| Managing Coastal Forests to Save the Habitat of the Black Bear |
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| Investigators |
| Helen Davis M.Sc., Simon Fraser University
Dr. Alton Harestad, Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University
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What is the Issue? |
| HABITAT LOSS |
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Black bears need to hibernate in protective dens to survive British Columbia's harsh winters. Biologists tracking bears in the Nimpkish Valley in southwestern BC discovered that bears rely on large trees, stumps and logs for their dens. These structures are often eliminated during commercial timber harvesting. This work, along with other research to develop forest management/conservation plans, will ensure that crucial black bear denning habitat is sustained.
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What is our goal? |
| IMPROVED LAND-USE PLANNING, BLACK BEAR HABITAT CONSERVATION.
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| How can coastal forests be managed to save critical elements of Black Bear habitat? |
Where we currently stand. |
| Fieldwork began in the summer of 2000. Forty dens previously identified by researchers and located in second- growth and old-growth forests were revisited in order to determine occupancy and assess reuse. Analysis will provide managers with estimates of the fidelity shown by black bears in coastal ecosystems and identify the temporal scale for the availability of this critical habitat requirement. It is intended that this research will aid habitat management in forest development planning.
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You can help this project - find out how. |
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