Influence des perturbations anthropiques, des conditions environnementales et des traits individuels sur l'utilisation de l'espace d'un ongulé alpin

L’étude de l’utilisation de l’espace permet de comprendre comment les individus se répartissent spatialement et comment ils interagissent entre eux et avec l’environnement. Mon projet portait sur l’utilisation de l’espace des chèvres de montagne en fonction de trois grands types de facteurs : les perturbations anthropiques, les conditions environnementales et la période de reproduction. Dans le cadre de travaux portant sur les impacts potentiels du développement d’un centre de ski alpin, nous avons démontré que les chèvres de montagne évitaient spatialement les perturbations anthropiques. Concernant l’influence des conditions environnementales, nos résultats indiquent que la quantité de neige fraichement tombée limite l’utilisation de l’espace des chèvres de montagne de manière plus importante que l’épaisseur totale de neige au sol. Enfin, durant la période de reproduction, les mâles augmentent leurs déplacements mais l’utilisation de l’espace semble peu influencée par leur masse ou leur âge. Nos résultats illustrent comment l’étude de l’utilisation de l’espace peut contribuer à la conservation de la faune.Space use studies allow a better understanding of the spatial distribution of individuals and how they interact among themselves and with their environment. We studied space use of mountain goats in relation to three main factors: anthropogenic disturbances, environmental conditions, and the reproductive period. During a project on the potential impacts of the development of a ski station, we showed that mountain goats spatially avoided anthropogenic disturbances linked to recreational activities. Regarding the influence of environmental conditions, our results revealed that recently fallen snow limits mountain goat space use substantially more than cumulative snow depth. Finally, during the reproductive period, males increased movements but age and mass did not affect space use. Our results underline how space use studies can inform wildlife conservation

Untangling effects of human disturbance and natural factors on mortality risk of migratory caribou

Human disturbances are rapidly increasing in northern and Arctic regions, raising concerns about the recovery and persistence of declining caribou (Rangifer tarandus) populations. Yet, the consequences of behavioral responses toward human disturbances on vital rates rarely have been investigated. Herein, we assessed the cumulative and instantaneous effects of human disturbances (roads, human settlements, mines and mining exploration) at different temporal scales on the mortality risk of 254 GPS- collared migratory caribou monitored in two herds, the Rivière-aux-Feuilles (RFH) and Rivière-George (RGH) herds, in northern Québec and Labrador, Canada. We also assessed the relative importance of human disturbances on caribou mortality risk compared with non-anthropogenic factors, including habitat use by caribou, predation risk by gray wolves (Canis lupus), and local weather conditions. Human disturbances alone, exclusive of hunting, had a limited impact on mortality risk of caribou. Repeated exposure to disturbances did not have detectable effects on mortality risk during the early life period (1−7 years old), but more abundant precipitation (RFH) or the use of areas with a higher predation risk (RGH) did so. At the seasonal scale, non-anthropogenic factors, particularly the use of highly selected habitat by caribou and air temperature, had a greater effect than anthropogenic factors on the mortality risk in the RFH. Caribou of the RFH using more frequently higlhy selected habitats decreased their chance of mortality during winter, whereas individuals using warmer areas during summer faced a higher risk of mortality. At the daily scale, we observed that anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic factors generally had either no effect on the daily risk of mortality, or their effects were undistinguishable from the effect of latitude, with which they were highly correlated. The only exception was for the RFH in winter, for which the daily risk of mortality increased 10 folds for each 10-km increment closer to industrial disturbances. Although the impacts of human disturbances on caribou survival were limited to specific regions and areas, we nevertheless detected a negative effect on survival on the RFH, even at the currently low level of human development. Our study highlights the importance of assessing effects of human disturbances at various spatiotemporal scales, and of considering the relative influence of other non-anthropogenic factors to fully understand drives of wildlife populations

Evidence of migratory coupling between grey wolves and migratory caribou

Large‐scale animal migrations influence population and community dynamics along with ecosystem functioning. The migratory coupling concept posits that movement of migrant prey can lead to large‐scale movements of predators. In northern ecosystems, spatial patterns and behavioral responses of grey wolf to spatio‐temporal changes in its primary prey distribution, the migratory caribou, remain poorly documented. We used a long‐term GPS dataset (2011–2021) of 59 wolves and 431 migratory caribou from the declining Rivière‐aux‐Feuilles herd (QC, Canada) to investigate movement patterns and space use of wolves related to caribou seasonal distribution. Wolves home ranges overlapped with areas used by caribou year‐round, especially in May and winter. Wolves exhibited three annual tactics: sedentary (17%), long‐distance migration (> 700 km) between wintering areas and the tundra (36%), and a medium‐distance migration, stopping their northward movement near the treeline (47%). Migratory wolves started spring migration northward earlier than caribou, intercepting their prey on their way to calving grounds, but departed southward for fall migration later than caribou, tracking them on their way back to wintering areas. Wolves near or overlapping areas used by caribou exhibited lower monthly movement rates compared to wolves located further away. Overlap of home range among wolves was higher during migrations and winter but decreased in summer when wolves rear pups and caribou are dispersed on summer grounds. We provide evidence of migratory coupling between grey wolves and migratory caribou, with most wolves adjusting their space use patterns to match their primary prey distribution. Although predation pressure may affect the dynamics of declining caribou herds, the global decline of that prey may in turn impact predators on the long‐term, potentially enhancing intraspecific competition for new resources. Highlighting this migratory coupling is a key step to develop appropriate conservation and management measures for both guilds in the context of large‐scale migratory prey decline

Space use analyses suggest avoidance of a ski area by mountain goats

The development of recreational activities imposes growing anthropogenic pressure on wilderness areas worldwide. Because anthropogenic disturbances may modify wildlife use of habitat, space use studies may be useful to identify wildlife response to recreational activities. Mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) are highly sensitive to anthropogenic disturbances and are thus likely to modify their space use in response to recreational activities. From 2011 to 2013, we studied space use of mountain goats in Jasper National Park, Canada, one of the most popular wilderness areas in North America, and assessed how it was influenced by an alpine ski area. Comparison of predicted use from habitat selection models and observed use defined by global positioning system collar data revealed ski area avoidance. The immediate surroundings of the ski area were, however, not avoided by mountain goats, but the presence of a natural salt lick <1 km from the ski area may have contributed to the observed mountain goat use of these areas. Ski activities have the potential to exclude mountain goats from habitat with otherwise high probability of use. Thus, we recommend that future ski area developments generally consider the behavior of species sensitive to anthropogenic disturbances and that construction should not occur in habitat essential for sensitive species like mountain goats

Evidence of migratory coupling between grey wolves and migratory caribou

Large-scale animal migrations influence population and community dynamics along with ecosystem functioning. The migratory coupling concept posits that movement of migrant prey can lead to large-scale movements of predators. In northern ecosystems, spatial patterns and behavioral responses of grey wolf to spatio-temporal changes in its primary prey distribution, the migratory caribou, remain poorly documented. We used a long-term GPS dataset (2011–2021) of 59 wolves and 431 migratory caribou from the declining Rivière-aux-Feuilles herd (Québec, Canada) to investigate movement patterns and space use of wolves related to caribou seasonal distribution. Wolves home ranges overlapped with areas used by caribou year-round, especially in May and winter. Wolves exhibited 3 annual tactics: sedentary (17%), long-distance migration (>700 km) between wintering areas and the tundra (36%), and a medium-distance migration, stopping their northward movement near the treeline (47%). Migratory wolves started spring migration northward earlier than caribou, intercepting their prey on their way to calving grounds, but departed southward for fall migration later than caribou, tracking them on their way back to wintering areas. Wolves near or overlapping areas used by caribou exhibited lower monthly movement rates compared to wolves located further away. Overlap of home range among wolves was higher during migrations and winter but decreased in summer when wolves rear pups and caribou are dispersed on summer grounds. We provide evidence of migratory coupling between grey wolves and migratory caribou, with most wolves adjusting their space use patterns to match their primary prey distribution. Although predation pressure may affect the dynamics of declining caribou herds, the global decline of that prey may in turn impact predators on the long-term, potentially enhancing intraspecific competition for new resources. Highlighting this migratory coupling is a key step to developing appropriate conservation and management measures for both guilds in the context of large-scale migratory prey decline.Funding provided by: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of CanadaCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000038Award Number: Funding provided by: Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des ParcsCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100011219Award Number: Funding provided by: Hydro-QuébecCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100003833Award Number: Funding provided by: GlenCore-Mine Raglan*Crossref Funder Registry ID: Award Number: Funding provided by: Tata SteelCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100007220Award Number: Funding provided by: ArcticNetCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000003Award Number: Funding provided by: Labrador and Newfoundland Wildlife Division*Crossref Funder Registry ID: Award Number: Funding provided by: Azimut exploration*Crossref Funder Registry ID: Award Number: Funding provided by: Minière Osisko*Crossref Funder Registry ID: Award Number: Funding provided by: Torngat Wildlife Plants and Fisheries Secretariat*Crossref Funder Registry ID: Award Number: Funding provided by: Centre d'Études Nordiques*Crossref Funder Registry ID: Award Number: Funding provided by: Grand Council of the Crees*Crossref Funder Registry ID: Award Number: Funding provided by: Fédération des Pourvoiries du Québec*Crossref Funder Registry ID: Award Number: Funding provided by: CircumArctic Rangifer Monitoring and Assessment network*Crossref Funder Registry ID: Award Number: Funding provided by: International Polar Year*Crossref Funder Registry ID: Award Number: Funding provided by: Makivvik Corporation*Crossref Funder Registry ID: Award Number: Funding provided by: Fédération québécoise des chasseurs et pêcheurs*Crossref Funder Registry ID: Award Number: Funding provided by: Fondation de la Faune du Québec*Crossref Funder Registry ID: Award Number: Funding provided by: Institute for Environmental Monitoring and Research*Crossref Funder Registry ID: Award Number: Funding provided by: Canadian Wildlife FederationCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000074Award Number: Funding provided by: Environment and Climate Change CanadaCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100008638Award Number: Funding provided by: Canada Foundation for InnovationCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001805Award Number: Funding provided by: Banting Research FoundationCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100010231Award Number: 201909BPF-431281-74641We collected data on grey wolf movements in northern Québec in the annual range of the Rivière-aux-Feuilles migratory caribou herd (RFH). In February and March of 2011–2019, we captured 59 adult grey wolves within the RFH range from a helicopter and using either a net gun or a tranquilizer dart gun with Telazol (10 mg.kg-1). We equipped grey wolves with GPS collars (Lotek, Vectronic, Telonics) programmed to record a location every 1 to 5 hours depending on the collar model and year. Individual grey wolves monitoring lasted on average 419 + 227 days (mean + SD). We defined each wolf-year as 1 April to 31 March of the following year. We captured caribou in the RFH range between December and March each year as part of the long-term population monitoring conducted by the Ministère de l'Environnement, de la Lutte aux changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP) and Caribou Ungava. We captured caribou from a helicopter with a net gun and equipped them with GPS collars (Vectronic). GPS collars were set to record a location every 1 to 13 hours. A total of 431 females from the RFH were monitored for 741.5 days on average. Please, refer to Material and Methods for more details about the data cleaning and processing

Potentiels et verrous d'une filière protéagineuse pour une agriculture durable en Bourgogne

International audienc

Anarchists and anarchisms in France since 1945: introduction and sources

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Modern and Contemporary France on 19 Apr 2016, available online: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09639489.2016.115430