Climate change

Scientists agree that climate change is already affecting British Columbia's ecosystems, and we can expect such changes to continue. It is harder to predict the exact nature of those changes, and how they will affect us. Most scientists believe temperatures will continue to rise. Winter snowpacks in the Inland Temperate Rainforest are already decreasing, and this decrease will probably continue. This is a potential problem for caribou, which rely on deep snow to reach lichen, their main winter food.

We know that healthy forests are better able to withstand and adapt to change. And intact forests help keep us cool. Because logging releases the carbon that is contained in forests, the Union of Concerned Scientists recommends forest conservation as its top forest-based strategy for mitigating global warming.

Caribou have experienced a number of climate change events over the last several thousand years. If we can reduce or eliminate existing known threats to caribou, and ensure enough forests are protected and habitat connected, the outlook for caribou – and many other species, including we humans – will be much brighter.