Habitat characteristics influence Pika Abundance in Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks

Understanding the environmental drivers behind species abundance and distribution shifts is essential for effective wildlife conservation and management. Montane regions are extremely vulnerable to climate change, and species adapted to these extreme environments, like the American pika (Ochotona princeps Richardson, 1828), may be particularly susceptible. We examined how habitat characteristics may influence the abundance of American pikas in Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks, British Columbia. Considering this population is at the northern edge of the species range, we predicted that pika abundance would be most influenced by habitat characteristics affecting access to vegetation and least influenced by factors related to thermal conditions and heat stress avoidance. In 2023, we surveyed 83 high-elevation plots across 15 sites, collecting data on pika abundance and 13 habitat and vegetation variables. Pika density increased with surrounding alpine meadow cover and decreased in the presence of mosses and lichens. While shifting climates may be driving distribution changes and extirpation in the warmer southern regions of their range, we found that American pikas in the Columbia Mountains prefer sunnier, warmer slopes. As studies on this species are still scarce in Canada, this research is intended to help bridge knowledge gaps surrounding the impacts of climate change on American pikas in a northern and more mesic part of their range.