In Quebec, population health indicators, including recruitment and adult survival, indicate that almost all officially listed caribou populations are in decline.

Published on May 15, 2021

Source: Guillaume Roy, Radio-Canada

The picture is not very bright,” said Sabrina Plante, a biologist with the Ministère de la Forêt, de la Faune et des Parcs (MFFP), during a presentation held at ANAC. We have several populations for which the decline is confirmed, including the three isolated populations and five populations in the continuous range sector.”

For two other populations (Bustard and Manicouagan), the decline remains to be confirmed.

The Caniapiscau population appears to be growing, but monitoring only began in 2018. For the Detour and James Bay sector populations, the MFFP is in the process of acquiring data to clarify the demographic trend.

Plus les populations de caribous sont près des activités humaines, plus elles sont à risque. Au sud de leur aire de répartition, la très grande majorité des populations de caribou forestier au Canada sont en déclin.
The closer caribou populations are to human activities, the more at risk they are. South of their range, the vast majority of woodland caribou populations in Canada are in decline. PROGRESS ARCHIVES

The isolated populations in Charlevoix, Val-d’Or and Gaspésie are considered to be at risk in the short to medium term. After enclosing the Val-d’Or herd of six caribou, the MFFP confirmed that it will do the same with the Charlevoix population, and with the pregnant females in the Gaspé Peninsula, to “maintain the caribou population until the adoption of the caribou strategy”.

Despite the efforts and interim management measures imposed by Quebec, populations continue to decline.

Other threats to barren ground caribou

Although there is less human presence in the north, barren-ground caribou are also under threat in Canada. “The impacts of climate change are much more significant in the north,” says Martin-Hugues Saint-Laurent.

The lack of ice has a significant impact on the movement of caribou, sometimes forcing them to swim long distances, which can lead to exhaustion. In addition, the black bear is also migrating north, bringing a new predator that the caribou are not wary of. Parasites and disease add to the cocktail of threats facing barren-ground caribou.

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Solutions

In early May, 570 people from 10 countries attended the North American Caribou Workshop (NACW), a conference held every two years that showcases the science behind caribou. Progress presents five solutions that emerged from the conferences to save the woodland caribou.

1. Recognize the “overwhelming” scientific consensus

To be able to implement effective measures for the protection of the woodland caribou, it is necessary to start by recognizing the overwhelming scientific consensus on the subject, says one of the organizers of the event, the biological Martin-Hugues Saint-Laurent, of the University of Quebec in Rimouski.

This theme came up several times during the different presentations, notably by Philip McLoughlin, professor of biology at the University of Saskatchewan, who stressed that the impact of humans on woodland caribou populations is irrefutable.

The closer caribou populations are to human activities, the more at risk they are. Whether it is mining, gas or forestry developments, the impact is documented across the country, and elsewhere, including Scandinavia. South of their range, the vast majority of woodland caribou populations in Canada are in decline.

En foresterie, les coupes forestières favorisent la croissance d’arbres feuillus, qui sont prisés par les orignaux. Les chemins forestiers créent des voies d’accès rapides pour ces derniers. Avec l’ajout d’orignaux sur un territoire, il y a plus de kilogrammes de viande par kilomètre carré, ce qui augmente la population de loups, créant une pression supplémentaire sur les caribous.
In forestry, logging promotes the growth of hardwood trees, which are prized by moose. Logging roads create quick access routes for moose. With the addition of moose to a territory, there are more kilograms of meat per square kilometer, which increases the wolf population, creating additional pressure on the caribou. PROGRESS ARCHIVES

Changes in caribou habitat are being blamed. In forestry, logging promotes the growth of hardwood trees, which are prized by moose. Logging roads create quick access routes for moose. With the addition of moose to a territory, there are more kilograms of meat per square kilometer, which increases the wolf population, creating additional pressure on caribou. The increased presence of bears in harvested areas also increases the pressure as they eat the calves.

For caribou, this apparent competition with moose – and white-tailed deer elsewhere in the country – that increases predator numbers has been documented across the country.

While there are other factors affecting woodland caribou populations, such as climate change, the impact of humans is far more significant, says Martin-Hugues St. Laurent.

The industry can no longer bury its head in the sand and look the other way,” he says. Solutions exist. We will need political courage and industrial involvement to get there, but it is possible to protect the woodland caribou, while minimizing the impacts on the forest industry.”

Selon plusieurs experts, l’implication des communautés autochtones joue un rôle clé dans la protection du caribou forestier.
According to several experts, the involvement of Aboriginal communities plays a key role in the protection of woodland caribou. ARCHIVES PROGRESS

2. Compensate for losses with money

The federal Endangered Species Act is not effective in protecting woodland caribou right now, says Mark Hebblewhite, professor of forestry and conservation at the University of Montana. “Many populations are declining and some have even disappeared,” he says.

In addition, no province has delivered its caribou conservation plan on time. Finally, the level of habitat disturbance is more than 35%, the threshold established for the protection of the species, for 21 of the 51 populations in the country.

To rectify the situation, the government can choose to punish the recalcitrant or reward the good deeds; the stick or the carrot, he says.

Section 80 of the Species at Risk Act states that the government can impose a moratorium if there is an immediate threat to the critical habitat of an endangered species. Ottawa has only used this authority twice, once to protect 1700 km2 of habitat for the sage grouse in southern Alberta, and again to protect 2 km2 of habitat for the chorus frog near Montreal. These areas are small compared to the over 1.5 million km2 of woodland caribou habitat.

« La section 64 précise que le ministre peut offrir des compensations aux propriétaires privés ou aux industriels pour compenser la perte de revenus liée à la protection de l’habitat essentiel du caribou », souligne Mark Hebblewhite, de l’Université du Montana.
“Section 64 specifies that the minister may offer compensation to private landowners or industry to offset the loss of revenue associated with protecting critical caribou habitat,” notes Mark Hebblewhite of the University of Montana. COURTESY WOLF PEOPLE

One tool in the act, which has never been used before, could be part of the solution. “Section 64 states that the Minister may offer compensation to private landowners or industry for loss of revenue related to the protection of critical caribou habitat,” he notes.

In determining the amounts to be offered, the government should be advised by a panel of scientists, not just one, he adds. “We’re talking about billions in lost revenue for industry, but to put a proper figure on it, more independent socio-economic research is needed.”

He says Canadian federalism works like this: you have to give envelopes to the provinces to get them to take action. “The federal government works with carrots in Canada, and very little with sticks. ”

3. Better understanding of individual behaviours

A better understanding of the individual preferences of caribou and their predators could lead to better protection of the species, says Mathieu Leblond, a research scientist with Environment Canada.

En foresterie, les coupes forestières favorisent la croissance d’arbres feuillus, qui sont prisés par les orignaux. Les chemins forestiers créent des voies d’accès rapides pour ces derniers. Avec l’ajout d’orignaux sur un territoire, il y a plus de kilogrammes de viande par kilomètre carré, ce qui augmente la population de loups, créant une pression supplémentaire sur les caribous.
In forestry, logging promotes the growth of hardwood trees, which are prized by moose. Logging roads create quick access routes for moose. With the addition of moose to a territory, there are more kilograms of meat per square kilometer, which increases the wolf population, creating additional pressure on the caribou. ARCHIVES LE PROGRÈS, GUILLAUME ROY.

According to his research conducted with the Charlevoix population, caribou often reproduce the same behaviors as their parents. Even when the habitat changes and it is no longer optimal to give birth to a calf, the females often return to the same place to give birth, putting their offspring at risk.

“They are very loyal to certain sites, even if there has been forest harvest or road construction,” he says.

There is also a wide range of behaviour among predators, including bears. For example, one study showed that one bear ate 17 fawns in seven days, while other bears ate almost none.

A better understanding of caribou and predator behaviours will allow us to choose better solutions and to invest money in the protection of the species,” notes Mathieu Leblond.

4. Greater involvement of Aboriginal peoples

The involvement of Aboriginal communities plays a key role in the protection of woodland caribou. “We will see caribou populations persist where there are dedicated and passionate aboriginal communities who will stand up for the species at risk,” says Mark Hebblewhite, professor of forestry and conservation at the University of Montana.

For example, only two populations in the Central Rocky Mountain Range may survive in the long term, not because of government action, but rather because of the leadership of two native communities. So indirectly, the policy imposes a form of triage on populations,” he adds.

In Quebec, the community of Pikogan has worked with Rayonier Advaced Material, the Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks and the Société pour la nature et les parcs (SNAP) to put in place a plan to protect the caribou. The recent revision of the Natural Heritage Conservation Act led to the creation of the concept of protected areas of Aboriginal initiatives, a tool that First Nations are counting on to protect the cervid. In Pessamit, the Innu propose to protect a vast territory in the Pipmuacan sector.

5. Finding the right recipe for closing logging roads

Forest harvesting creates occasional problems for woodland caribou, but roads are mostly permanent markers on the land. These roads facilitate the movement of moose, wolves and bears on the land. By closing the roads after harvesting, it is possible to minimize the impact on woodland caribou. It is thus possible to maintain an acceptable level of harvesting while keeping the disturbance rate below 35%.

Several research projects are underway in Quebec and across the country to determine the best way to close a logging road and with which species. For more effective reforestation, it is preferable to plant trees on winter roads, which are less compacted by machinery, says a study by Rebecca Lacerte, a master’s student at the Université du Québec à Rimouski.

According to the tests, alder grows the fastest, a good species to block the predator’s path. In the case of resinous species, preferred by caribou, jack pine performs best, while black spruce and larch grow very slowly. Thus, a mixed planting of alder and jack pine could allow for rapid growth, while promoting the maintenance of softwood species in the long term.

More research is also needed to determine what level of roads is acceptable to maintain a caribou population, as studies show that there is a tipping point, i.e., at a certain amount of roads, caribou become more vulnerable to predation.