Thousands of plant and animal species are culturally important to the Indigenous peoples of North America. Global change is leading to major shifts in the abundance, distribution, and life history of these species, with concomitant effects on their value to the peoples for whom they are most culturally important. While a number of studies have begun to explore the futures of culturally significant species, these studies typically do so in isolation, focusing on individual plant species and single future scenarios, and involve little engagement with the people for whom such species are most important. This project seeks to fill this gap by examining the future of culturally important species as climate conditions change, through close [...]
Summary
Thousands of plant and animal species are culturally important to the Indigenous peoples of North America. Global change is leading to major shifts in the abundance, distribution, and life history of these species, with concomitant effects on their value to the peoples for whom they are most culturally important. While a number of studies have begun to explore the futures of culturally significant species, these studies typically do so in isolation, focusing on individual plant species and single future scenarios, and involve little engagement with the people for whom such species are most important.
This project seeks to fill this gap by examining the future of culturally important species as climate conditions change, through close engagement with Indigenous stakeholders. Using an approach known as climate-analogue mapping, researchers will examine regions that are currently experiencing the specific climate conditions that are expected to be experienced by tribal lands in the future, as a means of forecasting potential future climate conditions for tribal lands. Researchers will then conduct a tribal needs assessment by convening a listening session at the United South and Eastern Tribes meeting, during which time they will solicit feedback on the best paths forward for studying and managing species on tribal lands, in light of global change. The team will frame the listening session around the following questions: (1) which species and phenomena should be studied; (2) at what spatial and temporal scale should they be studied; and (3) what management decisions would be most relevant.
This project will set the stage for the management of culturally important species on tribal lands across North America. Products such as an online interface and physical maps of the climate analogues will allow stakeholders to begin conversations with a common starting point and at least one tangible, common frame of refence. This project will support Secretarial Priorities 1a and 4a by identifying the science needed by tribes in order for them to manage animal and plant species as they adapt to changes in the environment.
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Purpose
Many thousands of plant and animal species are culturally important to the Indigenous peoples of North America. Global change is leading to major shifts in the abundance, distribution and life history of these species, with concomitant effects on their value to the peoples for whom they are most culturally important. While a number of studies have begun to explore the futures of culturally important species, these studies typically do so in isolation (focusing on individual plant species and single scenarios) and typically do so with little engagement with the people for whom such species are most important. Here we seek to take two initial steps in what we view as a long-term endeavor. First, we use a novel approach to model the current regions to which the future climates of each tribal land in North America will be most analogous in the future. The product of this step will be an online interface as well as physical map, both of which allow stakeholders to begin conversations with a common starting point and at least one tangible, common frame of refence. Second, in light of this model and its products we will convene a listening session at the United South and Eastern Tribes meeting at which we will solicit feedback on the best way forward in terms of studying and managing species on tribal land, in light of global change. We will frame the listening session with four key questions, which species and phenomena should be studied, at what spatial and temporal scale should they be studied, what management decisions are most relevant in light of such studies. Based on our listening session, and in light of our model, we will present our results to the Public Science cluster at North Carolina State University and, in doing so, solicit involvement from the experts best able to help carry out key next steps in this work, using tools from ecology and climate science, but also the best approaches from citizen and, more generally, public science.
Project Extension
parts
type
Technical Summary
value
Many thousands of plant and animal species are culturally important to the Indigenous peoples of North America. Global change is leading to major shifts in the abundance, distribution and life history of these species, with concomitant effects on their value to the peoples for whom they are most culturally important. While a number of studies have begun to explore the futures of culturally important species, these studies typically do so in isolation (focusing on individual plant species and single scenarios) and typically do so with little engagement with the people for whom such species are most important. Here we seek to take two initial steps in what we view as a long-term endeavor. First, we use a novel approach to model the current regions to which the future climates of each tribal land in North America will be most analogous in the future. The product of this step will be an online interface as well as physical map, both of which allow stakeholders to begin conversations with a common starting point and at least one tangible, common frame of refence. Second, in light of this model and its products we will convene a listening session at the United South and Eastern Tribes meeting at which we will solicit feedback on the best way forward in terms of studying and managing species on tribal land, in light of global change. We will frame the listening session with four key questions, which species and phenomena should be studied, at what spatial and temporal scale should they be studied, what management decisions are most relevant in light of such studies. Based on our listening session, and in light of our model, we will present our results to the Public Science cluster at North Carolina State University and, in doing so, solicit involvement from the experts best able to help carry out key next steps in this work, using tools from ecology and climate science, but also the best approaches from citizen and, more generally, public science.
projectStatus
Completed
Budget Extension
annualBudgets
year
2018
totalFunds
48000.0
parts
type
Award Type
value
Grant
type
Award Number
value
G19AP00043
totalFunds
48000.0
Preview Image
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN - Credit: Alan Cressler