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Data Collection
Data Collection
In this study, we chose two different sites to be our study areas and classified them as sites A and B. Both of these sites are found in northern Alberta, Canada within the Hay-Slave Lowlands Eco-province, as shown in figure 4. Within sites A and B, locations were identified based off of three categories: the presence of legacy cutlines, the presence of low-impact cutlines and the absence of cutlines. Each cutline treatment was assigned 10 different points -approximately a kilometer apart- for data collection. Data was collected by walking each cutline in the experiment once a week for three months (6 cutlines were walked a week) looking for evidence of wolf kills at each of the 10 points assigned to each cutline treatment. Trail cameras were also set up at each observation point for the duration of the experiment to track wolf behaviour and potentially observe a wolf predation event. Evidence of a wolf kill was considered to be the presence of a prey animal carcass or the visual sight of a prey animal being killed by a wolf.
We categorized the prey into three different categories based on size. These categories are small, medium and large. Small species included birds, small rodents and squirrels. The medium category included species such as rabbits, coyotes and other species within that range while the large category included species such as deer, caribou or moose.
Visual Elements
Visual Elements
Fig.1 A map showing the geographic location of sites A and B in Alberta, Canada. Green space on this map represent the area outside of Hay-Slave Lowlands that fall outside the local experimental area.
Fig.2 A map showing the locations of sites A and B in relation to each other.
Fig.3 A map showing the points studied in Low-impact cutlines, legacy cutlines and areas with no cutlines within Site A
Fig.4 A map showing the points studied in Low-impact cutlines, legacy cutlines and areas with no cutlines within Site B.
Statistical Analysis
Statistical Analysis
For this experiment, each site represents a replication of our experiment. Subsequently, we have a total of two replications, with three treatments across the experiment (3 treatments and n=2).
To statistically analyze our data, we first conducted three single factor ANOVA tests on the mean predation values recorded per cutline type. One ANOVA test was completed for each prey animal size.
After the single factor ANOVA tests, an effect size statistic analysis was completed to quantify the difference between our low-impact and legacy cutlines. The no cutline treatment was omitted from this statistical test as it is the control of the experiment. This analysis was intended to provide the probability that we can reduce predation by 10% through the low impact cutlines compared to predation in the legacy cutlines.
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