The University's new Centre for Environmental Disturbance Assessment Research (CEDAR) has received a grant from the Vancouver Foundation to study two "species of concern" on Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands).

The research will focus on two small owls: the Queen Charlotte Northern Saw-whet owl and the Vancouver Island Screech Owl. Both are distinct subspecies from their mainland cousins, and both have been identified as "species of concern" because little is known about the impact that human land use has on the biology of these species.

"Logging of mature forests and spreading urbanization are affecting the habitat of these threatened owls, and while they seem to be able to survive in altered landscapes, we really don't know how much they are being affected," says Biology professor Ken Otter, who will be coordinating the research with graduate students Carmen Holschuh and Tania Tripp. "CEDAR is taking a unique approach to studying the problem, which includes using both behavioural and genetic techniques to measure the condition of the owls. This information will be useful on a broader scale, providing valuable information on how people, industry, and animal species can co-exist."

The goal of the project is to determine whether owls living in disturbed areas show signs of impact on their welfare. Researchers will analyze behaviours that are closely linked to the availability of food to determine if there is a difference between the owls living in mature forests compared to those in altered landscapes. They will also compare the DNA of owls occupying sites with various levels of disturbance, as recent studies have found that DNA variability can indicate the relative quality of individual animals.

Funded by a $10,000 grant from the Vancouver Foundation, the research also involves the Ministry of Water, Land & Air Protection, Ministry of Forests, Weyerhaeuser, and Madrone Consultants Ltd.