Now Fisher and Heim have used these techniques to link low densities of wolverines to industrial activities. Using DNA collected from hair traps combined with infrared-triggered cameras, Fisher and colleagues collected some of the first reliable population data for wolverines in Alberta. This is reflected in the current provincial designation of wolverines as “May Be at Risk.”įisher’s been working for ten years to change this, having spent the majority of his PhD developing techniques to study rare and elusive species. The Province of Alberta sites this deficiency as a barrier in determining an accurate conservation status. “It’s more a case of whether or not they’ll be extirpated from their current mountain range outside of Alberta’s protected areas.”ĭetermining the likelihood of wolverine extirpation has, in the past, been impeded by lack of data. We’re a long ways off of that,” says Fisher, who adds that surrounding populations in British Columbia and the Yukon are relatively healthy. “It’s not really a case of whether or not wolverines will go extinct. ![]() As is the case with many of the great carnivores on this continent, their range has contracted since the arrival of European settlers.įisher says it’s not clear how much a range can be compromised before wolverines disappear. Historically, wolverines ranged over much of Canada. When you combine this with things like the wolverine’s natural preference for rugged land cover, and changes to snowpack from a warming climate, Fisher says, “It’s a perfect storm of circumstances that may discourage wolverines from the landscape. “What we’re seeing is a lot of activity by foxes and coyotes, and fewer wolverines, in areas with high densities of linear features,” says Fisher, who wonders if these canids are out-competing wolverines. Preliminary results from Fisher and Heim’s research in southern Alberta support this. ![]() ![]() However, the availability of easier travel on linear pathways may cause them to lose out to other predators. Fisher theorizes that in unaltered systems, wolverines have a competitive edge because of their ability to travel in extreme terrain to find prey. However, what is an advantage for one predator might disadvantage another. Wolves have been shown to locate prey more readily, and travel with more speed. He points to the known advantages linear features have given wolves when hunting caribou. “We know from past research that linear disturbances have the potential to disrupt predator-prey relationships and affect competition between predators,” says Fisher. Biologists call these features linear disturbances. What could possibly deter the tenacious wolverine, known to routinely scour steep mountain passes in the depths of winter, and travel hundreds of kilometres through gnarly terrain to scavenge a caribou kill?įisher says it is a combination of factors, but has something to do with linear features like roads and seismic lines introduced by industries like forestry, and oil and gas. Image credit: Alberta Innovates - Technology Futures. How are we doing? GIVE FEEDBACK window.Taken by camera traps set up as part of the research, these images show wolverines trying to get at bait located within barbed-wire hair traps used to collect hair samples.
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