Ovibos Moschatus) and Peary Caribou (Rangifer Tarandus Pearyi) on Graham, Buckingham, and South- Ern Ellesmere Islands, March 2015
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Distribution and abundance of muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) and Peary caribou (Rangifer tarandus pearyi) on Graham, Buckingham, and South- ern Ellesmere Islands, March 2015 Morgan Anderson1 & Michael C. S. Kingsley† 1 Wildlife Biologist High Arctic, Department of Environment, Wildlife Research Section, Government of Nunavut 1 Box 209 Igloolik, NU X0A 0L0. Current address: BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations 1 and Rural Development, 2000 South Ospika Blvd Prince George BC V2N 4W5, (Corresponding author: 1 [email protected]). Abstract: We flew a survey of southern Ellesmere Island, Graham Island, and Buckingham Island in March 2015 to obtain estimates of abundance for muskoxen and Peary caribou. Generally, muskoxen were abundant north of the Sydkap Ice Cap along Baumann Fiord, north of Goose Fiord, west and north of Muskox Fiord, and on the coastal plains and river valleys east of Vendom Fiord. Although few, they were also present on Bjorne Peninsula and the south coast between the Sydkap Ice Cap and Jakeman Glacier. We observed a total of 1146 muskoxen. Calves (approximately 10-months old) made up 22% of the observed animals. The population estimate was 3200 ± 602 SE (standard error) muskoxen, the highest muskox population size ever estimated for southern Ellesmere, Graham and Buckingham islands. This could be because previous efforts typically surveyed only a portion of our area or focused elsewhere, or the results were provided only as minimum counts rather than estimates of abundance. Regardless, our results indicate that the muskox population has recovered from low levels in 2005 of 312-670 (95% confidence interval [CI]) individuals. Peary caribou abundance appears to be low. We only saw 38 Peary caribou during our 2015 survey. This confounds appraisal of possible abundance change since 2005, when 109-442 caribou (95% CI) were estimated to inhabit the same sur- veyed area. We estimated 183 ± 128 SE Peary caribou, and suggest that their numbers are likely stable at low density on southern Ellesmere Island. Key words: Peary caribou; Rangifer tarandus peary; muskox; Ovibos moschatus; Ellesmere Island; aerial survey; abun- dance. Rangifer, 37, (1), 2017: 97-114 DOI 10.7557/2.37.1.4269 Introduction Peary caribou (Rangifer tarandus pearyi) are bou are currently listed as Endangered under found only in the Canadian Arctic Archipel- Canada’s Species at Risk Act, although recently ago in the Northwest Territories and Nuna- reassessed by the Committee on the Status of vut, from the Boothia Peninsula in the south Endangered Wildlife in Canada as threatened to Ellesmere Island in the north. Peary cari- (COSEWIC, 2015). Monitoring of Peary cari- This journal is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License Rangifer, 37, (1) 2017 Editor in Chief: Birgitta Åhman, Technical Editor: Eva Wiklund and Graphic Design: H-G Olofsson, www.rangiferjournal.com 97 bou, including both local knowledge and sci- survey was flown in 2014 and not completed, entific investigation, is a challenge across their due to weather. The 2005 survey estimated 456 range due to logistic and funding constraints, muskoxen (95% CI=312-670) and 219 Peary severe weather, limited observation seasons, caribou (95% CI=109-244), and noted poor and long distances from a few small communi- body condition of many muskoxen (Campbell, ties. Surveys of Peary caribou, and muskoxen 2006; Jenkins et al., 2011). Residents of Grise (Ovibos moschatus), with which they are sym- Fiord recall that in the fall and winter 2005 patric over most of their range, have been in- there was freezing rain and ground-fast ice, frequent and irregular since 1961, especially in which may have resulted in many muskoxen the northern and eastern arctic (COSEWIC, starving (Iviq Hunters and Trappers Associa- 2015). Local knowledge of population trends tion, pers. comm.). and abundance is available for areas visited The muskoxen and Peary caribou of northern by hunters, typically near communities, but Devon Island, southern Ellesmere Island, and this knowledge is limited or unavailable in ar- Graham Island are essential natural resources eas of rugged topography and unstable sea ice. for the Grise Fiord community. Muskoxen have The most recent surveys on Ellesmere Island been an important food source since the govern- for population estimates and distribution of ment hunting ban was lifted in 1969. Muskox muskoxen and Peary caribou were in 2005 and tags are currently set aside for domestic/com- 2006 (Jenkins et al., 2011), although a partial mercial and sport harvest, administered by Figure 1. Study area on southern Ellesmere Island (approx.. 76°N to 78°N, 81°W to 90°W), Graham Island, and Buckingham Island, with major topographic features labelled. Peary caribou range is shown in yellow on the inset map for context. This journal is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License 98 Editor in Chief: Birgitta Åhman, Technical Editor: Eva Wiklund and Graphic Design: H-G Olofsson, www.rangiferjournal.com Rangifer, 37, (1) 2017 the Hunters and Trappers Association (HTA). of latitude spaced 5 km apart. Survey strips Peary caribou have been continuously hunted were 500 m wide to each side of the aircraft since Grise Fiord was established in 1953, al- for a total strip width of 1 km. Distance sam- though the community did impose voluntary pling was not used, because we did not expect restrictions on harvest areas when caribou pop- sufficient caribou observations to calculate the ulations were low. Primary areas frequented by effective strip width required for that sampling hunters since at least 1964 include the Bjorne technique. Peninsula, south shore of Baumann Fiord, and The area south of Jakeman Glacier to King Graham Island (Riewe 1973, Inuit Qaujima- Edward Point was originally included in the jatuqangit [IQ] in Taylor 2005, Iviq HTA pers. survey area but could not be flown due to comm.). Local knowledge suggests that petro- weather; it was not flown in 2005 either. Ice leum exploration in the 1970s had a negative caps were excluded from our survey, and we impact on the Peary caribou by altering their did not detect any caribou, muskoxen, or their range use and movements, and there is concern tracks during ferry flights over ice caps. Al- that future industrial activity would also be det- though North Kent Island was not surveyed rimental (Iviq HTA, pers. comm.). in 2005 and no muskoxen or caribou were In March 2015, using the 2005 survey area, observed during a 2008 survey (Jenkins et al., we conducted an aerial fixed-wing survey to 2011), hunters reported caribou at the north update population estimates, distributions end of the island in the recent past, so we gave and demographics of the muskoxen and Peary this island a reconnaissance (albeit no system- caribou on southern Ellesmere Island, Graham atic transects) in 2015. Island, and Buckingham Island. Our results To define the transect width for observers, suggest abundance trends for these species and we marked survey aircraft wing struts following introduce a method to determine variance for Norton-Griffiths (1978). We did not stratify strip transect surveys of low density species. the study area, because stratification relevant for muskoxen could be irrelevant for Peary cari- Material and methods bou, as they may have dissimilar distribution From March 19-26, 2015, we completed densities. Stratifications from the 2005 survey an aerial systematic strip transect survey for did not align well with reconnaissance and muskoxen and Peary caribou over a study area current local knowledge of distribution, and including Graham Island, Buckingham Island, the 2005 survey only stratified based on Peary and Ellesmere Island approximately 76°N to caribou density. It was uncertain whether older 78°N and 81°W to 90°W (Figure 1). The sur- surveys reflected current distribution, or how vey season was selected to allow us to assess well the stratification they employed captured recruitment as well as determine abundance, the distribution of muskox and caribou density. to avoid disturbing wildlife immediately pre- Furthermore, funding and logistic constraints calving or when newborn calves are present, to make pre-survey stratification flights impracti- minimize chances of animals moving among cal for the study area. transects during migration or high movement Transects were flown at 150 km/hr (81 kts) seasons, and to have adequate snow cover and with a DeHavilland Twin Otter fixed-wing air- daylight to maximize detection. The total area, craft. We flew only on days with good visibility which included lakes and rivers but excluded and high contrast to facilitate detection of ani- ice-caps, was approximately 22,791 km2. We mals, tracks, and feeding craters, as well as for used 77 systematic survey lines along parallels operational reasons to ensure crew safety. Flight This journal is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License Rangifer, 37, (1) 2017 Editor in Chief: Birgitta Åhman, Technical Editor: Eva Wiklund and Graphic Design: H-G Olofsson, www.rangiferjournal.com 99 100 Table 1. Survey strata for southern Ellesmere Island, March 2015. Although 73 transects were flown, transects flown on the same latitude were combined as lines for further analysis. Editor in Chief: Birgitta Åhman, Technical Editor: Eva Wiklund and Graphic Design: H-G Olofsson, H-G Olofsson, Wiklund andGraphicDesign: Eva Editor: Technical Åhman, Birgitta Editor