34.) Citizen: “New research suggests road decommissioning important for grizzly bears.”

Source Notes

Title: New research suggests road decommissioning important for grizzly bears.

 

Summary: On November 3^rd, 2008, Adam Swaitalski, a blogger for Wildlands CPR, claims that grizzly bears in Alberta, Canada are on the decline due to human-caused mortalities on forest roads.

Topic: Endangered species in Alberta, Canada.

Category:

 Institutional/ Citizen.

 

 

 

What is it.
Blog.

 

Publication Information:

Published by Adam Swaitalski on November 3^rd, 2008.

 

 

 

Author:
Adam Swaitalski.

 

Location:

http://www.wildlandscpr.org/blog/new-research-suggests-road-decommissioning-important-grizzly-bears

 

 

 

Accessed:

March 11, 2009

 

 

 

 

Support:

 

Nielsen et. al. (2008), author of a new study from Biological Conservation.

 

In this blog, Adam Swaitalski examines a study conducted by Biological Conservation which shows a positive correlation between the dramatically reduced grizzly bear population in Alberta, Canada and the creation of roads in the bear’s ecosystem. The study “modeled the different timber harvest scenarios impact on grizzly bear long-term survival.  While logging and the creation of early-successional forests could benefit habitat quality and lead to increased carrying capacity, the associated road building and human-caused mortality would offset any habitat gains.” Human-caused mortalities include over-hunting, poaching, and vehicle collisions.

 

 

 

Audience and Agenda:
Wildlands CPR is a non-profit organization that is funded by donation and private interest groups. The organization revives and protects wild places by promoting watershed restoration through road removal, preventing new wildland road construction and stopping off-road vehicle abuse. Quantcast.com reports that www.wildlandscpr.org is not quantifiable at the current time.  

 

Usefulness:
The analysis and commentary by Swaitalski informs the reader of the impacts that forest roads have on ecosystem where they are constructed. Timber lobbyist may argue that “early-successional forests could benefit habitat quality and lead to increased carrying capacity.” This blog and the corresponding study supports the claim that early-successional forests and the roads they create cause more damage to wildlife and the corresponding ecosystem than good.

 

Works cited:

www.quantcast.com

http://www.wildlandscpr.org/about-us

http://www.wildlandscpr.org/blog/unemployment-and-environmental-protection

 

 

 

 

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