Developing innovative techniques for identifying critical habitat and mitigating threats to endangered salamanders

Jefferson Salamander (Ambystoma jeffersonianum) and co-occuring occurring unisexual Ambystomids (Ambystoma laterale – (2) jeffersonianum) are endangered species in Canada. Many populations in Canada are experiencing going threats and pressures from habitat loss and fragmentation due to surrounding land uses which include residential areas, agricultural fields, and road networks. This project will focus on locating and characterizing critical habitats for these species which will fill in significant information gaps on the species natural history. It will also involve the first comprehensive, multi-season study of salamander movements and road mortality. As a consulting firm, often tasked with providing mitigation measures for road projects, this study has the potential to position NRSI as a leader road ecology studies.

Faculty Supervisor:

Ryan Norris

Student:

Partner:

Natural Resource Solutions Inc

Discipline:

Earth science

Sector:

Sustainability & the Environment; Environmental Science and Technology; Natural Resources

University:

University of Guelph

Program: