More than $1.3 million in funding will support three projects examining Ontario's threatened species.
New research will help answer some of the biggest questions surrounding Ontario's threatened boreal caribou, providing critical knowledge to guide conservation and management efforts.
Dr. Quinn Webber, professor in the Department of Integrative Biology, College of Biological Science, has received funding through the Caribou Conservation Stewardship Program (CCSP) to lead three interconnected research projects focused on where boreal caribou live, how many remain and how they interact with other wildlife.
"What excites me most is the opportunity to tackle these complex conservation questions alongside an outstanding team of provincial research scientists," says Webber. "These projects are built on collaboration. We each bring different expertise to the table, and together we're able to answer questions that none of us could address alone."
Three Projects Address Key Conservation Questions
Boreal caribou are listed as threatened both provincially and federally. While populations in Northern Ontario remain relatively stable, southern populations have experienced greater declines, creating an urgent need for research that can support conservation planning and recovery efforts.
Although each of Webber's projects addresses a different research question, together they tackle three of the most fundamental questions in wildlife conservation: Where are the animals? How many are there? And how do they interact with other species?
The largest project, Caribou-Moose-Wolf Apparent Competition in Ontario's Far North, will examine the complex relationships among boreal caribou, moose and wolves. Researchers will investigate how changes to the landscape influence where each species lives and how increasing overlap between moose and caribou can indirectly increase predation on caribou by wolves. The project is expected to improve understanding of one of the leading ecological theories behind boreal caribou population declines.
A second project, Caribou Ecotype Delineation and Space Use, will examine how Ontario's two caribou ecotypes, migratory and boreal, move across the landscape and whether they overlap in space and time. The findings will help researchers better understand how different caribou populations respond to changing environmental conditions.
The third project, Estimating Boreal Caribou Population Size by Range in Ontario, will evaluate different methods used to estimate caribou populations, including aerial surveys and genetic sampling. By comparing the accuracy and cost-effectiveness of different approaches, the research will help wildlife managers identify the best tools for monitoring populations across the province.
New Data Will Provide Unprecedented Insights
Together, the projects combine nearly two decades of GPS collar data collected by the Government of Ontario with new tracking data from wolves and moose, allowing researchers to better understand how all three species use the landscape. Advanced computer modelling will then be used to identify movement patterns and habitat use across Northern Ontario.
"This is the first time anyone has monitored caribou, moose and wolves simultaneously in Ontario," said Webber. "Every time we analyze new data, we're learning something nobody knew before. That new knowledge will help us better understand these species and support conservation decisions into the future."
By establishing a detailed understanding of how boreal caribou populations function before additional landscape changes occur, the projects will provide evidence that can help government organizations and other partners evaluate future conservation and management decisions.
"We're grateful to the Government of Ontario for supporting research that will strengthen the conservation of one of Canada's most iconic species," said Dr. Mazyar Fallah, vice-president, research and innovation at the University of Guelph. "Dr. Webber's work reflects the University's commitment to elevating research excellence, fostering meaningful partnerships and generating knowledge that creates lasting impact for biodiversity, ecosystems and society."
“By partnering with Dr. Quinn Webber and the University of Guelph – our government is building on our evidence-lead approach and investing in key research to better understand Ontario's boreal caribou,” said Todd McCarthy, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. “Bringing together university researchers and provincial scientists will allow the knowledge these projects generate to informing future evidence-based conservation decisions that will support species at risk across Ontario.”
"Even though many people in southern Ontario may never see a boreal caribou, they're still an important part of Canada's natural heritage," said Webber. "Just because we can't see them doesn't mean we should let them go."
This project has received funding support from the Government of Ontario. Such support does not indicate endorsement by the Government of Ontario of the contents of this material. The research involves collaboration with provincial research scientists and other project partners.
