An Estimate of Wolverine Density for the Canadian Province of Alberta
ABSTRACT Wolverines (Gulo gulo) are a circumboreal species that has experienced substantial range reduction worldwide. In Canada, the wolverine has been extirpated entirely from the east, and from prairie regions in the west. The province of Alberta holds the south‐central portion of wolverines'...
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Wiley
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70702 |
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| author | Jason T. Fisher Mehnaz Jahid Robin Gutsell Anne Hubbs Laura L. E. Cowen Mirjam Barrueto Nicole Heim John Paczkowski |
| author_facet | Jason T. Fisher Mehnaz Jahid Robin Gutsell Anne Hubbs Laura L. E. Cowen Mirjam Barrueto Nicole Heim John Paczkowski |
| author_sort | Jason T. Fisher |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Wolverines (Gulo gulo) are a circumboreal species that has experienced substantial range reduction worldwide. In Canada, the wolverine has been extirpated entirely from the east, and from prairie regions in the west. The province of Alberta holds the south‐central portion of wolverines' Canadian range, and there they have been designated as Data Deficient since 2001 due to a historical lack of information. Our aim was to provide a first approximation of a wolverine abundance estimate at the provincial scale to inform science‐based management as well as status designation. We synthesised existing density estimates and wolverine–habitat relationships to create a province‐wide density estimate for wolverines. Densities were derived from five landscapes, spanning protected National Parks in the Rocky Mountains, the highly developed Foothills and the northcentral and northwestern boreal forests. Densities were estimated using spatially explicit capture–recapture (SECR) models. Densities ranged from 6.74 wolverines/1000 km2 in the northwest boreal to 0.71 wolverines/1000 km2 in the foothills. The proportion of adults was based on a study from the northwest, which estimated 57% adults to 43% subadults. Extrapolating densities across natural subregions (bioclimatic ecoregions), based on known habitat relationships, it was estimated that there were 955 wolverines in the province, of which 544 were adults. This number falls well below an IUCN threshold for a legally listed species; we suggest a reassessment of the wolverine status in Alberta and considering commensurate conservation actions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1b837d26692147c69af99d4b5551f787 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-1b837d26692147c69af99d4b5551f7872025-01-29T05:08:41ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582025-01-01151n/an/a10.1002/ece3.70702An Estimate of Wolverine Density for the Canadian Province of AlbertaJason T. Fisher0Mehnaz Jahid1Robin Gutsell2Anne Hubbs3Laura L. E. Cowen4Mirjam Barrueto5Nicole Heim6John Paczkowski7School of Environmental Studies University of Victoria Victoria British Columbia CanadaDepartment of Mathematics and Statistics University of Victoria Victoria British Columbia CanadaGovernment of Alberta, Environment and Protected Areas, Edmonton and Rocky Mountain House Edmonton Alberta CanadaGovernment of Alberta, Environment and Protected Areas, Edmonton and Rocky Mountain House Edmonton Alberta CanadaDepartment of Mathematics and Statistics University of Victoria Victoria British Columbia CanadaUniversity of Calgary Calgary Alberta CanadaSchool of Environmental Studies University of Victoria Victoria British Columbia CanadaGovernment of Alberta, Forestry and Parks Canmore Alberta CanadaABSTRACT Wolverines (Gulo gulo) are a circumboreal species that has experienced substantial range reduction worldwide. In Canada, the wolverine has been extirpated entirely from the east, and from prairie regions in the west. The province of Alberta holds the south‐central portion of wolverines' Canadian range, and there they have been designated as Data Deficient since 2001 due to a historical lack of information. Our aim was to provide a first approximation of a wolverine abundance estimate at the provincial scale to inform science‐based management as well as status designation. We synthesised existing density estimates and wolverine–habitat relationships to create a province‐wide density estimate for wolverines. Densities were derived from five landscapes, spanning protected National Parks in the Rocky Mountains, the highly developed Foothills and the northcentral and northwestern boreal forests. Densities were estimated using spatially explicit capture–recapture (SECR) models. Densities ranged from 6.74 wolverines/1000 km2 in the northwest boreal to 0.71 wolverines/1000 km2 in the foothills. The proportion of adults was based on a study from the northwest, which estimated 57% adults to 43% subadults. Extrapolating densities across natural subregions (bioclimatic ecoregions), based on known habitat relationships, it was estimated that there were 955 wolverines in the province, of which 544 were adults. This number falls well below an IUCN threshold for a legally listed species; we suggest a reassessment of the wolverine status in Alberta and considering commensurate conservation actions.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70702boreal forestconservationGulo gulomustelidRocky Mountainsspecies at risk |
| spellingShingle | Jason T. Fisher Mehnaz Jahid Robin Gutsell Anne Hubbs Laura L. E. Cowen Mirjam Barrueto Nicole Heim John Paczkowski An Estimate of Wolverine Density for the Canadian Province of Alberta Ecology and Evolution boreal forest conservation Gulo gulo mustelid Rocky Mountains species at risk |
| title | An Estimate of Wolverine Density for the Canadian Province of Alberta |
| title_full | An Estimate of Wolverine Density for the Canadian Province of Alberta |
| title_fullStr | An Estimate of Wolverine Density for the Canadian Province of Alberta |
| title_full_unstemmed | An Estimate of Wolverine Density for the Canadian Province of Alberta |
| title_short | An Estimate of Wolverine Density for the Canadian Province of Alberta |
| title_sort | estimate of wolverine density for the canadian province of alberta |
| topic | boreal forest conservation Gulo gulo mustelid Rocky Mountains species at risk |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70702 |
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