Habitat fragmentation is typically seen as inhibiting movement via erosion in connectivity, although some patterns of early-phase disturbance, such as narrow linear disturbances in otherwise undisturbed forests, may actually facilitate the dispersal of certain species. Such features are common in Alberta’s oil sands region as legacies from seismic hydrocarbon exploration used to map oil reserves. Many of the ecological implications of these disturbances are unknown. Here, we investigate the effect of these forest dissections by experimentally testing dispersal patterns along seismic lines compared with adjacent forests using two proxy materials for wind-dispersed seeds, Typha latifolia seed and goose down feathers. We found that wind speeds were up to seven times higher and 95th percentile seed dispersal distances nearly four times farther on seismic lines compared with undisturbed forests and the corresponding effect of these features on seed dispersal distances can be substantial, potentially facilitating future changes in composition and ecological processes in boreal forests. This raises important considerations for native and invasive species, particularly in the context of climate change and the associated importance of seed movement and migration.

Treed peatlands can exhibit dramatic shifts in woody plant cover when they are bisected by roads, a product of change in the flow of surface and subsurface water; however, the edge effects that roads have on overstory cover remain poorly understood. We examined how road and environmental conditions influence woody cover in treed fens in northeastern Alberta, Canada. We used generalized linear mixed models to explain variation in cover as measured using airborne laser scanning (ALS) data obtained for 48 road‐bisected fens. Over half of the study fens had >10% differences in canopy cover between the upstream and downstream sides. Variation in cover was best explained by a complex interaction between road side, distance, and type, as well as distance to upland forest and open water, in both rich and poor treed fens. Substrate texture (fine vs. coarse) further explained cover in rich fens. Gravel roads appeared to have the most dramatic effect on cover adjacent to roads (0–20 m) in both fen types, with differences persisting beyond 100 m. In fens bisected by gravel and paved roads, differences in cover between road sides tended to be ameliorated within 200 m, except for unimproved roads where changes were more linear. This study demonstrates the complexity of landscape conditions under which roads built through peatlands can cause structural changes in woody cover and the usefulness of ALS data for studying this phenomenon.

Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic parasite globally infecting a wide range of species, including humans. Felids are the only known hosts that can excrete environmentally resistant oocysts into ecosystems. In boreal regions, Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) are sought by hunters primarily for their fur, and they are occasionally eaten. We examined carcasses salvaged from trappers from boreal regions of eastern (n = 97) and western (n = 357) Canada. We detected T. gondii antibodies in fluid from thawed heart tissue using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, DNA in brain and heart via magnetic capture and real-time PCR assay, and presence of DNA in feces using a real-time PCR with melt curve analysis. We detected antibodies against T. gondii and DNA in tissues in 24% and 19% of lynx, respectively. One lynx was positive for DNA of T. gondii in feces, which could indicate intestinal infection and potential for shedding oocysts. Our results indicate that lynx may be a useful sentinel species for monitoring environmental circulation of T. gondii in northern boreal regions and may pose a risk for transmission to other wildlife and to people handling or consuming lynx.

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