Seasonal resource selection of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) across a gradient of anthropogenic disturbance

Abstract

Resource selection functions are useful tools for land-use planning, especially for wide-ranging species with sensitivity to anthropogenic disturbance. We evaluated five a priori hypotheses describing seasonal habitat selection of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou (Gmelin, 1788)) across three regions in northern Ontario. Two regions were Boreal Shield dominated, one area with relatively high anthropogenic disturbance (due to commercial forestry) and the other with relatively low anthropogenic disturbance. The final region was located on the wetland-dominated Hudson Bay Lowlands. Each region encompassed two caribou management ranges: one was used for model development and the other for model evaluation. We developed seasonal resource selection probability functions using seasonal utilization distributions and isopleths derived from GPS collar data (from 212 caribou) to identify high- and low-use areas. We explored selection across five spatial scales; selection patterns were strongest at the 10 000 ha scale. We found temporal and spatial variations in all environmental predictors across ranges and seasons, especially in the Hudson Bay Lowlands. Our results consistently supported the integrated global model (with common variables but range-specific coefficients) where caribou habitat use is related to minimizing apparent competition with moose (Alces alces (L., 1758)) while avoiding disturbed areas, and utilizing areas with adequate forage.