Researchers from Alaska, Canada, and Switzerland recently published a study looking at the impact of avalanches on mountain goats. The study shows the high toll avalanches have on these animals.
“Avalanches transform mountain landscapes in major ways that can be both beneficial and deleterious. Our study provides the first detailed evidence of the latter, namely the striking impact avalanches can have on mountain wildlife population demography, with up to 22% of individuals killed by avalanches in a single year.”
Kevin White, wildlife ecologist and lead author, University of Alaska Southeast and University of Victoria.
The researchers used tracking data from 400 tagged mountain goats and avalanche hazard modelling techniques to conduct the study.
You can read more in the news article from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.