American beaver (Castor canadensis) ecology and wildlife snow-tracking in Wemindji

Part of the Paakumshumwaau-Wemindji Protected Area Project.
Environmental determinants of beaver diet, abundance, distribution, and genetics.
Local wildlife abundance using winter snowtracking surveys.

Data holder(s)

Data collector(s)

Other institutions

Cree Nation of Wemindji. Wemindji Cree Trappers Association. Direction de l’Amenagement de la Faune de l’Outaouais. Direction de l’Amenagement de la Faune de Mauricie. Quebec Ministry of Environment. Hydro Quebec.

Funding source(s)

ArcticNet NSERC NSTP

Dataset format

Excel, Access, Arc

Number of sites

Multiple sites

Site description

In the general Wemindji area, on traditionnal territories.

Habitat

Borest forest interspersed with streams and ponds around beaver colonies.

Environment

Aquatic, Terrestrial

Taxa studied

Castor canadensis; Birds and mammals active above ground during winter

Taxonomic information

Mammals, Birds, Vascular plants

Taxonomic details

Latin name	English name	French name
Castor canadensis	American Beaver	castor
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus	Red Squirrel	écureuil roux
Rangifer tarandus	Reindeer	caribou
Lepus americanus	Snowshoe Hare	lièvre d'Amérique
Erethizon dorsatum	porcupine	porc-épic d'Amérique
Martes americana	marten	martre d'Amérique
Mustela erminea	Ermine	hermine
Vulpes vulpes	Red Fox	renard roux
Falcipennis canadensis	Spruce Grouse	tétras du Canada
Perisoreus canadensis	Grey Jay	mésangeai du Canada
Corvus corax	Northern Raven	grand corbeau
Lynx canadensis	lynx	lynx du Canada
Poecile hudsonicus	Boreal Chickadee	mésange à tête brune
Pinicola enucleator	Pine Grosbeak	durbec des sapins
Loxia leucoptera	White-winged Crossbill	bec-croisé bifascié
Ursus americanus	black bear	ours noir
Neovison vison	American Mink
Canis lupus	Wolf	loup
Lontra canadensis	river otter	loutre de rivière
Lagopus lagopus	Willow Ptarmigan	lagopède des saules
Lagopus muta	Rock Ptarmigan

Study design

Beaver density estimates obtained by helicopter surveys across Quebec. Beaver tissue samples collected by local trappers from their respective traditionnal territory near Wemindji. Aquatic and terrestrial vegetation sampling around active beaver colonies. Wildlife snow-tracking transect along inland traplines.

Study status

Complete

Sampling approaches

Direct visual observation (e.g. fieldwork), Passive sampling (e.g. insect or mammal traps), Remote sensing

Study goals

Individual level (e.g. behaviour, physiology, autecology), Community level (e.g. richness, distribution, composition), Population/species level (e.g. systematic study), Partial inventory, Single species

Frequency of sampling

Completed data collection

First year of data collection

2006

Last year of data collection

2012

Milligan, H.E., M.M. Humphries. 2010. The importance of aquatic vegetation in beaver diets and the seasonal and habitat specificity of aquatic-terrestrial ecosystem linkages in a subarctic environment. Oikos. 119: 1877–1886.
Jarema, S.I., J. Samson, B.J. McGill, M.M. Humphries. 2009. Variation in abundance across a species’ range predicts climate change responses in the range interior will exceed those at the edge: a case study with North American beaver. Global Change Biology, 15:508-522.