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Terrestrial Mammal Research

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By Alaska Science Center September 30, 2025

Understanding the population dynamics, predator/prey relationships and habitat ecology of terrestrial mammals, such as caribou and muskoxen, is critical for the management of these species and their habitats in Alaska.

Return to Ecosystems >> Terrestrial Ecosystems

 

Caribou in the Arctic

Research conducted by the USGS Alaska Science Center on terrestrial mammals is focused on informing Department of Interior management decisions across Alaska.  Our work provides timely and highly relevant scientific information for management issues such as the response of caribou to a warming climate and human development, future possible changes in distribution and abundance, and the effects of changing habitats used for forage.

View Video

Population dynamics

Why do caribou populations fluctuate?  Why do their migration patterns change year after year? How healthy is the herd?  Working in collaboration with multiple partners in Alaska, the USGS is addressing these common questions for caribou populations in Alaska.  Read more here: Improving calf survival of the Chisana Caribou Herd

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Caribou with Calves during Summer in Northern Alaska

Response of caribou to industrial infrastructure

Are Arctic caribou habituated to energy development on the North Slope?  Do caribou use habitats near and within the oilfields in northern Alaska?  Read more here: 

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Numerous caribou crossing a road in the Kuparuk oil field

Forage and weather

Will caribou be impacted by changes in weather, insects and plant forages?  Are their habitats changing? 

Read more here: Resilience of caribou to climatic shifts in the Arctic 

 

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
A single caribou in the winter in Northern Alaska

Videos

Caribou Feeding on Tussock Cottongrass

Caribou Feeding on Tussock Cottongrass

Caribou in Yukon Coastal Habitat

Caribou in Yukon Coastal Habitat

Below are data releases associated with this project.

No Result Found

Below are multimedia items associated with this project.

Filter Total Items: 28
Caribou roaming the Arctic Coastal Plain
Caribou
Caribou
Caribou roaming the Arctic Coastal Plain

Caribou

Caribou

Caribou foraging on the Arctic Coastal Plain near the Dalton Highway, North Slope of Alaska.

By
Climate Adaptation Science Centers, Alaska Science Center
Caribou roaming the Arctic Coastal Plain

Caribou

Caribou

Caribou foraging on the Arctic Coastal Plain near the Dalton Highway, North Slope of Alaska.

By
Climate Adaptation Science Centers, Alaska Science Center
Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska
Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska
Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska
Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou from the Central Arctic herd along the Sagavanirktok River in northern Alaska.

Sagavanirktok River, AK.

By
Alaska Science Center
Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou from the Central Arctic herd along the Sagavanirktok River in northern Alaska.

Sagavanirktok River, AK.

By
Alaska Science Center
Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska
Caribou from the Central Arctic Herd in the winter in Northern Alaska
Caribou from the Central Arctic Herd in the winter in Northern Alaska
Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou from the Central Arctic Herd in the winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou from the Central Arctic Herd in the winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou from the Central Arctic herd along the Sagavanirktok River in northern Alaska.

Sagavanirktok River, AK.

By
Alaska Science Center
Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou from the Central Arctic Herd in the winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou from the Central Arctic Herd in the winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou from the Central Arctic herd along the Sagavanirktok River in northern Alaska.

Sagavanirktok River, AK.

By
Alaska Science Center
Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska
Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska
Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska
Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou from the Central Arctic herd along the Sagavanirktok River in northern Alaska.

Sagavanirktok River, AK.

By
Alaska Science Center
Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou from the Central Arctic herd along the Sagavanirktok River in northern Alaska.

Sagavanirktok River, AK.

By
Alaska Science Center
Image: Caribou Along Alaska's Coast
Caribou Along Alaska's Coast
Caribou Along Alaska's Coast
Image: Caribou Along Alaska's Coast

Caribou Along Alaska's Coast

Caribou Along Alaska's Coast

This photograph shows three caribou escape the mosquitos on the mudflats of Kasegaluk Lagoon on the Chukchi Sea coast of Alaska. Coastal erosion along the Arctic coast is chronic, widespread and potentially accelerating, posing threats to infrastructure important for defense and energy purposes, natural shoreline habitats and nearby Native communities.

By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Communications and Publishing
Image: Caribou Along Alaska's Coast

Caribou Along Alaska's Coast

Caribou Along Alaska's Coast

This photograph shows three caribou escape the mosquitos on the mudflats of Kasegaluk Lagoon on the Chukchi Sea coast of Alaska. Coastal erosion along the Arctic coast is chronic, widespread and potentially accelerating, posing threats to infrastructure important for defense and energy purposes, natural shoreline habitats and nearby Native communities.

By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Communications and Publishing
Caribou crossing the Selawik River, Alaska
Caribou crossing the Selawik River, Alaska
Caribou crossing the Selawik River, Alaska
Caribou crossing the Selawik River, Alaska

Caribou crossing the Selawik River, Alaska

Caribou crossing the Selawik River, Alaska

Caribou crossing the Selawik River, Alaska

By
Climate Adaptation Science Centers, Alaska Science Center
Caribou crossing the Selawik River, Alaska

Caribou crossing the Selawik River, Alaska

Caribou crossing the Selawik River, Alaska

Caribou crossing the Selawik River, Alaska

By
Climate Adaptation Science Centers, Alaska Science Center
Three caribou from the Porcupine Herd standing on the tundra
Caribou of the Porcupine Herd
Caribou of the Porcupine Herd
Three caribou from the Porcupine Herd standing on the tundra

Caribou of the Porcupine Herd

Caribou of the Porcupine Herd

Three caribou standing in the tundra.  These caribou are part of the Porcupine caribou herd.

By
Alaska Science Center
Three caribou from the Porcupine Herd standing on the tundra

Caribou of the Porcupine Herd

Caribou of the Porcupine Herd

Three caribou standing in the tundra.  These caribou are part of the Porcupine caribou herd.

By
Alaska Science Center

Below are publications associated with this project.

Filter Total Items: 49

Novel insights into serodiagnosis and epidemiology of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, a newly recognized pathogen in muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) Novel insights into serodiagnosis and epidemiology of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, a newly recognized pathogen in muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus)

Muskoxen are a key species of Arctic ecosystems and are important for food security and socio-economic well-being of many Indigenous communities in the Arctic and Subarctic. Between 2009 and 2014, the bacterium Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae was isolated for the first time in this species in association with multiple mortality events in Canada and Alaska, raising questions regarding the
Authors
F. Mavrot, K. Orsel, W. Hutchins, Layne G. Adams, K. Beckmen, J. Blake, S. Checkley, T. Davison, J. Di Francesco, B. Elkin, L. Leclerc, A. Schneider, M. Tomaselli, S. Kutz
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

Caribou use of habitat near energy development in Arctic Alaska Caribou use of habitat near energy development in Arctic Alaska

Increasing demands for energy have generated interest in expanding oil and gas production on the North Slope of Alaska, raising questions about the resilience of barren-ground caribou populations to new development. Although the amount of habitat lost directly to energy development in the Arctic will likely be relatively small, there are significant concerns about habitat that may be...
Authors
Heather E. Johnson, Trevor Golden, Layne G. Adams, David Gustine, Elizabeth A. Lenart
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center

Evaluation of maternal penning to improve calf survival in the Chisana Caribou Herd Evaluation of maternal penning to improve calf survival in the Chisana Caribou Herd

Predation is a major limiting factor for most small sedentary caribou (Rangifer tarandus) populations, particularly those that are threatened or endangered across the southern extent of the species’ range. Thus, reducing predation impacts is often a management goal for improving the status of small caribou populations, and lethal predator removal is the primary approach that has been...
Authors
Layne G. Adams, Richard G. Farnell, Michelle P. Oakley, Thomas Jung, Lorne Larocque, Grant Lortie, Jamie McLelland, Mason Reid, Gretchen H. Roffler, Don Russell
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

NDVI exhibits mixed success in predicting spatiotemporal variation in caribou summer forage quality and quantity NDVI exhibits mixed success in predicting spatiotemporal variation in caribou summer forage quality and quantity

The satellite‐derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is commonly used by researchers and managers to represent ungulate forage conditions in landscapes across the globe, despite limited information about how it compares to empirical measurements of forage quality and quantity. The application of NDVI as a forage metric is particularly appealing for studying migratory...
Authors
Heather E. Johnson, David D. Gustine, Trevor S. Golden, Layne G. Adams, Lincoln S. Parrett, Elizabeth A. Lenart, Perry S. Barboza
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

Mineral constraints on arctic caribou (Rangifer tarandus): a spatial and phenological perspective Mineral constraints on arctic caribou (Rangifer tarandus): a spatial and phenological perspective

Arctic caribou (Rangifer tarandus) have the longest terrestrial migration of any ungulate but little is known about the spatial and seasonal variation of minerals in summer forages and the potential impacts of mineral nutrition on the foraging behavior and nutritional condition of arctic caribou. We investigated the phenology, availability, and mechanistic relationships of calcium...
Authors
K. W. Oster, P.S. Barboza, David D. Gustine, Kyle Joly, R. D. Shively
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

The nitrogen window for arctic herbivores: plant phenology and protein gain of migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus) The nitrogen window for arctic herbivores: plant phenology and protein gain of migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus)

Terrestrial plants are often limited by nitrogen (N) in arctic systems, but constraints of N supply on herbivores are typically considered secondary to those of energy. We tested the hypothesis that forage N is more limiting than energy for arctic caribou by collecting key forages (three species of graminoids, three species of woody browse, and one genus of forb) over three summers in...
Authors
Perry S. Barboza, Lindsay L. Van Someren, David D. Gustine, M. Syndonia Bret-Harte
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

Understanding the population dynamics, predator/prey relationships and habitat ecology of terrestrial mammals, such as caribou and muskoxen, is critical for the management of these species and their habitats in Alaska.

Return to Ecosystems >> Terrestrial Ecosystems

 

Caribou in the Arctic

Research conducted by the USGS Alaska Science Center on terrestrial mammals is focused on informing Department of Interior management decisions across Alaska.  Our work provides timely and highly relevant scientific information for management issues such as the response of caribou to a warming climate and human development, future possible changes in distribution and abundance, and the effects of changing habitats used for forage.

View Video

Population dynamics

Why do caribou populations fluctuate?  Why do their migration patterns change year after year? How healthy is the herd?  Working in collaboration with multiple partners in Alaska, the USGS is addressing these common questions for caribou populations in Alaska.  Read more here: Improving calf survival of the Chisana Caribou Herd

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Caribou with Calves during Summer in Northern Alaska

Response of caribou to industrial infrastructure

Are Arctic caribou habituated to energy development on the North Slope?  Do caribou use habitats near and within the oilfields in northern Alaska?  Read more here: 

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Numerous caribou crossing a road in the Kuparuk oil field

Forage and weather

Will caribou be impacted by changes in weather, insects and plant forages?  Are their habitats changing? 

Read more here: Resilience of caribou to climatic shifts in the Arctic 

 

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
A single caribou in the winter in Northern Alaska

Videos

Caribou Feeding on Tussock Cottongrass

Caribou Feeding on Tussock Cottongrass

Caribou in Yukon Coastal Habitat

Caribou in Yukon Coastal Habitat

Below are data releases associated with this project.

No Result Found

Below are multimedia items associated with this project.

Filter Total Items: 28
Caribou roaming the Arctic Coastal Plain
Caribou
Caribou
Caribou roaming the Arctic Coastal Plain

Caribou

Caribou

Caribou foraging on the Arctic Coastal Plain near the Dalton Highway, North Slope of Alaska.

By
Climate Adaptation Science Centers, Alaska Science Center
Caribou roaming the Arctic Coastal Plain

Caribou

Caribou

Caribou foraging on the Arctic Coastal Plain near the Dalton Highway, North Slope of Alaska.

By
Climate Adaptation Science Centers, Alaska Science Center
Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska
Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska
Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska
Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou from the Central Arctic herd along the Sagavanirktok River in northern Alaska.

Sagavanirktok River, AK.

By
Alaska Science Center
Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou from the Central Arctic herd along the Sagavanirktok River in northern Alaska.

Sagavanirktok River, AK.

By
Alaska Science Center
Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska
Caribou from the Central Arctic Herd in the winter in Northern Alaska
Caribou from the Central Arctic Herd in the winter in Northern Alaska
Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou from the Central Arctic Herd in the winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou from the Central Arctic Herd in the winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou from the Central Arctic herd along the Sagavanirktok River in northern Alaska.

Sagavanirktok River, AK.

By
Alaska Science Center
Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou from the Central Arctic Herd in the winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou from the Central Arctic Herd in the winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou from the Central Arctic herd along the Sagavanirktok River in northern Alaska.

Sagavanirktok River, AK.

By
Alaska Science Center
Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska
Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska
Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska
Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou from the Central Arctic herd along the Sagavanirktok River in northern Alaska.

Sagavanirktok River, AK.

By
Alaska Science Center
Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou in the Winter in Northern Alaska

Caribou from the Central Arctic herd along the Sagavanirktok River in northern Alaska.

Sagavanirktok River, AK.

By
Alaska Science Center
Image: Caribou Along Alaska's Coast
Caribou Along Alaska's Coast
Caribou Along Alaska's Coast
Image: Caribou Along Alaska's Coast

Caribou Along Alaska's Coast

Caribou Along Alaska's Coast

This photograph shows three caribou escape the mosquitos on the mudflats of Kasegaluk Lagoon on the Chukchi Sea coast of Alaska. Coastal erosion along the Arctic coast is chronic, widespread and potentially accelerating, posing threats to infrastructure important for defense and energy purposes, natural shoreline habitats and nearby Native communities.

By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Communications and Publishing
Image: Caribou Along Alaska's Coast

Caribou Along Alaska's Coast

Caribou Along Alaska's Coast

This photograph shows three caribou escape the mosquitos on the mudflats of Kasegaluk Lagoon on the Chukchi Sea coast of Alaska. Coastal erosion along the Arctic coast is chronic, widespread and potentially accelerating, posing threats to infrastructure important for defense and energy purposes, natural shoreline habitats and nearby Native communities.

By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Communications and Publishing
Caribou crossing the Selawik River, Alaska
Caribou crossing the Selawik River, Alaska
Caribou crossing the Selawik River, Alaska
Caribou crossing the Selawik River, Alaska

Caribou crossing the Selawik River, Alaska

Caribou crossing the Selawik River, Alaska

Caribou crossing the Selawik River, Alaska

By
Climate Adaptation Science Centers, Alaska Science Center
Caribou crossing the Selawik River, Alaska

Caribou crossing the Selawik River, Alaska

Caribou crossing the Selawik River, Alaska

Caribou crossing the Selawik River, Alaska

By
Climate Adaptation Science Centers, Alaska Science Center
Three caribou from the Porcupine Herd standing on the tundra
Caribou of the Porcupine Herd
Caribou of the Porcupine Herd
Three caribou from the Porcupine Herd standing on the tundra

Caribou of the Porcupine Herd

Caribou of the Porcupine Herd

Three caribou standing in the tundra.  These caribou are part of the Porcupine caribou herd.

By
Alaska Science Center
Three caribou from the Porcupine Herd standing on the tundra

Caribou of the Porcupine Herd

Caribou of the Porcupine Herd

Three caribou standing in the tundra.  These caribou are part of the Porcupine caribou herd.

By
Alaska Science Center

Below are publications associated with this project.

Filter Total Items: 49

Novel insights into serodiagnosis and epidemiology of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, a newly recognized pathogen in muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) Novel insights into serodiagnosis and epidemiology of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, a newly recognized pathogen in muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus)

Muskoxen are a key species of Arctic ecosystems and are important for food security and socio-economic well-being of many Indigenous communities in the Arctic and Subarctic. Between 2009 and 2014, the bacterium Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae was isolated for the first time in this species in association with multiple mortality events in Canada and Alaska, raising questions regarding the
Authors
F. Mavrot, K. Orsel, W. Hutchins, Layne G. Adams, K. Beckmen, J. Blake, S. Checkley, T. Davison, J. Di Francesco, B. Elkin, L. Leclerc, A. Schneider, M. Tomaselli, S. Kutz
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

Caribou use of habitat near energy development in Arctic Alaska Caribou use of habitat near energy development in Arctic Alaska

Increasing demands for energy have generated interest in expanding oil and gas production on the North Slope of Alaska, raising questions about the resilience of barren-ground caribou populations to new development. Although the amount of habitat lost directly to energy development in the Arctic will likely be relatively small, there are significant concerns about habitat that may be...
Authors
Heather E. Johnson, Trevor Golden, Layne G. Adams, David Gustine, Elizabeth A. Lenart
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center

Evaluation of maternal penning to improve calf survival in the Chisana Caribou Herd Evaluation of maternal penning to improve calf survival in the Chisana Caribou Herd

Predation is a major limiting factor for most small sedentary caribou (Rangifer tarandus) populations, particularly those that are threatened or endangered across the southern extent of the species’ range. Thus, reducing predation impacts is often a management goal for improving the status of small caribou populations, and lethal predator removal is the primary approach that has been...
Authors
Layne G. Adams, Richard G. Farnell, Michelle P. Oakley, Thomas Jung, Lorne Larocque, Grant Lortie, Jamie McLelland, Mason Reid, Gretchen H. Roffler, Don Russell
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

NDVI exhibits mixed success in predicting spatiotemporal variation in caribou summer forage quality and quantity NDVI exhibits mixed success in predicting spatiotemporal variation in caribou summer forage quality and quantity

The satellite‐derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is commonly used by researchers and managers to represent ungulate forage conditions in landscapes across the globe, despite limited information about how it compares to empirical measurements of forage quality and quantity. The application of NDVI as a forage metric is particularly appealing for studying migratory...
Authors
Heather E. Johnson, David D. Gustine, Trevor S. Golden, Layne G. Adams, Lincoln S. Parrett, Elizabeth A. Lenart, Perry S. Barboza
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

Mineral constraints on arctic caribou (Rangifer tarandus): a spatial and phenological perspective Mineral constraints on arctic caribou (Rangifer tarandus): a spatial and phenological perspective

Arctic caribou (Rangifer tarandus) have the longest terrestrial migration of any ungulate but little is known about the spatial and seasonal variation of minerals in summer forages and the potential impacts of mineral nutrition on the foraging behavior and nutritional condition of arctic caribou. We investigated the phenology, availability, and mechanistic relationships of calcium...
Authors
K. W. Oster, P.S. Barboza, David D. Gustine, Kyle Joly, R. D. Shively
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

The nitrogen window for arctic herbivores: plant phenology and protein gain of migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus) The nitrogen window for arctic herbivores: plant phenology and protein gain of migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus)

Terrestrial plants are often limited by nitrogen (N) in arctic systems, but constraints of N supply on herbivores are typically considered secondary to those of energy. We tested the hypothesis that forage N is more limiting than energy for arctic caribou by collecting key forages (three species of graminoids, three species of woody browse, and one genus of forb) over three summers in...
Authors
Perry S. Barboza, Lindsay L. Van Someren, David D. Gustine, M. Syndonia Bret-Harte
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center
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