Alana WestwoodDalhousie University | Dal · School for Resource and Environmental Studies
Alana Westwood
PhD, Dalhousie University
About
50
Publications
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Introduction
I am interested in conservation and management of terrestrial ecosystems from a 'what works' lens. My lab studies the science-policy interface to understand how management decisions are made, and the impacts of forestry and mining to supply the evidence needed for sustainable management. Find out more at www.westwoodlab.ca
Additional affiliations
August 2020 - present
November 2018 - August 2020
August 2017 - October 2018
Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative
Position
- Analyst
Education
September 2011 - March 2016
September 2006 - February 2011
Publications
Publications (50)
In this article, we examine the role of science in Canada’s federal environmental assessment (EA) regime to illustrate opportunities for improvement. We do not address the application of science in EA practices (i.e., how to do good science within EA processes), which has been thoroughly reviewed by others. Instead, we examine the context for scien...
British Columbia has the greatest biological diversity of any province or territory in Canada. Yet increasing numbers of species in British Columbia are threatened with extinction. The current patchwork of provincial laws and regulations has not effectively prevented species declines. Recently, the Provincial Government has committed to enacting an...
The Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek) is a critically endangered grassland butterfly with six populations remaining in the United States and Canada. The single Canadian population, with the largest remaining contiguous habitat, includes less than ~50 observed individuals and extirpation is potentially imminent. Captive breeding is underway...
Recent research on boreal birds has focused on understanding effects of human activity on populations and their habitats. As bird populations continue to decline, research is often intended to inform conservation and management policies and practices. Research produced under the typical "loading dock" model by Western-trained researchers often fail...
Understanding how, when, and why species select habitats is essential to identify more accurate conservation strategies, particularly with increasing anthropogenic change. However, studies rarely disentangle the roles of environmental cues and social information when they examine habitat selection. We tested the influence of conspecific attraction...
The Canada Warbler (Cardellina canadensis) is a species of conservation concern, but its ecological needs and distribution remain poorly understood. The impact of logging on Canada Warbler abundance and habitat use is disputed. Furthermore, its habitat needs may be distorted by limitations in current habitat availability compared to historical cond...
To recover species at risk, it is necessary to identify habitat critical to their recovery. Challenges for species with large ranges (thousands of square kilometres) include delineating management unit boundaries within which habitat use differs from other units, along with assessing any differences among units in amounts of and threats to habitat...
When researchers are sufficiently resourced to conduct research and communicate their findings, the knowledge produced can benefit the environment and society through policy. However, interference with the research process and its subsequent knowledge mobilization (“interference in science”) has been observed in several countries, particularly for...
Researchers in the environmental studies and sciences play a critical role in influencing real-world decision-making and policies. However, interference during research and sharing of results has been documented in Canada and around the world. Further, research has shown that workers from marginalized social identitie(s) experience discrimination i...
Letter regarding environmental assessment modernization in the province of Nova Scotia from experts at Dalhousie University and the University of King's College.
While there is a growing body of work on the barriers to knowledge exchange (KE) and the development of actionable science, what remains more elusive is an understanding of what strategies and conditions lead to effective KE, how it is operationalized, or how different practitioners define successful exchange of scientific knowledge. We interviewed...
To recover species at risk, it is necessary to identify habitat critical to their recovery. Challenges for species with large ranges (thousands of square kilometres) include delineating management unit boundaries within which habitat use differs from other units, along with assessing amounts of and threats to habitat over time. We developed a repro...
Knowledge produced by scientists is essential to the policy and practice of managing natural resources, including forests. However, there has never been systematic mapping of which techniques in knowledge exchange (KE) have been applied in the forest sciences, by whom, and to what effect. We examined KE techniques documented in the forest sciences...
Conservation approaches that efficiently protect multiple values, such as the umbrella species concept, have been widely promoted with expected dramatic ecosystem changes. Due to its social and cultural importance, and recent declining trends, boreal populations of woodland caribou have been suggested as potential umbrella species for other declini...
In recent years, researchers have increasingly recognized the need to bridge Western and Indigenous knowledge systems to strengthen research in wildlife conservation. Historically, this arena has not made space for Indigenous knowledge holders to share components of their knowledge systems with agency and to support their own self‐determination as...
This paper reviews trends in the academic literature on cumulative effects assessment (CEA) of disturbance on forest ecosystems to advance research in the broader context of impact assessments. Disturbance is any distinct spatiotemporal event that disrupts the structure and composition of an ecosystem affecting resource availability. We developed a...
Mining provides resources for people but can pose risks to ecosystems that support cultural keystone species. Our synthesis reviews relevant aspects of mining operations, describes the ecology of salmonid-bearing watersheds in northwestern North America, and compiles the impacts of metal and coal extraction on salmonids and their habitat. We conser...
In British Columbia (BC), Canada, there is increased attention on mines and their impacts on water resources. In BC, many proposed mines undergo provincial environmental assessment (EA), which predicts a mine’s risks and involves government oversight and public engagement. After approval, mines can apply for amendments that alter the project’s unde...
This report summarizes evidence-based best practices for knowledge exchange (KE) in the Canadian forest sector. Fundamentally, KE involves the sharing of knowledge between its producers (including scientists) and its users (including foresters, the public, and many others). This report is intended to support government practitioners and managers in...
In November 2021, the draft of the revised Old-Growth Forest Policy in Nova Scotia was publicly released with a call-out for public consultation. We give feedback and recommendations for the proposed policy update with a focus on justifying the minimum size limit for an old growth stand, explaining the conditions of removal, specifying monitoring p...
When making decisions about forest and environmental management, managers and policymakers often rely upon scientific knowledge. There is a well‐documented ‘knowledge–integration gap’ where often the production of knowledge and its use are not aligned. Though there are several theoretical frameworks that conceptualize how knowledge is exchanged bet...
Earlier spring and earlier onset of growth, as a consequence of climate change, may expose trees and crops to increased risk of exposure to frost damage. In this study, we compare the frequency of frost rings in three regions [Porcupine Provincial Forest (PPF; north-latitude); Duck Mountain Provincial Forest (DMPF; mid-latitude) and Riding Mountain...
In this commentary, we argue that mine assessments in transboundary watersheds, 1) underestimate risk, 2) rely on the promise of mitigations that lack field validation, and 3) do not require incorporation of transparent, independent, and peer-reviewed science. we urge our governments to honor their mutual obligations to protect our shared transboun...
Genetic sequencing informs research, policy, and regulatory decisions that impact national priorities like agriculture, forestry, and human health. Emerging high-throughput sequencing (HTS) technologies are disrupting these sectors by providing precise information more quickly, thus raising concerns regarding responsible adoption by governments. Th...
Populations of Canada Warbler (Cardellina canadensis) are declining in Canada's Atlantic Northern Forest. Land conservancies and government agencies are interested in identifying areas to protect populations, while some timber companies wish to manage forests to minimize impacts on Canada Warbler and potentially create future habitat. We developed...
Maintaining a functionally connected network of high-quality habitat is one of the most effective responses to biodiversity loss. However, the spatial distribution of suitable habitat may shift over time in response to climate change. Taxa such as migratory forest landbirds are already undergoing climate-driven range shifts. Therefore, patches of c...
Plant traits—the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants—determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research sp...
Tebufenozide (Mimic) kills Lepidoptera larvae that ingest it. Aerial applications of tebufenozide were made against spruce budworm ( Choristoneura fumiferana (Clemens)) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in boreal forest in Manitoba, Canada, in 1999 and 2000. In 2000 and 2001, moths in sprayed and unsprayed plots were sampled with light traps; trapping was...
The Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi) and Canada Warbler (Cardellina canadensis) are threatened landbirds in Canada and parts of the U.S. Both species are subjects of recent conservation and management interest. Protected areas are a key tool for managing populations of species at risk, and Canadian national parks may serve as important ref...
Tree mortality is a key driver of forest dynamics and its occurrence is projected to increase in the future due to climate change. Despite recent advances in our understanding of the physiological mechanisms leading to death, we still lack robust indicators of mortality risk that could be applied at the individual tree scale. Here, we build on a pr...
Canada's boreal forest region is among the most extensive and largely intact ecosystems on earth, but has experienced rapid industrial development in the last half-century. Calls for urgent conservation action have been prompted by the increasing pace of development and declines in biodiversity, including songbirds. To assist conservation decision...
British Columbia has the greatest biological diversity of any province or territory in Canada. Yet more and more species in British Columbia are threatened with extinction and require active measures for protection and recovery. The current patchwork of provincial laws and regulations managing wildlife and their habitats has not effectively prevent...
Since being elected in 2015, Canada’s federal Liberal government has taken steps to overhaul major environment-related laws and policies, including federal environmental assessment (EA) and regulatory processes. During 2016–2017, a government-appointed panel toured Canada and received >1000 suggestions from diverse sectors of society regarding EA r...
We compared the text of the federal government's proposed Impact Assessment Act against a series of recommendations made by scientific researchers. Overall, we found that the proposed Act received a grade of D, and failed to meet many key components of scientific openness and rigour. More information on the project is available at www.y2y.net/stron...
This technical report provides a method and maps for locating high-priority areas for conservation and management of Canada Warbler in Canada's Atlantic Northern Forest. It is intended to be paired with on-the-ground habitat guidelines based on conservation or management objectives. Please visit the project webpage to see all reports, papers, maps,...
This technical report on managing Canada Warbler habitat in Bird Conservation Region 14 in Canada is intended to be paired with spatial prioritization modelling for conservation and management. Please visit the project webpage to see all reports, papers and data in English and French at http://www.borealbirds.ca/index.php/species-at-risk.
For more information about this project and Evidence for Democracy, visit https://evidencefordemocracy.ca/en/research/reports/bc.
Tree mortality is a key factor influencing forest functions and dynamics, but our understanding of the mechanisms leading to mortality and the associated changes in tree growth rates are still limited. We compiled a new pan-continental tree-ring width database from sites where both dead and living trees were sampled (2,970 dead and 4,224 living tre...
To effectively conserve species at risk (SAR), it is important to understand their ecology at multiple scales, including stand-level habitat associations and landscape-level distribution. The Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus), Olive-Sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi), and Canada Warbler (Cardellina canadensis) are listed landbird species at ris...
To accomplish the objectives of a long-term ecological monitoring program (LTEM), repurposing research data collected by other researchers is an alternative to original data collection. The Boreal Avian Modelling (BAM) Project is a 10-year-old project that has integrated the data from >100 avian point-count studies encompassing thousands of point-c...
Armillaria spp. are a complex of fungal pathogens affecting populations of trees worldwide, including upland black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.). In central Canada, upland black spruce stands are severely infested with Armillaria root disease, which can kill trees across wide areas. In 2007-2008, infected dead and asymptomatic living trees...
Questions
Questions (4)
Species distribution models (SDMs) are an incredibly common tool for predicting species occurrence, occupancy, or abundance on the landscape. There are many methods (Maxent, ANN, regression trees, etc.), and most authors validate their SDMs statistically (area under the curve, selection frequencies of bootstrapped runs, etc.). However, the gold standard would be:
1. Statistically validating
2. Calibrating the model using field data as related to conservation objectives (e.g. setting thresholds of 'good' habitat)
3. Verifying the model using a completely independent field-collected dataset based on the model. As in, you go out to the sites predicted to be good/bad or high/low, and measure if this is indeed the case.
I've found a couple of papers that do #2, and only one that does #3 (Johnson & Gillingham 2004 in Environmental Conservation). If you know of any papers that do #2 or #3, please let me know.
Spoiler alert: Soon, I'm going to publish an SDM that does #1, 2, and 3. But I'd like to cite other examples, if there are any.
Although climax communities are assumed to be the endpoint of ecological succession, some believe that there is no such thing... that a community never actually reaches a climax. I will be holding a debate with my botany/ecology students on this issue.
I am looking for a paper to provide to them which gives good background for such a debate. Does anyone know of a good article or paper? Good readability and relatively simple language would be preferred.
I'm studying forest forest cover and structure across several site conditions (treatments), comparing samples taken even 10m along a transect. I'm comparing averages across treatments, but also variance as well. I'm using variance as a measure of patchiness in my sites. Basically, I'm operating on the assumption that if variance across a transect is high, the habitat it more heterogenous. If it's low, it's more homogenous. Thus, comparing the variance allows me to evaluate the relative patchiness of variables in different treatments. Although I recall seeing this approach used plenty if times, I can't for the life of me find foundational references for it. Does anyone have any references for papers that have done this, or used variance as a proxy for patchiness in general? I'm having a tough time finding any.
Preferably, something my students could understand and use without too much difficulty. I've tried searching extensively, but alas, nothing came up.
