Range use and movement rates of woodland caribou in Saskatchewan

2001 ◽  
Vol 79 (11) ◽  
pp. 1933-1940 ◽  
Author(s):  
W James Rettie ◽  
François Messier
Keyword(s):  
Predator Avoidance ◽  
Site Fidelity ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Satellite Telemetry ◽  
Woodland Caribou ◽  
Telemetry Data ◽  
Movement Rates ◽  
Range Use ◽  
Seasonal Movement ◽  
Calf Mortality

We employed satellite-telemetry data to examine seasonal movement rates, annual- and seasonal-range sizes, and season-to-season range fidelity of female woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) from five populations in the boreal forest of Saskatchewan. The populations studied are limited by predation, and we investigated whether female caribou exhibited movement and range use consistent with predator avoidance. Additionally, we document an animal-centred technique for assessing site fidelity on the basis of individual range use throughout a year. Females accompanied by calves had lower movement rates and smaller seasonal ranges than females without calves. Movement rates among female caribou tended to decline between the rut and the postcalving and summer seasons. Trends indicated that seasonal ranges were larger prior to calving than during the postcalving and summer seasons. We interpreted the range sizes and movement rates observed as being consistent with predator avoidance in nonmigratory caribou populations. Despite these results and high rates of calf mortality in the area, we did not find interannual fidelity to calving sites.

scholarly journals Range size and seasonal movement for female woodland caribou in the boreal forest of northeastern Ontario

Rangifer ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glen S. Brown ◽  
Frank F. Mallory ◽  
James Rettie
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Satellite Telemetry ◽  
Home Range Size ◽  
Range Size ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Woodland Caribou ◽  
Seasonal Movement ◽  
Forest Regions ◽  
Time Of Year

A preliminary examination was conducted of range size and distribution of female woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in northeastern Ontario. Annual and seasonal ranges were calculated using satellite telemetry data collected for 30 female caribou between 1998 and 2001. The mean annual home range size of collared females was 4026 km2. Seasonal ranges varied in size depending on time of year (P<0.05). Calving and summer ranges were significantly smaller than autumn and late winter ranges. Early winter ranges were significantly larger than calving ranges and smaller than late winter ranges. Overall, range sizes of female woodland caribou in northeastern Ontario were larger than those reported for caribou in other Boreal Forest regions across Canada.

scholarly journals Female site fidelity of the Mealy Mountain caribou herd (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in Labrador

Rangifer ◽  
2011 ◽  
pp. 87-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse N. Popp ◽  
James A. Schaefer ◽  
Frank F. Mallory
Keyword(s):  
Human Disturbance ◽  
Site Fidelity ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Satellite Telemetry ◽  
Anthropogenic Effects ◽  
Telemetry Data ◽  
Adult Females ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Individual

The Mealy Mountain caribou population of southeastern Labrador is listed as threatened. Site fidelity - the philopatric tendency of an animal to remain in or return to the same site - has often been suspected in sedentary caribou like the Mealy Mountain, but rarely has been examined. Philopatric behaviours are important because fidelity sites may then receive priority protection from human disturbance. To describe and document site fidelity for the Mealy Mountain herd, satellite telemetry data from 12 collared adult females during three years was examined. The mean distance between locations in consecutive years of tracking the individual caribou was calculated and an annual profile of site fidelity generated. This profile illustrated that the lowest inter-year distances occurred during calving, when caribou returned to within 39 km (2005-06) and 11.5 km (2006-07) of the previous year's location, and during post-calving, when the mean distance was 7.7 km (2005-06). Spring snow depths were substantially greater in 2007 and appeared to weaken calving site fidelity. This spatial information may serve as a basis for detecting anthropogenic effects on woodland caribou.

scholarly journals Winter distribution of woodland caribou in relation to clear-cut logging in west-central Alberta

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (8) ◽  
pp. 1433-1440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirby G Smith ◽  
E Janet Ficht ◽  
David Hobson ◽  
Troy C Sorensen ◽  
David Hervieux
Keyword(s):  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Timber Harvest ◽  
Timber Harvesting ◽  
Home Range Size ◽  
Woodland Caribou ◽  
Daily Movement ◽  
Movement Rates ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Winter Range ◽  
West Central

The responses of a herd of migratory woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) to timber harvesting that fragmented about 11% of their winter range in west-central Alberta were examined in this study. From 1981 to 1996, 45 caribou were radio-collared and monitored during the initiation and completion of first-pass timber harvest (50% removal). Variables examined were home-range size, daily movement rates, and distance to the nearest cut block for radio-collared individuals. Daily movement rates and individual winter range sizes decreased as timber harvesting progressed. Caribou avoided using recently fragmented areas by an average of 1.2 km. If fragmentation of the winter range continues through timber harvesting and other industrial activities, the "spacing out" antipredator strategy used by caribou may be compromised. Based on these findings, timber-harvesting strategies are recommended that (i) ensure an adequate area of usable habitat to support the current population, (ii) minimize the amount of fragmented area, and (iii) in the short term avoid presently defined core use areas.

scholarly journals Use of satellite telemetry data, GIS, and HTML to create an interactive display of caribou movements

Rangifer ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 101
Author(s):  
Alexander K. Prichard ◽  
Geoffry M. Carroll ◽  
John C. George ◽  
Stephen M. Murphy ◽  
Mike D. Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Public ◽  
Annual Variation ◽  
Satellite Telemetry ◽  
Telemetry Data ◽  
Daily Movement ◽  
Movement Rates ◽  
Interactive Display ◽  
Wintering Areas

The use of animation clearly reveals the large annual variation in wintering areas and large differences in daily movement rates for this herd. This interactive display can be adapted for school groups, subsistence hunters, the general public, or scientists.

scholarly journals Factors influencing variation in site fidelity of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in southeastern British Columbia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heiko Wittmer ◽  
B McLellan ◽  
F Hovey
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Site Fidelity ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Snow Accumulation ◽  
Limiting Factors ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Behavioural Plasticity ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus Caribou ◽  
Early Winter ◽  
Woodland Caribou

Where predation is a major limiting factor, it has been postulated that woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou (Gmelin, 1788)) reduce movements to minimize contact with predators and exhibit fidelity to seasonal ranges. We examined fidelity behaviour within season and among years of woodland caribou based on locations of 65 radio-collared individuals in British Columbia, Canada. We used average linear distances between all possible pairs of radiolocations of individuals to assess fidelity. Among-year interlocation distances were similar to within-season interlocation distances during summer, indicating that caribou did not shift their distribution during seasons when they were most vulnerable to predation. Among-year interlocation distances were significantly greater than within-season interlocation distances during both early winter and late winter, indicating that individual caribou shifted their distribution among winters. The amount that an individual's distribution shifted among winters varied among and within individuals over different years. During early winter this behavioural plasticity was correlated with snow accumulation, with individuals having greater interlocation distances in years with high snow accumulation. Our results indicate that site fidelity outside the calving season is unlikely solely influenced by predator avoidance. We suggest that seasonal shifts in the importance of limiting factors vary from predation in summer to food in winter. © 2006 NRC.

scholarly journals Factors influencing variation in site fidelity of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in southeastern British Columbia

2006 ◽  
Vol 84 (4) ◽  
pp. 537-545 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heiko U. Wittmer ◽  
Bruce N. McLellan ◽  
Frederick W. Hovey
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Site Fidelity ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Snow Accumulation ◽  
Limiting Factors ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Behavioural Plasticity ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus Caribou ◽  
Early Winter ◽  
Woodland Caribou

Where predation is a major limiting factor, it has been postulated that woodland caribou ( Rangifer tarandus caribou (Gmelin, 1788)) reduce movements to minimize contact with predators and exhibit fidelity to seasonal ranges. We examined fidelity behaviour within season and among years of woodland caribou based on locations of 65 radio-collared individuals in British Columbia, Canada. We used average linear distances between all possible pairs of radiolocations of individuals to assess fidelity. Among-year interlocation distances were similar to within-season interlocation distances during summer, indicating that caribou did not shift their distribution during seasons when they were most vulnerable to predation. Among-year interlocation distances were significantly greater than within-season interlocation distances during both early winter and late winter, indicating that individual caribou shifted their distribution among winters. The amount that an individual’s distribution shifted among winters varied among and within individuals over different years. During early winter this behavioural plasticity was correlated with snow accumulation, with individuals having greater interlocation distances in years with high snow accumulation. Our results indicate that site fidelity outside the calving season is unlikely solely influenced by predator avoidance. We suggest that seasonal shifts in the importance of limiting factors vary from predation in summer to food in winter.

scholarly journals Seasonal movements of caribou in arctic Alaska as determined by satellite

1989 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 644-650 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. G. Fancy ◽  
L. F. Pank ◽  
K. R. Whitten ◽  
W. L. Regelin
Keyword(s):  
Adult Female ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Satellite Telemetry ◽  
Activity Data ◽  
Seasonal Movements ◽  
Terrestrial Mammal ◽  
Daily Movement ◽  
Movement Rates ◽  
Arctic Alaska

Between 1985 and 1987, 49 283 locations and 79 101 sets of activity data were obtained for 34 adult female caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) of the Porcupine and Central Arctic herds using satellite telemetry. Daily movement rates of female caribou from the two herds, which differ greatly in size and separation of seasonal ranges, were similar except during the spring and fall migration periods. Movement rates in July exceeded those during migration in both herds. The minimum annual distances travelled by caribou cows, ranging to 5055 km, were the longest movements documented for any terrestrial mammal.

Seeking sanctuary: the neonatal calving period among central mountain woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou)

2016 ◽  
Vol 94 (12) ◽  
pp. 837-851 ◽  
Author(s):  
B.R. Nobert ◽  
S. Milligan ◽  
G.B. Stenhouse ◽  
L. Finnegan
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus Caribou ◽  
Woodland Caribou ◽  
Seismic Line ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Movement Rates

Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou (Gmelin, 1788)) populations have declined throughout their range. With the goal of better understanding habitat selection and fidelity during the neonatal calving period (0–4 weeks), we applied a noninvasive method that estimates calving events and subsequent survival based on changes in movement rates among GPS-collared female caribou. We examined a long-term GPS-collar data set (1998–2014) collected from 81 adult female caribou in two central mountain herds in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada. Although we were unable to validate our results with aerial surveys and pregnancy tests, our estimates of parturition rates, survival rates, calving dates, and habitat selection were consistent with previous studies. We identified 83 calving sites. Female caribou selected calving sites and postparturition habitat on high-elevation ridgetops with gradual slopes and avoided anthropogenic linear features. Female caribou displayed low fidelity to interannual calving ranges with a mean distance of 8.7 km between calving ranges. Fidelity was lower in areas with high seismic-line density. Conservation of high-elevation habitat with limited anthropogenic disturbance is likely to provide the greatest benefit to central mountain caribou during the neonatal calving period, and represents a potential management strategy for population recovery efforts.

scholarly journals Preliminary analysis of habitat utilization by woodland caribou in northwestern Ontario using satellite telemetry

Rangifer ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 195 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.L. Hillis ◽  
F.F. Mallory ◽  
W.J. Dalton ◽  
J. Smiegielski
Keyword(s):  
Preliminary Analysis ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Satellite Telemetry ◽  
Habitat Utilization ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Woodland Caribou ◽  
Gis Technology ◽  
Landsat Images ◽  
Northwestern Ontario ◽  
One Year

Locational data collected over a one year period from 10 female woodland caribou, Rangifer tarandus caribou, collared with Argos satellite collars in northwestern Ontario, Canada were superimposed on supervised Landsat images using Geographical Information System (GIS) technology. Landscape parameters, land cover classifications, and drainage were utilized to create the basemap. Using ARCVIEW software, all digital fixes from collared caribou with information of date, time, and activity status were overlain on the basemap to facilitate a preliminary analysis of habitat use in this species. Results supported the conclusions (1) that woodland caribou in northwestern Ontario select habitats containing high to moderate conifer cover and avoided disturbed areas and shrub-rich habitats, (2) that seasonal changes in habitat utilization occurs in females of this species, and (3) that satellite telemetry technology can be employed in the boreal forest ecosystem to assess habitat utilization by large ungulate species.

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