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Master of Science in Ecological Restoration Applied Research Projects
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- Assessing the implications of forest management strategies on stream condition in the Oktwanch River Watershed, BC
- The harvest of riparian vegetation is a principal threat to aquatic ecosystems, often resulting in heavily aggraded and widened streams that provide diminished benefits for ecologically and culturally important salmonids. Riparian Management Areas are buffers required by the Forest and Range Practices Act of BC that restrict harvest around rivers, lakes, and wetlands. The purpose of this study was to determine if current forest management strategies, such as RMAs, are effectively protecting streams from the impacts of forest harvest and if restoration could aid in the recovery of riparian forests in the Oktwanch River watershed. This was achieved through assessments of stream condition and riparian vegetation structure, composition, and width in the Oktwanch River watershed and a spatial analysis of forest-cover-based intactness of RMAs and lateral morphological changes in the Oktwanch River mainstem from 1985 to 2022 using Landsat imagery. This study determined that poor stream condition was more closely linked to the structure and composition of stands in RMAs than insufficient RMA widths, suggesting that the legacy effects of riparian harvest that began more than 60 years ago continue to impact stream condition in the Oktwanch River watershed. A management approach that restricts forest harvest at the watershed-scale would be most effective in facilitating the recovery of riparian forests and streams in the Oktwanch River watershed.
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- Groundwater elevation and chemistry at Camosun Bog, British Columbia, and implications for bog restoration
- A bog is a type of wetland with a high water table, acidic soil and is nutrient poor. Camosun Bog is the oldest bog in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, and remained undisturbed until development of the surrounding residential neighborhood caused changes to its groundwater conditions, threatening its current persistence. The goal of this study is to provide an updated examination of Camosun Bog’s groundwater conditions and to discuss relevant bog restoration measures. Groundwater elevation and chemistry (pH, conductivity, nitrogen and phosphorus) were monitored for several months in 2019. Results indicate that current groundwater elevations are lower in Camosun Bog than they were thirty years ago, especially in the north and northeast regions. Locations in the north and center parts of the open bog experienced groundwater nitrogen enrichment and higher pH, indicating that raising the water table should be the main goal of restoration for Camosun Bog.
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- Investigating biotic interactions as limiting factors of burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia) population recovery in British Columbia
- Burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia) were considered extirpated from British Columbia by 1980 and still require active management to sustain a breeding population. My research objective was to investigate if predator-prey interactions limit the survival and reproductive output of burrowing owls in British Columbia. Wildlife camera photographs and direct observations were used to assess survival, prey return rate and availability, and predator occurrence rate at six different conservation-breeding release sites across two regions and three reproductive-output levels. Ten out of the twelve nests studied successfully produced at least one juvenile owl that is presumed to have survived to the end of the 2023 breeding season. Results indicate that there may be regional differences in reproductive output and prey availability but not predator occurrence. Neither prey availability nor predator occurrence were significantly correlated with burrowing owl reproductive output, although some prey metrics were trending towards significance. However, competition over food resources with other species may be more detrimental to burrowing owls than previously thought, particularly over vertebrate prey items. Relationships between burrowing owls and the other species they interact with in British Columbia are complex; predator-prey dynamics alone do not account for the variability of burrowing owl success rates across the region. Active management such as supplemental feeding and anti-competitor deterrents at the entrances to burrows may be necessary to support this endangered species until it has reached more sustainable population numbers., burrowing owl, endangered species, wildlife management, predator-prey, trail cameras
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- Marsh resiliency strategies in the face of sea-level rise: Pilot project opportunities for Fraser River delta tidal marshes
- Coastal wetlands are naturally resilient to changing sea levels; however, as rates of sea-level rise increase, the interaction between changing sea-level and ongoing human impacts will be a major driver in future coastal tidal marsh stability. My goal is to provide decision makers with recommendations to increase the resilience of the Fraser River delta front tidal marsh communities over the twenty-first century. I conducted a literature review to (1) examine the current knowledge base regarding effects of sea-level rise on tidal marshes and (2) identify current ecosystem-based adaptation strategies for increasing tidal marsh resilience to sea-level rise. Based on this review, recommendations are made for strategies that could be used to increase tidal marsh resilience in the Fraser River delta. Recommendations include (1) initiating delta-wide marsh accretion modeling to assess tidal marsh vulnerability under possible sea-level rise scenarios and (2) implementing sediment augmentation pilot projects for both direct (e.g., layered sediment lifts) and indirect (e.g., mud motor) sediment augmentation strategies to test ecosystem based adaptive management strategies as part of an adaptive management framework.
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- Testing primed white rot fungi for bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soil & bioremediation options plan for Napo concession area in Ecuador.
- Bioremediation has gained traction for its sustainable principles. Although, advancements in effectiveness are still needed to enable widespread application. This research has two major components. First, priming fungi could prove to be a useful tool to increase efficiency of white-rot fungi when used to bioremediate petroleum hydrocarbons contaminated soil. This study evaluated T. versicolor colonized in two substrates to test this theory. TPH was extracted from the soils using hexane shaking method, and measured on a CG-MS. The study results were not conclusive, and more research should be conducted to determine if priming white-rot fungi can increase the effectiveness of degradation of TPH in contaminated soils. Second, historical and unethical oil production in Ecuador has left an environmental and human health disaster. The goal of this study was to produce a high-level bioremediation plan that can be used and amended for site specific applications in Ecuador.