Caribou observations on Queen Elizabeth Islands (Tab. 1 + 2), supplement to: Miller, F L; Russell, R H; Gunn, A (1975): The recent decline of peary caribou on western Queen Elizabeth Islands of Arctic Canada. Polarforschung, 45(1), 17-21

The numbers and distributions of Peary caribou (Rangiier tarandus pearyi) on western Queen Elizabeth Islands, Northwest Territories were determined by aerial surveys based on a standard census strip method. Surveys were flown in March-April and July-August periods in 1972, 1973, and 1974. Comparison...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Miller, F L, Russell, R H, Gunn, A
Format: Dataset
Language:English
Published: PANGAEA - Data Publisher for Earth & Environmental Science 1975
Subjects:
Online Access:https://dx.doi.org/10.1594/pangaea.743321
https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.743321
Description
Summary:The numbers and distributions of Peary caribou (Rangiier tarandus pearyi) on western Queen Elizabeth Islands, Northwest Territories were determined by aerial surveys based on a standard census strip method. Surveys were flown in March-April and July-August periods in 1972, 1973, and 1974. Comparison of the 1973 and 1974 survevs with those results of a comparable survey in 1961 showed an overall decline of 89% in numbers of caribou between 1961 and 1974. Percentage reduction of caribou numbers from 1961 to 1874 followed a west-cast gradient on the three major islands: Prince Patrick 72%, Melville 87% , and Bathurst 92%. The marked decrease in numbers of caribou is attributed to a combination of high winter mortality in some years and an overall low rate of births and recruitment from 1961 to 1974.