Nagagami Caribou Stewardship Project

By Glenn Desy Species at Risk Biologist September 21, 2010

Presented to the ELT

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Nagagami Caribou Stewardship Project• Began in Summer of 2008

• Existing SAR SF support through March 31, 2011

• Northeast Community Network and Northeast Superior Forest Community

• Project summary Year 1

Year 2

Year 3 (current year)

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Nagagami Caribou Stewardship Project• Year 1 Summary

Funding acquired by Quist, Sadowsky, and Genier. Desy assumed coordinator role in the Fall

Documented 2 groups of caribou (7 and 2 animals resp.)

Purchased 3 satellite collars, deployed 2 on female caribou

Documented calving, nursery areas, mortalities, and seasonal movements

Compiled LiDAR data for the study site

Conducted 19 ELC / caribou veg plots

Data analysis revealed weak correlations between LiDAR data and caribou forage (lichen) but showed strong association of local caribou with hydric / wet areas

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Nagagami Caribou Stewardship Project• Year 2 Summary

Desy coordinated. Core team included Quist and Hogg

Documented 2 groups of caribou (3 and 4 animals resp.)

Purchased 2 GPS collars, captured 2 male caribou, deployed no new collars, 1 collar remaining active on a female caribou from previous year

Documented calving, nursery areas, seasonal movements, and site fidelity

Conducted 71 ELC / caribou veg plots

Data analysis will test accuracy of interpretation of new eFRI with respect to wetland polygons – bogs, fens, swamps – based on year 1 findings of caribou occurrence in wet areas

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Nagagami Caribou Stewardship Project• Year 2 Summary

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Nagagami Caribou Stewardship Project• Year 3 Summary

New Hearst B-Salary caribou biologist to assume coordinator role. Core team includes Quist and Hogg

Work remaining for 2010 / 11

• Winter caribou distribution surveys

• Caribou collaring – possess 4 satellite / GPS collars

• Coordinating data entry and analysis

• Final Report writing (due in March 2011)

• Legal agreement and fiscal management

• Deciding on future project direction

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Nagagami Caribou Stewardship Project• Recommendations for Future Project

Direction Deploy all available caribou collars – resulting

information is invaluable!

Acquire funding for this from any available sources – SARB, CCP implementation, Regional SAR annual work program planning, SAR Stewardship Fund, Fish and Wildlife SPA, etc.

Reduce District involvement in terms of project management, summer fieldwork, data analysis, report writing

Consider involving new project partners – NESI, university graduate students, etc.

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Nagagami Caribou Stewardship Project• Benefits of Project To-date

Increasing certainty about local caribou population size and distribution

Documenting calving, nursery areas, mortalities, seasonal movements, site fidelity – @ southern edge of range

Contributing to FMP planning and development of DCHS’s

Contributing to provincial ELC database

Testing hypotheses related to caribou habitat suitability

Providing training opportunities for MNR staff, Ontario Stewardship Rangers, and local First Nations

Increasing local awareness

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Questions?