ARm Population Increase of Muskoxen on Banks Island and Implications for Competition with Peary Caribou

ABSTRACT. Surveys were flown in March 1979 and 1980 north and south of 73”N on Banks Island to estimate numbers of muskoxen. Observed total was 11 809 animals and estimated population was 18 328 muskoxen, suggesting that the population has continued to expand since previous surveys in the early 1970...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: D. Vincent, A. Gunni
Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
Format: Text
Language:English
Subjects:
Greenland
Peary
Thomsen
Arctic
Banks Island
muskox
Alaska
Online Access:http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.490.773
http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic34-2-175.pdf
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Summary:ABSTRACT. Surveys were flown in March 1979 and 1980 north and south of 73”N on Banks Island to estimate numbers of muskoxen. Observed total was 11 809 animals and estimated population was 18 328 muskoxen, suggesting that the population has continued to expand since previous surveys in the early 1970s. A comparison with previous surveys of densities between the north and the south of the island indicates muskoxen have spread from the Thomsen River valley to the northeast and the south. Comparisons with muskox and caribou populations in Alaska and with reindeer in Greenland suggest that Co-existence between these species is normal and does not involve competition. RGSUMÉ. En mars 1979 et 1980, nous avons ttudib, les aires situbes respectivement au nord et au sud du 73”N &l’île Banks pour Cvaluer le nombre de boeuf-musqu6s. Au total, 11,809 boeuf-musquCs furent aperçus et nous avons estimb une population de 19,328 individus. NOS resultats suggkrent que la population a continue de s’accroître depuis les reconnaissances anterieures effectubes durant la premitre partie des annCes 70. Une comparaison des densitbs entre les parties nord et sudde l’île avec celles des reconnaissances anterieures indique que les boeuf-musquCs se sont etendus de la vallbe de la rivibre Thomsen vers le nord-est et le sud. Une comparaison avec les populations de boeuf-musqubs et de caribous en Alaska et au Grohland suggbre que la Co-existence des deux esp&ces est normale et la comfitition n’a pas et6 signalbe en-dessous des densites observbes.

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