Keith G. Chaulk

Generation of Priority Research Questions to Inform Conservation Policy and Management at a National Level

Integrating knowledge from across the natural and social sciences is necessary to effectively address societal tradeoffs between human use of biological diversity and its preservation. Collaborative processes can change the ways decision makers think about scientific evidence, enhance levels of mutual trust and credibility, and advance the conservation policy discourse. Canada has responsibility for a large fraction of some major ecosystems, such as boreal forests, Arctic tundra, wetlands, and temperate and Arctic oceans. Stressors to biological diversity within these ecosystems arise from activities of the countrys resource-based economy, as well as external drivers of environmental change. Effective management is complicated by incongruence between ecological and political boundaries and conflicting perspectives on social and economic goals. Many knowledge gaps about stressors and their management might be reduced through targeted, timely research. We identify 40 questions that, if addressed or answered, would advance research that has a high probability of supporting development of effective policies and management strategies for species, ecosystems, and ecological processes in Canada. A total of 396 candidate questions drawn from natural and social science disciplines were contributed by individuals with diverse organizational affiliations. These were collaboratively winnowed to 40 by our team of collaborators. The questions emphasize understanding ecosystems, the effects and mitigation of climate change, coordinating governance and management efforts across multiple jurisdictions, and examining relations between conservation policy and the social and economic well-being of Aboriginal peoples. The questions we identified provide potential links between evidence from the conservation sciences and formulation of policies for conservation and resource management. Our collaborative process of communication and engagement between scientists and decision makers for generating and prioritizing research questions at a national level could be a model for similar efforts beyond Canada. Generación de Preguntas de Investigación Prioritarias para Informar a las Políticas y Gestión de la Conservación a Nivel Nacional

Does spring ice cover influence nest initiation date and clutch size in common eiders

Understanding how environmental factors affect ecological parameters is important to understanding and predicting impacts of environmental change. Given evidence and anticipated impacts of climate variability, this is especially true with respect to sea ice and its role in animal life history in northern regions. We examined relationships between the extent of consolidated spring ice cover (pack and landfast), nest initiation and clutch size in common eiders (Somateria mollissima) in northern Labrador, a sub-Arctic region on the east coast of Canada. Our initial prediction was that eiders would delay nesting and have smaller clutches in years with more extensive spring ice cover. Between 1998 and 2003, we surveyed coastal islands for breeding eiders and collected information on nest age and clutch size. For those years, we estimated ice cover based on Radarsat-1 images supplied by the Canadian Ice Service during the spring period (approximately June 7–12). We found that spring ice cover was a significant positive predictor of nest initiation date, and the regression equation indicated that if the average extent of ice cover around nesting islands increased by 18xa0ha, average nesting date was delayed by approximately 1xa0day. Nest initiation date was a significant negative predictor of clutch size, and the regression equation indicated that a 20xa0day delay in nesting reduced average clutch size by approximately 1 egg. However, ice cover itself was not a significant predictor of clutch size. Our findings suggest that eiders breed when ice is present, but ice extent may negatively influence aspects of their breeding ecology.

The Harvest and Management of Migratory Bird Eggs by Inuit in Nunatsiavut, Labrador

This paper presents the results of collaborative research conducted in 2007 on the harvest of migratory bird eggs by Inuit households of Nunatsiavut, Labrador. Harvest variability between communities and species is examined, as is the social and ecological factors affecting the 2007 Inuit egg harvest. Representing the first comprehensive account of Inuit egg use in Labrador, this information should be valuable to agencies responsible for managing migratory bird populations in North America and will contribute to a more informed understanding of the complexity and temporal variability in subsistence harvesting among Labrador Inuit. It is argued that the recognition of this complexity will be critical as the Nunatsiavut Government and other wildlife management agencies formulate management policies that are supportive rather, than constraining, to Inuit resource use in the future.

Colony Dynamics of Large Gulls Nesting in Labrador, Canada

Abstract. Information on the status, trends and dynamics of large gulls nesting in northern areas is limited. Herring (Larus argentatus) and Great Black-backed (L. marinus) gull breeding colonies were surveyed in coastal Labrador, Canada, from 1998 to 2003 to assess short-term population trends and colony site dynamics. Between 1998 and 2003, 117 islands distributed across three major archipelagos were surveyed on two or more occasions, documenting 1,054 gull clutches. Nesting was noticeably uniform across islands in the archipelagos, with mild aggregations noted in only one region. Incidence (the proportion of islands occupied by Herring and Great Black-backed gulls) declined over the study period, and there were fewer colonization events than abandonment events (also suggesting declines). Abundance declined in one region and overall at 2.9% per year over the 6-year period. Colony abandonment rates did not detectably decline with increasing colony size, and island isolation, indexed by the number of islands within 5 km, was not related to colonization rates. Herring and Great Black-backed gulls in Labrador showed positive incidence and abundance relationships at two spatial scales, indicating that more islands were occupied at larger local population sizes. This study revealed that colony-level metrics can be combined with population trend analysis to allow a richer assessment of the dynamics of colonial species.

Common Eider and large gull nesting associations in coastal Labrador

Apparent nesting associations between avian egg predators and their prey have received much interest, with gulls and waterfowl receiving considerable attention. We examined the co-occurrence of breeding large gulls (Herring Gull (Larus argentatus Pontoppidan, 1763) and Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus L., 1758)) and Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima L., 1758) along the coast of Labrador from 1998 to 2003. Nest counts for large gulls and eiders were undertaken by ground crews on 45–109 islands each year, counting 79–283 and 721–3424 nests annually, respectively. Gulls were more likely to nest on an island with nesting eiders (69.4%) than without nesting eiders (38.4%), and the probability and numbers of gulls nesting on an island increased as eider colony size increased. Large gulls were 1.76 times more likely to occupy islands that had nesting eiders in the previous year, while eiders were equally likely to colonize islands that did or did not have nesting gulls in the previous year. Eiders were n...

Erratum to: The Harvest and Management of Migratory Bird Eggs by Inuit in Nunatsiavut, Labrador

Erratum to: Environmental ManagementDOI 10.1007/s00267-012-9939-xFollowing the review of the online version of this paper, itwas felt by the authors that additional clarification wasrequired on two important points.First, in the section on Anthropogenic Disturbance(paragraph two, sentence two), it is more accurate to saythat these effects include interrupted staging (i.e., frightand flight), stress, and in some cases, nest abandonment.Second, in the section addressing Cultural Norms (col-umn two, paragraph one), it is more accurate to say thateggs that float tend to have more trapped gases, therebycontributing to increased buoyancy.Last, there were two errors in referencing. The first isfound in the section on Biophysical Factors (column two,paragraph one) where Chaulk and Roberts 2004 is cited.The correct reference is Chaulk and others (2004) and thecorrect bibliographic reference isChaulk KG, Robertson GJ, Montevecchi WA (2004)Regional and annual variability in common eidernestingecologyinLabrador.PolarRes23(2):121–130.The second error, found in the sections on BiophysicalFactors (first paragraph) and Anthropogenic Disturbances(first paragraph), is Williams (1997). This reference shouldread Williamson (1997) and the correct bibliographicalreference isWilliamson T (1997) From sina to sikujaluk: ourfootprints. Mapping Inuit environmental knowledgein the Nain district of Northern Labrador. Reportprepared for the Labrador Inuit Association. Nain,Labrador.