Conceptualizing Indigenous Cultural Ecosystem Services (ICES) and Benefits under Changing Climate Conditions in the Klamath River Basin and Their Implications for Land Management and Governance

Abstract

In the Klamath River Basin (KRB) of northern California and southern Oregon, climate-related changes, such as more intense droughts, varied and concentrated precipitation, earlier spring and later fall conditions, extreme temperatures, and decreased snowpack have contributed to increasingly unpredictable plant reproduction and harvest cycles. In this study, we explore contemporary relationships between plants and Indigenous People in the KRB, identifying benefits of cultural ecosystem services (CES) derived from Indigenous stewarding and gathering of culturally significant plants, and discuss how these services may change based on climate change observations and experiences. This study contributes to the conceptualization of Indigenous Cultural Ecosystem Services (ICES), providing a framework for the incorporation of Indigenous concepts, approaches, and perspectives into assessments of ecosystem services (ES) and, particularly, CES. It highlights the value of Indigenous perspectives and observations of climate change effects on plant reproduction and productivity, as well as their contribution to cultural ecosystem resilience and adaptation under changing climate conditions. We propose that incorporating Indigenous concepts and approaches to assessing CES and ES could lead to more holistic management decisions and better-informed climate adaptation initiatives with greater ES for all.

Enhancing Indigenous Food Sovereignty and Community Health Through the Karuk Agroecosystem Resilience Initiative: We Are Caring for It: xúus nu’éethti

“…Law and policies, such as the Kaurk Land Back Bill (H.R. 6032, 2022), that support not only Indigenous relationship with land but also jurisdiction and agency connected to Indigenous lands and stewardship are essential to this process (Mucioki et al, 2021).…”

Stories as data: Indigenous research sovereignty and the “Intentional Fire” podcast

“…Fire is an essential part of many ecosystems in the Western United States (US). However, in the last decade, wildfires have increased in frequency and intensity, leading to catastrophic events (Marks-Block et al, 2021; Mucioki et al, 2021; Williams et al, 2019). In the 20th century, federal and state agencies instituted fire suppression policies that excluded prescribed fires, including cultural burning by Indigenous communities (Clark et al, 2021; Goode et al, 2022; Marks-Block et al, 2021; Marks-Block and Tripp, 2021).…”

“…In the 20th century, federal and state agencies instituted fire suppression policies that excluded prescribed fires, including cultural burning by Indigenous communities (Clark et al, 2021; Goode et al, 2022; Marks-Block et al, 2021; Marks-Block and Tripp, 2021). These fire suppression policies and practices led to an accumulation of fuel and, consequently, more catastrophic events have occurred (Marks-Block et al, 2021; Mucioki et al, 2021; USGCRP, 2018). Anthropogenic climate change aggravates this situation, which has altered ecosystems and natural cycles, leading to an increase in burned areas (USGCRP, 2018).…”

“…Since time immemorial, Indigenous communities have used their knowledge to maintain healthy ecosystems (Austin, 2004;Kimmerer and Lake, 2001;Lake et al, 2017;Lightfoot and Parrish, 2009;Long et al, 2021;Mucioki et al, 2021). In the mid-Klamath River Basin of California, the Karuk and other Indigenous peoples have used low-intensity fires to minimize the risk of large wildfires, encourage desired plant communities, increase hunting successes, and maintain cultural resources, among other benefits (Anderson, 2006;Goode et al, 2022;Knight et al, 2020;Mucioki et al, 2021). However, since the onset of settler colonialism by the United States, people who are not familiar with the local dynamics of the region have carried out natural resource science and management (e.g.…”

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“…Continuing the efforts to bring IPLC into the global climate agenda, Mucioki et al (2021) investigate contemporary relationships between plants and Indigenous people in the Klamath River Basin of northern California and southern Oregon, identifying benefits of cultural ecosystem services derived from Indigenous stewarding and gathering of cultural plants. They discuss how these services may further change based on climate change observations and experiences.…”