Range of distribution of the local woodland caribou population, mountain ecotype, Gaspesie population

## #Mise in custody and data use limits:

* ** The report by Lesmerises and St-Laurent (2018) must be cited when using this file (see Literature section) . **
* The distribution area of the mountain caribou population in Gaspésie in this file represents the state of knowledge on the use of land by mountain caribou between 1988 and 2016. 
* Information on the distribution of the local population does not make it possible to establish with certainty that caribou are absent in territories outside this range. 
* The range is subject to change, depending on new telemetry data that will be acquired, as our local knowledge is refined, and as caribou land use patterns change. 

## #Description of the distribution area of the local woodland caribou population, mountain ecotype, Gaspésie population

The data represent the distribution area of woodland caribou, mountain ecotype, population of Gaspésie (hereinafter mountain caribou of Gaspésie).

The file contains the polygon and the name assigned to the population, the period covered by the telemetry data used during the delimitation exercise, and the date of the last update. The information contained in the file of occurrences of species in a precarious situation of the Quebec Natural Heritage Data Center (CDPNQ) is also present in the file (CDPNQ occurrence number, French, English and scientific name of the species, the type of occurrence, the rank of precariousness (rank S) and the status under the Act Respecting Threatened or Vulnerable Species, see MELCCFP 2023 for a description of these fields.).

## #Contexte of the publication

The Ministry of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks (hereinafter MELCCFP) is responsible for the monitoring and management of mountain caribou in Gaspésie (Government of Quebec, 2021 a, b). The local population has been identified as the appropriate monitoring and management scale for this species since each population may face different threats depending on the habitat and socio-economic context in which it is found (Environment Canada, 2008). The local population is defined as a group of caribou occupying a defined territory that is spatially distinct from the territories occupied by other caribou groups. The dynamics of the local population are determined primarily by local factors influencing birth and mortality rates, rather than by the contributions or losses resulting from immigration or emigration between groups. As a result, the distribution area of the local population of mountain caribou in Gaspésie is defined as the geographic area where a group of individuals exposed to similar factors influencing their demographics live and which meets the needs of their life cycle during a given period of time (e.g. calving, rutting, wintering).

In 2018, Lesmerises and St-Laurent produced the report *Influence of the rate of habitat disturbance, regional coyote abundance, and predator control on the demographic parameters of the Gaspesia-Atlantic caribou population* report presented to the Canadian Wildlife Service (Environment Canada). One of the objectives of the report was to delineate the range of this population. The MELCCFP uses the distribution area delimited by Lesmerises and St-Laurent (2018) as part of the monitoring and management of mountain caribou in Gaspésie. For any questions related to the Lesmerises and St-Laurent report (2018), please contact Mr. St-Laurent ([Martin-hugues_St-laurent@uqar.ca] (mailto: Martin-hugues_St-laurent@uqar.ca)).

## #Méthodologie in a nutshell

The methodology presented here is a summary of that described in Lesmerises and St-Laurent (2018).

Telemetry data from three follow-ups carried out during different periods of time were used (1988-1991, 1998-2008 and 2013-2016). The caribou were equipped with VHF collars during the first two follow-ups. Aerial flights were carried out at various times in order to locate the caribou. During the follow-up from 2013 to 2016, the caribou were equipped with GPS/Argos collars programmed to acquire locations every 2 or 3 hours depending on the collar model used. The range of the mountain caribou population in Gaspésie was defined by estimating a minimum convex polygon comprising 99% of telemetry locations plus a 10 km buffer zone. Finally, the parts superimposed on the St. Lawrence River were removed.

## #Littérature

Environment Canada. 2008. Scientific review for the identification of critical habitat for the boreal population of woodland caribou (*Rangifer tarandus caribou*) in Canada. August 2008. Ottawa: Environment Canada. 80 pp. + 192 pp. appendices.

Government of Quebec. 2021 a. Monitoring system for forest caribou populations in Quebec and mountain caribou in Gaspésie 2020-2031: summary document, Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks, Directorate of Expertise on Terrestrial Wildlife, Herpetofauna and Avifauna, 16 pp.

Government of Quebec. 2021 b. Literature review on the factors involved in the decline of forest caribou populations in Quebec and mountain caribou in Gaspésie, Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs, Direction of expertise on terrestrial fauna, herpetofauna and avifauna, 244 pp. + 15p. appendices

Lesmerises, F. and M.-H. St-Laurent. 2018. Influence of the rate of habitat disturbance, regional coyote abundance, and predator control on the demographic parameters of the caribou population in Gaspesia-Atlantique. Scientific report submitted to Environment Canada — Canadian Wildlife Service, Rimouski (Quebec). 22 pp. + 8 appendices.

Ministry of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks (MELCCFP). 2023. The Quebec Natural Heritage Data Center — Information document, Government of Quebec, Quebec, 32 pp.**This third party metadata element was translated using an automated translation tool (Amazon Translate).**

Organization: Government and Municipalities of Québec | Gouvernement et municipalités du Québec