PROJECT SUMMARY
In 2017, the city of Edmonton implemented the Dogs in Open Spaces Strategy to provide sustainable and safe recreational activities with dogs within the city (City of Edmonton, 2017). The purpose of this study was to examine if different leash policies affect the habitat use of various species during the winter and summer seasons. For this course project, I used camera-trap data collected for the focal species (Coyote, Lepus sp., Snowshoe hare and porcupine) from 17 urban parks in Edmonton's river valley from 2018 to 2021. The data analysis revealed that during the summer, there was a significant effect of policy on the detection rate (F = 3.915, p = 0.053), although this effect was weaker compared to the effect of species (F = 5.435, p = 0.01). Additionally, there was a significant interaction between species and policy on the detection rate (F = 3.535, p = 0.013). These results indicate that both the species' natural history and the policy in place (on-leash or off-leash) may impact the detection rate of the focal species. As for the winter season (Table 1b), results suggest a non-significant effect of the variable species (F = 2.014, p = 0.108) and the type of policy on the detection rate (F = 1.639, p = 0.207). However, there was a significant interaction between species and policy on detection rate (F = 2.469, p = 0.058). My prediction that parks with on-leash policies would exhibit higher predator habitat use (greater detection rate) was not supported by the data. For the focal species, there was no significant difference in the average detection rate between on-leash and off-leash parks during the summer and winter. In contrast, for dogs, the means of detection rates in on-leash and off-leash parks were significantly different (p < 0.05). Specifically, during the summer, the estimate of the difference in on-leash and off-leash parks was 22.68 detections per 100 days, and during the winter, 29.59 detections per 100 days.
Acknowledgements
The sites in which the camera traps were deployed are located in Treaty 6 territory, traditional lands of First Nations and Métis people. Data for this course project was provided by City of Edmonton, the Urban Wildlife Information Network, Dr. Colleen Cassady St. Clair Lab (Biological Sciences Faculty, University of Alberta) and Dr. Carol Frost Lab (ALES Faculty, University of Alberta). The author thanks Dr. Carol Frost, Msc.Catherine Shier (Principal Ecological Planner, CoE), Msc. Cassondra Stevenson and Dr. Colleen Cassady St. Clair for their help and guidance.