Researchers work to better understand how climate change impacts wolverines
A team of Wildlife Conservation Society
researchers,
with the help
researchers,
with the help
of the Alaska Department of Fish and
Game, successfully
collared two North
Game, successfully
collared two North
Slope wolverines, according to a release
from WCS.
from WCS.
The team is working to understand
how climate change
affects wolverines
how climate change
affects wolverines
and their habitat. Researchers used
high-tech traps, which
send an email once
high-tech traps, which
send an email once
it has been sprung, to capture the animals.
Tom Glass of WCS
WCS personnel said Wolverines are hard
to find because they are
known to
to find because they are
known to
have a huge roaming range and make hidden
dens.
dens.
Researchers followed over 45 miles of
wolverine tracks to learn that
wolverines
wolverine tracks to learn that
wolverines
make dens deep in snowdrifts along shallow
stream banks. Researchers
only found
stream banks. Researchers
only found
one active den, and got what they say is
the third set of images of a
mother wolverine
the third set of images of a
mother wolverine
and her kit.
So far, they have only been able to collar
two wolverines. The collars
will transmit
two wolverines. The collars
will transmit
data every day, giving researchers a real-
time look at wolverine’s
movements.
time look at wolverine’s
movements.
According to WCS, the trapping portion
of the project will continue
until the end of April
of the project will continue
until the end of April
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wolverines
Wolverines in the lower 48 states are being
considered for listing under
considered for listing under
the U.S. Endangered Species Act because
of their low numbers and
of their low numbers and
vulnerability to climate change. Elsewhere,
the Committee on the
the Committee on the
Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada just
confirmed wolverine
confirmed wolverine
as a species of special concern due to its low
reproductive rate
reproductive rate
and susceptibility to threats such as industrial
activity and human
activity and human
access to its remote habitats via new roads
and more snowmobiles,
and more snowmobiles,
which are increasing. In addition, the wolverine
is one of WCS’s 15
is one of WCS’s 15
global priority species. Very little is known about
wolverines and their status
wolverines and their status
in Alaska.
species with a
demonstrated vulnerability to human disturbances
and impending
and impending
changes on the land, we need to develop a better
understanding of
understanding of
the potential magnitude of such impacts. This will be
a necessary
a necessary
foundation for developing mitigation and conservation
strategies in
strategies in
rve this species elsewhere in its global range.
Activities
WCS is conducting aerial surveys of wolverine tracks
on the
on the
North Slope of Alaska (the National Petroleum
Reserve-Alaska).
Reserve-Alaska).
These surveys demonstrate how wolverines are
distributed and
distributed and
how that relates to human disturbance, elevation,
and other factors.
and other factors.
The survey teams, two Super Cub airplanes with a
pilot and a spotter,
pilot and a spotter,
flew nearly 14,000 miles in April 2015. Future efforts
include plans to
include plans to
live capture up to 20 wolverines in 2016 for genetic
and contaminant
and contaminant
sampling
No comments:
Post a Comment