Ruffed Grouse study to aid in management of prized game bird

trevor.kenney — Tue, 25 Apr 2023 17:48:36 +0000

Future hunting seasons for Alberta’s Ruffed Grouse population may be managed differently once the results of a new study by ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers Drs. Theresa Burg and Andrew Iwaniuk are analyzed.

The southwestern Ruffed Grouse is a highly prized game bird in Alberta.

The study, which received $30,400 in funding support from the Alberta Conservation Association (ACA), seeks to build on previous work that identified the southwestern Ruffed Grouse population in the Crowsnest Pass area differs genetically from other Alberta populations. The goal now is to determine how many populations can be identified with genomics methods applied to a broader sampling of Ruffed Grouse populations across the province.

“The management of hunted game species is highly dependent on the identification of populations and estimating the sizes of those populations and their connectivity,” says Burg, professor and Chair of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Department of Biological Sciences. “Genomics is increasingly used in the study of species of concern as well as harvested species, providing new insights into differentiation of species which in turn can have implications into how the species is managed.”

Proper management of the game bird will ensure the long-term viability of all Ruffed Grouse populations.

A previous study, funded by an ACA Biodiversity Grant, was conducted in 2016 by ULethbridge alumnus Ashley Jensen (MSc ’17) and featured the gathering of Ruffed Grouse samples in the Crowsnest Pass area. The new study will involve the acquisition of samples from a larger number of populations than the 2016 work and, by using a genomics approach, provide higher resolution differences between the Alberta populations.

“Genomics methods have higher precision because many more genetic markers are examined, which gives us much more precise population differentiation,” says Burg. “As well, because there is gene flow between populations, genomics is much better at accurately identifying inbreeding, which gives us better insight into which populations may be at risk of further habitat disruption or unsustainable hunting rates.”

The Ruffed Grouse is a highly prized game bird in Alberta and is intensively managed for hunter harvest, with its hunting season running primarily from September through January. Currently, bag limits for Ruffed Grouse are set at five per day with a 15-bird possession limit. Despite the intense hunting pressure on some Ruffed Grouse populations in the province, very little data exist on their population genetics throughout most of their range. The Crowsnest Pass population that was studied in 2016 yielded an unexpected variation from other parts of the province. This new study will sample more sites, including those in northern Alberta as well as isolated populations in Elk Island National Park and Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park.

“By using genomics we will be able to accurately identify and delineate Ruffed Grouse populations and calculate the degree of heterogeneity within them,” says Burg. “This will tell us the status of the Crowsnest Pass population as well as other distinct regional populations and how much they differ from more continuous populations.”

From there, the researchers will be able to assess whether higher bag limits are sustainable across the various wildlife management units or if lower bag limits are needed to ensure the long-term viability of all Ruffed Grouse populations.

Functional Flows gets funding boost

trevor.kenney — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:58:56 +0000

A critical study by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Water Institute for Sustainable Environments (WISE) that could shape how the province manages its water sources is being given a $1 million boost by the Alberta government.

Alberta Innovates – Energy and Environment Solutions is contributing $1 million toward a proposed $2.5 million project that will take place over the next three years.

Functional Flows, headed by principal researcher Dr. Stewart Rood of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Department of Biological Sciences, will attempt to answer the question of how much water needs to be left in our rivers to sustain healthy aquatic and riparian ecosystems, all the while developing strategies to provide sufficient water to support growing human populations and industrial expansion.

"It is critical for the environmental health of our aquatic ecosystems that we understand the ecological impacts from river damming and water diversions," says Rood.

"Further, we need to create and implement strategies for environmental flow regimes that will ensure that our rivers continue to sustain high water quality, as well as the fish and floodplain forests that we value."

Alberta's rivers deliver mountain snow-melt and rainfall to the drier regions of the prairie and parkland zones, where most Albertans live and work.

Water is trapped by dams and reservoirs and diverted off-stream for agricultural irrigation, municipal and domestic use and industrial purposes.

As the human population grows and industrial expansion continues, the demand for Alberta's surface water will progressively increase.

Rood and his team support the notion of working rivers, whereby river regulation and water withdrawal continues, but in a strategic manner that both sustains environmental health and supports socio-economic uses.

Rood contends that deliberately artificial flow patterns can optimize water for environmental survival during low flow years, and capitalize on the opportunities provided in high flow years to rejuvenate the fish and floodplain forest ecosystems.

"One of the significant challenges identified in Alberta's Water for Life strategy is meeting the needs of healthy aquatic ecosystems. The work being undertaken by Dr. Rood and his team provides a scientific and evidence-based approach to improving environmental performance, even in Alberta's highly allocated river systems," says David Hill, director of Centres and Institutes and Research Advocacy at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

"This approach allows stakeholders and water managers to directly participate in building and improving environmental resilience through specific water management opportunities. The understanding gained through this research will be a critical component in ongoing integrated watershed management decision-making."

The research activities associated with Functional Flows involve substantial student training, contributing towards the next generation of environmental scientists and natural resource managers for Alberta and Canada. The research projects bring together biologists, geographers and other natural and social scientists affiliated with WISE, working in collaboration with other academic and government researchers.

The collaborations also engage regional agencies such as Alberta Environment, the Alberta Conservation Association and the public Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils.

"The U of L has a long history of research collaboration with the community. This is particularly the case in Dr. Rood's research. This program brings together the research team, with government operators and regulators and stakeholders of the community, ensuring that the science and research findings can be implemented to deliver improved environmental performance measures," says Hill.

"This project will contribute to Alberta being recognized not just for its forward looking water strategy – but for ongoing and improved watershed management operations."

Balancing environmental sensibilities with the future economic prosperity of the province was a driver of the Functional Flows project, which received an initial $250,000 contribution from ConocoPhillips Canada (CPC). Based in Calgary, CPC is part of ConocoPhillips, a leading global exploration and production company. "We see this as an opportunity to engage the research expertise at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in a manner that will benefit everyone from students and faculty members involved in the research, to industry, agriculture, municipalities, Aboriginal communities and end users of Alberta's water resources," says Lloyd Visser, VP, Environment and Sustainable Development.

UNews - Alberta Conservation Association

Ruffed Grouse study to aid in management of prized game bird

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