A Completion Report of The Alaska Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit

Field data and observational records emphasized three themes for research: a) behavior of individual animals (by sex and age) and groups of caribou (by size and composition) in the vicinity of man-made obstructions, b) reactions of caribou presented with deflection or choice situations, that is, when in proximity to an alternate method of passage over or under the pipelines, and c) reaction of maternal cows and calves when confronting similar structures. The responses of animals on subsequent encounters with the pipelines were studied for insights on the learning ability of caribou to pass beneath or over obstacles.Submitted to: Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, British Petroleum Alaska Inc., and The U.S. Bureau of Sport Fisheries and WildlifeIntroduction -- Historical and Contemporary Importance of the Prudhoe Bay Area to Arctic Caribou Populations -- Study Facilities -- Research Objectives -- Field Procedures -- Results and Discussions -- Summary -- Recommendations -- References Cited -- Appendix A: I. Test of Independence of Two Properties Using the G-test; II. Testing for the Equality of Two Percentages and Independence of Two Properties -- Appendix B -- Appendix