scholarly journals Caribou nursery site habitat characteristics in two northern Ontario parks

Rangifer ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasha L. Carr ◽  
Arthur R. Rodgers ◽  
Shannon C. Walshe
Keyword(s):  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Woodland Caribou ◽  
Mature Trees ◽  
Detection Distance ◽  
Northern Ontario ◽  
Habitat Features ◽  
Site Characteristics ◽  
Provincial Park ◽  
Selection Of

To prevent further range recession, habitat features essential to the life-history requisites of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) such as calving and nursery sites need to be protected for the persistence of the species. Woodland caribou may minimize predation risk during calving by either spacing out or spacing away from predators in the forest to calve on islands, wetlands, or shorelines. Our objective was to determine the characteristics of shoreline habitats used as calving and nursery sites by female woodland caribou in northern Ontario. Detailed vegetation and other site characteristics were measured at nursery sites used by cow-calf pairs in Wabakimi and Woodland Caribou Provincial Parks for comparison with shoreline sites that were not used by caribou within each park. Differences in habitat variables selected by female caribou in the two study areas reflect broad ecoregional differences in vegetation and topography. In Wabakimi Provincial Park, understorey tree density and ground detection distance played key roles in distinguishing nursery sites from sites that were not used. In Woodland Caribou Provincial Park, groundcover vegetation and shrub density were important in the selection of nursery sites by female caribou. Generally, female caribou in both parks selected nursery sites with greater slope, lower shrub density but thicker groundcover vegetation, including greater lichen abundance, and higher densities of mature trees than shoreline sites that were not used. The identification of these important features for caribou nursery sites provides a basis for improving their protection in future management policies and legislation.

Pounce site characteristics of the Western Yellow Robin Eopsaltria griseogularis: the importance of assessing foraging microhabitat

2004 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jarrad a. Cousin
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Litter ◽  
Substrate Composition ◽  
Habitat Features ◽  
Invertebrate Prey ◽  
Conservation Implications ◽  
Site Characteristics ◽  
Australian Birds ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
Selection Of

The ground ecosystem represents an important foraging substrate for a large number of Australian birds, including the ground-pouncing Western Yellow Robin Eopsaltria griseogulari. The present study examined the foraging locations of E. griseogularis at the "extreme" microhabitat scale, by measuring ground substrate composition in a 300 mm by 300 mm area surrounding pounce sites, as well as habitat features surrounding pounce sites. Ground substrate composition of pounce sites remained relatively unchanged between seasons, and was characterized by a higher mean percentage of leaf litter and logs when compared to random points. The importance of logs was further emphasized by the closer proximity of logs to pounce sites than to random points. Selection of pounce sites in close proximity to logs and with abundant leaf litter reflects the higher abundance of invertebrate prey associated with these microhabitat attributes, although it may also represent a pounce in close proximity to a log utilized as a perch. During the warmer months of autumn, logs and their associated accumulations of leaf litter, provide sufficient moisture to maintain invertebrate prey, a resource diminished in the surrounding desiccated leaf litter. The conservation implications of these findings are discussed, as is the importance of examining foraging microhabitat in ground-foraging birds.

scholarly journals Comparison of seasonal habitat selection between threatened woodland caribou ecotypes in central British Columbia

Rangifer ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena S. Jones ◽  
Michael P. Gillingham ◽  
Dale R. Seip ◽  
Douglas C. Heard
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Habitat Use ◽  
Rocky Mountains ◽  
Vegetation Cover ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Woodland Caribou ◽  
Recovery Planning ◽  
Specific Mapping ◽  
Selection Of

Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in British Columbia have been classified into ecotypes based on differences in use of habitat in winter. Although recovery planning focuses on ecotypes, habitat use and selection varies within ecotypes. Our objectives were to compare habitat use and selection among previously identified woodland caribou herds at the transition zone between northern (Moberly, Quintette, and Kennedy herds) and mountain (Parsnip herd) ecotypes in central British Columbia. We developed selection models for each herd in spring, calving, summer/fall, early and late winter. Topographic models best predicted selection by most herds in most seasons, but importance of vegetation-cover was highlighted by disproportionate use of specific vegetation-cover types by all caribou herds (e.g., in early winter, 75% of Kennedy locations were in pine-leading stands, 84% of Parsnip locations were in fir and fir-leading stands, and 87 and 96% of locations were in alpine for the Moberly and Quintette herds, respectively). Using a combination of GPS and VHF radio-collar locations, we documented some spatial overlap among herds within the year, but use of vegetation-cover types and selection of elevations, aspects, and vegetation-cover types differed among herds and within ecotypes in all seasons. Habitat use and selection were most similar between the two northern-ecotype herds residing on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains. This research indicates that habitat use and selection by caribou herds in all seasons is more variable than ecotype classifications suggest and demonstrates the value of undertaking herd-specific mapping of critical habitat for woodland caribou.

scholarly journals Habitat partitioning between woodland caribou and moose in Ontario: the potential role of shared prédation risk

Rangifer ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 81 ◽  
Author(s):  
H.G. Cumming ◽  
D.B. Beange ◽  
G. Lavoie
Keyword(s):  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Habitat Partitioning ◽  
Woodland Caribou ◽  
Northern Ontario ◽  
Gray Wolves ◽  
Direct Competition

This paper explores mechanisms of coexistence for woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) and moose (Akes alces) preyed upon by gray wolves (Canis lupus) in northern Ontario. Autocorrelation analysis of winter track locations showed habitat partitioning by caribou and moose. Numbers of Delaunay link edges for moose-wolves did not differ significantly from what would be expected by random process, but those for caribou-wolves were significantly fewer. Thus, habitat partitioning provided implicit refuges that put greater distances between caribou and wolves, presumably decreasing predation on the caribou. Yet, direct competition cannot be ruled out; both apparent and direct competition may be involved in real-life situations. A synthesis including both explanations fits ecological theory, as well as current understanding about caribou ecology.

scholarly journals Preliminary assessment of habitat characteristics of woodland caribou calving areas in the Claybelt region of Québec and Ontario, Canada

Rangifer ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Émilie Lantin ◽  
Pierre Drapeau ◽  
Marcel Paré ◽  
Yves Bergeron
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Percent Cover ◽  
Woodland Caribou ◽  
Vegetation Characteristics ◽  
Forest Cover Types

Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) require a diversity of forested habitats over large areas and may thus be particularly affected by the large-scale changes in the composition and age-class distribution of forest landscapes induced by the northern expansion of forest management. In this study we examine habitat characteristics associated to the use of calving areas by woodland caribou females and calves at different spatial scales. Thirty females were captured and collared with Argos satellite transmitters that allowed to locate 14 calving areas. Field surveys were conducted at each of these areas to measure the landscape composition of forest cover types and local vegetation characteristics that are used for both forage conditions and protection cover. At the scale of the calving area, univariate comparisons of the amount of forest cover types between sites with and without calves showed that the presence of calves was associated to mature black spruce forest with a high percent cover of terrestrial lichens. Within calving grounds, univariate comparisons showed that vegetation features like ericaceans and terrestrial lichens, that are important food resources for lactating females, were more abundant in calving areas where females were seen with a calf in mid-July than in areas where females were seen alone. The protection of the vegetation cover against predators was however similar between calving areas with or with¬out a calf. Logistic regression results also indicated that vegetation characteristics associated to forage conditions were positively associated to calf presence on calving grounds. Our results suggest that foraging conditions should be given more attention in analyses on habitat requirements of woodland caribou.

Spring diet of American black bears (Ursus americanus) in a moose (Alces alces) – woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) system in northern Ontario, Canada

2021 ◽  
pp. 721-728
Author(s):  
A.A.D. McLaren ◽  
S.E. Jamieson ◽  
M. Bond ◽  
A.R. Rodgers ◽  
B.R. Patterson
Keyword(s):  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Ursus Americanus ◽  
Alces Alces ◽  
Black Bear ◽  
Black Bears ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus Caribou ◽  
Woodland Caribou ◽  
Northern Ontario ◽  
American Black ◽  
American Black Bears

American black bears (Ursus americanus Pallas, 1780) are opportunistic foragers, and across most of their range in North America, their diet is predominantly vegetation with limited consumption of vertebrates and invertebrates. However, they are also predators of ungulates, especially neonates, with regional variation in the amount of predation pressure they exert. We used scat analysis to examine the diet of black bears during the calving season in a moose (Alces alces (Linnaeus, 1758)) – woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou (Gmelin, 1788)) system in the Boreal forest of northern Ontario, Canada. Bears consumed herbaceous plants (46.5%), fruits and (or) seeds (20.0%), moose (3.3% adults; 4.3% calves), American beaver (Castor canadensis Kuhl, 1820; 8.5%), and insects (mostly ants; 4.2%). Bears had the highest consumption of moose and beaver in early spring, before switching to a more vegetation-dominated diet. We did not detect evidence of caribou consumption. Based on our results, black bear consumption of moose, particularly neonates, may warrant further investigation.

scholarly journals Delineating demographic units of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in Ontario: cautions and insights

Rangifer ◽  
2012 ◽  
pp. 159-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer L. Shuter ◽  
Arthur R. Rodgers
Keyword(s):  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Sampling Effort ◽  
Clustering Methods ◽  
Demographic Structure ◽  
Woodland Caribou ◽  
Convex Polygons ◽  
Northern Ontario ◽  
Cluster Membership ◽  
Red Lake ◽  
Core Areas

Delineating demographic structure across an organism’s range can reveal the extent to which population dynamics in different geographic areas are driven by local or external factors and can be crucial for effective conservation and management. Obtaining optimal data for such analyses can be time and resource-intensive and impending development and resource extraction pressures may necessitate the examination of existing data, even when they are less than ideal. We analyzed a historic telemetry dataset containing satellite radio-collar locations of 73 forest-dwelling woodland caribou in northern Ontario to determine demographic structure. We applied several clustering methods (i.e., agglomerative, divisive and fuzzy k-means) to median seasonal locations. Results were used to distinguish demographic units and minimum convex polygons and fixed-kernel density estimates were used to delineate unit boundaries and core areas. For areas where sampling was considered representative of the distribution of caribou on the landscape, we assessed demographic distinctness by evaluating intra-individual variation in cluster membership, membership strength and distance between boundaries and core areas of adjacent units. The number and composition of clusters identified was similar among methods and caribou were grouped into 6 general clusters. The distinctions between the three clusters identified in the central portion of the province (i.e., Lac Seul, Wabakimi, Geraldton) and the two clusters identified in the eastern portion of the province (i.e., Cochrane and Cochrane-Quebec) were determined to represent demographic structuring. Additional distinctions in other areas (i.e., between The Red Lake and Lac Seul clusters in the west and between the central and eastern clusters) may just be artifacts of the original sampling effort. Amongst demographic units, there was no evidence of individual flexibility in cluster membership and average membership strength was very high. There was little to no overlap between boundaries and core areas of adjacent units, but distances between adjacent unit boundaries were relatively low. Additional sampling effort is needed to further delineate demographic structure in Ontario caribou.

Responses of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) to clear-cutting in east-central Newfoundland

1993 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 487-493 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tony E. Chubbs ◽  
Lloyd B. Keith ◽  
Shane P. Mahoney ◽  
Michael J. McGrath
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus Caribou ◽  
Spruce Forest ◽  
Woodland Caribou ◽  
East Central ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Summer Range ◽  
Selection Of

Movements, sex and age structure, and habitat selection of adult woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) were examined in relation to clear-cutting on summer range in east-central Newfoundland during 1987 – 1990. We obtained 2473 locations of 35 radio-collared caribou during at least two consecutive summers. Locations relative to clearcuts were determined for eight males and 27 females. Distances to existing clearcuts were compared with distances to those same geographic points prior to and following the summer in which clear-cutting occurred. Four males and 10 females maintained similar mean distances from clearcuts, 3 males and 12 females were farther away, and 2 females were closer. Three other females and one male were assumed to be too distant to be affected by clear-cutting. Of those found farther away from clearcuts, females were 2 – 3 times farther away than males. Among female caribou that maintained similar mean distances to clearcuts, habitat use during clear-cutting was similar to that before and afterwards. Females displaced by clear-cutting avoided open burns and hardwoods and selected mature black-spruce forest, whereas prior to cutting they used habitats in proportion to their availability. Sex and age ratios indicated that significantly fewer females and calves were present near clearcuts than elsewhere in the study area. Our results demonstrate that clear-cutting mature forests on summer range may affect the movements and distribution of woodland caribou.

scholarly journals Seasonal resource selection of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) across a gradient of anthropogenic disturbance

2016 ◽  
Vol 94 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan L. Hornseth ◽  
Robert S. Rempel
Keyword(s):  
Anthropogenic Disturbance ◽  
Resource Selection ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
The Other ◽  
Hudson Bay ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus Caribou ◽  
Woodland Caribou ◽  
Selection Probability ◽  
Hudson Bay Lowlands ◽  
Selection Of

Resource selection functions are useful tools for land-use planning, especially for wide-ranging species with sensitivity to anthropogenic disturbance. We evaluated five a priori hypotheses describing seasonal habitat selection of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou (Gmelin, 1788)) across three regions in northern Ontario. Two regions were Boreal Shield dominated, one area with relatively high anthropogenic disturbance (due to commercial forestry) and the other with relatively low anthropogenic disturbance. The final region was located on the wetland-dominated Hudson Bay Lowlands. Each region encompassed two caribou management ranges: one was used for model development and the other for model evaluation. We developed seasonal resource selection probability functions using seasonal utilization distributions and isopleths derived from GPS collar data (from 212 caribou) to identify high- and low-use areas. We explored selection across five spatial scales; selection patterns were strongest at the 10 000 ha scale. We found temporal and spatial variations in all environmental predictors across ranges and seasons, especially in the Hudson Bay Lowlands. Our results consistently supported the integrated global model (with common variables but range-specific coefficients) where caribou habitat use is related to minimizing apparent competition with moose (Alces alces (L., 1758)) while avoiding disturbed areas, and utilizing areas with adequate forage.

scholarly journals Use of island and mainland shorelines by woodland caribou during the nursery period in two northern Ontario parks

Rangifer ◽  
2011 ◽  
pp. 49-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasha L. Carr ◽  
Arthur R. Rodgers ◽  
Steven R. Kingston ◽  
Douglas J. Lowman
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Predation Risk ◽  
Site Selection ◽  
Landscape Scale ◽  
Physical Characteristics ◽  
Woodland Caribou ◽  
Northern Ontario ◽  
Nursery Areas ◽  
Recreational Disturbance ◽  
Provincial Park

Predation is considered a primary limiting factor of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) populations across North America. Caribou are especially vulnerable to predation during their first few weeks of life and have evolved space-use strategies to reduce predation risk through habitat selection during the critical calving and nursery period. We assessed landscape-scale physical characteristics and landcover types associated with caribou nursery sites in Wabakimi and Woodland Caribou Provincial Parks in northern Ontario to better understand nursery site selection in relatively undisturbed landscapes. Although free from industrial activity, these protected areas may subject caribou to human recreational disturbance, so our secondary objective was to evaluate female caribou nursery site selection relative to human recreational activities. We determined that parturient caribou selected landscape characteristics at multiple spatial scales that may reduce predation risk during the calving and nursery period. Generally, female caribou in both parks selected larger lakes with larger than average sized islands configured within shorter than average distances to other islands or landforms that might facilitate escape from predators. The majority of caribou nursery areas in both parks occurred on islands rather than the mainland shoreline of lakes that were surveyed. The nearest landform for escape from these nursery sites on islands was typically another island, and most often 2-3 islands, suggesting parturient caribou may choose islands clustered together as part of their escape strategy. In Woodland Caribou Provincial Park, caribou nursery sites occurred more often in coniferous landcover than expected from availability, while in Wabakimi Provincial Park caribou used sparse, mixed and coniferous forests for nursery activity. Caribou cow-calf pairs typically used areas for nursery activity that were 9.1 km (± 1.0 km, range 2.3-20.6 km) in Wabakimi Provincial Park and 10.2 km (± 0.7 km, range 0.7-32.6 km) in Woodland Caribou Provincial Park from any human recreational disturbance. These landscape-scale physical characteristics and landcover types associated with caribou nursery sites may be used to predict locations of potential caribou nursery areas both outside and within protected areas for the provision of adequate protection and to ensure the persistence of this valued species.

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