Thanks to drastic and evidence-based solutions, more southern mountain caribou roam Western Canada today than in previous decades; however, herd numbers are too fragile to sustain themselves without continued intervention.

That begins the conclusion of a new research paper published in Ecological Applications on Thursday by a team of wildlife and biodiversity researchers led by Dr. Clayton Lamb, a postdoctoral fellow at UBC Okanagan and Wildlife Scientist at Biodiversity Pathways.

“We did this analysis with full understanding and agreement that habitat loss is the primary driver of caribou declines,” says Dr. Lamb. “But the reality is that habitat restoration, even once complete, will take decades to produce the mature forests and low predator densities caribou need to survive. In the meantime, we need evidence-based actions to sustain caribou while we expedite habitat conservation and restoration.”

Researchers found that while caribou have declined dramatically over the past few decades, there are 52 per cent (or less than 1,500) more caribou on the landscape than if no recovery actions had been taken.

Southern mountain caribou are among the most threatened large mammals in Canada. The ultimate reason for caribou decline is human-caused habitat loss and increased predation. It’s thought that it will take decades to restore enough habitat for populations to recover, and the outcomes of restoration are still unknown.

Across BC and Alberta, managers have tried maternal penning, supplemental feeding, translocation and reducing predator density to help stabilize caribou populations.

“Caribou declines have been drastic, and the actions required to keep them from completely disappearing have had to be bold, and many have been understandably contentious,” says Dr. Lamb. “Our task was to assess whether and how these recovery actions have helped southern mountain caribou in their struggle to survive.”

Researchers from across BC and Alberta pooled and analyzed over 50 years of data on the species, using population estimates from aerial surveys and information on caribou mortality from collared animals.

Though the earliest data comes from 1973, data collection began for most populations after 1991. The team found that the southern mountain caribou abundance declined by 51 per cent between 1991 and 2023. Still, without recovery actions, the decline would have been even more significant.

“We have 1,500 more caribou than we would have had without these actions,” says co-author Dr. Rob Serrouya, Co-Director of the Wildlife Science Centre with Biodiversity Pathways. “There is strong evidence that predator reductions have increased caribou populations and avoided further caribou extirpation events. We’ve seen this increase under current levels of climate change; high levels of habitat loss also contribute.

“Actions such as maternal penning and supplemental feeding were most effective when coupled with predator reduction. Other actions, such as prey reduction, wolf sterilization or translocations, had a lesser impact.”

Researchers from both UBCO and Biodiversity Pathways analyze and report on the status of caribou populations, offering clear data to inform the conversation on conservation efforts and support the best outcomes for ecosystem health.

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UBC Okanagan is celebrating three inspiring faculty members whose research is making a difference on some of the most pressing issues in society.

The prestigious Researcher of the Year awards recognize individuals who are making the world a better place through excellence in research and scholarly activity.

Three outstanding faculty members have been honoured: Dr. Adam Ford for natural sciences and engineering research, Dr. Lesley Lutes for health research and Dr. Wendy Wong for her research in the fields of social sciences and humanities.

Dr. Adam Ford

Dr. Ford is an Associate Professor in the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science, and studies how humans affect predators and prey, as well as the interactions between the two. His Wildlife Restoration Ecology (WiRE) Lab often supports Indigenous-led conservation and restoration and works with communities and governments to directly affect wildlife in the field.

Dr. Ford’s study on chronic wasting disease—a fatal disease that affects the brain, spinal cord and other tissues of deer, elk and moose—identified areas where the disease could cross borders and infect BC’s deer populations. As a result, the BC government changed its areas of mandatory testing. When chronic wasting disease was first detected in the province in early 2024, it was in one of the very hot spots Dr. Ford’s lab had identified.

Being named Researcher of the Year is an honour, he says, that is due to years of hard work from not just him, but everyone in the WiRE Lab.

“This recognition is a testament to the hard work of my students and staff, and the trust our partners have put in us. We’re tackling problems that matter to people, and we’re making a difference.”

Dr. Lesley Lutes

A Registered Psychologist and Professor of Psychology in the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Dr. Lutes has become an advocate for increased public access to evidence-based mental health care in BC.

Her work includes the creation of the first-ever public walk-in mental health clinic on a BC university campus at UBC Okanagan, and the expansion of psychological services into the school’s student health clinic.

Currently, Dr. Lutes is working with the provincial government in hopes of completing a proof of concept for integrating psychologists into primary care practices to treat physical and mental health together, a model that’s shown significant success in improving health outcomes.

“This award is a reminder of the power that science can have in advancing meaningful change,” says Dr. Lutes. “The research is clear that giving people access to effective mental and behavioural health services for things such as anxiety, depression and obesity saves time, money and lives. My hope is that by continuing to put the science of mental and behavioural health front and centre, that policy change and appropriate financial investments will follow.”

Dr. Wendy Wong

In an increasingly digital world where data and artificial intelligence (AI) seem to progress by leaps and bounds every week, Dr. Wong calls for extending human rights into the digital sphere.

A Professor of Political Science in the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, she notes this major technological disruption can have significant effects on people’s lives and wants to help people better understand the implications of AI, including its inherent human biases. She advocates for government and technology creators to be aware of, and responsive to, the potential harms of AI and increasing digital data.

“I’m hoping that the more I talk about data and human rights, the more people will start thinking about technology differently. These AI technologies have been created by people who haven’t been forced to think about the social and political ramifications of their inventions. Now we have to do that.”

This year marks the 19th annual Researcher of the Year award at UBC Okanagan and Dr. Phil Barker, Vice-Principal and Associate Vice-President, Research and Innovation, says he is continually impressed by the research taking place at UBCO.

“Every year I am inspired by the incredible researchers working at our campus,” says Dr. Barker. “This year’s Researcher of the Year recipients are addressing critical challenges in our society, from biodiversity to mental health to artificial intelligence. Their research leadership and innovative approaches to complicated problems are advancing their fields and are having important impacts locally and globally.

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