Arctic regions of Alaska are important for cultural and economic sustainability and host a wide variety of wildlife species, many of which are of conservation and management interest to the U.S. Department of the Interior. The USGS and collaborators provide information about Arctic ecosystems that are used by Arctic residents, management agencies, and industry.
Return to Ecosystems
The objectives of the USGS Changing Arctic Ecosystems Initiative are to:
- Quantify the responses of wildlife species and their habitats to ecosystem change in the Arctic through research and assessments,
- Provide projections of likely future wildlife and habitat responses, and
- Make information publicly available to inform land and species management decisions and Alaska Native subsistence and co-management council actions.
Arctic Ecosystem Assessments
The USGS conducts natural hazard and resource assessments of the Earth’s ecosystems and the response of those ecosystems to environmental change, human activities, and land use. Information on recent assessments can be found in the fact sheet on USGS Arctic Ecosystems Assessments and in the publications below.
Additionally, a list of upcoming assessments is listed below:
- Behavioral responses of Central Arctic Herd to mitigation measures
- Effects of climate-induced variability on the behavior, distribution and demography of the Porcupine Caribou Herd
- Range expansion of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in Arctic Alaska relative to ecological change
- Population status of two rare taxa endemic to the central Bering Sea, Alaska: McKay’s Bunting and Pribilof Rock Sandpiper
- Assessing the effects of saxitoxin ingestion by Common Murres
- Demographic trend of the Pacific walrus, 2016-2024
- Quantifying body condition and relationships with reproductive success in Pacific walruses
Decisions Informed by the USGS Changing Arctic Ecosystems Initiative
Below are some examples of how this program is informing decision-making:
- Science for Oil and Gas Leasing-related Decisions
- Evaluating the efficacy of aerial infrared sensors to detect artificial polar bear
- Effect of spring phenology on current and future space use patterns of the Porcupine Caribou Herd in northern Alaska and Canada
- Summary of wildlife-related research on the Arctic Coastal Plain
- Catalogue of polar bear maternal den locations in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas
- Caribou use of habitat near energy development in Arctic Alaska
- Seismic survey design and impacts to maternal polar bear dens
- Determining priority habitats for molting waterfowl in the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska
- Science Informing Endangered Species Act Decisions and Recovery Planning
- Regional walrus abundance estimate in the United States Chukchi Sea in autumn
- Analyses on Subpopulation Abundance and Annual Number of Maternal Dens for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus) in the Southern Beaufort Sea, Alaska
- Polar bear distribution and habitat resource selection data
- Ringed seal remain the main prey of southern Beaufort Sea polar bears
- Science Informing the Status and Trends of Migratory Birds
- Response of forage plants to alteration of temperature and spring thaw date: implications for geese in a warming Arctic
- Provided spatial and temporal maps of population change of waterbirds on Alaska’s North Slope
- Tracking data for three loon species in the Arctic
- Spatial distribution of band recoveries of black brant
- Data and model-based estimates from Pacific brant fall age ratio surveys at Izembek Lagoon, Alaska
- Science Informing the Status of Northern Ecosystems
- Survey of Arctic Alaskan wildlife for influenza A antibodies
- Ice wedge degradation impacts water budgets and nutrient cycling in Arctic ponds
- Surface water connectivity controls fish food web structure in Arctic Coastal Plain lakes
- Response of Arctic forage plants to changes in temperature and spring thaw date
- Willow drives changes in arthropod communities of northwestern Alaska and the ecological implications of shrub expansion
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 34
Sex and Age Composition of Walrus Groups Hauled Out on Ice Floes in the Bering and Chukchi Seas, 2013-2015
These data are in one table with age and sex composition counts of groups of walruses on ice floes in the northern Bering and Chukchi Seas. Counts were collected by visual observations from boats.
Continuous Records of Shallow Soil Temperature and Moisture in the Noatak River Basin, Alaska
Soil moisture and temperature were measured at four shallow depths in multiple locations within tundra and forested landscapes of the Agashashok River basin. The measurements were made continuously beginning in 2015 until the most recent download in summer, 2019 or until the sensors or loggers failed.
Meteorological Data from Two Locations in the Agashashok River Watershed, Northwestern Alaska, 2015 to 2017
Meteorological data was collected from two locations in the Agashashok River Watershed, one high in the drainage located on tundra (67.5440 N, -161.6828 E) and a second on a rocky knoll near the watershed mouth (67.2821 N, -162.5841 E). The data contain information on air temperatures, rainfall, barometric pressure, relative humidity, incoming and outgoing radiation, and wind speed and direction.
Descriptions, Depth to Refusal, and Field-Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity of Soils on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska, 2012-2016
This dataset includes soil data collected from various landscapes adjacent to thaw ponds on the North Slope of Alaska between 2012 and 2018. The landscapes include ice-rich polygonal ground found on basin uplands, as well as bluffs and lake edges. At each site a visual description of soil type and texture was performed, and a permafrost probe was used to determine a 'depth to refusal'. Given that
Metabarcoding of Feces of Pacific Walruses and Autosomal DNA Sequence Data of Marine Invertebrates, 2012-2015, Alaska
This data set describes nucleotide sequence data derived from 18S ribosomal DNA amplified in two fragments. A total of 87 feces from Pacific walrus and 57 marine invertebrates were examined for this study. Samples were collected from the Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea, Alaska. Samples used in the study originated from feces or muscle samples collected in the field from ice floes or benthic van Veen gr
Multistate capture and search data from the southern Beaufort Sea polar bear population in Alaska, 2001-2016
This data release contains two tables of information on polar bear distributions in the southern Beaufort Sea during spring, from 2001 to 2016. One table provides location (classified into 5 broad regions) of individual bears during the spring. The other table presents the aerial search effort by year and area.
Habitat Selection Scenarios for Molting Waterfowl in the Goose Molting Area of the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area, for NPR-A Integrated Activity Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (2020)
The dataset consists of a polygon shapefile. Each polygon represents a set of molt units (interconnected lakes used as habitat by molting waterfowl) within the Goose Molting Area of the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area in northern Alaska, in addition to a half-mile or 1-mile wide buffer, that were selected for restrictions on new surface occupancy or infrastructure development by the oil and gas indust
Polar Bear Distribution and Habitat Resource Selection Data, Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, 1985-2016
These data from satellite radio-collared adult female polar bears captured in the southern Beaufort Sea, 1985-2016 were used for testing the regional, seasonal and decadal efficacy of retrospective polar bear resource selection functions (RSF) developed for the Arctic basin and its peripheral seas (see Durner et al. 2009). The data includes the following: 1) a csv file of locations used to build a
Pacific (Gavia pacifica) and Yellow-billed Loon (G. adamsii) Mark-Resight Encounter History Data; National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, 2011-2014
This data release contains a mark-resight encounter history table for Pacific and Yellow-billed loons from the Arctic Coastal Plain in northern Alaska, 2011-2014.
Serological Data on Influenza A from Birds and Mammals on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Northern Alaska, 2011-2017
These data (in two spreadsheets) are the results of screening for influenza A viruses (IAV) in blood from wild animals that utilize the Arctic region of Alaska. 758 blood samples from nine wildlife species (3 mammal, 6 waterbird) were collected in Arctic Alaska, 2011-2017. Two different tests were used and the results are presented in separate spreadsheets. All blood samples were screened for IAV
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 63
Seismic survey design and impacts to maternal polar bear dens
Large‐scale industrial activities can have negative effects on wildlife populations. Some of these effects, however, could be reduced with effective planning prior to development. The Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, in northeastern Alaska, USA, is an important maternal denning area for polar bears (Ursus maritimus). Recent legislation has opened the area for potential oil and
Authors
Ryan H. Wilson, George M. Durner
Temporal variation in genetic structure within the threatened spectacled eider
We examined the genetic structure of the threatened spectacled eider 14–18 years after the initial assessment to evaluate the influence of population recovery on diversity. Concordant with the initial assessment, spectacled eiders were highly structured at mitochondrial (mt) DNA and lacked differentiation at microsatellite loci. The degree and spatial pattern of structure has changed at mtDNA; a
Authors
Sarah A. Sonsthagen, Christy Haughey, Matthew G. Sexson, Diana V Solovyeva, Margaret R. Petersen, Abby Powell
Surface water connectivity controls fish food web structure and complexity across local- and meta-food webs in Arctic Coastal Plain lakes
The need for theories that address food web assembly and complexity over multiple spatial scales are critical to understanding their stability and persistence. In a meta-food web – an integrated network of local food webs – spatial heterogeneity in physical processes may have profound effects on food web function and energy flow. In the Arctic, surface water connectivity plays a vital role in dete
Authors
Sarah M. Laske, Amanda E. Rosenberger, Mark S. Wipfli, Christian E. Zimmerman
Are polar bear habitat resource selection functions developed from 1985-1996 data still useful?
1. Greenhouse gas-induced warming in the Arctic has caused declines in sea ice extent and changed its composition, raising concerns by all circumpolar nations for polar bear conservation.
2. Negative impacts have been observed in three well-studied polar bear subpopulations. Most subpopulations, however, receive little or no direct monitoring, hence, resource selection functions (RSF) may provide
Authors
George M. Durner, David C. Douglas, Todd C. Atwood
Spatial distribution of band recoveries of black brant
On average, band recovery rates of adult black brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) more than doubled between the 2000s and 2010s. However, the spatial distribution of band recoveries of black brant has not been reported. Our objective was to describe the spatial distribution of band recoveries of black brant since 1990. We found that Alaska, California, and Mexico accounted for ≥89% of band recoveri
Authors
Alan G. Leach, David H. Ward, James S. Sedinger, Thomas V. Riecke, Jerry W. Hupp, Robert J. Ritchie
Survey of Arctic Alaskan wildlife for influenza A antibodies: Limited evidence for exposure of mammals
Influenza A viruses (IAVs) are maintained in wild waterbirds and have the potential to infect a broad range of species, including wild mammals. The Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska supports a diverse suite of species, including waterfowl that are common hosts of IAVs. Mammals co-occur with geese and other migratory waterbirds during the summer breeding season, providing a plausible mechanism for int
Authors
Caroline R. Van Hemert, Timothy J. Spivey, Brian D. Uher-Koch, Todd C. Atwood, David R. Sinnett, Brandt W. Meixell, Jerry W. Hupp, Kaijun Jiang, Layne G. Adams, David D. Gustine, Andrew M. Ramey, Xiu-Feng Wan
Ice wedge degradation and stabilization impacts water budgets and nutrient cycling in Arctic trough ponds
Trough ponds are ubiquitous features of Arctic landscapes and an important component of freshwater aquatic ecosystems. Permafrost thaw causes ground subsidence, creating depressions that gather water, creating ponds. Permafrost thaw also releases solutes and nutrients, which may fertilize these newly formed ponds. We measured water budget elements and chloride, ammonium, and dissolved organic nitr
Authors
Joshua C. Koch, M. Torre Jorgenson, Kimberly P. Wickland, Mikhail Z. Kanevskiy, Robert G. Striegl
NDVI exhibits mixed success in predicting spatiotemporal variation in caribou summer forage quality and quantity
The satellite‐derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is commonly used by researchers and managers to represent ungulate forage conditions in landscapes across the globe, despite limited information about how it compares to empirical measurements of forage quality and quantity. The application of NDVI as a forage metric is particularly appealing for studying migratory caribou (Rangif
Authors
Heather E. Johnson, David D. Gustine, Trevor S. Golden, Layne G. Adams, Lincoln S. Parrett, Elizabeth A. Lenart, Perry S. Barboza
Effects of leg flags on nest survival of four species of Arctic‐breeding shorebirds
Marking wild birds is an integral part of many field studies. However, if marks affect the vital rates or behavior of marked individuals, any conclusions reached by a study might be biased relative to the general population. Leg bands have rarely been found to have negative effects on birds and are frequently used to mark individuals. Leg flags, which are larger, heavier, and might produce more dr
Authors
Emily L. Weiser, Richard B. Lanctot, Stephen C. Brown, H. River Gates, Rebecca L. Bentzen, Megan L. Boldenow, Jenny A. Cunningham, Andrew C. Doll, Tyrone F. Donnelly, Willow B. English, Samantha E. Franks, Kristen Grond, Patrick Herzog, Brooke L. Hill, Steve J. Kendall, Eunbi Kwon, David B. Lank, Joseph R. Liebezeit, Jennie Rausch, Sarah T. Saalfeld, Audrey R. Taylor, David H. Ward, Paul F. Woodard, Brett K. Sandercock
Survey-based assessment of the frequency and potential impacts of recreation on polar bears
Conservation plans for polar bears (Ursus maritimus) typically cannot prescribe management actions to address their primary threat: sea ice loss associated with climate warming. However, there may be other stressors that compound the negative effects of sea ice loss which can be mitigated. For example, Arctic tourism has increased concurrent with polar bears increasingly using terrestrial habitats
Authors
Karyn D. Rode, Jennifer K. Fortin, Dave Garshelis, Markus Dyck, Vicki Sahanatien, Todd C. Atwood, Stanislav Belikov, Kristin L. Laidre, Susanne Miller, Martyn E. Obbard, Dag Vongraven, Jasmine V. Ware, James Wilder
Spring temperature, migration chronology, and nutrient allocation to eggs in three species of arctic‐nesting geese: Implications for resilience to climate warming
The macronutrients that Arctic herbivores invest in their offspring are derived from endogenous reserves of fat and protein (capital) that females build prior to the period of investment or from foods they consume concurrently with investment (income). The relative contribution from each source can be influenced by temporal and environmental constraints on a female's ability to forage on Arctic br
Authors
Jerry W. Hupp, David H. Ward, David X. Soto, Keith A. Hobson
Development of on-shore behavior among polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the southern Beaufort Sea: Inherited or learned?
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are experiencing rapid and substantial changes to their environment due to global climate change. Polar bears of the southern Beaufort Sea (SB) have historically spent most of the year on the sea ice. However, recent reports from Alaska indicate that the proportion of the SB subpopulation observed on-shore during late summer and early fall has increased. Our objective
Authors
K. M. Lillie, E. M. Gese, Todd C. Atwood, Sarah A. Sonsthagen
- Overview
Arctic regions of Alaska are important for cultural and economic sustainability and host a wide variety of wildlife species, many of which are of conservation and management interest to the U.S. Department of the Interior. The USGS and collaborators provide information about Arctic ecosystems that are used by Arctic residents, management agencies, and industry.
Return to Ecosystems
The objectives of the USGS Changing Arctic Ecosystems Initiative are to:
- Quantify the responses of wildlife species and their habitats to ecosystem change in the Arctic through research and assessments,
- Provide projections of likely future wildlife and habitat responses, and
- Make information publicly available to inform land and species management decisions and Alaska Native subsistence and co-management council actions.
Arctic Ecosystem Assessments
The USGS conducts natural hazard and resource assessments of the Earth’s ecosystems and the response of those ecosystems to environmental change, human activities, and land use. Information on recent assessments can be found in the fact sheet on USGS Arctic Ecosystems Assessments and in the publications below.
Additionally, a list of upcoming assessments is listed below:
- Behavioral responses of Central Arctic Herd to mitigation measures
- Effects of climate-induced variability on the behavior, distribution and demography of the Porcupine Caribou Herd
- Range expansion of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in Arctic Alaska relative to ecological change
- Population status of two rare taxa endemic to the central Bering Sea, Alaska: McKay’s Bunting and Pribilof Rock Sandpiper
- Assessing the effects of saxitoxin ingestion by Common Murres
- Demographic trend of the Pacific walrus, 2016-2024
- Quantifying body condition and relationships with reproductive success in Pacific walruses
Decisions Informed by the USGS Changing Arctic Ecosystems Initiative
Below are some examples of how this program is informing decision-making:
- Science for Oil and Gas Leasing-related Decisions
- Evaluating the efficacy of aerial infrared sensors to detect artificial polar bear
- Effect of spring phenology on current and future space use patterns of the Porcupine Caribou Herd in northern Alaska and Canada
- Summary of wildlife-related research on the Arctic Coastal Plain
- Catalogue of polar bear maternal den locations in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas
- Caribou use of habitat near energy development in Arctic Alaska
- Seismic survey design and impacts to maternal polar bear dens
- Determining priority habitats for molting waterfowl in the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska
- Science Informing Endangered Species Act Decisions and Recovery Planning
- Regional walrus abundance estimate in the United States Chukchi Sea in autumn
- Analyses on Subpopulation Abundance and Annual Number of Maternal Dens for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus) in the Southern Beaufort Sea, Alaska
- Polar bear distribution and habitat resource selection data
- Ringed seal remain the main prey of southern Beaufort Sea polar bears
- Science Informing the Status and Trends of Migratory Birds
- Response of forage plants to alteration of temperature and spring thaw date: implications for geese in a warming Arctic
- Provided spatial and temporal maps of population change of waterbirds on Alaska’s North Slope
- Tracking data for three loon species in the Arctic
- Spatial distribution of band recoveries of black brant
- Data and model-based estimates from Pacific brant fall age ratio surveys at Izembek Lagoon, Alaska
- Science Informing the Status of Northern Ecosystems
- Survey of Arctic Alaskan wildlife for influenza A antibodies
- Ice wedge degradation impacts water budgets and nutrient cycling in Arctic ponds
- Surface water connectivity controls fish food web structure in Arctic Coastal Plain lakes
- Response of Arctic forage plants to changes in temperature and spring thaw date
- Willow drives changes in arthropod communities of northwestern Alaska and the ecological implications of shrub expansion
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
- Data
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 34Sex and Age Composition of Walrus Groups Hauled Out on Ice Floes in the Bering and Chukchi Seas, 2013-2015
These data are in one table with age and sex composition counts of groups of walruses on ice floes in the northern Bering and Chukchi Seas. Counts were collected by visual observations from boats.Continuous Records of Shallow Soil Temperature and Moisture in the Noatak River Basin, Alaska
Soil moisture and temperature were measured at four shallow depths in multiple locations within tundra and forested landscapes of the Agashashok River basin. The measurements were made continuously beginning in 2015 until the most recent download in summer, 2019 or until the sensors or loggers failed.Meteorological Data from Two Locations in the Agashashok River Watershed, Northwestern Alaska, 2015 to 2017
Meteorological data was collected from two locations in the Agashashok River Watershed, one high in the drainage located on tundra (67.5440 N, -161.6828 E) and a second on a rocky knoll near the watershed mouth (67.2821 N, -162.5841 E). The data contain information on air temperatures, rainfall, barometric pressure, relative humidity, incoming and outgoing radiation, and wind speed and direction.Descriptions, Depth to Refusal, and Field-Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity of Soils on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska, 2012-2016
This dataset includes soil data collected from various landscapes adjacent to thaw ponds on the North Slope of Alaska between 2012 and 2018. The landscapes include ice-rich polygonal ground found on basin uplands, as well as bluffs and lake edges. At each site a visual description of soil type and texture was performed, and a permafrost probe was used to determine a 'depth to refusal'. Given thatMetabarcoding of Feces of Pacific Walruses and Autosomal DNA Sequence Data of Marine Invertebrates, 2012-2015, Alaska
This data set describes nucleotide sequence data derived from 18S ribosomal DNA amplified in two fragments. A total of 87 feces from Pacific walrus and 57 marine invertebrates were examined for this study. Samples were collected from the Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea, Alaska. Samples used in the study originated from feces or muscle samples collected in the field from ice floes or benthic van Veen grMultistate capture and search data from the southern Beaufort Sea polar bear population in Alaska, 2001-2016
This data release contains two tables of information on polar bear distributions in the southern Beaufort Sea during spring, from 2001 to 2016. One table provides location (classified into 5 broad regions) of individual bears during the spring. The other table presents the aerial search effort by year and area.Habitat Selection Scenarios for Molting Waterfowl in the Goose Molting Area of the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area, for NPR-A Integrated Activity Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (2020)
The dataset consists of a polygon shapefile. Each polygon represents a set of molt units (interconnected lakes used as habitat by molting waterfowl) within the Goose Molting Area of the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area in northern Alaska, in addition to a half-mile or 1-mile wide buffer, that were selected for restrictions on new surface occupancy or infrastructure development by the oil and gas industPolar Bear Distribution and Habitat Resource Selection Data, Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, 1985-2016
These data from satellite radio-collared adult female polar bears captured in the southern Beaufort Sea, 1985-2016 were used for testing the regional, seasonal and decadal efficacy of retrospective polar bear resource selection functions (RSF) developed for the Arctic basin and its peripheral seas (see Durner et al. 2009). The data includes the following: 1) a csv file of locations used to build aPacific (Gavia pacifica) and Yellow-billed Loon (G. adamsii) Mark-Resight Encounter History Data; National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, 2011-2014
This data release contains a mark-resight encounter history table for Pacific and Yellow-billed loons from the Arctic Coastal Plain in northern Alaska, 2011-2014.Serological Data on Influenza A from Birds and Mammals on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Northern Alaska, 2011-2017
These data (in two spreadsheets) are the results of screening for influenza A viruses (IAV) in blood from wild animals that utilize the Arctic region of Alaska. 758 blood samples from nine wildlife species (3 mammal, 6 waterbird) were collected in Arctic Alaska, 2011-2017. Two different tests were used and the results are presented in separate spreadsheets. All blood samples were screened for IAV - Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 63Seismic survey design and impacts to maternal polar bear dens
Large‐scale industrial activities can have negative effects on wildlife populations. Some of these effects, however, could be reduced with effective planning prior to development. The Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, in northeastern Alaska, USA, is an important maternal denning area for polar bears (Ursus maritimus). Recent legislation has opened the area for potential oil andAuthorsRyan H. Wilson, George M. DurnerTemporal variation in genetic structure within the threatened spectacled eider
We examined the genetic structure of the threatened spectacled eider 14–18 years after the initial assessment to evaluate the influence of population recovery on diversity. Concordant with the initial assessment, spectacled eiders were highly structured at mitochondrial (mt) DNA and lacked differentiation at microsatellite loci. The degree and spatial pattern of structure has changed at mtDNA; aAuthorsSarah A. Sonsthagen, Christy Haughey, Matthew G. Sexson, Diana V Solovyeva, Margaret R. Petersen, Abby PowellSurface water connectivity controls fish food web structure and complexity across local- and meta-food webs in Arctic Coastal Plain lakes
The need for theories that address food web assembly and complexity over multiple spatial scales are critical to understanding their stability and persistence. In a meta-food web – an integrated network of local food webs – spatial heterogeneity in physical processes may have profound effects on food web function and energy flow. In the Arctic, surface water connectivity plays a vital role in deteAuthorsSarah M. Laske, Amanda E. Rosenberger, Mark S. Wipfli, Christian E. ZimmermanAre polar bear habitat resource selection functions developed from 1985-1996 data still useful?
1. Greenhouse gas-induced warming in the Arctic has caused declines in sea ice extent and changed its composition, raising concerns by all circumpolar nations for polar bear conservation. 2. Negative impacts have been observed in three well-studied polar bear subpopulations. Most subpopulations, however, receive little or no direct monitoring, hence, resource selection functions (RSF) may provideAuthorsGeorge M. Durner, David C. Douglas, Todd C. AtwoodSpatial distribution of band recoveries of black brant
On average, band recovery rates of adult black brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) more than doubled between the 2000s and 2010s. However, the spatial distribution of band recoveries of black brant has not been reported. Our objective was to describe the spatial distribution of band recoveries of black brant since 1990. We found that Alaska, California, and Mexico accounted for ≥89% of band recoveriAuthorsAlan G. Leach, David H. Ward, James S. Sedinger, Thomas V. Riecke, Jerry W. Hupp, Robert J. RitchieSurvey of Arctic Alaskan wildlife for influenza A antibodies: Limited evidence for exposure of mammals
Influenza A viruses (IAVs) are maintained in wild waterbirds and have the potential to infect a broad range of species, including wild mammals. The Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska supports a diverse suite of species, including waterfowl that are common hosts of IAVs. Mammals co-occur with geese and other migratory waterbirds during the summer breeding season, providing a plausible mechanism for intAuthorsCaroline R. Van Hemert, Timothy J. Spivey, Brian D. Uher-Koch, Todd C. Atwood, David R. Sinnett, Brandt W. Meixell, Jerry W. Hupp, Kaijun Jiang, Layne G. Adams, David D. Gustine, Andrew M. Ramey, Xiu-Feng WanIce wedge degradation and stabilization impacts water budgets and nutrient cycling in Arctic trough ponds
Trough ponds are ubiquitous features of Arctic landscapes and an important component of freshwater aquatic ecosystems. Permafrost thaw causes ground subsidence, creating depressions that gather water, creating ponds. Permafrost thaw also releases solutes and nutrients, which may fertilize these newly formed ponds. We measured water budget elements and chloride, ammonium, and dissolved organic nitrAuthorsJoshua C. Koch, M. Torre Jorgenson, Kimberly P. Wickland, Mikhail Z. Kanevskiy, Robert G. StrieglNDVI exhibits mixed success in predicting spatiotemporal variation in caribou summer forage quality and quantity
The satellite‐derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is commonly used by researchers and managers to represent ungulate forage conditions in landscapes across the globe, despite limited information about how it compares to empirical measurements of forage quality and quantity. The application of NDVI as a forage metric is particularly appealing for studying migratory caribou (RangifAuthorsHeather E. Johnson, David D. Gustine, Trevor S. Golden, Layne G. Adams, Lincoln S. Parrett, Elizabeth A. Lenart, Perry S. BarbozaEffects of leg flags on nest survival of four species of Arctic‐breeding shorebirds
Marking wild birds is an integral part of many field studies. However, if marks affect the vital rates or behavior of marked individuals, any conclusions reached by a study might be biased relative to the general population. Leg bands have rarely been found to have negative effects on birds and are frequently used to mark individuals. Leg flags, which are larger, heavier, and might produce more drAuthorsEmily L. Weiser, Richard B. Lanctot, Stephen C. Brown, H. River Gates, Rebecca L. Bentzen, Megan L. Boldenow, Jenny A. Cunningham, Andrew C. Doll, Tyrone F. Donnelly, Willow B. English, Samantha E. Franks, Kristen Grond, Patrick Herzog, Brooke L. Hill, Steve J. Kendall, Eunbi Kwon, David B. Lank, Joseph R. Liebezeit, Jennie Rausch, Sarah T. Saalfeld, Audrey R. Taylor, David H. Ward, Paul F. Woodard, Brett K. SandercockSurvey-based assessment of the frequency and potential impacts of recreation on polar bears
Conservation plans for polar bears (Ursus maritimus) typically cannot prescribe management actions to address their primary threat: sea ice loss associated with climate warming. However, there may be other stressors that compound the negative effects of sea ice loss which can be mitigated. For example, Arctic tourism has increased concurrent with polar bears increasingly using terrestrial habitatsAuthorsKaryn D. Rode, Jennifer K. Fortin, Dave Garshelis, Markus Dyck, Vicki Sahanatien, Todd C. Atwood, Stanislav Belikov, Kristin L. Laidre, Susanne Miller, Martyn E. Obbard, Dag Vongraven, Jasmine V. Ware, James WilderSpring temperature, migration chronology, and nutrient allocation to eggs in three species of arctic‐nesting geese: Implications for resilience to climate warming
The macronutrients that Arctic herbivores invest in their offspring are derived from endogenous reserves of fat and protein (capital) that females build prior to the period of investment or from foods they consume concurrently with investment (income). The relative contribution from each source can be influenced by temporal and environmental constraints on a female's ability to forage on Arctic brAuthorsJerry W. Hupp, David H. Ward, David X. Soto, Keith A. HobsonDevelopment of on-shore behavior among polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the southern Beaufort Sea: Inherited or learned?
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are experiencing rapid and substantial changes to their environment due to global climate change. Polar bears of the southern Beaufort Sea (SB) have historically spent most of the year on the sea ice. However, recent reports from Alaska indicate that the proportion of the SB subpopulation observed on-shore during late summer and early fall has increased. Our objectiveAuthorsK. M. Lillie, E. M. Gese, Todd C. Atwood, Sarah A. Sonsthagen