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Found R, Baker JA, Fryxell JM, McLaren AA, Rodgers AR, Shuter J, Thompson I, Patterson BR. Stable isotopes indicate reduced body condition of caribou in disturbed areas. ANIM BIOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1163/15707563-bja10092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Understanding the impacts of disturbance on individual fitness is important for wildlife management, and critical for the conservation of species at risk. We compared the fitness and seasonal range use of 39 woodland caribou in Ontario study areas contrasted by their level of human disturbance. We previously showed that wolf density in the disturbed site was higher, likely due to human-modified landscapes favoring moose, the primary prey of wolves. In this paper we address three objectives. First, because the assimilation of dietary nitrogen is heavily influenced by metabolic processes related to stress, we hypothesized that ratios of nitrogen isotopes (N) may indicate changes in body condition in ungulates and be useful proxies for changes in fitness. Second, we predicted that increased predation risk from wolves in disturbed areas would result in measurable declines in caribou body condition. Third, we hypothesized that one mechanism for fitness declines among caribou in the disturbed area was increased wolf activity restricting caribou seasonal movements. We showed change in N in the tissues of caribou was correlated with body condition scoring using fat assessment. We used GPS collars to quantify seasonal range use and found that fitness was higher, and seasonal range overlap was lower, in caribou using the nondisturbed area. Winter fitness declines were significantly larger in the more disturbed area. Our study identifies another mechanism by which the cumulative effects of human-disturbed landscapes on caribou fitness could contribute to global declines in caribou populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rob Found
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Trent University, DNA Building, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, K9J 7B8
| | - James A. Baker
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research, 103-421 James Street South, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, P7E 2V6
| | - John M. Fryxell
- University of Guelph, Department of Integrative Biology, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, N1G 2W1
| | - Ashley A.D. McLaren
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Trent University, DNA Building, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, K9J 7B8
| | - Arthur R. Rodgers
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research, 103-421 James Street South, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, P7E 2V6
| | - Jennifer Shuter
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research, 103-421 James Street South, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, P7E 2V6
| | - Ian Thompson
- University of Guelph, Department of Integrative Biology, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, N1G 2W1
| | - Brent R. Patterson
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Trent University, DNA Building, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, K9J 7B8
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Street GM, Potts JR, Börger L, Beasley JC, Demarais S, Fryxell JM, McLoughlin PD, Monteith KL, Prokopenko CM, Ribeiro MC, Rodgers AR, Strickland BK, Beest FM, Bernasconi DA, Beumer LT, Dharmarajan G, Dwinnell SP, Keiter DA, Keuroghlian A, Newediuk LJ, Oshima JEF, Rhodes O, Schlichting PE, Schmidt NM, Vander Wal E. Solving the sample size problem for resource selection functions. Methods Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Garrett M. Street
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Mississippi State University Mississippi State MS USA
- Quantitative Ecology and Spatial Technologies Laboratory Mississippi State University Mississippi State MS USA
| | - Jonathan R. Potts
- School of Mathematics and Statistics University of Sheffield Sheffield UK
| | - Luca Börger
- Department of Biosciences Swansea University Swansea UK
- Centre for Biomathematics Swansea University Swansea UK
| | - James C. Beasley
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory University of Georgia Aiken SC USA
| | - Stephen Demarais
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Mississippi State University Mississippi State MS USA
| | - John M. Fryxell
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph Guelph ON Canada
| | | | - Kevin L. Monteith
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources University of Wyoming Laramie WY USA
| | | | - Miltinho C. Ribeiro
- Instituto de Biosciências Universidad Estadual Paulista Rio Claro, São Paulo Brazil
| | - Arthur R. Rodgers
- Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry ON Canada
| | - Bronson K. Strickland
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Mississippi State University Mississippi State MS USA
| | | | | | | | - Guha Dharmarajan
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory University of Georgia Aiken SC USA
| | - Samantha P. Dwinnell
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit University of Wyoming Laramie WY USA
| | - David A. Keiter
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory University of Georgia Aiken SC USA
| | | | - Levi J. Newediuk
- Department of Biology Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John’s NL Canada
| | - Júlia Emi F. Oshima
- Instituto de Biosciências Universidad Estadual Paulista Rio Claro, São Paulo Brazil
| | - Olin Rhodes
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory University of Georgia Aiken SC USA
| | | | | | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of Biology Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John’s NL Canada
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Rempel RS, Carlson M, Rodgers AR, Shuter JL, Farrell CE, Cairns D, Stelfox B, Hunt LM, Mackereth RW, Jackson JM. Modeling Cumulative Effects of Climate and Development on Moose, Wolf, and Caribou Populations. J Wildl Manage 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert S. Rempel
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry 103‐421 James Street South, Thunder Bay Ontario P7E 2V6 Canada
| | - Matthew Carlson
- Alces Landscape and Land‐Use 4290 Wheatley Rd, Duncan, British Columbia V9L 6H1 Canada
| | - Arthur R. Rodgers
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry 103‐421 James Street South, Thunder Bay Ontario P7E 2V6 Canada
| | - Jennifer L. Shuter
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry 103‐421 James Street South, Thunder Bay Ontario P7E 2V6 Canada
| | - Claire E. Farrell
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry 103‐421 James Street South, Thunder Bay Ontario P7E 2V6 Canada
| | - Devin Cairns
- Alces Landscape and Land‐Use 7218 Kirk Ave Summerland British Columbia V0H 1Z9 Canada
| | - Brad Stelfox
- Alces Landscape and Land‐Use Unit 1208, 1234‐5th Avenue NW Calgary Alberta T2N 0R9 Canada
| | - Len M. Hunt
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry 103‐421 James Street South, Thunder Bay Ontario P7E 2V6 Canada
| | - Robert W. Mackereth
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry 103‐421 James Street South, Thunder Bay Ontario P7E 2V6 Canada
| | - Janet M. Jackson
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry 103‐421 James Street South, Thunder Bay Ontario P7E 2V6 Canada
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4
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Walker PD, Rodgers AR, Shuter JL, Thompson ID, Fryxell JM, Cook JG, Cook RC, Merrill EH. Comparison of Woodland Caribou Calving Areas Determined by Movement Patterns Across Northern Ontario. J Wildl Manage 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Philip D. Walker
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Arthur R. Rodgers
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research 103‐421 James Street South Thunder Bay ON P7E 2V6 Canada
| | - Jennifer L. Shuter
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research 103‐421 James Street South Thunder Bay ON P7E 2V6 Canada
| | - Ian D. Thompson
- Canadian Forest Service (Retired) 1219 Queen Street E, Sault Ste. Marie ON P6A 2E5 Canada
| | - John M. Fryxell
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph Guelph ON N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - John G. Cook
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement Forestry and Range Science Laboratory 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Rachel C. Cook
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement Forestry and Range Science Laboratory 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Eveyln H. Merrill
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
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5
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Affiliation(s)
- David A. Keiter
- University of Nebraska–Lincoln, School of Natural Resources, Hardin Hall, 3310 Holdrege Street, Lincoln, NE 68583-0995
| | - Brent R. Patterson
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry [OMNRF], Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8, Canada
| | - Carol Dersch
- OMNRF, Ontario Parks, Lake Superior Provincial Park, PO Box 267, Park Floor 1, Wawa, ON P0S 1K0, Canada
| | - Bob Elliott
- OMNRF, Ontario Parks, Lake Superior Provincial Park, PO Box 267, Park Floor 1, Wawa, ON P0S 1K0, Canada
| | - Arthur R. Rodgers
- OMNRF, Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research, 103-421 James Street South, Thunder Bay, ON P7E 2V6, Canada
| | - John F. Benson
- University of Nebraska–Lincoln, School of Natural Resources, Hardin Hall, 3310 Holdrege Street, Lincoln, NE 68583-0995
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Fryxell JM, Avgar T, Liu B, Baker JA, Rodgers AR, Shuter J, Thompson ID, Reid DEB, Kittle AM, Mosser A, Newmaster SG, Nudds TD, Street GM, Brown GS, Patterson B. Anthropogenic Disturbance and Population Viability of Woodland Caribou in Ontario. J Wildl Manage 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John M. Fryxell
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of Guelph 50 Stone Road E., Guelph Ontario N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - Tal Avgar
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of Guelph 50 Stone Road E., Guelph Ontario N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - Boyan Liu
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of Guelph 50 Stone Road E., Guelph Ontario N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - James A. Baker
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and ForestryWildlife Research and Monitoring Section 300 Water Street, Peterborough Ontario K9J 8M5 Canada
| | - Arthur R. Rodgers
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and ForestryCentre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research 435 James Street Thunder‐Bay Ontario P7E 2VE Canada
| | - Jennifer Shuter
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and ForestryCentre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research 435 James Street Thunder‐Bay Ontario P7E 2VE Canada
| | - Ian D. Thompson
- Canadian Forest Service 1219 Queen Street East, Sault Ste. Marie Ontario P6A 2E5 Canada
| | - Douglas E. B. Reid
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and ForestryCentre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research 435 James Street Thunder‐Bay Ontario P7E 2VE Canada
| | - Andrew M. Kittle
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of Guelph 50 Stone Road E., Guelph Ontario N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - Anna Mosser
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of Guelph 50 Stone Road E., Guelph Ontario N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - Steven G. Newmaster
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of Guelph 50 Stone Road E., Guelph Ontario N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - Tom D. Nudds
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of Guelph 50 Stone Road E., Guelph Ontario N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - Garrett M. Street
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of Guelph 50 Stone Road E., Guelph Ontario N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - Glen S. Brown
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and ForestryWildlife Research and Monitoring Section 300 Water Street, Peterborough Ontario K9J 8M5 Canada
| | - Brent Patterson
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and ForestryWildlife Research and Monitoring Section 300 Water Street, Peterborough Ontario K9J 8M5 Canada
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Viejou R, Avgar T, Brown GS, Patterson BR, Reid DEB, Rodgers AR, Shuter J, Thompson ID, Fryxell JM. Woodland caribou habitat selection patterns in relation to predation risk and forage abundance depend on reproductive state. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:5863-5872. [PMID: 29938099 PMCID: PMC6010817 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Revised: 03/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The ideal free distribution assumes that animals select habitats that are beneficial to their fitness. When the needs of dependent offspring differ from those of the parent, ideal habitat selection patterns could vary with the presence or absence of offspring. We test whether habitat selection depends on reproductive state due to top-down or bottom-up influences on the fitness of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou), a threatened, wide-ranging herbivore. We combined established methods of fitting resource and step selection functions derived from locations of collared animals in Ontario with newer techniques, including identifying calf status from video collar footage and seasonal habitat selection analysis through latent selection difference functions. We found that females with calves avoided predation risk and proximity to roads more strongly than females without calves within their seasonal ranges. At the local scale, females with calves avoided predation more strongly than females without calves. Females with calves increased predation avoidance but not selection for food availability upon calving, whereas females without calves increased selection for food availability across the same season. These behavioral responses suggest that habitat selection by woodland caribou is influenced by reproductive state, such that females with calves at heel use habitat selection to offset the increased vulnerability of their offspring to predation risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Viejou
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of GuelphGuelphONCanada
| | - Tal Avgar
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of GuelphGuelphONCanada
| | - Glen S. Brown
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and ForestrySault Ste. MarieONCanada
| | - Brent R. Patterson
- Wildlife Research and Development SectionOntario Ministry of Natural Resources and ForestryPeterboroughONCanada
| | - Doug E. B. Reid
- Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem ResearchOntario Ministry of Natural Resources and ForestryThunder BayONCanada
| | - Arthur R. Rodgers
- Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem ResearchOntario Ministry of Natural Resources and ForestryThunder BayONCanada
| | - Jennifer Shuter
- Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem ResearchOntario Ministry of Natural Resources and ForestryThunder BayONCanada
| | | | - John M. Fryxell
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of GuelphGuelphONCanada
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8
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Raponi M, Beresford DV, Schaefer JA, Thompson ID, Wiebe PA, Rodgers AR, Fryxell JM. Biting flies and activity of caribou in the boreal forest. J Wildl Manage 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marco Raponi
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program; Trent University; 1600 West Bank Drive Peterborough ON K9L 0G2 Canada
| | - David V. Beresford
- Biology Department; Trent University; 1600 West Bank Drive Peterborough ON K9L 0G2 Canada
| | - James A. Schaefer
- Biology Department; Trent University; 1600 West Bank Drive Peterborough ON K9L 0G2 Canada
| | - Ian D. Thompson
- Canadian Forest Service; 1219 Queen St. East Sault Ste. Marie ON P6A 2E5 Canada
| | - Philip A. Wiebe
- Canadian Forest Service; 1219 Queen St. East Sault Ste. Marie ON P6A 2E5 Canada
| | - Arthur R. Rodgers
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry; Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research; 103-421 James Street South Thunder Bay ON P7E 2V6 Canada
| | - John M. Fryxell
- Department of Integrative Biology; University of Guelph; 50 Stone Road East Guelph ON N1G 2W1 Canada
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Newton EJ, Patterson BR, Anderson ML, Rodgers AR, Vander Vennen LM, Fryxell JM. Compensatory selection for roads over natural linear features by wolves in northern Ontario: Implications for caribou conservation. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0186525. [PMID: 29117234 PMCID: PMC5695599 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in Ontario are a threatened species that have experienced a substantial retraction of their historic range. Part of their decline has been attributed to increasing densities of anthropogenic linear features such as trails, roads, railways, and hydro lines. These features have been shown to increase the search efficiency and kill rate of wolves. However, it is unclear whether selection for anthropogenic linear features is additive or compensatory to selection for natural (water) linear features which may also be used for travel. We studied the selection of water and anthropogenic linear features by 52 resident wolves (Canis lupus x lycaon) over four years across three study areas in northern Ontario that varied in degrees of forestry activity and human disturbance. We used Euclidean distance-based resource selection functions (mixed-effects logistic regression) at the seasonal range scale with random coefficients for distance to water linear features, primary/secondary roads/railways, and hydro lines, and tertiary roads to estimate the strength of selection for each linear feature and for several habitat types, while accounting for availability of each feature. Next, we investigated the trade-off between selection for anthropogenic and water linear features. Wolves selected both anthropogenic and water linear features; selection for anthropogenic features was stronger than for water during the rendezvous season. Selection for anthropogenic linear features increased with increasing density of these features on the landscape, while selection for natural linear features declined, indicating compensatory selection of anthropogenic linear features. These results have implications for woodland caribou conservation. Prey encounter rates between wolves and caribou seem to be strongly influenced by increasing linear feature densities. This behavioral mechanism–a compensatory functional response to anthropogenic linear feature density resulting in decreased use of natural travel corridors–has negative consequences for the viability of woodland caribou.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica J. Newton
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Trent University, DNA Building, Peterborough, ON, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Brent R. Patterson
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Trent University, DNA Building, Peterborough, ON, Canada
| | - Morgan L. Anderson
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Arthur R. Rodgers
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada
| | | | - John M. Fryxell
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
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Kittle AM, Anderson M, Avgar T, Baker JA, Brown GS, Hagens J, Iwachewski E, Moffatt S, Mosser A, Patterson BR, Reid DEB, Rodgers AR, Shuter J, Street GM, Thompson ID, Vander Vennen LM, Fryxell JM. Landscape‐level wolf space use is correlated with prey abundance, ease of mobility, and the distribution of prey habitat. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M. Kittle
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph 50 Stone Road E. Guelph Ontario N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - Morgan Anderson
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph 50 Stone Road E. Guelph Ontario N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - Tal Avgar
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph 50 Stone Road E. Guelph Ontario N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - James A. Baker
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph 50 Stone Road E. Guelph Ontario N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - Glen S. Brown
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry 1235 Queen Street East Sault Ste. Marie Ontario P6A 2E5 Canada
| | - Jevon Hagens
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research 103‐421 James Street South Thunder Bay Ontario P7E 2V6 Canada
| | - Ed Iwachewski
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research 103‐421 James Street South Thunder Bay Ontario P7E 2V6 Canada
| | - Scott Moffatt
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph 50 Stone Road E. Guelph Ontario N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - Anna Mosser
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph 50 Stone Road E. Guelph Ontario N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - Brent R. Patterson
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Wildlife Research and Development Section Trent University DNA Building, 2140 East Bank Drive Peterborough Ontario K9J 7B8 Canada
| | - Douglas E. B. Reid
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research 103‐421 James Street South Thunder Bay Ontario P7E 2V6 Canada
| | - Arthur R. Rodgers
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research 103‐421 James Street South Thunder Bay Ontario P7E 2V6 Canada
| | - Jen Shuter
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research 103‐421 James Street South Thunder Bay Ontario P7E 2V6 Canada
| | - Garrett M. Street
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph 50 Stone Road E. Guelph Ontario N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - Ian D. Thompson
- Canadian Forest Service 1219 Queen Street East Sault Ste. Marie Ontario P6A 2E5 Canada
| | - Lucas M. Vander Vennen
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph 50 Stone Road E. Guelph Ontario N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - John M. Fryxell
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph 50 Stone Road E. Guelph Ontario N1G 2W1 Canada
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Masood S, Van Zuiden TM, Rodgers AR, Sharma S. An uncertain future for woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou): The impact of climate change on winter distribution in Ontario. Ran 2017. [DOI: 10.7557/2.37.1.4103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
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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Street GM, Rodgers AR, Avgar T, Vander Vennen LM, Fryxell JM. Comparing resource selection and demographic models for predicting animal density. J Wildl Manage 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Garrett M. Street
- University of Guelph; Department of Integrative Biology; 50 Stone Road East Guelph ON N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - Arthur R. Rodgers
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry; Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research; 955 Oliver Road Thunder Bay ON P7B 5E1 Canada
| | - Tal Avgar
- University of Alberta; Department of Biological Sciences; 11455 Saskatchewan Drive Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Lucas M. Vander Vennen
- Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development; Peace Region Research Station; Peace River AB T8S 1T4 Canada
| | - John M. Fryxell
- University of Guelph; Department of Integrative Biology; 50 Stone Road East Guelph ON N1G 2W1 Canada
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Rodgers AR, Sinclair ARE. Diet choice and nutrition of captive snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus): Interactions of energy, protein, and plant secondary compounds. Écoscience 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/11956860.1997.11682391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Vander Vennen LM, Patterson BR, Rodgers AR, Moffatt S, Anderson ML, Fryxell JM. Diel movement patterns influence daily variation in wolf kill rates on moose. Funct Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Brent R. Patterson
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry 2140 East Bank Drive Peterborough ON K9J 7B8 Canada
| | - Arthur R. Rodgers
- Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources 955 Oliver Road Thunder Bay ON P7B 5E1 Canada
| | - Scott Moffatt
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph Guelph ON N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - Morgan L. Anderson
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph Guelph ON N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - John M. Fryxell
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph Guelph ON N1G 2W1 Canada
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Gonzales EK, Nantel P, Rodgers AR, Allen ML, Drake CC. Decision-support model to explore the feasibility of using translocation to restore a woodland caribou population in Pukaskwa National Park, Canada. Ran 2015. [DOI: 10.7557/2.35.2.3626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The distribution and abundance of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) have declined dramatically in the past century. Without intervention the most southern population of caribou in eastern North America is expected to disappear within 20 years. Although translocations have reintroduced and reinforced some populations, approximately half of caribou translocation efforts fail. Translocations are resource intensive and risky, and multiple interrelated factors must be considered to assess their potential for success. Structured decision-making tools, such as Bayesian belief networks, provide objective methods to assess different wildlife management scenarios by identifying the key components and relationships in an ecosystem. They can also catalyze dialogue with stakeholders and provide a record of the complex thought processes used in reaching a decision. We developed a Bayesian belief network for a proposed translocation of woodland caribou into a national park on the northeastern coast of Lake Superior, Ontario, Canada. We tested scenarios with favourable (e.g., good physical condition of adult caribou) and unfavourable (e.g., high predator densities) conditions with low, medium, and high numbers of translocated caribou. Under the current conditions at Pukaskwa National Park, augmenting the caribou population is unlikely to recover the species unless wolf densities remain low (<5.5/1000 km2) or if more than 300 animals could be translocated.
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McGreer MT, Mallon EE, Vander Vennen LM, Wiebe PA, Baker JA, Brown GS, Avgar T, Hagens J, Kittle AM, Mosser A, Street GM, Reid DEB, Rodgers AR, Shuter J, Thompson ID, Turetsky MJ, Newmaster SG, Patterson BR, Fryxell JM. Selection for forage and avoidance of risk by woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) at coarse and local scales. Ecosphere 2015. [DOI: 10.1890/es15-00174.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Street GM, Vander Vennen LM, Avgar T, Mosser A, Anderson ML, Rodgers AR, Fryxell JM. Habitat selection following recent disturbance: model transferability with implications for management and conservation of moose (Alces alces). CAN J ZOOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2015-0005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Site-specific variation in relative habitat abundance and disturbance regimes may produce differences in habitat preferences of associated populations. An evaluation of the predictive power of habitat selection models across space would benefit our understanding of the reliability of models of selection and space use in predicting animal occurrence. We used presence–absence data from winter surveys of moose (Alces alces (L., 1758)) to estimate resource selection functions (RSFs) across two study sites using Far North Land Cover updated with recent disturbance from fire and timber harvest. Moose selected foraging habitat (e.g., deciduous land cover) and for increasing deciduous foliage cover (ΔNDVI, i.e., the difference in the normalized difference vegetation index). Snow depth negatively influenced habitat selection, likely due to increased predation risk and reduced movement and foraging efficiency. Models lost little predictive power when applied to another site based on comparison of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Our results corroborated the current body of knowledge concerning moose habitat selection, i.e., moose preferentially use forest stands dominated by deciduous species, but suggested that moose strongly avoided very recently disturbed areas. Minimal site-specific variation and ROC comparison suggests that RSFs may be extended into novel systems, given adequate consideration for habitat quality and abundance, thereby simplifying management needs of this important species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garrett M. Street
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Lucas M. Vander Vennen
- Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, Bag 900-26, Peace River, AB T8S 1T4, Canada
| | - Tal Avgar
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 11455 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Anna Mosser
- Department of Biology Teaching and Learning, University of Minnesota, 1475 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Morgan L. Anderson
- Wildlife Research Section, Department of Environment, P.O. Box 209, Igloolik, NU X0A 0L0, Canada
| | - Arthur R. Rodgers
- Center for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - John M. Fryxell
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
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Street GM, Rodgers AR, Avgar T, Fryxell JM. Characterizing demographic parameters across environmental gradients: a case study with Ontario moose (Alces alces). Ecosphere 2015. [DOI: 10.1890/es14-00383.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Kittle AM, Anderson M, Avgar T, Baker JA, Brown GS, Hagens J, Iwachewski E, Moffatt S, Mosser A, Patterson BR, Reid DEB, Rodgers AR, Shuter J, Street GM, Thompson ID, Vander Vennen LM, Fryxell JM. Wolves adapt territory size, not pack size to local habitat quality. J Anim Ecol 2015; 84:1177-86. [PMID: 25757794 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2014] [Accepted: 02/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
1. Although local variation in territorial predator density is often correlated with habitat quality, the causal mechanism underlying this frequently observed association is poorly understood and could stem from facultative adjustment in either group size or territory size. 2. To test between these alternative hypotheses, we used a novel statistical framework to construct a winter population-level utilization distribution for wolves (Canis lupus) in northern Ontario, which we then linked to a suite of environmental variables to determine factors influencing wolf space use. Next, we compared habitat quality metrics emerging from this analysis as well as an independent measure of prey abundance, with pack size and territory size to investigate which hypothesis was most supported by the data. 3. We show that wolf space use patterns were concentrated near deciduous, mixed deciduous/coniferous and disturbed forest stands favoured by moose (Alces alces), the predominant prey species in the diet of wolves in northern Ontario, and in proximity to linear corridors, including shorelines and road networks remaining from commercial forestry activities. 4. We then demonstrate that landscape metrics of wolf habitat quality - projected wolf use, probability of moose occupancy and proportion of preferred land cover classes - were inversely related to territory size but unrelated to pack size. 5. These results suggest that wolves in boreal ecosystems alter territory size, but not pack size, in response to local variation in habitat quality. This could be an adaptive strategy to balance trade-offs between territorial defence costs and energetic gains due to resource acquisition. That pack size was not responsive to habitat quality suggests that variation in group size is influenced by other factors such as intraspecific competition between wolf packs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Kittle
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Morgan Anderson
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Tal Avgar
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - James A Baker
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Glen S Brown
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, 1235 Queen Street East, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, P6A 2E5, Canada
| | - Jevon Hagens
- Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - Ed Iwachewski
- Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - Scott Moffatt
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Anna Mosser
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Brent R Patterson
- Wildlife Research and Development Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Trent University, DNA Building, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario, K9J 7B8, Canada
| | - Douglas E B Reid
- Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - Arthur R Rodgers
- Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - Jen Shuter
- Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - Garrett M Street
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Ian D Thompson
- Canadian Forest Service, 1219 Queen Street East, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, P6A 2E5, Canada
| | - Lucas M Vander Vennen
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - John M Fryxell
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
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Affiliation(s)
- Garrett M. Street
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, 2003 Upper Buford Circle; University of Minnesota-Twin Cities; St. Paul MN 55108 USA
| | - Arthur R. Rodgers
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry; Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research, 955 Oliver Road,; Thunder Bay ON P7B 5E1 Canada
| | - John M. Fryxell
- Department of Integrative Biology , 50 Stone Road W; University of Guelph; Guelph ON N1H 7M5 Canada
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Thompson ID, Wiebe PA, Mallon E, Rodgers AR, Fryxell JM, Baker JA, Reid D. Factors influencing the seasonal diet selection by woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) in boreal forests in Ontario. CAN J ZOOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2014-0140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
We used remote video cameras to assess seasonal diet composition of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus tarandus (L., 1758)) at three areas across the boreal forest of Ontario. Caribou consume lichens in winter, but we expected they would significantly reduce lichen consumption in favour of higher protein levels in green plants in summer. We sampled videos from 23 caribou, from 2 years, to derive seasonal diet composition. Diet differed among seasons and study areas, except in winter when lichens dominated. Diet breadth doubled from winter to summer, but overlap between seasons was still >60%. Green plants were less commonly eaten than we expected, only three genera were preferred, and few species constituted more than 2% of the diet. Preferred foods varied by land-cover types. Diet differed between managed and unmanaged landscapes but did not result from use of plant species found in successional habitats. Caribou selected a nonoptimal diet in the snow-free seasons, especially with respect to protein, suggesting factors other than nutrition influenced diet choice, and indicating the possibility of bottom-up limitation on production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian D. Thompson
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service, 1219 Queen Street East, Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 2E5, Canada
| | - Philip A. Wiebe
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service, 1219 Queen Street East, Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 2E5, Canada
| | - Erin Mallon
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Arthur R. Rodgers
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystems Research, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E5, Canada
| | - John M. Fryxell
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - James A. Baker
- Ontario Forest Research Institute, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, 1235 Queen Street East, Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 2E5, Canada
| | - Douglas Reid
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystems Research, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E5, Canada
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Thompson ID, Bakhtiari M, Rodgers AR, Baker JA, Fryxell JM, Iwachewski E. Application of a high-resolution animal-borne remote video camera with global positioning for wildlife study: Observations on the secret lives of woodland caribou. WILDLIFE SOC B 2012. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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Shuter JL, Rodgers AR. Delineating demographic units of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in Ontario: cautions and insights. Ran 2012. [DOI: 10.7557/2.32.2.2267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
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.
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Carr NL, Rodgers AR, Kingston SR, Hettinga PN, Thompson LM, Renton JL, Wilson PJ. Comparative woodland caribou population surveys in Slate Islands Provincial Park, Ontario. Ran 2012. [DOI: 10.7557/2.32.2.2270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
We evaluated three methods of estimating population size of woodland caribou (boreal ecotype) on the Slate Islands in northern Ontario. Located on the north shore of Lake Superior, the Slate Islands provide a protected and closed population with very limited predator influence that is ideal for a comparison of survey methods. Our objective was to determine the costs and benefits of three population estimation techniques: (1) forward looking infrared (FLIR) technology to count the number of caribou on regular-spaced transects flown by fixed-wing aircraft; (2) observers to count the number of caribou seen or heard while walking random transects in the spring; and, (3) mark-recapture sampling of caribou pellets using DNA analysis. FLIR and the genetics 3-window approach gave much tighter confidence intervals but similar population estimates were found from all three techniques based on their overlapping confidence intervals. There are various costs and benefits to each technique that are discussed further. Understanding the costs and benefits of different population estimation techniques is necessary to develop cost-effective programs for inventorying and monitoring this threatened species not only on the Slate Islands but for other populations as well.
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Carr NL, Rodgers AR, Kingston SR, Lowman DJ. Use of island and mainland shorelines by woodland caribou during the nursery period in two northern Ontario parks. Ran 2011. [DOI: 10.7557/2.31.2.1989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
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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Abstract
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.
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Rempel RS, Elkie PC, Rodgers AR, Gluck MJ. Timber-Management and Natural-Disturbance Effects on Moose Habitat: Landscape Evaluation. J Wildl Manage 1997. [DOI: 10.2307/3802610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Abstract
Several measures of movement based on livetrapping data were used to compare summer movement patterns of Lemmus sibiricus and Dicrostonyx groenlandicus in northern Canada. Distances moved by individuals of both species were greater when populations were intermediate in size than at high or low density. At intermediate density, males of both species moved farther than females. Seasonal movement patterns of the two species were similar. Coincident with reproductive periods in late July and late August, distances moved decreased in both species. Increased movements of both species followed periods of reproductive activity and also occurred at the end of each summer. These latter movements are related to seasonal changes in patterns of habitat use and diet in each species. These results suggest that dispersal is an important determinant of seasonal patterns of population change in both L. sibiricus and D. groenlandicus.
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Abstract
The food habits of animals may be studied in the laboratory or in the field. Field studies describe diet selection of populations but do not permit analysis of the factors causing individual variation in the foraging behaviour of animals. Although numerous indices have been developed to compare use and availability of foods in field diets of animals, little attention has been given to laboratory approaches for comparing food choices. Tests of food choice must account for the order, consumption rate, and total amount of each food type eaten. Current measures fail to account for one or more of these parameters. This often results in highly ambiguous preference rankings, making comparisons among individuals or species difficult. To solve this problem, I propose using the area under the curve of the cumulative proportion eaten versus time for each food type. This index may be used to assess individual variation and determine the relative importance of each major component of the diet selection process in animals.
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Rodgers AR, Lewis MC. Diet selection in Arctic lemmings (Lemmus sibiricus and Dicrostonyx groenlandicus): demography, home range, and habitat use. CAN J ZOOL 1986. [DOI: 10.1139/z86-396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
In this study we explore the relationships between demography, patterns of habitat use, and the diets selected by Lemmus and Dicrostonyx at Igloolik Island, N.W.T. The demography of both species at Igloolik is similar to that recorded at other localities, but maximal densities vary between sites and may be related to the abundance of suitable forage. Home range characteristics and patterns of habitat use in each lemming species are related to the spatial and temporal distribution of preferred foods: in summer, Lemmus uses low-lying wet meadow habitats dominated by graminoids and mosses, whereas Dicrostonyx uses mainly upland dry heaths dominated by shrubs; in winter, both species make greater use of moist transitional habitats. Although the two species differ in their patterns of resource use, these differences may be altered through interspecific and intraspecific interactions.
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Rodgers AR, Lewis MC. Diet selection in Arctic lemmings (Lemmus sibiricus and Dicrostonyx groenlandicus): forage availability and natural diets. CAN J ZOOL 1986. [DOI: 10.1139/z86-253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
We describe forage availability and diets of the lemmings Lemmus sibiricus and Dicrostonyx groenlandicus at Igloolik Island, Northwest Territories. Summer and winter diets of Dicrostonyx were dominated by the evergreen shrub Dryas integrifolia and supplemented by the deciduous shrub Salix arctica. Lemmus ate mainly graminoids and some mosses in summer but the reverse in winter. In both species, winter diets were similar in different habitats. Comparison with diets of lemmings in Alaska show sufficient similarity to explain the synchrony of population fluctuations over wide geographical areas. Site-specific differences occur, however, and these are accounted for by an examination of the diet selection process in each species. These differences have important implications for the demography of lemmings at different sites.
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Abstract
Testing of hypotheses relating lemming population dynamics to their food supply requires a detailed understanding of several major components of the diet selection process such as requirements, availability, preference, and selectivity. In this study, food preferences of Arctic lemmings were determined in cafeteria trials: Lemmus preferred graminoids and moss, while Dicrostonyx preferred shrubs and herbs. The stability of these preference patterns in each species was tested in further experimental cafeteria trials. Individuals of both species were pretreated on one of several diets, and two main types of trial were conducted involving limited and unlimited availability of test foods. Naive animals of both species, born and raised in captivity on artificial diets, were also used in the trials. In all cases, preference patterns in each species were maintained, suggesting that they are strongly heritable. Comparison of preference indices to the physical and chemical characteristics of tundra plants indicates that preference patterns in both species are related primarily to macronutrients and caloric content. Differences between Lemmus and Dicrostonyx are determined by secondary compounds and the physical characteristics of the plant species preferred by each. Comparison of ingestion rates and digestibility coefficients indicate that Dicrostonyx has a greater capacity than Lemmus in dealing with the negative characteristics of plants, such as secondary compounds or the presence of plant "hairs."
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