Our friends in the north

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Tom Barry, Executive Secretary of Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna, calls for greater research into the significance of changes in Arctic biodiversity

What is happening in the Arctic with regards to climate change and biodiversity loss? How is this affecting Arctic ecosystems, and what are the social and environmental impacts? Why do changes in the Arctic have global significance? Such questions reflect the imposing and complex nature of the challenges that the Arctic is facing. This article will briefly review this complex topic and hope to provide the reader with a brief introduction to the current situation. The key message is that our ability to respond effectively is dependent upon how well we can co-operate effectively and share knowledge across borders, thus helping to foster greater understanding and allowing for the formulation of appropriate policy responses.

Why is the Arctic of global importance?
The circumpolar Arctic, as defined by CAFF, covers 14,800,000km2 of land and 13,000,000km2 of ocean. These vast wilderness areas, where ecosystem processes continue to function in a largely natural state, play a key role in the physical, chemical and biological balance of the planet. Seven of the 10 largest remaining wilderness areas on the Earth are located in the Arctic region. One of them, the Northeast National Park in Greenland, at 972,000km2, is the largest national park in the world. Together with the Antarctic, the Arctic contains the largest freshwater resources on Earth. The Arctic is home to diverse, vibrant, and unique societies whose indigenous cultures depend on and maintain close ties to the land, water and ocean, and speak hundreds of distinct languages.

The Arctic plays host to a globally significant array of biodiversity, and the size and nature of Arctic ecosystems make them of critical importance to the biological, chemical and physical balance of the globe. The Arctic supports globally significant populations, including more than half of the world's shorebird species, 80% of the global goose populations, several million reindeer and caribou, unique mammals and 28% of the world's commercial marine fish harvest. During the short summer breeding season, 279 species of birds arrive from all corners of the Earth¹ to take advantage of the long days and intense period of productivity. 30 species come from as far away as South Africa, 26 from Australia and New Zealand, and 22 from South America. Several species of marine mammals, including grey and humpback whales, and harp and hooded seals, also join the migration.

The Arctic is estimated to contain a quarter of the world's remaining oil and gas reserves, development of which is expected to increase. Already, 10% of the world's oil and 25% of the world's natural gas is produced in the Arctic, with the majority coming from the Russian Arctic². Such information emphasises that the Arctic is a region of global significance and what happens there will have an effect felt far beyond its confines.

What is happening in the Arctic?
At the present, we do not have enough information to allow us to develop a comprehensive understanding of the status and trends of Arctic biodiversity. Publications such as CAFF's 'Arctic Flora & Fauna: Status and Trends (AFF)' and the Arctic Council's 'Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA)' have helped to point us in the right direction by providing us with a glimpse of what is happening and by helping to highlight the current lack of knowledge. ACIA was particularly relevant in that it recognised that the Arctic was vulnerable in many different ways to climate change, and that the Arctic played a fundamental role in regulating the Earth's climate. Some of the Arctic climate trends highlighted by ACIA include:
• Increasing temperatures
• Rising river flows
• Declining snow cover
• Increasing precipitation
• Thawing permafrost
• Diminishing lake and river ice
• Melting glaciers
• Melting Greenland ice sheet
• Retreating summer sea ice
• Rising sea levels
• Ocean salinity change

What is apparent is that dramatic changes are under way that are threatening the resilience and sustainability of the Arctic's biodiversity and the overall balance of its ecosystems. The region is coming under increasing pressure from a variety of sources, some of which include: environmental contamination, invasive species, shipping/air traffic, and oil and gas exploration. However, the most pervasive and potentially disrupting threat is from climate change.

Climate change and biodiversity in the Arctic
Global climate change is expected to have an extensive impact in the High Arctic. Currently, temperatures are increasing at nearly double the global average. By 2100, temperatures on land are expected to increase by 3-5°C and by 7°C over the oceans, thereby contributing to dramatic changes in Arctic ecosystems. One visible consequence of rising temperatures is a reduction in the extent of sea ice. Due to the important role sea ice plays in high arctic ecosystems, its reduction would pose a threat to the whole Arctic ecosystem – from small micro fauna to high level species such as the polar bear. Arctic species would be displaced as southern species and ecosystems expand northward. Sea ice cover is in a downward spiral, and the effects are already being seen through increased danger to people depending on sea ice for travel and through behavioural changes in ice dependent animals such as polar bears.³

How are we responding to these challenges?
ACIA and CAFF have both called for improved capacity to monitor and understand changes in the Arctic. However, there is not yet enough baseline information available to allow for a comprehensive understanding of what is happening to biodiversity in the Arctic. As mentioned earlier, the key to effectively addressing such concerns is through co-operation and the sharing of information and activities across borders. The activities of the CAFF working group of the Arctic Council serve as a good example of such co-operation and sharing.

CAFF is one of six working groups within the Arctic Council and its focus is on biodiversity. It has a circumpolar range, as is reflected in the composition of its management board, which comprises board members from the eight Arctic countries,⁴ six indigenous organisations⁵ and observers from international organisations, eg. the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and non-Arctic countries.⁶ CAFF's mission is to address the conservation of Arctic biodiversity; and communicate its findings to the governments and residents of the Arctic, helping to promote practices that ensure the sustainability of the Arctic's living resources.

In order to fulfil this mission, and to allow for a more comprehensive understanding of Arctic biodiversity and its status and trends, CAFF has adopted an approach that is defined by its circumpolar scale and its emphasis on regional co-operation that is based upon co-operation between all the Arctic countries and indigenous organisations, as well as with international conventions and organisations. Some of CAFF's activities currently include:
• The Arctic Biodiversity Assessment – ABA (www.caff.is/aba): will synthesise existing data and research on Arctic biodiversity to form a baseline that will provide policy-makers and conservation managers with a synthesis of the most current scientific research and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK). The availability of such information in an easily accessible format will be of great value to the governments, organisations and peoples of the Arctic region in their struggle to ensure the sustainability of Arctic biodiversity and Arctic communities. The ABA will create a baseline for use in global and regional assessments of Arctic biodiversity, and inform future Arctic Council work;
• The Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Programme – CBMP (www.cbmp.is): is tasked with developing an integrated interdisciplinary and collaborative Arctic biodiversity monitoring programme that enhances our ability to detect important trends and to make such information available to the public and for policy development.

CAFF also establishes expert groups with specific mandates related to key activities for CAFF. There are, at present, two expert groups:
• The CAFF Flora Expert Group (CFG): www.caff.is/cfg;
• The CAFF Seabird Expert Group (CBird): www.caff.is/cbird.

These groups ensure that scientists, conservationists, and managers interested in arctic flora and fauna have a forum to promote, facilitate, and co-ordinate conservation, management, and research activities of mutual concern. They have been invaluable in synthesising, co-ordinating and publishing research.

In addition to research and monitoring, CAFF focuses upon education and outreach. Further information on CAFF and its various projects and initiatives can be accessed on the CAFF website and in the CAFF workplan, which operates on a two year basis.

References
ACIA (2004) 'Impacts of a Warming Arctic. Arctic Climate Impact Assessment', Cambridge University Press: http://www.acia.uaf.edu
'Arctic Biodiversity Assessment. Workplan and Financial Strategy', Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (2007)
'Arctic Oil & Gas, Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme' (2007): http://www.amap.np/oga
'Arctic Flora and Fauna: Status & Trends', Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (2001)
'CAFF Workplan 2006-2008', Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (2006)
Scott Schliebe et al (2006) 'Range-Wide Status Review of the Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)', US Fish and Wildlife Service
'The Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Programme: Implementation Plan', Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (2008)
Further CAFF publications can be accessed at http://www.caff.is/caff-document-library.

1 Except for the interior of Antarctica
2 Arctic Oil & Gas, Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (2007), p. 17
3 Scott Schliebe et al (2006) 'Range-Wide Status Review of the Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)', US Fish and Wildlife Service
4 The eight Arctic Council countries are Canada, Denmark/Greenland/Faroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, The Russian Federation and The United States of America
5 The six Arctic Council indigenous organisations are the Inuit Circumpolar Conference, Arctic Athabaskan Council, Gwich'in Council International, Saami Council, RAIPON, and the Aleut International Association
6 Observer countries to the Arctic Council include China, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom