Potential conflict between future development of natural resources and high-value wildlife habitats in boreal landscapes

Nobuya Suzuki,Katherine L Parker

doi:10.1007/s10531-016-1219-2

Nobuya Suzuki, Katherine L Parker

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-016-1219-2

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Abstract

We used the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area in northeast British Columbia, Canada as a case study to determine potential conflicts between future resource development and high-value habitats of large mammals in an undeveloped boreal landscape. More than 50 % of high-value habitats for caribou, moose, elk, wolves and grizzly bears were located in Special Resource Management Zones, where natural resource developments could occur. We developed geographic information system (GIS) layers of potential forest resources, oil and gas, minerals, wind power, all resources combined, and roads; and quantified the proportions of high-value habitats overlapping these potentials. Greater proportions of high-value habitats across seasons for moose, elk, and wolves overlapped areas with high cumulative resource potential (winter, 49–70 %, growing season, 35–63 %) more than for three other species (grizzly bears, Stone’s sheep, mountain goats). This pattern was similar for forest resources, oil and gas, wind power, and roads. Caribou were more seasonally influenced. The proportions of their high-value habitat in areas with high cumulative resource potential (winter, 53 %, growing season, 16 %), as well as high forest and oil and gas potentials, were greatest in winter; in contrast, overlap with high mineral potential was greatest during the growing season. We recommend a quantitative and visual GIS approach to scenario planning in the Muskwa-Kechika to maintain the abundance and diversity of wildlife populations there. Resource development would likely increase early seral habitats, presumably benefiting moose, elk, and wolves, but could adversely affect caribou and grizzly bears through habitat loss and increased access.

Highlights

Conservation of intact ecosystems to sustain populations of species and biodiversity has become increasingly urgent as the human population worldwide continues to increase, seeking room for expansion into previously undeveloped wild lands and new opportunities for extraction of natural resources to satisfy ever increasing demands (Wittemyer et al 2008; Leroux and Kerr 2013; Geldmann et al 2014)
There are large tracts of undeveloped, contiguous natural habitats still remaining in the boreal zone of western Canada in Yukon and northern British Columbia (Carroll et al 2003, 2004; Pearce et al 2008), wildlife habitats within boreal and sub-boreal areas are highly susceptible to disturbance because productive lands are smaller in proportion to those in temperate zones to the south and can be targets of resource development
Special Resource Management Zones, where the highest levels of resource development activities are allowed in the Muskwa-Kechika, included more high-value habitats, across seasons, for the seven species of large mammals analyzed than did the Special Wildland Zones or Protected Area Zones

Summary

Introduction

Conservation of intact ecosystems to sustain populations of species and biodiversity has become increasingly urgent as the human population worldwide continues to increase, seeking room for expansion into previously undeveloped wild lands and new opportunities for extraction of natural resources to satisfy ever increasing demands (Wittemyer et al 2008; Leroux and Kerr 2013; Geldmann et al 2014). Despite the ongoing threats to biodiversity from various resource developments, current status of ecosystem health in the boreal zone has not been assessed fully because long temporal and broad spatial biological and ecological datasets as well as coordinated research efforts are lacking (Kreutzweiser et al 2013). It is, difficult to determine thresholds of ecological and biological sustainability against cumulative effects and to forecast future conditions of ecosystems and biodiversity (Venier et al 2014). Conservation of habitats to sustain viable populations of species requires much larger areas of protection and connectivity in the boreal and sub-boreal zones than would be required in temperate zones (Carroll et al 2004)

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