Dealing with Uncertainty: Dealing with Uncertainty: Navigating Biodiversity Navigating Biodiversity Change Change in Canada’s Arctic National in Canada’s Arctic National Parks Parks Torngat Mountains National Park, Labrador Photo: D. McLennan ARCTIC BIODIVERSITY SYMPOSIUM MUSEUM OF NATURE, OTTAWA, NOVEMBER 2010
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Dealing with Uncertainty: Navigating Biodiversity Change in Canada’s Arctic National Parks
Dealing with Uncertainty: Navigating Biodiversity Change in Canada’s Arctic National Parks. Arctic Biodiversity Symposium Museum of Nature, Ottawa, November 2010. Torngat Mountains National Park, Labrador Photo: D. McLennan. Outline. Parks Canada in the North - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Dealing with Uncertainty:Dealing with Uncertainty:Navigating Biodiversity ChangeNavigating Biodiversity Change
in Canada’s Arctic National Parksin Canada’s Arctic National Parks
Torngat Mountains National Park, LabradorPhoto: D. McLennan
ARCTIC BIODIVERSITY SYMPOSIUMMUSEUM OF NATURE, OTTAWA, NOVEMBER 2010
Outline
1. Parks Canada in the North2. Arctic climate change - synopsis3. Navigating biodiversity change -
a proposed proactive adaption strategy for Arctic national parks
4. A strategy for the Arctic?
Protected Areas in the Canadian Arctic
Parks Canada Agency •one of most extensive systems of protected areas in the world.• protects and presents these treasures on behalf of Canadians• celebrating 125 years of natural heritage conservation
On behalf of the people of Canada, we protect and present nationally significant examples of Canada's natural and cultural heritage and foster public understanding, appreciation and enjoyment in ways that
ensure their ecological and commemorative integrity for present and
• land cover (ecotype/community)• productivity (biomass and VIs)• permafrost (NEST)• lake and river ice• coastal change• glaciers (area, retreat, mass balance)
Ecotype MapIvvavik NP
• eastern boundary of Beringia – unglaciated• most northerly forests in NA – south facing slopes• 28 ecotypes• important range for Porcupine Caribou Herd
The Coast• increased coastal erosion/sedimentation• changing hydrology in estuaries and lagoons• coastal fish ecology and access to streams• direct effects on ice-dependent species (polar bears, seals, walrus)
Tundra and Wetlands• ongoing influx of southern species• effects on caribou • increasing shrubs and trees• > tundra fire? snow? CO2?
Streams and Lakes• changes in flooding; break up/freeze up • > mass wasting? • changes in permafrost and thermokarst• mountain stream winter freezing?• effects on charr - new fish species (salmon?)
Potential Climate Change Effects-
Ivvavik NP
Opportunities for Development
PorcupinePorcupine
Bluenose WestBluenose West
BathurstBeverlyBluenose EastAhiakQaminirjuaq
BathurstBeverlyBluenose EastAhiakQaminirjuaq
The Challenge• navigating the combined ecological effects of climate
change and Northern development to foster social-ecological resilience and mitigate biodiversity loss
• Success will depend a new kind of inclusive approach that coordinates and optimizes the efforts of all Northern actors.
An Arctic Model for Proactive Adaptive Management
Northern Strategy
(‘Northern Management Ctte”)consultation and decisions
set 5-15 year targets
Focussed Research
How and how fast are Arctic ecosystems changing?
Coordinated Monitoring
What change is happening in Arctic ecosystems?
Management Decision Support
1. Outline key issues2. Provide a 5-15 year forecast3. Outline options and risks
State of the Arctic Report
Pan-arctic Inventory
Scoping
Ongoing Arctic Monitoring InitiativesFederal
• Parks Canada EI Monitoring• EC/MSC/WSC – climate, water
quantity and quality, CABIN• EC/CWS – caribou, polar bears,
Arctic National Parks as INoRMs Integrated Network of Research and Monitoring
1. ‘baselines’ of Arctic ecological change 2. Focal Watersheds Model: ecological inventories, long term
monitoring sites, stream discharge, weather stations; 3. “sites for science”4. long term commitment to EI monitoring and reporting 5. cooperative management with Indigenous partners6. present in northern communities/ operational in the field7. research logistical support – transportation, safety
Northern ScienceBuild on IPY Momentum
• world-leading science coordinated nationally and cooperating internationally
• “From Knowledge to Action” IPY Montreal 2012• strong outreach/communication component • effective interaction with Arctic communities• legacy of young scientists to ‘carry the torch’
Keys to Success
1.Work together on pan-Arctic objectives set out in the Northern Strategy
2.Empower northern communities as a key component of the solution
3.Invest in a knowledge system to reduce uncertainty and understand change
1. Research Summaries• plain language summary of research results • implications for park management objectives• risks/benefits of acting/not acting• identify emerging issues
2. Process Models and Projections • scaled down climate models, weather projections• 5 – 15 year projections of ecosystem change• model monitoring/model improvements/model
iterations
Science Management Support
The Role of Traditional Knowledge
There is now less snow fall and the only snow fall we get, the wind blows it away so it doesn’t have time to build up and get compact. Now we just have very small snowdrifts. The snow drifts in the past were so big that the igloos were automatically half way built.
[Original in Inuktitut – Inuit Knowledge Project]
Figure4.4. Mean annual air and soil temperatures (at 2-cm and 10-cm depths) from 1995 to 2002 in the Qarlikturvik Valley lowlands, Bylot Island (Gagnon et al., 2004).
The Need to Collaborate Internationally
1. the circum-polar Arctic is one interconnected and interdependent ecosystem - need for cooperation
2. build on IPY progress and further increase circumpolar cooperation and collaboration (ITEX, PPS, seabirds, others)
3. SAON, IASC, and many other initiatives ongoing 4. broaden opportunities for science funding; access to global