Indigenous voices in climate change adaptation

AbstractThis project investigated how the deep knowledge of the Yorta Yorta people can be used to strengthen their participation and influence in the complex national and regional processes that determine how their traditional lands, which are in the highly-contested Murray-Darling Basin, are managed, leading to improved adaptation decisions both for the Yorta Yorta and the wider community.Through discussions with the Yorta Yorta over several years, the approach developed for the project was the creation of a Geographical Information System (GIS) mapping framework containing both Yorta Yorta knowledge and more conventional knowledge. GIS allows for mapping and layering of different types of data, allowing the Yorta Yorta to access and present their knowledge in ways that relate to Western decision-making processes. To do this, the project had four components:1. Development and testing of protocols and methodology for the collection and protection of Yorta Yorta knowledge. This was carried out through an intergenerational process, whereby Yorta Yorta youth were trained in cultural data collection techniques, and they interviewed Elders to capture the knowledge.2. Building of a GIS framework to integrate both the Yorta Yorta knowledge and more conventional data about the climate, hydrology and biodiversity of the Yorta Yorta area. For the first time this pulled together all of the conventional information normally used as a basis for natural resource management decisions. In addition, because the GIS database has been created and is owned by the Yorta Yorta means that they have something of value to bring to the discussions, so that they are able to participate in those discussions on equal terms.3. Exploration of the views of the broader community in the region regarding management of the region and adaptation alternatives through a stakeholder consultation process. The consultation identified the potential for greater use of science as a neutral arbiter in issues such as management of the Murray-Darling Basin, but even more important is the need for genuine, deep, open-minded dialogue with the community at all stages of decision-making, particularly at an early stage before proposals are put forward and views become entrenched.4. Identification of broader lessons for improving adaptation of First Nations communities in Australia from the experience of the Yorta Yorta and other communities around the country, through a national workshop. The key conclusion of the workshop was the urgent need to empower First Nation communities to make their own assessments and decisions on the best ways for them to respond to climate change.The project raised community awareness and knowledge and energised the Yorta Yorta youth to take an interest in their history and culture, and in the climate challenges facing their community. Overall the project has been a successful pilot demonstration of the utility of a GIS database to integrate Indigenous and conventional knowledge for better natural resource management outcomes and the project has increased the knowledge and capacity of the Yorta Yorta to engage in effective natural resource management and decision-making.Please cite this report as:Griggs, D, Lynch, A, Joachim, L, Zhu, X, Adler, C, Bischoff-Mattson, Z, Wang, P, Kestin, T 2013  Indigenous voices in climate change adaptation: Addressing the challenges of diverse knowledge systems in the Barmah-Millewa, National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, Gold Coast, pp.71AbstractThis project investigated how the deep knowledge of the Yorta Yorta people can be used to strengthen their participation and influence in the complex national and regional processes that determine how their traditional lands, which are in the highly-contested Murray-Darling Basin, are managed, leading to improved adaptation decisions both for the Yorta Yorta and the wider community.Through discussions with the Yorta Yorta over several years, the approach developed for the project was the creation of a Geographical Information System (GIS) mapping framework containing both Yorta Yorta knowledge and more conventional knowledge. GIS allows for mapping and layering of different types of data, allowing the Yorta Yorta to access and present their knowledge in ways that relate to Western decision-making processes. To do this, the project had four components:Development and testing of protocols and methodology for the collection and protection of Yorta Yorta knowledge. This was carried out through an intergenerational process, whereby Yorta Yorta youth were trained in cultural data collection techniques, and they interviewed Elders to capture the knowledge.Building of a GIS framework to integrate both the Yorta Yorta knowledge and more conventional data about the climate, hydrology and biodiversity of the Yorta Yorta area. For the first time this pulled together all of the conventional information normally used as a basis for natural resource management decisions. In addition, because the GIS database has been created and is owned by the Yorta Yorta means that they have something of value to bring to the discussions, so that they are able to participate in those discussions on equal terms.Exploration of the views of the broader community in the region regarding management of the region and adaptation alternatives through a stakeholder consultation process. The consultation identified the potential for greater use of science as a neutral arbiter in issues such as management of the Murray-Darling Basin, but even more important is the need for genuine, deep, open-minded dialogue with the community at all stages of decision-making, particularly at an early stage before proposals are put forward and views become entrenched.Identification of broader lessons for improving adaptation of First Nations communities in Australia from the experience of the Yorta Yorta and other communities around the country, through a national workshop. The key conclusion of the workshop was the urgent need to empower First Nation communities to make their own assessments and decisions on the best ways for them to respond to climate change.The project raised community awareness and knowledge and energised the Yorta Yorta youth to take an interest in their history and culture, and in the climate challenges facing their community. Overall the project has been a successful pilot demonstration of the utility of a GIS database to integrate Indigenous and conventional knowledge for better natural resource management outcomes and the project has increased the knowledge and capacity of the Yorta Yorta to engage in effective natural resource management and decision-making

Learning from Indigenous knowledge for improved natural resource management in the Barmah-Millewa in a changing and variable climate

The integration of different forms of knowledge of the relationships between climate, people and natural resources is an important issue in adapting to climate change. With some of the longest continuing cultures on earth, the indigenous communities of Australia hold valuable knowledge that has not generally been used effectively or equitably in environmental decision making. Indigenous people have not been empowered to participate in decision making processes due, in part, to lack of mutual understanding of western science and indigenous knowledge systems and lack of capacity to capture, manage and present traditional knowledge in indigenous communities. This project explored how the deep knowledge of country of the Yorta Yorta people on the Murray River could be used to strengthen their participation and influence in regional natural resource management processes affecting the Barmah-Millewa Forest. We undertook a community mapping process to collect Yorta Yorta knowledge and combine it in a GIS framework with conventional environmental and other data. This framework is the basis for producing integrated maps and analyses to support decision making in the region. In addition, we undertook an appraisal of institutional barriers and bridges to sustainable management of the Barmah-Millewa. The project arose as a community-led initiative following several years of conversation between the Yorta Yorta community and university academics on the threats climate change poses for the community and possible community responses. As a unique partnership, a key principle of this project was ethical and respectful relations among Western researchers and Indigenous partners, and hence authentic engagement with traditional knowledge keepers both within and beyond the research team was embedded in all stages of this project

Integration of hybridization-based markers (overgos) into physical maps for comparative and evolutionary explorations in the genus Oryza and in Sorghum

BACKGROUND: With the completion of the genome sequence for rice (Oryza sativa L.), the focus of rice genomics research has shifted to the comparison of the rice genome with genomes of other species for gene cloning, breeding, and evolutionary studies. The genus Oryza includes 23 species that shared a common ancestor 8–10 million years ago making this an ideal model for investigations into the processes underlying domestication, as many of the Oryza species are still undergoing domestication. This study integrates high-throughput, hybridization-based markers with BAC end sequence and fingerprint data to construct physical maps of rice chromosome 1 orthologues in two wild Oryza species. Similar studies were undertaken in Sorghum bicolor, a species which diverged from cultivated rice 40–50 million years ago. RESULTS: Overgo markers, in conjunction with fingerprint and BAC end sequence data, were used to build sequence-ready BAC contigs for two wild Oryza species. The markers drove contig merges to construct physical maps syntenic to rice chromosome 1 in the wild species and provided evidence for at least one rearrangement on chromosome 1 of the O. sativa versus Oryza officinalis comparative map. When rice overgos were aligned to available S. bicolor sequence, 29% of the overgos aligned with three or fewer mismatches; of these, 41% gave positive hybridization signals. Overgo hybridization patterns supported colinearity of loci in regions of sorghum chromosome 3 and rice chromosome 1 and suggested that a possible genomic inversion occurred in this syntenic region in one of the two genomes after the divergence of S. bicolor and O. sativa. CONCLUSION: The results of this study emphasize the importance of identifying conserved sequences in the reference sequence when designing overgo probes in order for those probes to hybridize successfully in distantly related species. As interspecific markers, overgos can be used successfully to construct physical maps in species which diverged less than 8 million years ago, and can be used in a more limited fashion to examine colinearity among species which diverged as much as 40 million years ago. Additionally, overgos are able to provide evidence of genomic rearrangements in comparative physical mapping studies

GW190412: Observation of a Binary-Black-Hole Coalescence with Asymmetric Masses

We report the observation of gravitational waves from a binary-black-hole coalescence during the first two weeks of LIGO’s and Virgo’s third observing run. The signal was recorded on April 12, 2019 at 05∶30∶44 UTC with a network signal-to-noise ratio of 19. The binary is different from observations during the first two observing runs most notably due to its asymmetric masses: a ∼30 M_⊙ black hole merged with a ∼8 M_⊙ black hole companion. The more massive black hole rotated with a dimensionless spin magnitude between 0.22 and 0.60 (90% probability). Asymmetric systems are predicted to emit gravitational waves with stronger contributions from higher multipoles, and indeed we find strong evidence for gravitational radiation beyond the leading quadrupolar order in the observed signal. A suite of tests performed on GW190412 indicates consistency with Einstein’s general theory of relativity. While the mass ratio of this system differs from all previous detections, we show that it is consistent with the population model of stellar binary black holes inferred from the first two observing runs

Properties and Astrophysical Implications of the 150 M_⊙ Binary Black Hole Merger GW190521

The gravitational-wave signal GW190521 is consistent with a binary black hole (BBH) merger source at redshift 0.8 with unusually high component masses, 85⁺²¹₋₁₄ M_⊙ and 66⁺¹⁷₋₁₈ M_⊙, compared to previously reported events, and shows mild evidence for spin-induced orbital precession. The primary falls in the mass gap predicted by (pulsational) pair-instability supernova theory, in the approximate range 65–120 M_⊙. The probability that at least one of the black holes in GW190521 is in that range is 99.0%. The final mass of the merger 142⁺²⁸₋₁₆ M_⊙) classifies it as an intermediate-mass black hole. Under the assumption of a quasi-circular BBH coalescence, we detail the physical properties of GW190521's source binary and its post-merger remnant, including component masses and spin vectors. Three different waveform models, as well as direct comparison to numerical solutions of general relativity, yield consistent estimates of these properties. Tests of strong-field general relativity targeting the merger-ringdown stages of the coalescence indicate consistency of the observed signal with theoretical predictions. We estimate the merger rate of similar systems to be 0.13_(-0.11)^(+0.30) Gpc⁻³ yr⁻¹. We discuss the astrophysical implications of GW190521 for stellar collapse and for the possible formation of black holes in the pair-instability mass gap through various channels: via (multiple) stellar coalescences, or via hierarchical mergers of lower-mass black holes in star clusters or in active galactic nuclei. We find it to be unlikely that GW190521 is a strongly lensed signal of a lower-mass black hole binary merger. We also discuss more exotic possible sources for GW190521, including a highly eccentric black hole binary, or a primordial black hole binary

The population of merging compact binaries inferred using gravitational waves through GWTC-3

We report on the population properties of 76 compact binary mergers detected with gravitational waves below a false alarm rate of 1 per year through GWTC-3. The catalog contains three classes of binary mergers: BBH, BNS, and NSBH mergers. We infer the BNS merger rate to be between 10 $\rm{Gpc^{-3} yr^{-1}}$ and 1700 $\rm{Gpc^{-3} yr^{-1}}$ and the NSBH merger rate to be between 7.8 $\rm{Gpc^{-3}\, yr^{-1}}$ and 140 $\rm{Gpc^{-3} yr^{-1}}$ , assuming a constant rate density versus comoving volume and taking the union of 90% credible intervals for methods used in this work. Accounting for the BBH merger rate to evolve with redshift, we find the BBH merger rate to be between 17.9 $\rm{Gpc^{-3}\, yr^{-1}}$ and 44 $\rm{Gpc^{-3}\, yr^{-1}}$ at a fiducial redshift (z=0.2). We obtain a broad neutron star mass distribution extending from $1.2^{+0.1}_{-0.2} M_\odot$ to $2.0^{+0.3}_{-0.3} M_\odot$. We can confidently identify a rapid decrease in merger rate versus component mass between neutron star-like masses and black-hole-like masses, but there is no evidence that the merger rate increases again before 10 $M_\odot$. We also find the BBH mass distribution has localized over- and under-densities relative to a power law distribution. While we continue to find the mass distribution of a binary's more massive component strongly decreases as a function of primary mass, we observe no evidence of a strongly suppressed merger rate above $\sim 60 M_\odot$. The rate of BBH mergers is observed to increase with redshift at a rate proportional to $(1+z)^{\kappa}$ with $\kappa = 2.9^{+1.7}_{-1.8}$ for $z\lesssim 1$. Observed black hole spins are small, with half of spin magnitudes below $\chi_i \simeq 0.25$. We observe evidence of negative aligned spins in the population, and an increase in spin magnitude for systems with more unequal mass ratio

Constraints on the cosmic expansion history from GWTC-3

We use 47 gravitational-wave sources from the Third LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalog (GWTC-3) to estimate the Hubble parameter $H(z)$, including its current value, the Hubble constant $H_0$. Each gravitational-wave (GW) signal provides the luminosity distance to the source and we estimate the corresponding redshift using two methods: the redshifted masses and a galaxy catalog. Using the binary black hole (BBH) redshifted masses, we simultaneously infer the source mass distribution and $H(z)$. The source mass distribution displays a peak around $34\, {\rm M_\odot}$, followed by a drop-off. Assuming this mass scale does not evolve with redshift results in a $H(z)$ measurement, yielding $H_0=68^{+12}_{-7} {\rm km\,s^{-1}\,Mpc^{-1}}$ ($68\%$ credible interval) when combined with the $H_0$ measurement from GW170817 and its electromagnetic counterpart. This represents an improvement of 17% with respect to the $H_0$ estimate from GWTC-1. The second method associates each GW event with its probable host galaxy in the catalog GLADE+, statistically marginalizing over the redshifts of each event's potential hosts. Assuming a fixed BBH population, we estimate a value of $H_0=68^{+8}_{-6} {\rm km\,s^{-1}\,Mpc^{-1}}$ with the galaxy catalog method, an improvement of 42% with respect to our GWTC-1 result and 20% with respect to recent $H_0$ studies using GWTC-2 events. However, we show that this result is strongly impacted by assumptions about the BBH source mass distribution; the only event which is not strongly impacted by such assumptions (and is thus informative about $H_0$) is the well-localized event GW190814

Diving below the spin-down limit:constraints on gravitational waves from the energetic young pulsar PSR J0537-6910

We present a search for continuous gravitational-wave signals from the young, energetic X-ray pulsar PSR J0537-6910 using data from the second and third observing runs of LIGO and Virgo. The search is enabled by a contemporaneous timing ephemeris obtained using NICER data. The NICER ephemeris has also been extended through 2020 October and includes three new glitches. PSR J0537-6910 has the largest spin-down luminosity of any pulsar and is highly active with regards to glitches. Analyses of its long-term and inter-glitch braking indices provided intriguing evidence that its spin-down energy budget may include gravitational-wave emission from a time-varying mass quadrupole moment. Its 62 Hz rotation frequency also puts its possible gravitational-wave emission in the most sensitive band of LIGO/Virgo detectors. Motivated by these considerations, we search for gravitational-wave emission at both once and twice the rotation frequency. We find no signal, however, and report our upper limits. Assuming a rigidly rotating triaxial star, our constraints reach below the gravitational-wave spin-down limit for this star for the first time by more than a factor of two and limit gravitational waves from the l = m = 2 mode to account for less than 14% of the spin-down energy budget. The fiducial equatorial ellipticity is limited to less than about 3 x 10⁻⁵, which is the third best constraint for any young pulsar