Fiona K.a Schmiegelow | University of Alberta (original) (raw)
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Papers by Fiona K.a Schmiegelow
Landscape Ecology, 2006
Previous research has suggested that ducks and songbirds may benefit from prairie landscapes that... more Previous research has suggested that ducks and songbirds may benefit from prairie landscapes that consist primarily of contiguous grasslands. However, the relative importance of landscape-level vs. local characteristics on mechanisms underlying observed patterns is unclear. We measured effects of grassland amount and fragmentation on upland and wetland songbird and duck density and nest success, and on some nest predators, across 16 landscapes in southern Alberta, Canada. We compared these landscape-level effects with local-scale responses, including distance to various edges and vegetation characteristics. We also evaluated several statistical approaches to comparing effects of habitat characteristics at multiple spatial scales. Few species were influenced by grassland amount or fragmentation. In contrast, distance to edge and local vegetation characteristics had significant effects on densities and nest success of many species. Previous studies that reported effects of landscape characteristics may have detected patterns driven by local mechanisms. As a corollary, results were very sensitive to statistical model structure; landscape level effects were much less apparent when local characteristics were included in the models.
The Forestry Chronicle, 2010
Recent research investigating the relationship between protected areas and sustainable forest man... more Recent research investigating the relationship between protected areas and sustainable forest management has revealed the need for clarity of language if cooperation is to move forward. Here, we develop a parallel framework to compare the concepts of protected areas and sustainable forest management. We address the challenge inherent in the concept of protected areas as places and sustainable forest management as a process or paradigm. Our framework outlines dominant values, management paradigms, and terms for the places managed under each paradigm.
Ecological Modelling, Feb 1, 2008
Songbirds Boreal forest Logistic regression Internal and external validation Calibration Discrimi... more Songbirds Boreal forest Logistic regression Internal and external validation Calibration Discrimination Goodness-of-fit H-L statistic ROC area a b s t r a c t
Canadian Field Naturalist
Canadian Field Naturalist
2006. Pack size of Wolves, Canis lupus, on Caribou, Rangifer tarandus, winter ranges in westcentr... more 2006. Pack size of Wolves, Canis lupus, on Caribou, Rangifer tarandus, winter ranges in westcentral Alberta. Canadian Field-Naturalist 120(3): 131-318.
Canadian Field Naturalist
2005. Travel rates of Wolves, Canis lupus, in relation to ungulate kill sites in westcentral Albe... more 2005. Travel rates of Wolves, Canis lupus, in relation to ungulate kill sites in westcentral Alberta. Canadian Field-Naturalist 119(4): 573-577.
Abstract Ecological data sets often use clustered sampling, or use repeated sampling in a longitu... more Abstract Ecological data sets often use clustered sampling, or use repeated sampling in a longitudinal design. Choosing the correct covariance structure is an important step in the analysis of such data, as the covariance dictates the degree of similarity among repeated observations. Three methods for choosing the covariance are: Akaike's information criterion (AIC), the quasi-information criterion (QIC), and the deviance information criterion (DIC). We first compared the methods using a simulation study. The overall success was 81.6% for the DIC, 80.6% for the AIC, and 29.4% for the QIC. We then compared the methods using an empirical data set that explored effects of forest fragmentation on avian species richness over 15 years. The AIC and DIC selected the unstructured covariance, whereas the QIC selected a simpler model. Graphical diagnostics suggested that the unstructured covariance was probably correct. We recommend using either the AIC or DIC for estimating the correct covariance structure.
Wildlife Society Bulletin, 2015
ABSTRACT
Diversity and Distributions, 2015
Environmental Concerns in Rights-of-Way Management: 7th International Symposium, 2002
Resource expansion into previously undeveloped areas requires increases in access, which may have... more Resource expansion into previously undeveloped areas requires increases in access, which may have detrimental effects for some wildlife species. We studied the response of migratory mountain caribou to linear landscape features, including streams, roads, and seismic exploration lines, in the foothills along the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Data from GPS telemetry collars during the two winters 1998-2000 were compared to a base map of linear features in a GIS, using distance buffers and compositional analysis.
Landscape Ecology, 2006
Previous research has suggested that ducks and songbirds may benefit from prairie landscapes that... more Previous research has suggested that ducks and songbirds may benefit from prairie landscapes that consist primarily of contiguous grasslands. However, the relative importance of landscape-level vs. local characteristics on mechanisms underlying observed patterns is unclear. We measured effects of grassland amount and fragmentation on upland and wetland songbird and duck density and nest success, and on some nest predators, across 16 landscapes in southern Alberta, Canada. We compared these landscape-level effects with local-scale responses, including distance to various edges and vegetation characteristics. We also evaluated several statistical approaches to comparing effects of habitat characteristics at multiple spatial scales. Few species were influenced by grassland amount or fragmentation. In contrast, distance to edge and local vegetation characteristics had significant effects on densities and nest success of many species. Previous studies that reported effects of landscape characteristics may have detected patterns driven by local mechanisms. As a corollary, results were very sensitive to statistical model structure; landscape level effects were much less apparent when local characteristics were included in the models.
The Forestry Chronicle, 2010
Recent research investigating the relationship between protected areas and sustainable forest man... more Recent research investigating the relationship between protected areas and sustainable forest management has revealed the need for clarity of language if cooperation is to move forward. Here, we develop a parallel framework to compare the concepts of protected areas and sustainable forest management. We address the challenge inherent in the concept of protected areas as places and sustainable forest management as a process or paradigm. Our framework outlines dominant values, management paradigms, and terms for the places managed under each paradigm.
Ecological Modelling, Feb 1, 2008
Songbirds Boreal forest Logistic regression Internal and external validation Calibration Discrimi... more Songbirds Boreal forest Logistic regression Internal and external validation Calibration Discrimination Goodness-of-fit H-L statistic ROC area a b s t r a c t
Canadian Field Naturalist
Canadian Field Naturalist
2006. Pack size of Wolves, Canis lupus, on Caribou, Rangifer tarandus, winter ranges in westcentr... more 2006. Pack size of Wolves, Canis lupus, on Caribou, Rangifer tarandus, winter ranges in westcentral Alberta. Canadian Field-Naturalist 120(3): 131-318.
Canadian Field Naturalist
2005. Travel rates of Wolves, Canis lupus, in relation to ungulate kill sites in westcentral Albe... more 2005. Travel rates of Wolves, Canis lupus, in relation to ungulate kill sites in westcentral Alberta. Canadian Field-Naturalist 119(4): 573-577.
Abstract Ecological data sets often use clustered sampling, or use repeated sampling in a longitu... more Abstract Ecological data sets often use clustered sampling, or use repeated sampling in a longitudinal design. Choosing the correct covariance structure is an important step in the analysis of such data, as the covariance dictates the degree of similarity among repeated observations. Three methods for choosing the covariance are: Akaike's information criterion (AIC), the quasi-information criterion (QIC), and the deviance information criterion (DIC). We first compared the methods using a simulation study. The overall success was 81.6% for the DIC, 80.6% for the AIC, and 29.4% for the QIC. We then compared the methods using an empirical data set that explored effects of forest fragmentation on avian species richness over 15 years. The AIC and DIC selected the unstructured covariance, whereas the QIC selected a simpler model. Graphical diagnostics suggested that the unstructured covariance was probably correct. We recommend using either the AIC or DIC for estimating the correct covariance structure.
Wildlife Society Bulletin, 2015
ABSTRACT
Diversity and Distributions, 2015
Environmental Concerns in Rights-of-Way Management: 7th International Symposium, 2002
Resource expansion into previously undeveloped areas requires increases in access, which may have... more Resource expansion into previously undeveloped areas requires increases in access, which may have detrimental effects for some wildlife species. We studied the response of migratory mountain caribou to linear landscape features, including streams, roads, and seismic exploration lines, in the foothills along the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Data from GPS telemetry collars during the two winters 1998-2000 were compared to a base map of linear features in a GIS, using distance buffers and compositional analysis.