Applications of resilience theory in management of a moose–hunter system in Alaska

Abstract

ABSTRACT. We investigated wildfire-related effects on a slow ecological variable, i.e., forage production, and fast social-ecological variables, i.e., seasonal harvest rates, hunter access, and forage offtake, in a moose-hunter system in interior Alaska. In a 1994 burn, average forage production increased slightly (5%) between 2007 and 2013; however, the proportional removal across all sites declined significantly (10%). This suggests that moose are not utilizing the burn as much as they have in the past and that, as the burn has aged, the apparent habitat quality has declined. Areas with a greater proportion of accessible burned area supported both high numbers of hunters and harvested moose. Our results suggest that evaluating ecological variables in conjunction with social variables can provide managers with information to forecast management scenarios. We recommend that wildlife managers monitor fast variables frequently, e.g., annually, to adapt and keep their management responsive as resources fluctuate; whereas slower variables, which require less frequent monitoring, should be actively incorporated into long-term management strategies. Climate-driven increases in wildfire extent and severity and economically driven demographic changes are likely to increase both moose density and hunting pressure. However, the future resilience of this moose-hunter system will depend on integrated management of wildfire, hunter access, and harvest opportunities.

Climate change, moose, and subsistence harvest: social-ecological assessment of Nuiqsut, Alaska

“…The application of a SES framework highlights the importance of analyzing spatial patterns of resource distribution and harvest access for assessing climate change impacts on harvest availability (Brinkman et al 2013, Brown et al 2015, which is consistent with concerns expressed by Alaska Native communities (Berman and Kofinas 2004, Arctic Council 2016, Christie et al 2018, Meredith et al 2019. Without considering the social component of hunting access, assessment of climate change impacts on subsistence resources can be misleading and confounding (Gerlach et al 2017).…”

Cascading effects: insights from the U.S. Long Term Ecological Research Network

“…Moose movement and browsing patterns are highly responsive to the degree of deciduousness (trees and shrubs) following fire (Brown et al 2017), while aspen height growth during early succession is controlled by an interaction between fire severity and browsing intensity (Conway and Johnstone 2017). Moose responses to fire are important to wildlife management because many Alaskan residents rely on moose as a food source (Brown et al 2015 a ). Climate‐driven changes in the environment (including fires and weather) have challenged hunters’ ability to access traditional hunting areas during times that would optimize harvest opportunity (Brinkman et al 2013, Carothers et al 2014).…”

Alaskan wild food harvester information needs and climate adaptation strategies

“…Opportunities for adaptation exist for resource managers and other local decision makers when management strategies are adaptive and incorporate an understanding of climate variability in conjunction with local observations and resource needs. It will be important for researchers and managers to consider resource availability and accessibility, which accounts for not only the abundance of wild foods, but also for seasonal variations, spatial distributions, and obstacles to access (Brown et al 2015. The ability to predict altered spatial distributions varies dramatically by species (Sekercioglu et al 2008), and presents challenges to managers developing and implementing comprehensive strategies that mitigate the effects of climate changes on wild foods.…”