Climate Change Vulnerability of the US Northeast Ski Sector: a multi-methods systems-based approach

In its Fourth Assessment Report (AR4), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change estimated that global mean temperature will increase between 1.8 to 4.0°C by the end of the 21st century. An increase in global temperature by even a few degrees could have significant environmental and economic impacts, and mean that economic sectors that are better able to adapt to a changing climate will prosper, and those that are not may decline, relocate or disappear. Traditional resource sectors, which are highly reliant on environmental conditions, such as agriculture and forestry have been considering the implications of climate change for several decades. The tourism sector, which is also highly reliant on environmental factors, has only begun to consider the possible impacts of climate change over the past five to seven years. The integrated effects of a changing climate are anticipated to have far-reaching consequences for the rapidly growing global tourism economy and the communities that rely on the sector. In fact, the United Nations World Tourism Organization [UNWTO], United Nations Environment Program [UNEP] and World Meteorological Organization [WMO] identified climate change as the ‘greatest challenge to the sustainability of the global tourism industry in the 21st century’. The winter tourism sector has been repeatedly identified as vulnerable to climate change due mainly to the high susceptibility of mountain environments and the projected reduction in natural snow availability. The international ski industry has received the most detailed attention because of the sector’s high cultural and economic importance in many regions. The multi-billion dollar ski sector is highly vulnerable to changes in both regional and local climate and as a result has been projected to experience decreased natural snow reliability resulting in decreased season length, increased snowmaking requirements, increased operating costs, and decreased revenues in association with decreased visitation. The overarching goal of this dissertation is to examine climate change vulnerability (see glossary of terms, p. xi) (both- supply and demand-sides) for the entire US Northeast ski tourism sector in order to understand how the regional marketplace, as a whole, is likely to change in response to projected climate change. Previous research has been piecemeal in its approach (i.e. examining either supply or demand) and has largely neglected to examine climate change vulnerability of the ski sector from a systems-based perspective (i.e. examining both supply and demand for a single marketplace). Understanding how the US Northeast ski area marketplace may contract under climate change conditions including how ski area competitors may fair under future conditions, and how demand-side behavioural response is likely to occur, would allow ski area operators and managers to develop and implement appropriate adaptation strategies that can help reduce the negative impacts of change while taking advantage of any opportunities. The research revealed that there is likely to be a contraction of ski area supply, which favours those ski areas that are able to afford the increased cost of adapting to projected changes in climatic conditions. Ski areas that are situated at higher elevations or are located in the northern portion of the Northeast region, were found to be at an advantage due to lower temperatures and more precipitation falling as snow. Ski areas in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and northeastern New York were projected to maintain longer season lengths, require less snowmaking and be more likely to be operational during the economically important Christmas-New Year holiday than ski areas in Connecticut or Massachusetts. The extent to which skiers intend to change their skiing behaviour in response to the projected impacts on ski area supply were not significantly greater than the extent to which they already change their skiing habits when current conditions are poor. This suggests that the future response to climate change is likely to be similar to that which has been observed during marginal snow conditions of the past, and that demand for skiing opportunities is not likely to reduce proportionally to the expected reduction in supply. In which case, the ski areas that are able to remain operational under projected climate change, may be able to take advantage of a possible geographic market shift (i.e. greater demand/market share for ski areas that remain). If there is a net transfer of demand throughout the remaining marketplace, it would mean that some communities would need to prepare for development pressures (e.g. water use for snowmaking, real estate development, slope expansion, congestion) associated with the concentration of ski tourism in fewer areas, while others would need to prepare for economic diversification and investment in alternative industries (i.e. adapted snow-based industry or non-snow-based industry)

Navigating Governance Systems & Management Practices for Pleasure Craft Tourism in the Arctic

publishedVersio

Shipping Corridors as a Framework for Advancing Marine Law and Policy in the Canadian Arctic

This article describes how a new policy – Arctic shipping corridors – can provide an adaptable framework for advancing marine law and policy in the Canadian Arctic. As the polar ice pack recedes due to climate change, vessel traffic in the region is increasing. As an initial response, the Canadian federal government has proposed a system of voluntary marine transportation corridors. Shipping corridors are a pragmatic policy solution that could be used to advance a number of priority maritime issues including: responsible economic development, human and vessel safety, environmental protection, and Inuit rights. Effective designation and management of shipping corridors requires a more integrated approach than exists now to account for the complexity of the Arctic marine environment. This paper explores how corridor design can create a national arctic shipping policy that advances (1) marine safety, (2) Inuit land claims agreements, (3) environmental protection, and (4) international cooperation

Overstory and understory vegetation interact to alter soil community composition and activity

Aim: To test if there is an interactive effect between tree and understory species on the soil microbial community (SMC), community level physiological profiles (CLPP) and soil micro-fauna. Method: A replicate pot experiment with five sapling tree species (Betula pendula, Betula pubescens, Sorbus aucuparia, Quercus petraea and Pinus sylvestris) and a no-tree treatment with and without Calluna vulgaris was established. After 21 months samples were taken for phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis, CLPP and soil microfauna assessment. Results: There was an interactive effect of tree species and Calluna on the SMC, CLPP and nematode densities. Calluna addition changed the SMC composition (increase in fungal PLFAs) and the CLPP (lower utilisation of most carbon sources but greater utilisation of phenolic acids). A multivariate test for homogeneity of dispersion showed that while Calluna addition resulted in the presence of an altered microbial composition, it did not result in there being less variability among the samples with Calluna than among the samples without Calluna. Sapling trees with Calluna present grew less well than trees without Calluna. Structural equation modelling showed that it is possible that Calluna had an indirect effect on the SMC via below-ground tree biomass as well as a direct effect. Conclusion: Interactions between trees and understory vegetation can impact on the composition of soil biota and their activity

Lessons Learned through Research Partnership and Capacity Enhancement in Inuit Nunangat

Facilitating research and enhancing community research capacity through a partnered approach in Inuit Nunangat (the Inuit homeland of Canada, located in Arctic Canada) presents learning opportunities and challenges for southern-based, non-Inuit researchers and community members alike. This article outlines lessons learned through the Arctic Corridors and Northern Voices (AC-NV) project, which involved 14 communities across Inuit Nunangat. The AC-NV focused on understanding community-identified impacts and potential management options of increased shipping in Inuit Nunangat due to sea ice reductions and a changing climate. The approach used to conduct the research involved visiting researchers and community partners working together with local organizations, and training and hiring northern youth as cultural liaisons and workshop co-facilitators. We strove to develop a model of collaborative partnership and strong north-south research relationships. In this paper, we draw on our broad learning experiences from four community case studies conducted as part of the AC-NV project: Arviat, Cambridge Bay, Gjoa Haven, and Pond Inlet, Nunavut. Close partnerships were formed in each of these communities, and 32 youth were trained in participatory mapping and workshop facilitation. For our diverse team of Inuit, northern- (i.e., non-Inuit, living in Inuit Nunangat), and southern-based non-Inuit researchers, our efforts to engage in partnered research were a critical component of the research and learning experience. In this article we share methodological reflections and lessons learned from what collaborative-partnered research means in practice. In so doing, we aim to contribute to the increasing dialogue and efforts around knowledge co-production and Inuit self-determination in research. Key conclusions of this reflective exercise include the importance of 1) conducting research that is relevant to local needs and interests, 2) visiting researchers and local organizations partnering together, 3) co-creating and refining knowledge documentation tools, 4) including youth cultural liaisons as co-facilitators, 5) conducting results validation and sharing exercises, and 6) being open to forming personal friendships. For the AC-NV, this community-based partnership approach resulted in more robust research results, strengthened north-south relations, and enhanced local capacity for community-led projects.Le fait de faciliter la recherche et de rehausser la capacité de recherche communautaire par le biais d’une démarche axée sur les partenariats dans l’Inuit Nunangat (la patrie des Inuits du Canada, dans l’Arctique canadien) présente des occasions d’apprentissage et des défis pour les chercheurs non inuits du Sud et les membres de la communauté. Cet article fait ressortir les leçons apprises grâce au projet « Arctic Corridors and Northern Voices (AC-NV) » ayant fait appel à 14 collectivités de l’Inuit Nunangat. Le projet AC-NV avait pour but de comprendre les incidences cernées par la communauté et les options de gestion éventuelles en matière d’intensification du transport des marchandises dans l’Inuit Nunangat en raison de l’amenuisement de la glace de mer et du changement climatique. La démarche de recherche s’est traduite par un travail mené en collaboration par des chercheurs invités, des partenaires communautaires et des organisations locales, de même que par la formation et l’embauche de jeunes du Nord à titre de liaisons culturelles et de coanimateurs d’ateliers. Nous nous sommes efforcés de concevoir un modèle de partenariat coopératif caractérisé par de solides relations de recherche entre le Nord et le Sud. Dans cet article, nous nous appuyons sur nos vastes expériences d’apprentissage découlant de quatre études de cas communautaires réalisées dans le cadre du projet AC-NV : Arviat, Cambridge Bay, Gjoa Haven et Pond Inlet, au Nunavut. Dans chacune de ces collectivités, des partenariats étroits ont été créés, et 32 jeunes ont été formés en cartographie participative et en animation d’ateliers. Grâce à notre équipe variée composée d’Inuits, de chercheurs du Nord (c’est-à-dire des chercheurs non inuits, mais qui vivent dans l’Inuit Nunangat) et de chercheurs non inuits du Sud, nos efforts de recherche en partenariat ont représenté une composante critique de l’expérience de recherche et d’apprentissage. Dans cet article, nous faisons part de nos réflexions méthodologiques et des leçons que nous avons tirées de la signification pratique de la recherche coopérative en partenariat. Ce faisant, nous voulons faire notre part dans le dialogue de plus en plus prépondérant et dans les efforts relatifs à la coproduction de connaissances et à l’autodétermination des Inuits en matière de recherche. Parmi les grandes conclusions de cet exercice de réflexion, notons l’importance 1) de faire des recherches qui se rapportent aux besoins et aux intérêts locaux, 2) de faire en sorte que les chercheurs invités et les organisations locales travaillent en collaboration, 3) de coproduire et de peaufiner des outils de documentation des connaissances, 4) d’inclure les jeunes à titre de liaisons culturelles et de coanimateurs, 5) de procéder à la validation des résultats et à des exercices de partage, et 6) d’être prêt à nouer des amitiés personnelles. Dans le cas du projet ACNV, la méthode du partenariat communautaire a permis d’obtenir des résultats de recherche plus solides, de renforcer les relations nord-sud et de rehausser la capacité locale en vue de projets communautaires

Effects of Arctic commercial shipping on environments and communities : context, governance, priorities

Increasing shipping traffic in the Arctic Ocean creates an emerging need to understand the consequences of maritime operations on the Arctic environment and coastal Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, as well as potential governance responses. To address this need, we examine recent shipping trends and assess their impact on Arctic environments and communities. Our arguments are novel, and are built around contemporary empirical investigations and published scientific studies, reports, and government documents. The paper concludes that the environmental and community impacts vary across the Arctic and that greater international coordination is needed to learn from experience, to share assets and capacities, and to guide responsible and sustainable development of Arctic shipping. Given the possibility for opening of the Transpolar Sea Route within the coming decades, further proactive steps, such as developing a governance framework, could help Arctic shipping avoid rather than attempt to correct problems. Shipping Arctic routes Indigenous peoples Local communities Social and environmental concerns RiskspublishedVersio

Sheep Updates 2015 - Moora

This session covers thirteen papers from different authors: 1. The Sheep Industry Business Innovation project, Bruce Mullan, Sheep Industry Development Director, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia 2. Western Australian sheep stocktake, Kate Pritchett and Kimbal Curtis, Research Officers, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia 3. Tedera - a perenial forage legume to reduce your supplementary feeding in summer and autumn, Dr. Daniel Real, Senior Plant Breeder, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia 4. National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) for sheep and goats - what is the NLIS database? Jac Pearson, Biosecurity Officer, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia 5. Myths, Facts and the role of animal welfare in farming, Lynne Bradshaw, president, RSPCA WA 6. Latest research and development on breech strike prevention, Geoff Lindon, Manager Productivity and Animal Welfare, AWI 7. Lamb Survival Initiative and 100% Club, Katherine Davies, Development Officer, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia 8. Subsidised disease investigation pilot program, Kevin Hepworth, Program Coordinator, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia 9. Using genomic technology to increase genetic gain, Stephen Lee, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide and Sheep Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) 10. A case study of sheep breeding using the latest genetic and genomic technology, Dawson Bradford, Producer, Hillcroft Farms, Narrogin WA 11. Economics of feed lotting - to feed-lot or not?, Lucy Anderton, Economist, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia 12. Sheep industry traineeships - encouraging a new generation of farmers, Jackie Jarvis, Consultant, Agrifood Labour & Skills 13.Opportunities and challenges facing youth in the sheep and wool industry, Ben Patrick, Yarrawonga Stu