Grant: CCI Applied Research and Development Grants

Over the past five years, black bear sightings in the Beaver Hills Biosphere region east of Edmonton increasing steadily. This population is considered to be right at the edge of the species’ range expansion which has numerous implications for both provincial and federal agencies. How black bear harvest is managed, how wildlife coexistence programs are delivered, and what will potentially happen to ungulate populations that have existed without predation by bears for over a century are all critical considerations. The objectives of this project are to: (1) examine the feeding ecology and demographic characteristics of black bears within the Beaver Hills region to understand the potential for population growth and dispersal at the edge of a species’ range; (2) use this information to predict the impact black bear predation may have on ungulates (i.e., potential predation rates) inside and outside of core protected areas; (3) make recommendations for management of black bears in the region and (4) develop educational materials featuring real footage of black bear behavior with specific and concise information regarding behavioral (e.g., attractant management, adverse conditioning, conflict progression, black bear attack, and differences in behavior between grizzly and black bears). To achieve these goals, we will use fatty acid, scat, and isotopic analyses to understand regional black bear diets. We will use this understanding of diet to map forage resource availability throughout the Biosphere. We can use this to understand dispersal, distribution, fecundity and survival of radio-collared black bears in relation to landscape features and forage or prey availability and make recommendations for the management of black bears in the region. We will further evaluate public responses to educational messaging through focus groups and a survey to measure learning and intended behavior change.