Effects of tundra vehicle activity on polar bears ( Ursus maritimus) at Churchill, Manitoba
| dc.contributor.author | Dyck, Markus Guido | en_US |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2007-07-12T17:48:56Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2007-07-12T17:48:56Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2001-08-01T00:00:00Z | en_US |
| dc.degree.discipline | Natural Resources Management | en_US |
| dc.degree.level | Master of Natural Resources Management (M.N.R.M.) | en_US |
| dc.description.abstract | Churchill, Manitoba is world-famous for its polar bear ('Ursus maritimus') viewing activities using tundra vehicles. Churchill is unique in that bears are viewed at close distances relative to any other bear-viewing location. The close proximity of tundra vehicles (TV) and polar bears in the Gordon Point area at Churchill poses a question vital to the bear management and the nature tourism industry: do human activities at Churchill induce behavioural changes in polar bears? Based on the results, the main recommendations were (1) Manitoba Conservation should seek dialogue with stakeholders to develop a protocol for consistent and predictable tundra vehicle and helicopter activities; (2) Manitoba Conservation should encourage more research examining the polar bear viewing industry; (3) viewing distances of at least 20 m should be maintained; (4) tundra vehicle movement around bears should be minimized; (5) passengers on vehicles should avoid noisy behaviour; (6) bears should not be pursued during viewing activities; and (7) the purpose of two Designated Polar Bear Resting Areas in the Gordon Point area should be re-examined. (Abstract shortened by UMI.) | en_US |
| dc.format.extent | 8867693 bytes | |
| dc.format.extent | 184 bytes | |
| dc.format.mimetype | application/pdf | |
| dc.format.mimetype | text/plain | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/1993/2556 | |
| dc.language.iso | eng | en_US |
| dc.rights | open access | en_US |
| dc.title | Effects of tundra vehicle activity on polar bears ( Ursus maritimus) at Churchill, Manitoba | en_US |
| dc.type | master thesis | en_US |