Status, population fluctuations and ecological relationships of Peary caribou on the Queen Elizabeth Islands: Implications for their survival
The Peary caribou (Rangifer tarandus pearyi) was recognized as 'Threatened' by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada in 1979 and 'Endangered' in 1991. It is the only member of the deer family (Cervidae) found on the Queen Elizabeth Islands (QEI) of the Cana...
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2003
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:6b39a959520947adbdf3a0d6f05571bf 2023-05-15T14:48:41+02:00 Status, population fluctuations and ecological relationships of Peary caribou on the Queen Elizabeth Islands: Implications for their survival Frank L. Miller Anne Gunn 2003-04-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.7557/2.23.5.1703 https://doaj.org/article/6b39a959520947adbdf3a0d6f05571bf EN eng Septentrio Academic Publishing https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/rangifer/article/view/1703 https://doaj.org/toc/1890-6729 doi:10.7557/2.23.5.1703 1890-6729 https://doaj.org/article/6b39a959520947adbdf3a0d6f05571bf Rangifer, Vol 23, Iss 5 (2003) populations fluctuations Queen Elisabeth Islands arctic Canada die-offs ecology genetics Animal culture SF1-1100 article 2003 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.7557/2.23.5.1703 2022-12-31T11:41:34Z The Peary caribou (Rangifer tarandus pearyi) was recognized as 'Threatened' by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada in 1979 and 'Endangered' in 1991. It is the only member of the deer family (Cervidae) found on the Queen Elizabeth Islands (QEI) of the Canadian High Arctic. The Peary caribou is a significant part of the region's biodiversity and a socially important and economically valuable part of Arctic Canada's natural heritage. Recent microsatellite DNA findings indicate that Peary caribou on the QEI are distinct from caribou on the other Arctic Islands beyond the QEI, including Banks Island. This fact must be kept in mind if any translocation of caribou to the QEI is proposed. The subspecies is too gross a level at which to recognize the considerable diversity that exists between Peary caribou on the QEI and divergent caribou on other Canadian Arctic Islands. The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada should take this considerable diversity among these caribou at below the subspecies classification to mind when assigning conservation divisions (units) to caribou on the Canadian Arctic Islands. In summer 1961, the first and only nearly range-wide aerial survey of Peary caribou yielded a population estimate on the QEI of 25 845, including about 20% calves. There was a strong preference for range on the western QEI (WEQI), where 94% (24 363) of the estimated caribou occurred on only 24% (ca. 97 000 km2) of the collective island-landmass. By summer 1973, the overall number of Peary caribou on the QEI had decreased markedly and was estimated at about 7000 animals. The following winter and spring (1973-74), the Peary caribou population declined 49% on the WQEI. The estimated number dropping to <3000, with no calves seen by us in summer 1974. Based on estimates from several aerial surveys conducted on the WQEI from 1985 to 1987, the number of Peary caribou on the QEI as a whole was judged to be 3300-3600 or only about 13-14% of the 1961 estimate. After a partial ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Banks Island caribou Queen Elizabeth Islands Rangifer Rangifer tarandus Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Canada Peary ENVELOPE(-63.867,-63.867,-65.250,-65.250) Rangifer 23 5 213 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
populations fluctuations Queen Elisabeth Islands arctic Canada die-offs ecology genetics Animal culture SF1-1100 |
spellingShingle |
populations fluctuations Queen Elisabeth Islands arctic Canada die-offs ecology genetics Animal culture SF1-1100 Frank L. Miller Anne Gunn Status, population fluctuations and ecological relationships of Peary caribou on the Queen Elizabeth Islands: Implications for their survival |
topic_facet |
populations fluctuations Queen Elisabeth Islands arctic Canada die-offs ecology genetics Animal culture SF1-1100 |
description |
The Peary caribou (Rangifer tarandus pearyi) was recognized as 'Threatened' by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada in 1979 and 'Endangered' in 1991. It is the only member of the deer family (Cervidae) found on the Queen Elizabeth Islands (QEI) of the Canadian High Arctic. The Peary caribou is a significant part of the region's biodiversity and a socially important and economically valuable part of Arctic Canada's natural heritage. Recent microsatellite DNA findings indicate that Peary caribou on the QEI are distinct from caribou on the other Arctic Islands beyond the QEI, including Banks Island. This fact must be kept in mind if any translocation of caribou to the QEI is proposed. The subspecies is too gross a level at which to recognize the considerable diversity that exists between Peary caribou on the QEI and divergent caribou on other Canadian Arctic Islands. The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada should take this considerable diversity among these caribou at below the subspecies classification to mind when assigning conservation divisions (units) to caribou on the Canadian Arctic Islands. In summer 1961, the first and only nearly range-wide aerial survey of Peary caribou yielded a population estimate on the QEI of 25 845, including about 20% calves. There was a strong preference for range on the western QEI (WEQI), where 94% (24 363) of the estimated caribou occurred on only 24% (ca. 97 000 km2) of the collective island-landmass. By summer 1973, the overall number of Peary caribou on the QEI had decreased markedly and was estimated at about 7000 animals. The following winter and spring (1973-74), the Peary caribou population declined 49% on the WQEI. The estimated number dropping to <3000, with no calves seen by us in summer 1974. Based on estimates from several aerial surveys conducted on the WQEI from 1985 to 1987, the number of Peary caribou on the QEI as a whole was judged to be 3300-3600 or only about 13-14% of the 1961 estimate. After a partial ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Frank L. Miller Anne Gunn |
author_facet |
Frank L. Miller Anne Gunn |
author_sort |
Frank L. Miller |
title |
Status, population fluctuations and ecological relationships of Peary caribou on the Queen Elizabeth Islands: Implications for their survival |
title_short |
Status, population fluctuations and ecological relationships of Peary caribou on the Queen Elizabeth Islands: Implications for their survival |
title_full |
Status, population fluctuations and ecological relationships of Peary caribou on the Queen Elizabeth Islands: Implications for their survival |
title_fullStr |
Status, population fluctuations and ecological relationships of Peary caribou on the Queen Elizabeth Islands: Implications for their survival |
title_full_unstemmed |
Status, population fluctuations and ecological relationships of Peary caribou on the Queen Elizabeth Islands: Implications for their survival |
title_sort |
status, population fluctuations and ecological relationships of peary caribou on the queen elizabeth islands: implications for their survival |
publisher |
Septentrio Academic Publishing |
publishDate |
2003 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.7557/2.23.5.1703 https://doaj.org/article/6b39a959520947adbdf3a0d6f05571bf |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-63.867,-63.867,-65.250,-65.250) |
geographic |
Arctic Canada Peary |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Canada Peary |
genre |
Arctic Banks Island caribou Queen Elizabeth Islands Rangifer Rangifer tarandus |
genre_facet |
Arctic Banks Island caribou Queen Elizabeth Islands Rangifer Rangifer tarandus |
op_source |
Rangifer, Vol 23, Iss 5 (2003) |
op_relation |
https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/rangifer/article/view/1703 https://doaj.org/toc/1890-6729 doi:10.7557/2.23.5.1703 1890-6729 https://doaj.org/article/6b39a959520947adbdf3a0d6f05571bf |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.7557/2.23.5.1703 |
container_title |
Rangifer |
container_volume |
23 |
container_issue |
5 |
container_start_page |
213 |
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1766319779248865280 |