Keeping track of Alberta’s living heritage

It’s Our Nature to KnowAlberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute

Keeping track of Alberta’s living heritage

Kurt Illerbrun, PhDABMI Northern Communications Advisor

BAW03 Summer Series, June 25, 2017



Note:

All photographs in this presentation remain the property of the respective originalphotographers. Hyperlinks or credits are provided for non-ABMI photographs.Uncredited photos are from the ABMI staff photo archive, and detailed information is available on request.

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Outline

• Biodiversity monitoring at the ABMI• The other kind of biomimicry• Tying it all together (or at least trying to)

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ABMI 101

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Why are we?

http://globalforestwatch.ca/sites/gfwc/files/images/20040119A_forestry_2.jpg

http://i.huffpost.com/gen/4597900/images/o-OIL-DRILLING-ALBERTA-facebook.jpg

https://www.desmog.ca/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/styles/full_width_blog_image/public/blogimages/Suncor%20oilsands.jpg?itok=Xhe5DH2u


ABMI 101

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Responsible land and resource stewardship isn’t optional.

“License to operate”

• Government is accountable to Albertans to maintain environmental values:o Many commitments at the local, provincial,

and national scales

• Industry wants stable access to resources, markets, capital

It’s Our Nature to KnowAlberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute 6

Cumulative effects or targeted monitoring?• Targeted monitoring is efficient but lacks ‘big picture’• Cumulative effects monitoring is bigger picture; e.g., allows

separate assessment of different sectors’ effects

Establishing the ABMI created the first provincial environmental monitoring system. The system enables:• Setting clear environmental outcomes• Measuring progress against outcomes• Assessing efficient management responses

ABMI 101


“We track changes in Alberta’s wildlife and habitats from border to border, and provide ongoing, relevant, scientifically credible information on Alberta’s living resources. For Alberta’s land-use decision makers. For Albertans.”

ABMI 101


ABMI 101

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What are we?

- Arms-length, not-for-profit scientific organization- BoD composed of key stakeholders: government,

agriculture, energy, academia, forestry, ENGO’s…- Value-neutral: provide info but don’t make management

decisions


ABMI 101

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Who are we and what do we do?- 70+ full time employees;

another 50+ seasonal—all aspects of the data ‘life cycle’

- 1656-site grid to monitor status and trend of 3000+ species…

- …and satellite + aerial imagery to monitor human footprint


Data collection…

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Data collection…

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Data collection…

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Data collection…

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Data collection…

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Data collection…

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Data collection…

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Data processing…

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Data analysis…

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Data dissemination…


Data dissemination…


Data engagement…


Data engagement…


Data engagement…


Data engagement…


Data engagement…


Why?

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“License to operate”



“Biomimicry”

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Moondigger

Lukas Kaffer

Sputnikcccp

Children’s museum media collection

http://www.fusedjaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/SeaDragon.jpg


“Biomimicry”

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http://cdn2-www.webecoist.momtastic.com/assets/uploads/2010/02/western-skunk-cabbage.jpg

http://cdn2-www.webecoist.momtastic.com/assets/uploads/2010/02/caladium-fake-illness.jpg

http://cdn2-www.webecoist.momtastic.com/assets/uploads/2010/02/passion-flower-mimicry.jpg


“Biomimicry”

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Monarch Viceroy

Hoverfly

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/imgmay07/eupeodes_latifasciatus2.jpg

https://articles.extension.org//sites/default/files/styles/large/public/yellowjacket3.jpg

Yellowjackethttps://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/e4/51/36/e451365bda4c5b88f660ef0cd589312d.jpg

DragonflyIssuesinEvolution13

(Batesian mimicry)

http://www.asnailsodyssey.com/IMAGES/NUDIBRANCH/FlabMimicry.jpg


“Biomimicry”

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https://confessionsofanentomologist.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/velvet-ants.jpeg

http://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S096098220901389X-gr1.jpg

(Müllerian mimicry)


“Biomimicry”

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Hannes Freitaghttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1002/ece3.2586/full


“Biomimicry”

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By Letrek - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=290058By User:Bluemoose - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=333105

(Vavilovian mimicry)


Always a constraint…

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Adaptation is opportunistic

a) Adaptation is limited to selection among inherited traits already present in the population

…so…

b) Present traits limit evolutionary pathways, i.e. they constrain the “options” available to “solve” ecological/evolutionary problems

E.g. the panda’s thumb

http://conservationreport.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/dying-leaf-mimic-katydid.jpg?w=560&h=420

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2179/2092798784_f26db83eed_o.jpg


Always a constraint…

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E.g. the panda’s thumb

Digits 1-5 are specialized for running and clawing

Simple genetic change: bigger radial sesamoid (wrist bone)

Individuals with bigger RS were presumably more efficient at eating bamboo, and therefore had ↑ fitness

modern ancestor

RSRS

Radial sesamoid

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3

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Pressure: the common theme

We work with what we have

The ABMI’s resources may be useful to you—please check them out!

Lessons learned


Thanks!

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abmi.caabmi.ca/datanaturelynx.ca

Questions/comments?

Documents

Keeping track of Alberta’s living heritage