Seasonal movements of caribou in arctic Alaska as determined by satellite

Abstract

Between 1985 and 1987, 49, 283 locations and 79, 101 sets of activity data were obtained for 34 adult female caribou of the Porcupine and Central Arctic caribou herds using satellite telemetry. Daily movement rates of female caribou from the two herds, which differ greatly in size and separation of seasonal ranges, were similar except during the spring and fall migrations. Movement rates in July exceeded those during migration in both herds. The minimum annual distance travelled by caribou cows, ranging to 5055 km, were the longest movements documented for any terrestrial mammal.

Adaptation and Sustainability in a Small Arctic Community : Results of an Agent-based Simulation Model

“…The community is geographically isolated; it has no road access. Subsistence livelihoods depend to a great extent on the Porcupine caribou herd, for which a large research base exists (Fancy et al, 1988;Russell et al, 1992Russell et al, , 1993Griffith et al, 2002). The 1993 land-claim agreement gives the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation substantial authority to influence the community's future.…”

A bat's perspective on navigation

“…Some of the longest distances traveled by extant terrestrial mammals have been reported in Alaskan caribou. Satellite tracking data suggest that herds of caribou migrate more than 2,500 km twice per year between their summer and winter habitats (20). A common factor in each of these migration patterns is that the animals return to the same place year after year, suggesting that long-distance navigation follows highly specific landmark cues also in large terrestrial animals.…”

Denning ecology of barren-ground wolves in the central Canadian Arctic.

“…Space-use patterns of barren-ground caribou are influenced by a variety o f environmental and biological factors including whether, insect harassment, forage availability, and predation risk (Kelsall 1968, Bergerud 1996, Fancy et al 1989, Gunn et al 2002. These factors vary among caribou, making it challenging to infer the aggregate behaviour of the herd from observations of individual animals.…”

“…The distribution and movement of barren-ground caribou vary considerably by season (Fancy et al 1989, Gunn et al 2002. These dynamics influence the availability of prey (Heard and Williams 1992) and thus the reproductive success for denning wolves (Frame et al 2008).…”

“…I quantified changes in the selection of den sites over a 17-year period that coincided with a rapid and substantial decline in the abundance of the Bathurst herd. During that time, the area of the summer range (95% MCP to define availability) o f caribou decreased consistently and seasonal ranges from post-calving through fall migration contracted northward towards the calving ground; these results indicated that the Bathurst herd experienced density-dependent range contraction (Simmons et al 1979, Messier et al 1988, Fancy et al 1989, Gunn et al 2013. Wolves, however, did not select den sites closer to the seasonal caribou ranges as they contracted northwards.…”