Title: Bioclimatic, terrain, and specific peatland composition are major drivers of woodland caribou winter habitat suitability in northern Ontario
Citation: See supplemental information
Study Site: Ontario Shield and Hudson Bay Lowlands, Ontario
Purpose: Mapping of winter habitat suitability is important for the persistence and conservation of at-risk woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou (Gmelin, 1788)). While well documented at the national scale for boreal woodland caribou, particularly in highly disturbed southern ranges, winter habitat suitability remains understudied in northern and intact ranges such as in northern Ontario.
Abstract: We used boosted regression tree species distribution modeling and environmental variables with ecological relevance to woodland caribou to predict and map suitable winter woodland caribou habitat in northeastern Ontario, Canada.
Supplemental Information Summary: All code used for analyses are available at github.com/SamanthaMcFarlane/CaribouWinterHabitatModeling. The caribou location data are considered sensitive information. Requests should be directed to the corresponding author.
Research:
Further Info: Samantha McFarlane, Victoria Van Mierlo, Micheline Manseau, Allison Kroeze, Ewen Eberhardt, and Judith Girard. 2025. Bioclimatic, terrain, and specific peatland composition are major drivers of woodland caribou winter habitat suitability in northern Ontario. Canadian Journal of Zoology. 103: 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2024-0121
Status: Complete
Keywords:
wildlife,
modeling,
meteorology,
vegetation,
Geographical coordinates: North: 54.91, South: 47.64 East: -80.02 West: -92.07
Bounding Temporal Extent: Start Date: 2021-01-01, End
Date: 2024-12-31
