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Implications of body condition on the unsustainable predation rates of endangered mountain caribou

  • Conservation ecology - Original research
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Abstract

Both top–down and bottom–up processes influence herbivore populations, and identifying dominant limiting factors is essential for applying effective conservation actions. Mountain caribou are an endangered ecotype of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) that have been declining, and unsustainable predation has been identified as the proximate cause. To investigate the role of poor nutrition, we examined the influence of sex, season, age class, and available suitable habitat (i.e., old-growth forest >140 years) per caribou on bone marrow fat content of caribou that died (n = 79). Sex was the only strong predictor of marrow fat. Males that died during and post rut had lower marrow fat than females or males at other times of year. Old-growth abundance per caribou, season, and age class did not predict marrow fat. Caribou killed by predators did not have less marrow fat than those that died in accidents, suggesting that nutritionally stressed caribou were not foraging in less secure habitats or that predators selected nutritionally stressed individuals. Marrow fat in endangered and declining populations of mountain caribou was similar to caribou in other, more viable populations. Our results support previous research suggesting that observed population declines of mountain caribou are due to excessive predation that is not linked to body condition.

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Acknowledgments

Data collection and analysis was primarily funded by BC Forest Science Program, with additional funding from Parks Canada. We thank L. DeGroot, J. Flaa, E. Jones, D. Seip, R. Wright, L. Roorda, N. Freeman and the BC Ministry of Environment for their data contributions. C. Bird, J. Hooge, and M. Kellner assisted with marrow extraction.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Columbia Mountains Caribou Project, 4667 Carlson Rd., Nelson, BC, V1L 6X3, Canada

    Michelle L. McLellan

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada

    Robert Serrouya

  3. British Columbia Ministry of Natural Resource Operations, Box 1732, D’Arcy, BC, V0N 1L0, Canada

    Bruce N. McLellan

  4. Columbia Mountains Caribou Project, P.O. Box 2154, Revelstoke, BC, V0E 2S0, Canada

    Kelsey Furk

  5. British Columbia Ministry of Natural Resource Operations, 4051-18th Ave, Prince George, BC, V2N 1B3, Canada

    Doug C. Heard

  6. School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand

    Heiko U. Wittmer

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  1. Michelle L. McLellan
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  2. Robert Serrouya
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  4. Kelsey Furk
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  5. Doug C. Heard
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  6. Heiko U. Wittmer
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Correspondence to Heiko U. Wittmer.

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Communicated by Ilpo Kojola.

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McLellan, M.L., Serrouya, R., McLellan, B.N. et al. Implications of body condition on the unsustainable predation rates of endangered mountain caribou. Oecologia 169, 853–860 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-011-2227-2

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