Wildlife ecologists have seen white-tailed deer expanding their range in North America over many decades. And since the early-2000s these deer have moved north into the boreal forests of western Canada. These forests are full of spruce and pine trees, sandy soil and freezing winters with lots of snow. They can be a harsh winter wonderland. And ecologists haven't known whether a warmer climate in these forests or human land development might be driving the deer north. A recent study tries to disentangle these factors – and finds that a warming climate seems to play the most significant role in the movement of deer. *Read more in the journal [***Global Change Biology***](http://Wildlifeecologists have seen white-tailed deer expanding their range in North America over many decades. And since the mid-2000s these deer have moved north into the boreal forests of Western Canada. These forests are full of spruce and pine trees, sandy soil and freezing winters with lots of snow. They're basically your typical winter wonderland in theory, but actually living there can be harsh. And ecologists haven't known whether a warmer climate in these forests is drawing deer north, or whether human land development might play a bigger role. But a recent study from researchers at the University of British Columbia Okanagan tries to disentangle these factors – and finds that a warming climate seems to play the most significant role in the movement of deer. Read more in the journal Global Change Biology. )). ***** ***Curious about more wildlife news? Email us at [email protected]).*Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices)NPR Privacy Policy)
