Pierre River Mine Project

TERRESTRIAL AENV SIRS 44 – 78
Section 13.1
Request 62e What are the habitat characteristics or features of the surrounding area that
might enable it to support higher densities of moose than have been recorded
anywhere else in the oil sands region?
Response 62e As outlined in the response to AENV SIR 62a and b, habitat is unlikely to be
limiting moose populations in the region. There are many factors besides habitat
that are capable of regulating moose populations. Predation and human harvest
are likely to have influenced historical moose population density in the Oil Sands
Region. These factors are subject to change as management actions are capable
of regulating harvest and predation pressures. Increasing human development
may result in lower predation and harvest rates, as well as increasing forage
availability through habitat fragmentation, leading to a higher moose population
density (Schneider and Wasel 2000).
Reference
Schneider, R.R. and S. Wasel. 2000. The effect of human settlement on the
density of moose in northern Alberta. The Journal of Wildlife
Management 64(2): 513-520.
Request 62f For what timeframe does Shell anticipate the surrounding environment could
support the displaced moose from the LSA, resulting in moose densities as high
as 0.44 moose/km2? Provide any evidence available to support Shell’s expected
timeframe.
Response 62f A population density equilibrium because of food limitation is likely much
higher than 0.2 moose/km 2 (Messier 1994; Messier and Joly 2000). In addition,
increased forest fragmentation in the regional study area (RSA) may further
boost the productivity of moose habitat. Therefore, carrying capacity of the
surrounding environment is unlikely to affect the time frame that elevated moose
densities are maintained. It is likely that current low population densities in the
RSA are because of a combination of human harvest and predation as described
in the response to AENV SIR 62b. The time frame in which an elevated moose
population density can be maintained will depend more on the regulation of
human harvest and regional predator management actions.
References
Messier, F. 1994. Ungulate population models with predation: a case study with
the North American moose. Ecology. 75: 478-488.
Messier, F. and D.O. Joly. 2000. Comment: regulation of moose populations by
wolf predation. Canadian Journal of Zoology 78: 506-510.
13-44 Shell Canada Limited April 2010
CR029