nmol/L were subcategorized as severely deficient for purposes of further analysis. Results: 240 (16.75% of the total sample) of 1,433 patients were found to be VTD 'deficient' of which 48 (3.35% of the overall sample) had levels consistent with severe deficiency. 738 (51.5% of the overall sample) had 'insufficiency' (moderate to mild) while only 31.75% had 'adequate' 25(OH)D levels. The overall mean for 25(OH) D was 68.3 with SD=28.95. VTD status was significantly linked with demographic and lifestyle parameters including skin tone, fish consumption, milk intake, sun exposure, tanning bed use and nutritional OPEN ACCESSInt. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2009, 6 152 supplementation. Conclusion: A high prevalence of hypovitaminosis-D was found in three clinical practice populations living in Edmonton. In view of the potential health sequelae associated with widespread VTD inadequacy, strategies to facilitate translation of emerging epidemiological information into clinical intervention need to be considered in order to address this public health issue. A suggested VTD supplemental intake level is presented for consideration.

Application of Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) models without testing in areas other than where they were generated, and claims that habitat preferences have been proven, indicate that managers and scientists believe that habitat preferences of wildlife are fixed. We tested this hypothesis by comparing habitat preferences of 2 groups of moose (Alces alces) in northeastern Alberta, Canada, to which the same habitat classes were available but differed in relative abundance. We estimated habitat availability for each of 22 radiomarked, adult female moose and divided the animals into 2 groups based on the similarity of relative habitat class abundances. We measured habitat preference for individual moose from each group during 2 seasons in each of 2 years using a simple resource selection function (RSF). We used analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare differences between groups. Preference of several habitat classes differed between groups, indicating that habitat preferences of moose are not fixed and change as the relative abundance of available habitat changes. Managers must recognize and account for this concept in the application of habitat prescriptions or management plans. JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 68(3):576-584

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Development of appropriate conservation plans relies on life-history information and how life-history traits vary across populations of a species. Such data are lacking for many amphibians, including the Canadian Toad (Bufo hemiophrys Cope, 1886). Here we use skeletochronology to estimate size at age, growth rates, age at maturity, and longevity of toads from nine populations along a latitudinal gradient in Alberta, Canada. Size of individual toads within each year class was highly variable, but age and size (measured as snout-to-urostyle length) were significantly related for almost all populations. The largest individuals were found in the southern-most population, while the smallest toads were found in three populations from the middle of the latitudinal range studied. Growth rates were highest in the southern-most population and lowest at the three populations with relatively small individuals. Maximum age was from 7 to 12 years for the populations sampled. The oldest individuals were found in populations in the middle of the latitudinal range sampled; toads in these populations were smaller than those in all other populations. Age at maturity was 1 year old for males and 2 years old for females in most populations. This study shows that some life-history traits exhibit significant variation between Canadian Toad populations, suggesting that effective conservation of this species will need to include population or area-specific management.