Movement ecology of wolves across an industrial landscape supporting threatened populations of woodland caribou

Abstract

Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) are a species of increasing conservation concern across North America. Throughout much of boreal Canada, human developments, including forestry and energy development, are now accepted causes of the decline in the number and distribution of caribou. One of the hypothesised mechanisms for the decline is altered predator–prey dynamics. We quantified the impacts of a variety of industrial activities on gray wolf (Canis lupus) and caribou interactions at a regional scale. We used animal locations collected with global positioning system collars and field data to examine how a range of industrial developments influenced the movements of wolves. We quantified the speed of wolf movements and the tortuosity of movement paths at two spatiotemporal scales across forested boreal and mountainous environments occupied by woodland caribou. Habitat and disturbance features better explained wolf movements during the weekly scale. In general, linear movements increased during winter, which paralleled past studies that suggested linear travel by wolves was associated with deep snow and the increased maintenance and patrol of territories. Wolves decreased movement rates but not sinuosity within close proximity to disturbance features, thus implying behaviours near such features were more closely associated with prey searching and hunting. Alternatively, wolves increased movement rates and linear travel through areas with high densities of linear and non-linear industrial features; this response suggested that wolves avoided spending time in high-risk areas associated with human activities. Results of this study further our understanding of wolf distribution and behaviour in habitats supporting populations of caribou within a matrix of industrial developments.