Rena Vandenbos(on leave)
Instructor in School of Environment and Geomatics
Credentials:BSc, MSc, RPBio
Room LLB-012
Direct: 250.365.1279
Tel: 250.365.7292 Ext. 279
Areas of Expertise
- Fish population biology
- Fish Sampling methods and Sampling Design
- White Sturgeon population biology
- Hydroelectric impacts on aquatic ecosystems
Bio
Rena is an ecologist, specializing in fish biology. Since 1999, she has taught ecology and fisheries courses in the Renewable Resources Department at Selkirk College. She also works part-time doing consulting work on a variety of ecology and fisheries projects in the local area. Rena also volunteers as a member of the Upper Columbia White Sturgeon Recovery Initiative.
Rena started her career working as a field technician on a variety of projects, including research on song behaviour in birds, aquatic ecology, plant ecology and fisheries work.
Since completing her education, Rena has worked as a fish biologist while assisting other researchers in plant ecology (subalpine forests) and amphibian research. She has worked as a fisheries biologist in Northern Alberta studying fish assemblages in small lakes, and more recently for a local consulting firm, specializing in projects related to impacts of hydroelectric facilities on fish and conservation of white sturgeon in the Fraser, Columbia, and Kootenay River systems.
Affiliations:
- Registered Professional Biologist (Association of Professional Biologists of B.C.)
- Member of the Upper Columbia River White Sturgeon Recovery Initiative (Action Planning Group and Communications sub-committee)
- Member of the Slocan Valley Streamkeepers.
Publications
Vandenbos, R., W.M. Tonn, and S.M. Boss. 2006.
Cascading life-history interactions: alternative
density-dependent pathways drive recruitment
dynamics in a freshwater fish. Oecologia
148:573-582.
Vandenbos, R. 2002. Bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus)
telemetry in the Columbia system downstream
of Hugh L. Keenleyside Dam. Data report
prepared for Columbia Kootenay Fisheries
Renewal Partnership.
Vandenbos, R. and Spence, C. 2001. Kootenay White
Sturgeon: Juvenile Monitoring Program
1999-2000 data report. Report prepared for B.C.
Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks by
Cordilleran Ecological Research. Report No.
KWST-00.
Schmidt, D., Lake, R., and R. Vandenbos. 2000. Seton
Dam Fish Diversion Project: 1999 Investigations.
Report prepared for B.C. Hydro.
Vandenbos, R. 1999. Movements of Kootenay Lake white sturgeon, 1994-1997. Report prepared for B.C. Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks by R.L. & L. Environmental Services Ltd. R.L.&L. Report No. 613
Vandenbos, R. 1999. Fraser River White Sturgeon
Monitoring Program, Region 2 (Lower Mainland),
1998 data report. Report prepared for B.C.
Fisheries and Fraser River Sturgeon
Conservation Society by R.L. & L. Environmental
Services Ltd. R.L. & L. Report No. 671.
Vandenbos, R. 1999 White sturgeon investigations in Arrow Reservoir, B.C., 1998 study results. Report prepared for B.C. Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks by R.L. & L. Environmental Services Ltd. R.L. & L. Report No. 634.
Vandenbos, R. 1999. Movements of Kootenay Lake white sturgeon, 1994-1997. Report prepared for B.C. Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks by R.L. & L. Environmental Services Ltd. R.L.&L. Report No. 613
Vandenbos, R., and Lahti, A. 1998. The status of white sturgeon in Kootenay Lake and Duncan Lake, B.C., 1994-1996 study results. Report prepared for B.C. Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks. R.L.&L. Report No. KD-515F
Vandenbos, R. 1998. Fraser River White Sturgeon Monitoring Program, Region2 (Lower Mainland), 1997 data report. Report prepared for B.C. Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks. R.L.&L. Report No. 564F
Vandenbos, R., and Lahti, A. 1998. White sturgeon investigations in Arrow Lakes Reservoir and Slocan Lake, B.C., 1997 study results. Report prepared for B.C. Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks. R.L. & L. ReportNo.584F
Vandenbos, R. 1998. Monitoring of rainbow trout spawning and egg incubation studies in the Columbia and Kootenay rivers, 1998 data report. Report prepared for BC Hydro by R.L.&L. Environmental Services Ltd. R.L.&L. Report No. 603E-D.
Vandenbos, R. 1998. White sturgeon investigations in the Columbia River, B.C., 1997-1998 study results. Report prepared for B.C. Environment, Lands and Parks by R.L.&L. Environment Services Ltd. R.L.&L. Report No. 611F
Vandenbos, R. 1998. Columbia River white sturgeon spawning studies, 1998 investigations. Report prepared for Cominco Ltd. by R.L.&L. Environmental Services Ltd. R.L.&L. Report No. 641D
McKenzie, S., and R. Vandenbos. 1997. Measurement of water temperature in Waneta Eddy (Columbia River). Report prepared for Cominco Ltd. by R.L.&L. Environmental Services Ltd. R.L.&L. Report No. 534b-D
Seaton, D.J., and Vandenbos, R. 1997. Fish and fish habitat inventory of the upper Kuskanax Creek watershed, B.C., 1996. Report prepared for Slocan Forest Products and B.C. Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks by Ingersol Mountain Enterprises Ltd. and R.L.&L. Environmental Services Ltd. R.L.&L. Report No.537F
Vandenbos, R. 1997. Monitoring of Rainbow Trout Spawning in the Columbia River: 1997 Data Report. Report prepared for BC Hydro, Kootenay Power Supply/Power Facilities. R.L.&L. Report No. 97-569F
Goater, C. P., and R. E. Vandenbos. 1997. Effects of larval history and lungworm infection on the growth and survival of juvenile wood frogs (Rana sylvatica). Herpetologica. 53 (3):331-338
Vandenbos, R. E. 1996. Regulation of recruitment in fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas): Multi-stage effects and the role of density-dependence in early-life history. M.Sc. Thesis, University of Alberta.
Post, J. R., R. Vandenbos, and D. J. McQueen. 1996. Uptake rates of food-chain and waterborne mercury by fish: field measurements, a mechanistic model, and an assessment of uncertainties. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 53:395-407.
Tonn, W. M., R. E. Vandenbos, and C. A. Paszkowski. 1995. Habitat on a broad scale: Relative importance of immigration and extinction for small lake fish assemblages. Bulletin de la Peche et la Pisciculture 337/338/339:47-61
Hobbies and Interests
Spending time in the mountains or on the many lakes, rivers and streams in the West Kootenays.
Memorable Moment at Selkirk College
Research and Recent Activities
Recently, Rena has been involved in projects related to the conservation of white sturgeon, a species that is proposed for listing as endangered under the Species at Risk Act. She has also been involved in community projects related to in-stream and riparian habitat restoration, including assessing the impact of these projects on the public. Rena has been teaching courses in applied ecology and fisheries techniques.