Lucas Brehaut, a wildfire research scientist with the Canadian Forest Service, has been facing unexpected challenges in his study of forest regrowth in Atlantic Canada after wildfires. Despite the cooler and wetter climate in the region, forest fires are becoming more frequent due to climate change. Following a forest fire near Grand Falls-Windsor, N.L., in 2022, Brehaut embarked on a project to observe how forests recover in a warming world.
To simulate the effects of rising temperatures, Brehaut and his team transported 19 open-top chambers (OTCs) to the forest and placed them around seedlings they had planted. These OTCs act like mini greenhouses, raising temperatures by one to three degrees. The study, currently in its third year out of five, aims to monitor forest regeneration.
However, Brehaut encountered unexpected visitors during his fieldwork in September 2023. Animals such as caribou, moose, black bears, wolves, rabbits, and owls were found damaging the equipment set up in the forest. Surveillance cameras installed to monitor snow depth revealed that 11 out of 19 sites had suffered damage, with some animals even stealing temperature sensors.
Despite the setbacks, Brehaut remains understanding of the animals’ curiosity and activities in their natural habitat. He acknowledges the challenges posed by wildlife interference but respects their presence in the ecosystem. Kaitlyn Gaynor, an assistant professor at the University of British Columbia, explains that animals are naturally curious about unfamiliar objects in their environment, driven by the potential for food or threat detection.
Gaynor emphasizes that researchers can minimize wildlife interference by reducing human scent on equipment, limiting time spent in the field, and camouflaging research tools. She also shares her experiences of animal disruptions during research in Mozambique, where baboons, hyenas, and elephants have caused equipment damage.
In addition to wildlife disturbances, Brehaut has encountered human-related challenges, such as snowmobiles inadvertently damaging research sites in snowy conditions. Despite these obstacles, Brehaut remains committed to his research on forest regeneration post-wildfires, recognizing the importance of coexisting with wildlife in their natural habitats.