WATERFOWL BREEDING GROUND SURVEY Ly THR UNGATA FENTHSOLA, QUEBEC ,* LOLS 
Carl AR, Eelwod and Leon DB, Caal 
int uction 
Tha Ungava Peninsula is located in northern Quebec batween the saat const 
of Hudgen Bay and ths west coast of Ungava Bay. That portion lying north of 
Lat. 57° embracas an ares of approximately 95,000 squars miles, Since na water- 
fowl atudiss had been conducted previously in ths interior of tha region, the 
purpose of this survey was to dstermings in 4 bread, general manner, ths produc- 
tiveness of the area. In addition to a surrey of ths interior, aerial transects 
were Flown in ths tidal arsss, where only vary limited observations have besn 
made previously. 
The survey was carried cut between June 29 and August 3, Ths main bases 
of operation wars the United States Air Force Bass "Crystal 1" on ths Rokseoak 
River near Fert Chime, and Payns Laks, in the interior, at Lat. sg? 19’ N., 
Long. 73° 27'W, The Air Forces parachuted 300 gallons of gsasoling st the 
advances bass on Payne Laks. This enabled most of the a¢tial transects to be 
run from thie point, and it was poasibls to obtain fairly completa coverags 
of ths Poninanla. 
Much of the sasterm half and parts of the western portion of the Peninsula 
Sra unmapped, and only a very fow botaniats, zooclopists, and geologist hares 
been in the intearior.of ths region. Coqlisections and eround atudiss were made 
at seven stations in the intsrior, ani four settlements along the coast wars 
Visited, All stations but ons were Llecatsd on transects, 
Metheds Used in Sampling end Area Covered 
Seventssn asrial tranascts totalling 2,476 linsal miles form the basis 
for ths population figures, Many of the miles flown were along rivers, and 
for toils raason no attompt was made to dstermins dgnsitiss paresecrs, but ths 
count was taken on a basis of ths numbor of waterfowl per lingal mils. Flying 
was dons at an elevation of 150 feet aboys thse ground whenever possible, althourh 
this could not always be adhered to bacause of topography. 
{he Ungavea Paninsula can ba divided into two bread habitat typsas - tundra, 
and taiga or forest-tundra, Both ara characterized by pemafrost. The tundra 
region lies generally north of tha Losf River and ths dominant plant cover con- 
Sists principally of mossss and lichens, dwarf birch, willow, Labrador tea, 
Arctic blueberry, and various spacias of Garex, tha latter of which appears to 
bs important gocss trowss. The tundra habitat, for purposes of this study, 
was broken up into that of rivers, lakes, and tidal arsass. 
The Talga region, in ths arga studied, axtended northward from our southsrno- 
most station at Laks Aignesu, Lat. §P11'N., to batwoen Lat. 5@°N. and 59°N, 
It is characterized by trees such as the larch, black apruce and willow along 
* The work on which this report ia based was aupported by the Aretic 
Instituts of North America with funda provided by ths United Statas 
Covrearnmeant, in cooperation with ths Fish and Wildlife Service which 
providsd a Fairchild 24 airplane, personnal, and part of the funds. 
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