But the largest member of the deer family exists to do more than perpetuate Canadian stereotypes. In many ways, moose are landscape architects.

Beavers get most of the credit for their ability to engineer freshwater ecosystems for the better. But moose deserve a lot of credit too.

You see, moose and beaver both have a sweet spot for deciduous trees – it’s just that moose like their greens shrub-sized and beaver like ‘em big. You know, so they can cut them down for eating and damming.

Here’s where it gets interesting:

When beavers cut the trees, not only are they building critically important wetlands, they’re creating opportunities for the growth of the exact type of stubby greens moose love. And if moose didn’t eat those shrubs, guess what wouldn’t grow back? The trees beavers need for food and wetland construction.

Better still, the moose are managing plant populations which plays a big role in ensuring a healthy nutrient cycle and that means soil can store carbon more easily.

See? Moose do serve a purpose. They are landscape architects.

But there’s a catch.

You see, when a male moose and a female moose fall in love… Well, maybe not love. When a male moose rubs its antlers against a tree and basically challenges a part-time friend, part-time enemy male moose to a duel and the two male moose smash their huge antlers against one another and generally push each other around in a super aggressive and typically male kind of way until one male reigns supreme in the adoring – is it adoring? – eyes of the female moose and, well, you know the rest… A moose calf or two are born.

And the more moose calves in an ecosystem, the more food they need to fill out their potential 700 kilogram frame. Too many moose and the small greens can’t keep up with the demand. Then the moose start eating – and killing – the young trees growing to replace the ones the beavers cut down – the ones that need to regrow to keep feeding the beavers

The consequence? Fewer beavers and less productive wetlands and we know we need our wetlands. But there’s another consequence as well: fewer moose.

Wait, what?

You heard right. If the moose population is more than what the ecosystem can handle – what’s known as its carrying capacity – they will eventually eat the landscape into a wasteland that will, in turn, starve the moose.

That means the entire forest complexion changes. Instead of deciduous trees growing back, spruce trees pop up. That changes the soil structure and creates new opportunities for different insects – like fewer mosquitos and more pine beetles. Which means bigger fires and, well…

It’s called a trophic cascade. And just as moose help design healthy ecosystems, unchecked, they can also destroy them.

But here’s the good news: Moose serve another evolutionary role – feeding wolves!

Wolves are their primary – but not only – predator and when everything is clicking perfectly, moose and wolves exist in a predator to prey relationship that keeps each population in a balanced cycle.

In other words, when everything works as it should, everything works as it should.

So, moose!

Big. Awkward. They enjoy licking cars like humans like eating pizza. They should have a degree in wetland architecture. Or at least get more credit for their work. At least when there aren’t too many of them… But they needn’t worry, because they’re also yummy for wolves. Which is awkward for moose, but also kinda good news for moose.

Oh! And moose also have these weird dangly fur things hanging from below their chins called bells that might symbolize dominance or might help a female moose remember the smell of the male she mated with or, well…no one actually knows for sure. Which is weird.

Just like moose. But we love them and need them all the same.