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References

10) Serrouya, R. (n.d.). Imminent Extinctions of Woodland Caribou from National Parks. Off Campus Log In - University of Guelph Library. https://conbio-onlinelibrary-wiley-com.subzero.lib.uoguelph.ca/doi/full/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2010.01454.x

9) Viability of mountain caribou in British Columbia, Canada: Effects of habitat change and population density. Off Campus Log In - University of Guelph Library. (n.d.-b). https://www-sciencedirect-com.subzero.lib.uoguelph.ca/science/article/pii/S0006320709004078

8) Hayes, R. D., Farnell, R., Ward, R. M., Carey, J., Dehn, M., Kuzyk, G. W., ... & O'Donoghue, M. (2003). Experimental reduction of wolves in the Yukon: ungulate responses and management implications. Wildlife Monographs, 1-35.

7) Government of Canada, P. S. and P. C. (2013, April 3). Scientific assessment to inform the identification of critical habitat for woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou), boreal population in Canada : 2011 update : CW66-296/2011E-PDF. Government of Canada Publications - Canada.ca. https://www.publications.gc.ca/site/eng/401605/publication.html

6) The impact of wolf predation on western Canada boreal woodland caribou ... (n.d.). https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gilbert-Proulx/publication/321600086_The_Impact_of_Wolf_Predation_on_Western_Canada_Boreal_Woodland_Caribou_Populations_A_Critical_Review_of_the_Evidence_Point_to_Ponder/links/5a2874444585155dd4277877/The-Impact-of-Wolf-Predation-on-Western-Canada-Boreal-Woodland-Caribou-Populations-A-Critical-Review-of-the-Evidence-Point-to-Ponder.pdf

5) PROULX, G. (2017). The impact of wolf predation on western Canada boreal woodland caribou populations: a critical review of the evidence. Canadian Wildlife Biology & Management, 6, 89-96.

4) Hervieux, D., Hebblewhite, M., Stepnisky, D., Bacon, M., & Boutin, S. (2014). Managing wolves (Canis lupus) to recover threatened woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in Alberta. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 92(12), 1029-1037.

3) McNay RS;Lamb CT;Giguere L;Williams SH;Martin H;Sutherland GD;Hebblewhite M; (n.d.). Demographic responses of nearly extirpated endangered Mountain Caribou to recovery actions in central British Columbia. Ecological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35319129/

2) Festa-Bianchet, M., Ray, J. C., Boutin, S., Côté, S. D., & Gunn, A. (2011). Conservation of caribou (Rangifer tarandus) in Canada: an uncertain future. Canadian journal of zoology, 89(5), 419-434.

1) Haggert, A. (2020, May 1). Controversial choice: To cull or not to cull wolf populations in the Northwest Territories. Canadian Geographic. https://canadiangeographic.ca/articles/controversial-choice-to-cull-or-not-to-cull-wolf-populations-in-the-northwest-territories/

Conclusion

Restate Main Argument

Wolf culling has successfully reversed population decline of several caribou populations

Wolf populations are abundant and flexible whereas caribou are endangered

Wolf culling is a short-term solution that buys time.

Concluding Statement

Anti-Wolf culling

Wolf culling programs are oversold and mislead to the public and scientific community

Wolf culling is a short-term solution to buy time when trying to solve the long-term cause of caribou populations.

The program covers/hides the real cause of the decline of boreal caribou populations (habitat loss ) Ref 5

Notion of killing predators and destroy an entire wildlife community, to save a species at risk is not coherent with contemporary ecosystem and biodiversity conservation principles (Ref 5)

Implementing more than one strategy would be ideal however. Predator reduction by itself may be an effective short-term strategy to reduce the risk of population extirpation of an endangered species facing declines due to apparent competition. In a test done, this recovery strategy, woodland caribou population growth rate increased to approximately stable levels during 6 years of reductions of wolves. (Ref 4)

One may kill all the wolves and alternate prey of an ecosystem, and farm caribou in an enclosure in order to save the species (Alberta Government 2016) but without functional and accessible habitat, caribou are unlikely to persist over the long term. (Ref 5) Wildlife managers should implement a comprehensive caribou recovery program aimed at conserving, restoring, expanding and connecting critical habitats across landscapes. Habitat conservation is the only way and has been recommended by a plethora of wildlife biologists. (Ref 5)

Wolves have been wrongly singled out

In the absence of annual wolf population reductions, the LSM would have likely continued to decline, with potential realized population declines of at least an additional 20% during the 7 years of wolf removals (Ref 4) (include Figure)

Past researchers have not demonstrated that wolves caused the decline in boreal caribou populations (ref 5)

For Wolf Culling

Wolf culling has successfully prevented the decline by stabilizing populations

Wolf removal translated to a 4.6% increase in mean population growth rate of the Little Smoky population mostly through improvements in calf recruitment. In contrast, the Red Rock Prairie Creek control population exhibited a 4.7% decline. Although the wolf population reduction program appeared to stabilize the Little Smoky population.(Ref 4)

Wolves will be able to recover from culling however caribou populations will have no chance of recovery without wolf culling being implemented

Wolf populations are healthy and abundant throughout Canada and managed by provincial or territorial management plans. Previous studies demonstrate that wolf populations can absorb (ref 4)

Application of Wolf culling is a means of 'buying time" to avoid population extirpation of threatened species such as caribou to allow for long-term strategies for habitat conservation, restoration and management

Delays in introducing wolf culling programs to reduce woodland caribou mortality rates will dramatically increase the risk of caribou population extirpations The short-term efficacy of wolf culling, when combined with long-term habitat conservation, restoration, and management, may be the only path forward for recovering many woodland caribou populations. (ref 4)

Introduction

Aerial culls "buy time"

Allows for a longer-term plan to be reviewed more closely

Wolves recover at a very high rate annually, anywhere from 60-80 % in a given year.

Wolves are abundant across Canada and not listed as endangered or threatened under Federal or Provincial legislation allowing management flexibility to recover caribou populations (Ref 4)

Wolf populations are healthy and abundant throughout Canada and managed by provincial or territorial management plans. Previous studies demonstrate that wolf populations can absorb mortality of 50% or greater and quickly rebound when population reduction programs (Ref 4)

"B.C. Government officials say the five years of aerial culls have been successful, turning 15% per year decline into a 15% per year increase." (Michael Bridger a Government biologist.

Reduce damage to livestock

Short-term solution/temporary measure/attacking the proximate (predation)- to a human problem (habitat disturbance caused by industrial activities (Ref 2)

"No immediate solution to protect caribou without killing wolves." Ref 1

Wolf removal translated to a 4.6% increase in mean population growth rate of the Little Smoky population mostly through improvements in calf recruitment. In contrast, the Red Rock Prairie Creek control population exhibited a 4.7% decline. Although the wolf population reduction program appeared to stabilize the Little Smoky population, it did not lead to population increase, however, with λ remaining approximately equal to 1. (Ref 4)

Predation management should be combined with effective habitat conservation and long-term planning to effect the recovery of species, such as woodland caribou, which are declining as a result of habitat-mediated apparent competition. (Ref 4)

Caribou play a central role in the ecology of much of Canada. (Ref 2)

Caribou populations are declining across Canada

Threatened throughout their range (Festa-Bianchet et al. 2011), woodland caribou conservation is perhaps the most widespread wildlife conservation issue currently facing Canada, with implications for >1.5 million square kilometres of boreal forest. Across provincial, territorial, and federal jurisdictions in Canada, woodland caribou are listed as threatened or endangered, and recovery plans all list reduction of mortality as a critical action to recover caribou Ref 2,4 ,6