Publications

 WCS Canada aims to be an "Information Provider" - supplying solid research that can be used as the basis for sound decision making.  The results of our research projects have been published as conservation reports, working papers, peer-reviewed journal articles and numerous books. Publications by WCS Canada outside of our projects in Canada are also described below. 

Ontario's Boreal Forest  - Wolverine, Caribou and Fish conservation/management
Northern Appalachains - New York to Nova Scotia, Lynx and Martin, Human Footprint
Yellowstone-to-Yukon - Grizzly bears, Caribou, Cougars and Protected Areas 
British Columbia - First Nations
Other Publications

 Ontario's Boreal Forest

Caribou and the North:  A Shared Future

The harsh climates of the Canadian and Alaskan wilderness demands tough survival skills. Now, climate change coupled with widespread oil, gas, and mineral development adds new pressure for the region’s iconic wildlife. These topics are addressed in Caribou and the North: A Shared Future, by Monte Hummel, President Emeritus of WWF-Canada, and Dr Justina C. Ray, Executive Director of Wildlife Conservation Society Canada (WCS Canada).
 
The book explores the reason for the interlinked fate of caribou and the North, as it relates to migratory tundra caribou, boreal forest caribou, and mountain caribou in Canada and the U.S. It features 125 photographs, 40 maps, forewords by Robert Redford and Stephen Kakfwi (former Premier of the Northwest Territories), as well as original sketches by Robert Bateman to introduce each of the book’s four major sections.

Caribou and the North will interest anyone invested in the fate of our continent’s iconic wildlife and the conservation challenges of our time.

Freshwater fish in Ontario's boreal: Status, Conservation and Potential Impacts of Development. David R. Browne. WCS Canada Conservation Report No. 2. September 2007.

• Executive Summary - English or French
• Full Report English only

Magoun, A.J., J.C. Ray, D. S Johnson, P. Valkenburg, N. Dawson and J. Bowman. 2007. Modeling Wolverine Occurrence Using Aerial Surveys of Tracks in Snow. Journal of Wildlife Management. 71(7):2221–2229. Download.

Magoun, A.J., K. F. Abraham, J. E. Thompson, J.C. Ray, M.E. Gauthier, G. Brown, G. Woolmer, C. Chenier, and N. Dawson. 2005. Distribution and relative abundance of caribou in the Hudson Bay Lowland of Ontario. Rangifer. Special Issue No. 16, p105-121. Download

CBI/WCS Woodland Caribou Expert Workshop Summary A Workshop organized by WCS Canada and the Canadian Boreal Initiative was held February 28 to March 1, 2006 and attended by caribou experts from across Canada. The goal was to assess the current level of knowledge in regards to what is and what is not caribou habitat, and the parameters or thresholds for maintaining sufficient woodland caribou habitat in the face of large-scale anthropogenic disturbances within current caribou range.  Download

Northern Appalachains

Woolmer, G., Trombulak, S.C., Ray, J.C., Doran, P.J., Anderson, M.G., Baldwin, R.F., Morgan, A. and Sanderson, E.W. 2008. Rescaling the Human Footprint: A tool for conservation planning at an ecoregional scale .Landscape and Urban Planning. Vol  87 Issue 1. p 42–53. Download.

Baldwin R.F., Trombulak, S.C., Beazley, K., Reining, C., Woolmer, G., Nordgren, J. and Anderson, M. 2008. The Importance of Maine for Ecoregional Conservation Planning. Maine Policy Review, Volume 16, Issue 2. p 66-77. Download.

Baldwin, R., Trombulak, S.C., Anderson, M., Woolmer, G., 2007.  Projecting transition probabilities for regular public roads at the ecoregional scale: A Northern Appalachian/Acadian case study. Landscape and Urban Planning, 80, p 404-411. Request a copy.

Baldwin, R.F, Ray, J.C., Trombulack, S.C., and Woolmer, G. 2007. Relationship between Spatial Distribution of Urban Sprawl and Species Imperilment: Response to Brown and Laband. Conservation Biology Volume 21, No. 2, 546–548. 

This survey endeavoured to determine if a population of Canada lynx existed within the area around the High Peaks region of the Adirondacks.  The survey methodology involved a non-invasive technique capitalizing on the natural cheek-rubbing behavior of cats for hair collection and DNA analysis.  This was a follow-up survey to the release of 83 translocated lynx by a team of biologists from SUNY ESF in the late 1980's. Request a copy.

Yellowstone-to-Yukon

 Conserving Caribou Landscapes in the Nahanni Trans-Border Region. John L. Weaver.  WCS Canada Conservation Report No. 4, May 2008.

Carnivores in the Southern Canadian Rockies:  Core Areas and Connectivity Across the Crowsnest Highway. Clayton D. Apps, John L. Weaver, Paul C. Paquet, Bryce Bateman, Bruce N. McLellan.  WCS Canada Conservation Report No. 3, September 2007.

Download complete report                                               Download summary in English                                           Download summary in French

Chetkiewicz, C-L. B., C.C. St. Clair, and M.S. Boyce.  2006. Corridors for Conservation: Integrating Pattern and Process.  Annu. Rev. Ecol. Evol. Syst. 37: 317-342. Download

Gau, R.J., R. Mulders, L.M. Ciarniello, D.C. Heard, C-L B. Chetkiewicz, M.S. Boyce, R. Munro, G. Stenhouse, B. Chruszcz, M.L. Gibeau, B. Milakovic, and K.L. Parker.  2004.  Uncontrolled field performance of Televilt GPS-Simplex collars on grizzly bears in western and northern Canada.  Wildl. Soc. Bull. 32(3):  693-701. Download

Chetkiewicz, C-L. and Boyce, M.S.  2002.  Carnivores and Corridors in the Crowsnest Pass.  Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Fish and Wildlife Division, Alberta Species at Risk Report No. 50.   Edmonton, AB.  52 pp.  Download

British Columbia

Camps on the Land: Considerations and Opportunities in the Yukon and northern British Columbia. Donald Reid. September 2006.

For First Nation communities in Canada 'camps on the land' are a strong force for community development, bringing youth and elders together in a non-urban environment where traditional knowledge and skills can be passed on among generations through direct experience. This report summarizes the key considerations in developing 'camps on the land', based on the experiences of First Nations in the Yukon and northern British Columbia. Download

Noninvasive Survey Methods for Carnivores.  Edited by Justina Ray, Paula MacKay, Robert Long.  2007.  Island Press

A comprehensive guide for wildlife researchers who seek to conduct carnivore surveys using the most up-to-date scientific approaches. Twenty-five experts from across North America discuss strategies for implementing surveys across a broad range of habitats, providing input on survey design, sample collection, DNA and endocrine analyses, and data analysis. Photographs from the field, line drawings, and detailed case studies further illustrate the on-the-ground application of the survey methods discussed.  Available from Island Press.

Setting Conservation and Research Priorities for larger African Carnivores. Justina Ray, Luke Hunter and Joanna Zigouris. 2005. WCS Working Paper No. 24: 1-19.203. Download (6MB)

This working paper aims to establish conservation priorities for large carnivores in Africa that will contibute to the establishment of long term conservation strategies in the face of increasing human-induced threats to the persistence of these species.

Large Carnivores and the Conservation of Biodiversity. Edited by Justina Ray, Kent Redford, Robert Steneck and Joel Berger. 2005. Island Press.

This book addresses the question; "What is the role of large carnivores in ecosystem functioning and can this role  be used for conservation purposes?" It provides an overview of the theoretical context and practical opportunities and limitations of using large carnivores as tools for biodiversity conservation. Available from www.amazon.ca and www.amazon.com.

Use of Scented Hair Snares to Detect Ocelots. John L. Weaver, Peggy Wood, David Paetkau, Linda L. Laack. 2005. Wildlife Society Bulletin.

Biologists need a variety of tools to determine the population and genetic status of theocelot (Leopardus pardalis), an elusive Neotropical cat that favors dense habitats. We developed and tested a technique that entices ocelots to rub on scented hair snares and uses DNA analysis of the hair to determine species, gender, and individual identity. Download article.

Leopards in African Rainforests:  Survey and Monitoring Techniques. Phillipp Henschell and Justina Ray. WCS Carnivore Program, November 2003.

This technical handbook sums up the experience gained during a two-year study of leopards by Philipp Henschel in the Lopé Reserve in Gabon, Central Africa, in 2001/2002, supplemented by additional experience from carnivore studies conducted by Justina Ray in southwestern Central African Republic and eastern Congo (Zaire).  Download report in English or French.