Habitat recovery is a key aspect of caribou conservation – but how do we know when a disturbed area is truly recovered?
A recent study offers science-based indicators to track boreal caribou habitat recovery – without waiting decades.
Traditional methods rely on satellite imagery to show when disturbances are no longer visible - but this can take 30-60+ years.
A new approach focuses on what actually drives caribou decline, like predator access and prey attraction, using measurable ecological indicators.
This latest briefing note from the Canadian Conservation and Land Management (CCLM) Knowledge Network highlights the findings from the paper by Craig DeMars, Melanie Dickie, Doug Lewis, Thomas Habib, Mark Wong and Robert Serrouya, (2025), When is habitat recovered? Understanding the mechanisms of population decline to evaluate habitat recovery for boreal caribou.
These tools give land managers and researchers practical, cost-effective ways to monitor recovery and prioritize actions – supporting caribou conservation more effectively.