Addressing cumulative effects of development and climate change in the Yukon to inform effective land use planning
Lead: Wildlife Conservation Society Canada
Timeframe: 2020-2023 [Completed]
WCS Canada’s Northern Boreal Mountains Cumulative Effects Program has initiated a project to understand the cumulative effects of human disturbance and climate change stressors on wildlife and important habitat, using breeding land birds as an ecological indicator in central Yukon. With the use of acoustic recording units our research team surveyed 49 new sites in 2021 with our partners across a gradient of human footprint to help supplement historical surveys. We are now analyzing the new and historical data to determine the cumulative effects of anthropogenic disturbances on breeding bird populations. This information will be used to inform land use planning and conservation decisions to ensure they are built around ecological thresholds for sustaining healthy wildlife populations and ecosystems.
Photos (below) by: Malkolm Boothroyd
Monitoring in the field
Black-capped chickadee
Field Team
Resources
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Avian Field Report Summer 2021
[PDF]
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Canary in a Gold Mine
[video]
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2023 Biodiversity Forum Presentation
[PDF]
Other FUnders:
In addition to Environment and Climate Change Canada, this project would not be possible without the generous support of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Yukon Fish and Wildlife Enhancement Fund, Weston Family Foundation, Wilburforce Foundation, and Mitacs Elevate. We thank you!
