Posted at 1:18 am. Updated at 5:00 p.m.
Elk and white-tailed deer
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, ARCHIVE LA PRESSE
A female moose in a lake in the Chic Chocs mountains in Gaspésie
“The ability to escape fires really depends on the animal’s ability to move,” summarizes Yan Boucher, professor of forest ecology at the University of Quebec at Chicoutimi (UQAC) and director of the Research Observatory of the Boreal Forest. Larger deer like elk and white-tailed deer have an advantage as they can quickly move away from flames. “But it’s a bit more difficult at this time of year because it’s calving, which can make it harder for the females and their young to move around,” notes Steeve Côté, a professor in the University of Laval’s Department of Biology. Deer will therefore find themselves in areas where other conspecifics have already established their territory. Some will return to the scene of the fire later to see if they can find their food there. Others will eventually settle elsewhere. Note that deer are currently less affected by the current fires than moose as they rage north of their habitat.
forest caribou
PHOTO PROVIDED BY ÉRIC DESCHAMPS
The caribou is a vulnerable species and its habitat is severely restricted.
Its habitat is already disappearing and the species is endangered. Should we be concerned about forest caribou populations in the context of wildfires? Unlike migratory caribou, woodland caribou don’t move in herds, biologists say. “The fires can cause fatalities, but we also have to consider the destruction of their habitat,” notes Yan Boucher. Forest caribou live in old-growth coniferous forests and appreciate lichens. “After the fire, they cannot return to the areas where the fire broke out for a while because there is no food there,” Mr Boucher said.
birds
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, ARCHIVE LA PRESSE
A neck chicken
They can flee quickly by flapping their wings, but birds flying away from flames do so, leaving a nest behind. “It will have reproductive effects on the birds, that’s for sure,” says Steve Côté. Other bird species, such as the capercaillie or partridge, “do not have great flight abilities,” says Mr. Côté. Several duck species nest in these areas. “These are often species that only breed once a year,” he says. They may overtake the second brood of smaller woodland birds such as warblers and sparrows.
Small and medium-sized mammals
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, ARCHIVE LA PRESSE
Not all small and medium-sized mammals are equal in forest fires.
Foxes, wolves and lynxes can escape the fire relatively quickly. But the fate of the snowshoe hare, “which is a key species in the northern forest because it serves as food for many predators,” recalls Yan Boucher, is worrying. The same applies to small rodents. “Mice and voles have relatively short travel distances,” says Steve Côté. If the fire is progressing at 35 meters per minute, it’s very fast for a mouse…” The beaver seems to have an advantage over the others because it can take refuge in the water. All the better, Steve Côté notes, because its ability to get around on dry land isn’t overwhelming… “They can take refuge in the water, but once it’s burned down they’ll still need resources and will change habitat.” remembers Steve Côté.
insects
PHOTO DEPARTMENT OF FORESTS, WILDLIFE AND PARKS
A black beetle
The behavior of wild animals in the boreal forest during a fire has so far been little studied, says Yan Boucher. “It’s quite difficult to compare pre-fire communities and see how individual animals disperse after a wildfire,” he says. Some GPS collars have been attached to wolves, bears, caribou, or mooses. “Maybe there are studies on this, but at the moment we don’t really know how wild animals behave after a fire. In any case, the insect populations will always find a way to return to the scene of the fire. By the time the rangers come back to inspect the damage, the black beetles will already be busy nibbling on the scraps of wood, says Yan Boucher. “And the noise they make… drives me crazy!” »