White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are an evolutionary success story. They're one of the few large mammal species to actually expand their range since European colonization, now ranging from central America to the subarctic. Their ability to adapt and thrive in human-dominated landscapes has made them a great success story in the Anthropocene. This success is not without its consequences. Deer affect entire ecosystems, from vegetation to bird communities. They affect predator=prey interactions, and in the boreal forest, this is a major factor behind woodland caribou declines.
How have they spread into the boreal forest? Is climate change to blame? Or is it landscape change, from oil and gas forest harvesting, and roading? How abundant are they, and how does their distribution fluctuate among years - are they here to stay? These are some of the questions we sought to answer in this research.
We used a combination of satellite telemetry of collared animals and camera traps spread across Alberta's northeast boreal forest to answer these questions. What we found is quite compelling: the interacting effects of climate and landscape change have led to the deer boreal invasion. The effects are seen in deer behaviour, in population size, in distribution, and in breeding success.
READ the story: Download our Project Final Report.
SEE the story: Check out a video presentation on Deer Behaviour, or on The Role of Fawning Rates.
How have they spread into the boreal forest? Is climate change to blame? Or is it landscape change, from oil and gas forest harvesting, and roading? How abundant are they, and how does their distribution fluctuate among years - are they here to stay? These are some of the questions we sought to answer in this research.
We used a combination of satellite telemetry of collared animals and camera traps spread across Alberta's northeast boreal forest to answer these questions. What we found is quite compelling: the interacting effects of climate and landscape change have led to the deer boreal invasion. The effects are seen in deer behaviour, in population size, in distribution, and in breeding success.
READ the story: Download our Project Final Report.
SEE the story: Check out a video presentation on Deer Behaviour, or on The Role of Fawning Rates.
