed to restore forest conditions on approximately 965 acres of Forest Service lands within the Auggie, Seeley, and Mountain Creek drainages. The vegetation treatments are designed to develop a diverse mix of vegetative composition and structure, reduce the risk of bark beetle infestations, and reduce the threat of sustained high intensity wildfire in the wildland-urban interface. Commercial and noncommercial treatments are proposed to reduce stand density, ladder fuels and ground litter, and some dead and down woody debris. Reducing fuels would thereby reduce the risk from insect and disease damage and also the potential for high intensity natural fires around private homes. Fire would also allow an increase of nutrients to plants on the site. Other project proposals include: • Herbicide treatment of weeds along the approximate 12.45 miles of timber haul routes and landings and the approximate 2.37 miles of stored or decommissioned roads mentioned below; • Build about 0.59 miles of temporary road for tree harvest and then decommission these roads. • Store about 1.78 miles of road (close roads to vehicular traffic but keep roads for future use) • Plant western larch and Douglas-fir on about 44 acres within the commercial treatment units to enhance species diversity. • Replace two culverts which are fish barriers, along Swamp Creek and Trail Creek. • Implement additional best management practices (BMPs) involving road drainage at the Morrell Creek Bridge.
    [Show full text]
  • Survey and Analysis of Plant Community Types of Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park
    Survey and Analysis of Plant Community Types of Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park Survey and Analysis of Plant Community Types of Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park FINAL REPORT Prepared for Alberta Sustainable Resource Development Resource Data Branch Edmonton, Alberta Prepared by Wildlands Ecological Consulting Ltd. #60 Neal Close, Red Deer, AB T4P 1N4 Office: (403) 346-1057 Fax: (403) 346-3257 March 29, 2004 ABSTRACT Identification and monitoring of biological diversity in Alberta is the primary mandate of Alberta Natural Heritage Information Centre (ANHIC). A fundamental strategy in the preservation of functional ecosystems is to identify and preserve a full compliment of habitat types, which in return support a diversity of animals, plants, and other life forms. Vegetation is an integral component of habitat and provides a relatively easy means of inventory and monitoring of ecosystem health both spatially and temporally. The current study, in Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, focuses on the identification of unique riparian and coulee plant associations, or plant community type. The study area is situated approximately 8 km north of the USA border and 40 km east of the town of Milk River and occurs at the interface between the Mixedgrass and Dry Mixedgrass Natural Subregions. Priority research is currently required to address gaps in the identification, description and distribution of plant associations within the coulee and riparian zones of these Subregions. Many of these communities recur over the landscape but may occur as very small patches of 1m2 or less. Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (ASRD) Resource Data Division contracted Wildlands Ecological to complete an inventory of natural/semi-natural plant communities, statistically analyse the data, and describe potential plant community or association types.
    [Show full text]
  • Cougar Mountain Wilderness Evaluation
    May-June 2009 Cougar Mountain Wilderness Evaluation WILDERNESS EVALUATION Cougar Mountain - 621014 6,145 acres OVERVIEW History The first roadless area review and evaluation (RARE I) was completed in 1973 and the Cougar Mountain Roadless Area was identified but not chosen for future wilderness study. In 1979, the second roadless area review and evaluation (RARE II) was completed and the Cougar Mountain Roadless Area was not recommended for wilderness. The 2006 inventory removed approximately 189 acres from previous inventory due to nonconforming uses such as road construction and logging; 1,771 acres were added to the previous inventory as they met the criteria for a potential wilderness area (PWA) as described in Forest Service Handbook (FSH) 1909.12, Chapter 70. The following chart depicts the current 1988 Colville National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan direction for the 2006 inventoried PWA. Table 1--Management area percentages (rounded) Colville National Forest MA1 MA3A MA3B MA5 MA6 MA7 MA8 Old Growth Recreation Recreation/ Scenic Scenic/ Wood/ Winter Dependant Wildlife Timber Winter Forage Range Species Range Habitat 27% 3% 35% 3% 2% 12% 18% Location and Access The PWA is located 51 miles west of Colville, Washington, and 17 miles southeast of Republic, Washington. The nearest large population center is Spokane, Washington, which is three hours driving time from the area. The southern boundary of the PWA is common with the Colville Indian Reservation. The north boundary parallels Ninemile Creek. The west boundary parallels State Highway 21. The east boundary is the Cougar Mountain Road (Forest Road #2054). Access to the area is from the Cougar Mountain Road (Forest Road #2054) on the north and from State Highway 21 on the west.
    [Show full text]
  • Appendix 5.4.12A Grizzly Bear Species Account
    BLACKWATER GOLD PROJECT APPLICATION FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT CERTIFICATE / ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS Appendix 5.4.12A Grizzly Bear Species Account Section 5 BLACKWATER GOLD PROJECT APPLICATION FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT CERTIFICATE / ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS Project Name: Blackwater Scientific Name: Ursus arctos Species Code: M_URAR Status: Blue-listed by the British Columbia Conservation Data Centre; designated as Special Concern by Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC); not listed under SARA. 1.0 DISTRIBUTION Provincial Range Grizzly bears inhabit all forested and non-forested regions of British Columbia, with the exception of Vancouver Island, Haida Gwaii, and outer coastal islands. They can be found within all biogeoclimatic zones, except the Coastal Douglas Fir zone and occupy a wide variety of habitats ranging from coastal estuaries to alpine meadows (Cowan and Guiguet, 1965; Hatler, 2008). Elevational Range Sea-level to alpine. Provincial Context The grizzly bear has been extirpated from most of the southern and eastern portions of its original continental range. British Columbia is recognized as the centre of viable grizzly bear populations in the southern half of the species current range (Hatler et al., 2008). In 2012, the population of grizzly bears in British Columbia was estimated to be approximately 15,000 animals (British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource
    [Show full text]
  • National Wetland Plant List: 2016 Wetland Ratings
    Lichvar, R.W., D.L. Banks, W.N. Kirchner, and N.C. Melvin. 2016. The National Wetland Plant List: 2016 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2016-30: 1–17. Published 28 April 2016. ISSN 2153 733X THE NATIONAL WETLAND PLANT LIST: 2016 WETLAND RATINGS ROBERT W. LICHVAR U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory 72 Lyme Road Hanover, New Hampshire 03755-1290 DARIN L. BANKS U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7 Watershed Support, Wetland and Stream Protection Section 11201 Renner Boulevard Lenexa, Kansas 66219 WILLIAM N. KIRCHNER U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 1 911 NE 11 th Avenue Portland, Oregon 97232 NORMAN C. MELVIN USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Central National Technology Support Center 501 W. Felix Street, Bldg. 23 Fort Worth, Texas 76115-3404 ABSTRACT The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) administers the National Wetland Plant List (NWPL) for the United States (U.S.) and its territories. Responsibility for the NWPL was transferred to the Corps from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in 2006. From 2006 to 2012 the Corps led an interagency effort to update the list in conjunction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the FWS, and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), culminating in the publication of the 2012 NWPL. In 2013 and 2014 geographic ranges and nomenclature were updated. This paper presents the fourth update of the list under Corps administration. During the current update, the indicator status of 1689 species was reviewed. A total of 306 ratings of 186 species were changed during the update.
    [Show full text]
  • Native Crop Wild Relatives of the United States Related to Food Crops Crop Taxon Comments Sugar Maple Acer Saccharum Subsp
    1/12/2015 Native Crop Wild Relatives of the United States Related to Food Crops Crop Taxon Comments Sugar Maple Acer saccharum subsp. floridanum (Chapm.) Desmarais Sugar Maple Acer saccharum subsp. leucoderme (Small) Desmarais Sugar Maple Acer saccharum subsp. nigrum (F. Michx.) Desmarais Sugar Maple Acer saccharum subsp. ozarkense A. E. Murray Sugar Maple Acer saccharum subsp. saccharum Onion Allium schoenoprasum subsp. schoenoprasum Onion Allium tricoccum Aiton Amaranth Amaranthus ×tucsonensis Henrickson Amaranth Amaranthus acanthochiton J. D. Sauer Amaranth Amaranthus arenicola I. M. Johnst. Amaranth Amaranthus australis (A. Gray) J. D. Sauer Amaranth Amaranthus brownii Christoph. & Caum Amaranth Amaranthus californicus (Moq.) S. Watson Amaranth Amaranthus cannabinus (L.) J. D. Sauer Amaranth Amaranthus crassipes Schltdl. Amaranth Amaranthus fimbriatus (Torr.) Benth. ex S. Watson Amaranth Amaranthus floridanus (S. Watson) J. D. Sauer Amaranth Amaranthus greggii S. Watson Amaranth Amaranthus polygonoides L. Amaranth Amaranthus powellii subsp. powellii Amaranth Amaranthus pumilus Raf. Amaranth Amaranthus tamaulipensis Henrickson Amaranth Amaranthus torreyi (A. Gray) Benth. ex S. Watson Amaranth Amaranthus tuberculatus (Moq.) J. D. Sauer Amaranth Amaranthus watsonii Standl. Amaranth Amaranthus wrightii S. Watson Potato bean Apios americana Medik. Potato bean Apios priceana B. L. Rob. Pawpaw Asimina ×nashii Kral Pawpaw Asimina incana (W. Bartram) Exell Pawpaw Asimina longifolia Kral Pawpaw Asimina obovata (Willd.) Nash Pawpaw Asimina parviflora (Michx.) Dunal Pawpaw Asimina pygmaea (W. Bartram) Dunal Pawpaw Asimina reticulata Shuttlew. ex Chapm. Pawpaw Asimina tetramera Small Pawpaw Asimina triloba (L.) Dunal Pepper Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum (Dunal) Heiser & Pickersgill Pecan/Hickory Carya ×brownii Sarg. Pecan/Hickory Carya ×lecontei Little Pecan/Hickory Carya ×ludoviciana (Ashe) Little Page | 1 1/12/2015 Crop Taxon Comments Pecan/Hickory Carya aquatica (F.
    [Show full text]
  • Ecological Evaluation of the Potential Grizzly Creek Research Natural Area Within the Shoshone National Forest, Park County, Wyoming
    ECOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF THE POTENTIAL GRIZZLY CREEK RESEARCH NATURAL AREA WITHIN THE SHOSHONE NATIONAL FOREST, PARK COUNTY, WYOMING Prepared for the Shoshone National Forest, USDA Forest Service By George P. Jones Walter Fertig Wyoming Natural Diversity Database University of Wyoming 3381 University Station Laramie, Wyoming 82071-3381 April 21, 1999 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION................................................... 1 LAND MANAGEMENT PLANNING.................................. 1 OBJECTIVES..................................................... 1 PRINCIPAL DISTINGUISHING FEATURES.............................. 2 LOCATION....................................................... 2 BOUNDARY.................................................. 2 AREA...................................................... 2 ELEVATION................................................. 2 ACCESS.................................................... 3 ECOREGION................................................. 3 MAPS...................................................... 3 VEGETATION..................................................... 3 DESCRIPTION............................................... 3 AREA BY TYPE.............................................. 5 PHYSICAL AND CLIMATIC CONDITIONS............................... 7 PHYSICAL SETTING.......................................... 7 GEOLOGY................................................... 8 DESCRIPTION OF VALUES.......................................... 8 VEGETATION TYPES.........................................
    [Show full text]
  • A Second Annotated Checklist of Vascular Plants in Wells Gray Provincial Park and Vicinity, British Columbia, Canada
    A second annotated checklist of vascular plants in Wells Gray Provincial Park and vicinity, British Columbia, Canada Version 1: April, 2011 Curtis R. Björk1 and Trevor Goward2 ENLICHENED CONSULTING LTD. Box 131, Clearwater, BC, V0E 1N0, Canada [email protected], [email protected] Vascular Plants in Wells Gray SUMMARY Wells Gray Provincial Park is a vast wilderness preserve situated in the mountains and highlands of south-central British Columbia. The first major floristic study of the vascular plants of Wells Gray and its vicinity was published in 1965 by Leena Hämet-Ahti, who documented 550 taxa, including a first Canadian record of Carex praeceptorium. The present study contributes nearly 500 additional taxa documented by us between 1976 and 2010 in connection with our personal explorations of the Clearwater Valley. The vascular flora of Wells Gray Park and vicinity now stands at 1046 taxa, including 881 native species and 165 species introduced from Eurasia and other portions of British Columbia. Wells Gray Park is notable both for the presence of numerous taxa (45) at or near the northern limits of their range, as well as for an unexpectedly high number of taxa (43) accorded conservation status by the British Columbia Conservation Data Centre. Antennaria corymbosa has its only known Canadian locality within Wells Gray, while five additional species reported here are known in Canada from fewer than six localities. About a dozen unknown, possibly undescribed taxa have also been detected. Botanical inventory has thus far been confined to the southern portions of Wells Gray. Future studies in northern half of the park will certainly greatly increase our knowledge of the biological diversity safeguarded in this magnificent wilderness preserve.
    [Show full text]
  • Japansese Beetle Potential Host Range
    Japanese Beetle Potential Host Range in California D. G. Kelch, Ph.D. Primary Botanist, California Department of Food and Agriculture Japanese Beetle (Popillia japonica Newman) is a species introduced into North America that has spread widely throughout the eastern United States. In this area, infestations have proven extremely damaging to horticultural and agricultural plants. Yearly costs for management and mitigation of damage are estimated at US$500 million (USDA 2007). In addition, areas infested with Japanese beetle can be quarantined by trading partners, resulting in losses to farmers and nursery growers mounting into the millions of dollars per year (National Plant Board 2007; Smith et al. 1996). Japanese Beetle is not yet fully established in California, but recent detections in Sacramento County have raised concerns and triggered control activities by agencies tasked with protecting plants from pests. Japanese beetles have a broad range of host plants. The list of plants used as hosts by Japanese beetle contains more than 300 species (Potter & Held 2002). Because the focus has been on Japanese beetle attacks in gardens and lawns, the host list is dominated by garden plants. Most of the information on host susceptibility to Japanese beetle originated from a landmark survey summariZed by Fleming (1972). This rating system was based on written and oral accounts of Japanese beetle feeding damage noted from 1920 through 1963 primarily in the New England area (Fleming 1972). Although poorly documented, there is little doubt that Japanese beetle can attack many other species of plants not included on the host list (Miller et al., 2001; Potter & Held 2002).
    [Show full text]