Bioclimatic, terrain, and specific peatland composition are major drivers of woodland caribou winter habitat suitability in northern Ontario

Mapping of winter habitat suitability is important for the persistence and conservation of at-risk woodland caribou ( Rangifer tarandus caribou (Gmelin, 1788)). While well documented at the national scale for boreal woodland caribou, particularly in highly disturbed southern ranges, winter habitat suitability remains understudied in northern and intact ranges such as in northern Ontario. We used boosted regression tree species distribution modeling and environmental variables with ecological relevance to woodland caribou to predict and map suitable winter woodland caribou habitat in northeastern Ontario, Canada. The best model suggests that peatland types and the climatic effect of James and Hudson Bay may have a marked (68.8% cumulative relative influence) effect on woodland caribou habitat suitability. Based on this, a predictive model identified a large and clustered zone of winter woodland caribou habitat centered within the transition between the ecozones. By accounting for local-scale aspects of woodland caribou habitat and bioclimatic variables, our model provides comprehensive predictions of woodland caribou winter habitat suitability in this transition zone. Additional investigation of the role of peatland type in woodland caribou habitat suitability in different seasons and different regions may help further understand woodland caribou distribution and habitat use.