html5-img
1 / 12

Arctic

Biodiversity. Arctic. Climate. Environmental Change. IYB. Impact on biodiversity Research focus Impediments Public engagement. Dr. Mark Graham, Director, Research Services mgraham@mus-nature.ca 613-566-4743. Wide range of uncertainty in the models about the extent

brice
Télécharger la présentation

Arctic

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Biodiversity Arctic Climate Environmental Change IYB • Impact on biodiversity • Research focus • Impediments • Public engagement Dr. Mark Graham, Director, Research Services mgraham@mus-nature.ca 613-566-4743

  2. Wide range of uncertainty in the models about the extent • of warming – half predict sea ice absence by 2080 • Sea ice and multiyear ice extent is declining • rapidly – has an impact on all aspects • of biological diversity, including ice algae • Disappearing ice impacts ice adapted • whales (beluga, narwhal, bowhead) and allows • others to move in • Traditional knowledge • leaders have seen new • species and have had more • accidents with thinning sea ice Impact on Biodiversity

  3. Mercury is prevalent in the Arctic environment and • in food species; more open water in the ocean and • lakes increases tissue levels • Marine biodiversity hotspots are emerging and • being studied • The Arctic is greening – e.g. tree-lines are • marching north • Permafrost melting and more precipitation cause • water quality issues Impact on Biodiversity

  4. Maintain independent, • ongoing research in the • North • Better understanding air • circulation – transfer of • heat and contaminants • Refine climate models of • large-scale physical • elements – sea ice • Inclusion of traditional • knowledge in research • Understand the effect of • contaminants on country • foods Research Focus

  5. Finding conservation management actions that include • the new invasive species • Incorporate technological innovations into biodiversity • research – DNA barcoding, remote sensing and • biodiversity informatics • Find effective mechanisms to share biodiversity data • freely and broadly • Collaborative scientific approaches considering ecozones • Get young HQPs involved in Arctic research Research Focus

  6. Traditional knowledge leaders • and western scientists need • mechanisms to interact • No organized system for data • sharing • Information is lacking yet essential • for economic, social and • environmental awareness and • decision making – meteorological, • biodiversity, contaminants, social Impediments

  7. No program of full-scale, long - term discovery and • monitoring of biodiversity • Field stations and other infrastructure – access and • on-going field-based research in the Arctic • Funding is always an issue for nearly everything Impediments

  8. The Arctic is important and is under global influences • Climate change is the single biggest social issue ever • There is a human component to climate change in the • Arctic – air temperature and precipitation • The Arctic is warming more than other parts of the • northern hemisphere – amplification from open ocean Public Engagement

  9. Traditional uses of Arctic biodiversity are ongoing and • important – essential to healthy communities • There is a Nunavut Biosciences Corporation – e.g. • products from seaweed, shrimps and medicinal plants • Arctic developments should be based on environmental, • social, traditional, and economic knowledge – • sustainability of biodiversity resources • The Arctic marine food web is dependent upon a rich • diversity of phytoplankton (microscopic plants) • Traditional use of marine mammals is sustainable over • long periods and commercial whaling is not • The last bits of sea ice will occur in Canada as well as all • ice-adapted marine mammals Public Engagement

  10. Increased awareness about the Arctic – important & timely • There are tremendous intangible value in the Arctic from the • landscape and biodiversity • International cooperation is necessary to address climate • change issues in the Arctic – the Arctic Council as a • possible mechanism • National parks and • reserves are good – • located in areas • predicted for the most • rapid environmental changes • There aren’t enough parks to conserve biological resources • in the Arctic, considering the changes that are indicated Other Observations

  11. Intensity of competition for Arctic resources will increase • – China has more capacity to work in the Arctic than • any other nation • Huge infrastructure investments needed in the north to • be competitive and keep pace with global developments • Climate warming is real, adaptation by humans in the • Arctic will be important – food, buildings, roads. • Adaptations and mitigations need to occur in response • to climate changes with a mechanism that allows for • balance sustainability. Other Observations

  12. Questions ? Dr. Mark Graham, Director, Research Services mgraham@mus-nature.ca 613-566-4743

More Related