Greater Snow Goose. Report of the Arctic Goose Habitat Working Group

摘要

Waterfowl managers have become increasingly concerned about the dramatic increases of some populations of North American Arctic nesting geese. The basis for their concern is the widespread habitat degradation that is occurring on many Arctic nesting colonies and staging areas as reviewed by Abraham and Jefferies (1997a). This damage is threatening to the snow geese themselves and to the myriad other species that share the same ecosystem with them. The extent of the damage has been quantified especially well for Hudson and James Bay coastal habitats used by mid-continent lesser snow geese (Anser caerulescens caerulescens) Abraham and Jefferies (1997b). However, biologists at many locations across the Arctic have noticed increased degradation of areas used by most of the white geese, including other lesser snow goose populations, greater snow geese (A. caerulescens atlantica) and Ross geese (A. rossii). The Arctic Goose Joint Venture (AGJV) of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan recognized these issues as needing special attention beyond what can be done under typical management guidelines and protocols. Their establishment of the Arctic Goose Habitat Working Group in 1996 initiated a series of reports and actions that have elevated the awareness of problems and potential management actions for the mid-continent lesser snow goose population. In 1997, the AGJV charged the Working Group with conducting a similar review for the greater snow goose which many scientists believe are on a similar path to what was determined for the mid-continent lesser snow goose. This report is a product of that action.