An Agent-Based Modelling Framework for Whitebark Pine Restoration in the South Cascades, Washington

atmire.migration.oldid3970
dc.contributor.advisorMcDermid, Greg
dc.contributor.advisorMarceau, Danielle
dc.contributor.authorMcLane, Adam
dc.contributor.committeememberTomback, Diana
dc.contributor.committeememberSemeniuk, Christina
dc.date.accessioned2016-01-05T18:13:38Z
dc.date.available2016-01-05T18:13:38Z
dc.date.issued2016-01-05
dc.date.submitted2015en
dc.description.abstractThe iconic and endangered whitebark pine is in decline in the South Cascades, Washington, facing numerous threats most prominently white pine blister rust, but also mountain pine beetle, and increased competition from subalpine species and climate change, the combined effects of which are threatening its obligate mutualism with Clark’s nutcrackers, its primary seed disperser. The long-term conservation of whitebark pine is thus inextricably linked with the maintenance of this mutualism, a relationship which is dependent on the response of nutcrackers to changing landscape conditions and selection of alternative life- history strategies. An agent-based modeling (ABM) approach is uniquely poised to address the efficacy of alternative restoration strategies for whitebark pine, due to its ability to incorporate the individual adaptive behaviours of nutcrackers and their responses to future restoration landscapes in a bottom-up hierarchical habitat selection process, ultimately leading to their choice of a resident or emigrant life-history strategy. This thesis addresses the development of this framework for whitebark pine restoration through innovative research. Through simulations, I found that nutcrackers integrate short- and long-term energetic requirements while foraging and perform second-order habitat selection (emigration) through a bottom-up, hierarchical process. I also determined that proximate causes of nutcracker emigration include: landscape composition (total available energy at the home range scale, or cone production), population influences, and landscape configuration, with their level of influence ranked in that order. Synthesizing these findings, I established possible future energetic scenarios defined by declines in existing WBP and energetic gains from restoration initiatives and simulated the responses of nutcrackers. I found that by adopting a conservative restoration initiative that involves planting whitebark pine seedlings at a density of 440 seedlings/ha and 5% of existing WBP land cover (approximately 2,621 ha), that managers can chart a future that maximizes the probability of maintaining the mutualism and returning whitebark pine abundance levels to their current state, while accounting for uncertainties. My ABM is portable and future evaluation of restoration initiatives in this and other regions would benefit from utilization of my established framework.en_US
dc.identifier.citationMcLane, A. (2016). An Agent-Based Modelling Framework for Whitebark Pine Restoration in the South Cascades, Washington (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/24807en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/24807
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11023/2721
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisher.facultyGraduate Studies
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.publisher.placeCalgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subjectGeography
dc.subject.classificationAgent-based modelen_US
dc.subject.classificationwhitebark pineen_US
dc.subject.classificationclark's nutcrackeren_US
dc.subject.classificationmutualismen_US
dc.subject.classificationendangered speciesen_US
dc.titleAn Agent-Based Modelling Framework for Whitebark Pine Restoration in the South Cascades, Washington
dc.typedoctoral thesis
thesis.degree.disciplineGeography
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrue
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