Space use during parturition influences caribou calf survial in Newfoundland

• Main Author: Bonar, Maegwin
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Memorial University of Newfoundland 2017
• Subjects: Newfoundland; Rangifer tarandus
• Online Access: https://research.library.mun.ca/13181/; https://research.library.mun.ca/13181/1/thesis.pdf

In social species the choice to aggregate in space is hypothesized to affect survival and reproduction (i.e., fitness). My research addresses the hypotheses provided by the Ideal Free Distribution (IFD) and the Geometry of the Selfish Herd (GSH) that could explain how an individual can maximize their fitness by choosing to aggregate, or choosing to disaggregate during the period where offspring are most vulnerable. I used woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus) in Newfoundland as a model system to test the influence of aggregation on calf survival. In support of this effort, I employed a new movement-based approach to measure parturition and calf survival for adult females. I found empirical support for both the IFD and GSH frameworks and introduce an innovative movementbased approach to inferring parturition and neonate survival in caribou.