Below Average Whooping Crane Production in Wood Buffalo National Park During Drought Years 1990 and 1991

SummaryWhooping Cranes Grus americana increased from 16 wild migratory birds in 1941 to about 146 birds in 1991. Management on the breeding range in Wood Buffalo National Park, Northwest Territories-Alberta, and protection of the birds along their migration route and on the winter range in Texas, are partly responsible for the population increase. The present Wood Buffalo National Park-Aransas National Wildlife Refuge flock consists of almost 50% non-breeders, mostly subadults. Further increases in the number of breeding pairs beyond the 1991 record of 33 can therefore be expected. The wild population has been a source of surplus eggs, whose removal has not adversely affected population growth. These eggs have been used to establish captive flocks, and captive-reared stock will be used to establish other populations. Attempts to establish a new migratory flock in Idaho by means of cross-fostering Whooping Crane eggs to Sandhill Cranes Grus canadensis have not been completely successful. Present plans call for the establishment of a non-migratory flock in Florida.

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CHARACTERISTICS AND GENESIS OF BRUNISOLIC SOILS OF NORTHERN ALBERTA

Canadian Journal of Soil Science ◽

10.4141/cjss64-044 ◽

1964 ◽

Vol 44 (3) ◽

pp. 292-303 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

S. Pawluk ◽

J. D. Lindsay

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscope ◽

Iron Oxide ◽

National Park ◽

Common Occurrence ◽

X Ray ◽

Physical Chemical ◽

Wood Buffalo National Park ◽

Pellet Form ◽

Northern Alberta ◽

Soil Groups

Exploratory surveys of the Wood Buffalo National Park in Northern Alberta revealed the presence of vast tracts of brunisolic soils. These soils are of common occurrence in the low plains area adjacent to Lake Clare.The brunisolic soils included in this study belong to the Brown Forest, Brown Wooded, and Acid Brown Wooded Great Soil Groups. All profiles were characterized with respect to their physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties. Special attention was directed to the Bf horizons where magnetic, amorphous (to X-ray) humus–iron micropellets were identified with the use of an electron microscope. The release of iron oxide from the weathering of iron-rich chlorites was also evident and is suggested as a mechanism by which the accretion of iron oxide to a pellet form could be explained. The possible genesis of these micropellets is fully discussed.

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Wolves, Bison and the Dynamics Related to the Peace-Athabasca Delta in Canada's Wood Buffalo National Park

Journal of Wildlife Management ◽

10.2307/3809132 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 59 (1) ◽

pp. 189

Author(s):

L. David Mech ◽

L. N. Carbyn ◽

S. M. Oosenbrug ◽

D. W. Anions

Keyword(s):

National Park ◽

Wood Buffalo National Park

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The fall and rise of bison populations in Wood Buffalo National Park: 1971 to 2003

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z05-106 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 83 (9) ◽

pp. 1195-1205 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Mark Bradley ◽

John Wilmshurst

Keyword(s):

National Park ◽

Census Data ◽

Disease Incidence ◽

Population Decline ◽

Survival Rates ◽

Bison Bison ◽

Adult Survival ◽

Risk Of Predation ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Wood Buffalo National Park

Two hypotheses have been proposed to explain the decline of bison (Bison bison (L., 1758)) abundance in Wood Buffalo National Park (WBNP). The "disease–predation" hypothesis proposes that tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis (Karlson and Lessel 1970)) and brucellosis (Brucella abortus (Schmidt 1901)) reduce bison survival and reproduction, resulting in a low-density, predator-regulated equilibrium. The "habitat dispersion hypothesis" proposes that bison in one area of WBNP, the Peace–Athabasca Delta (Delta), have an increased risk of predation because they are concentrated in large meadows with high temporal and spatial predictability. We incorporate bison census data, calf and yearling segregation counts, reproductive rates, adult survival rates, and adult disease incidence in a stochastic population model to show that the historical decline of bison in WBNP would have occurred regardless of disease prevalence. Our model shows that survival of juveniles, the age class that is least susceptible to disease effects, was likely an important determinant of historical changes in population size. We also demonstrate that the population decline was most pronounced in the Delta and that juvenile survival was lower in the Delta, despite evidence that disease incidence was lower in the Delta than in the rest of WBNP. Lastly, the current population trend in WBNP is one of rapid increase, even in the presence of disease.

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The logging of a world heritage site: Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada

The Forestry Chronicle ◽

10.5558/tfc72485-5 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 72 (5) ◽

pp. 485-490 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Kevin Timoney

Keyword(s):

National Parks ◽

National Park ◽

White Spruce ◽

World Heritage ◽

River Valley ◽

World Heritage Site ◽

Old Growth ◽

Peace River ◽

Heritage Site ◽

Wood Buffalo National Park

Logging of the riparian old-growth white spruce forests of Wood Buffalo National Park took place from 1951 to 1991. Operations were conducted in the Peace River valley in the Big Island block (Timber Berth (TB) 408) and the Peace Delta block, and in the Athabasca River valley. Approximately 70% of the pre-logging old-growth riparian forests have been lost to logging, leaving a remnant of ~100 km2 in the park, of which ~30 km2 are found in TB408. A minimum of 100 km2 has been logged from TB408. Natural regeneration has failed on 93% of these lands (9300 ha). The logging agreement, which expired in 1981, was renewed in 1983, the same year in which Wood Buffalo National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The history of logging in Wood Buffalo National Park is characterized by government mismanagement and industrial malpractice. There was never legal authority to log in Wood Buffalo National Park, as it contravened the National Parks Act (1930). The need for restoration is discussed. Key words: boreal, forestry, management, Peace River, riparian, white spruce, Wood Buffalo National Park

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Dry grasslands in Wood Buffalo National Park: reply

Canadian Journal of Botany ◽

10.1139/b99-121 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 77 (7) ◽

pp. 918-921

Author(s):

A G Schwarz ◽

Ross W Wein

Keyword(s):

National Park ◽

Vascular Plant ◽

Summer Rainfall ◽

Dry Grassland ◽

Dry Grasslands ◽

Key Species ◽

Stipa Comata ◽

Wood Buffalo National Park ◽

Trees And Shrubs ◽

Special Protection

In examining dry grassland areas of Wood Buffalo National Park (WBNP), we used vascular plant indicators commonly found in the grassland landscapes in the southern and central parts of the Prairie Provinces. With distance northward the landscapes become increasingly tree-dominated and the dry grasslands have fewer dry grassland indicator species (about 40 in the area of WBNP) and become smaller in size (about 1 ha in WBNP). Key species are Stipa comata Trin & Rupr., Stipa curtiseta (A.S. Hitchc.) Barkworth, and Stipa columbiana Macoun on the drier sites. Paleontological records and historical documents suggest that these remnant dry grasslands must expand during decades of drought and must contract during decades of higher summer rainfall. We hypothesize that fires might enhance dry grassland expansion by stressing and killing trees and shrubs. Southern dry grassland vascular plant species represent over 7% of the total in WBNP. It is reasonable to hypothesize that these represent special ecotypes that deserve special protection through prescribed burning.Key words: remnant grasslands, Stipa spp., climate change.

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Relations between tree-ring widths, climate, and annual area burned in the boreal forest of Alberta

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x95-189 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 25 (11) ◽

pp. 1746-1755 ◽

Cited By ~ 47

Author(s):

C.P.S. Larsen ◽

G.M. MacDonald

Keyword(s):

Boreal Forest ◽

Tree Ring ◽

National Park ◽

Ring Width ◽

Weather Conditions ◽

Fire Weather ◽

Severity Rating ◽

Area Burned ◽

Positive Correlations ◽

Wood Buffalo National Park

Ring-width chronologies from three white spruce (Piceaglauca (Moench) Voss) and two jack pine (Pinusbanksiana Lamb.) sites in the boreal forest of northern Alberta were constructed to determine whether they could provide proxy records of monthly weather, summer fire weather, and the annual area burned by wildfires in Wood Buffalo National Park. All but one of the standard and residual chronologies exhibited significant positive correlations with June precipitation in the growth year, and all but three of the chronologies exhibited positive correlations with precipitation in June, July, or August of the previous year. Three of the residual chronologies also exhibited negative correlations with June temperature in the growth year. Four of the standard and residual chronologies exhibited significant correlations with the Seasonal Severity Rating fire weather variable from Fort Smith, N.W.T. Four of the standard chronologies and three of the residual chronologies exhibited significant correlations with the annual area burned in Wood Buffalo National Park. Significant correlations were also found for some of the standard and residual chronologies with fire weather and annual area burned in the previous year. These results suggest that ring widths and annual area burned in this portion of the boreal forest are sensitive to similar weather conditions. Tree-ring records may therefore provide a useful means of examining decadal to centennial length relations between climate and annual area burned in the boreal forest.

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