| Report |
Publish Year |
Description |
Filename |
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1997 Inventory of Woodland Caribou Habitat Use Near Takla Lake in Fort St. James FD Progress Report
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Introduction:
An increased demand for merchantable timber in B.C. has led to a heightened awareness of the conflict between human encroachment and the habitat needs of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) (Stevenson et al. 1994). In order to meet the needs of both caribou and industry, information on the habitat requirements and population dynamics of caribou is essential (Stevenson and Hatler 1985). Seasonal distribution, movements and habitat use of caribou occupying the Takla and Hogem Ranges are currently unknown. These animals appear to constitute a discrete population, with no interchanging of individuals with other nearby herds observed during the first year of our radio-tracking study. To determine the movements of this regionally important species eleven animals have been radio-collared and tracked biweekly. This inventory information will enable government and industry to better understand caribou distribution, habitat requirements, and overall population size. Inventory will also help to alleviate the uncertainty within the forest industry regarding timber supply and the potentially conflicting needs of woodland caribou.
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1997_RATA_Takla.zip
(7 KB)
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1998 Inventory of Woodland Caribou Habitat Use Near Takla Lake in Fort St. James FD Progress Report
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|
Introduction:
An increased demand for merchantable timber in B.C. has led to a heightened awareness of the conflict between human encroachment and the habitat needs of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) (Stevenson et al. 1994). In order to meet the needs of both caribou and industry, information on the habitat requirements and population dynamics of caribou is essential (Stevenson and Hatler 1995). Seasonal distribution, movements and habitat use of caribou occupying the Takla and Hogem Ranges are currently unknown. These animals appear to constitute a discrete population, with little interchanging of individuals with other nearby herds observed during both years of the radio-tracking study. To determine the movements of this regionally important species, fifteen animals have been radio-collared over the period of the study and tracked biweekly. This inventory information will enable government and industry to better understand caribou distribution, habitat requirements, and overall population size. Inventory will also help to alleviate the uncertainty within the forest industry regarding timber supply and the potentially conflicting needs of woodland caribou.
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1996_RATA_Takla.zip
(8 KB)
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1999 Habitat Use By Woodland Caribou Near Takla Lake In Central British Columbia
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Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) of central and northern British Columbia vary among individuals, populations and years in the proportion of time spent wintering in windswept alpine areas versus low elevation commercial forests. Because of this variability in winter habitat use, information specifically relating to Takla Lake caribou was required to ensure that local forest management and land use planning could proceed in an informed and responsible manner. To provide that information, we radio-collared 15 female caribou in two subherds surrounding Takla Lake and determined their distribution and movements from January 1996 to May 1998 in relation to topography and vegetation cover. Habitat selection was examined using both a classified satellite image and forest cover mapping data. At the landscape scale, Takla Lake caribou avoided low elevation forests, occupying small (151 km2) seasonally overlapping home ranges at intermediate and high elevation. Caribou were most often found in the forest but overall forest use was proportional to its availability. In winter, caribou foraged on terrestrial lichens at windblown sites in the alpine and on arboreal lichens when they were in high elevation open spruce (Picea glauca x engelmannii) ? subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) forests. Takla Lake caribou cows generally moved to intermediate elevations in dispersed locations in the forests for calving. Complete protection of spruce-fir forest above 1100-1300 m would maintain most of the caribou?s forested winter range. The risk of predation from wolves (Canis lupus) appears to have eliminated the use of productive low elevation forests by Takla Lake caribou. The resulting home ranges of those animals were like islands in a sea of moose (Alces alces) and wolves, where individuals were forced to make use of the foods, topography and cover types that remained available.
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1998_RATA_Takla.zip
(194 KB)
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| GIS Spatial File |
Publish Year |
Description |
Filename |
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Caribou telemetry files by individual
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Point data for the 1996-1998 telemetry by individual
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Telemetry_DBF_Files.zip
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