OTH59 - The influence of Arctic change on wildlife and habitats - sponsored by Nunavut Wildlife Management Board

As the Arctic warms, habitats are changing influencing wildlife and the livelihoods of people. In terrestrial ecosystems, vegetation change is altering the abundance forage species and the timing of plant growth is impacting the behaviour and movement of wildlife. In marine ecosystems, longer ice-free seasons and more restricted ice extent is altering marine habitats with ice-dependent species either following the ice edge or persisting in ice-free waters. Habitat change alters the distributions, migratory behaviours and abundance of wildlife species including species of importance to the livelihoods of Indigenous people such as caribou, beaver, char and beluga. This research area is advanced by the integration of Indigenous knowledge and new technologies from video collars, satellite tracking and drone observations. In this session, we encourage presentations that explore the links between habitats, wildlife and livelihoods across marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems in the rapidly changing Arctic. 

Co-Chairs: Isla Myers-Smith, University of British Columbia 

Trevor Lantz, University of Victoria 

Murray Humphries, McGill University 

Madeleine Anderson, Université de Sherbrooke