Understanding why species at risk select certain habitat and what components of their life history influence changes in numbers can help mitigate population declines. The Torngat Mountains caribou (Rangifer tarandus) herd in northern Quebec-Labrador, Canada, is declining, and few studies have examined the potential causes of this decline. We fitted 9 Argos and 26 global positioning system (GPS)-collars on 35 adult caribou (25 female, 10 male) between 2011 and 2016 to assess seasonal habitat selection at 2 spatial scales, current and future population trends, and interactions with the neighboring Rivi ere-George migratory caribou herd. The caribou of the Torngat Mountains herd selected areas with abundant food resources in winter and where prevalence of insects was lower in summer. They did not avoid areas where predation risk was high during calving. Spatial overlap with the Rivi ere-George herd range decreased from 1990 to 2015 and was correlated with the size of the Rivi ere-George population, which declined drastically during this period. The decline of the Torngat Mountains population was principally attributed to the low survival of adult females (0.72 annual survival rate) owing to subsistence harvest (9/24) and predation (7/24). Demographic models revealed that the growth rate of the population (l) could vary from 0.83 (current) to 0.94 following a decrease in harvest pressure. Using demographic scenarios, we showed that the Torngat Mountains herd could continue to decrease if no management actions were taken to increase adult female survival. Ó
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.