Valuation of Country Food in Nunavut Based on Energy and Protein Replacement

Communicating value across the pluralities of Indigenous Peoples’ food systems requires attention to economy and environment, food and wildlife, and the health of the people and that of the land. Valuation of distinct entities is always difficult but often essential to describe collective wealth and well-being, to quantify trade-offs, and to consider compensation when one is compromised for another. Here we estimate the replacement value of Nunavut country food by combining information on the amount and nutritional composition of harvested country food with the nutritional content and local price of store-bought food. Comparing the five-year average of energy and protein available in reported harvest to recommended dietary allowances indicates that 17 of 21 Nunavut communities harvest enough country food to satisfy the protein requirements of all community members. Nunavut’s country food system annually harvests five million kg of protein-rich food from across the territory, which would cost $198 million to purchase as store-bought protein, with a replacement value between$13.19 and $39.67 per kg depending on energy versus protein replacement and the inclusion versus exclusion of store-bought food subsidies. These valuations are higher than most previous estimates of local food value because they are more reflective of the energy and nutrient richness of country food and the high price of store-bought food in northern communities. The country food system is priceless in many, profound ways; better awareness of its energy and protein cost of replacement, together with the breadth of its nutritional and cultural value, may help to ensure local food systems are prioritized in northern food security and economic development initiatives. La communication de la valeur à travers les pluralités des systèmes alimentaires des peuples autochtones doit tenir compte de l’économie et de l’environnement, de l’alimentation et de la faune, de la santé des gens et de celle de la terre. L’évaluation d’entités distinctes est toujours difficile, mais souvent essentielle pour décrire la richesse et le bien-être collectifs, pour quantifier les concessions et pour considérer une compensation lorsqu’un système est compromis en raison d’un autre. Dans cet article, nous estimons la valeur de remplacement de la nourriture traditionnelle du Nunavut en combinant des données sur la quantité et la composition nutritionnelle des aliments récoltés sur le terroir, ainsi que sur le contenu nutritionnel et le prix local de la nourriture achetée en magasin. La comparaison de la moyenne quinquennale des données en valeur énergétique et protéique provenant des récoltes déclarées aux apports nutritionnels recommandés permet de constater que 17 des 21 collectivités du Nunavut récoltent suffisamment de nourriture traditionnelle pour satisfaire aux besoins en protéines de tous les membres des collectivités. Annuellement, le système alimentaire traditionnel du Nunavut donne lieu à des récoltes de cinq millions de kilogrammes de nourriture riche en protéines à l’échelle du territoire, ce qui représenterait des achats d’aliments protéinés en magasin d’une valeur de 198 millions de dollars, moyennant une valeur de remplacement s’échelonnant entre 13,19$ et 39,67 $ le kilogramme, selon que le remplacement est calculé en fonction de la valeur énergétique ou protéique, et avec inclusion ou exclusion des subventions au titre de la nourriture achetée en magasin. Ces évaluations sont plus élevées que la plupart des estimations antérieures de la valeur de la nourriture locale parce qu’elles tiennent davantage compte de la valeur énergétique et de la richesse en nutriments de la nourriture traditionnelle ainsi que du prix élevé de la nourriture achetée en magasin dans les collectivités nordiques. À bien des égards importants, le système alimentaire traditionnel a une valeur inestimable. Le fait de prendre davantage conscience du coût de remplacement de la valeur énergétique et protéique des aliments, en plus de l’ampleur de la valeur culturelle et nutritionnelle du système, pourrait aider à faire en sorte que les systèmes alimentaires locaux soient priorisés par les initiatives de sécurité alimentaire et de développement économique dans le Nord.

Body Temperature Patterns and Rhythmicity in Free-Ranging Subterranean Damaraland Mole-Rats, Fukomys damarensis

Body temperature (Tb) is an important physiological component that affects endotherms from the cellular to whole organism level, but measurements of Tb in the field have been noticeably skewed towards heterothermic species and seasonal comparisons are largely lacking. Thus, we investigated patterns of Tb patterns in a homeothermic, free-ranging small mammal, the Damaraland mole-rat (Fukomys damarensis) during both the summer and winter. Variation in Tb was significantly greater during winter than summer, and greater among males than females. Interestingly, body mass had only a small effect on variation in Tb and there was no consistent pattern relating ambient temperature to variation in Tb. Generally speaking, it appears that variation in Tb patterns varies between seasons in much the same way as in heterothermic species, just to a lesser degree. Both cosinor analysis and Fast Fourier Transform analysis revealed substantial individual variation in Tb rhythms, even within a single colony. Some individuals had no Tb rhythms, while others appeared to exhibit multiple rhythms. These data corroborate previous laboratory work showing multiplicity of rhythms in mole-rats and suggest the variation seen in the laboratory is a true indicator of the variation seen in the wild

Identifying the critical habitat of Canadian vertebrate species at risk

Identification of critical habitat is central to major conservation laws protecting endangered species in North America and around the world. Yet the actual ecological research that is required to identify which habitats are critical to the survival or recovery of species is rarely discussed and poorly documented. Here we quantitatively assess the information and methods used to identify critical habitat in the recovery strategies of 53 vertebrates at risk in Canada. Of the CH identifications assessed, 17% were based habitat occupancy information, 28% on habitat characteristics and/or functions and 40% assessed habitat suitability by linking functional use and biophysical characteristics. However, only 15% of the recovery strategies we evaluated examined relationships between habitat and population viability, abundance, individual fitness, or survival. Furthermore, the breadth of evidence used to assess critical habitats was weaker among long-lived taxa and did not improve over time. Hence, although any approach used to identify CH is likely to be a step in the right direction in minimally protecting and maintaining habitats supporting critical life-cycle processes, there is a persistent gap between the widely recognized importance of critical habitat and our ability to quantitatively link habitats to population trends and individual fitness.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Data from: Individual variation in energy-saving heterothermy affects survival and reproductive success

Given fundamental energetic trade-offs among growth, maintenance and reproduction, individual differences in energy saving should have consequences for survival and reproductive success. Many endotherms use periodic heterothermy to reduce energy and water requirements and individual variation in heterothermy should have fitness consequences. However, attempts to disentangle individual- and population-level variation in heterothermy are scarce. Here, we quantified patterns of heterothermy of 55 free-ranging eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus), food-hoarding hibernators. Over five hibernation periods, we obtained a total of 7108 daily individual heterothermy indices (median: 118 per individual). Based on an individual reaction norm approach, we found that the use of heterothermy was repeatable and varied among individuals of the same population under similar environmental conditions. This among-individual variation had consequences for winter survival and reproductive success. Individuals using less heterothermy at the beginning of the winter had decreased survival in resource-rich but not in resource-poor years and higher reproductive success in the subsequent breeding season. These results support the hypothesis that fluctuating selection maintains heterothermic diversity and suggest that individualized ecophysiology can contribute to a more thorough understanding of the evolution of energy-saving strategies in endotherms

Appendix A. Comparisons among four age and sex classes in the percentage of time spent torpid, average torpor bout length, and the average torpor bout minimum skin temperature in three 20-day windows within the low-food year (2005–2006) and the high-food year (2006–2007).

Comparisons among four age and sex classes in the percentage of time spent torpid, average torpor bout length, and the average torpor bout minimum skin temperature in three 20-day windows within the low-food year (2005–2006) and the high-food year (2006–2007)

Appendix B. Mixed model repeated-measures analysis of Tsk-m for all observed torpor bouts including a random effect of individual and a fixed effect of year interacting with burrow soil temperature (Tsoil; average during a given torpor bout).

Mixed model repeated-measures analysis of Tsk-m for all observed torpor bouts including a random effect of individual and a fixed effect of year interacting with burrow soil temperature (Tsoil; average during a given torpor bout)

THE SEASONALITY OF A MIGRATORY MOOSE POPULATION IN NORTHERN YUKON

At the northern edge of their North American range, moose (Alces alces) occupy treeline and shrub tundra environments characterized by extreme seasonality. Here we describe aspects of the seasonal ecology of a northern Yukon moose population that summers in Old Crow Flats, a thermokarst wetland complex, and winters in surrounding alpine habitat. We collared 19 moose (10 adult males and 9 adult females) fitted with GPS radio-collars in Old Crow Flats during summer, and monitored their year-round habitat use, associated environmental conditions, and movements for 2 years. Seventeen of 19 moose were classified as migratory, leaving Old Crow Flats between August and November and returning in April to July, and spent winter in alpine habitats either northwest (n = 8), west (n = 4), or southeast (n = 5) of Old Crow Flats. The straight-line migration distance between summer and winter ranges ranged from 59 to 144 km, averaging 27 km further for bulls than cows. In summer, 18 of 19 moose situated their home ranges in and around drained lake basins and shallow lake habitats within Old Crow Flats. In winter, moose at elevations < 400 m selected for river, shrub, or drained lake habitats, whereas those at elevations >600 m selected for shrubby valley bottoms near lakes and rivers within home ranges dominated by alpine tundra. Moose at high elevations marginally reduced their exposure to cold extremes due to the prevalence of thermal inversions, but cold avoidance was not a strong driver of habitat selection, including for moose at low elevations. Stable isotope signatures of moose hair, aquatic plants, and terrestrial plants were consistent with a year-round, shrub-dominated diet characterized by slight habitat- and season-associated dietary differences. Local knowledge of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation predicted several of our major results, including 1) summer home range fidelity, 2) selection of lakeshore habitats, 3) use of drained lake basins, 4) dietary reliance on shrubs and emergent vegetation, and 5) responses to contemporary environmental changes. Although the core habitat of this moose population, including the winter ranges of its 3 subpopulations, is well protected by a variety of special management units, parks, and protected areas in Yukon and Alaska, pronounced climate warming is dramatically impacting this thermokarst wetland. Coordinated monitoring, management, and conservation of this unique landscape, moose population, and socio-ecological system is warranted

Data from: Behavioral classification of low frequency acceleration and temperature data from a free ranging small mammal

1. The miniaturization and affordability of new technology is driving a biologging revolution in wildlife ecology with use of animal-borne data logging devices. Among many new biologging technologies, accelerometers are emerging as key tools for continuously recording animal behavior. Yet a critical, but under-acknowledged consideration in biologging is the trade-off between sampling rate and sampling duration, created by battery- (or memory-) related sampling constraints. This is especially acute among small animals, causing most researchers to sample at high rates for very limited durations.Here, we show that high accuracy in behavioral classification is achievable when pairing low frequency acceleration recordings with temperature. 2. We conducted 84 hours of direct behavioral observations on 67 free-ranging red squirrels (200-300 g) that were fitted with accelerometers (2 g) recording tri-axial acceleration and temperature at 1 Hz. We then used a random forest algorithm and a manually-created decision tree, with variable sampling window lengths, to associate observed behavior with logger recorded acceleration and temperature. Finally, we assessed the accuracy of these different classifications using an additional 60 hours of behavioral observations, not used in the initial classification. 3. The accuracy of the manually-created decision tree classification using observational data varied from 70.6% to 91.6% depending on the complexity of the tree, with increasing accuracy as complexity decreased. Short duration behavior like running had lower accuracy than long duration behavior like feeding. The random forest algorithm offered similarly high overall accuracy, but the manual decision tree afforded the flexibility to create a hierarchical tree, and to adjust sampling window length for behavioral states with varying durations. 4. Low frequency biologging of acceleration and temperature allows accurate behavioral classification of small animals over multi-month sampling durations. Nevertheless, low sampling rates impose several important limitations, especially related to assessing the classification accuracy of short duration behavior

Hibernation and daily torpor minimize mammalian extinctions

Small mammals appear to be less vulnerable to extinction than large species, but the underlying reasons are poorly understood. Here, we provide evidence that almost all (93.5%) of 61 recently extinct mammal species were homeothermic, maintaining a constant high body temperature and thus energy expenditure, which demands a high intake of food, long foraging times, and thus exposure to predators. In contrast, only 6.5% of extinct mammals were likely heterothermic and employed multi-day torpor (hibernation) or daily torpor, even though torpor is widespread within more than half of all mammalian orders. Torpor is characterized by substantial reductions of body temperature and energy expenditure and enhances survival during adverse conditions by minimizing food and water requirements, and consequently reduces foraging requirements and exposure to predators. Moreover, because life span is generally longer in heterothermic mammals than in related homeotherms, heterotherms can employ a 'sit-and-wait' strategy to withstand adverse periods and then repopulate when circumstances improve. Thus, torpor is a crucial but hitherto unappreciated attribute of small mammals for avoiding extinction. Many opportunistic heterothermic species, because of their plastic energetic requirements, may also stand a better chance of future survival than homeothermic species in the face of greater climatic extremes and changes in environmental conditions caused by global warming