Western Bulldogs Sons of the West Program ripple effects: building community capacity.

Professional sporting organisations can provide lifestyle-based community health improvement programs. Since 2014, the Western Bulldogs Australian Football League Club, through its Western Bulldogs Community Foundation (WBCF), has invested with community partners in the Sons of the West (SOTW) Program, a 10-week program targeted at hard-to-reach men aged ≥18 years living in Victoria's West. The SOTW Program aims to increase its participants' physical activity, social connectedness and overall health. Evaluations by the WBCF revealed the SOTW is positively contributing to improved healthier lifestyles and health of participants. Anecdotal reports revealed the SOTW was creating ripples far beyond the Program's expectations. In 2016-17, the WBCF funded the University of Melbourne to evaluate the SOTW Program ripple effects. An adapted 'Ripple Effect Mapping' approach was used, including 13 focus group discussions with 100 SOTW participants. The SOTW Program is improving men's social connections, health promoting behaviours, health literacy and creating ripple effects including: local community participation; increased volunteerism; enhanced reciprocity; and increased leadership. Community capacity-building frameworks can explain the SOTW Program ripple effects. Professional sporting organisations can provide lifestyle-based health improvement programs and empower men to contribute to building community capacity.

Climate change impacts on the conservation outlook of populations on the poleward periphery of species ranges: A case study of Canadian black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus).

Given climate change, species' climatically suitable habitats are increasingly expected to shift poleward. Some imperilled populations towards the poleward edge of their species' range might therefore conceivably benefit from climate change. Interactions between climate and population dynamics may be complex, however, with climate exerting effects both indirectly via influence over food availability and more directly, via effects on physiology and its implications for survival and reproduction. A thorough understanding of these interactions is critical for effective conservation management. We therefore examine the relationship between climate, survival and reproduction in Canadian black-tailed prairie dogs, a threatened keystone species in an imperilled ecosystem at the northern edge of the species' range. Our analyses considered 8 years of annual mark-recapture data (2007-2014) in relation to growing degree days, precipitation, drought status and winter severity, as well as year, sex, age and body mass. Survival was strongly influenced by the interaction of drought and body mass class, and winter temperature severity. Female reproductive status was associated with the interaction of growing degree days and growing season precipitation, with spring precipitation and with winter temperature severity. Results related to body mass suggested that climatic variables exerted their effects via regulation of food availability with potential linked effects of food quality, immunological and behavioural implications, and predation risk. Predictions of future increases in drought conditions in North America's grassland ecosystems have raised concerns for the outlook of Canadian black-tailed prairie dogs. Insights gained from the analyses, however, point to mitigating species management options targeted at decoupling the mechanisms by which climate exerts its negative influence. Our approach highlights the importance of understanding the interaction between climate and population dynamics in peripheral populations whose viability might ultimately determine their species' ability to track climatically suitable space.

Sheep-Associated Malignant Catarrhal Fever-Like Skin Disease in a Free-Ranging Bighorn Sheep ( Ovis canadensis ), Alberta, Canada.

Malignant catarrhal fever-like clinical disease was diagnosed in a free-ranging bighorn sheep ( Ovis canadensis ) from Alberta, Canada, in June 2015. Antemortem and gross pathology findings included muscle atrophy, marked weight loss, and bilaterally symmetric alopecia with hyperpigmentation and crusting over the face, medial surfaces of the pinnae, dorsal trunk, distal limbs, perineal area, and tail. Histologically, the skin lesions were characterized by granulomatous mural folliculitis with numerous multinucleated giant cells and fewer lymphocytes and eosinophils consistent with previous reports of chronic ovine herpesvirus-2 (OvHV-2) infection. Multiple skin samples were positive for OvHV-2 DNA on PCR, and on partial sequencing of the viral DNA, there was 94% homology with reference GenBank OvHV-2. Quantitative PCR confirmed an increased level of OvHV-2 DNA in the lesional skin tissues. Based on exclusion of other disease processes, gross and histological lesions, PCR, and viral DNA sequencing results, a diagnosis of OvHV-2-mediated malignant catarrhal fever-like dermatitis was made.

Assessing Potential Habitat and Carrying Capacity for Reintroduction of Plains Bison (Bison bison bison) in Banff National Park.

Interest in bison (Bison bison, B. bonasus) conservation and restoration continues to grow globally. In Canada, plains bison (B. b. bison) are threatened, occupying less than 0.5% of their former range. The largest threat to their recovery is the lack of habitat in which they are considered compatible with current land uses. Fences and direct management make range expansion by most bison impossible. Reintroduction of bison into previously occupied areas that remain suitable, therefore, is critical for bison recovery in North America. Banff National Park is recognized as historical range of plains bison and has been identified as a potential site for reintroduction of a wild population. To evaluate habitat quality and assess if there is sufficient habitat for a breeding population, we developed a Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) model for the proposed reintroduction and surrounding areas in Banff National Park (Banff). We then synthesize previous studies on habitat relationships, forage availability, bison energetics and snowfall scenarios to estimate nutritional carrying capacity. Considering constraints on nutritional carrying capacity, the most realistic scenario that we evaluated resulted in an estimated maximum bison density of 0.48 bison/km2. This corresponds to sufficient habitat to support at least 600 to 1000 plains bison, which could be one of the largest 10 plains bison populations in North America. Within Banff, there is spatial variation in predicted bison habitat suitability and population size that suggests one potential reintroduction site as the most likely to be successful from a habitat perspective. The successful reintroduction of bison into Banff would represent a significant global step towards conserving this iconic species, and our approach provides a useful template for evaluating potential habitat for other endangered species reintroductions into their former range.