Orville Dyer. 1998. Mammals in Smith, I.M., and G.G.E. Scudder, eds. Assessment of species diversity in the Montane Cordillera Ecozone. Burlington: Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network, 1998.

MAMMALS

Orville Dyer

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW (continued)

ORDER ARTIODACTYLA - Even-toed Ungulates

The Order Artiodactyla contains 2 families, 6 genera and 8 species. No ungulates are Red Listed, 1 is Blue Listed but is currently proposed for downlisting, the southern population of a second is Blue Listed in BC and Vulnerable in Canada. The remaining 6 are Yellow Listed. Threats include habitat loss to urbanization, agriculture, forestry, hydroelectric and mining developments.

FAMILY CERVIDAE - Cervids

Alces alces (Linnaeus) - Moose

Moose have a broad distribution across the boreal regions of Eurasia and North America, including most of Canada and parts of the northern United States. They occur throughout the Montane Cordillera Ecozone. Moose are less common in the south where they have only recently expanded their range. Logging and fires have created substantial new areas of suitable habitat. Moose are a forest species, occurring from valley bottoms to the timberline, especially in early seral forests, riparian areas and wetlands. Mature timber is important for thermal protection in all seasons and dense riparian or forest thickets are important for calving (Fish and Wildlife Branch 1979).

Cervus elaphus Linnaeus - Elk

Elk once were distributed across most of North America and Eurasia, but their range has been greatly reduced, due to agricultural development and historic over-hunting. In North America, Elk are now found only in western areas of Canada and the United States. Elk once were numerous and widely distributed across the Montane Cordillera Ecozone, but they were not abundant during historic times. Their current distribution is patchy, along the eastern edge of the Ecozone, from the U.S. border to the Liard River and in the south central interior. Many of the interior and some Skeena populations are the result of reintroductions. The Elk, or Wapiti, uses a variety of habitats from valley bottoms to the alpine, but prefers areas of parkland forest, early successional forests or openings, wetlands, meadows and riparian areas where grass is abundant. In winter, they migrate to lower elevations and seek south facing slopes and mature timber where snow levels are reduced. Agricultural areas are also used.

Odocoileus hemionus (Rafinesque) - Mule Deer

The Mule Deer is distributed throughout the western half of North America, from south-eastern Alaska to Mexico. It occurs in all areas of the Montane Cordillera Ecozone but the highest population densities occur in the south and their distribution is patchy in the north-west. The Mule Deer uses most habitat types from valley bottoms to the alpine, including urban and agricultural areas. It prefers open and early seral coniferous forest, clearings, forest edge and wetter sites such as riparian and meadow habitats where vegetation is abundant. They depend on lower elevation agricultural fields, shrub-steppe, ponderosa pine, Douglas fir and Engelmann spruce - subalpine fir forests in winter. Mature Douglas fir forests on southerly aspects with moderate slopes provide the most critical winter range. Dense thickets in moderate to dense canopy forests are important fawning areas (Fish and Wildlife Branch 1980).

Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann) - White-tailed Deer

The White-tailed Deer occurs across most of North America from southern Canada to central South America. The Montane Cordillera Ecozone is at the western edge of its range. Here, it is found in the north-east within the Peace River drainage and in the south as far west as the Princeton area. It occurs in nearly all habitat types from valley bottoms to alpine areas where cover is available. It is more common in low elevation habitats such as agricultural fields, valley bottom riparian sites and open, lower elevation deciduous and coniferous forests. Critical winter habitats include agricultural areas, river bottoms, shrub steppe and lower elevation coniferous forests, especially on southerly facing, moderate slopes. Dense vegetation such as riparian thickets or tall grass are used for fawning (Fish and Wildlife Branch 1980).

Rangifer tarandus (Linnaeus) - Caribou

The Caribou resides in the boreal and tundra regions of Eurasia and North America, including Alaska and much of central and northern Canada. Within the Montane Cordillera Ecozone, it ranges throughout the north and along most of the eastern boundary to the United States border. In the south, populations are smaller and have a patchy distribution. Caribou use a variety of habitats from valley bottoms to alpine areas. These include riparian areas, meadows and coniferous forests. Winter ranges occur in mature and old growth forests, particularly Engelmann spruce-subalpine fir, where arboreal lichens area available for food (Fish and Wildlife Branch 1979). The species is Yellow Listed but southern populations are Blue Listed in British Columbia and Vulnerable in Canada. The listing is due to reduced distribution and declining numbers. Impacts have been attributed to historic over-hunting, habitat loss due to logging, fire and hydroelectric developments, increased disturbance related to human access and high predation rates in some areas. Research is needed to clarify specific habitat relationships, especially related to lichen ecology, predator avoidance and summer habitat use. The severity of impacts related to access, recreation, habitat fragmentation and genetic isolation also require study (Paquet 1997).

FAMILY BOVIDAE - Bovids

Bison bison (Linnaeus) - Bison

The Bison once ranged over most of North America. Its range has been drastically reduced to a few scattered locations in Canada and the United States. Wood Bison (B. b. athabascae) once occurred in the Peace River area and may have entered the Ecozone there, peripherally, along the extreme north-east boundary. They are thought to have been extirpated by hunting and unusually severe winters. Plains Bison (B. b. bison) occurred along the south-eastern boundary of the Ecozone in the Rocky Mountain foothills of Alberta, in a few Rocky Mountain passes and in the east Kootenay region of British Columbia (Dr. David Shackleton pers. comm.). British Columbia populations were extirpated prior to the arrival of Europeans. This subspecies was extirpated in the Ecozone around the turn of the century. Bison depend on grasslands, parkland forest and meadows. Wood Bison are Red Listed in British Columbia and Threatened in Canada. Plains Bison are Blue Listed in British Columbia. Research is required to identify potential recovery areas (Wood Bison Recovery Team 1987).

Oreamnos americanus (Blainville) - Mountain Goat

The Mountain Goat is distributed along the Cordillera of western North America from Alaska and the Yukon to Idaho. It is found in the north, east, west and southern portions of the Montane Cordillera Ecozone, but not in the interior. Mountain Goat range has not changed much since the beginning of the 20th century, but some local populations have declined due to historic over-hunting. Goats may be found where steep rock bluffs or cliffs are available for escape cover, from low elevation shrub - steppe, through all types of forest to the alpine. They usually move to higher elevations in summer to escape high temperatures. In winter, they prefer south facing lower elevations or windswept areas to avoid snow (Fish and Wildlife Branch 1979).

Ovis canadensis Shaw - Bighorn Sheep

The Bighorn Sheep occurs in a patchy distribution along the Cordillera of western North America from south-central British Columbia to Mexico. Its numbers were greatly reduced during historic times, especially in the United States, due to market hunting, habitat loss and disease transmitted by domestic sheep. Numbers have recovered strongly through reintroductions. Within the Montane Cordillera Ecozone, Bighorn Sheep have a patchy distribution in the south and along the central and south-eastern boundary. They are found from low elevation agricultural sites and shrub -steppe, through open coniferous forests to alpine habitats where steep, rugged rock outcrops and cliffs provide escape terrain next to grassy areas or open forest foraging sites. Winter ranges are found in low elevation shrub - steppe, ponderosa pine and Douglas fir or on steep, south facing, rugged windswept slopes in higher elevation grasslands and alpine areas. Lambing occurs on ledges in steep, cliff habitats. Both of the two subspecies (O.c. canadensis, O.c.californiana) have relatively few, isolated populations and are Blue Listed. Habitat loss due to urban and agricultural development, noxious weed invasion and human disturbance are the main conservation concerns for this species. Research into specific habitat use and the impacts of road building, range use by livestock and habitat fragmentation is needed.

Ovis dalli Nelson - Thinhorn Sheep

The Thinhorn Sheep is found only in north-western North America in Alaska, the Yukon, north-western North West Territory and northern British Columbia. It occurs in the north of the Ecozone as far south as the Peace and Stikine river drainages. It depends on steep, rocky grasslands, open forest and alpine grasslands. South facing, windswept subalpine mountain peaks and ridges are important in winter (Seip 1983). It was recently removed from the Blue List and placed on the Yellow List due to new information on population numbers and distribution (Syd Cannings, pers. comm.).