North American barren-ground caribou cycles are driven by logistic trophic dynamics (original) (raw)

Abstract

We used the Qamanirjuaq, Bathurst, and George River barren-ground caribou sine cycles to project numbers (Nt), calculate subpopulation annual growth rates (λt) and calculate logistic carrying capacity (Kt). Maximum annual growth rate was 1.196 and maximum annual rate of decline was 0.836 for the harvested Qamanirjuaq subpopulation sine cycle. However, the maximum annual subpopulation growth rates for both the harvested Bathurst and George River subpopulation sine cycles were greater than the biologically possible maximum intrinsic rate of increase during the eruption phase. Subpopulation numbers for Qamanirjuaq, Bathurst and George River barren-ground caribou subpopulations all closely tracked carrying capacity for one complete cycle with lag times between Nt and Kt ranging from < 1-year to approximately 5-years. The short lag times observed indicates that Qamanirjuaq, Bathurst and George River barren-ground caribou subpopulations closely track their range condition. Range condit...

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