Productivity of Lesser Snow Geese on Banks Island, Northwest Territories, Canada, in 1995-1998

Productivity of Lesser Snow Geese on Banks Island, Northwest Territories, Canada, in 1995-1998
Author: Gustaf Samelius
Publisher:
Total Pages: 40
Release: 2008
Genre: Nature
ISBN:

"We estimated that 264 000-452 000 Lesser Snow Geese Chen caerulescens caerulescens nested at Egg Riveron Banks Island, Northwest Territories, in 1995-1998. This was about twice as many geese as was reported nesting there in the 1980s, and we estimated that the nesting population grew by 4.2% per year from 1953 to 1998"--Abstract.

Surveys of Geese and Swans in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Western Canadian Arctic, 1989-2001

Surveys of Geese and Swans in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Western Canadian Arctic, 1989-2001
Author: James Edward Hines
Publisher:
Total Pages: 76
Release: 2006
Genre: Nature
ISBN:

This paper is part of a series that reports the peer-reviewed results of original research carried out by members of the Canadian Wildlife Service or supported by the Service. Included in the series are monitoring studies of Canadian species, natural histories, status reports on human hunting activities, habitat research, and the effects of human activities and environmental toxins on wildlife.

Remote Sensing of Environmental Changes in Cold Regions

Remote Sensing of Environmental Changes in Cold Regions
Author: Jinyang Du
Publisher: MDPI
Total Pages: 210
Release: 2019-11-14
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 3039215701

This Special Issue gathers papers reporting recent advances in the remote sensing of cold regions. It includes contributions presenting improvements in modeling microwave emissions from snow, assessment of satellite-based sea ice concentration products, satellite monitoring of ice jam and glacier lake outburst floods, satellite mapping of snow depth and soil freeze/thaw states, near-nadir interferometric imaging of surface water bodies, and remote sensing-based assessment of high arctic lake environment and vegetation recovery from wildfire disturbances in Alaska. A comprehensive review is presented to summarize the achievements, challenges, and opportunities of cold land remote sensing.

The Effects on Lowland Habitat, Breeding Shorebirds and Songbirds in the Banks Island Migratory Bird Sanctuary Number 1 by the Growing Colony of Lesser Snow Geese (Chen Caerulescens Caerulescens)

The Effects on Lowland Habitat, Breeding Shorebirds and Songbirds in the Banks Island Migratory Bird Sanctuary Number 1 by the Growing Colony of Lesser Snow Geese (Chen Caerulescens Caerulescens)
Author: James Edward Hines
Publisher:
Total Pages: 44
Release: 2010
Genre: Banks Island No. 1 Migratory Bird Sanctuary (N.W.T.)
ISBN:

Describes the characteristics, abundance and condition of vegetation communities within and around the lesser snow goose colony and examines the effects of the colony on the abundance of breeding shorebirds and songbirds.

Impacts of Climate Change and Intensive Lesser Snow Goose (Chen Caerulescens Caerulescens) Activity in High Arctic Pond Complexes - Banks Island, Northwest Territories

Impacts of Climate Change and Intensive Lesser Snow Goose (Chen Caerulescens Caerulescens) Activity in High Arctic Pond Complexes - Banks Island, Northwest Territories
Author: Thomas Kiyoshi Fujiwara Campbell
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2019
Genre:
ISBN:

Rapid increases in air temperature in Arctic and subarctic regions are driving significant changes to surface water. These changes and their impacts are not well understood in sensitive high Arctic ecosystems. This thesis explores changes in surface water in the high Arctic pond complexes of western Banks Island, Northwest Territories, and examines the impacts of this change on vegetation communities. Landsat imagery (1985-2015) was used to detect trends in surface water, moisture, and vegetation productivity, aerial imagery change detection (1958 and 2014) quantified shifts in the size and distribution of waterbodies, and field sampling investigated factors contributing to observed changes. The impact of expanding lesser snow goose populations on observed changes in surface water was investigated using the aerial imagery change detection of 2409 waterbodies and an information theoretic model selection approach, while their impact on vegetation was assessed using data from field surveys. Our analyses show that the pond complexes of western Banks Island are drying, having lost 7.9% of the surface water that existed in 1985. This loss of surface water disproportionately occurred in smaller sized waterbodies, indicating that climate is the main driver. Model selection showed that intensive occupation of lesser snow geese was associated with more extensive drying and draining of waterbodies and suggests this intensive habitat use may reduce the resilience of pond complexes to climate warming. Evidence from field surveys suggests that snow goose foraging is also contributing to patches of declining vegetation productivity within drying wetland areas. Diminishing and degrading high Arctic pond complexes are likely to alter permafrost thaw and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the habitat quality of these ecosystems. Additional studies focused the mechanisms of surface water loss, the direct impacts of wetland drying on vegetation, and the contributions of snow geese to these processes, are necessary to better understand the changes occurring on Banks Island.

Influence of Sympatric Lesser Snow Geese (Chen Caerulescens Caerulescens) on Reproductive Performance, Behavior, and Food Habits of Canada Geese (Branta Canadensis Interior) on Akimiski Island, Nunavut

Influence of Sympatric Lesser Snow Geese (Chen Caerulescens Caerulescens) on Reproductive Performance, Behavior, and Food Habits of Canada Geese (Branta Canadensis Interior) on Akimiski Island, Nunavut
Author: Jeffrey Scott Gleason
Publisher: Library and Archives Canada = Bibliothèque et Archives Canada
Total Pages: 220
Release: 2003
Genre: Bird populations
ISBN:

Research on Akimiski Island, Nunavut, indicates declining numbers of nesting Southern James Bay Population (SJBP) Canada Geese (Branta canadensis interior) while increases have been documented for number of breeding Lesser Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens caerulescens). Low direct recovery rates of goslings is suggestive of late-summer mortality which may be limiting recruitment for Canada geese on Akimiski Island. This study was designed specifically to (1) compare Canada Goose reproductive performance, incubation and brood-rearing behavior in areas of allopatry and sympatry and with Lesser Snow Geese, (2) determine if there are differences in diets of Canada Geese in areas of allopatry and sympatry, and (3) determine if there are differences in diets of Canada and Lesser Snow Geese in the area of sympatry. I documented annual variation for all and spatial variation for some reproductive parameters measured. Results of between-area comparisons of reproductive performance tended to suggest that in some years, Canada Geese nesting in the area of sympatry contribute little towards the maintenance of the island segment of this population. During incubation when females were on nests, male behavior varied as a function of year, area, time-of-day, and incubation stage. Overall, male Canada Geese allocated their time primarily to vigilance, feeding, and resting when females were on the nest. Males in the area of allopatry were more vigilant and fed less compared to males in the area of sympatry. When females were on the nest, their behavior varied relative to time-of-day, incubation stage, and temperature. Females in the area of allopatry were more vigilant than females in the area of sympatry, but overall, females on the nest allocated their time primarily to resting and maintenance. Recess behavior of Canada Geese varied relative to sex, incubation stage, and temperature, but not area, though pairs in the area of allopatry tended to spend more time alert and less time feeding compared to pairs in the area of sympatry. During recesses, males allocated their time primarily to vigilance, whereas females allocated nearly equal proportions of time to feeding and maintenance. Overall, brood-rearing behavior varied relative to year, area, time-of-day, sex/age class, days since peak hatch, brood size, brood density, and temperature. Overall, results are indicative of exploitation competition and I suggest that present foraging conditions are insufficient to meet the energetic demands of breeding Canada Geese, as well as breeding and staging Lesser Snow Geese, molt-migrant Giant Canada Geese, and staging Atlantic Brant. Such an energy deficit is particularly detrimental to the growth and development of Canada Goose goslings resulting in locally poor recruitment which presumably will lead to a much depressed breeding population of Canada Geese on Akimiski Island. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).