Climate-Driven Habitat Dynamics in Northern Ungulates

The distribution and quality of habitat for cold‐adapted ungulates, notably moose and deer species, are being transformed by ongoing climate change. Rising temperatures and altered precipitation regimes have reshaped seasonal snow cover, influencing mobility, predation risk and access to forage. Earlier spring green‐up and delayed autumn senescence modify the timing and availability of high‐quality browse, with implications for body condition, reproduction and juvenile survival. At the southern limits of their range, moose populations are experiencing habitat contraction as July and winter temperatures exceed physiological optima, driving shifts towards cooler microhabitats such as mature coniferous stands, riparian corridors and north‐facing slopes. Conversely, temperate deer species are extending their range northward into areas previously too harsh, intensifying competition and disease transmission. These climate‐driven habitat dynamics interact with human land-use practices, including forestry, agriculture and road networks, compounding effects on ungulate movement, connectivity and demographic performance. Integrating ecological, behavioural and physiological responses is essential to predict future distributions and to guide adaptive management of northern ungulate populations under rapid environmental change.

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Climate-Driven Habitat Dynamics in Northern Ungulates publication trend

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Technical terms

Environmental niche: Range of climatic and ecological conditions under which a species can maintain viable populations.

Range contraction: Process by which the geographic distribution of a species shrinks in response to environmental change.

Thermal refuge: Microhabitat offering conditions that reduce heat or cold stress for organisms.

Phenology: Seasonal timing of biological events, such as leaf emergence or migration, driven by climatic cues.

References

1. Impact of global environmental changes on the range contraction of Eurasian moose since the Late Pleistocene. The Science of The Total Environment (2024).
2. Behavioural Responses to Thermal Conditions Affect Seasonal Mass Change in a Heat-Sensitive Northern Ungulate. PLOS ONE (2013).
3. Climate change effects on deer and moose in the Midwest. Journal of Wildlife Management (2019).