UNBC To Study Welfare Of Threatened Animals
January 28, 2003 For Immediate
Release
The University's new Centre for Environmental Disturbance Assessment
Research (CEDAR) has received a grant from the Vancouver Foundation to
study two "species of concern" on Vancouver Island and Haida
Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands).
The research will focus on two small owls: the Queen Charlotte Northern
Saw-whet owl and the Vancouver Island Screech Owl. Both are distinct subspecies
from their mainland cousins, and both have been identified as "species
of concern" because little is known about the impact that human land
use has on the biology of these species.
"Logging of mature forests and spreading urbanization are affecting
the habitat of these threatened owls, and while they seem to be able to
survive in altered landscapes, we really don't know how much they are
being affected," says Biology professor Ken
Otter, who will be coordinating the research with graduate students
Carmen Holschuh and Tania Tripp. "CEDAR is taking a unique approach
to studying the problem, which includes using both behavioural and genetic
techniques to measure the condition of the owls. This information will
be useful on a broader scale, providing valuable information on how people,
industry, and animal species can co-exist."
The goal of the project is to determine whether owls living in disturbed
areas show signs of impact on their welfare. Researchers will analyze
behaviours that are closely linked to the availability of food to determine
if there is a difference between the owls living in mature forests compared
to those in altered landscapes. They will also compare the DNA of owls
occupying sites with various levels of disturbance, as recent studies
have found that DNA variability can indicate the relative quality of individual
animals.
Funded by a $10,000 grant from the Vancouver Foundation, the research
also involves the Ministry of Water, Land & Air Protection, Ministry
of Forests, Weyerhaeuser, and Madrone Consultants Ltd.