Species In British Columbia Research Articles

Evidence of fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus velifera) recovery in the Canadian Pacific

Pacific fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus velifera), once the most abundant cetacean species in British Columbia (BC), were also one of the most heavily targeted by commercial whaling. Much of what we know about their phenology and ecology is from catch records, but their current status has not yet been summarized in Canadian waters. Here, we collated evidence from dedicated surveys, opportunistic sightings, and passive acoustic records that had not been reported before and reviewed them in the context of past data. This was to add new findings to what is known, and to establish if the population was showing signs of recovery. This is particularly relevant considering discussions of downlisting their population status in Canada from endangered to threatened. We then asked if this rebounding was consistent with what is known about pre-whaling presence and movement patterns, or if changes in whale distribution reflected altered oceanic regimes, prey availability, or increased anthropogenic pressures. The evidence suggested that fin whale populations in the northeast Pacific Ocean are repopulating areas along the BC coast recognized as part of their historic range. However, they are recovering in a different ocean than they were removed from, which makes them increasingly vulnerable to new anthropogenic threats. The sightings data suggested that, at least for the west coast of Vancouver Island, this repopulation has occurred over a relatively short period, with fin whales still absent from regular surveys as recent as the early 2000’s. The recent acoustic recordings suggested their presence is not transitory, but that fin whales may be using locales along the BC coast for feeding and breeding activities.

Behaviour and landscape contexts determine the effects of artificial light on two crepuscular bird species

ContextArtificial light at night (ALAN) is increasing worldwide, with many ecological effects. Aerial insectivores may benefit from foraging on insects congregating at light sources. However, ALAN could negatively impact them by increasing nest visibility and predation risk, especially for ground-nesting species like nightjars (Caprimulgidae).ObjectivesWe tested predictions based on these two alternative hypotheses, potential foraging benefits vs potential predation costs of ALAN, for two nightjar species in British Columbia: Common Nighthawks (Chordeiles minor) and Common Poorwills (Phalaenoptilus nuttallii).MethodsWe modeled the relationship between ALAN and relative abundance using count data from the Canadian Nightjar Survey. We distinguished territorial from extra-territorial Common Nighthawks based on their wingboom behaviour.ResultsWe found limited support for the foraging benefit hypothesis: there was an increase in relative abundance of extra-territorial Common Nighthawks in areas with higher ALAN but only in areas with little to no urban land cover. Common Nighthawks’ association with ALAN became negative in areas with 18% or more urban land cover. We found support for the nest predation hypothesis: the were strong negative associations with ALAN for both Common Poorwills and territorial Common Nighthawks.ConclusionsThe positive effects of ALAN on foraging nightjars may be limited to species that can forage outside their nesting territory and to non-urban areas, while the negative effects of ALAN on nesting nightjars may persist across species and landscape contexts. Reducing light pollution in breeding habitat may be important for nightjars and other bird species that nest on the ground.

DNA barcoding aids in generating a preliminary checklist of the lichens and allied fungi of Calvert Island, British Columbia: Results from the 2018 Hakai Terrestrial BioBlitz.

Bioblitzes are a tool for the rapid appraisal of biodiversity and are particularly useful in remote and understudied regions and for understudied taxa. Lichens are an example of an often overlooked group, despite being widespread in virtually all terrestrial ecosystems and having many important ecological functions. We report the lichens and allied fungi collected during the 2018 terrestrial bioblitz conducted on Calvert Island on the Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada. We identified 449 specimens belonging to 189 species in 85 genera, increasing the total number of species known from Calvert Island to 194, and generated Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) sequences for 215 specimens from 121 species. Bryoriafurcellata, Chaenothecopsislecanactidis and C.nigripunctata were collected for the first time in British Columbia. We also found Pseudocyphellariarainierensis, which is listed as Special Concern on the federal Species at Risk Act, and other rarely reported species in British Columbia including Opegraphasphaerophoricola, Protomicarealimosa, Raesaeneniahuuskonenii and Sareadifformis. We demonstrate that DNA barcoding improves the scope and accuracy of expert-led bioblitzes by facilitating the detection of cryptic species and allowing for consistent identification of chemically and morphologically overlapping taxa. Despite the spatial and temporal limitations of our study, the results highlight the value of intact forest ecosystems on the Central Coast of British Columbia for lichen biodiversity, education and conservation.

First report of Truncatella angustata causing leaf blight on Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don in Canada.

Western redcedar (Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don) is one of the most important commercial tree species in British Columbia, generates more than $1 billion in economic activity annually and about 8-10 million trees are planted in reforestation efforts (Gregory et al. 2018). It has been selected as the provincial tree of British Columbia (BC) because of its tremendous economic, ecoogical and cultural value. However, foliar diseases such as leaf blights have serious impact on redcedar growth and may cause significant loss of tree volume (Russell, 2007). Our 2014 - 2015 surveys of western redcedar forests in coastal areas of BC indicated high incidence of a distinctive type of blight. We observed the incidence of this disease on more than 80% of western redcedar (approximately 493) trees from late May to early December. Early symptoms appeared as circular to oval, brownish to black spots (2-3 mm), 1-5 spots per branch tip, scattered at the tip margins. Sequentially, the spots enlarged and developed into necrotic lesions on both young and old leaves. More than 50 symptomatic leaves from 10 different trees were collected and rinsed in distilled water then surface-sterilized with three times washing in Tween 20 (%5 solution) for 2 minutes (each time) and %70 ethanol for 30 second (3 times repeat). Tissues from under lesions were placed on MEA (Malt Extract Agar; Phyto Tech® labs-Product ID: M498) and PDA (Potato Dextrose Agar; Phyto Tech® Labs-Product ID: P772). The plates were incubated at 21°C in the dark. They developed distinct dull white to brown, cottony colonies with each black acervuli approximately 450-500µm. The isolates produced fusiform conidia with four cells. They didn't have any distinct color. The conidiophore size was approximately 23-24 x 2-3 µm with mostly hyaline to light brown color, branched and conidiogenous was hyaline and not branched and simple. The spore size was approximately 15-20μm by 7-10μm with three transverse septa and endogenous papillae with hyaline apical appendages. Next, we collected spores and replated them on fresh MEA media culture and placed back in the incubator to produce pure cultures. We studied conidia from leaves of trees mentioned above using light and electron microscopy using Hitachi S-3500N Scanning Electron Microscope (Noshad et al. 2023). After morphological study, further identification to the species level conducted using Zambounis and Wenneker's approach (Zambounis 2019; Wenneker,2017). Genomic DNA from two single-spore isolates were isolated and sequenced. Sequences of ITS (Internal Transcribed Spacer) region amplified using primers ITS1/ITS4 and sequenced. Final sequences were deposited in Genbank and published (accession numbers OP086244 and OP086251). Blast analysis of these sequences showed 99% and 99% resemblances with T. angustata sequence (Sutton 1980). To verify its pathogenicity, we performed a comprehensive pathogenicity test to fulfill Koch's postulates. We collected their distinctive spores in an aseptic environment and standardized them (5000/ml) using a haemocytometer. Then we inoculated 100 western redcedar seedlings (three years old) by injecting standardized spore suspension solution (inoculum) using ultra-fine 0.3ml, 31G, 8mm syringes (approximately 0.1ml per inoculation site). Ten positive control seedlings were inoculated with distilled water and ten negative control seedlings were not inoculated at all. All inoculated (experimental) seedlings demonstrated same symptoms (black spots and characteristic spores) after eight weeks. None of the control seedlings showed any similar symptoms. In the next stage, we isolated and cultured spores from inoculated seedlings and studied them. The identity of reisolates confirmed using DNA sequencing. We used these spores for our next set of disease screening which was successful again. We identified Truncatella angustata (Pers.) Hughes as the causal agent for shoot-tip blight (STB) on western redcedar by examining morphological and molecular characteristics of the pathogen. This is the first report of T. angustata as a primary pathogen on western redcedar in British Columbia, Canada.

Modelling migratory behaviour and habitat use of fish in a large, uninterrupted river network: A case study of a migratory salmonid

AbstractBull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) research has historically focused on highly impacted systems or occurred in a reactionary manner following overharvest. Here, we used telemetry and multi‐state capture–recapture modelling to inform management decision‐making for this highly migratory, conservation‐listed species in British Columbia's upper Fraser River watershed (UFW). Our work reduced critical information gaps surrounding the seasonal migration patterns, distribution, and survival rates of fluvial bull trout within the region. By using results of an existing microsatellite DNA analysis, we were able to assign each tagged individual to one of five spawning populations. This assignment allowed us to investigate potential differences in migratory behaviour and seasonal habitat use among the different spawning populations. We identified that the majority of tagged UFW fluvial bull trout made repeated, long‐distance migrations (>300 km one direction) to appropriate spawning, overwintering and foraging habitats. The five populations did not vary in their seasonal transition probabilities at the spatial scale investigated, suggesting key habitats are important to multiple populations. We also detected post‐spawning migration and distribution patterns that suggest UFW bull trout exploit seasonal resource pulses during salmon smolt outmigration. Our results highlight the importance of protecting, restoring and maintaining a diverse assemblage of complex habitats and the natural connections between them (e.g. between tributary spawning habitats and larger rivers) at a spatial scale that supports migratory bull trout life histories. This work provides valuable information for prioritizing conservation actions and identifying restoration opportunities both in the UFW and across the species' range.

High-Throughput DNA Metabarcoding of Stem Sections from Trees with Cavities Describes Fungal Communities Associated with Variable Wood Decay, Position on Stem and Tree Species

The presence of unculturable fungi, variability in timing and frequency of fungal fruiting, hyper-rich fungal communities, and genetic and environmental variability explains the difficulty in adopting ideal sampling schemes and fungal identification approaches in studies of fungal communities in wood at variable stages of decay. Here, we use intensive within-tree sampling of five standing trees with cavities paired with high-throughput DNA metabarcoding, to study fungal communities in decayed and healthy wood of trees from two Populus species in British Columbia, Canada. The amplification of over 3000 fungal DNA sequence variants shows the presence of a hyper-rich wood fungal community that not only varied depending on PCR primers, tree species, tree stem portion and wood decay stage. but also included a large number of taxa unassignable to any known sub-kingdom taxonomic order based on published DNA sequences. Our data show that the use of two different primer sets greatly increases the power of the metabarcoding analysis. By testing three alternative models of fungal community composition, we identify the model that best explains fungal community by considering the position on the stem and distance from the cavity. We suggest this model may be used to design optimal sampling schemes to describe fungal communities in trees experiencing discrete decay pockets or cavities.

Lethal and sublethal implications of low temperature exposure for three intertidal predators

Benthic invertebrate predators play a key role in top-down trophic regulation in intertidal ecosystems. While the physiological and ecological consequences of predator exposure to high temperatures during summer low tides are increasingly well-studied, the effects of cold exposure during winter low tides remain poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we measured the supercooling points, survival, and feeding rates of three intertidal predator species in British Columbia, Canada — the sea stars Pisaster ochraceus and Evasterias troschelii and the dogwhelk Nucella lamellosa — in response to exposure to sub-zero air temperatures. Overall, we found that all three predators exhibited evidence of internal freezing at relatively mild sub-zero temperatures, with sea stars exhibiting an average supercooling point of −2.50 °C, and the dogwhelk averaging approximately −3.99 °C. None of the tested species are strongly freeze tolerant, as evidenced by moderate-to-low survival rates after exposure to −8 °C air. All three predators exhibited significantly reduced feeding rates over a two-week period following a single 3-h sublethal (−0.5 °C) exposure event. We also quantified variation in predator body temperature among thermal microhabitats during winter low tides. Predators that were found at the base of large boulders, on the sediment, and within crevices had higher body temperatures during winter low tides, as compared to those situated in other microhabitats. However, we did not find evidence of behavioural thermoregulation via selective microhabitat use during cold weather. Since these intertidal predators are less freeze tolerant than their preferred prey, winter low temperature exposures can have important implications for organism survival and predator-prey dynamics across thermal gradients at both local (habitat-driven) and geographic (climate-driven) scales.

Genomics of Tenacibaculum Species in British Columbia, Canada.

Tenacibaculum is a genus of Gram-negative filamentous bacteria with a cosmopolitan distribution. The research describing Tenacibaculum genomes stems primarily from Norway and Chile due to their impacts on salmon aquaculture. Canadian salmon aquaculture also experiences mortality events related to the presence of Tenacibaculum spp., yet no Canadian Tenacibaculum genomes are publicly available. Ribosomal DNA sequencing of 16S and four species-specific 16S quantitative-PCR assays were used to select isolates cultured from Atlantic salmon with mouthrot in British Columbia (BC), Canada. Ten isolates representing four known and two unknown species of Tenacibaculum were selected for shotgun whole genome sequencing using the Oxford Nanopore's MinION platform. The genome assemblies achieved closed circular chromosomes for seven isolates and long contigs for the remaining three isolates. Average nucleotide identity analysis identified T. ovolyticum, T. maritimum, T. dicentrarchi, two genomovars of T. finnmarkense, and two proposed novel species T. pacificus sp. nov. type strain 18-2881-AT and T. retecalamus sp. nov. type strain 18-3228-7BT. Annotation in most of the isolates predicted putative virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes, most-notably toxins (i.e., hemolysins), type-IX secretion systems, and oxytetracycline resistance. Comparative analysis with the T. maritimum type-strain predicted additional toxins and numerous C-terminal secretion proteins, including an M12B family metalloprotease in the T. maritimum isolates from BC. The genomic prediction of virulence-associated genes provides important targets for studies of mouthrot disease, and the annotation of the antimicrobial resistance genes provides targets for surveillance and diagnosis in veterinary medicine.

Considering the implications of climate-induced species range shifts in marine protected areas planning

Climate change is affecting the ocean, altering the biogeography of marine species. Yet marine protected area (MPA) planning still rarely incorporates projected species range shifts. We used the outputs of species distribution models fitted with biological and climate data as inputs to identify trends in occurrence for marine species in British Columbia (BC), Canada. We assessed and compared two ways of incorporating climate change projections into MPA planning. First, we overlaid 98 species with modelled distributions now and by the mid-21st century under two contrasting (“no mitigation” and “strong mitigation”) climate change scenarios with existing Provincial marine parks in BC, to ask which species could overlap with protected areas in the future. Second, we completed a spatial prioritization analysis using Marxan with the projected future species ranges as inputs, to ask where priority regions exist for the 98 marine species. We found that many BC marine parks will lose species in both climate scenarios that we analyzed, and that protecting 30% of important marine species will be challenging under the “no mitigation” climate change scenario. Challenges included the coarse resolution of the data and uncertainty in projecting species range shifts.

Diversity among rare and common congeneric plant species from the Garry oak and Okanagan shrub-steppe ecosystems in British Columbia: implications for conservation

It is often assumed that the northern peripheral populations of species’ ranges are genetically depauperate due in part to founder effects from postglacial colonization. The majority of federally protected plant species are peripheral in Canada, yet we have little information about their patterns of genetic diversity and structure. In British Columbia, the majority of these protected plant species occur in two threatened habitats: the Garry oak and Okanagan shrub-steppe ecosystems. Using universal noncoding chloroplast DNA markers, we investigated genetic diversity and genetic structure in four rare and common plant species pairs inhabiting these two ecosystems. We found that rare species had lower genetic diversity than their common congeners, and detected contrasting patterns of regional diversity and structure based on ecosystem. Species from the Garry oak ecosystem showed lower genetic diversity in the northern deglaciated region and significant differentiation between regions, likely due to limited dispersal between Vancouver Island and the mainland. Species from the Okanagan shrub-steppe, however, tended to have uniform diversity across their range and lack regional structure. This study provides an important first look at the phylogeographic patterns of four rare plant species in British Columbia.

Air permeability of thermally modified hemlock wood

Western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) is a prevalent coastal species in British Columbia (BC). Its wood has a high potential for thermal modification, a process that can affect numerous physical properties, including air permeability. The current study investigates the longitudinal air permeability of hemlock wood modified at three temperature levels, 170 °C, 212 °C, and 230 °C, and a two-hour treatment length. Permeability values obtained using Darcy’s law and the water-falling volume displacement method were positively correlated with treatment temperature up to 212 °C, after which the permeability decreased slightly. ANOVA followed by the Duncan test revealed that thermal treatment at 212 °C and 230 °C significantly increased air permeability, whereas it was insignificant at 170 °C.

Integrating trawl and longline surveys across British Columbia improves groundfish distribution predictions

Predictions of the distribution of groundfish species are needed to support ongoing marine spatial planning initiatives in Canadian Pacific waters. Data to inform species distribution models are available from several fishery-independent surveys. However, no single survey covers the entire region and different gear types are required to survey the range of relevant habitat. Here, we demonstrated a method for integrating presence–absence data across surveys and gear types that allows us to predict the coastwide distributions of 65 groundfish species in British Columbia. Our model leverages data from multiple surveys to estimate how species respond to environmental gradients while accounting for differences in survey catchability. We find that this method has two main benefits: (1) it increases the accuracy of predictions in data-limited surveys and regions while having negligible impacts on accuracy when data are already sufficient, and (2) it reduces uncertainty, resulting in tighter confidence intervals on predicted occurrences. These benefits are particularly relevant in areas of our coast where our understanding of habitat suitability is limited due to a lack of spatially comprehensive long-term groundfish surveys.

First record of Vespa crabro Linnaeus (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in western North America with a review of recorded species of Vespa Linnaeus in Canada.

Vespa crabro Linnaeus is newly reported as an adventive species in British Columbia, Canada which is the first record of this invasive species in western North America. The specimen of V. crabro was identified using morphological diagnostic keys and by comparison to authoritatively identified specimens. DNA barcoding provided support that the British Columbia specimen is conspecific with sequenced specimens of V. crabro. It is not possible to be certain of the origin of the specimen, but the DNA barcode was identical to sequence from specimens of V. crabro from South Korea. DNA barcoding was also performed on morphologically identified specimens of Vespa simillima and Vespa soror collected previously in British Columbia and the sequences were closest to V. simillima and V. soror Genbank sequences, respectively. There is no evidence that any of these species have established populations in the province. We provide diagnostic morphological characters to distinguish Canadian Vespa species from each other including Vespa mandarinia which has recently established populations in British Columbia and Washington State, USA. The potential detrimental impacts of each species are discussed.

Coupling validation effort with in situ bioacoustic data improves estimating relative activity and occupancy for multiple species with cross‐species misclassifications

Abstract The increasing complexity and pace of ecological change requires natural resource managers to consider entire species assemblages. Acoustic recording units (ARUs) require minimal cost and effort to deploy and inform relative activity, or encounter rates, for multiple species simultaneously. ARU‐based surveys require post‐processing of the recordings via software algorithms that assign a species label to each recording. The automated classification process can result in cross‐species misidentifications that should be accounted for when employing statistical modelling for conservation decision‐making. Using simulation and ARU‐based detection counts from 17 bat species in British Columbia, Canada, we investigate three strategies for adjusting statistical inference for species misclassification: (a) ‘coupling’ ambiguous and unambiguous detections by validating a subset of survey events post‐hoc, (b) using a calibration dataset on the software algorithm's (in)accuracy for species identification or (c) specifying informative Bayesian priors on classification probabilities. We explore the impact of different Bayesian prior specifications for the classification probabilities on posterior estimation. We then consider how the quantity of data validated post‐hoc impacts model convergence and resulting inferences for bat species relative activity as related to nightly conditions and yearly site occupancy after accounting for site‐level environmental variables. Coupled methods resulted in less bias and uncertainty when estimating relative activity and species classification probabilities relative to calibration approaches. We found that species that were difficult‐to‐detect and those that were often inaccurately identified by the software required more validation effort than more easily detected and/or identified species. Our results suggest that, when possible, acoustic surveys should rely on coupled validated detection information to account for false‐positive detections, rather than uncoupled calibration datasets. However, if the assemblage of interest contains a large number of rarely detected or less prevalent species, an intractable amount of effort may be required, suggesting there are benefits to curating a calibration dataset that is representative of the observation process. Our findings provide insights into the practical challenges associated with statistical analyses of ARU data and possible analytical solutions to support reliable and cost‐effective decision‐making for wildlife conservation/management in the face of known sources of observation errors.

Distribution, status, and habitat characteristics of Columbia Quillwort (<i>Isoetes minima</i>, Isoetaceae) in Canada

In Canada, the globally rare lycophyte, Columbia Quillwort (Isoetes minima), is currently known from four subpopulations, all within a 25-km radius of Castlegar in the Selkirk and Monashee Mountain ranges of southern British Columbia. These constitute just over a quarter of all known subpopulations in Canada and the United States. The species is found in Canada in sloping pocket meadows that are naturally fragmented within a larger forested matrix. The plants grow in spring seepage areas in thin soils that discourage the establishment of larger, more vigorous vascular plant competitors. Long combined within Isoetes howellii (sensu lato), I. minima has only recently been confirmed to be a distinct species, and, in 2019, it was assessed as Endangered by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). We build on information in the COSEWIC status report by describing the species’ morphology and ecology in greater detail and provide a comparison of critical identification features of closely related species as well as a dichotomous key for Isoetes species in British Columbia.

HAS THE PORCUPINE POPULATION WANED IN BRITISH COLUMBIA? TRENDS IN QUESTIONNAIRES AND ROAD-MORTALITY DATA

The Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) is considered ‘secure' in British Columbia, but as for many species with this status, there is a notable absence of quantitative data on population trends. In view of this issue, concerns about declining numbers of the species prompted us to conduct a preliminary survey using a questionnaire in 2005, targeting various sectors of government, industry, and the public across British Columbia. Ten years later, we distributed a nearly identical questionnaire to allow comparisons and identify changes over the intervening decade. Respondents in both surveys reported a perceived decline in Porcupine sightings, although there was no significant change in the overall combined level of concern of respondents for the population between the 2 surveys; however, the proportion of respondents reporting that they were “very” concerned about the population trend over time did increase from the 2005 to 2015 survey. We augmented this information with data from road-mortality datasets collected by the provincial government and Parks Canada. Both datasets provided further support for a decrease in Porcupine abundance in the province. We discuss possible causes for this apparent decline, including natural population dynamics and the impact of climatic variation on predator-prey dyads. Overall, a comprehensive field study on Porcupine populations is needed to accurately assess the status of this species in British Columbia to corroborate our survey results suggesting a decline.

Flammability analysis of gaseous emissions from western red cedar and SPF (Spruce, Pine, Fir) sawdust

Western red cedar (WRC) is among the most valuable tree species in British Columbia. Application of WRC for pellet production is uncertain because unlike spruce/pine/douglas fir, WRC tends to combust in rotary drum dryers. The scientific reasons for the reported fire incident are not known. The goal of this research is to assess whether WRC has a higher tendency to emit combustible gases than SPF sawdust when these species of wood are heated. In controlled experiments, the composition of emitted gases during heating of WRC and SPF samples at 140 °C was measured. The GC-measured data showed that WRC released a lower amount of carbon monoxide, methane, and hydrogen than SPF. Flammability analysis showed that the concentration of the emitted gas mixture for WRC and SPF samples did not reach a flammable level. Theoretical calculations showed that the volumetric composition of carbon monoxide at 12%in the presence of ample oxygen is prone to combustion. This means that if the biomass smokes in the drum, the level of carbon monoxide might reach to flammable level.

Conservation status of native tree species in British Columbia

We assess the conservation status of all tree species in order to identify conservation gaps and prioritize genetic conservation efforts. A thorough assessment would consider genetic variation in each species across the species range, but for most tree species, such information is simply not available. For this reason, we used spatial variation associated with Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification zones (BEC zones) representing different macroclimates as a proxy for adaptive genetic variation. We re-assessed the 2005 conservation status calculated in this manner using updated datasets collected in 2017, considered both in situ and ex situ conservation, and used an adjusted criterion for small-stature tree species. Results of our gap analysis revealed that overall, the native tree species in 89% of the conservation units (defined as species-by-biogeoclimatic-zone combinations) were well protected in situ. Of the 43 native tree species in the province, 12 species had conservation gaps in one or more biogeoclimatic zones. When in situ and ex situ conservation were considered jointly, the overall percentage of conservation units that were adequately protected improved to 91%. Needs for additional ex situ collections or in situ protection are discussed in terms of both BEC zones and individual species. In most cases, we recommend seed collection as the most feasible short-term option to cover gaps in protected area coverage.

Comparison of Drying Rates of Ground Western Red Cedar with Hemlock, Birch, Aspen, and Spruce/Pine/Douglas Fir

HighlightsWRC and SPF generate the largest fraction of small particles (<0.5 mm) during grinding.WRC is slightly low in total sugars, high in lignin content (should make durable pellets), and high in extractives.Aspen followed by WRC has the highest drying rate and the shortest drying time amongst all samples.Smoke point is similar for all wood species and is ~180°C.Abstract.Western red cedar () and yellow cedar () are among the most valuable tree species in British Columbia. These species make up about 20% of the coastal timber volumes and mostly are used as lumber for construction applications where resistance against decay is important. The use of red cedar for pellet production has been uncertain because it appears cedar has a tendency to cause fires in rotary drum dryers when compared to other wood species like pine and Douglas Fir. The scientific reasons for the reported fire incident are not known. The goal of the current study is to investigate the drying rates and the range of combustion temperature for western red cedar and five other wood species that either are used or have potential to be used for palletization purposes in British Columbia. Red cedar and Spruce/Pine/Fir (SPF) generate the largest fraction of small particles (<0.5 mm) during grinding. Almost 93% of cedar particles are less than 1 mm. Cedar has a high carbon content and low oxygen content that causes cedar has higher calorific value than other species. During a drying process, aspen following by cedar has the highest drying rate and the shortest drying time amongst all samples. The smoke point is similar for all wood species and is ~180°C. So, in the case of high temperature drying (beyond the smoke point) of mixed feedstocks with similar size, red cedar dries faster and starts smoking at dryer output. Keywords: Chemical composition, Drying rate, Physical characterization, Smoke point, Western red cedar.

The distribution of the orange‐striped green anemone, Diadumene lineata, in relation to environmental factors along coastal British Columbia, Canada

AbstractThe cosmopolitan nonindigenous sea anemone, Diadumene lineata, has been recorded from the Pacific coast of Canada since 1859. Despite its long historical presence in the region, the factors influencing the distribution of this species in British Columbia, Canada, are poorly understood, as are the factors that may restrict its local abundance. We conducted large‐scale surveys of D. lineata during the winter and summer of 2016, coupled with higher frequency surveys at one focal site. Furthermore, we used laboratory and field experiments to determine the potential importance of a large‐scale driver, salinity, and a small‐scale driver, microhabitat within boulders, in setting distributional limits at various spatial scales. Our results confirm that D. lineata is widely distributed within the Salish Sea. This broad distribution may be facilitated by post‐introduction dispersal; we observed anemones attached to floating substrata, and a few mature specimens contained eggs, suggesting that reproduction is perhaps not limited to asexual fission. We found that D. lineata was abundant throughout the year, although absent from the lowest salinity sites. This corresponded with our laboratory experiments, in which survival of individuals of D. lineata declined at salinities below 10 psu, and no survivors were observed at or below 2 psu. Manipulative experiments in the field demonstrated that survival was high under rocks where D. lineata is commonly found, but was reduced on the tops of rocks, highlighting the importance of microhabitat refugia in buffering temperature and reducing desiccation. A better understanding of the factors that limit the broad‐scale and local distribution of this anemone are an important step in determining potential ecological impacts of this organism and how distributions may shift into the future.