Wildlife and global warming Navigating the Arctic Meltdown

• Main Authors: Courtesy U. S. Fish, Wildlife Service
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arctic; Peary; Global warming
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.230.7998; http://www.defenders.org/resources/publications/programs_and_policy/science_and_economics/global_warming/navigating_the_arctic_meltdown_caribou.pdf

In both fable and fact, caribou—or reindeer, as they are known in Europe and Asia—are renowned for their long-distance travels. In Christmas lore, an intrepid team of these hooved animals pulls Santa Claus and his sleigh full of presents around the world in a single night. In real life, caribou cover hundreds or thousands of miles along their annual migration routes, in search of lichens, moss, shrubs and grasses to eat. Survival in the harsh Arctic, where the ecosystem is fragile and plant growth slow, requires this almost constant movement. The food and habitat resources of the Arctic ecosystem on which caribou depend are easily destroyed by human disturbance. Unfortunately, such disturbances are widespread and include oil and gas exploration, roads and infrastructure, and, increasingly, the impacts of a changing climate. While most caribou populations are relatively healthy, a recent catastrophic decline of one North American group serves as a stark warning. The Peary caribou is a subspecies found in Canada’s high Arctic. Peary caribou are smaller than their mainland cousins and have snow-colored fur. In June 2007, Canada’s environment minister proposed