keeping track of alberta’s living heritage
TRANSCRIPT
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
It’s Our Nature to KnowAlberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute
It’s Our Nature to KnowAlberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute
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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It’s Our Nature to KnowAlberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute
Outline
• Biodiversity monitoring at the ABMI• The other kind of biomimicry• Tying it all together (or at least trying to)
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It’s Our Nature to KnowAlberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute
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
It’s Our Nature to KnowAlberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute
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
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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
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“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
It’s Our Nature to KnowAlberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute
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
It’s Our Nature to KnowAlberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute
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
It’s Our Nature to KnowAlberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute
Data collection…
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It’s Our Nature to KnowAlberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute
Data collection…
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It’s Our Nature to KnowAlberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute
Data collection…
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It’s Our Nature to KnowAlberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute
Data collection…
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It’s Our Nature to KnowAlberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute
Data collection…
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It’s Our Nature to KnowAlberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute
Data collection…
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It’s Our Nature to KnowAlberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute
Data collection…
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It’s Our Nature to KnowAlberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute
Data processing…
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It’s Our Nature to KnowAlberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute
Data analysis…
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Data dissemination…
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Data dissemination…
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Data engagement…
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Data engagement…
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Data engagement…
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Data engagement…
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Data engagement…
It’s Our Nature to KnowAlberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute
Why?
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“License to operate”
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It’s Our Nature to KnowAlberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute
“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
It’s Our Nature to KnowAlberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute
“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
It’s Our Nature to KnowAlberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute
“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
It’s Our Nature to KnowAlberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute
“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)
It’s Our Nature to KnowAlberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute
“Biomimicry”
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Hannes Freitaghttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1002/ece3.2586/full
It’s Our Nature to KnowAlberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute
“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)
It’s Our Nature to KnowAlberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute
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
It’s Our Nature to KnowAlberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute
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
4
5
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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
It’s Our Nature to KnowAlberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute
Thanks!
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abmi.caabmi.ca/datanaturelynx.ca
Questions/comments?