Caribou winter survival hinges on lichen abundance and snow depth: SUNY study

Exam-focused facts from the 12 April 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) researchers found caribou in high-lichen areas up to nine times more likely to survive winter than those in low-lichen zones.
The study analysed GPS telemetry data from 1,067 caribou winters spanning 2009–2024 to link lichen cover and snow depth to survival.
Caribou access lichen by digging through snow in a behaviour termed ‘cratering’, but snow depths exceeding about 50 centimetres block access and erase the survival advantage.
Collaborators included the National Park Service, University of Alaska Fairbanks, and University of Maryland.