Interactions of wolves, mountain caribou and an increased moose-hunting quota --- Primary-prey management as an approach to caribou recovery.

Steenweg, Robin

doi:10.24124/2012/bpgub807

Cited by 16 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…This adaptation increases spatial separation between caribou and alternate prey like moose and deer that prefer lower elevation habitat (Bergerud et al 1984;Jenkins and Wright 1988;Pauley et al 1993), which correspondingly increases spatial separation between caribou and predators such as wolves (Whittington et al 2011;DeCesare 2012). Previous research suggests that calving on steep slopes makes it more difficult for wolves to reach neonatal calves (Barten et al 2001;Gustine et al 2006;Steenweg 2011), and has been observed previously in mountain caribou (Gustine et al 2006;Gustine and Parker 2008). We expected similar selection for steep slopes, but on the contrary, we found that caribou selected flat or gentler slopes for calving.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seeking sanctuary: the neonatal calving period among central mountain woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou)

Nobert¹,

Milligan²,

Stenhouse³

et al. 2016

Can. J. Zool.

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Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou (Gmelin, 1788)) populations have declined throughout their range. With the goal of better understanding habitat selection and fidelity during the neonatal calving period (0-4 weeks), we applied a noninvasive method that estimates calving events and subsequent survival based on changes in movement rates among GPS-collared female caribou. We examined a long-term GPS-collar data set (1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012)(2013)(2014) collected from 81 adult female caribou in two central mountain herds in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada. Although we were unable to validate our results with aerial surveys and pregnancy tests, our estimates of parturition rates, survival rates, calving dates, and habitat selection were consistent with previous studies. We identified 83 calving sites. Female caribou selected calving sites and postparturition habitat on high-elevation ridgetops with gradual slopes and avoided anthropogenic linear features. Female caribou displayed low fidelity to interannual calving ranges with a mean distance of 8.7 km between calving ranges. Fidelity was lower in areas with high seismic-line density. Conservation of high-elevation habitat with limited anthropogenic disturbance is likely to provide the greatest benefit to central mountain caribou during the neonatal calving period, and represents a potential management strategy for population recovery efforts.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seeking sanctuary: the neonatal calving period among central mountain woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou)

Nobert¹,

Milligan²,

Stenhouse³

et al. 2016

Can. J. Zool.

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“…Liberalized hunting resulted in a 71% reduction in moose numbers and about a 50% reduction in wolf numbers on three ranges in the southern portion of the Southern Mountain DU; the Columbia North population experienced a modest increase while the two small populations (Columbia South, Frisby-Boulder) decreased regardless (Serrouya et al, 2011). In the northern portion of the Southern Mountain DU (Parsnip portion of the Hart Ranges), moose numbers declined, possibly as a result of increased hunting, but over six years, neither wolf nor caribou numbers responded measurably (Steenweg, 2011;D. Heard, British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, pers.…”

Section: Management and Recovery Actionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conservation status of caribou in the western mountains of Canada: Protections under the species at risk act, 2002-2014

Ray¹,

Cichowski²,

St‐Laurent³

et al. 2015

Ran

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In April 2014, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) reviewed the status of caribou in the western mountains of Canada, in keeping with the ten-year reassessment mandate under the Species at Risk Act. Assessed as two ‘nationally significant’ populations in 2002, COSEWIC revised the conservation units for all caribou in Canada, recognising eleven extant Designatable Units (DUs), three of which -- Northern Mountain, Central Mountain, and Southern Mountain -- are found only in western Canada. The 2014 assessment concluded that the condition of many subpopulations in all three DUs had deteriorated. As a result of small and declining population sizes, the Central Mountain and Southern Mountain DUs are now recognised as endangered. Recent declines in a number of Northern Mountain DU subpopulations did not meet thresholds for endangered or threatened, and were assessed as of special concern. Since the passage of the federal Species at Risk Act in 2002, considerable areas of habitat were managed or conserved for caribou, although disturbance from cumulative human development activities has increased during the same period. Government agencies and local First Nations are attempting to arrest the steep decline of some subpopulations by using predator control, maternal penning, population augmentation, and captive breeding. Based on declines, future developments and current recovery effects, we offer the following recommendations: 1) where recovery actions are necessary, commit to simultaneously reducing human intrusion into caribou ranges, restoring habitat over the long term, and conducting short-term predator control, 2) carefully consider COSEWIC’s new DU structure for management and recovery actions, especially regarding translocations, 3) carry out regular surveys to monitor the condition of Northern Mountain caribou subpopulations and immediately implement preventative measures where necessary, and 4) undertake a proactive, planned approach coordinated across jurisdictions to conserve landscape processes important to caribou conservation.

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“…A threshold model has been proposed to describe when a prey species is common enough to become the main prey of individual packs (Smith et al, 2000). Wolf management has been documented as a potential means of regulating game 10 species populations in North America (Steenweg, 2012) …”

Section: Literature Review: 10mentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of wolf hunting policy on moose populations in northern Minnesota

Kelly

Mackey

2014

Preprint

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An ongoing and politically sensitive aspect of proper ecological stewardship revolves around improving the conditions and health of all of the species in the area of concern including both predator and prey species. Human industrial activities have 20 dramatically reduced the land area available to the native species which has placed stresses and fragility into the ecological web. Maintaining proper ecological dynamics has become a critical aspect of policy initiatives designed to safeguard our natural reserves including the establishment of ecological forests and sanctuaries. Herein we outline our proposal to tackle a central issue in wildlife management: improving our 25 knowledge of predator-prey dynamics that vary both temporally and specially in nonlinear ways. By leveraging techniques pioneered in other disciplines in addition to the traditional methods, we aim to drastically improve our understanding of the Moose-Grey Wolf interaction and to develop a system with applicability in other regions and other species. 30PeerJ PrePrints | http://dx.doi.org/10.7287/peerj.preprints.769v1 | CC-BY 4.0 Open Access |

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Interactions of wolves, mountain caribou and an increased moose-hunting quota --- Primary-prey management as an approach to caribou recovery.

Cited by 16 publications

References 76 publications

Seeking sanctuary: the neonatal calving period among central mountain woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou)

Seeking sanctuary: the neonatal calving period among central mountain woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou)

Conservation status of caribou in the western mountains of Canada: Protections under the species at risk act, 2002-2014

Impact of wolf hunting policy on moose populations in northern Minnesota

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