ARCTIC Calving Success of Woodland Caribou Exposed to Low-Level Jet Fighter Overflights

• Main Authors: Fred H. Harrington, Alasdair M. Veitch
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1990
• Subjects: Arctic; Rangifer tarandus
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.499.9918; http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic45-3-213.pdf

ABSTRACT. Effects on woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) of low-level military jet training at Canadian Forces Base- Goose Bay (Labrador) were studied during the 1986-88 training seasons. Calf survival was periodically monitored during 1987 and 1988 in a sample of 15 females wearing satellite-tracked radiocollars. During 1987, each female’s exposure to low-level overflights was experimentally manipulated on a daily basis. In 1988, daily exposure was determined by analyzing jet flight tracks following the low-level flying season. Calf survival was monitored by survey flights every 3-4 weeks. A calf survival index, the number of survey periods (maximum = 4) that a cow was accompanied by a calf, was negatively correlated with the female’s exposure to low-level jet overflights during the calving and immediate post-calving period and again during the period of insect harassment during summer. No significant relationship between calf survival and exposure to low-level flying was seen during the pre-calving period, during the late post-calving period prior to insect harassment, and during fall. In view of the continued depression of popula-tion growth in the woodland caribou population within the low-level training area, jets should avoid overflying woodland caribou calving range at least during the last week of May and the first three weeks of June. Key words: caribou, Rangifer tarandus caribou, calf survival, low-level flying, jet aircraft, disturbance, Labrador RÉSUMJL Au cours des saisons d’entraînement de 1986 à 1988, à la base des Forces années canadiennes de Goose Bay au Labrador, on a étudié les retombées sur le caribou des bois (Rangifer tarandus caribou) de l’entraînement à basse altitude sur des avions militaires $ réaction. En 1987 et 1988, on a observé périodiquement la survie des veaux dans un échantillon de 15 femelles équipées de colliers émetteurs suivis par satellite. En 1987, on a manipulé quotidiennement de façon expérimentale l’exposition de chaque fenlelle à des survols à basse altitude. ...