Changing Paths: Climate Impacts on Caribou Migration and Habitat Connectivity

The ability of species to adapt to the shifting environmental conditions associated with climate change will be a key determinant of their persistence in the coming decades. This is a challenge already faced by species in the Arctic, where rapid environmental change is well underway. Caribou and reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) play a key role in Arctic ecosystems and provide irreplaceable socioeconomic value to many northern peoples. Recent decades have seen declines in many Rangifer populations, and there is strong concern that climate change is threatening the viability of this iconic Arctic species. I will discuss the migratory and calving behaviour responses of barren-ground caribou in the Qamanirjuaq herd to earlier springs, and how changing snow cover on the late winter and migratory ranges affects migratory behaviour. I will also discuss how we can model the effects of sea-ice loss on habitat connectivity for Peary caribou (R. t. pearyi), a subspecies that is widely dispersed across the islands of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and relies on sea ice to move seasonally between island habitats.

About our speaker:  Dr. Conor Mallory currently works at Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and is focused on research and political advocacy to address the complex socioeconomic challenges and inequities that exist across Inuit Nunangat. During his time at ITK, he has worked on implementation of the Qanuippitaa? National Inuit Health Survey, the National Inuit Strategy on Research and the development of the National Inuit Data Strategy. He grew up in Nunavut and worked there in environmental policy and wildlife research before joining ITK. Conor received his PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of Alberta for his research on barren-ground caribou movement and responses to climate change in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.