The Algar Wildlife Monitoring Project

The Algar Seismic Restoration Pilot Project was an industry-led initiative between 2012 and 2015 that aimed to restore seismic lines in caribou habitat within the Algar herd range (East Side Athabasca River population, northeastern Alberta), offering an opportunity to research the effects of restoration on the boreal mammal community. Following restoration implementation, the Algar Wildlife Monitoring Project deployed 73 camera traps to assess the responses of caribou, their predators and competitors to restoration treatments.

Project Leads: Cole Burton

Affiliations: Canada's Oil Sands Innovation Alliance; Innotech Alberta; Alberta Upstream Petroleum Research Fund

Project Collaborators: Jason Fisher ; Chris Beirne ; Catherine Sun ; Joanna Burgar

Focal Species: All; Black Bear; Caribou; Cougar; Coyote; Grey Wolf; Moose; White-Tailed Deer

Publications:

Mammal seismic line use varies with restoration: Applying habitat restoration to species at risk conservation in a working landscape

Erin R. Tattersall, Joanna M. Burgar, Jason T. Fisher, A. Cole Burton

Biological Conservation | 2020

Simultaneous monitoring of vegetation dynamics and wildlife activity with camera traps to assess habitat change

Catherine Sun, Christopher Beirne, Joanna M. Burgar, Thomas Howey, Jason T. Fisher, A. Cole Burton

Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation | 2021

Multispecies modelling reveals potential for habitat restoration to re-establish boreal vertebrate community dynamics

Christopher Beirne, Catherine Sun, Erin R. Tattersall, Joanna M. Burgar, Jason T. Fisher, A. Cole Burton

Journal of Applied Ecology | 2021

A cautionary tale comparing spatial count and partial identity models for estimating densities of threatened and unmarked populations

Catherine Sun, Joanna M. Burgar, Jason T. Fisher, A. Cole Burton

Global Ecology and Conservation | 2022

The Algar Wildlife Monitoring Project