ES 341 - Recommendations, PBL Module 1 PDF

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Kit Emily Smith ES 341 – PBL Group 6 Module Student Case 1 Recommendation(s) It is evident that Bennett Bay and Georgeson Island on Mayne Island are ecologically sensitive landscapes that are facing declining rates of biodiversity. In order to address these environmental and ecological challenges an co-ordinated and integrated approach to the management of the Black-tailed and Fallow deer populations of the islands is requited. It is important to recognize that there is an overall concern for the ecological integrity of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve as Black-tailed and Fallow deer can swim to nearby islands (Lavoie, 2013). With a rough estimated population of five hundred to a thousand deer on Mayne Island alone, this could have a devastating impact on nearby coastal Douglas fir and marine ecosystems. It is estimated without intervention that the island could support a population of up 4,000 deer without any intervention (Underhill, 2013). Therefore, it is my recommendation to use a DNA-genotyping mark-recapture approach to cull and sample a portion of populations on the GINPR sites of Mayne Island and nearby islands to measure the size and genetic diversity of those populations (Crouchley, 2011, p. 424). This would help determine the migratory patterns of the deer populations and the potential impact of those populations on the ecosystem integrity of those sites. In consulting and involving stakeholders in the decision-making process, it must be acknowledged and accepted that will be an expensive endeavor to launch a management plan that aims to gain an accurate measurement of deer populations on Mayne Island. However, it must be argued that this is a necessary expense to obtain information that would inform future planning efforts. This, for example, could tell us whether or not Mayne Island could sustain a viable population of Black-tailed and Fallow deer or if extirpation of the population is the strongest option for ecosystem recovery. Before moving forward with any strategy to manage the deer populations on Mayne Island, a meta-analysis of deer management strategies on island ecosystems should be done, as well as consultations with the individuals working on the projects. Examples of the projects that could be are Llgaaygwü sdiihlda: Restoring Balance in Haida Gwaii, past and current efforts at Sidney Spit on Sidney Island and the Murchison Mountains and Secretary and Anchor Islands in New Zealand (Coastal Conservation, 2015; Crouchley, 2011; Deer Management in New Zealand, 2013). This would be done in order to measure the success of these efforts and learn from their past mistakes. Evidence of the effective-ness of deer management strategies and public education on the impact of deer populations on ecosystems, such as habitat and species loss, the advance of invasive species and the overall diminished health of the deer with increased population density, will be a key determinant in moving forward with any decisions made by all stakeholders (Underhill, 2013).

References Coastal Conservation (2015). Restoring Balance, Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada. Retrieved November 7, 2018, from http://coastalconservation.ca/projects/ramsay-island-ecosystem-restorationproject-haida-gwaii-british-columbia/ Crouchley, D., Nugent, G., & Edge, K. (2011). Removal of red deer (Cervus elaphus) from Anchor and Secretary Islands, Fiordland, New Zealand (Publication). Retrieved November 6, 2018, from IUCN/SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group website: http://www.issg.org/pdf/publications/ Island_Invasives/pdfHQprint/4Crouchley.pdf Deer Management in New Zealand. (2013, October 4). Retrieved November 6, 2018, from https://geog397.wiki.otago.ac.nz/index.php/Deer_Management_in_New_Zealand Lavoie, J. (2013, January 18). Fallow deer eating their way across Gulf Islands. Times Colonist. Retrieved November 7, 2018, from Fallow deer eating their way across Gulf Islands Underhill, R. (2013, September 27). The Deer Problem on Mayne Island. Retrieved November 7, 2018, from https://mayneconservancy.ca/deer_rpt/...