Caribou Habitat Restoration Pilot Study

This pilot study was undertaken to evaluate how natural regeneration and habitat restoration of linear disturbances affect woodland caribou, their predators, and alternate prey species within the Little Smoky caribou range. The project compared re-vegetated seismic lines (>1.5 m vegetation height) with control sites (<0.5 m vegetation height) to assess differences in wildlife use and behavior. Remote cameras were deployed at 76 sites, with additional vegetation and soil data collected to provide ecological context. The study aimed to provide insight into how re-vegetation influences predator-prey dynamics, prey availability, human use, and potential restoration benefits for caribou habitat.

The results indicate that moose and deer preferentially use re-vegetated lines, likely due to increased forage and cover, which in turn attracts predators such as wolves. Caribou showed reduced stress behaviors on re-vegetated sites, but their continued vulnerability underscores the complexity of balancing habitat restoration and predator dynamics. Human use of seismic lines was notably lower on re-vegetated sites, suggesting that natural regeneration and restoration can also help reduce industrial disturbance. To improve caribou habitat, it is recommended that access control measures be implemented to limit human activity, while restoration efforts continue to accelerate the natural recovery of seismic lines and reduce long-term habitat fragmentation.