First Confirmed Occurrence of a Wolf, Canis lupus, South of the St. Lawrence River in Over 100 Years

A large canid was snared near Sainte-Marguerite-de-Lingwick, Québec, in January 2002. DNA analysis confirmed the animal to be a Wolf (Canis lupus). Wolves were extirpated from this region around 1850-1900 and this is the first confirmed observation since then

FAILURE TO REDUCE MOOSE-VEHICLE ACCIDENTS AFTER A PARTIAL DRAINAGE OF ROADSIDE SALT POOLS IN QUÉBEC

Salt pools along highways are considered a major cause of increased moose-vehicle collisions during June and July in Québec, Ontario and New Hampshire. About 60 moose are killed each year on the 189 km of Highways 175 and 169 which cross the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve in south central Québec. An attempt was made in 1979 to reduce accidents by drying up roadside salt pools. Some 71 % of salt pools found along a 52 km section of Highway 175 were treated by improving roadside ditch drainage or connecting marshy pools to water courses. In 1981 and 1982, 94 % of the treated pools were once again filled with water. Although mean pool depth was reduced, this did not result in the lowering of salinities or of the frequency of pool attendance by moose. Moose road mortality was not significantly modified by the drainage work. To be effective in reducing moose-vehicle collisions, roadside pools have to be completely and permanently eliminated. When it is not feasible or practical to drain all the water of a pool, other techniques tested elsewhere, like the covering of the pool with grates or diversion of a roadside stream through the salt pool to cause dilution, may be used in conjunction with drainage work. These could include long-lasting repellents or replacement of NaCl by CaCl2 as a road deicer

THE USE OF SCHAEFER'S AND FOX'S SURPLUS-YIELD MODELS TO ESTIMATE OPTIMAL MOOSE HARVEST AND HUNTING EFFORT

We studied changes in moose harvest-per-unit effort (CUE) in Québec wildlife reserves to estimate maximum sustainable yield. Using data from the beginning of controlled moose hunts in 1962, we examined 5 parameters used to express the hunting effort. Since all 5 were significantly correlated with each other (P<0.01), we selected the simplest and most intuitive one, number of hunting-days, to calculate surplus-yield models. Hunting effort, expressed as the number of hunting-days, grew exponentially over the last 30 years, but harvest did not, resulting in a progressive decline of CUE. Among the 6 biological indices used to manage moose populations in wildlife reserves, only the yearling (1.5 year) percentage, which had risen gradually from 1962, seemed sensitive to harvest rate modifications. Both Schaefer’s and Fox’s surplus-yield models produced significant equations thus permitting the application of surplus-yield models. Hunting effort explained 60% of CUE variances in 8 of the 10 wildlife reserves where sufficient data were available. Schaefer’s and Fox’s models were also tested in zecs (controlled harvest zones), territories managed by hunter’s associations since the late seventies, using hunting effort parameters. Explained variance (0.36 < r2 < 0.74) was generally lower in zecs than in wildlife reserves probably because hunting effort was not recorded as precisely in zecs as in wildlife reserves. Model applied to reserves suggest maintaining harvest at around 0.45 moose/10 km2 in the central part of Québec. In eastern Québec, south of the St. Lawrence River, moose populations can sustain a greater harvest (0.5-0.9 moose/10 km2) probably due to a very low predation rate. Where predation is present and in northern parts of the province, the harvest must be less than 0.3 moose/10 km2. Models suggest maintaining effort between 3 and 19 hunting-days/10 km2 depending on the reserve. Optimal harvest and effort given by the models are generally greater in zecs than in reserves

IMPACT OF WOLF AND BLACK BEAR REMOVAL ON COW:CALF RATIO AND MOOSE DENSITY IN SOUTHWESTERN QUÉBEC

Over 4 winters, 7 to 13 wolves were removed annually from a study area and a surrounding buffer zone covering together 2150 km2 in La Vérendrye Game Reserve. In an adjacent 360-km2 block, 25 to 30 black bears were removed every June over 3 consecutive years. Fall estimates indicated that wolf density was reduced to approximately 1 animal 100 km-2 In the removal area, as compared to 1.5 wolves 100 km-2 in the control block. Bear density was not estimated but females were severely affected by the removal. Trapping effort (days-trap/capture) for female bears increased from 35 to 109 from the first to the third year, while the mean age dropped from 8.5 to 3.3 years. Male harvest was more stable. Observation of radio-tagged female moose probably under estimated birth rate and calf mortality. Based on January cow:calf ratios, moose calf survival in the wolf removal block exceeded the one in the control area in 2 years out of 4, but the difference was statistically significant in only 1 case. Calf survival was significantly higher in the bear removal area than in the control block in 2 winters out of 3. It was impossible to detect a clear response to the treatment for moose density. The inconclusive results can be explained by too weak a treatment, annual and regional variations, sampling errors, limited sample sizes, small and close study areas

Nancy Spero : L'image parlée = Nancy Spero : The Spoken Image

In her analysis of Spero’s work from the 1950s to the beginning of the 21st century, Déry suggests the artist is a representative of the first generation of feminist artists. The author also outlines the exhibition theme of the “spoken image,” and draws attention to how Spero’s socially engaged practice has transformed contemporary art. Emphasis is placed on the following aspects of the artist’s work: compositional structure, figurative vocabulary, and relationships between text/image. Includes a brief text by N. Jolicœur on Spero’s installation “The First Language.” Brief artist’s statements (in English only). Other texts in French and English. Bio-bibliography 9 p

SUMMER FOOD HABITS OF GRAY WOLVES IN THE BOREAL FOREST OF THE LAC JAQUES-CARTIER HIGHLANDS, QUÉBEC

As part of a larger study on the ecology of gray wolves (Canis lupis) of the Lac Jacques-Cartier highlands, Québec, the 1996-1997 summer diet of two wolf packs was determined by examining undigested animal remains in 1,621 scats (Malbaie pack: n = 1,371; Grands-Jardins pack: n = 250). Concern about the fate of a small reintroduced woodland caribou herd stimulated this study. Log-linear analysis performed on the percent volume of prey in scats revealed significant diet variation between packs and years. Corrections for prey digestibility were computed to estimate the biomass and relative numbers of prey eaten. The Malbaie pack consumed more moose (Alces alces) than Grands-Jardins pack in both years (Malbaie: 95.9-97.3 % total biomass; Grands-Jardins: 65.2-67.9 %). The Grands-Jardins pack consumed more beaver (Castor canadensis) than the Malabaie pack in both years (Malabaie: 1.5-1.9 %; Grands-Jardins 13.3-33.2 %). In 1997, consumption of caribou (Rangifer tarandus) increased significantly, especially in the Grands-Jardins pack (1996: 1.1 %; 1997: 17.4 %). We suggest that the functional response of wolves to the Lac Jaques-Cartier highlands in summer (i.e., the consumption of different prey in relation to their relative availability) is characteristic of a type III curve which could explain the variations observed in food habits

Canid hybridization:Contemporary evolution in human-modified landscapes

Contemporary evolution through human-induced hybridization occurs throughout the taxonomic range. Formerly allopatric species appear especially susceptible to hybridization. Consequently, hybridization is expected to be more common in regions with recent sympatry owing to human activity than in areas of historical range overlap. Coyotes (Canis latrans) and gray wolves (C. lupus) are historically sympatric in western North America. Following European settlement gray wolf range contracted, whereas coyote range expanded to include eastern North America. Furthermore, wolves with New World (NW) mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotypes now extend from Manitoba to Québec in Canada and hybridize with gray wolves and coyotes. Using mtDNA and 12 microsatellite markers, we evaluated levels of wolf-coyote hybridization in regions where coyotes were present (the Canadian Prairies, n = 109 samples) and absent historically (Québec, n = 154). Wolves with NW mtDNA extended from central Saskatchewan (51°N, 69°W) to northeastern Québec (54°N, 108°W). On the Prairies, 6.3% of coyotes and 9.2% of wolves had genetic profiles suggesting wolf-coyote hybridization. In contrast, 12.6% of coyotes and 37.4% of wolves in Québec had profiles indicating hybrid origin. Wolves with NW and Old World (C. lupus) mtDNA appear to form integrated populations in both regions. Our results suggest that hybridization is more frequent in historically allopatric populations. Range shifts, now expected across taxa following climate change and other human influence on the environment, might therefore promote contemporary evolution by hybridization