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Woodland Caribou
Management
Alberta is currently host to some of the most extensive
research and management of Woodland Caribou in North America.
Research activities date back to the early 1970s, but the majority of
work on caribou in northern Alberta has occurred in the last 10 years.
Woodland
Caribou were designated as a threatened
species in Alberta as a result of reductions in distribution, declines
in regional populations and a threat of further population declines
associated with human activities. As of July 1996, the provincial
populations were estimated to be between 3600 and 6700 caribou.
While populations dynamics often exhibit annual variation in survival of
adults and juveniles, the trend for most caribou ranges studied in
Alberta is one of decline. In some cases the declines may be
offset by periodic years of high survival. However, juvenile
survival rates have been in a range whereby statistical overestimates in
calculating adult survival (due to low sample size in some years) may
provide inappropriate optimism. The longer term sustainability of
caribou populations in Alberta is uncertain given rapidly expanding
human activities on and near caribou range. The current extent of
linear developments has reduced habitat effectiveness on 28% to 70% of
the habitat in the major northern
caribou ranges assessed. Reductions in industrial activity and
associated human activity are not anticipated within Alberta's caribou
ranges in the foreseeable future.
The collaborative
research and management activities being undertaken by the various
regional standing committees have dramatically increased our knowledge
of caribou ecology. It is
now critical to build our knowledge base beyond basic ecology to better
understand the effects of industrial activity on caribou and their
habitat. Essential studies are now underway using GPS and GIS
technology to simultaneously evaluate caribou and human use of the same
caribou range. We also need a better understanding of the effects
of logging on lichen ecology and predator-prey dynamics.
Synthesizing all information on caribou ranges in the form of cumulative
effect assessments is another essential element of ongoing research
programs. Innovative census techniques need to be developed to
enable wildlife biologists to improve their estimates of the size of caribou
populations. Concurrent with the aforementioned research projects,
periodic monitoring of caribou population dynamics must continue on each
caribou range.
Research alone will not ensure the
continuation of Alberta's caribou populations; current land use guidelines
must be reviewed, improved, implemented, and adhered to. In some
cases guidelines have yet to be created to manage certain aspects of
industrial activity. In areas of west central Alberta, where caribou
and forestry companies are in direct competition for the same land base,
it is essential that long term habitat supply issues are
addressed. Similarly in both northern and west central ranges, the
issue of habitat degradation resulting from linear corridors needs to be
addressed within a habitat supply framework. As multiple land-use activities
are being conducted simultaneously on the same land base, there must be
better coordination of operations among stakeholders. An obvious
step to minimize the direct and indirect effects of all types of
industrial activities is to minimize the size, distribution, amount,
standard, and duration of linear corridors. Benchmark areas should
be given serious consideration within the suite of land management
alternatives.
Reprinted from Alberta Wildlife Status Report No. 30 (2001), with permission
from Alberta Sustainable
Resource Development.
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