Young clearcuts attracted caribou forage and potentially greater risk
WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYS
A study using 71 caribou GPS datasets, 56 paired vegetation plots and 149 predator-camera stations found relatively recent harvested stands could provide forage resources selected by caribou while also coinciding with greater modeled wolf exposure. Habitat selection and predator exposure did not map onto a single good-versus-bad treatment label.
WHY IT MATTERS / OUR READ
Management must compare what animals gain from a site with the encounter risks they inherit there. Reforestation, harvest configuration and predator ecology are linked decisions rather than independent habitat metrics.
CAVEATS / UNCERTAINTY
Predator exposure was inferred from monitored patterns, not measured mortality or population growth; telemetry selection does not demonstrate net fitness benefits. This study does not establish a universal clearcut age threshold.
SOURCE
Landscape Ecology · caribou forest-selection field analysis
View original evidence ↗
Paired vegetation and predator observations distinguish nutritional opportunity from safety.
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