and *SocieÂte de la Faune et des Parcs du Quebec, Direction de la recherche sur la faune, 675 Boulevard ReneÂ-LeÂvesque Est, boõà te 92, QueÂbec, QueÂbec, G1R 5V7 Canada Summary 1. It has been hypothesized that a balanced adult sex ratio is necessary for the full participation of ungulate females in reproduction and therefore high productivity. We tested this general hypothesis by combining two complementary approaches. 2. First, using telemetry (n 60) and annual aerial censuses between 1995 and 1998, we compared two moose Alces alces populations in Quebec, Canada, one non-harvested and the other subject to intensive sport harvesting from the end of September to mid-October. We tested the following predictions for the harvested population: (i) females increase movements and home ranges during the mating period; (ii) the mating system is modi®ed, with the appearance of groups of one male and many females; (iii) subadult males participate in reproduction; (iv) the mating period extends over two to three oestrus cycles; (v) the calving period extends over several months; and (vi) productivity declines. 3. Daily movements and home range sizes during the mating period did not di er between harvested and non-harvested populations. Most groups observed were male±female pairs. Subadult males (1Á5±2Á5 years old) were only observed with females in the harvested population. Mating and calving periods did not di er between populations. The proportion of females that gave birth and the number of calves produced were also comparable in the two populations. 4. Secondly, we also assessed the existence of a relationship between population productivity and percentage of males in various management units of the province of Quebec that were characterized by a wide range in sex ratios. Contrary to prediction (vi), the number of calves per 100 adult females was not related to the percentage of adult males in the population. 5. The participation of young adult males (subadults) in reproduction in our harvested population may have compensated for the lower percentage of adult males, and thus productivity was una ected. We therefore reject the hypothesis that intensive harvesting, at least at the level we observed, a ects reproduction and population productivity. 6. As there are some uncertainties regarding the long-term e ects of high hunting pressure, however, managers should favour sex ratios close to levels observed in non-harvested populations.

The movements of female moose, 14 in 1995 and 20 in 1996, were recorded by radio-tracking to examine the characteristics of calving sites in the centre of Quebec. Females were spotted by helicopter every 3 or 4 days mean = 3,5 ± 0,4; n = 15) between mid-May and early June (1995: May 17 - June 9; 1996: May 21 - June 6) so that the exact dates and sites of calving could be determined. Topography and vegetation at the sites were determined using topographic maps and terrestrial surveys and were compared with control sites chosen randomly within the home range of each female. Twenty-six calving sites were identified, 10 in 1995 and 16 in 1996. Calving sites were situated seven times more often at the top of hills (69%; n = 26) than control sites (10%). They were also situated more often (88%) on hills with less than 10% slopes than control sites (52%). Finally, distance to the nearest river was greater for calving sites mean = 543 m) than for control sites mean = 339 m). Canopy and food, altitude, distance to a road or a water source, drainage, and orientation did not differ between calving sites and control sites. Although this is not a formal test, the observed characteristics of calving sites support the hypothesis that calving females choose sites where the risks of fawn predation are lowest. As females do not repeatedly use the same calving sites and as the physical characteristics of the sites and nature of the forest at the sites are not limiting, we do not see any reason why moose calving sites should be submitted to particular protection or management measures.

We determined the categories of roost sites used by ruffed grouse ( Bonasa umbellus (L., 1766)) during daytime in winter from 245 radiotelemetric locations of 26 adult females. We conducted our study in the Réserve faunique de Portneuf, located in a mixed nordic-temperate softwood–hardwood forest in Quebec, Canada. We evaluated the effects of weather, snow, and habitat variables on the incidence of snow burrowing, tree roosting, and on-snow roosting using mixed multinomial models, ANOVA, and logistic regressions. The best logistic regression model of snow burrowing probability was identified using the Akaike path. The incidence of each category of roost sites was 41.2% tree roosts, 36.3% snow burrows, and 22.4% on-snow roosts. Coniferous canopy closure and depth of fluffy snow were the variables that influenced roosting behavior the most. Probability of snow burrowing increased with compaction depth and decreased with coniferous cover. Probability of tree roosting increased with temperature. On-snow roosts had a denser lateral obstruction than snow burrows, whereas tree roosts had a greater coniferous basal area, stem density, and canopy cover than snow burrows. Stand type also influenced the incidence of each category of roost sites, snow burrows dominating in deciduous stands and tree roosts dominating in mixed and coniferous stands.

To what extent is minority language use in society imposed by social determinism, a force acting on individuals based on the language group's relative vitality in terms of demography, institutional support, and status? Can social determinism be countered by the force of self-determination sustained by group members’ personal autonomy, critical consciousness, and strong engaged integrated identity? These questions are addressed by testing a revised Self-determination and ethnolinguistic development (SED) model, using structural equation modeling. This model specifies how three categories of language socialization (enculturation, personal autonomization, critical consciousness-raising) mediate between objective ethnolinguistic vitality (EV) and four psycholinguistic constructs (engaged integrated identity, community engagement, linguistic competencies, subjective EV) in the prediction of minority language use. Results on a large sample of French Canadian students in different EV settings strongly support the SED model and show that social determinism can be at least moderately countered by psycholinguistic constructs that increase individual self-determination.

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