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Calving Success of Woodland Caribou Exposed to Low-Level Jet Fighter Overflights
Effects on woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) of low-level military jet training at Canadian Forces Base -Goose Bay (Labrador) were studied during the 1986-88 training seasons. Calf survival was periodically monitored during 1987 and 1988 in a sample of 15 females wearing satellite-tracked...
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Published in: | Arctic 1992-09, Vol.45 (3), p.213-218 |
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Main Authors: | , |
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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Citations: | Items that cite this one |
Online Access: | Get full text |
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Summary: | Effects on woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) of low-level military jet training at Canadian Forces Base -Goose Bay (Labrador) were studied during the 1986-88 training seasons. Calf survival was periodically monitored during 1987 and 1988 in a sample of 15 females wearing satellite-tracked radiocollars. During 1987, each female's exposure to low-level overflights was experimentally manipulated on a daily basis. In 1988, daily exposure was determined by analyzing jet flight tracks following the low-level flying season. Calf survival was monitored by survey flights every 3-4 weeks. A calf survival index, the number of survey periods (maximum = 4) that a cow was accompanied by a calf, was negatively correlated with the female's exposure to low-level jet overflights during the calving and immediate post-calving period and again during the period of insect harassment during summer. No significant relationship between calf survival and exposure to low-level flying was seen during the pre-calving period, during the late post-calving period prior to insect harassment, and during fall. In view of the continued depression of population growth in the woodland caribou population within the low-level training area, jets should avoid overflying woodland caribou calving range at least during the last week of May and the first three weeks of June /// Au cours des saisons d'entraînement de 1986 à 1988, à la base des Forces armées canadiennes de Goose Bay au Labrador, on a étudié les retombées sur le caribou des bois (Rangifer tarandus caribou) de l'entraînement à basse altitude sur des avions militaires à réaction. En 1987 et 1988, on a observé périodiquement la survie des veaux dans un échantillon de 15 femelles équipées de colliers émetteurs suivis par satellite. En 1987, on a manipulé quotidiennement de façon expérimentale l'exposition de chaque femelle à des survols à basse altitude. En 1988, on a déterminé l'exposition quotidienne en analysant le parcours des avions à réaction après la saison de vol à basse altitude. On a observé la survie des veaux en effectuant des relevés en vol toutes les 3 ou 4 semaines. Un index de survie des veaux — le nombre de fois (maximum = 4) durant les relevés où une femelle était accompagnée d'un petit — a été corrélé négativement à l'exposition de la femelle au survol à basse altitude des avions à réaction au cours de la mise bas et de la période lui faisant immédiatement suite, ainsi que durant la saison estivale de harcèleme |
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ISSN: | 0004-0843 1923-1245 |
DOI: | 10.14430/arctic1395 |