Distribution areas of local populations of woodland caribou, forest ecotype, in Quebec

## #Description of the distribution areas of local populations of woodland caribou, forest ecotype, in Quebec

The data represent the distribution areas of 13 local populations and two areas of knowledge acquisition for woodland caribou, a forest ecotype in Quebec (hereinafter forest caribou).

The file contains the polygons and the name assigned to each population or knowledge acquisition sector, the period covered by the telemetry data used during the delimitation exercise, and the date these boundaries were last updated. 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

The Ministry of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks (hereinafter MELCCFP) is responsible for the monitoring and management of forest caribou in Quebec (Government of Quebec, 2021 a). In 2017-2018, the MELCCFP improved its monitoring activities in order to obtain an accurate and up-to-date portrait of the situation of the various populations on its territory (see [Literature review on the factors involved in the decline of caribou populations in Quebec, Government of Quebec] (https://consultation.quebec.ca/rails/active_storage/blobs/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBjZz09IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--45f10ff67d1f9e80ca714b08f984b5965760abd3/RevueLitterature_CaribouVF.pdf), 2021 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). It is within this framework that the work to identify and delimit the distribution areas of forest caribou populations carried out in 2021-2022 is part of. 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. Therefore, the ranges of local forest caribou populations in this file are 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 over a given period of time (e.g. calving, rutting, wintering). Note that for the two knowledge acquisition sectors, Baie-James and Matamec, the number of caribou monitored and the temporal scale of monitoring do not allow to date clearly conclude that they are distinct local populations or to associate these caribou with an adjacent population.

## #Méthodologie in a nutshell

The forest caribou populations in Charlevoix and Val-d'Or were excluded from the following manipulations, as their geographic isolation is sufficient to demonstrate that they are local populations distinct from other caribou groups. A minimal convex polygon was made using 100% of telemetry data from 2004-2012 and 2017-2021 for the population of Charlevoix and from 1986 to 2020 for that of Val-d'Or.

For other forest caribou populations, telemetry data from collars placed on caribou by the MELCCFP and various partners (Université Laval, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Hydro-Québec, Government of Ontario and Government of Ontario and Government of Newfoundland and Labrador) were used to identify and delimit the distribution areas of local populations. The data ranges from 2001 to 2021, but the period covered by the data varies by sector of study (see field: Layer tempo for information). 

Forest caribou populations in Quebec were identified by assigning caribou monitored by telemetry to a population using the fuzzy classification method (*c-mean fuzzy clustering*; Schaefer et al., 2001; Schaefer et al., 2001; Schaefer and Wilson, 2002). This method aims to unite individuals into groups in order to maximize the distance between members of distinct groups and to minimize the distance between members of the same group. Centroids from individual home ranges were used in this analysis. The ranges were delineated by creating minimal convex polygons including 100% of caribou locations (100% MCP) assigned to a population. For the Baie-James sector, the area was delimited by removing the overlaps between the area inventoried in 2020 (Szor and Gingras, 2020) and the distribution areas of the surrounding local populations. For the Matamec sector, the area represents the non-overlap between the distribution area of the local population of the Lower North Shore and a minimum convex polygon encompassing all telemetry data for caribou in the Matamec sector and the local Lower North Shore population. The acquisition of knowledge on the distribution of caribou and the presence of distinct populations continues in the Baie-James sector (Nord-du-Québec) and the Matamec sector (Côte-Nord). The last update was made in 2021-2022.

## #Mise in custody and data use limits:

* The distribution areas of forest caribou populations in Quebec in this file represent the state of knowledge on the use of land by caribou between 2001 and 2021. 
* Information on the ranges of local populations does not make it possible to establish with certainty that caribou are absent in territories outside the ranges. 
* Distribution areas represent areas where caribou belonging to the same population are likely to be found. They do not make it possible to identify the sectors used more or less strongly by caribou in this population or the sectors used by caribou to move within the range or from one population to another (connectivity sectors).
* The ranges are subject to change, depending on the new telemetry data that will be acquired, the refinement of our local knowledge and the changes in the patterns of land use by caribou. 

## #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
 
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.

Schaefer, J.A., Veitch, A.M., Harrington, F.H., Harrington, F.H., Brown, W.K., Theberge, J.B., & Luttich, S.N. 2001. Fuzzy structure and spatial dynamics of a declining woodland caribou population. *Oecologia*, 126 (4), 507—514. https://doi.org/10.1007/s004420000555

Schaefer, J.A., & Wilson, C.C. 2002. The fuzzy structure of populations. *Canadian Journal of Zoology*, 80 (12), 2235—2241. https://doi.org/10.1139/z02-184

Szor, G and G. Gingras. 2020. Aerial inventory of forest caribou (*Rangifer tarandus caribou*) in the James Bay, Rupert and La Grande sectors, Nord-du-Québec, in winter 2020, Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks, Direction de la gestion de la fauna du Nord-du-Québec, 31 p.
**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