Data on the annual home range of Charlevoix caribou

Description of the home range data collected using VHF telemetry from 1999-2000, and GPS telemetry from 2004-2011, on 87 forest-dwelling caribou in the Charlevoix region of Québec, Canada. Each row corresponds to one annual home range (one individual-year). Included are data on individuals (ID, sex, age, type of collar); telemetry program (year, start- and end-dates of monitoring, and duration); status of individuals for the broad scale survival analysis (whether individuals died [1=died], and of which cause [1=predation, 2=natural, 4=undetermined]); information on reproductive success of females from 2004-2007 (whether females had a calf [1=calved], and whether he survived through its first year of life [1=survived]); information on space use (home range size and mean movement rate); and finally home range composition (active, derelict, and total road density, and percentage of each habitat class)

Respective effects of active and derelict road density on the probability that adult caribou are depredated in a given year (represented by the natural logarithm of the hazard of dying) in areas of low and high total road densities (below or above the median total road density found within the annual home range of all caribou), in a population of forest-dwelling caribou in the Charlevoix region, Québec, Canada, from 1999–2000 and from 2004–2011.

<p>Respective effects of active and derelict road density on the probability that adult caribou are depredated in a given year (represented by the natural logarithm of the hazard of dying) in areas of low and high total road densities (below or above the median total road density found within the annual home range of all caribou), in a population of forest-dwelling caribou in the Charlevoix region, Québec, Canada, from 1999–2000 and from 2004–2011.</p

Impacts of Human Disturbance on Large Prey Species: Do Behavioral Reactions Translate to Fitness Consequences?

<div><p>Anthropogenic disturbances have been demonstrated to affect animal behavior, distribution, and abundance, but assessment of their impacts on fitness-related traits has received little attention. We hypothesized that human activities and infrastructure cause a decrease in the individual performance of preys because of anthropogenically enhanced predation risk. We evaluated the impacts of commercial logging and road networks on the fitness of a large herbivore known to be sensitive to human disturbance: the forest-dwelling woodland caribou (<i>Rangifer tarandus caribou</i>). For 8 consecutive years (2004–2011) we monitored 59 individuals using GPS telemetry in the Charlevoix region of Québec, Canada. We also used <i>Very High Frequency</i> telemetry locations collected on 28 individuals from 1999–2000. We related habitat selection of adult caribou at various spatio-temporal scales to their probability of dying from predation, and to indices of their reproductive success and energy expenditure. The probability that adult caribou died from predation increased with the proportion of recent disturbances (including cutblocks ≤5 years old) in their annual home range. The respective effects of increasing paved and forestry road densities depended upon the overall road density within the home range of caribou. At a finer scale of 10 to 15 days before their death, caribou that were killed by a predator selected for recent disturbances more than individuals that survived, and avoided old mature conifer stands. The home range area of caribou increased with road density. Finally, the composition of the home range of females had no effect on their reproductive success. We show that human activities and infrastructure may influence the individual performance of large prey species in highly managed regions. We outline the need to consider the full set of impacts that human development may have on threatened animal populations, with particular emphasis on predator-prey relationships and population dynamics.</p></div

Mean () and confidence limits (90% CL) of the parameter estimates of fine scale resource selection functions comparing habitat selection between individuals that died from predation (see estimates of status×habitat covariates interactions) and individuals that survived (see estimates of habitat covariates without interaction) in a population of forest-dwelling caribou in the Charlevoix region, Québec, Canada, from 2004–2011.

<p>We paired individuals that died (<i>n = </i>20) with individuals that survived (<i>n</i> = 39) during the same time period, and assessed habitat selection within 15, 10 or 5 day periods before the predation event. Estimates of status×habitat covariates interactions represent the difference in selection between individuals that died from predation and individuals that survived, <i>i.e.</i>, for individuals that died from predation, the true value of <i>_x</i> (for a given variable <i>x</i>) should be calculated as <i>_x</i> of individuals that survived+<i>_x</i> of individuals that died. Statistically significant effects are characterized by 90% confidence limits excluding 0.</p

Regression coefficients (β) and 95% confidence limits (95% CL) of the most parsimonious models investigating the relationship between annual home range composition and the calving rate of females, the probability that a calf died by predation during its first year of life, and home-range size of adults in a population of forest-dwelling caribou in the Charlevoix region, Québec, Canada, from 2004–2011.

<p>Results are given for variables included in the most parsimonious models only (otherwise indicated by an empty cell). Statistically significant effects are characterized by 95% confidence limits excluding 0.</p

Description of the candidate models used to investigate the relationship between habitat selection or home range composition and the probability that adult caribou died from predation, the calving rate of females, the probability that a calf died by predation during its first year of life, and home range size of adult forest-dwelling caribou in the Charlevoix region, Québec, Canada.

<p>The habitat class model includes old mature conifer, wetland, deciduous, recent and old disturbances, regenerating, and other.</p

Data for RSF analysis of caribou

Data used to model the relative probability of occurrence of caribou in winter as a function of landscape features (Table 1). Landscape features (various land cover types and variation of elevation within a 50-m radius buffer) are provided at observed GPS locations and at random locations

Graph biological relevance

Data used to model the exponential relationship between the percentage of links in a given network and the percentage of observed inter-patch movements of caribou and moose that occurred between connected nodes for that individual, in a given year (2005-2009) (Figure 3)

Data for conditional logistic regression for moose

Data used to model the relative probability of used an inter-patch movement for moose in winter as a function of network connectivity and landscape features (Tables 2 and 3). Covariates are provided at observed inter-patch movement and at available inter-patch movement

Data for RSF analysis of moose

Data used to model the relative probability of occurrence of moose in winter as a function of landscape features (Table 1). Landscape features (various land cover types and variation of elevation within a 50-m radius buffer) are provided at observed GPS locations and at random locations