Using a Conservation Biology Blueprint to Protect Seven Species found in the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve, Canada, 2014

This project developed a conservation biology blueprint for the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve (FABR) region that can be used towards assessing current conservation practices as well as making future recommendations. The findings of the study can be used towards the Ten Year Biosphere Review for UNESCO, which the FABR submits to keep their biosphere designation. By gathering information in real time, appropriate actions can be taken much more quickly than if the information was only gathered every ten years. This means that different actors can alter their actions to preserve species div ersity and success as different factors influence those species through time. For this study, seven species (bald eagle, red-headed woodpecker, common five-lined skink, black rat snake, milksnake, spotted turtle, and great blue heron) were mapped in the area between Frontenac Provincial Park and Charleston Lake Provincial Park. The black rat snake, spotted turtle, and great blue heron were specifically explored in an online survey as well. This study area was chosen on the suggestion of the FABR because it connects Crown Land with the provincial parks, making implementing any new policies easier than land found in the North-South corridor of Ontario which contains a high amount of private development. Using the predicted tree species data, county land usage, eBird data, and endangered species general distribution, this paper hopes to identify where key areas of protection are. By quickly locating hotspots for endangered species, stricter conservation regulations can be implemented to help the recovery of these species. The dataset was created as part of course requirements for ENSC430.

本项目为弗朗特尼亚克拱门生物圈保护区（Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve, FABR）区域制定了一份保护生物学蓝图，可用于评估当前保护实践并制定未来优化建议。该研究成果可提交联合国教科文组织，用于该保护区的十年生物圈审查（Ten Year Biosphere Review），以维持其生物圈保护区的认证资质。通过实时采集相关信息，保护行动的响应速度将远快于每十年仅开展一次信息采集的传统模式。这意味着不同行动主体可根据随时间推移影响物种的各类因素，调整自身保护举措，以维护区域物种多样性与种群存续成果。本研究针对弗隆特纳克省立公园与查尔斯顿湖省立公园之间的区域，对7个物种开展了分布测绘，分别为白头海雕、红头啄木鸟、五线石龙子、黑鼠蛇、奶蛇、斑点龟及大蓝鹭。其中，黑鼠蛇、斑点龟与大蓝鹭还额外进行了线上问卷调查。本次研究区域的选取源于FABR的建议，该区域将王室土地（Crown Land）与省立公园相连，相较于安大略省南北走廊区域（该区域存在大量私人开发项目），更便于新保护政策的落地实施。本研究借助预测树种数据、县域土地利用数据、eBird观测数据（eBird）以及濒危物种通用分布数据，旨在识别区域内的关键保护区域。通过快速定位濒危物种分布热点，可推行更严格的保护法规，助力这些物种的种群恢复。本数据集为ENSC430课程的必修项目成果。