Historical Changes and Current Distribution of Caribou, <em>Rangifer tarandus</em>, in Quebec

Abstract

We examined published historical information, reports on aerial surveys conducted since 1953, and harvest data collected since 1971 to describe changes in the distribution and abundance of Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) in Québec. The southern limit of the Caribou distribution diminished considerably in the late 19 th century, and the decline in numbers probably continued until the 1960s and 1970s east of the 62 nd meridian. South of the 49 th parallel, only four small populations still persist. Despite the fact that all Caribou of the province were assigned to the same sub-species (R. t. caribou), three ecotypes with specific habitats and behaviour are found. The Barren-Ground ecotype, the only migratory form, is found north of the 52 nd parallel. This ecotype currently occupies ≈ 255 000 km 2 in fall and winter, mainly in the ecological subzones of the forest tundra and the taiga. The Barren-Ground Caribou was characterized by a very low abundance from the end of the 19 th century until the mid1950s, but increased markedly thereafter reaching over a million individuals at the beginning of the 1990s. Populations of the Mountain ecotype have been identified in the southeastern and, possibly, in the northeastern parts of the province. The latter Mountain population is virtually unknown. The southeastern population is sedentary and uses mainly the boreal forest. This population has decreased over the last century and currently numbers only ≈ 140 individuals. Finally, the Forest-Dwelling ecotype is found discontinuously, mainly between the 49 th and 55 th parallels. Its current distribution covers ≈ 235 000 km 2 , mainly east of the 72 nd meridian. This sedentary ecotype is found almost exclusively in the boreal forest, principally in areas with long forest fire cycles. Its abundance has also decreased over the years. Large Forest-Dwelling populations still persisted during the 1950s and 1960s, but they apparently disappeared. The current abundance is not known precisely, but based on density estimates and considering the current distribution, it probably does not exceed 3000 individuals. Current data are insufficient to identify precisely the causes of the population decline, although hunting seems to be an important proximal cause. L'abondance actuelle n'est pas connue mais elle pourrait difficilement dépasser 3000 individus si l'on se base sur les estimations de la densité et de l'aire de répartition. Les données disponibles sont insuffisantes pour identifier les causes exactes des diminutions d'effectifs bien que la chasse semble une cause proximale importante.

Forest management guidelines for forest-dwelling caribou in Québec

“…In Québec, caribou are more common in areas subject to a very long forest fire cycle (200-500 years, Courtois et al 2003b). They are highly vulnerable to predation, hunting and other anthropogenic disturbances (Bergerud 1974;Seip 1991Seip , 1992Dyer et al 2001), and large areas of suitable habitat are required for caribou to persist in the presence of predators (Bergerud et al 1984, Racey et al 1999.…”

“…Forest-dwelling caribou are found in greater abundance in mature and post-mature forests (Racey et al 1999), particularly in areas characterized by long fire cycles (Courtois et al 2003b). A key feature of these stands is their uneven-aged structure (Gauthier et al 2001) which should be maintained to mimic the evolution of natural disturbances.…”

Preliminary assessment of habitat characteristics of woodland caribou calving areas in the Claybelt region of Québec and Ontario, Canada

“…Forest management can have direct or indirect negative effects on caribou popula¬ tions by displacing them (Darby & Duquette, 1986), by changing predator-prey dynamics (Bergerud & Elliot, 1986;James & Stuart-Smith, 2000) or, like fire, by affecting food availability (Klein, 1982;Darby & Duquette, 1986;Pruitt & Schaeffer, 1991). Since the late 1800s and the early 1900s , the his¬ torical range of woodland caribou has decreased (Bergerud, 1974;Racey & Armstrong, 2000;Courtois et al, 2001). Even though many hypotheses were made to explain the possible causes of this range restriction, it is hard to point out one unique factor (Racey & Armstrong, 2000).…”

An Aerial Survey Technique for the Forest-Dwelling Ecotype of Woodland Caribou, <em>Rangifer tarandus caribou</em>

“…Information collected over the last 40 years in Quebec shows that the distribution of forest-dwelling Caribou is limited to the boreal forest (Courtois et al 2003). More specifically, they are principally found in the eastern part of the bioclimatic zone of spruce/moss forest, where the fire cycle is very long.…”

“…Using the 1999 survey method, a survey of this area would cost nearly one million dollars. However, about $257 700 would be sufficient to survey the zones of intensive use (≈ 64 400 km 2 ), where about 70% of Caribou observations have been made (Courtois et al 2003). The rest of the area frequented by Caribou could be surveyed in an ad hoc fashion, for example, during the planning phase of forest operations.…”