Woodland caribou calf recruitment in relation to calving/post-calving landscape composition

Since the 1990s, Newfoundland’s woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) population has declined by an estimated 66%. Low calf recruitment has been associated to the decline, possibly triggered by increasing calf predation and/or decreasing resources. To investigate the role of landscape composi...

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Main Authors: Sara C. McCarthy, Robert B. Weladji, Christine Doucet, Paul Saunders
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Septentrio Academic Publishing 2011-04-01
Series:Rangifer
Subjects:
Online Access:https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/rangifer/article/view/1918
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spelling doaj-f2f9fa35e2f04fb0a729756fb3f8b5912020-11-25T01:12:12ZengSeptentrio Academic PublishingRangifer1890-67292011-04-0131110.7557/2.31.1.19181787Woodland caribou calf recruitment in relation to calving/post-calving landscape compositionSara C. McCarthy0Robert B. Weladji1Christine Doucet2Paul Saunders3Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6Wildlife Division, Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Environment and Conservation, 117 Riverside Drive, P. O. Box 2007, Corner Brook, NL A2H 7S1Wildlife Division, Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Environment and Conservation, 117 Riverside Drive, P. O. Box 2007, Corner Brook, NL A2H 7S1Since the 1990s, Newfoundland’s woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) population has declined by an estimated 66%. Low calf recruitment has been associated to the decline, possibly triggered by increasing calf predation and/or decreasing resources. To investigate the role of landscape composition in this system, we studied the yearly (2005-2008) calving/post-calving range (CPCR) of 104 satellite-collared females belonging to six herds. We mapped nine disturbance factors (e.g. roads, logging, etc), as well as vegetation cover types (e.g. coniferous, deciduous forests, etc), and determined the total area they occupied within CPCRs yearly for each herd. Using an information theoretic approach, we assessed the model that best explained variation in recruitment using these components. Based on corrected Akaike Information Criterion, the model that best explained variation in calf recruitment included total disturbance and deciduous forest area, both showing the expected negative relationship with calf recruitment. Other landscape variables among the models with ΔAICc < 2 were mixed forest, also with a suggested negative relationship, and barrens and wetlands with a significant positive trend. This study highlights the need to minimize total disturbance footprint and account for resulting changes in forest composition within CPCRs during land use planning. Expanding forestry operations and road infrastructure in critical woodland caribou habitat across Canada may additionally contribute to habitat loss via fragmentation. This in turn, may lead to range recession beyond the initial local avoidance footprint. We see the possibility of using calf recruitment models based on landscape parameters, among others, to predict the impact of new industrial developments on calf recruitment.https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/rangifer/article/view/1918avoidancedisturbancehabitatindustrial developmentNewfoundlandlogging
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Sara C. McCarthy
Robert B. Weladji
Christine Doucet
Paul Saunders
spellingShingle Sara C. McCarthy
Robert B. Weladji
Christine Doucet
Paul Saunders
Woodland caribou calf recruitment in relation to calving/post-calving landscape composition
Rangifer
avoidance
disturbance
habitat
industrial development
Newfoundland
logging
author_facet Sara C. McCarthy
Robert B. Weladji
Christine Doucet
Paul Saunders
author_sort Sara C. McCarthy
title Woodland caribou calf recruitment in relation to calving/post-calving landscape composition
title_short Woodland caribou calf recruitment in relation to calving/post-calving landscape composition
title_full Woodland caribou calf recruitment in relation to calving/post-calving landscape composition
title_fullStr Woodland caribou calf recruitment in relation to calving/post-calving landscape composition
title_full_unstemmed Woodland caribou calf recruitment in relation to calving/post-calving landscape composition
title_sort woodland caribou calf recruitment in relation to calving/post-calving landscape composition
publisher Septentrio Academic Publishing
series Rangifer
issn 1890-6729
publishDate 2011-04-01
description Since the 1990s, Newfoundland’s woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) population has declined by an estimated 66%. Low calf recruitment has been associated to the decline, possibly triggered by increasing calf predation and/or decreasing resources. To investigate the role of landscape composition in this system, we studied the yearly (2005-2008) calving/post-calving range (CPCR) of 104 satellite-collared females belonging to six herds. We mapped nine disturbance factors (e.g. roads, logging, etc), as well as vegetation cover types (e.g. coniferous, deciduous forests, etc), and determined the total area they occupied within CPCRs yearly for each herd. Using an information theoretic approach, we assessed the model that best explained variation in recruitment using these components. Based on corrected Akaike Information Criterion, the model that best explained variation in calf recruitment included total disturbance and deciduous forest area, both showing the expected negative relationship with calf recruitment. Other landscape variables among the models with ΔAICc < 2 were mixed forest, also with a suggested negative relationship, and barrens and wetlands with a significant positive trend. This study highlights the need to minimize total disturbance footprint and account for resulting changes in forest composition within CPCRs during land use planning. Expanding forestry operations and road infrastructure in critical woodland caribou habitat across Canada may additionally contribute to habitat loss via fragmentation. This in turn, may lead to range recession beyond the initial local avoidance footprint. We see the possibility of using calf recruitment models based on landscape parameters, among others, to predict the impact of new industrial developments on calf recruitment.
topic avoidance
disturbance
habitat
industrial development
Newfoundland
logging
url https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/rangifer/article/view/1918
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