Theses (Environmental Studies)

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Theses from the School of Environmental Studies.

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Unsettled futures: Pathways for Indigenous solidarity on Haida Gwaii
(2025) Weder, Julia; Rowe, James K.
Haida scholars and community leaders have made it clear that non-Haida people can (and should) contribute to the collective protection, well-being, and resilience of Haida Gwaii. There is a lack of clarity among many settlers, however, around their agency in the anti-colonial movement and methods for addressing settler colonial logics in the community. To address this gap, I reviewed literature on settler colonialism and non-Indigenous agency in collective social liberation, and conducted 13 interviews with Haida and non-Haida community members. I explored three research questions. (1) What approaches, practices, and tools have been successfully used by other communities and social practitioners/organizations to support settler (un)learning and transformation? I found that helping people foster deeper relationships with land and ancestry, exploring shared place-based histories, engaging in reading, discussion, and embodiment-based courses, and using art as a tool for knowledge-sharing are examples of effective social/educational tools. (2) What past or current spaces/movements on Haida Gwaii have fostered dialogue around settler responsibilities and conceptions of Haida sovereignty? A key finding was that Haida Gwaii has a rich history of alliances between Haida and settler peoples – in support of Haida title and resurgence, to protect Haida Gwaii’s lands and waters, and in resistance to corporate industrial invasion – which have been powerful sites of personal transformation and solidarity-building. (3) What approaches, practices, and tools might be effective for settlers in Daajing Giids with various perspectives to critically interrogate and transform mindsets around settler identity and Haida sovereignty? How can passive allies or more neutral residents be brought more into the fold of anti-colonial action? I found that among local community organizers, a politics based on relationships and shared interests (such as a connection to place and the health of the community’s air, water, and food sources) was favoured over a politics of identity, shame, and deference; the latter of which risks homogenizing or unnecessarily burdening the Haida community. Neutral or passive allies could be engaged by creating opportunities for in-person relationship-building and supporting residents in witnessing Haida business at potlatches and other political/cultural events. Ultimately, I saw great interest among participants to strengthen networks and practices of mutual aid, support one another in subverting settler colonial habits and structures, and continue to build popular social power that aligns with the interests of the Haida Nation.
The emergence of novel disturbance in Jasper National Park – evaluating the causes and implications of 100 years of landscape change using repeat photography
(2025) Tricker, James; Higgs, Eric
Recurring disturbance has a strong influence on the bounds of ecosystem variability. The concept historical range of variability (HRV) describes these bounds, providing a sense of the range of ecosystem characteristics exhibited in response to disturbance and recovery over time and space. Altered and novel disturbances can drive changes in ecosystem composition and configuration that depart from the HRV and lead to regimes shifts. In Jasper National Park, a systematic set of historical and repeated oblique photographs depict montane landcover in the aftermath of extensive fires in 1915 and a mountain pine beetle (MPB) outbreak in 2020/22. However, the MPB disturbance is historically unprecedented, and raises important questions about whether the characteristics of this event are within the HRV of the montane ecosystems. The focus of this dissertation is to apply a new workflow for deriving landcover maps from oblique photographs to evaluate the landcover changes that have occurred in the park’s montane ecoregion over the last 105 years. The workflow comprises a deep learning algorithm that automates the classification of landcover evident in grayscale and color oblique photographs and a georeferencing tool that incorporates these data into a GIS. I report on the accuracy of the data produced by the workflow (Chapter 2) and quantify the changes in composition and configuration of broad landcover types after the two disturbance events for a study area in the montane ecoregion (Chapter 3). A scenario planning exercise is then undertaken to evaluate the uncertainty surrounding the implications of these changes and the potential for future novel disturbance events (Chapter 4). Georeferencing accuracy using root-mean-square error for a subset of 7 images was 4.6 m and overall classification accuracy for the landcover map produced from oblique photographs using the new workflow was 68%. The change analysis in the montane ecoregion indicated that the MPB outbreak has returned a version of heterogeneity evident in 1915 to the landscape by reducing the dominance of mature conifer (both in composition and configuration) across the landscape. Four scenarios then describe alternative futures in the park based on different levels and combinations of ecological novelty and management intervention. The value of this research is to validate the development of a new workflow for analyzing historical and repeat photographs, increase the temporal depth of ecological monitoring in the park, and allow managers and restoration practitioners to develop a better understanding of how and where novel disturbance is altering ecological processes and could reoccur in the future.
Creating climate resilience: An arts-based approach for helping youth process climate anxiety and generate active hope
(2025) Guzman Skotnitsky, Sabrina; Shaw, Karena
As anthropogenic climate change advances, young people globally are experiencing alarmingly high rates of climate distress, including climate anxiety and ecological grief. Emerging data demonstrating the disproportionate psychological burden on young people and its wide-ranging impacts underscores the urgency to provide appropriate and accessible mental health supports. Despite this, research to date has largely focused on defining, scoping and typologizing climate emotions, rather than directly involving those most impacted in qualitative research to develop and evaluate interventions. Given participatory arts’ track record in promoting psychosocial benefits, this research explores 1) can visual artmaking and dialoguing help young people process climate anxiety and related eco-emotions? If so, how? And 2) in what ways might this arts-based approach help youth generate active hope, if at all? I investigate these questions through the design, piloting and evaluation of three visual artmaking and dialogue sessions with youth ages 17 – 21 in Victoria BC. As a Youth Participatory Action and Arts-based Research study participants contributed directly to theorization through interviews, original artwork and artist statements exploring climate anxiety and their visions for a climate resilient future. The sessions were found to support emotional processing through providing a dedicated time and resources to engage with climate emotions, a co-created safe space for youth, intentional prompts, and the interplay between individual and collective components. Participants reported an array of intersecting outcomes, including helping them identify specific thoughts and feelings, express emotions beyond words, release and transform so-called ‘negative’ emotions and foster feelings of pride and empowerment. The findings point towards the vital need for youth-led spaces in which they feel safe to express a wide palette of emotions about the climate crisis without expectation of resolution. Their visions of the future suggest that participants’ hope is gleaned from real-world examples of resilient human and more-than human systems and fueled by their commitment to protect and strengthen them. Ultimately this research emphasizes valuing both ‘negative’ and ‘positive’ climate emotions, the arts, and community as rich sources of wisdom and motivation to address the climate crisis.
Understanding moose population declines in salvage-logged landscapes: Impacts of forest harvest on juvenile moose habitat use and survival, maternal strategies, and predator-prey interactions in interior British Columbia
(2025) Boucher, Nicole Patricia; Fisher, Jason Thomas; Starzomski, Brian M.
Understanding how anthropogenic disturbances compound with natural stressors to influence wildlife during vulnerable life stages is critical for conserving biodiversity and informing management decisions. Juvenile ungulates, including moose (Alces alces) are often sensitive to disturbances that alter resource availability and predation risk, potentially leading to population declines. Across interior British Columbia, moose populations declined concurrently with extensive salvage logging following insect outbreaks – but the causes of these declines were poorly understood. In this dissertation, I sought to tease apart the mechanisms underlying moose population declines by examining how moose recruitment is shaped by habitat use, maternal habitat selection strategies, and predation in landscapes undergoing drastic changes from forest harvest, with a focus on vulnerable 7-8 month old calf moose. In Chapter 1, I investigated how the habitat selection and movement of wolf (Canis lupus), one of the main predators of moose in this system, is influenced by the cumulative effects of landscape change, and how forest harvest features are tied to wolf kill-sites of moose. The combined selection and movement responses by wolves to logging features, coupled with increased moose mortality sites associated with cutblocks, indicate that landscape change increases risk for moose. In Chapter 2, I explored how recruited (i.e., surviving from 7-8 months to 1 year old) and non-recruited juvenile moose move and select natural and anthropogenic features, and how this is influenced by maternal proximity. I found that while recruited juveniles avoided habitats with elevated predation risk and energetic costs, non-recruited juveniles lingered in these unsafe habitats, which likely reduced their survival. In Chapter 3, I assess seasonal habitat selection, maternal body condition, and previous recruitment success of adult female moose in relation to their success in recruiting older calves. Successful females exhibited riskier behavior, which likely offset nutritional deficits from previous recruitment successes and winter tick loads. In Chapter 4, I investigated how forest harvest features and silvicultural treatments shape predator and ungulate distributions, and their interactions, based on wildlife camera trap data. Predator and ungulate occurrences, and their spatial relationships, were linked to silvicultural treatments, not only patterns of forest harvest. In Chapter 5, I examine how use of forest harvest features influences juvenile moose survival, and whether this mortality risk was modified by body condition, long-term use, forage availability, weather, or predation risk from wolves and black bears (Ursus americanus). I demonstrated that anthropogenic disturbances create risky landscapes for juveniles from predation and hunting, regardless of modifying factors, and in addition to natural stressors such as parasitism, reduce juvenile survival. Overall, I find that forest harvest increases juvenile mortality and contributes to moose population declines by altering wolf spatial distributions and hunting efficiency, increasing predation risk for juvenile moose lingering in high-risk cutblocks unlike their more experienced maternal females which benefit from using these habitats, reshaping predator and ungulate distributions and their interactions, and ultimately, creating risky landscapes that reduce juvenile survival.
"We looked after all the salmon streams": traditional Heiltsuk cultural stewardship of salmon and salmon steams, a preliminary assessment
(2002) Jones, James Thomas; Turner, Nancy J.; West, Paul R.
There has been an increasing interest in aboriginal salmon stewardship practices by First Nations during recent years as Pacific salmon stocks decline in spite of scientific resource management. I undertook a representative study of Heiltsuk traditional salmon and salmon stream stewardship practices. My method was to combine literature and archival research with a collaborative, participatory action, interview project in the Heiltsuk community of Waglisla (Bella Bella). Despite some loss of traditional knowledge, due to dramatic disease induced population declines after European contact, followed by more than a century of federal and provincial policies of cultural assimilation, five specific practices central to stream stewardship were identified in addition to a requirement for exclusive systems of tenure. These were: one - stream clearing to ensure ease of entry for spawning salmon; two - selective harvesting of salmon; three - transplanting of salmon eggs; four - restricted hook and line fish harvesting through secret "hot spots"; and five - a "First Salmon" ritual ceremony that limited fishing when the annul runs were beginning. My study suggests that these practices were critical in perpetuating the reliable and abundant yields that supported relatively high populations of First Nations peoples. I also ascertained that salmon stewardship is just one manifestation of ancient care-taking ethics inextricably embedded in First Nations' cultures.
“Knowledge is power”: Re-imagining catch monitoring methods for the Kitasoo Xai’xais community-based fishery
(2024) Sleigh, Laurel; Ban, Natalie Corinna
Faced with the mounting cumulative effects of climatic changes and anthropogenic pressures, social-ecological systems like fisheries increasingly rely on monitoring processes to support their ability to effectively adapt. Practices of Indigenous-led fisheries monitoring processes, rooted in long-standing laws and traditions, persisted in what is now known as Canada until colonial governments prohibited and criminalized Indigenous management of fisheries. In recognizing the harm done to Indigenous peoples through federal fisheries policies, the Government of Canada recently committed itself to a historic reconciliation agreement called the Fisheries Resources Reconciliation Agreement. The Fisheries Resources Reconciliation Agreement establishes unique commercial fisheries called community-based fisheries in each of the signatory Nations’ territories while also committing the parties to co-management of priority species. As signatory to the Fisheries Resources Reconciliation Agreement, the Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation is looking to develop a multi-species catch monitoring program to inform the management of their community-based fisheries. This Master’s research was born from the Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation’s desire to develop a community-based fishery that balances the long-term resiliency of the marine environment with social well-being and economic viability in a manner that embodies their principles of stewardship. This research was carried out in partnership between the Kitasoo Xai’xais Stewardship Authority and the University of Victoria. The primary objective of the research was to establish a Nation-driven catch monitoring framework that could be used to inform the development of monitoring structures for the Kitasoo Xai’xais community-based fisheries stood up under the Fisheries Resources Reconciliation Agreement. The primary research questions advanced by this project are (1) What are successful community-led models of fisheries monitoring used in commercial small-scale fisheries across the globe?; (2) Based on past and present experience and future aspirations, what could a Kitasoo Xai’xais commercial fisheries monitoring program look like? Through a literature review of models of small-scale fisheries monitoring (Chapter 2), we found that participatory decision-making structures, collaborative research, and adaptive management practices were critical to the success of the models we studied. While the various catch monitoring programs and compliance structures we surveyed were distinct and context dependent, we learned that successful small-scale fisheries monitoring programs were firmly rooted in the communities’ values, customs, and practices. To answer the second research question, we used a participatory case study approach in partnership with Kitasoo Xai’xais Stewardship Authority staff (Chapter 3). We held semi-structured interviews with 8 knowledge holders in advance of the 2022 harvest season to understand past and present monitoring methods used in Kitasoo Xai’xais territory, and desired direction of a monitoring program. These interviews emerged from the Nation’s desire to recognize and build upon existing systems of fisheries monitoring in the territory. The key outcome for this work includes a dockside catch monitoring interview guide aimed at gathering socio-ecological information from harvesters upon their return from a fishing trip. After two seasons of the dockside monitoring pilot program, we carried out 8 post-season interviews with knowledge holders. The lessons learned from the dockside catch monitoring pilot were reinforced by the recommendations of knowledge holders around the development of a monitoring system for the Nation’s community-based fishery. Together, we collaboratively documented a suite of key elements comprising the community’s vision for the Fisheries Resources Reconciliation Agreement monitoring structure. Our research establishes a foundation for a Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation-led monitoring structure that centres both Indigenous and western knowledge systems. The recommendations gathered through this project can be mobilized by the Nation to advance the Kitasoo Xai’xais perspective around community-based fisheries monitoring structures at government-to-government planning tables set up under the Fisheries Resources Reconciliation Agreement. The findings from this research may be relevant to other small-scale fisheries in Canada and internationally, where managers are interested in designing more holistic and participatory systems of community-led catch monitoring. Our research contributes to the growing body of literature that is driven by Indigenous priorities in order to inform Nation governance objectives.
Contributions to the ethnoecology of G̱aalG̱ahlyan/Galgahl’yáan northern abalone (Haliotis kamtschatkana) in Haida Gwaii
(2024) Rhodes, Chris; Ban, Natalie Corinna
It is generally accepted that we humans have both entered, and caused, the sixth mass extinction of life on Earth. As humanity continues to degrade ecosystems on local, regional, and planetary scales, we are affecting a social condition scientists call the shifting baselines syndrome (SBS), wherein each generation of people come to regard a progressively poorer environment as “natural.” The concept was first described for the oceans, where biodiversity loss, particularly in marine fisheries, has been documented for decades, from local to global scales. It is well established that, historically, a failure to prioritize or even include ecosystem effects in many government-run fisheries, including those managed by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in Canada, has led to the gross mismanagement of stocks, and has contributed to many fisheries’ declines, along with a general neglect of the importance of fisheries for local communities, specifically Indigenous Peoples, for both subsistence and culture. By minimizing or omitting the importance of ecosystem effects and Indigenous Peoples’ relationships with local fisheries, an essential part of sustainable management has been lost. Such is the case with the endangered marine gastropod Haliotis kamtschatkana, northern abalone, a culturally salient species for the Haida Nation. This dissertation focuses on a case study of a commercial abalone fishery and its multigenerational impacts on the Haida and their homeland, Haida Gwaii. I draw on theoretical and methodological approaches in the interdisciplinary field of ethnoecology to answer: How have differing worldviews and relationships towards abalone and the natural world—as reflected in divergent approaches to harvesting and management—come to shape the history and current status of abalone in Haida Gwaii? How has the decline of a culturally important species affected an Indigenous Nation? What does the framing of shifting baseline syndrome contribute to analyzing knowledge and decline of a culturally important species? What are some ways of overcoming shifting baselines? Findings from semistructured interviews with multiple generations of Haida Knowledge Holders indicate abalone are imbricated in Haida life in many ways, including matters of historical, social, cultural, nutritional, economic, symbolic, spiritual, artistic, and political significance. The historic non-Haida boom-and-bust commercial abalone fishery in the 1970s–80s and the resulting moratorium in 1990 were found to have cascading impacts on multiple generations of Haidas and their ability to sustain customary harvesting practices. The rapid collapse of abalone stocks was found to have caused a loss of experiences and intergenerational transmission of Haida Knowledge, findings that accord with other recent applications of the SBS to Indigenous Knowledge. Historic and ongoing fisheries and conservations policies are shown to be causing the SBS. And yet, the Haida response to the abalone crisis presented examples to prevent and reverse SBS, including measures to restore the abalone populations with data collection and monitoring programs, public education initiatives, and reducing the extinction of abalone experiences for young Haida through a variety of measures. Haida Knowledge of abalone has largely been ignored in past abalone management and fisheries paradigms; however, the continuation of this knowledge is critical to future management of abalone in Haida Gwaii. Findings here highlight the need for conservation policies to evolve to support, rather than suppress, the intergenerational transmission of Haida Knowledge of abalone.
The salt cod saga: Examining drivers of decline in the Pacific cod fishery (1915-1940)
(2024) Moore, Karoline I.; McClenachan, Loren
Marine historical ecology and environmental history aim to reconstruct past fisheries to reveal ecological changes and human-ocean relationships. Most existing research emphasizes prominent fisheries with lasting economic and cultural impacts, often overlooking lesser-known fisheries, such as the early 20th-century Pacific salt cod fishery. This fishery operated in the shadow of the dominant Atlantic cod, failing to gain similar significance, and has remained largely understudied. This research investigates the sociopolitical factors influencing the decline of the Pacific salt cod fishery in the 1930s, while also examining the changing relative abundance of Pacific cod during its operation. Utilizing the historical journal Pacific Fisherman, which documented contemporary fishery operations, this research identifies key constraints: limited markets, shifting consumer preferences, and high operational costs hindered mechanisation and product competitiveness in a changing societal landscape. Furthermore, localized depletions and a trend of decreasing fish body size occurred during the fishery's lifespan. The results suggest that the fishery's failure was profoundly shaped by its societal, political, and temporal contexts, particularly as it declined while other fisheries industrialised. This thesis addresses the gap in literature concerning the decline of the Pacific cod fishery and contributes to the understanding of lesser-studied, pre-industrial fisheries. It offers valuable insights into the importance of reconstructing historical fisheries data, especially when such data are scarce.
“A new way of working” – Expanding First Nations involvement in British Columbia’s renewable energy sector
(2024) Peng, Lauren; Shaw, Karena
As the climate crisis worsens, there is growing urgency to transition away from GHG intensive energy systems, which has prompted extensive efforts to advance renewable energy alternatives. Within British Columbia (BC), the Provincial Government has set emissions reduction targets which will stimulate a need for more clean energy sources to support decarbonization efforts in the years to come. Over the last few decades, many First Nations in BC have expanded their involvement in renewable energy development on their territories through small-scale and community-owned renewable energy projects, advancing these projects as an avenue for self-determination, a source of economic opportunity, self-sufficiency, and energy security. Many First Nations in BC have expressed a desire to continue growing their involvement in the renewable energy sector and are well positioned to meet the growing demand for clean electricity sources. However, many have also faced institutional barriers that have stymied their efforts to advance these ambitions. This thesis begins by developing an analysis of how energy policy and governance in BC shapes opportunities for First Nations involvement in renewable energy development. It then draws upon interviews with Indigenous and non-Indigenous experts working in the field of renewable energy development to better understand First Nations’ aspirations for involvement in BC’s renewable energy sector, the barriers that are inhibiting these aspirations, and potential pathways to overcome these barriers. Interviewees expressed clear aspirations for self-determination, self-sufficiency, and meaningful partnerships across the electricity system. Insights from interviews combined with the policy and landscape analysis clarified barriers embedded in utility models, mandates, policies, and processes that constrain these aspirations, and highlighted potential pathways to more effectively advance goals of ‘reconciliation’ through the renewable energy sector. Findings emphasize that First Nations are not solely seeking to expand their involvement in energy at the local level, but are also seeking fundamental change to the electricity system that would enable meaningful, self-determined partnerships with the state where First Nations can play a role in energy governance more broadly, and can work collaboratively with the state to achieve shared goals. Advancing these goals will require establishing trust-based and equitable partnerships between First Nations and state energy actors to enable greater collaboration within energy governance and decision-making, as well as institutional changes to policies, decision-making processes, and mandates in support of this work.
Biophysical survey and state of sustainability assessment for coastal shrimp aquaculture : a case study of the Upper Gulf of Thailand
(1996) Miller, Paul John
Thailand is currently the world's leading producer of farmed shrimp. Shrimp farming in most coastal regions has experienced explosive growth primarily through the intensification of methods and the expansion of culture area. The industry generates a combined annual revenue of $US 2 billion to produce some 229,000 MT of farmed shrimp. This dominance in the shrimp industry, representing approximately one-fifth of global total, has only been achieved by a substantial increase in shrimp farming effort. The potential for export revenue has also attracted high risk capital and has been nationally supported. The 'success' in the application of these intensive monoculture methods can be attributed to the use of adverse practices and at the expense of the biophysical environment. The sustainability of the industry is now being seriously questioned. This questioning has fostered a realization of the inherent problems at all levels ranging from farm-level practices to national policies. The assumption that coastal shrimp aquaculture is a low risk high-profit operation is no longer valid. Examples of the negative effects of the rapid development of coastal areas to establish shrimp farms are numerous and widespread. Severe environmental, human health and socioeconomic impacts are now prevalent in many shrimp farming regions. This research focused on the collapse of the Upper Gulf shrimp industry from 1989 to 1991. This region, formerly the highest shrimp producer, now experiences a recurring pattern of shrimp farm failure. Large scale abandonment of shrimp farms located on previously productive areas for other land uses has led to land alienation. The extent of degradation and environmental damage is severe, potentially irreversible, and to date has not been restored or rehabilitated. This interdisciplinary thesis conducted an in-depth analysis focused on the biophysical aspects of sustainability at both the farm- and pond-level of the Upper Gulf province of Samut Sakhon. Direct field observations and data collection, using qualitative and quantitative methods, demonstrated the complex nexus of environmental (physical, biological and chemical) and socio-economic factors which have contributed to the current status of the industry. The results indicate that fundamental changes are required to improve the sustainability of the industry. In sharp contrast to these results, the industry continues to expand rapidly in other regions of Thailand and to other countries seeking to cash in on the potential export earnings. This prevalent mentality suggested an immediate response and forced the author to organize the research using an integrative approach to assess the sustainability issues. Previous work on sustainability has been concentrated along disciplinary lines, and dominated by sectoral interests. Most studies have not considered the fundamental requirements of sustainability i.e. integration and equal consideration of socioeconomic, economic and environmental concerns. Field observations from Samut Sakhon found the pattern of shrimp farm failure followed a characteristic cycle. Investigation of this cycle determined the many causes of farm cycle failure. Further, the observed responses to shrimp farm failures has resulted in a number of post production land uses. These responses were grouped into a 'report card' of progress towards sustainability. A complete sustainability analysis of the industry was then the logical next step. Five key sustainability indicators, grouped in either: environmental, human health-ecosystem health or socioeconomic, were selected to reveal the negative trends observed in the field investigation. For the moment, they are almost all negative in terms of sustainability. Analysis of the negative trends revealed by the indicators led to the conclusion that These barriers were organized in terms of institutional factors. Solutions to overcoming these barriers to sustainability are proposed by reverse application of these factors in a positive way. This thesis makes a substantial contribution to analyzing the sustainability of Thai shrimp farms. However, the research on sustaibaility is far from complete. The author suggests several future key indicators for further work that was not possible within the scope of this thesis.
Integral community development in San Juan Del Gozo, El Salvador.
(2002) Hochachka, Gail
In this thesis, I inquire into the successes and limitations of conventional development, and explore alternative definitions and routes to a sustainable development, looking particularly at the community level. I begin with a critique of the conventional development model which, while it has successes, is limited in that it is primarily fed by growth-based economic policies that rely exclusively on instrumental rationality in lieu of self-reflection and communicative rationality. Thus, I address these limitations with a philosophical and practical inquiry into alternative concepts and processes that integrate social equity, economic stability and ecological sustainability, as well as the inner dimensions of transformational change, such as individual worldviews, cultural norms, morals, values, ethics and spirituality. I emphasize that these "inner dimensions" are crucial in moving towards equitable and sustainable societies (as described in integral theory) , but have often been left out of the development process. Thus, integral community development arises from combining "critical" alternative strategies (namely, community economic development and ecodevelopment) with the "interiority" of integral studies. I apply this integral approach to local development in the community of San Juan del Gozo, El Salvador, using community-based participatory action research methodology embedded in the complexities of the human psyche, culture and worldviews. Re-conceptualizing "development" requires an expansion of its definition to include the unfolding of human awareness and worldviews, which set the course for a truly integral community development. As "development" expands and deepens to embrace the multi-dimensional aspects of the human psyche and of the community, and as participants in the process move away from egocentric actions to more worldcentric ones, aspects of the development process which are often perceived to be dichotomous, like economic growth and ecological sustainability, will merge.
Determining optimum seeding densities of a native plant mixture on degraded sites
(2003) Burton, Carla M.
Establishing vegetation to control erosion, rebuild the soil and improve the visual appearance of degraded sites is an important aspect of ecosystem restoration. However, the maintenance of biodiversity and ecosystem function, wildlife management and aesthetic appeal are also important factors . The use of native species for purposes of revegetation is an important consideration in addressing all of these issues, but there is little information regarding their use. An experiment was designed using native plant species to test seeding densities, fertilizer use, season of seeding and their interaction on six degraded sites in the northwestern interior of British Columbia. In the fall of 1999 and the spring of 2000, a single seed mixture consisting of a fixed proportion of20% Achi//ea millefolium, 20% Festuca occidentalis, 20% Elymus glaucus, 20% Carex aenea, 16% Geum macrophyllum and 4% Lupinus polyphyllu was applied at six different densities at all replicate locations. A total of 24 treatment combinations were applied in 2.5 m by 2.5 m rototilled test plots at each location. Seed densities tested were 0, 375, 750, 1500, 3000 and 6000 pure live seed (PLS)/m2 in fall- and spring-sown plots. At all sites, commercial fertilizer (18-18-18 N-P-K) was applied in one plot of each density treatment; a corresponding density treatment plot was left untreated. Plots were monitored for plant density and cover for two years, at the end of each growing season. The highest mean cover (62%) was achieved after two growing seasons in the fertilized spring plots sown at 6000 PLS/m2. However, statistical tests revealed that there was no significant difference in cover between densities of 3000 and 6000 PLS/m2 in the first year. By the second year, there was no significant difference in cover between densities of 1500, 3000 and 6000 PLS/m2. There was no significant difference between fall seeding and spring seeding, and there were few treatment interactions. Results revealed that exotic cover declined significantly in Year 2, especially in plots sown at densities of 3000 and 6000 PLS/m2. There was also significantly less cover of exotic species in the unfertilized plots in Year 1. By Year 2, this trend was no longer significant and the cover of exotics was similar in both the fertilized and unfertilized plots. Based on the results of this experiment, it is concluded that native plant seed can be successfully used to restore vegetation cover on degraded sites. A revised seeding mix consisting of Achillea millefolium, Festuca occidentalis, Elymus glaucus and Lupinus polyphyllus is recommended for use with fertilizer to achieve the best cover. If rapid cover establishment in the first growing season is required, seeding densities of at least 3000 PLS/m2are recommended. Densities of 1500 PLS/m2 are acceptable if rapid establishment of cover is not essential. Seeding densities of 3000 to 6000 PLS/m2 are recommended for exotic species control where the cover of exotic plants is expected to be greater than >3.3%.
Towards ecosystem-based urban governance : the role of community-based stream stewardship groups
(2001) Botelho, Zita Marie
This study endeavors to demonstrate the importance of communities and civil society, in making our cities more ecologically sustain_able. Water is the ecological component that is the point of departure for this thesis. The stewardship of water, specifically, community based stream stewardship is examined as a vehicle for using ecosystem-based governance to manage environmental problems in a systematic way to mitigate and prevent the further degradation of our urban areas. The thesis discusses the integration of ecosystem-based management and urban governance theory. The study used a multi-method methodology including a program evaluation framework, interviews with over thirty stewardship group members, NGOs and government officials and a detailed case study. The case study includes a profile of the watershed and reviews applicable jurisdictional and legal considerations that are relevant to a discussion of stream stewardship and local governance. The program evaluation conducted examined the characteristics of "successful" stewardship groups and was applied to four survey cases. The results compiled contributed to the evaluation applied to the case study of the Hagan Creek/KENNES Watershed project located on Southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The findings of this study demonstrate that community-based stream stewardship groups are making important contributions to ecosystem-based governance. They are catalysts for interdepartmental (engineers, planners and policy people) , and multiple levels of government cooperation. Stewardship groups collect data and local historical information on an ecosystem basis and are building a common understanding of ecosystem issues. Stream stewardship groups are changing social values & educating both the public & government officials about local ecosystem conditions.
Whose Values on Whose Lands? An Exploration of Perspectives on Indigenous Conservation Financing in Canada
(2024) Popa, Audrey Maria; Peredo , Ana María
While Indigenous knowledge is increasingly recognized as crucial in addressing the global environmental crisis, the application of Indigenous knowledge(s) in environmental management realms remains underfunded globally, posing significant challenges to the effective stewardship of lands and waters. Conservation finance, defined as mechanisms that generate, manage, and deploy financial resources for environmental conservation, has recently emerged as an alternative to traditional grant funding for conservation activities. However, little research has documented conservation finance in practice, specifically, the emerging mechanisms which support Indigenous stewardship and conservation in Canada, and their impacts. This research asks: 1) What is the current landscape of Indigenous conservation finance in Canada? And 2) What are the key perceptions of peoples involved in these conservation finance initiatives? A Postcolonial Critical Realism methodological approach, a theoretical literature review, a landscape analysis, and semi-structured interviews were conducted to answer both these research questions. The landscape overview found that Indigenous conservation finance in Canada is diverse in mechanism type, size, and location and is evolving as Indigenous Peoples imbed local values in mechanisms and financing processes. Perspectives on these mechanisms varied; nonetheless, two key characteristics of the sector emerged: firstly, its association with extractive industries, and secondly, the role of conservation finance mechanisms in either reinforcing colonial values or resisting them. How values were enmeshed in these mechanisms greatly impacted the outcomes of initiatives, and power was demonstrated in ways in which communities could influence what was financed and how it was financed. This research contributes to the field of scholarship on conservation finance, mainly as it explores how financial mechanisms can support or subvert Indigenous values through their design.
Catalyzing Local Climate Action: Can Regional Collaboration Support Transformative Change?
(2024) Pearce, Katherine Rebecca; Shaw, Karena
The urgent threat of climate change demands an unprecedented scale of transformation, calling for new ways of thinking about how institutions can address the challenge. A multiplicity of responses at various scales have emerged, including the burgeoning role of local governments, which have a key role to play in effective climate policy and implementation, yet also face barriers that can constrain climate action. As well as lack of capacity and resources, political will, and institutional challenges, local governments are constrained by geographical scales and tiers of governance, as climate action and impacts frequently extend beyond jurisdictional boundaries. This study sought to address a critical gap in knowledge related to regionally coordinated climate action in Canada, integrating insights from an interdisciplinary set of literature and building upon O’Brien’s (2018) three spheres of transformation framework in order to draw out the potential for regional collaboration to support transformative climate action. Specifically, the study aimed to identify the primary barriers to advancing climate action in the Vancouver Island and Coastal region of British Columbia from the perspective of local government staff and elected officials, and to explore whether and how these barriers could be more effectively navigated through regional scale collaboration. Data were collected through 15 semi-structured interviews and thematically analyzed to identify climate action barriers and enablers. The study revealed key barriers in three thematic categories – resistance, capacity, and governance, with barriers related to resistance and governance being more deeply entrenched but also offering greater opportunities to leverage transformational change. Mapping these barriers onto O’Brien’s three spheres suggests a need to move beyond behavioural changes and technologies to target deeper leverage points related to systems, structures, and the personal sphere in order to achieve the transformational change required to respond to climate change. The study illuminated potential actions at various scales of governance to address resistance, capacity, and governance challenges. Collaboration, a significant enabler at the regional scale, offers the opportunity to address barriers to climate action through supporting horizontal and vertical alignment on policy and communications, sharing resources, building capacity and using existing capacity more effectively, supporting personal and collective resilience, and advocating collectively for needs. These findings indicate strong potential for catalyzing action through greater coordination at multiple governance scales, including the regional scale, providing hope that a collaborative approach might help to unlock necessary transformative change.
Feeding Our Spirit: Connecting Plants, Health, Place and Identity. Renewing Ethnobotanical Knowledge in the Skwxwú7mesh First Nation
(2024) Joseph, Leigh; Mathews, Darcy; Cuerrier, Alain
In a time of Indigenous Resurgence, interrelationships with culturally important plants are key to the health and well-being of Canadian Indigenous Peoples. I work with my home community of Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) First Nations in British Columbia. My research is conducted within the context of the Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) crisis in Indigenous communities across Canada. Type 2 Diabetes is five times higher than the general population and diagnosis is happening at younger ages. Drawing on theoretical and methodological approaches in ethnobotany, ethnobiology, and Indigenous Studies— and framing health and wellness from a Skwxwú7mesh perspective that considers physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health—I answer four interrelated questions: How might developing an indigenizing and decolonizing approach to ethnobotany move the field forward to the benefit of the communities we work with, and situate the discipline as a positive contributor to Indigenous cultural-political resurgence in Canada? How can culturally important plants help connect a person’s sense of health (physical, spiritual, and emotional) to place? What do the connections between plants, health and place mean to the participants themselves? What role do culturally important plants play in developing approaches to addressing T2D from an Indigenous conceptualization of health viewpoint? These questions emerge from overarching themes and priorities that have Skwxwú7mesh expressed in initial discussions and consultation. The results of this study will inform the Skwxwú7mesh First Nations practices on culturally rooted approaches to health through rebuilding Indigenous plant relationships. The results of this work also provide a framework for other Indigenous communities interested in reconnecting with their traditional plant practices and addressing Type 2 Diabetes in a culturally relevant way.
Using remote camera traps to monitor population demographics and community ecology of divii (Dall’s sheep): Part of a community-based monitoring program in the Northern Richardson Mountains, NT
(2024) Goward, Sydney Lee; Fisher, Jason Thomas; Lantz, Trevor Charles
The warming Arctic is undergoing rapid ecological change, influencing wildlife populations, mammal community interactions, and ultimately, the persistence of many species. Collecting the species monitoring data required for sound stewardship decisions in these remote areas is a major challenge. Remote wildlife cameras, facilitated through community-based monitoring programs, offer a solution to provide these critical data. In this thesis, I employed novel methods in remote camera trapping as part of a community-based monitoring program to investigate Dall’s sheep population demography and predator-prey dynamics with grizzly bears. In Chapter 2, I explored the ability of remote wildlife cameras to estimate population demographics (lamb:nursery, ram:nursery, and ram classification proportions), as compared to currently standardized aerial surveys. These metrics are imperative to assessing population status and predicting population trends. I found that camera data, accumulated sufficiently through time and discretized in appropriate biological seasons produced reliable lamb:nursery, ram:nursery, and ram classification proportions comparable to those obtained from aerial surveys, and produced similar population status trends between the two methods. To my knowledge, this is the first study employing remote cameras to estimate productivity (lamb:nursery ratio) and adult sex ratios in a wild, un-marked sheep population, and marks a significant advancement in wildlife monitoring with remote cameras. In Chapter 3, I examined the temporal coexistence of Dall’s sheep and grizzly bears, in a core habitat area, at different times of the year. I used remote camera data to derive a time-to-event model investigating if and how grizzly bears are tracking nursery groups and ram bands. I also evaluated the differences and similarities in diel activity patterns between the species to estimate temporal niche partitioning. I found clear temporal segregation of nursery groups and grizzly bears, and showed that grizzly bears were more closely tracking nursery groups than ram bands, especially early in the spring when lambs are most vulnerable to predation. The results indicate that camera traps can yield fine-resolution insights into predator-prey relationships. This study provides a new method to monitor Dall’s sheep population demography, as well as new information on Dall’s sheep and grizzly bear relationships. Incorporating a remote camera system into wildlife monitoring programs allows for a more comprehensive examination of demography, while fostering an opportunity to explore further questions related to community-based monitoring and management.
Evaluating the impacts of anthropogenic development on large mammals across protected and industrialized landscapes in Western Canada
(2024) Smith, Rebecca M; Fisher, Jason T; Shackelford, Nancy
Anthropogenic landscape development leads to substantial habitat loss and fragmentation, with large mammals among the most strongly impacted. In this thesis, I used wildlife camera traps across landscapes in Western Canada to investigate two landscape-level management actions for development. First, protected areas (PAs) control development within their boundaries, so they provide refuge to wildlife from many anthropogenic disturbances. Despite their prevalence, many PAs fall short of protecting species and habitats. Since PAs are intrinsically linked to their surrounding lands, pressures outside of PAs can be sources of mortality for mammals using habitat that spans boundaries. To improve our understanding, Chapter Two of this thesis examined the relative impacts of landscape development inside and outside of PAs on large mammals. Species occurrences were best predicted by models that comprised both inside- and outside-PA development, demonstrating that PAs do not offer the full protection they are mandated to. Most of the land on earth, however, remains unprotected, so conservation relies on species persistence in unprotected regions with active development. The composition and configuration of habitat resulting from development has been found to influence species distributions, but configuration is often disregarded as influential in landscapes with less than 70% total habitat loss. Chapter Three examines the relative influences of landscape composition and configuration on large mammal species distributions across a petroleum extraction region. Both configuration and composition were revealed as important, and the specific measures of configuration that explained species occurrence showed that resulting landscape configuration from development restructures the ecological mechanics of ecosystems. Together these results can be used to inform landscape management practices across North America to conserve large mammal species.
Framing reciprocal contributions across Indigenous and artisanal fisheries: Exploring cases, conflicts, and future pathways
(2024-02-14) Ojeda, Jaime; Ban, Natalie
Throughout human history, Indigenous and local communities have been stewards of nature. Their practices often embody the value of reciprocity, fostering positive contributions of humans with other components of nature. Yet, during colonization, and more specifically with the rise of neoliberal policies and the dominance of market worldviews, we have become distanced from this nature-people reciprocity. Concepts like "ecosystem services" provide a framework for comprehending the vital functions that ecosystems play in many facets of human existence. However, they also inadvertently narrow the discourse to a unidirectional relationship: nature serving people. This perspective can obscure our responsibilities to care for and sustain the environment. In this dissertation, I unpack the nature-people reciprocity, exploring its theoretical and practical relevance for social-ecological systems. I frame this work in one of the oldest biocultural interactions: marine fishing practices. This dissertation has five chapters. In the introductory Chapter, I outline the rationale and objectives of the study, highlighting the gaps in current understandings of nature-people reciprocity. In the second Chapter, I introduce the concept of “reciprocal contributions,” which encompasses actions, interactions, and experiences between people and other components of nature that result in positive contributions and feedbacks that accrue to both directly or indirectly across different dimensions and levels (Chapter 2). Following this conceptual chapter, I draw on two case studies to understand how reciprocal contributions can emerge with a bi-hemispherical approach in diverse fishing settings. First, in Haida Gwaii (North America), I partnered with the Council of Haida Nation, Haida Fisheries, to research the ancestral relationships between Haidas and abalone, examining their reciprocal contributions. Here, I interviewed Haida knowledge holders who have lived through the tragedy of the commercial abalone fishing boom and subsequent decline. In this chapter, I discuss the harms of overfishing on reciprocal contributions to review the past and rethink future abalone management strategies (Chapter 3). Second, working with artisanal fishers in Patagonia (South America), I investigated the reciprocal contributions between these individuals and marine life, especially seabirds. Employing both ethnographic and ecological methodologies, I explore the intricate relationships between fishers and seabirds and discuss how these reciprocal contributions can serve as tools for studying the complex interactions between humans and nature within an ecosystem-based management framework (Chapter 4). In the concluding Chapter, I reflect on the theoretical and practical implications of reciprocal contributions through the themes of nature-people relationships and fisheries management. Ultimately, I hope that this dissertation serves as work to resituate the importance of reciprocity.
Think Inside the Box: The Role of Sustainable Packaging in Environmentally Conscientious Shopping
(2024-01-05) Tottman, Walker; Peredo, Ana Maria
Based on public opinion, addressing plastic pollution is as imperative as solving climate change and biodiversity loss. One emerging market trend to solve plastic pollution is the shift towards plastic-free ‘sustainable packaging.’ However, pro-environmental solutions are not without risk of negative consequences. Previous research highlights how waste-reduction mechanisms – which sustainable packaging ostensibly represents – can alter consumer behaviours, reduce guilt, and increase overall consumption. Similarly, research suggests that sustainable packaging erroneously influences perceptions of a product’s and brand’s attributes favourably. While these data allude to a risk of compromising consumers' conscientiousness, the relation between sustainable packaging and environmentally conscientious shopping remains unknown. In this research, we ask: What is the relation between sustainable packaging and purchase intent, package and product evaluations, and pro-environmental behaviours? And second: What are the implications of sustainable packaging on the environmental conscientiousness of consumer habits? Using a mixed-method qualitative and quantitative survey from a sample of 156 Canadians, the results suggest: 1. A package's perceived level of sustainability positively influenced perceptions of the product's sustainability; 2. The footprint of a sustainable package was viewed disproportionately more favourable when it is on a conventional product; 3. Products with sustainable packaging received a higher purchase intent, regardless of whether the product itself is sustainable; 4. Sustainable packaging elicited more emotionally-positive, plastic-specific comments, without a concomitant increase in non-plastic-based environmental or negative comments; and 5. Consumers preferred pro-environmental behaviours that focus on plastic and packaging rather than product-focused pro-environmental behaviours. By influencing consumers’ perceptions and capitalizing on consumers’ focus on plastic packaging, we argue that sustainable packaging represents a new stage of greenwashing that corporations may co-opt as a market strategy.

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