climate and subsistence hunting the ‘sustainability of arctic communities’ project
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Climate and Subsistence Hunting
The ‘Sustainability of Arctic Communities’ Project
Arctic Forum, May 2002
ARCUS Annual Meeting
An interdisciplinary & collaborative effort
Principal Investigator (Phases 1 & 2)
– Jack Kruse1
Community Involvement / Local Knowledge
– Gary Kofinas1,3, Steve BraundSynthesis modelers
– Craig Nicolson14, Tony Starfield3 Vegetation ecologists
– Marilyn Walker5, Terry Chapin2
Howie Epstein5
Caribou biologists
– Don Russell9, Brad Griffith10 , Bob White2
Whale biologists
– Craig George13, Robert Suydam13, Harry Brower Jr13 , Todd O’Hara13
Oil field – caribou interactions
– Steve Murphy, Brad Griffith10
Economists
– Matt Berman1, Lee Huskey1, Sharman Haley1 , Stephanie Martin1
21 Participating scientists 6 Arctic communities- Aklavik, NWT
- Arctic Village, AK
- Barrow, AK
- Fort MacPherson, NWT
- Kaktovik, AK
- Old Crow, YT
13 Universities/Agencies1. U of Alaska Anchorage (ISER)2. U of Alaska Fairbanks (IAB)3. U of Minnesota (Phase 1 only)4. Dartmouth College5. U of Colorado, Boulder6. National Science Foundation7. US Man and the Biosphere8. Environment Canada9. Canadian Wildlife Service10. US Geological Survey11. Alaska Dept of Fish and Game12. Yukon Renewable Resources Council13. North Slope Borough14. University of Massachusetts
Two streams of science…
The science of parts
focused, reductionist reduce uncertainty consensus among peers
The science of the integration of parts
broad understand interactions complex! Experts may not all agree...
The Sustainability of Arctic Communities
Began with a core group of researchers who had overlapping interests…
– Tundra vegetation ecology (ITEX)
– Caribou physiology and ecology (IAB, CWS)
– Bowhead whale ecology (NSB)
– Economics of Arctic communities (ISER)
There were ‘bricks’ but no ‘wall’
two TERRESTRIAL components...
Caribou
Vegetation
...a MARINE component...
Caribou
Vegetation
Beluga & Bowhead
whales
…and three HUMAN components.
Hunting
Caribou
Vegetation
Demogr-aphics
Employ-ment
Beluga & Bowhead
whales
Tourism + Govt Funding pathways
Hunting
Demogr-aphics
Employ-ment
Tourism and Gov’t
$$
Oil development pathways
Hunting
Caribou
Onshore oil
development
Employ-ment
Beluga & Bowhead
whales
Offshore oil development
Climate pathways
Hunting
Caribou
Vegetation
Climate
Beluga & Bowhead
whales
Summary of the system and pathways
Hunting
Caribou
Vegetation
Climate
Onshore oil
development
Demogr-aphics
Employ-ment
Tourism and Gov’t $
$Beluga & Bowhead
whales
Offshore oil development
Linking climate and subsistence hunting
2 case studies
a) Spring bowhead hunting (Barrow) b) Annual Caribou hunting round (Old Crow)
Whales are hunted at Barrow in both spring and fall Spring (April 20 - May31)
– hunt from umiaks in open leads; camps on shorefast ice
The number of whales landed varies each spring
Hunting Bowhead Whales
The influence of climate:
02
46
81012
1416
18
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Whales Landed at Barrow in Spring
Spring hunt Bowhead harvest
(Barrow )
Environmental conditions
Number seen
Food quality
Regulation & management
What factors affect hunting success?
– Craig George & Harry Brower Jr spoke to captains
– Four main themes emerged
Lead condition
Ice condition (camp, transport)Environmental
conditionsSpring hunt
Bowhead harvest (Barrow )
Lead condition
Ice condition (camp, transport)Environmental
conditions
Ice conc. in lead
Rough water
Lead widthFog
Fall freeze-up
TemperatureBlowing
snowSea smoke
Wind (speed, dir)
Multi-year ice
Ocean currents (speed, dir)
Abrupt sea level change
Spring hunt Bowhead harvest
(Barrow )
Lead condition
Ice condition (camp, transport)Environmental
conditions
Ice conc. in lead
Rough water
Lead widthFog
Multi-year ice
Ocean currents (speed, dir)
Fall freeze-up
Abrupt sea level change
TemperatureBlowing
snowSea smoke
Wind (speed, dir)
Number seen
Migration distrib. and timing
Bering Sea ice
Hunting activities
NoiseStrikes
Quality of muscle, organ tissue Quality of
muktuk
Perceived food safety, taste
Contaminants
Time taken for butchering
Density dep factors
Regulation & management
Technology
MSYR threshold
Measured rate of increase
Spring Census
Need and use
Incidental take by industry
Measured abundance
Real rate of increase
Calf production
Mortality factors
Primary productivity
Food quality
Spring hunt Bowhead harvest
(Barrow )
Other factors, and the Primary Climate-related Pathway
What factors affect harvest success?
Wind speed
0
0.01
0.02
0.03
0.04
0.05
0.06
0.07
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Daily average wind speed (km/h)
Frequency
All days
Harvest days
Spring daily wind speed in Barrow
Wind direction
Daily wind speed and direction(Vector plot)
-60
-50
-40
-30
-20
-10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
-60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Wind speed from east (km/hr)
Wind speed from north (km/hr)
We have daily wind data for Barrow airport…
Plot each day’s average wind conditions on a vector plot to show both speed and direction…
N
W
S
E
Apr 20
Apr 23, 1997ESE, 23km/h
Apr 22
Apr 21
Spring hunting season in Barrow April 20 – May 31 From 1990 to 1997
-60
-50
-40
-30
-20
-10
0
10
20
30
40
50
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-60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60
N
S
EW
Looking at wind data (cont’d)
Daily wind speed and direction(Vector plot)
-60
-50
-40
-30
-20
-10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
-60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Wind speed from east (km/hr)
Wind speed from north (km/hr)
On days when one or more whales were harvested, we can show the dots in a different color.
N
W
S
E
Apr 20
Apr 22
Apr 21
Apr 23
2 whales harvested
Look at the wind direction on successful harvest days
-60
-50
-40
-30
-20
-10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
-60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60
All days
-60
-50
-40
-30
-20
-10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
-60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Red dots: days with whale harvest
Note how winds are almost always from the east when whales are taken in the spring.
Scientific and quantified representation of what the captains had told Harry B and Craig G.
Climate factors drive spring hunting!
Policy Implications – International Whaling Commission– Subsistence quota may be reduced if it is not used– This shows that there may be good reasons why whale
harvest is low in some years: not a function of need
y = 0.0794e0.049x
R2 = 0.9602
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
'Good wind' day weighted index (Apr-20 to May31)
% of quota filled
Arctic climate (AO) and Barrow wind
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
-2 -1 0 1 2 3
April
R 2 = 0.951
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
-1.5 -1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5
June
1999 outlier ignored in regression
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
-2 -1 0 1 2
May
1992
1996
Wind direction: # days with easterly winds vs monthly AO, 1990-99
Wind speed: days with winds >15km/h
R2 = 0.010
0
5
10
15
20
25
-2 -1 0 1 2 3
Monthly AO value
April
R2 = 0.012
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
-2 -1 0 1 2
Monthly AO value
May
R 2 = 0.179
0
5
10
15
20
25
-1.5 -1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5
Monthly AO value
June
Arctic climate (PNA) and local conditions
• Next, we tried the PNA index instead of AO. And there’s a strong relationship between the May PNA value and the number of good wind days in May.
• So there seems to be a link between PNA and Barrow spring wind conditions. But the two years with the worst wind conditions (and thus the 2 worst whale harvests in 1990-7) don’t fit the general pattern at all.
R2 = 0.9062
05
1015202530354045
-1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5
PNA value
Good wind day index
May
1996 1992
Hunting Caribou
An example of modeling the interaction between human and natural systems:
1. Understanding system components
2. Mapping a conceptual model
3. Developing quantitative relationships
4. Synthesis: simulation model
5. Exploring scenarios
1. Understanding the systems
Focus groups with elders and hunters Generative theory building
Sets of propositions
1) Caribou availability to communities2) Distribution and movements of caribou3) Environmental factors affecting hunters’ access to caribou4) Participation in the wage economy and caribou hunting5) Cash – how does it affect caribou hunting6) Exchanging caribou between households and communities7) Moving away from or back to communities
example… “If a local hunter has a full time job,
he has little time for hunting”
became modified and nuanced… Those with full time jobs have equipment that allows for fast
access to hunting grounds distant from communities.
Those with full-time jobs hunt on weekends in crowded and unsafe conditions.
Those without full time jobs avoiding hunting on weekends
2. Caribou Hunting: Conceptual model
3Gen
Eld
Mom
Bach C+K
Households• Caribou need
• Resources
• Sharing (gear/meat)
Geographic hunting zones• Effort for a trip in each season
• Caribou availability
i.e. complex adaptive system (agent-based approach)
2. Conceptual model of hunting (cont’d)
Climate
HH meat needs
HH hunting ‘resources’
HH Time & $$
Gear sharing
Wage economy
P(hunting)
2. Conceptual model of hunting (cont’d)
ClimateWage economy
P(hunting)
Caribou distribution
Caribou availability
Access to hunting areas
2. Conceptual model of hunting (cont’d)
Climate
Caribou distribution
Caribou availability
HH meat needs
HH hunting ‘resources’
Access to hunting areas
HH Time & $$
Gear sharing
Wage economy
P(hunting)
Time on the land
Actual HH harvest
2. Conceptual model of hunting (cont’d)
Climate
HH meat needs
HH hunting ‘resources’
HH Time & $$
Gear sharing
Wage economy
P(hunting)
Time on the land
Actual HH harvest
Meatsharing
Caribou distribution
Caribou availability
Access to hunting areas
2. Conceptual model of hunting (cont’d)
Climate
HH meat needs
HH hunting ‘resources’
HH Time & $$
Gear sharing
Wage economy
P(hunting)
Time on the land
Actual HH harvest
Meatsharing
Collectivehunt
Caribou distribution
Caribou availability
Access to hunting areas
3. Quantifying the relationships
Example:
P(hunting) = f [ N, Reshh , Cavail , Caccess ]
HQI = g [ Cavail , Caccess ]
Logistic analysis (logit equation) of ~150 hh’s data
4. Synthesis: simulation model
5. Exploring scenarios with the modelTotal Annual Caribou Harvest for Old Crow, YT
Three scenarios, 3 replicates each
0100200
300400500600700800900
1.1 1.2 1.3 2.1 2.2 2.3 3.1 3.2 3.3Number of caribou harvested
High availability Few caribou in winterCollective hunt
Few caribou in winterNo collective hunt
Households meeting various need levels
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
1.1 1.2 1.3 2.1 2.2 2.3 3.1 3.2 3.3
Number of HHs
>85%
50% - 85%
< 50%
Summary:
In the Arctic, human socio-cultural systems are closely coupled to biophysical systems and to the climate system
These systems interact in complex ways and have emergent properties that would be difficult to predict without an integrated perspective
There are adaptive strategies that help to make communities less vulnerable to climate effects
Some lessons we learned…
Interdisciplinary communication is harder than you think
Gaps between system components aren’t always easy to fill in
Disciplinary expertise doesn’t guarantee integrative expertise
It’s a challenge to communicate the results of integrated models
But… This kind of complex systems approach is also a
lot of fun!
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