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across the low elevation, which is often private lands or
places that are developed," Inman said. "Connectivity is a
very important thing for wolverines."
With habitat connectivity slowly diminishing, increasing
human presence in the backcountry, and warming tempera-
tures threatening to alter snow conditions, it's unclear how
the wolverine will respond. However, results of the multi-
state study will help to guide conservation decisions, and
ultimately will partner with the studies of Baughan, Heine-
meyer, and others to create a more informed dialogue.
As wildlife biologist Douglas Chadwick describes in
his 2012 volume, e Wolverine Way, speaking about his
time working on the Glacier Wolverine Project in Glacier
National Park, "ere was an especially pressing reason to
go wandering after wolverines. To use a phrase that sounds
shopworn because the words apply to so many life forms
these days: e animals are in serious trouble."
Now, perhaps more than ever, research will be a necessary
tool for conservation.
