Canada’s woodland caribou are threatened by logging

Woodland caribou are being harmed by  human-driven disturbances — logging mining, oil and gas development, wind farms and hydroelectric development — in Canada’s boreal forest.

A December 2023 study looked at the cumulative environmental impact of human activities, such as logging, on woodland caribou habitats in Canada’s boreal region. 

In Canadian boreal forests, industrial logging is effecting which tree species are in the forest as well as replacing older trees with younger trees. These changes disrupts biodiversity, increases susceptibility to pests and trees being uprooted by strong winds and threatens species like the woodland caribou.  

The study finds that increased logging activities have driven forest fragmentation, creating smaller available patches of habitat for the woodland caribou. As a result, the woodland caribou are surrounded by less ideal habitats which come with more risks. Logging activities for the expansion of roads further increases the predatory risk facing the woodland caribou population by facilitating the movement of predators and thus increasing the number of interactions between predators and prey, such as woodland caribou and their calves. 

• Moose, are increasingly finding a home in these areas, as they are attracted to the resulting accessible vegetation in younger forests as a food source.
• These transformations drive an increase in the population of wolves, which prey on the woodland caribou population. 
• There has been an increase in the population of black bears, who are attracted to the vegetation in clear-cut areas and incidentally prey on woodland caribou calves.

The overall effect is an increased mortality rate for the woodland caribou in areas within Canada’s boreal region where there has been logging.

While Canada promotes “sustainable forest management,” it often prioritizes wood production, leading to more logging. 

The threats facing woodland caribou demand our attention and immediate action to protect our forests. The Canadian government should change its logging practices and American companies sourcing from the boreal should demand change.