Assessing values of Arctic wildlife and habitat subject to potential petroleum development

Publication Type:Journal Article
Year of Publication:1994
Authors:McCabe, TR
Journal:Landscape and Urban Planning
Volume:28
Pagination:33-45
Date Published:1994
Keywords:Ursus arctos
Abstract:

The prospect of petroleum development on the 1002 area of the 10 000km2 pristine coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) has been a contentious national issue. Research was conducted on the 163 000 member Porcupine caribou Rangifer tarandus here, its primary predator at calving, brown bear Ursus arctos, and the vegetation communities on the coastal plain. The traditional calving area within the 1002 area had significantly greater forage species availability and nutrient quality than areas peripheral to the 1002 area. Increased post-perinatal, predator-related mortality has been associated with the foothills and mountains adjacent to the 1002 area. Displacement of the calving caribou from the 1002 area would mean a lesser abundance of high quality forage for calving cows, and calves would be subjected to a potentially higher predation risk. These factors could have a negative impact on the population dynamics of the Porcupine herd. If petroleum development were authorized on the 1002 area of ANWR, the challenge will be to assure that the dynamics of the tundra ecosystem are adequately understood and to conserve the abundance and diversity of natural wildlife populations and their habitat.

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