Glynnis Hood, PhD, MSc, Dip. Tech, BA, CWB

Vice Dean, Augustana - Deans Office

Contact

Vice Dean, Augustana - Deans Office
Email
ghood@ualberta.ca
Phone
(780) 679-1556
Address
2-300 Faith & Life Centre
4901-46 Ave
Camrose AB
T4V 2R3

Overview

About

PhD, Environmental Biology and Ecology, University of Alberta; MSc, Natural Resources Management, University of Northern B.C.; Dip. Tech., Fish, Widlife and Recreation, British Columbia Institute of Technology; BA, Linguistics, University of Victoria


Research

Research

Freshwater Ecology, Wildlife Ecology and Management

My current research focuses on wetland ecology as it relates to wildlife habitat and management. Semi-aquatic mammals are of specific interest. Along with investigations into water quality and quantity, I study how the presence of beavers affects pond morphometry, aquatic connectivity, and biodiversity. Other research interests include how human-wildlife interactions affect access to critical habitats by wildlife and how those impacts can be mitigated using adaptive management approaches. My research approach is largely empirical, based on field studies, which are then analyzed using statistics and GIS. Much of my work has been conducted in protected areas and adjacent private and public lands.


Teaching

My main teaching interests include: freshwater ecology and management, wildlife ecology and management, environmental impact assessment, geographic information systems, and statistics for the natural sciences. Linking theory and practice is an important part of my approach to teaching, which often has my students finding themselves applying classroom material to field-based activities.

Courses

AUENV 218 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems

Introduction to fundamentals and applications of Geographic Information Systems. Topics include the nature of geographic data, geo-referencing systems, geographic modelling, data collection and management, and spatial analysis. Practical applications of GIS will be emphasized with the use of appropriate computer software. Prerequisite: Any 100-level science course. Note: Credit may be obtained for only one of AUGEO 218 (2021) and AUENV 218.


AUENV 335 - Wildlife Ecology and Management

Theory and practices in the study and management of wildlife populations and communities. Population dynamics, habitat assessment and management, conservation challenges, and emerging trends. Computational models and assignments aid theoretical understanding of material. Prerequisites: AUENV 252; AUBIO 253; AUSTA 215.


AUENV 434 - Advanced Field Studies in Environmental Science and Ecology

This 3-week, residential field course develops advanced skills for field studies in environmental science and ecology. Through independent research projects, students will design and execute a field-based project, analyze and interpret the data, and present the results in a written and oral format. Students will also gain experience with common field techniques and more advanced statistical analyses. Prerequisites: AUSTA 215 and AUBIO 253; one of AUBIO 315, AUENV 324, AUENV/AUBIO 334, AUBIO 459 or AUENV 459; and consent of the instructor.


Browse more courses taught by Glynnis Hood

Scholarly Activities

Research - Beavers as drivers of ecological dynamics

2020 to 2025

This research examines how the interplay between environmental variables (e.g. soils, vegetation, hydrology, climate) and beaver ecology (e.g. population dynamics, habitat alterations) affects persistence of beaver dams and tipping points where dams fail. While beaver activities increase biodiversity and productivity, dams do break, leading to catastrophic flooding. In response, we are quantifying key variables in beaver-modified landscapes to predict persistence of dams in associated aquatic systems. In addition, spatial and temporal variables will be identified that can inform risk management for beaver release. Moreover, we are assessing the influence of active maintenance of dams, population dynamics, and related environmental variables on the probability of dam persistence. These data will aid development of flood-risk models for agricultural lands adjacent to wildland areas and how they are potentially affected by failure of beaver dams. Research outputs will aid resource managers in balancing biodiversity and flood risk. This research is funded by a NSERC Discovery Grant.


Research - Distribution and habitat associations of semi-aquatic furbearers in the Beaver Hills Biosphere

This research investigates which factors influence the distribution and habitat selection of semi-aquatic mammals (i.e., beaver, muskrat, river otter, and mink) within a mixed-use landscape of the Beaver Hills Biosphere in Alberta’s southern mixed-wood boreal forest. Through the use of camera traps, eDNA sampling, and sign surveys we are measuring the diversity and distribution of semi-aquatic mammals in the Biosphere, and analyzing the relationship between species occurrence and habitat composition, including aquatic connectivity (e.g., the influence of beaver channels). This research is funded by an Alberta Conservation Association research grant (https://www.ab-conservation.com/), and Beaver Hills Biosphere Reserve Association funding.

Past research regarding the influence of beavers on aquatic connectivity and biodiversity is published in: Canadian Journal of Zoology (2020) 98:210–218; Freshwater Biology (2015) 60:198–208; Animal Conservation (2015) 18(3):287–294; Wetlands (2014) 34:19–29; and Herpetological Review (2014) 45(1):18–20.

Publications

A Cabin Christmas

Author(s): Hood, G.A. (A. Cheng, Illustrator)
Publication Date: 11/8/2022
Publication: Rocky Mountain Books
Page Numbers: 30 pages
External Link: https://rmbooks.com/book/a-cabin-christmas/

Ecological compromise: Can alternative beaver management maintain aquatic macroinvertebrate biodiversity?

Author(s): Hood, G.A., McIntosh, A.C.S., Hvenegaard, G.T.
Publication Date: 11/16/2021
Publication: Wetlands
Volume: 41
Issue: 112
External Link: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-021-01494-7

Biased baselines? Differences in manual and computer-based modelling of blue-winged teal (Spatula discors) habitat suitability

Author(s): Stramoen, C.B., Hood, G.A.
Publication Date: 4/2/2021
Publication: Journal for Nature Conservation
Volume: 61
Page Numbers: 125998
External Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnc.2021.125998

Resident perceptions of human-beaver conflict in a rural landscape in Alberta, Canada

Author(s): Yarmey, N.T., Hood, G.A.
Publication Date: 1/25/2021
Publication: Human-Wildlife Interactions
Volume: 14
Issue: 3
Page Numbers: 476–486
External Link: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1662&context=hwi

Semi-aquatic Mammals: Ecology and Biology

Author(s): Hood, G.A. (M. Brierely, Illustrator)
Publication Date: 10/13/2020
Publication: Johns Hopkins University Press
Page Numbers: 512 pages
External Link: https://jhupbooks.press.jhu.edu/title/semi-aquatic-mammals

Accessing and mobilizing “new” data to evaluate emerging environmental impacts on semi-aquatic mammals

Author(s): Hood, G.A.
Publication Date: 9/23/2020
Publication: Land
Volume: 9
Issue: 10
Page Numbers: 345
External Link: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/9/10/345

Not all ponds are created equal: Long-term beaver (Castor canadensis) lodge occupancy in a heterogeneous landscape

Author(s): Hood, G.A.
Publication Date: 2020
Publication: Canadian Journal of Zoology
Volume: 98
Page Numbers: 210-218
DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2019-0066
External Link: https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/abs/10.1139/cjz-2019-0066

A geochemical perspective on the natural abundance of trace elements in beaver (Castor canadensis) from a rural region of southern Ontario, Canada

Author(s): Shotyk, W., Bicalho, B., Dergousoff, M., Grant-Weaver, I., Hood, G., Lund, K., Noernberg, T.
Publication Date: 2019
Publication: Science of the Total Environment
Volume: 672
Page Numbers: 40 - 50
External Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.303

Protected areas alone rarely predict mammalian biodiversity across spatial scales in an Albertan working landscape

Author(s): Stewart F.E. C, Volpe J.P.,Eaton B.R., Hood, G.A., Vujnovic, D., Fisher, J.T.
Publication Date: 2019
Publication: Biological Conservation
Volume: 240
Page Numbers: 108253
External Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320719308584

A question of inclusion: BC Hydro’s Site C Dam Indigenous consultation process

Author(s): Dubrule T., Patriquin D.L., Hood G.A.
Publication Date: 2018
Publication: Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management
Volume: 20
Issue: 2
Page Numbers: 1850005
External Link: https://doi.org/10.1142/S1464333218500059

Mitigating infrastructure loss from beaver flooding: A cost-benefit analysis

Author(s): Hood G.A., Manaloor V., Dzioba B.
Publication Date: 2018
Publication: Human Dimensions of Wildlife
Volume: 23
Issue: 2
Page Numbers: 74-116
External Link: https://doi.org/10.1080/10871209.2017.1402223

Natural goods and services in a mixed-use landscape

Author(s): Hood, G.A., Hvenegaard, G.T., McIntosh, A.
Publication Date: 2018
Publication: University of Alberta, Augustana
Volume: Technical report for Beaver County
Page Numbers: 140 pages
External Link: http://www.beaver.ab.ca/departments/agricultural-services/beaver-management-project

Ecological sustainability in rural landscapes

Author(s): Hood G.A., Hvenegaard G.T., McIntosh A.
Publication Date: 2017
Publication: University of Alberta, Augustana
Volume: Technical report for Beaver County
Page Numbers: 130 pages
External Link: http://www.beaver.ab.ca/public/download/documents/42461

An analysis of the history of aboriginal peoples in the Beaver Hills, Alberta, Canada

Author(s): Matters S.D., Hood G.A.
Publication Date: 2016
Publication: Canadian Journal of Native Studies
Volume: 36
Issue: 2
Page Numbers: 149-166
External Link: https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1P4-1938073974/an-analysis-of-the-history-of-aboriginal-peoples-in

Linking aquatic and terrestrial environments: Can beaver canals serve as movement corridors for pond-breeding amphibians?

Author(s): Anderson N.L., Paszkowski C.A., Hood G.A.
Publication Date: 2015
Publication: Animal Conservation
Volume: 18
Issue: 3
Page Numbers: 287-294
External Link: https://doi.org/10.1111/acv.12170

Ecological engineering and aquatic connectivity: A new perspective from beaver-modified wetlands

Author(s): Hood G.A., Larson D.G.
Publication Date: 2015
Publication: Freshwater Biology
Volume: 60
Page Numbers: 198-208
External Link: https://doi.org/10.1111/fwb.12487

Post-release survival of beavers exposed to bitumen

Author(s): Hood G.A.
Publication Date: 2015
Publication: University of Alberta, Augustana
Volume: Technical Report for CNRL
Page Numbers: 71 pages

Beaver-created habitat heterogeneity influences aquatic invertebrate assemblages in boreal Canada

Author(s): Hood G.A, Larson D.G.
Publication Date: 2014
Publication: Wetlands
Volume: 34
Page Numbers: 19-29
External Link: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-013-0476-z

Beaver (Castor canadensis) facilitate early access by Canada geese (Branta canadensis) to nesting habitat and open water in Canada’s boreal wetlands

Author(s): Bromley C.K., Hood G .A.
Publication Date: 2013
Publication: Mammalian Biology
Volume: 78
Page Numbers: 73-77
External Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mambio.2012.02.009

Effects of agriculture and beaver on winter biodiversity of mammals

Author(s): Nelner T.B., Hood G.A.
Publication Date: 2011
Publication: Wildlife Biology
Volume: 17
Page Numbers: 326-336
External Link: https://doi.org/10.2981/09-097

The Beaver Manifesto

Author(s): Hood G.A.
Publication Date: 2011
Publication: Rocky Mountain Books
Page Numbers: 144 pages
External Link: http://www.rmbooks.com/book_details.php?isbn_upc=9781926855585

A review of existing models and potential effects of water withdrawals on semi-aquatic mammals in the lower Athabasca River

Author(s): Hood G.A., Bromley C.K, Tiitmamer Kur N.
Publication Date: 2009
Publication: University of Alberta, Augustana
Volume: Technical Report for the Cumulative Effects Monitoring Association (CEMA)
Page Numbers: 101 pages
External Link: http://library.cemaonline.ca/ckan/dataset/2009-0017/resource/2707d011-9f32-4299-a929-e20d51ea8a38

A comparison of riparian plant community response to herbivory by beaver (Castor canadensis) and ungulates in Canada’s boreal mixed-wood forest

Author(s): Hood G.A., Bayley S.E.
Publication Date: 2009
Publication: Forest Ecology and Management
Volume: 258
Issue: 2009
Page Numbers: 1979-1989
External Link: DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2009.07.052

The effects of high ungulate densities on foraging choices by beaver (Castor canadensis) in the mixed-wood boreal forest

Author(s): Hood G.A., Bayley S.E.
Publication Date: 2008
Publication: Canadian Journal of Zoology
Volume: 86
Page Numbers: 484-496
External Link: https://doi.org/10.1139/Z08-029

Beaver (Castor canadensis) mitigate the effects of climate on the area of open water in boreal wetlands in western Canada

Author(s): Hood G.A., Bayley S.E.
Publication Date: 2008
Publication: Biological Conservation
Volume: 141
Page Numbers: 556-567
External Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2007.12.003

Effects of prescribed fire on habitat of beaver (Castor canadensis) in Elk Island National Park, Canada

Author(s): Hood G.A., Bayley S.E., Olson W.
Publication Date: 2007
Publication: Forest Ecology and Management
Volume: 237
Page Numbers: 200-209
External Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2006.12.005

First record of mountain lions, Puma concolor, in Elk Island National Park, Alberta

Author(s): Hood G.A., Neufeld T.
Publication Date: 2004
Publication: Canadian Field Naturalist
Volume: 118
Issue: 4
Page Numbers: 605-607
External Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.22621/cfn.v118i4.65

Fire and beaver in the boreal forest – grassland transition of western Canada (a case study from Elk Island National Park, Canada)

Author(s): Hood G.A., Bayley S.E.
Publication Date: 2004
Publication: Lutra
Volume: 66
Issue: 2
Page Numbers: 235-241

Impact of human activities on grizzly bear habitat in Jasper National Park

Author(s): Hood G.A., Parker K.L.
Publication Date: 2001
Publication: Wildlife Society Bulletin
Volume: 29
Issue: 2
Page Numbers: 624-638
External Link: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3784189