Mark A. Edwards
Ecology of Grizzly Bears in
the Mackenzie Delta Oil and Gas Development Area

Adjusting the size of a GPS/Argos linked telemetry
collar on an adult female grizzly bear in the Mackenzie Delta, NT
For barren-ground grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in the Northwest Territories
(NWT), the Mackenzie Delta represents both their northern boundary and the future
location for the proposed Mackenzie Gas Project. Here, the arctic climate, flora
and fauna are influenced by the Mackenzie River that flows north to the Arctic
Ocean. The area is characterized by long
winters and short, cool summers. Numerous lakes permeate the region and pingos
(a low hill or mound caused by hydrostatic pressure in areas that are underlain
with permafrost) are conspicuous features on the landscape. Grizzly bears in
this area undergo 6 to 7 months of winter dormancy and low biological productivity
in the area makes these grizzly bears especially vulnerable to anthropogenic
disturbance and climatic change. Over the past 3 years there has been a significant
level of oil and gas exploration in this area and plans are in place to construct
a pipeline through the Mackenzie Delta to ship natural gas to southern markets.
Relatively little information is available for this north-coastal population
but with increasing resource-extraction and human activity, grizzly bears in
the Delta will come under increasing pressure.
Wildlife Management in the Inuvik Region with support from the Inuvialuit
Game Council initiated a population study in fall 2001 to obtain current information
on the numbers, distribution and movements of grizzly bears in the Mackenzie
Delta – east to the Nunavut border. Within the development area there is a
need to assess the impacts on local and regional grizzly bears resulting from
increased hydrocarbon-extraction and associated activities. In 2001, the Department
of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development obtained movement and activity
data for 4 grizzly bears in the development area. In spring 2003, 10 GPS
(Global Positioning System) radio transmitters linked to the ARGOS satellite
system were deployed to increase the sample size in the study area. The primary
goal of my project is to describe

An aerial view of the Mackenzie Delta and the Ikhil
pipeline that supplies gas to the town of Inuvik.
seasonal home range size and distribution and to examine fine-scale movement
patterns of grizzly bears in the core development area and to identify key
habitats in order to model potential impacts of hydrocarbon-extraction activities
and assess the potential for anthropogenic disturbance and increased mortality
risk on grizzly bears. Using the latest advances in GPS technology and Geographic
Information Systems we will quantify the spatial and temporal movement patterns
of grizzly bears in the Mackenzie Delta oil and gas exploration and development
project area and assess the levels of risk posed by increased human activities
on bears that occupy home ranges in areas around or adjacent to existing and
proposed production facilities and associated pipelines. The objective is
to increase the sample size to ca. 20 grizzly bears per year covering all
sex and age classes with emphasis on resident adult females which form the
reproductive core of the population. Levels of risk will be assessed for different
sex, age, and reproductive classes of bears using scenario-based testing.
Potential impacts of mortalities resulting from exploration and development
activities will be assessed in relation to their impacts on the local and
regional populations

A hair sample and a claw shaving are collected for
carbon (13C) and nitrogen (15N) stable isotope analysis to determine trophic
position and the marine vs. terrestrial dietary composition
of grizzly bears using population projection models. To augment our understanding
of the ecology of this population, we will examine carbon and nitrogen isotopes
in hair and claw samples to explore the utility of this method for understanding
the diet of the bears and thus provide greater insight into possible management
regimes to reduce development impacts. The results of this project will provide
the information required to develop protocols for improving grizzly bear management
and sustainable harvest and preventing regional grizzly bear extirpation or
significant population declines in the face of increasing resource extraction
and human activities.
I am originally from Fredericton, New Brunswick where I completed my undergraduate
and Master of Science Degree in Biological Studies at the University of New
Brunswick. For my Master’s work I was researching short-tailed weasel habitat
use in an industrial forest. In September, 2001, I began my Doctoral studies
at the University of Alberta.
In addition to academic pursuits, I have worked as an ecological consultant
for Dillon Consulting Ltd. and as a wildlife biologist in Banff National Park.
I also participated in a Tiger Distribution study in Taman Negara National
Park in central Malaysia. I have traveled extensively in Canada, the United
States, Caribbean, Africa and Asia. I enjoy photography, hiking, canoeing
and am an avid fly-fisherman.
Contact information:
Mark A. Edwards
CW405 Biological Sciences Center
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada, T6G 2E9
Phone: (780) 492-7599
Fax: (780) 492-9234
Email: mae@ualberta.ca
John Nagy
Wildlife Management
Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development
Government of the N.W.T.
Bag Service #1
Inuvik, N.T., X0E 0T0
Phone: (867) 777-7305
Fax: (867) 777-2418
Email: john_nagy@gov.nt.ca
Andrew E. Derocher
CW405 Biological Sciences Center
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada, T6G 2E9
Phone: (780) 492-5570
Fax: (780) 492-9234
Email: derocher@ualberta.ca