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In northeastern Alberta, Canada, continued expansion of the oil and gas industry along with timber harvesting has raised concerns that the resulting environmental changes may negatively affect the woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) population in this region. Caribou are a threatened species in Alberta, and populations in northeastern Alberta appear to be stable or slightly decreasing. The spatial distribution of caribou in relation to alternative prey (commonly moose [Alces alces]) has been hypothesized to affect the level of wolf (Canis lupus) predation on caribou populations. We monitored radiomarked caribou, moose, and wolves between 1993 and 1997, and we found that selection of fen/bog complexes by caribou and selection of well‐drained habitats by moose and wolves resulted in spatial separation. This spatial separation in turn reduced wolf predation pressure on caribou but did not provide a total refuge from wolves. Any management activities that increase the density of moose and wolves or increase access of wolves into fen/bog complexes will likely reduce the refuge effect provided by large fen/bog complexes.

Woodland caribou in northeastern Alberta are relatively sedentary, occur at low densities, and are classed as endangered in Alberta. Increasing encroachment of the forest and petroleum industries into the southern regions of the boreal woodland caribou range has highlighted the need for detailed habitat analysis for this species. We obtained approximately 1000 locations of 47 woodland caribou fitted with very high frequency telemetry collars, providing data on winter habitat use from 1991 to 1994. Telemetry data were combined with digital peatland coverages that best represented lowland habitat diversity. Woodland caribou selected forested fen peatland complexes at both the population and individual spatial scales. Woodland caribou concentrated feeding activity in forested, raised bog islands. The raised bogs provide more xeric substrate for increased lichen biomass, possibly a key factor in their selection during winter. The hypothesized connection between discontinuous permafrost and the maintenance of raised bog islands in terms of caribou forage distribution and availability is discussed.

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Landscape ecologists have been eager to make their research applicable to forest management. We examine how landscape ecology has contributed to shaping the way forest management is currently practiced. Landscape ecology research in forested ecosystems can be divided into two general areas: (1) the study of fragmentation issues, which focuses on the effects of forest fragmentation on species conservation; and (2) the development of landscape projection models, which focuses on patch dynamics and the effects of spatial arrangement of patches on ecosystem processes. Fragmentation issues have become priorities in the minds of forest managers, but research to date has over‐emphasized the effects of landscape structure on species conservation. We suggest that the research focus should move toward the study of threshold effects of landscape change on the relative influence of habitat loss and habitat configuration on species conservation in forest‐dominated landscapes. Landscape projection models are rapidly becoming important tools in forest management planning, and they hold great promise as a means to bring landscape ecologists and forest managers together. The ability to produce future landscapes under different management scenarios and to compare these to landscapes produced by natural disturbance regimes will help to focus both managers and scientists on understanding the key interactions among human activities, landscape features, and ecological processes.