Movement responses by wolves to industrial linear features and their effect on woodland caribou in northeastern Alberta

The federal Recovery Strategy for the Woodland Caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou), Boreal Population in Canada, identifies coordinated actions to reclaim woodland caribou habitat as a key step to meeting current and future caribou population objectives. Actions include restoring industrial landscape features such as roads, seismic lines, pipelines, cut-lines, and cleared areas in an effort to reduce landscape fragmentation and the changes in caribou population dynamics associated with changing predator-prey dynamics in highly fragmented landscapes. Reliance on habitat restoration as a recovery action within the federal Recovery Strategy is high, identifying 65% undisturbed habitat in a caribou range as the threshold to providing a 60% chance that a local population will be self-sustaining. In alignment with the federal Recovery Strategy, Alberta’s Provincial Woodland Caribou Policy identifies habitat restoration as a critical component of long-term caribou habitat management. Habitat restoration initiatives of Alberta’s historical industrial footprint within caribou ranges began in 2001 and have largely focused on linear corridors, including pipelines. Initiatives include revegetation treatments, access control programs and studies, and restricting the growth of plant species that are favourable to moose and deer, the primary prey for wolves. Habitat restoration for pipelines also includes pre-construction planning to reduce disturbance and create line-of-sight breaks, and construction techniques that promote natural vegetation recovery. Lessons learned from habitat restoration programs implemented on pipeline projects in northeastern Alberta will be shared as an opportunity to improve common understanding of restoration techniques, the barriers to implementation, and potential outcomes.

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Winter peatland habitat selection by woodland caribou in northeastern Alberta

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z95-185 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 73 (8) ◽

pp. 1567-1574 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Corey J. A. Bradshaw ◽

Stan Boutin ◽

Daryll M. Hebert ◽

A. Blair Rippin

Keyword(s):

Spatial Scales ◽

Feeding Activity ◽

Habitat Diversity ◽

Woodland Caribou ◽

Raised Bog ◽

Very High Frequency ◽

Winter Habitat ◽

Raised Bogs ◽

Discontinuous Permafrost ◽

Northeastern Alberta

Woodland caribou in northeastern Alberta are relatively sedentary, occur at low densities, and are classed as endangered in Alberta. Increasing encroachment of the forest and petroleum industries into the southern regions of the boreal woodland caribou range has highlighted the need for detailed habitat analysis for this species. We obtained approximately 1000 locations of 47 woodland caribou fitted with very high frequency telemetry collars, providing data on winter habitat use from 1991 to 1994. Telemetry data were combined with digital peatland coverages that best represented lowland habitat diversity. Woodland caribou selected forested fen peatland complexes at both the population and individual spatial scales. Woodland caribou concentrated feeding activity in forested, raised bog islands. The raised bogs provide more xeric substrate for increased lichen biomass, possibly a key factor in their selection during winter. The hypothesized connection between discontinuous permafrost and the maintenance of raised bog islands in terms of caribou forage distribution and availability is discussed.

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Habitat use by caribou in northern Alberta, Canada

Rangifer ◽

10.7557/2.20.1.1501 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 20 (2-3) ◽

pp. 43 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Richard R. Schneider ◽

B. Wynes ◽

S. Wasel ◽

E. Dzus ◽

H. Hiltz

Keyword(s):

Habitat Use ◽

Habitat Suitability ◽

Habitat Mapping ◽

Conservation Strategy ◽

Woodland Caribou ◽

Entire Region ◽

Habitat Types ◽

Northeastern Alberta ◽

Northern Alberta

Habitat mapping and habitat supply assessment have been identified as key elements of the Alberta Woodland Caribou Conservation Strategy. Previous studies from northeastern Alberta have shown that caribou select lowland habitat types and avoid upland. The objectives of our study were to determine whether these selection patterns are consistent across all of northern Alberta and to generate a map of habitat suitability for the entire region. Our database included over 11 000 radiotelemetry locations collected over six years from caribou across northern Alberta. We also had available a recently revised map of peatlands for the entire province. We found that polygons in the peatland map containing greater than 30% bog were selected by caribou. Fens were also selected, but not as strongly as bogs. Habitat polygons containing greater than 50% non-peat were avoided. These findings were consistent among all regions studied, and among years. The proportion of caribou relocations declined exponentially with distance from polygons classified as peatlands. Based on the observed selection patterns, we reclassified the peatland map to reflect the potential suitability of habitat for caribou across northern Alberta.

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An uncertain future for woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou): The impact of climate change on winter distribution in Ontario

Rangifer ◽

10.7557/2.37.1.4103 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 37 (1) ◽

pp. 11 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Sara Masood ◽

Thomas M. Van Zuiden ◽

Arthur R. Rodgers ◽

Sapna Sharma

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Rangifer Tarandus ◽

Winter Season ◽

Environmental Data ◽

Climate Projections ◽

Climate Change Scenarios ◽

Rangifer Tarandus Caribou ◽

Woodland Caribou ◽

Linear Features ◽

The Impact

Habitat alteration and climate change are two important environmental stressors posing increasing threats to woodland caribou, Rangifer tarandus caribou, in Ontario. Our first objective was to identify the importance of linear features, habitat, and climate on the occurrence of woodland caribou during the winter season using over 30 years of records (1980-2012). Our second objective was to forecast the impacts of climate change on the future occurrence and range of woodland caribou. Woodland caribou occurrence and environmental data collected during 1980 to 2012 were obtained from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR). Logistic regression models were used to identify the importance of linear features, habitat, and climate on woodland caribou. We then forecast future caribou occurrences using 126 future climate projections. Woodland caribou preferred coniferous forests and mixed forests that tended to be associated with increased lichen coverage, and regions with colder winters. Woodland caribou also avoided anthropogenically disturbed regions, such as areas associated with high road density or developed areas. Caribou range extent was projected to contract by 57.2-100% by 2050 and 58.9-100% by 2070. Furthermore, all 126 climate change scenarios forecast a range loss of at least 55% for woodland caribou in Ontario by 2050. We project complete loss of woodland caribou in Ontario if winter temperatures increase by more than 5.6°C by 2070. We found that woodland caribou in Ontario are sensitive to changes in climate and forecasted that an average of 95% of Ontario’s native woodland caribou could become extirpated by 2070. The greatest extirpations were projected to occur in the northernmost regions of Ontario as well as northeastern Ontario, while regions in western Ontario were projected to have the lowest rates of extirpation. This underscores the importance of mitigating greenhouse gases as a means to protect this iconic species.

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Habitat selection and spatial relationships of black bears (Ursus americanus) with woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in northeastern Alberta

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z10-115 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 89 (4) ◽

pp. 267-277 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

A.D.M. Latham ◽

M.C. Latham ◽

M.S. Boyce

Keyword(s):

Habitat Selection ◽

Adult Female ◽

Rangifer Tarandus ◽

Ursus Americanus ◽

Black Bears ◽

Spatial Relationships ◽

Rangifer Tarandus Caribou ◽

Woodland Caribou ◽

Management Actions ◽

Northeastern Alberta

Populations of woodland caribou ( Rangifer tarandus caribou (Gmelin, 1788)) have declined across much of their range. Wolves ( Canis lupus L., 1758) are believed to be responsible for the majority of mortality in adult female caribou; however, we hypothesize that other predators such as black bears ( Ursus americanus Pallas, 1780) may be important contributors to calf mortality. We assessed habitat selection by black bears and spatial relationships of caribou – black bears during the caribou calving season in northeastern Alberta, Canada. Black bears avoided bogs and fens, while selecting upland mixed woods and various industrial features. Conversely, caribou showed strong selection for bogs and fens relative to bears, supporting the hypothesis that caribou in the boreal forest attempt to minimize predation risk by selecting peatlands to avoid areas frequented by predators. However, habitat selection by individual black bears was highly variable and some bears selected habitats similar to those selected by caribou, i.e., bogs and fens. Bears that specialize on foraging in peatlands might be responsible for some of the predation on caribou calves. Because declines in caribou populations have resulted from a combination of high adult female and calf mortalities, management actions to conserve woodland caribou should consider the entire suite of potential predators rather than focusing only on wolves.

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Effects of Petroleum Exploration on Woodland Caribou in Northeastern Alberta

Journal of Wildlife Management ◽

10.2307/3802110 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 61 (4) ◽

pp. 1127 ◽

Cited By ~ 51

Author(s):

Corey J. A. Bradshaw ◽

Stan Boutin ◽

Daryll M. Hebert

Keyword(s):

Petroleum Exploration ◽

Woodland Caribou ◽

Northeastern Alberta

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Quantifying barrier effects of roads and seismic lines on movements of female woodland caribou in northeastern Alberta

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z02-060 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 80 (5) ◽

pp. 839-845 ◽

Cited By ~ 140

Author(s):

Simon J Dyer ◽

Jack P O'Neill ◽

Shawn M Wasel ◽

Stan Boutin

Keyword(s):

Rangifer Tarandus ◽

Animal Movement ◽

Road Ecology ◽

Late Winter ◽

Woodland Caribou ◽

Barrier Effects ◽

Novel Approach ◽

Animal Movement Models ◽

Northeastern Alberta ◽

Seismic Lines

Linear developments such as roads, seismic lines, and pipeline rights-of-way are common anthropogenic features in the boreal forest of Alberta. These features may act as barriers to the movement of threatened woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou). Thirty-six woodland caribou were captured and fitted with global positioning system collars. These collared caribou yielded 43 415 locations during the 12-month study period. We compared rates of crossing roads and seismic lines with rates at which caribou crossed simulated roads and seismic lines created using ArcInfo GIS. Seismic lines were not barriers to caribou movements, whereas roads with moderate vehicle traffic acted as semipermeable barriers to caribou movements. The greatest barrier effects were evident during late winter, when caribou crossed actual roads 6 times less frequently than simulated road networks. Semipermeable barrier effects may exacerbate functional habitat loss demonstrated through avoidance behaviour. This novel approach represents an important development in the burgeoning field of road ecology and has great potential for use in validating animal-movement models.

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Energetic implications of disturbance caused by petroleum exploration to woodland caribou

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z98-076 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 76 (7) ◽

pp. 1319-1324 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Corey JA Bradshaw ◽

Stan Boutin ◽

Daryll M Hebert

Keyword(s):

Mass Loss ◽

Rangifer Tarandus ◽

Petroleum Exploration ◽

Future Research ◽

Encounter Rate ◽

Woodland Caribou ◽

The Mean ◽

Loss Modelling ◽

Northeastern Alberta ◽

Possible Cause

Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in Alberta are classified as endangered and apparently have declined. Disturbance from petroleum exploration has been implicated as a possible cause, so we constructed a simple model to estimate the energy costs of multiple encounters with disturbance (i.e., loud noise). Our objective was to estimate if woodland caribou in northeastern Alberta have been exposed to enough disturbance from 1988 to 1993 to cause winter mass loss to exceed either (i) 15% autumn mass or (ii) 20% autumn mass. A single disturbance event costs caribou 3.46-5.81 MJ. Caribou would have to encounter (i) 20-34 (mean = 27) disturbance events to lose >15% mass over winter and (ii) 41-137 (mean = 89) events to lose >20% mass. There were five occasions from 1988 to 1993 (i.e., in a particular caribou distribution zone and winter) when the encounter rate (number of potential encounters per square kilometre) exceeded a level expected to result in caribou losing more than the estimated mean 15% autumn mass. There were four occasions when the encounter rate exceeded the lower limit expected to cause >20% mass loss and one occasion when it approached the mean rate expected to cause >20% mass loss. Modelling the cumulative influence of disturbances demonstrates an effect on individual energy loss during winter at certain exploration intensities. It is the first attempt at estimating the consequences of petroleum exploration for wildlife in northeastern Alberta and provides important information for future research and land-use management.

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