Forest management guidelines for forest-dwelling caribou in Québec

Abstract

The forest-dwelling ecotype of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) is vulnerable to predation, hunting, and disturbances due to anthropogenic activities. Its strategies of space and habitat use are oriented towards reducing the effects of these limiting factors. Caribou occupy large home ranges, undertake extensive movements, and avoid fragmented areas. They use various habitats, but especially mature and over-mature conifer stands with irregular structure, which are less suitable for other ungulates, wolves and black bears. In order to protect habitat for forest-dwelling caribou, we suggest an ecosystem approach based on the protection of large forested blocks, the concentration of forest harvesting in large management blocks, and the maintenance of habitat connectivity. This strategy focuses on short-term conservation of minimum caribou habitats in the protected blocks, a medium-term habitat recovery in the management blocks, the maintenance of forest activities, and facilitation of seasonal and dispersal movements. Within the management blocks, we recommend creation of an irregular forest structure similar to the pattern created by natural disturbances inherent to spruce-moss forests. These guidelines have been tested in Québec for the last few years and were well received by forest and wildlife agencies as well as the forest industry.Key words: adaptive management, boreal forest, ecosystem management, forest-dwelling ecotype, forest management, spruce forest, woodland caribou L'écotype forestier du caribou des bois (Rangifer tarandus caribou) est vulnérable à la prédation, à la chasse et aux dérangements anthropiques. Ses stratégies d'utilisation de l'espace et des habitats visent à réduire l'impact de ces facteurs. Il occupe de grands domaines vitaux, effectue de grands déplacements et évite les milieux fragmentés par la coupe et les perturbations naturelles. Il utilise différents habitats mais surtout les forêts résineuses matures et surannées de structure irrégulière moins propices aux autres cervidés et aux pré-dateurs. Pour aménager l'habitat du caribou forestier, nous recommandons une approche écosystémique basée sur la protection de grands massifs forestiers, la concentration des coupes forestières dans de grands blocs d'aménagement et le maintien de la connectivité des habitats. Cette stratégie permettra de conserver un habitat minimum à court terme, de reconstituer des habitats propices à moyen terme, de maintenir les activités forestières et de faciliter les mouvements saisonniers et la dispersion du caribou. À l'intérieur des blocs d'aménagement, nous proposons de s'inspirer du régime des perturbations naturelles ayant cours dans la pessière à mousses pour régénérer des forêts de structure irrégulière. Ces lignes directrices sont expérimentées au Québec depuis quelques années et elles furent bien reçues par les agences forestières et fauniques aussi bien que par l'industrie forestière.Mots-clés : aménagement forestier, aménagement écosystémique, caribou des bois, écotype forestier, forêt ...

Winter selection of landscapes by woodland caribou: behavioural response to geographical gradients in habitat attributes

“…2002). Habitat use by caribou can vary regionally (Courtois et al . 2004; Ferguson & Elkie 2005), indicative perhaps of functional responses in habitat selection.…”

Explaining Geographic Gradients in Winter Selection of Landscapes by Boreal Caribou with Implications under Global Changes in Eastern Canada

“…One key principle of ecosystem-based forest management is to limit the rate of anthropogenic disturbances to conform to the historical ranges of ecosystem natural variability in ecosystem properties [49], such as species composition and age-class structure. In addition to these new guidelines, permanent and temporary forest blocks (hereafter named protection blocks) have been set aside from logging to improve the conservation of boreal caribou habitat within its actual range [50,51]. Logging activities are therefore permitted in the forest matrix that is located outside protection blocks but their rate, intensity, and spatial distribution are to be informed by historical patterns of natural disturbance regimes (e.g., fire and insect outbreaks).…”

Aboriginal forestry: development of a socioecologically relevant moose habitat management process using local Cree and scientific knowledge inEeyou Istchee

“…This approach is based on the natural landscape and dynamic of the black spruce ecosystem (Perron 2003;Gauthier et al 2008;Bouchard et al 2011) and should help to protect woodland caribou (Courtois et al 2004;Grenon et al 2011). This threatened species is associated with undisturbed coniferous forest and is considered as a wildlife indicator for biodiversity conservation (Courtois 2003).…”

“…Protected blocks could then be harvested when the surrounding cut blocks are old enough to provide winter habitat for caribou. This spatiotemporal alternation of young, premature, and mature forest blocks should be based on natural disturbance size and cycle and caribou needs (Courtois et al 2004; Équipe de Rétablissement du Caribou Forestier au Québec 2008; Bouchard et al 2011). However, because caribou could potentially be impacted by natural predators of moose (wolf (Canis lupus L.) and black bear (Ursus americanus Pallas)) (Équipe de Rétablissement du Caribou Forestier au Québec 2008), it would be recommended to maintain moose density at levels commonly found in those regions and limit the overlap between moose and woodland caribou areas.…”