Mosquitos, forage and the future of Arctic caribou

Abstract

Climate change in the Arctic is altering summer forage and insect conditions for migratory caribou. Warmer, earlier summers can mean increased forage quantity, but reduced quality. At the same time, these conditions can trigger earlier, more intense periods of insect harassment. As HEATHER JOHNSON writes, these changes are associated with shifts in migratory caribou behaviours and distributions, along with their ability to survive and reproduce.