Peary caribou and barren-ground caribou COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 15
Technical Summary: Rangifer Tarandus Groenlandicus
Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus
Dolphin and Union caribou – Caribou de la toundra, population de Dolphin et Union – Tuktu
Range of Occurrence in Canada:
Northwest Territories and Nunavut
Extent and Area Information
Extent of occurrence (EO) (km²)
200 000 km². Based on surveys and monitoring of radiocollared animals. Victoria Island excluding northwestern Victoria Island (195 417 km²) and Stefansson Island (4463 km²). Area of mainland used in winter not included
Specify trend in EO
stable
Are there extreme fluctuations in EO?
Yes; range vacant 1924–1970, re-occupied 1970–1997
Area of occupancy (AO) (km²)
Unknown,
Specify trend in AO
Unknown
Are there extreme fluctuations in AO?
No
Number of known or inferred current locations
One
Specify trend in #
Stable
Are there extreme fluctuations in number of locations?
No
Specify trend in area, extent or quality of habitat
Stable
Population Information
Generation time (average age of parents in the population)
7 years
Number of mature individuals
27 786 (1997)
Total population trend:
Unknown (see note following table)
% decline over the last/next 10 years or 3 generations.
increase
Are there extreme fluctuations in number of mature individuals?
Not in last 3 generations
Is the total population severely fragmented?
No
Specify trend in number of populations
Stable
Are there extreme fluctuations in number of populations?
No
List populations with number of mature individuals in each:
Not applicable
Threats (actual or imminent threats to populations or habitats)
High harvests without recent population estimates. Potential threats: Climate warming may shorten the period when sea ice allows migration to and from mainland, industrial activity including shipping and icebreaking. Potentially vulnerable to icing events and die-offs similar to those that have affected Peary caribou.
Rescue Effect (immigration from an outside source)
None
Status of outside population(s)?
Canadian endemic
Is immigration known or possible?
No
Would immigrants be adapted to survive in Canada?
Is there sufficient habitat for immigrants in Canada?
Yes
Is rescue from outside populations likely?
No
Quantitative Analysis
Not available
Other Status
COSEWIC: included in ‘Low Arctic’ caribou, Threatened (1991)
Status and Reasons for Designation
Status: Special Concern
Alpha-numeric code: Not applicable
Reasons for Designation: This population of caribou is endemic to Canada. Once thought to be extinct, numbers have recovered to perhaps a quarter of the population’s historic size. They have not been censused since 1997 and are subject to a high rate of harvest, whose sustainability is questioned by some. They migrate between the mainland and Victoria Island and climate warming or increased shipping may make the ice crossing more dangerous. The population, however, increased substantially over the last three generations and was estimated at about 28,000 in 1997.
Applicability of Criteria
Criterion A (Declining Total Population): Population has increased substantially over the last 21 years (3 generations)
Criterion B (Small Distribution, and Decline or Fluctuation): The extent of occurrence is much greater than 20,000 km² and there is no evidence of decline
Criterion C (Small Total Population Size and Decline): There are more than 10,000 mature idividuals and no recent decline
Criterion D (Very Small Population or Restricted Distribution): There are more than 1000 mature individuals.
Criterion E (Quantitative Analysis): analysis has not been done.
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