The COSEWIC Summaries of Terrestrial Species Eligible for Addition or Reclassification on Schedule 1 - January 2018

Table of contents
Part 1: Anticosti Aster to Golden-eye Lichen
Part 2: Harris's Sparrow to Western Painted Turtle

The following section presents a brief summary of the reasons for the COSEWIC status designation of individual species, and their biology, threats, distribution and other information. For a more comprehensive explanation of the conservation status of an individual species, please refer to the COSEWIC status report for that species, also available on the Species at Risk Public Registry

or contact:
COSEWIC Secretariat
c/o Canadian Wildlife Service
Environment Canada
Ottawa ON K1A 0H3

Photo: © Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre

Symphyotrichum anticostense

Vascular Plants

Special Concern

Quebec, New Brunswick

This clonal plant is restricted to calcareous shores of larger rivers (and occasionally lakes) in Eastern Québec and New Brunswick. At least 95% of its small global range occurs in Canada. Invasive species threaten habitat quality and there is some evidence that localized hybridization and deer browsing may minimally affect population persistence at local scales. Since the species’ last assessment of Threatened in 2000, extensive searching resulted in the documentation of several new subpopulations. The subpopulations appear to be stable.

Anticosti Aster is a 10 to 75 cm tall, herbaceous species that spreads by long rhizomes to form loose clonal colonies. The stiff, narrowly linear leaves are somewhat leathery in texture, often arched, and have smooth or minutely toothed margins. Flowers are in long-stalked flower heads composed of purple ray (petal-like) florets and yellow disk florets. Anticosti Aster is a Holocene (<11,700 year old) species that originated by hybridization of New York Aster and Rush Aster. Identification based solely on morphology is not entirely reliable, particularly in New Brunswick due primarily to similarity with narrow leaved forms of New York Aster. It is of interest as a rare regional endemic species of postglacial origin that grows in association with many other plant species of conservation concern within regionally significant calcareous river shore communities.

Anticosti Aster is a rare northeastern North American endemic species occurring in three distinct regions: 1) Anticosti Island, QC, 2) Lac Saint-Jean, QC and 3) the southern and eastern portions of the Gaspé Peninsula, QC, northwestern New Brunswick (Restigouche and Saint John river systems), and northeastern Maine (Aroostook River, a Saint John River tributary). Each of these distinct regions could represent an independent hybrid origin for the species, but there is currently insufficient evidence of genetic distinctiveness to warrant considering them as separate designatable units.

Global distribution of Anticosti Aster (aerial imagery source: Esri World Imagery Basemap).

Anticosti Aster is found on the open shores of larger rivers within the zone of annual flooding, and sometimes on similar lakeshores. It is strongly associated with underlying calcareous sedimentary bedrock and surface materials (mainly limestone). Plants are most often found on wide, low gradient rock, cobble, gravel and sand shores in unvegetated or sparsely vegetated areas between the highest and lowest water marks. At one site, Anticosti Aster has extensively colonized the gravelly roadside and railroad bed adjacent to a river, indicating potential to take advantage of disturbed habitats.

Anticosti Aster is a colonial perennial species, spreading vegetatively via rhizomes, with genetic individuals likely capable of persisting for many years. Lifespan of individual shoots or rhizome segments is unknown. It is likely dependent on insect pollination. It flowers from late July to late September and disperses seed from mid-August to late fall. Transport by water flow is likely the most significant mode of dispersal. Plants can probably produce flowers within the first year, but in the field, time to sexual maturity is likely greater.

The total population of Anticosti Aster in Canada is roughly estimated at 410,000 to 1,063,000 stems, distributed at 18 subpopulations for which identification is considered reliable (1 at Lac Saint-Jean, 7 on Anticosti Island and 10 in the Gaspé Peninsula / western New Brunswick region). Collectively, subpopulations in the Gaspé / western New Brunswick region of occurrence contain at least 95% of the total known global population. The Restigouche River (NB and QC) supports the largest known occurrence (hundreds of thousands of stems), extending over roughly 80 km of river. Gaspé Peninsula’s Grande Rivière, Bonaventure and Petit Pabos rivers are the next largest subpopulations (>68,000, >20,000 and >5000, respectively). All other known subpopulations are estimated at a few thousand stems or fewer. Subpopulations are not believed to have changed significantly since the last status assessment in 2000.

Historically, a substantial amount of potential habitat has been lost through construction of large dams in the Saint John River system, NB, and at Lac Saint-Jean, QC. Competition from exotic invasive plant species, particularly Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinacea), represents a significant threat to subpopulations on New Brunswick’s Saint John River. Invasive exotic plants may be impacting other subpopulations to a lesser degree, and this threat is likely to increase in severity and extent in the future. On Anticosti Island, browsing by over-abundant introduced White-tailed Deer appears to be having a considerable negative impact. Continued hybridization with New York Aster may be causing localized loss of genetic integrity in New Brunswick and Gaspé Peninsula subpopulations. Beach activity from nearby housing and cottage development is a moderate threat at the isolated Lac Saint-Jean population. Other postulated threats appear very minor. Habitat specificity is an important limiting factor for Anticosti Aster, as suitable habitat represents a very small portion of the landscape within the species’ range.

Anticosti Aster is a Schedule 1 species listed as Threatened under the federal Species at Risk Act. It is provincially Endangered and legally protected in New Brunswick under the New Brunswick Species at Risk Act and provincially Threatened and protected in Quebec under the Loi sur les Espèces Menacées ou Vulnérables. The species is ranked as globally Vulnerable (G3) with national status ranks of Vulnerable (N3) in Canada and Critically Imperiled (N1) in the United States, and subnational status ranks of Vulnerable (S3) in Quebec, Imperilled to Vulnerable (S2S3) in New Brunswick and Critically Imperiled (S1) in Maine.

Source: COSEWIC. 2017. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Anticosti Aster Symphyotrichum

anticostense in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. xiii + 58 pp.

Photo: © Ryan M. Bolton

Emydoidea blandingii

Reptiles

Endangered

Ontario, Quebec

This population, although widespread, is declining because of several observed, inferred, and projected threats. The most serious threats include: road and rail mortality; illegal collection for the pet, food and traditional medicine trades; habitat loss due to invasive European Common Reed; development and wetland alterations; and, increasing numbers of predators. Quantitative analyses estimate that the total number of mature individuals in this population has declined > 60% over the last three generations (due to large-scale wetland drainage after European arrival) and will decline 50% over the next three generations because of road mortality alone.

The Blanding’s Turtle, Emydoidea blandingii, is the only representative of the genus Emydoidea. It is a medium-sized freshwater turtle with a characteristic bright yellow throat and a highly domed black shell with yellowish spots and flecks. It has one of the smallest global ranges compared to most other North American turtles and only ~20% of its global range occurs in Canada.

In its Canadian range, the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence population of the Blanding’s Turtle occurs primarily in southern Ontario (with isolated reports as far north as Timmins) and southern Québec (with isolated reports occurring as far north as the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region and as far east as the Capitale-Nationale region in Québec). The much smaller Nova Scotia population occurs in the southern portion of the province and represents the most isolated population within the species’ range.

In the United States, the Blanding’s Turtle occurs in the northeastern states, and is mainly concentrated around the Great Lakes; however, it occurs as far west as Nebraska and South Dakota and there are small isolated populations along the Atlantic seaboard in New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine.

North American distribution of Blanding’s Turtle.

Source: Map provided by NatureServe, 2008 (NatureServe).

In Nova Scotia, Blanding’s Turtles tend to prefer darkly-coloured water, indicative of relatively higher secondary productivity. In the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence population, however, Blanding’s Turtles are often observed using clear water eutrophic wetlands. Blanding’s Turtles have strong site fidelity but may use several connected water bodies throughout the active season. Turtles of all ages occur primarily in shallow water habitats. Females nest in a variety of substrates including sand, organic soil, gravel, cobblestone, and soil-filled crevices of rock outcrops. Adults and juveniles overwinter in a variety of water bodies that maintain pools averaging about 1 m in depth; however, hatchling turtles have been observed hibernating terrestrially during their first winter. Reported mean home ranges generally fall between 10-60 ha (maximum 382 ha) or 1000-2500 m (maximum 7000 m); however, most studies likely underestimate Blanding’s Turtle home range size because few have utilized GPS loggers to track daily movements throughout one or more entire active seasons.

The Blanding’s Turtle is an exceptionally long-lived and late-maturing species, even for a turtle. Blanding’s Turtles mature between 14-25 years of age and can continue to reproduce successfully until at least 75 years old. Mature females produce one clutch of eggs every 1-3 years and female fecundity and reproductive frequency are positively correlated with age. Females carry out long-distance nesting migrations and can make overland movements of >10 km. The Blanding’s Turtle’s ability to make long-distance movements facilitates gene flow among wetlands and may substantially increase reproductive success. The mean generation time for Canadian Blanding’s Turtles is ~40 years.

Across the North American range, Blanding’s Turtles mainly occur in small, isolated subpopulations that maintain a few dozen to approximately 100 turtles. In Canada, most monitored subpopulations appear to maintain fewer than 150 adults, with none exceeding 1000.

The size of the Blanding’s Turtle Great Lakes/St. Lawrence population is impossible to estimate accurately, given that very few mark-recapture studies have been conducted throughout the region, but is believed to harbour < 50,000 adults. It is estimated that over the last three generations > 60% of the population was lost due to large-scale wetland drainage after European arrival, and a further decline of > 50% is projected over the next three generations based on observed trends for monitored subpopulations and road mortality models. The long-term mark-recapture program in Québec has found fewer than 200 adults to date; although no trends have been confirmed for this subpopulation, it has likely also declined due to historical wetland loss and ongoing anthropogenic threats.

The total number of mature individuals in the Blanding’s Turtle, Nova Scotia population is believed to be < 500. The longest studied subpopulations show very late maturity (20-25 years) and great longevity (> 70 years). Without management intervention, models predict that the Nova Scotia population faces a high extinction risk despite occurring in a protected area.

This species faces numerous threats, the most serious of which include:

i.road/rail mortality and associated road effects;

ii.habitat loss due to the invasive European Reed, various types of development and wetland modifications;

iii.illegal collection for the pet, food and traditional medicine trades; and

iv.increased mortality of individuals and nests from subsidized predators.

Additional potential threats include: mortality from aggregate, forestry, energy production and recreational activities; wetland pollution; climate change and the introduction of other invasive species. The most serious threats to Blanding’s Turtle subpopulations are those that result in the mortality or loss of adults.

The main limiting factors for this species are its slow life-history (extreme longevity, very late age of maturity, low annual reproductive output, low juvenile recruitment, and a dependency on high annual adult survival) and short, cool summers at the northern periphery of the range, which reduce turtle reproductive frequency and nest success. These limiting factors make the Blanding’s Turtle highly vulnerable to even small increases (< 5%) in annual adult mortality. Because the Blanding’s Turtle matures much later than other Canadian turtles, its vulnerability to decline is exacerbated compared to other turtle species. Therefore, population stability and persistence are critically dependent on high adult survivorship.

In 2016, COSEWIC designated the Nova Scotia population and the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence population as Endangered. The Blanding’s Turtle is legally protected under the federal Species at Risk Act, 2002 (S.C. 2002, c. 29), the Ontario Endangered Species Act, 2007 (S.O. 2007, c. 6), the Ontario Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 (S.O. 1997, c. 41), the Québec Loi sur la conservation et la mise en valeur de la faune, 2002 (RLRQ, c. C-61.1), and the Nova Scotia Endangered Species Act, 2000 (1998, c. 11, s. 1). In 2013, it was listed as a ‘CITES Appendix II’ species and its international trade is now regulated.

Its General Status Rank in Canada, Ontario, Québec and Nova Scotia is ‘At Risk’. Across all 18 jurisdictions within the North American range, the Blanding’s Turtle is only considered apparently secure (S4) in one state, Nebraska, where the species has benefited from nearly a century of large-scale habitat protection. It is officially designated as Endangered or Threatened in 13 of the 18 provinces and states in which it occurs and in 2010, the IUCN up-listed the Blanding’s Turtle to Endangered based on global population size reductions of ≥ 80% over the last three generations.

Source: COSEWIC. 2016. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Blanding’s Turtle Emydoidea blandingii, Nova Scotia population and Great Lakes/St. Lawrence population, in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. xix + 110 pp.

Photo: © Leagh Vermeylen

Pituophis catenifer sayi

Reptiles

Special Concern

Alberta, Saskatchewan

Like other large snakes, this species is affected by habitat loss and roadkill and may become Threatened if threats are not mitigated. The species relies on communal wintering dens, which may be scarce on the landscape. Although the severity of threats across the species’ range is not fully understood, the impact of those threats is potentially significant. The species is especially vulnerable to increased mortality because of its low abundance, late maturity, and low rate of productivity.

Bullsnake is one of three subspecies of gophersnakes in Canada. It is one of the largest species of snake in Canada, occasionally exceeding 2 m in length, and it has inspired countless reptile enthusiasts. Adults are yellowish with black, brown, or reddish brown blotches on their dorsal and lateral scales. Distinguishing features include a narrow scale at the tip of the snout that is raised above the nearby scales, a dark line that crosses the head in front of the eyes, a dark band from the eye to the angle of the jaw, and a dark vertical spot below the eye. Bullsnake is non-venomous.

Bullsnake’s range in North America extends from Alberta and Saskatchewan in the north, through central United States to northeastern Mexico in the south. In Alberta, Bullsnake occurs from north and west of Drumheller along the Red Deer River coulee system, distributed mainly in the mixed grassland region in the Lower Red Deer, South Saskatchewan, and Milk river valleys. In Saskatchewan, the Bullsnake’s range extends east to the Big Muddy Valley and north to the South Saskatchewan River.

North American distribution of Bullsnake. Adapted from Conant and Collins (1998) and Kissner and Nicholson (2003).

In Canada, Bullsnake occurs in short- and mixed-grass prairie, commonly in association with brushy and sandy areas and around badlands along major river valleys. The snakes often use mammal burrows for foraging, protection from predators, moulting of the skin, temperature regulation, and as hibernation sites. Bullsnakes hibernate communally, often with other snake species, in mammal burrows, slump blocks, meander scarps and fissures, sinkholes, and rocky outcrops on slopes with warm exposure. For nesting, female Bullsnakes excavate burrows or modify existing mammal burrows in sandy or friable soils on south-facing bluffs within the coulees and gorges of river valleys.

Mating generally occurs in May, soon after the snakes emerge from hibernation. Females may reproduce annually or every other year, laying an average of 16 eggs in June or July, with hatchlings emerging from mid-August to mid-September. The age at sexual maturity is unknown; however, the closely related Great Basin Gophersnake probably does not reproduce until four years of age. Generation time for Bullsnakes in Canada is probably approximately eight years. Bullsnakes are active during the day, foraging mainly on small mammals. They are adept climbers and will also eat birds and bird eggs.

Insufficient data exist to document abundance or population trends. Declines from historical levels are inferred from road mortality and habitat loss. Habitat in the grassland regions has been lost and degraded throughout the range of the Bullsnake in Alberta and Saskatchewan. However, the snakes appear to persist across their wide Canadian range.

Threats to the Bullsnake include road mortality, certain types of agricultural practices and overgrazing, and alteration of prairie habitat from oil and gas drilling. The impact of these threats on Bullsnakes overall is considered to be low. Additional threats determined to have overall negligible, but potentially important local impacts on Bullsnakes include the following: persecution; human disturbance in the form of recreational and military activities; natural system modifications such as wildfires; residential and commercial development; and pollution, specifically from rodent control measures. Potential threats with unknown impacts on Bullsnake include landslides (slumping) and habitat alteration by invasive plants.

Globally, NatureServe lists the Bullsnake as secure (G5T5), with subnational rankings of S3 (vulnerable) for Alberta and S4 (apparently secure) for Saskatchewan. In Alberta, Bullsnake is designated as a sensitive species by Alberta Environment and Parks, with the population described as stable or possibly declining. Bullsnakes are afforded general protection as native wildlife under the Alberta and Saskatchewan wildlife acts; hibernation sites are seasonally protected under the provincial Wildlife Act in Alberta. In national and provincial parks, the species and its habitats are protected under the Canada National Parks Act, The Provincial Parks Act (Alberta), and The Parks Act (Saskatchewan).

Source: COSEWIC. 2017. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Bullsnake Pituophis catenifer sayi in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. xi + 34 pp

Photo: © Anne Gunn

Rangifer tarandus

Mammals

Threatened

Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba

Members of this population give birth on the open arctic tundra, and most subpopulations (herds) winter in vast subarctic forests. Well-known for its large aggregations, lengthy migrations, and significant cultural and social value to northern Aboriginal Peoples and other Canadians, its 14-15 subpopulations range from northeastern Alaska to western Hudson Bay and Baffin Island. Numbering more than 2 million individuals in the early 1990s, the current population is estimated at about 800,000. Most subpopulations have declined dramatically, but two are increasing, including the Porcupine Caribou Herd. For 70% of the population with sufficient data to quantify trends, the decline is estimated at 56% over the past three generations (since 1989), with several of the largest herds having declined by >80% from peak numbers. Available survey data for an additional 25% of the total population also indicate declines. Evidence from both local Aboriginal people and scientific studies suggests that most herds have undergone natural fluctuations in numbers in the past; however, available demographic data indicate no sign of rapid recovery at this time and cumulative threats are without historical precedent. Status meets criteria for Endangered because of a reduction in numbers of ≥50%, but Threatened is recommended because, overall, this population does not appear to be facing imminent extinction at this time. Despite worrisome declines across most of the range, the current numerical abundance of the Porcupine Caribou Herd and the initiation of numerous management actions by governments, wildlife management boards, and communities support Threatened as a more appropriate conservation status. The status of these subpopulations will have to be carefully monitored and may warrant re-assessment within five years.

All the world’s caribou and reindeer belong to a single cervid species, Rangifer tarandus, and are found in arctic and subarctic regions as well as in northern forests. Barren-ground Caribou are characterized by long migrations and highly gregarious behaviour, often travelling in groups of hundreds or thousands. As a relatively large herbivore with an extensive distribution and high numbers, Barren-ground Caribou is a keystone species, playing a key ecological and cultural role in northern ecosystems.

The significance of Barren-ground Caribou to the peopling of northern Canada is evident from archaeological findings tracking the distribution of people and Barren-ground Caribou relative to the retreating glaciers some 8,000 years ago in the central barrens and as long as 12-15,000 years ago in the central range of the Porcupine subpopulation. Barren-ground Caribou have been and continue to be a key resource for people in northern Canada; in some cases these animals have such importance that families would follow their migration. They have significant direct economic value from harvest, primarily for subsistence use. They also contribute to the northern economy through wildlife tourism and recreational hunting; beyond this, they have incalculable cultural value for people throughout the subpopulation ranges.

The global range of Barren-ground Caribou extends from Alaska to western Greenland, and is continuous across northern continental mainland Canada, from northwestern Yukon to Baffin Island. The northern extent is the Arctic mainland coast; the southern extent is northern Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba. Sampling efforts and methods have varied among subpopulations, leading to differences in interpreting subpopulation structure; 14-15 are recognized in this report. Some are combined for the purposes of generating population abundance and trend estimates, for a total of 13 units. Ten subpopulations have been consistently identified for the past several decades, mainly through fidelity to calving areas.

Fluctuating abundance of individual subpopulations affects distribution; as Barren-ground Caribou decline in abundance their distribution (especially during winter) changes, reducing the length of fall and pre-calving migration. Mainland subpopulations of Barren-ground Caribou generally migrate toward the Arctic coast to calve, and occur during summer and fall on the tundra of the Southern Arctic ecozone. Western and central mainland subpopulations usually winter in the boreal forests of the Taiga Cordillera, Taiga Plains or Taiga Shield ecozones.

Distribution of Caribou subpopulations in the Barren-Ground Caribou designatable unit. Map by Bonnie Fournier, GNWT.

Habitat requirements are partly driven by the need for forage, which depends on the timing of the caribou’s annual breeding cycle and its nutritional costs relative to the brief plant growing season and long winters of the sub-arctic and arctic regions. Caribou are generalist foragers, especially in summer, and select among grasses, sedges, shrubs and forbs for nutrient content according to the stage of plant growth rather than plant species. Barren-ground Caribou require large annual ranges (several hundred thousand square kilometres in size) to enable selection of alternative habitats in response to annual variations in the environment, such as snow cover, plant growth, and/or predation or parasite risk. Habitat attributes that are important for calving include those that reduce predation risk and maximize nutrition intake; these vary among calving grounds. Forage requirements depend on the timing of the annual breeding cycle relative to the brief plant growing season and long winter that is characteristic of the sub-arctic and arctic regions. On summer ranges, caribou seek habitats that reduce exposure to insect harassment, while obtaining high-quality forage. While most subpopulations winter in the boreal forest, several remain in tundra habitats at that time.

Within the previous three generations, there has been some reduction in habitat as a consequence of the natural fragmentation of the winter ranges caused by forest fires and increasing human presence (i.e., infrastructure) on the caribou ranges. However, habitat outside the forested winter range is still largely intact at the landscape scale. The generally increasing trends in human population will increase economic development (industrial development, roads and traffic) within Barren-ground Caribou ranges in the future.

Caribou usually first calve at three years of age, although they can calve at two years when conditions are favourable. Females give birth to a single calf and may breed every year, although if nutritionally stressed they do not conceive every year. Calving is highly synchronized, generally occurring over a 2-week period in June. The breeding system is polygynous. Annual migrations and gregarious behaviour are the most conspicuous characteristics of most Barren-ground Caribou subpopulations. They are adapted to a long winter season when cold temperatures, wind chill and snow impose high energetic costs. Those costs are met through reducing their maintenance energy requirements and mobilizing fat and protein reserves.

Predation is an important factor affecting many facets of caribou ecology, as caribou movements and habitat choices are often made to minimize exposure to predators. An array of predators and scavengers depend on Barren-ground Caribou: Grizzly Bears (Ursus arctos) are effective predators on newborn calves, while Gray Wolves (Canis lupus, hereafter referred as Wolves) are predators of all sex and age classes throughout the year. Pathogens (including viruses, bacteria, helminths and protozoa) together with insects, play an important role in caribou ecology with effects ranging from subtle effects on reproduction through to clinical disease and death.

The current population of Barren-ground Caribou is estimated at about 800,000 individuals. Between 1986 and mid-1990s, the overall trend was an increase to > two million, followed by a decline, which has persisted through today. Of 13 subpopulation units used to derive abundance estimates, eight are declining, two are increasing, and three are unknown. The median three-generation percentage decline in the total number of Barren-ground Caribou was 56.8% (range = -50.8 – -59.0%), based on the summed population change for seven subpopulations with sufficient survey data, which comprise almost 70% of the total current population. Four of these seven subpopulations declined by >80% during this period, one had a median decline of -39%, characterized by marked variability, whereas the remaining two increased. Available survey data for three additional subpopulations, representing about 25% of the total population, also suggest declines; the current trajectories of another three subpopulations are unknown, due to lack of recent surveys.

Evidence from ATK and scientific study suggests that Barren-ground Caribou subpopulations undergo periods of high and low numbers (fluctuations) that might resemble population cycles. The evidence is, however, insufficient to consistently infer a naturally occurring cyclic increase across the full range of subpopulations. Available demographic data, cumulative changes to the environment, habitats, and harvest regimes for many of these subpopulations are without historical precedent, such that it would be risky to assume there will be a naturally occurring recovery, at least to numbers recorded in the 1990s, for many of the subpopulations.

Climate and weather influence other limiting factors important for Barren-ground Caribou, including forage availability, predation, parasites and diseases – in complex non-linear and cascading ways. So many aspects of caribou ecology are affected by weather that a warmer climate could have a significant but complicated suite of positive and negative effects.

Industrial exploration and development in Barren-ground Caribou ranges has increased over the past several decades, such that there are several new mines and hundreds of prospecting permits, mineral claims and mineral leases on several subpopulation ranges. Subsistence and sport harvest can be significant causes of mortality that can increase the rate of decline and lead to a lower population size after populations have been reduced for other reasons. Chemical contaminant levels in tissues are generally low at present. The changing conditions on the caribou ranges also include the administrative and political complexity of a mix of settled and unsettled land claims, with changes in jurisdictional boundaries and mandates. The implementation of management actions is challenged by the inter-jurisdictional complexity between political, land management and wildlife management agencies, combined with the migratory nature of caribou and their use of extensive seasonal ranges.

Protection of Barren-ground Caribou subpopulations by territorial and provincial jurisdictions is through harvest regulation and habitat protection. The co-management regime is a shared management responsibility among governments and bodies established through land claim legislation and through renewable multi-jurisdictional agreements among public governments (for the Porcupine, Beverly and Qamanirjuaq subpopulations). The Porcupine Caribou subpopulation is the only subpopulation of Barren-ground Caribou covered by an international agreement signed between Canada and the United States in 1987. The Barren-ground Caribou designatable unit (DU) was assessed for the first time by COSEWIC as Threatened in November 2016. It is currently not scheduled under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA). The 2015 national general status for Caribou in Canada will not be available until the 2015 General Status Report is published August 2017. This Canada-wide rank will apply to all DUs of Caribou combined, with nothing specific to Barren-ground Caribou. The 2015 territorial rank for Yukon for Barren-ground Caribou is Vulnerable to Apparently Secure, and for Northwest Territories is Sensitive. At present, there is no specific rank for Barren-ground Caribou for Nunavut; however, for all DUs combined, the territory-specific general status rank for Caribou in Nunavut is Apparently Secure. Federal protected areas that exclude industrial land uses but allow continued subsistence hunting cover about 6% of Barren-ground Caribou ranges, including eight national parks.

Source: COSEWIC. 2016. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Caribou Rangifer tarandus, Barren-ground population, in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. xiii + 123 pp.

Photo: © Steeve Côté

Rangifer tarandus

Mammals

Endangered

Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador

This migratory caribou population exists as four subpopulations from coastal western Hudson Bay to Labrador. The present population estimate of 170,636 mature animals indicates there has been an 80% overall decline in number over three generations (18-21 years). The decline is predicted to continue because of overharvest, and a decrease in habitat quality associated with climate change and development. Two declining subpopulations contain about 99% of the Eastern Migratory population; the George River has declined by 99% over 3 generations, and the Leaf River by 68% over two generations. Although migratory caribou populations fluctuate in abundance, there is concern that recent and predicted threats will limit population growth in a population that presently is at its lowest recorded level. Threats appear to be less prevalent in the two western subpopulations which represent only about 4% of the existing total population. Most of the remaining caribou reside in the Leaf River subpopulation, which continues to decline.

Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) are a medium-sized member of the deer family. Their relatively long legs and large hooves facilitate living in deep snow associated with northern environments. Caribou are central to the culture, spirituality, and subsistence of many northern Aboriginal communities, and are also important to non-Aboriginal people across Canada. Caribou exhibit high variability in morphology, ecology, and behaviour across their circumpolar range. In 2011, COSEWIC recognized 12 designatable units (DUs); this report assesses the Eastern Migratory population (EM; DU4), and the Torngat Mountains population (TM; DU 10).

The EM contains four subpopulations: Cape Churchill, which is found along the Hudson Bay coast at the Manitoba-Ontario border; Southern Hudson Bay, found in a similar area, but mainly further south and east into northern Ontario; Leaf River (in French; Rivièreaux- Feuilles), in northern Quebec; and George River (Rivière-George), in Quebec and Labrador. The combined range is over 1.5 million km². The TM Caribou exist as one population and occupy a range of approximately 28,000 km² in the Torngat Mountains in upper Labrador, Quebec, and Nunavut (Killiniq and adjacent islands).

Approximate distribution of the Torngat Mountain Caribou population and the four subpopulations of the Eastern Migratory Caribou. Hash lines indicate overlap of subpopulations. The George River subpopulation illustrates the past range (< 1999), before range retraction. (Source: Pond et al. 2016, unpub. data from Caribou Ungava, Governments of Ontario, Québec, Newfoundland and Labrador). (Map created by A. Filion, COSEWIC Secretariat).

Range of the George River subpopulation in the late 1990s based on 100% MCP polygons of satellite-tagged animals, compared to range between 2010 – 2014, indicating a range decrease of approximately 85% (Source: Government of Québec, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Caribou Ungava).

Eastern Migratory Caribou mainly use tundra during calving and summer periods, and use taiga and mainly boreal forest during winter. The TM use alpine areas on mountain plateaus and adjacent valleys in the Torngat Mountains, and seashore areas. Caribou use hillsides, islands, and alpine plateaus for calving.

Typical longevity in Caribou is < 10 years for males and < 15 years for females. Most females ≥ 3 years old give birth to a single calf annually, resulting in a lower reproductive rate than other North American Cervid species. Primiparity can occur at 2 years of age in good habitat conditions. Generation length is estimated as a range of 6 - 7 years.

The minimum population size for the EM is 227,513 Caribou of all ages, based on the most recent total estimates for the Leaf River (2016) and George River (2016) subpopulations, and most recent minimum estimates for the Cape Churchill (2007) and Southern Hudson Bay (2011) subpopulations. The estimated number of mature animals is 170,636. The population estimate for mature Caribou of the EM three generations (18 – 21 years) ago is 833,774 Caribou, suggesting a decline of 80% over three generations. ATK supports that a decline has occurred in the George River subpopulation.

The subpopulations in eastern EM range are known to fluctuate (based on ATK, and historical data) but it is unclear if the populations will increase again because of novel threats. Caribou in these DUs associate with lichen and grass-dominated tundra but the tundra landscape is changing due to climate warming. The number of George River subpopulation Caribou (until recently, the largest-sized subpopulation in the EM) is lower than previously recorded and threats are considered to be significant for the George River and Leaf River subpopulations.

The population of the TM was estimated as approximately 5,000 Caribou in the 1980s, and at 930 Caribou (698 mature animals) in spring 2014, an estimated reduction of >80% in approximately 35 years (approximately 4 – 5 generations). ATK supports that a decline has occurred. Data do not exist on population changes over a three-generation time period.

Caribou are sensitive to disturbance. Industrial development, particularly mining and associated road networks, present threats to EM Caribou. Human overharvest of EM and TM Caribou is contributing to population declines. Populations generally are limited by food availability, but subsistence and sport hunting can be limiting at low population size, or in a declining population. A parasite, Besnoitia tarandi, became evident in the eastern subpopulations of the EM in the mid-2000s and may impact Caribou productivity. Climate change, through impacts on habitat quality and resource availability, also appears to be a threat for Caribou populations as the amount of shrubs increase on tundra landscapes. The threats calculator exercise concluded that the threat level was ‘Very High to High’ for the EM and ‘High’ for the TM Caribou.

COSEWIC assessed the conservation status of the EM Caribou (Endangered) in April 2017, and TM Caribou (Endangered) in November 2016. In 2016, the IUCN changed its assessment for the global population of Caribou from Least Concern to Vulnerable. The global NatureServe rank for Caribou is G5 (Secure; last updated in 2012) but ranks have not been determined for separate DUs recognized by COSEWIC. The draft 2015 rank for Caribou in Labrador (mainly the George River subpopulation) is S1S2 (critically imperiled to imperiled).

Source: COSEWIC. 2017. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Caribou Rangifer tarandus, Eastern Migratory population and Torngat Mountains population, in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. xvii + 68 pp.

Photo: © Charles Jutras

Rangifer tarandus

Mammals

Endangered

Nunavut, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador

This population is restricted to the Ungava Peninsula of eastern Québec, northern Labrador, and Nunavut (Killiniq and adjacent islands). A quantitative trend is not available because survey data are limited, but the total population was estimated to be 5,000 individuals in 1980 and 930 individuals in 2014, suggesting a significant decline. Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge also indicates a decline. The population meets Endangered status because the estimated 698 mature animals exist in a single population, a population decline is evident, and a decline is predicted to continue because of harvest and a decrease in habitat quality associated with climate change. The population may be facing imminent extinction because of the low numbers remaining.

Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) are a medium-sized member of the deer family. Their relatively long legs and large hooves facilitate living in deep snow associated with northern environments. Caribou are central to the culture, spirituality, and subsistence of many northern Aboriginal communities, and are also important to non-Aboriginal people across Canada. Caribou exhibit high variability in morphology, ecology, and behaviour across their circumpolar range. In 2011, COSEWIC recognized 12 designatable units (DUs); this report assesses the Eastern Migratory population (EM; DU4), and the Torngat Mountains population (TM; DU 10).

The EM contains four subpopulations: Cape Churchill, which is found along the Hudson Bay coast at the Manitoba-Ontario border; Southern Hudson Bay, found in a similar area, but mainly further south and east into northern Ontario; Leaf River (in French; Rivièreaux- Feuilles), in northern Quebec; and George River (Rivière-George), in Quebec and Labrador. The combined range is over 1.5 million km². The TM Caribou exist as one population and occupy a range of approximately 28,000 km² in the Torngat Mountains in upper Labrador, Quebec, and Nunavut (Killiniq and adjacent islands).

Estimated range of the Torngat Mountains Caribou subpopulation (red polygon), based on 100% minimum convex polygon of locations of 35 satellite-tagged adult Caribou monitored between 2011 and 2015. (Source: Courturier and Mitchell Foley 2014; Caribou Ungava).