Bottom-up and top-down forces shaping caribou forage availability on the Lake Superior coast
Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus) occupying the Lake Superior Coastal distribution, Ontario, exist in three subpopulations with distinct ranges and demographics. In this study, three ranges are analyzed in terms of summer forage density from bites available to caribou at Pukaskwa National Park, o...
Main Author: | |
---|---|
Other Authors: | , , , |
Format: | Thesis |
Language: | English |
Published: |
2012
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://knowledgecommons.lakeheadu.ca/handle/2453/402 |
id |
ftlakeheaduniv:oai:knowledgecommons.lakeheadu.ca:2453/402 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftlakeheaduniv:oai:knowledgecommons.lakeheadu.ca:2453/402 2023-05-15T18:04:19+02:00 Bottom-up and top-down forces shaping caribou forage availability on the Lake Superior coast Kuchta, Ben McLaren, Brian Rempel, Rob Allen, Martha Kingston, Steve 2012-07 application/pdf http://knowledgecommons.lakeheadu.ca/handle/2453/402 en_US eng http://knowledgecommons.lakeheadu.ca/handle/2453/402 Woodland caribou Forage Michipicoten Island Provincial Park Ontario Overabundance Overbrowsing Lake Superior Lichens Pukaskwa National Park Thesis 2012 ftlakeheaduniv 2022-05-01T17:26:04Z Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus) occupying the Lake Superior Coastal distribution, Ontario, exist in three subpopulations with distinct ranges and demographics. In this study, three ranges are analyzed in terms of summer forage density from bites available to caribou at Pukaskwa National Park, on Michipicoten Island, and on the Slate islands in an attempt to identify whether bottom-up (plant habitat driven) or top-down (herbivore driven) effects are driving the density (g per m2) of 18 coarsely grouped and locally important forage taxa. Crude protein of the 18 taxa was also assessed as a measure of forage quality. Effects on forage density were explored with multiple models, notably sets of predictions comparing dominant overstory taxon, elevation, shrub density, and overstory cover (bottom-up factors), versus slope (accessibility to caribou) and occupation of areas of higher herbivore density on predator refuge islands (top-down factors) as estimators of forage density. Thesis Rangifer tarandus Refuge Islands Lakehead University Knowledge Commons Refuge Islands ENVELOPE(-67.166,-67.166,-68.350,-68.350) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Lakehead University Knowledge Commons |
op_collection_id |
ftlakeheaduniv |
language |
English |
topic |
Woodland caribou Forage Michipicoten Island Provincial Park Ontario Overabundance Overbrowsing Lake Superior Lichens Pukaskwa National Park |
spellingShingle |
Woodland caribou Forage Michipicoten Island Provincial Park Ontario Overabundance Overbrowsing Lake Superior Lichens Pukaskwa National Park Kuchta, Ben Bottom-up and top-down forces shaping caribou forage availability on the Lake Superior coast |
topic_facet |
Woodland caribou Forage Michipicoten Island Provincial Park Ontario Overabundance Overbrowsing Lake Superior Lichens Pukaskwa National Park |
description |
Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus) occupying the Lake Superior Coastal distribution, Ontario, exist in three subpopulations with distinct ranges and demographics. In this study, three ranges are analyzed in terms of summer forage density from bites available to caribou at Pukaskwa National Park, on Michipicoten Island, and on the Slate islands in an attempt to identify whether bottom-up (plant habitat driven) or top-down (herbivore driven) effects are driving the density (g per m2) of 18 coarsely grouped and locally important forage taxa. Crude protein of the 18 taxa was also assessed as a measure of forage quality. Effects on forage density were explored with multiple models, notably sets of predictions comparing dominant overstory taxon, elevation, shrub density, and overstory cover (bottom-up factors), versus slope (accessibility to caribou) and occupation of areas of higher herbivore density on predator refuge islands (top-down factors) as estimators of forage density. |
author2 |
McLaren, Brian Rempel, Rob Allen, Martha Kingston, Steve |
format |
Thesis |
author |
Kuchta, Ben |
author_facet |
Kuchta, Ben |
author_sort |
Kuchta, Ben |
title |
Bottom-up and top-down forces shaping caribou forage availability on the Lake Superior coast |
title_short |
Bottom-up and top-down forces shaping caribou forage availability on the Lake Superior coast |
title_full |
Bottom-up and top-down forces shaping caribou forage availability on the Lake Superior coast |
title_fullStr |
Bottom-up and top-down forces shaping caribou forage availability on the Lake Superior coast |
title_full_unstemmed |
Bottom-up and top-down forces shaping caribou forage availability on the Lake Superior coast |
title_sort |
bottom-up and top-down forces shaping caribou forage availability on the lake superior coast |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
http://knowledgecommons.lakeheadu.ca/handle/2453/402 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-67.166,-67.166,-68.350,-68.350) |
geographic |
Refuge Islands |
geographic_facet |
Refuge Islands |
genre |
Rangifer tarandus Refuge Islands |
genre_facet |
Rangifer tarandus Refuge Islands |
op_relation |
http://knowledgecommons.lakeheadu.ca/handle/2453/402 |
_version_ |
1766175664377954304 |