Caribou distribution near an oilfield road on Alaska's North Slope, 1978–2001

Noel, Lynn E.; Parker, Keith R.; Cronin, Matthew A.

doi:10.2193/0091-7648(2004)032[0757:cdnaor]2.0.co;2

Cited by 25 publications

(69 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…We examined caribou response at a finer scale (< 1 km) and can make inferences beyond our study area only with caution. However, results from more recent aerial surveys centered on the Milne Point Road, some of them concurrent with our own road surveys, indicated no displacement effects at the 1 km spatial resolution (Noel et al, 2004). Thus, the extent of displacement described in this study may be the true extent at present for the latter part of the calving period.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 75%

“…In itself, this hesitation does not imply negative energetic effects, but it could affect potential exposure to abomasal parasites and alter optimal foraging strategies if local caribou densities were consistently high (Gunn and Irvine, 2003). Similarly, Noel et al (2004) found during the late calving period that caribou densities within 6 km from the Milne Point Road were highest in the 1 km interval nearest the road, perhaps documenting the same phenomenon at a greater spatial extent. The distributional differences between groups with and without calves were statistically significant, meaning that they reflect real behavioral differences.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

“…After construction of the MPU and KRU in 1982, densities of calving caribou in the new oilfields increased markedly for three years and then dropped in 1986, a year with late spring snowmelt (Cameron et al, 1992;Haskell, 2003). As the herd continued to grow through 2001, the number of caribou using habitats within the oilfields during the calving period did not increase (Noel et al, 2004). It has been suggested that this relative shift in calving density may have been prompted by oilfield development (Nellemann and Cameron, 1998;Cameron et al, 2002Cameron et al, , 2005Griffith et al, 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…We predicted that maternal caribou groups would be distributed farther from active oilfield roads and production pads than non-maternal groups, and that displacement effects would be reduced after the calving period. We refer to results from aerial surveys concurrent to our road surveys to help develop and support our conclusions (Noel et al, 2004). Predicting impacts is part of the environmental review process, and understanding gross processes of habituation by caribou may aid in land management decisions and development of effective mitigation measures for industry and wildlife management agencies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the MPU oilfield, density of caribou and calves during the calving period has been positively correlated with distance from roads (Dau and Cameron, 1986a;Cameron et al, 1992), but interacting factors that include local habitat selection, snow cover, and intraspecific competition may also affect caribou distributions (Haskell, 2003). Calving distribution relative to oilfield infrastructure is variable; calves are frequently seen within 1 -4 km of roads (Lawhead and Prichard, 2002;Noel et al, 2004); displacement effects may wane over the years (Noel et al, 2004); and caribou have recently been documented calving within 500 m of active oilfield roads and production pads (S. Haskell, pers. obs.).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dynamic Responses of Calving Caribou to Oilfields in Northern Alaska

Haskell¹,

Nielson²,

Ballard³

et al. 2009

ARCTIC

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ABSTRACT. Past research has suggested that during the calving period, caribou (Rangifer tarandus) in Arctic Alaska generally avoid areas within 1 km of oilfield roads with traffic. However, avoidance is not absolute, and caribou may habituate to infrastructure (e.g., buildings, roads, well pads) and human activity. We conducted road-based surveys of caribou in oilfields on Alaska's Arctic Coastal Plain during the late calving and post-calving periods of June in 2000 -02. We recorded location, composition, and behavior of caribou groups located less than 1 km from active gravel roads and production pads. Caribou groups with calves were on average distributed farther from oilfield infrastructure than were groups without calves, but habituation to oilfield activities, indicated by decreased avoidance, occurred at similar rates for groups with and without calves. During the calving period, sighting rates were greater in areas of low human activity, and calf percentages tended to be greater at night when oilfield activity was reduced. Caribou groups were on average closer to infrastructure during the post-calving periods than during the calving periods in

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 75%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dynamic Responses of Calving Caribou to Oilfields in Northern Alaska

Haskell¹,

Nielson²,

Ballard³

et al. 2009

ARCTIC

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Effect of behavioral marginality on survival of an alpine ungulate

2019

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Inter‐individual variability in behavior has been studied extensively for a wide range of species. However, few researchers have considered marginality, defined as the degree to which a choice made by an individual is located at the margins of the distribution of all possible choices available to a particular population. We explored the influence of marginal behaviors on the probability of survival of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou). We used GPS collars to record the movement and fate of 43 caribou and distributed their habitat use behavior along two axes of a multidimensional scaling. We used Cox proportional‐hazards models to evaluate whether marginality had an effect on mortality risk. We found that individuals that exhibited marginal behavior had higher mortality risk than more conformist individuals. Caribou is a social species; thus, sharing a common habitat use strategy is likely an adaptation for minimizing the risk of predation. Our findings provide an empirical link between behavior and survival, contributing to our understanding of the decline of Rangifer across much of its Canadian distribution.

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Caribou Use of Habitat Near Energy Development in Arctic Alaska

et al. 2019

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Increasing demands for energy have generated interest in expanding oil and gas production on the North Slope of Alaska, USA, raising questions about the resilience of barren‐ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus) populations to new development. Although the amount of habitat lost directly to energy development in the Arctic will likely be relatively small, there are significant concerns about habitat that may be indirectly affected because of caribou avoidance behaviors. Behavioral responses to energy development for wildlife have been documented, but such responses are often assumed to dissipate over time, despite scant information on the ability of animals to habituate. To understand the long‐term effects of energy development on barren‐ground caribou, we investigated the behavior of the Central Arctic Herd in northern Alaska, which has been exposed to oil development on its summer range for approximately 40 years. Using recent (2015–2017) location data from global positioning system (GPS)‐collared females, we conducted a zone of influence analysis to assess whether caribou reduced their use of habitat near energy development, and if so, the distance the effects attenuated. We conducted this analysis for the calving, post‐calving, and mosquito harassment periods when caribou exhibit distinct resource selection patterns, and contrasted our results to past research that investigated the responses of the Central Arctic Herd immediately following the construction of the oil fields. Despite the long‐term presence of energy development within the Central Arctic Herd summer range, we found that female caribou exhibited avoidance responses to infrastructure during all time periods, although the effects waned across the summer. Caribou reduced their use of habitat within 5 km of development during the calving period, within 2 km during the post‐calving period, and within 1 km during the mosquito harassment period; these areas were predicted to overlap 12%, 15%, and 17% of important calving, post‐calving, and mosquito period habitat, respectively. During the calving period, the indirect effects we observed were similar to those observed in past research, whereas during the post‐calving and mosquito periods, we detected avoidance responses that had not been previously reported. These findings corroborate a growing body of evidence suggesting that habituation to industrial development in caribou in the Arctic is likely to be weak or absent, and emphasizes the value of minimizing the footprint of infrastructure within important seasonal habitat to reduce behavioral effects to barren‐ground caribou. © 2019 The Authors. The Journal of Wildlife Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Wildlife Society.

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Caribou distribution near an oilfield road on Alaska's North Slope, 1978–2001

Cited by 25 publications

References 11 publications

Dynamic Responses of Calving Caribou to Oilfields in Northern Alaska

Dynamic Responses of Calving Caribou to Oilfields in Northern Alaska

Effect of behavioral marginality on survival of an alpine ungulate

Caribou Use of Habitat Near Energy Development in Arctic Alaska

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