Range fidelity: The missing link between caribou decline and habitat alteration?

摘要: Conservation of forest-dwelling caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) is great concern across most its range. Anthropogenic disturbances, primarily logging activities, have been identified as the important cause decline, although mechanisms underlying this decline are not fully understood. Caribou commonly display fidelity to calving sites or seasonal ranges, but potential role life-history trait has largely overlooked in research and conservation planning. This surprising because ranges with high inter-annual use should value. We investigated relationship between habitat disturbances home-range three study Quebec, Canada, using a broad range natural anthropogenic disturbances. Between 2004 2007, we tracked 47 adult female GPS collars. Home-range varied seasons, being higher during summer, lower winter. reduced following latter having stronger negative influence. had strong impact on annual, summer winter periods, whereas disturbance was dominant factor calving. Despite influence fidelity, tended demonstrate even impacted by human activities. Habitat could produce two possible outcomes for conservation: (1) trend females reduce which translate into calf survival through familiarity food distribution, escape cover predation risk (2) global tendency maintain drastically modified landscape turn an ecological trap, particularly calves when increases due increased black bear density early successional forests. Taking behavior consideration forest management planning direct efforts toward best available therefore facilitate persistence managed landscapes.