Estimated effects of clear-cuts and burns associated with habitat use by female Newfoundland Caribou (Rangifer tarandus): Effets des coupes à blanc et des brûlures sur le caribou

• Published in: The Canadian Field-Naturalist
• Main Authors: Dekelaita, Daniella, Krausman, Paul, Mahoney, Shane
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: The Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club 2023
• Subjects: calving; clear-cuts; disturbance; fire; logging; Newfoundland; radio-collars; resource selection; spatial shifts; Caribou; mise bas; coupes à blanc; perturbation; incendie; exploitation forestière; Terre-Neuve; colliers radio; sélection des ressources; déplacements spatiaux; caribou des bois; Canada; Rangifer tarandus
• Online Access: https://www.canadianfieldnaturalist.ca/index.php/cfn/article/view/2767; https://doi.org/10.22621/cfn.v136i4.2767

The decline of Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) is mainly attributed to anthropogenic disturbance from resource development (i.e., logging, oil and gas extraction), which causes habitat loss and increased predation risk. Natural landscape disturbance, particularly from fire, can have similar effects, and cumulative effects from disturbance have been associated with lower neonate recruitment. Our objective was to evaluate the potential effects of land cover types on resource selection by females, with an emphasis on clear-cuts and fire, during the calving season (May–June) in three neighbouring herds (Middle Ridge, Gaff Topsails, and Pot Hill) on insular Newfoundland, Canada, and compare results with pre-existing information on calf recruitment. We applied a resource selection framework to analyze location data collected from global positioning system collars between 2007–2010 and estimate relative probability of use for different cover types. Recruitment was lowest in Pot Hill, where ≤10-year old clear-cuts were favoured, whereas recruitment was highest in Middle Ridge and Gaff Topsails, where females favoured burns, suggesting that burns could be more beneficial to Caribou fitness. Further investigation will be needed to more closely examine how anthropogenic versus natural disturbance affects Caribou fitness in Newfoundland and improve our understanding of important habitat for calving females. Le déclin du caribou des bois (Rangifer tarandus caribou) est principalement attribué aux perturbations anthropiques dues à l'exploitation des ressources (c.-à-d. L'exploitation forestière, l'extraction de pétrole et de gaz), qui entraîne une perte d'habitat et un risque accru de prédation. Les perturbations naturelles du paysage, en particulier les incendies, peuvent avoir des effets similaires, et les effets cumulatifs des perturbations ont été associés à un recrutement plus faible des nouveau-nés. Notre objectif était d'évaluer les effets des types de couverture terrestre sur la sélection des ressources par les ...