Ecology of the Porcupine caribou herd
Researchers have described general patterns of population regulation that fit most caribou (Rangifer tarandus) herds. Nevertheless, specific factors operating on particular populations vary greatly, and efforts to categorize herds according to the general patterns often lead to confusion. It is diff...
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Septentrio Academic Publishing
1996
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.7557/2.16.4.1220 https://doaj.org/article/44021a8a5e65431da029c42cb1553715 |
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:44021a8a5e65431da029c42cb1553715 2023-05-15T15:10:01+02:00 Ecology of the Porcupine caribou herd Kenneth R. Whitten 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.7557/2.16.4.1220 https://doaj.org/article/44021a8a5e65431da029c42cb1553715 EN eng Septentrio Academic Publishing https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/rangifer/article/view/1220 https://doaj.org/toc/1890-6729 doi:10.7557/2.16.4.1220 1890-6729 https://doaj.org/article/44021a8a5e65431da029c42cb1553715 Rangifer, Vol 16, Iss 4 (1996) Porcupine caribou density limitation population dynamics regulation Animal culture SF1-1100 article 1996 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.7557/2.16.4.1220 2022-12-31T09:37:36Z Researchers have described general patterns of population regulation that fit most caribou (Rangifer tarandus) herds. Nevertheless, specific factors operating on particular populations vary greatly, and efforts to categorize herds according to the general patterns often lead to confusion. It is difficult for biologists to attempt to describe population dynamics in terms of density relationships for wide-ranging arctic caribou such as the Porcupine Herd. In these herds density varies as a function of dispersal and erratic movement patterns and is not simply the number of caribou divided by a fixed range area. Density is also a poor surrogate for resource availability per individual caribou because climatic factors affect forage and/or access to forage independendy of caribou numbers. Thus classic signs of nutritional stress such as delayed puberty, reduced productivity, and winter starvation can occur when a population is small as well as large and do not necessarily denote food competition brought on by high density, per se. Nutritional stress and exacerbated predation due to adverse weather conditions occasionally cause the Porcupine Herd to decline, and limiting factors such as poor nutrition, predation, harvest, accidents, and disease act in combination to keep herd growth rates low during periods of good weather. Adverse weather setbacks occur frequently, and the herd remains within a fairly restricted range of densities over long time periods. There is no true density dependent regulation and no equilibrium in this system. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic caribou Rangifer Rangifer tarandus Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Rangifer 16 4 45 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Porcupine caribou density limitation population dynamics regulation Animal culture SF1-1100 |
spellingShingle |
Porcupine caribou density limitation population dynamics regulation Animal culture SF1-1100 Kenneth R. Whitten Ecology of the Porcupine caribou herd |
topic_facet |
Porcupine caribou density limitation population dynamics regulation Animal culture SF1-1100 |
description |
Researchers have described general patterns of population regulation that fit most caribou (Rangifer tarandus) herds. Nevertheless, specific factors operating on particular populations vary greatly, and efforts to categorize herds according to the general patterns often lead to confusion. It is difficult for biologists to attempt to describe population dynamics in terms of density relationships for wide-ranging arctic caribou such as the Porcupine Herd. In these herds density varies as a function of dispersal and erratic movement patterns and is not simply the number of caribou divided by a fixed range area. Density is also a poor surrogate for resource availability per individual caribou because climatic factors affect forage and/or access to forage independendy of caribou numbers. Thus classic signs of nutritional stress such as delayed puberty, reduced productivity, and winter starvation can occur when a population is small as well as large and do not necessarily denote food competition brought on by high density, per se. Nutritional stress and exacerbated predation due to adverse weather conditions occasionally cause the Porcupine Herd to decline, and limiting factors such as poor nutrition, predation, harvest, accidents, and disease act in combination to keep herd growth rates low during periods of good weather. Adverse weather setbacks occur frequently, and the herd remains within a fairly restricted range of densities over long time periods. There is no true density dependent regulation and no equilibrium in this system. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Kenneth R. Whitten |
author_facet |
Kenneth R. Whitten |
author_sort |
Kenneth R. Whitten |
title |
Ecology of the Porcupine caribou herd |
title_short |
Ecology of the Porcupine caribou herd |
title_full |
Ecology of the Porcupine caribou herd |
title_fullStr |
Ecology of the Porcupine caribou herd |
title_full_unstemmed |
Ecology of the Porcupine caribou herd |
title_sort |
ecology of the porcupine caribou herd |
publisher |
Septentrio Academic Publishing |
publishDate |
1996 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.7557/2.16.4.1220 https://doaj.org/article/44021a8a5e65431da029c42cb1553715 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic caribou Rangifer Rangifer tarandus |
genre_facet |
Arctic caribou Rangifer Rangifer tarandus |
op_source |
Rangifer, Vol 16, Iss 4 (1996) |
op_relation |
https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/rangifer/article/view/1220 https://doaj.org/toc/1890-6729 doi:10.7557/2.16.4.1220 1890-6729 https://doaj.org/article/44021a8a5e65431da029c42cb1553715 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.7557/2.16.4.1220 |
container_title |
Rangifer |
container_volume |
16 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
45 |
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1766341097022291968 |