Researchers explore climate, human, wildlife interactions in Idaho, Oregon
Photo courtesy University of Idaho The combined effect of wolves and drought on human, plant and animal communities on rangeland in Idaho and eastern Oregon will be explored over a five-year period by a team of researchers led by the University of Idaho.
The combined effect of wolves and drought on human, plant and animal communities on rangeland in Idaho and eastern Oregon will be explored by a team led by researchers at the University of Idaho that includes collaborators at the University of Michigan and The Ohio State University as part of a five-year project.
Funded by a $1.6 million National Science Foundation grant, researchers will monitor six sites to learn how drought could affect vegetation in the region, and how resulting changes impact elk, deer and livestock, as well as their interactions with predators.
Scientists will also explore on a broad scale what effect wolves and drought jointly have on ranching communities and the changing rangeland system across the West.
“We’ll look at the interactions between wolves and drought and how those affect wild ungulate populations, as well as livestock and the people who live there,” said Sophie Gilbert, assistant professor of wildlife ecology and management and the project’s lead investigator.
The researchers will use camera traps to collect images of animals in the study area and work with a film crew to document the research and produce a documentary film to share with the public.
The study begins in September.