Human Dimensions in ARCSS Synthesis

ARCSS Committee Meeting and Synthesis Workshop 1-5 October 2007

The Human Dimensions of the Arctic System (HARC)

• Created in 1997 as a component of the Arctic System Science Program (ARCSS) of the National Science Foundation.

• The aim of HARC research is to better understand the role of humans in the functioning of and interactions among the various physical, biological, and social components of the arctic system.

HARC Science Steering Committee

Ben Fitzhugh U of Washington

Larry HinzmanInternational Arctic ResearchCenter, U of Alaska Fairbanks

Larry HamiltonU of New Hampshire

Barbara MorehouseInstitute for the Study ofPlanet Earth, U of Arizona

Maribeth MurrayU of Alaska Fairbanks

Craig NicolsonU of Massachusetts, Amherst

Alexey VoinovU of Vermont

Henry HuntingtonHuntington Consulting,Eagle River, Alaska.

What is Human Dimensions Research?(At the risk of beating a dead horse)

• One could ask – what is biological research? What is atmospheric research?

• Observing the human component (akin to observations of sea ice – multiple variables)

• Study of the couplings between the human component and the biophysical component of the system (akin to the study atmosphere/ocean coupling)

• Feedbacks, amplifications, unpredictabilities – how does the system function?

• Observation, model projections, understanding, prediction,

What is Human Dimensions Research?

• A clear design for investigation of the interactions and feedbacks among the human and the biophysical components of the Arctic System.

• Interdisciplinary - linking social and biophysical sciences.

• Situated in the context of global/arctic environmental change.

What Human Dimensions Research is NOT

• Research focused only on the human component of the system is not HD – it is social science.

• HD is about human/environment interaction across time and space.

• Incorporating local knowledge (LEK/TEK) or working with local people is not HD research – these are two kinds of collaboration with stakeholders

• Explaining arctic change/arctic science to people is not HD research – this is education

• Linking research results to policy development is not HD research – this is one kind outreach

.

.

How much HD are we doing?

First ApproximationNSF Funded Arctic HD Research

Since 2001

• Other– Biocomplexity– Human and Social

Dynamics– Geoscience

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

ARCSS Other

Total

HD

%

ARCSS A Soc Sci Other165 385 NA

5 9 90.03 0.02 NA

23 projects, 15 PIs, one PI 4 awards, two PIs with two awards

Dakota tribal wisdom says that when you discover you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount and walk.

Walking Forward…from 2004

• 2004 HARC science workshop Seattle “ Patterns, Connections, & Methods in Human/Environment Interactions Research”

• Laid the foundation for the past three years of activity and a new framework for HD research within ARCSS

http://www.arcus.org/harc/index.html

Where Are We – Where Should We Be?

• New research is moving beyond a consideration of the local-scale societal impacts of changes in the bio-physical components of the system to examination of the linkages and feedbacks among the bio-physical-social components.

• Research can and should include a blend of traditional field/lab/analysis with synthetic Arctic System oriented integration and it should addresses key research questions and priorities repeatedly identified in multiple arenas. These include:

Highest Priority Key Unknowns

• Ways in which different human activities in the Arctic impact and feedback to the biophysical components of the Arctic System.

• Ways in which people in the Arctic respond to changes in Arctic System components.

• Ways in which Arctic System change impacts and feeds back to the human component of the global system.

• Ways in which different human activities outside the Arctic impact and feed back to the Arctic system.

Key Research Questions

• How has and how does human agency modify the present and future state of the Arctic System? (Impacts and Feedbacks)

• How have and how will Arctic peoples and institutions adapt to variable environmental conditions, to fluctuating resources, and to changes in the political and economic milieu? (Adaptations)

• How do changes in the Arctic System relate to and impact the broader Global System? (Teleconnections)

• In the face of multi-dimensional global changes, how will the resilience of the Arctic system change and what policies and practices will lead to greater resilience within the pan-arctic and its subregions? (Resilience)

Primary Goals of HD Research in the Context of ARCSS

• Data collection at multiple spatial scales.• Time series HD data (multiple time scales).• Standardization of methods and datasets.• Construction of multivariate time plots to

integrate qualitative and quantitative data across disciplines.

• Integrated modeling to develop understanding of the behavior(s) of the human component of the system and to explore the implications of behavioral change on a system-wide scale.

HARC Synthesis Building on Activities and Research

since 2004• Seven dedicated arctic HD sessions at national and international

science meetings• Community workshops (AGU, Arctic Forum)• Increased participation in other venues (SEARCH, AON, Global

change research community)• Increased number of research publications in a wide range of

venues • Publication of papers on methods and

approaches to HD in system science

and synthesis

HARC Synthesis WorkshopBuilding on Existing Synthesis Products

Huntington, H.P., L.C. Hamilton, C. Nicolson, R. Brunner, A. Lynch,E. J. Ogilvie and Voinov, in press, Toward understanding the humandimensions of the rapidly changing Arctic system:  insights andapproaches from five HARC projects, Regional Environmental Change

Huntington, H., M. Boyle, G. Flowers, J. Weatherly, L. Hamilton, L.Hinzman, C. Gerlach, R. Zulueta, C. Nicolson, and J. Overpeck,2007. The influence of human activity in the Arctic on climate andClimate impacts. Climatic Change 82, no. 1-2: 77-92.

Overpeck, J. T., M. Sturm, J.A. Francis, D.K.J. Perovich, M.C. Serreze, R. Benner, E.C. Carmack, F.S. Chapin III, S.C. Gerlach, L.C. Hamilton, M.Holland, H.P. Huntington, J.R.Key, A.H. Lloyd, G.M. MacDonald, J.A. McFadden D. Noone, T.D. Prowse, P. Schlosser and C. Vörösmarty (2005), Arctic system on trajectory to new, seasonally ice-free state, EosTrans. AGU, 86(34), 309.

Workshop Objectives1) Participants are asked to specifically highlight the aspects of their

project that lend themselves to synthesis and the aspects that are worth exploring in a broader (arctic and global) context.

2) Participants are asked to consider a set of discussion points including:

a. Is HD research in the Arctic is more or less different than elsewhere?

b. What is the current state of HD synthesis within ARCSS?

c. What is the potential for including the Human Dimension in synthesis across arctic system components?

d. Can we incorporate HD studies into Arctic System Model analyses; what are the strategic pathways for doing so?

Workshop Participants

• ARCSS PIs• IPY Arctic Observing Network PIs• Bering Sea Ecosystem Study (BEST) PIs• HARC Science Steering Committee• Individuals from developing ARCSS

Communities of Practice • Arctic Social Sciences PIs• Other …

Disciplinary Expertise• Applied Anthropology• Biochemistry• Biological Oceanography• Civil Engineering • Computer Simulation Modeling • Cyberinfrastructure• Economics (the dismal science)• Enthnology • Environmental Archaeology• Environmental Biology• Environmental Engineering• Environmental Systems Analysis

• Geochemistry• Geography and Regional

Development• Geophysics• Historical Climatology• Wildlife Management• Resource Management Science• Sociology• Natural Resources/Regional

Planning• Paleoecology• Physical Geograpahy• Terrestrial Ecology

Disciplinary EngagementA Nice Illustration

0

1

2

3

4

5

HARC Synthesis

Social Science

Biology/Ecology

Management/Planning

Cyber/model

Interdisc Env (inclpaleo)

Phys Science

Workshop Output• Report/publications summarizing key issues, common challenges,

and gaps in knowledge • Refinement of key science questions.• Recommendations for moving towards new synthesis efforts with

respect to discussion topics

a. Is HD research in the Arctic is more or less different than elsewhere?

b. What is the current state of HD synthesis within ARCSS?

c. What is the potential for including the Human Dimension in synthesis across arctic system components?

d. Can we incorporate HD studies into Arctic System Model analyses; what are the strategic pathways for doing so?