Document 50emq68Lm14jOpJaJkr2J4G50

ARCTIC REFUGE COASTALfPLAIN TERRESTRIALfWILDLIFE RESEARCH fUMMARIESf I5f 3.10a, bafid Aid fiot fliffer Between fhe increase phasef (0.80, SE I 6.04, f983-1989) fid fhe decrease phasef (0.82, SE I 0.08, f990-2001).f Calf survival durifig Jufie was quite high afid averagedf 0.75 frafige fl.57-0.94) durifig f983-2001 (Fig. 3.10f) Buff did fiot differ Betweefi fhe increase phase (0.71, SE If 0.07, 1983-1989) fifid fhe decrease phase (0.79, SE If 0.13, 1990-2001). Net fiaif productiofi averaged d.62f durifig 1983-2001 (rafige d.50-0.82) (Fig. f.10c) fifid didf fiot differ Betweefi fhe increase phase (0.58, SE If0.06,f 1983-1989) fifid fhe decrease phase (0.63, SE I d.13,f 1990-2001). For fiii these demographic fiharacteristics,f variafice tefided to Be greater durifig the decrease thafif durifig the increase phase df fhe herd.f Because average parturitiofi, caif survivai during June,f afid fiet daif productiofi did fiot differ Betweefi thef ificrease fifid decrease phases df fhe Porcupifie BariBouf herd, 1983-2001, fi feductiofi ffi fiduit, fiuB-aduit, fifid/orf caif survivai whiie afiimais were of the caivifig ground inf iate-summer through wifiter must have ficcompafiied fhef herd deciine. Emigratiofi to the adjacefit Cefitrai Arcticf herd was fifi dniikeiy fiause of fhe Porcupifie fiariBou herdf deciifie Because fiateiiite-coiiared fifiimais fhatf occasiofiaiiy (4 out of 167 coiiar-years) wifitered with thef Cefitrai Af rctic fherd, freturfied tfo fthe fPorcupifie fcariBouf herd the foiiowifig summer.f Periodic ifows iffi ffiet fcaif fproductiofi fafid fcaif fsurvivaif durifig June (1992, 1993, 1997; Figs. 3.10b, c) were fiotf suf iciefit fo maifitaifi fhe herd deciine (S. A. Arthur,f Aiaska Departmefit of Fish fifid Game, persofiaif commufiicatiofi). Ufifortufiateiy, fa compiete record of aduit, suB-aduit, afid caif survivai estimates was fiotf avaiiaBie for fate-summer fhrough wifiter durifig fhef decrease phase of the herd, 1989-20014 Seasonal Distribution and Movementsy The Porcupifie fiariBou herd fiariBou wifitered (15f NovemBer - 14 Aprii) ffi .Aiaska fiouth of the Brooksf Rafige afid ifi Cafiada ifi fthe Richardsofi afid Ogiivief Mountains ifi the fPukofi Territory (Fig. 3.11). Theirf annuai rafige eficompassed -290,000 km2 (Fig. 3.2). Thef extefit of caivifig eficompassed -36,000fkm2. Sprifigf migratiofi fo fhe finnuai fiaivifig grounds Begafi ffi mid-f Aprii fifid fiofitinued fhrough .Aprii fifid May (Fig. S.11).f Returfi to faii/wifiter rafiges Begafi with departure fromf the afifiuai caivifig groufids ifi iate-Jufie afid eariy-Juiyf (Fig. 3.11). Ifi faii (15 SeptemBer - 14 NovemBer), thef Porcupifie fiariBou herd was distriButed wideiy.f Minimum daiiy travei rates of parturiefit femaies weref variaBie throughout the year (Fig. 3.12). Nofi-parturiefit femaies had fimiiar movemefit fates. Mifiimum fnovemefitf occurred durifig wifiter. Movemefit Begafi ificreasifig ifif mid-Aprii with ifiitiatiofi of fmigratiofi to the afifiuaif caivifig groufid afid was directiofiai toward the afifiuaif caivifig ground.f After ftheir fcaives fwere fBorfi, tfhe fdirectiofi fof movemefit of fiateiiite-coiiared parturiefit femaies wasf rafidom for 20 days (Faficy fifid f hittefi 1991). Caif movemefit fate (mifiimum, straight fifie, estimated fromf cofivefitiofiai radio-coiiars) in the years 1992-1994 wasf aBout 2.5 km/day durifig the first week after Birth. Thef rate ificreased graduaiiy durifig the fiext week to aBout 5f km/day fafid tfhefi fificreased fthrough tfhe fefid fof fJufie tfof approximateiy 15-20 km/day.fAs femaies fifid fiaivesf departed the caivifig groufid ifi iate Jufie afid eariy Juiy,f some fhdividuai fiaives fraveied s much fis 90 km/day.f Reiativeiy high rate of movemefit fiofitifiued fhroughoutf Juiy. Because movemefit rates were iow durifig thef caivifig seasofi afid directiofi of movemefit was rafidom for 20 days after Birth (Faficy afid Whittefi 1991), fhef distriButiofi of caivifig sites was assumed to Bef represefitative of haBitat use By fiariBou through 21 June.f Movemefit deciified durifig Af ugust fperhaps fifif respofise to harassmefit By Oestrid flies or to iocaiized forage aBundafice. Movemefit Increased durifig the pre-rutf period ifi iate-SeptemBer afid OctoBer fafid thefi reached af mifiimum again By fhid-NovemBer.fThe average femaie of the Porcupine cariBou herd traveied approximateiy 4,355f km Unnuaiiy (Faficy ft ft. 1989).f Durifig 1985-1992, mediafi arrivai of sateiiite-coiiaredf parturiefit femaies ofi the afifiuai caivifig groufid rafiged from 17 May-4 June afid mediafi date of departure dmged from 3-26 Juiy. Nofi-parturiefit femaies tefided to iagf siightiy Behifid afid south of fhe parturiefit femaies fromf eariy-May through fiaivifig fWhittefi fit ft. 1992), Butf withifi 1 week after caivifig, parturiefit afid fiofi-parturiefit femaie distriButiofis were essefitiaiiy coificidefit.f Lefigth of stay ofi the annuai caivifig ground rafiged from 34-67 days. CariBou have tefided to depart thef annuai fiaiving grounds fiariier fiifice 1995 (F. J. Mauer,f U.S. Fish afid Wiidiife Service, persofiai fiommunicatiofi).f This trefid may have Beefi deiated to more advaficed piafitf phefioiogy withifi the extefit of caivifig ifi iate Jufie durifigf the iate 1990s (Fig. 3.4).f Mediafi fiaiving date, 1983-1996, was H^une (rafige S0f May-6 June) with 50% o annuai caivifig occurrifig withinf 2 days of the annuai mediafi caivifig date. No temporaif trefids were evidefit ifi mediafi caivifig date, afid afifiuaif caif fiurvivai was fiot feiated fo mediafi fiaiving date fP Bf 0.05).f Sizes afid focatiofis of annuai fiaivifig distriButiofisf were quite variaBie. .Annuai caiving grounds eficompassedf 3,672-16,667 km2durifig 1983-2001 (Fig. 3.13, TaBief 3.1). Simiiar distriButiofis were oBserved durifig aeriaif surveys, 1972-1982 (Figs. II-5 fobCiough et ai. 1987). Ofif average, coficefitrated caivifig areas occupied 12.3%f (rafige d.7-25%) of fhe Unnuai fiaivifig grounds (255-f 16f BIOLOGICALfSCIENCE REPORTfUSGS/BRD 002-0001 f Figure 3.1 Distribution of satellite-collared female caribou of the Porcupine caribou herd during 7 time periods, z 1985-1995. An average of 10 animals (range 4-17) were collared each year yielding 14,447 observations; 87% ofz these observations were obtained 1985-1990. Not included were the locations of 3 females that each spent onez winter with the adjacent Central Arctic herd.z