Regions: North Slave Region
Tags: biology, vegetation, habitat assessment, caribou, wildlife monitoring, habitat
| Principal Investigator: | Chen, Wenjun (5) |
| Licence Number: | 15396 |
| Organization: | Canada Centre for Remote Sening |
| Licensed Year(s): |
2014
2013
|
| Issued: | Jan 17, 2014 |
Objective(s): To fill the information gap on Bathurst caribou summer range conditions using satellite remote sensing data and community-based ground vegetation monitoring; to develop a cumulative impact assessment method; and to assess the impacts of habitat changes on caribou demographic variables (e.g., calf:cow ratios, survival rates, calving time).
Project Description: The goals of this research project are: 1. To fill the information gap on Bathurst caribou summer range conditions using satellite remote sensing data and community-based ground vegetation monitoring 2. To develop a cumulative impact assessment method that makes cumulative impact assessment possible even if data are incomplete and provides timely feedback for guiding the refinement of monitoring plan 3. To assess the impacts of habitat changes on caribou demographic variables (e.g., calf:cow ratios, survival rates, calving time), so that decision-makers can better manage expectation of a management Three sites each near Wekweètì and Daring will be selected (one shrub, one herb dominated area, and one lichen dominated area). A site should be relatively homogeneous and at least 100 m by 100 m. Every 5 days from June to October, the vegetation monitors will measure vegetation heights of main vascular plants and take multi-spectral digital photos at 5 plots for each site. Seasonal changes in vegetation indices (e.g., simple ratio), plant percentage cover, mean heights as well as leaf biomass will be derived from these measurements, and used for validating remote sensing products. Through the project involvement, two community members from Wekweeki and biologists and managers from GNWT, Tlicho Government, and Wek’eezhii Renewable Resource Board build up their capacity for monitoring habitat and assessing their impacts on caribou. Results of this research project will be communicated through an annual report to the Cumulative Impacts Monitoring Program (CIMP) and Northwest Territories Discovery Portal. Habitat monitoring results will be delivered to Environment and Natural Resources, Government of Northwest Territories; Wek'èezhìi Renewable Resources Board; and CircumArctic Rangifer Monitoring and Assessment Network annually. Team members will present monitoring results at meetings organized by CIMP, Government of Northwest Territories, Wek'èezhìi Renewable Resources Board, and CircumArctic Rangifer Monitoring and Assessment Network. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from June 1, 2014 to October 31, 2014.
