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[Posted on 2024-10-23]
New research project to assess the impact of climate change on caribou food resources in the Deception Bay and Whapmagoostui regions / ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐᑕᐅᓂᖃᓛᕐᓂᐊᓕᕐᒥᔪᖅ ᓱᕐᕃᓯᒪᓂᖓ ᓯᓚᐅᑉ ᐊᓯᑦᔨᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᖓ ᑐᒃᑐᐃᑦ ᓂᕆᓇᓱᐊᕐᕕᒋᕙᑦᑕᖏᓐᓂ ᓴᓪᓗᐃᑦ ᐁᑉᐯᖏᓐᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᕗᐊᑉᒪᑯᔅᑐᐃᒥ ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ / ᐋ ᐆᔅᑳᒡ ᒑ ᑐᑖᑭᓂᐎᒡ ᐋ ᐎᐦ ᓈᓂᑐᒋᔅᒑᔨᐦᑕᑭᓂᐎᒡ ᑕᓐ ᐋᔥ ᑖᑭᐦᐄᒑᐱᔨᒡ ᐊᔨᐦᒡ ᐋ ᐄᑖᔨᐦᑖᑯᐦᒡ ᒋᔑᒄ ᐋ ᑖᑭᐦᐄᒑᐱᔨᒡ ᐊᑎᐦᑯᒡ ᐊᓂᑎᐦ ᐋ ᐅᐦᒡ ᒥᒋᓲᒡ ᐊᓂᑎᐦ ᑌᓯᐱᓯᓐ ᐯᐃ ᑭᔮᐦ ᐙᐱᒫᑯᔅᑑᐦᒡ ᐊᔅᒌᐦᒡ ᐃᑖᐦᒑ᙮ ᐊᓂᔮᓯᐦᑳᓂᐎᒡ
Two research teams from Caribou Ungava have recently installed an experimental set-up to study the effects of rain-on-snow events (ROS) on the food resources of migratory caribou. The study is being conducted in both the winter habitat of caribou in the Whapmagoostui region of Eeyou Istchee and their summer habitat near Deception Bay, Nunavik.
This research addresses concerns about the increasing frequency of precipitation events in the form of rainfall in northern regions and the potential impacts of the ice layers formed on vegetation by these events. Thus, we will simulate the icing created by rain-on-snow events in small 0.5m x 0.5m plots to assess the consequences on the quantity and quality of vegetation and lichen available for caribou. Some plots will be used as control plots and exposed to natural conditions, while other plots will be experimentally subjected to icing over one to three consecutive winters to evaluate the cumulative effects of repeated ROS events.
This study will be conducted as part of a doctoral thesis beginning in 2025. The results will improve our understanding of how climate change influences the habitat of migratory caribou, their physical condition, and ultimately their survival.
Left photo: Installation of a 0.5 m x 0.5 m plot in the winter habitat (Whapmagoostui)
Middle photo: Experimental set-up of 4 plots installed in the winter habitat
Right photo: Survey of vegetation and lichen in a plot installed in the summer habitat (Deception Bay)
[Posted on 2024-09-10]
A summer on the Nunavik roads / ᐅᐱᕐᖔᓯᐅᕐᓂᖅ ᓄᓇᕕᐅᑉ ᐊᕐᖁᑎᖏᓐᓂ [ ᐃᓄᑦᑎᑑᕐᑐᑦ ]
This summer, a Caribou Ungava team traveled to Nunavik to investigate how mining roads affect the behavior of migratory caribou, as part of Caroline Deslongchamps' master project. In partnership with Raglan Mines and Canadian Royalties Inc., the team recorded caribou behavior near mining roads. Using binoculars, they observed the reaction of caribou to passing vehicles and measured various road features at caribou crossing points. Temporary road closures were also implemented to assess the impact of reduced traffic. Throughout the project, mine workers provided invaluable support that was vital for the successful data collection.
[Posted on 2024-07-03]
ᐅᒥᖕᒣᑦ ᑎᒍᔭᐅᖃᑦᑕᓂᖏᑦ ᓄᓇᕕᒻᒥ [ ᐃᓄᑦᑎᑑᕐᑐᑦ ]
From March 14 to 20, 2024, a total of 23 adult female muskoxen (aged 4 years and older) were captured and equipped with telemetric collars in the Ungava Bay region. During captures, several measurements and samples are collected to establish a baseline health status of the population. This year, new samples (a small piece of hoof nail and a rumen sample) were collected as part of a new collaboration with the University of Aarhus in Denmark. The captures were performed under a rigorous protocol by a team composed of Alexandre Paiement, William Rondeau and Joëlle Taillon (MELCCFP), Steeve Côté (Université Laval) and Stéphane Lair (Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal).
Reminder: Since 2017, more than 150 muskoxen have been captured and equipped with telemetric collars in Nunavik, in both the Ungava Bay and Hudson Bay regions. These animals are tracked in real time, providing insights of their seasonal habitat use. The collected data support various ongoing research projects.
[Posted on 2024-05-23]
Using genomics to manage and protect caribou populations: the biochip developed by several university and government researchers in collaboration with Caribou Ungava is now available.
Biopuce à caribous ENG.pdfEdited by: Génome Québec
[Posted on 2024-05-15]
Caribou Ungava's 3rd research phase was officially launched on May 8 in the presence of researchers, collaborators, students and partners. The event highlighted the five research themes to be addressed in this new phase, as well as the fourteen projects coming out of these themes, four of which are already well underway. The launch was followed by the spring meeting of the Advisory Board, during which students whose projects began in the last two years had the opportunity to present their first results to collaborators and partners.
Partner representatives
From left to right: François Tanguay (Glencore-Raglan Mine), Mathieu Leblond (Environment and Climate Change Canada), Jean-Philippe Gilbert (Hydro-Québec), Steeve Côté (director of Caribou Ungava, Université Laval), Frédéric Bujold (Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP)), Joëlle Taillon (MELCCFP), Rachel Guindon (Makivvik) and Line Lapointe (Université Laval)
Researchers-collaborators
From left to right: Vincent Brodeur (MELCCFP), Mathieu Leblond (Environment and Climate Change Canada), Jean-Pierre Tremblay (Université Laval), Sabrina Plante (MELCCFP), Martin Bernier (Université Laval), Steeve Côté (director of Caribou Ungava, Université Laval), Glenn Yannic (Université de Savoie Mont-Blanc), Valérie Fournier (Université Laval), Joëlle Taillon (MELCCFP), Sandra Hamel (Université Laval), Nicolas Derome (Université Laval) and Martin-Hugues St-Laurent (UQAR)
Students
From left to right: Leila Yousefizadeh Naeni (Université de Sherbrooke), Caroline Deslongchamps (Université Laval), Anthony Asselin (Université Laval), Steeve Côté (director of Caribou Ungava, Université Laval), Mattis Pelletier (Université Laval) and Adèle Michaud (Université Laval)
[Posted on 2024-05-03]
Since the 2022 summer, Adèle Michaud has been conducting a Master's research project aimed at defining the critical habitat of the Eastern migratory caribou populations in Canada. While most of her time is spent behind a screen, analyzing telemetry data, an opportunity came up for her in the fall of 2022 to travel to Nunavik to take part in the classification of the Rivière-aux-Feuilles herd during its migration. Returning to her analyses, Adèle is working on identifying the environmental variables characterizing the habitat required for the survival of migratory caribou in Eastern Canada. To do so, Adèle is modeling the seasonal habitat selection of migratory caribou from the Rivière-aux-Feuilles and Rivière George herds. The results of her research are about to be available. This new knowledge will be crucial for the conservation strategies designed to protect this emblematic species.
[Posted on 2024-05-03]
From the start of his master's program in Fall 2022, Anthony Asselin has focused on identifying the determinants of wintering area selection, while promoting his project at several conferences. He has invested considerable effort in updating a database that will be widely used by future students. Thanks to this database, he has mapped the annual wintering areas of the two herds from 1995 to 2020, showing great variability in location and size. His goal is to understand the factors underlying this variability by finalizing his habitat selection analyses, while continuing to write his thesis which he plans to complete in Fall 2024.
Time sequence showing the annual wintering areas of each herd (blue = RFH, orange = RGH), using a 99% kernel.
Anthony during the classification of the Rivière-aux-Feuilles Herd in fall 2023, in which he had the opportunity to take part thanks to the MELCCFP team.
[Posted on 2023-10-18]
Caroline Deslongchamps began her master's research project on the impact of roads and traffic on caribou behavior in Nunavik. She was hosted at the Raglan and Canadian Royalties mines, Caribou Ungava's partners since 2015 and 2023 respectively. During her stay, she explored the vast road network dedicated to mining transport, searching for caribou in the vicinity of the road to record their reactions to passing vehicles. She also assessed the characteristics of the road where the caribou crossed it. In the summer of 2024, she will return to the mines to pursue her project. Ultimately, she will recommend measures to mitigate the impacts of the road and traffic on the caribou, in collaboration with the two mines.
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