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 USGS Changing Arctic Ecosystems Initiative:
This initiative has been a primary way for the USGS Alaska Science Center to conduct research and collaborations in the Arctic portions of Alaska. The objectives of this initiative are as follows:
- Quantify the responses of wildlife species and their habitats to ecosystem change in the Arctic,
- 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.
Research Conducted Through the Initiative:
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 USGS assessments in the Arctic can be found on the USGS Arctic Ecosystems Assessments Factsheet and on this page.
USGS Changing Arctic Ecosystems initiative research and collaborations for 2025 – 2027 will focus on the following topics:
- Arctic Water Ecosystems (Rusting of Arctic Rivers, heat stress in salmon, and permafrost)
- New Capacities for Arctic Mammal Research (caribou, polar bears, walrus, and sea otters)
- Changes in the Distribution and Abundance of Arctic Birds
Past efforts of the USGS Changing Arctic Ecosystems Initiative have provided significant understanding and collaborations on the following topics. See the Science, Publications and Data tabs above for more information on these topics.
- Hydrology
- Wildlife Species of Management Concern
- Minimizing the Effects of Artic Energy Development on Wildlife
- Biosurveillance of Wildlife Pathogens in the Arctic
- Algal Toxins in the Arctic
The Rusting of Arctic Rivers
The Rusting of Arctic Rivers
Orange streams are increasingly common in the Brooks Range of northern Alaska
Orange streams are increasingly common in the Brooks Range of northern Alaska
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Walrus Research
Walrus Research
Working with management agencies and Alaska Native co-management partners
Working with management agencies and Alaska Native co-management partners
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Nearshore Marine Ecosystem Research
Nearshore Marine Ecosystem Research
Resources that have ecological, recreational, subsistence, and economic value
Resources that have ecological, recreational, subsistence, and economic value
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 7
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 43
No Result Found
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 76
Evaluation of a method using survey counts and tag data to estimate the number of Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) using a coastal haulout in northwestern Alaska Evaluation of a method using survey counts and tag data to estimate the number of Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) using a coastal haulout in northwestern Alaska
Increased periods of sparse sea ice over the continental shelf of the Chukchi Sea in late summer have reduced offshore haulout habitat for Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) and increased opportunities for human activities in the region. Knowing how many walruses could be affected by human activities would be useful to conservation decisions. Currently, there are no adequate...
Authors
Brian Battaile, Chadwick Jay, Mark Udevitz, Anthony Fischbach
Walrus haul-out and in water activity levels relative to sea ice availability in the Chukchi Sea Walrus haul-out and in water activity levels relative to sea ice availability in the Chukchi Sea
An animal’s energetic costs are dependent on the amount of time it allocates to various behavioral activities. For Arctic pinnipeds, the time allocated to active and resting behaviors could change with future reductions in sea ice cover and longer periods of open water. The Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) is a large Arctic pinniped that rests on sea ice or land between...
Authors
Chadwick Jay, Rebecca Taylor, Anthony S. Fischbach, Mark Udevitz, William Beatty
Advancing the match-mismatch framework for large herbivores in the Arctic: Evaluating the evidence for a trophic mismatch in caribou Advancing the match-mismatch framework for large herbivores in the Arctic: Evaluating the evidence for a trophic mismatch in caribou
Climate-induced shifts in plant phenology may adversely affect animals that cannot or do not shift the timing of their reproductive cycle. The realized effect of potential trophic “mismatches” between a consumer and its food varies with the degree to which species rely on dietary income and stored capital. Large Arctic herbivores rely heavily on maternal capital to reproduce and give...
Authors
David Gustine, Perry Barboza, Layne G. Adams, Brad Griffith, Raymond Cameron, Kenneth Whitten
Space use of a dominant Arctic vertebrate: Effects of prey, sea ice, and land on Pacific walrus resource selection Space use of a dominant Arctic vertebrate: Effects of prey, sea ice, and land on Pacific walrus resource selection
Sea ice dominates marine ecosystems in the Arctic, and recent reductions in sea ice may alter food webs throughout the region. Sea ice loss may also stress Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens), which feed on benthic macroinvertebrates in the Bering and Chukchi seas. However, no studies have examined the effects of sea ice on foraging Pacific walrus space use patterns. We tested...
Authors
William Beatty, Chadwick Jay, Anthony Fischbach, Jacqueline Grebmeier, Rebecca Taylor, Arny Blanchard, Stephen Jewett
Forecasting the relative influence of environmental and anthropogenic stressors on polar bears Forecasting the relative influence of environmental and anthropogenic stressors on polar bears
Effective conservation planning requires understanding and ranking threats to wildlife populations. We developed a Bayesian network model to evaluate the relative influence of environmental and anthropogenic stressors, and their mitigation, on the persistence of polar bears (Ursus maritimus). Overall sea ice conditions, affected by rising global temperatures, were the most influential...
Authors
Todd Atwood, Bruce Marcot, David Douglas, Steven Amstrup, Karyn Rode, George Durner, Jeffrey Bromaghin
Multi-decadal trends in spring arrival of avian migrants to the central Arctic coast of Alaska: Effects of environmental and ecological factors Multi-decadal trends in spring arrival of avian migrants to the central Arctic coast of Alaska: Effects of environmental and ecological factors
Warming in the Arctic has caused the transition from winter to summer to occur weeks earlier over the last half century, yet little is known about whether avian migrants have altered their timing of arrival on breeding areas to match this earlier seasonal transition. Over a 50-yr period, we examined trends in the timing of the first arrival for 16 avian migrant species at the terminus of...
Authors
David Ward, J. Helmericks, Jerry Hupp, L. McManus, Michael Budde, David Douglas, K.D. Tape
Changing arctic ecosystems—What is causing the rapid increase of snow geese in northern Alaska? Changing arctic ecosystems—What is causing the rapid increase of snow geese in northern Alaska?
Through the Changing Arctic Ecosystems (CAE) initiative, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) informs key resource management decisions for Arctic Alaska by providing scientific information on current and future ecosystem response to a warming climate. The Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) of northern Alaska is a key study area within the USGS CAE initiative. This region has experienced a warming...
Authors
Jerry Hupp, David Ward, Mary Whalen, John Pearce
Changing Arctic Ecosystems: Updated forecast: Reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions required to improve polar bear outlook Changing Arctic Ecosystems: Updated forecast: Reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions required to improve polar bear outlook
The Arctic is warming faster than other regions of the world due to the loss of snow and ice, which increases the amount of solar energy absorbed by the region. The most visible consequence has been the rapid decline in sea ice over the last 3 decades-a decline projected to bring long ice-free summers if greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are not significantly reduced. The polar bear (Ursus...
Authors
Karen Oakley, Todd Atwood, Douglas Mugel, Karyn Rode, Mary Whalen
Changing Arctic ecosystems: resilience of caribou to climatic shifts in the Arctic Changing Arctic ecosystems: resilience of caribou to climatic shifts in the Arctic
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Changing Arctic Ecosystems (CAE) initiative strives to inform key resource management decisions for Arctic Alaska by providing scientific information and forecasts for current and future ecosystem response to a warming climate. Over the past 5 years, a focal area for the USGS CAE initiative has been the North Slope of Alaska. This region has experienced...
Authors
David Gustine, Layne G. Adams, Mary Whalen, John Pearce
Changing Arctic ecosystems: ecology of loons in a changing Arctic Changing Arctic ecosystems: ecology of loons in a changing Arctic
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Changing Arctic Ecosystems (CAE) initiative informs key resource management decisions for Arctic Alaska by providing scientific information on current and future ecosystem response to a changing climate. From 2010 to 2014, a key study area for the USGS CAE initiative has been the Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska. This region has experienced rapid...
Authors
Brian Uher-Koch, Joel Schmutz, Mary Whalen, John Pearce
Changing Arctic ecosystems: sea ice decline, permafrost thaw, and benefits for geese Changing Arctic ecosystems: sea ice decline, permafrost thaw, and benefits for geese
Through the Changing Arctic Ecosystems (CAE) initiative, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) strives to inform resource management decisions for Arctic Alaska by providing scientific information on current and future ecosystem response to a warming climate. A key area for the USGS CAE initiative has been the Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska. This region has experienced a warming...
Authors
Paul Flint, Mary Whalen, John Pearce
Changing Arctic ecosystems--the role of ecosystem changes across the Boreal-Arctic transition zone on the distribution and abundance of wildlife populations Changing Arctic ecosystems--the role of ecosystem changes across the Boreal-Arctic transition zone on the distribution and abundance of wildlife populations
Arctic and boreal ecosystems provide important breeding habitat for more than half of North America’s migratory birds as well as many resident species. Northern landscapes are projected to experience more pronounced climate-related changes in habitat than most other regions. These changes include increases in shrub growth, conversion of tundra to forest, alteration of wetlands, shifts in...
Authors
Lance McNew, Colleen Handel, John Pearce, Anthony DeGange, Leslie Holland-Bartels, Mary Whalen
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 USGS Changing Arctic Ecosystems Initiative:
This initiative has been a primary way for the USGS Alaska Science Center to conduct research and collaborations in the Arctic portions of Alaska. The objectives of this initiative are as follows:
- Quantify the responses of wildlife species and their habitats to ecosystem change in the Arctic,
- 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.
Research Conducted Through the Initiative:
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 USGS assessments in the Arctic can be found on the USGS Arctic Ecosystems Assessments Factsheet and on this page.
USGS Changing Arctic Ecosystems initiative research and collaborations for 2025 – 2027 will focus on the following topics:
- Arctic Water Ecosystems (Rusting of Arctic Rivers, heat stress in salmon, and permafrost)
- New Capacities for Arctic Mammal Research (caribou, polar bears, walrus, and sea otters)
- Changes in the Distribution and Abundance of Arctic Birds
Past efforts of the USGS Changing Arctic Ecosystems Initiative have provided significant understanding and collaborations on the following topics. See the Science, Publications and Data tabs above for more information on these topics.
- Hydrology
- Wildlife Species of Management Concern
- Minimizing the Effects of Artic Energy Development on Wildlife
- Biosurveillance of Wildlife Pathogens in the Arctic
- Algal Toxins in the Arctic
The Rusting of Arctic Rivers
The Rusting of Arctic Rivers
Orange streams are increasingly common in the Brooks Range of northern Alaska
Orange streams are increasingly common in the Brooks Range of northern Alaska
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Walrus Research
Walrus Research
Working with management agencies and Alaska Native co-management partners
Working with management agencies and Alaska Native co-management partners
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Nearshore Marine Ecosystem Research
Nearshore Marine Ecosystem Research
Resources that have ecological, recreational, subsistence, and economic value
Resources that have ecological, recreational, subsistence, and economic value
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 7
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 43
No Result Found
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 76
Evaluation of a method using survey counts and tag data to estimate the number of Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) using a coastal haulout in northwestern Alaska Evaluation of a method using survey counts and tag data to estimate the number of Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) using a coastal haulout in northwestern Alaska
Increased periods of sparse sea ice over the continental shelf of the Chukchi Sea in late summer have reduced offshore haulout habitat for Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) and increased opportunities for human activities in the region. Knowing how many walruses could be affected by human activities would be useful to conservation decisions. Currently, there are no adequate...
Authors
Brian Battaile, Chadwick Jay, Mark Udevitz, Anthony Fischbach
Walrus haul-out and in water activity levels relative to sea ice availability in the Chukchi Sea Walrus haul-out and in water activity levels relative to sea ice availability in the Chukchi Sea
An animal’s energetic costs are dependent on the amount of time it allocates to various behavioral activities. For Arctic pinnipeds, the time allocated to active and resting behaviors could change with future reductions in sea ice cover and longer periods of open water. The Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) is a large Arctic pinniped that rests on sea ice or land between...
Authors
Chadwick Jay, Rebecca Taylor, Anthony S. Fischbach, Mark Udevitz, William Beatty
Advancing the match-mismatch framework for large herbivores in the Arctic: Evaluating the evidence for a trophic mismatch in caribou Advancing the match-mismatch framework for large herbivores in the Arctic: Evaluating the evidence for a trophic mismatch in caribou
Climate-induced shifts in plant phenology may adversely affect animals that cannot or do not shift the timing of their reproductive cycle. The realized effect of potential trophic “mismatches” between a consumer and its food varies with the degree to which species rely on dietary income and stored capital. Large Arctic herbivores rely heavily on maternal capital to reproduce and give...
Authors
David Gustine, Perry Barboza, Layne G. Adams, Brad Griffith, Raymond Cameron, Kenneth Whitten
Space use of a dominant Arctic vertebrate: Effects of prey, sea ice, and land on Pacific walrus resource selection Space use of a dominant Arctic vertebrate: Effects of prey, sea ice, and land on Pacific walrus resource selection
Sea ice dominates marine ecosystems in the Arctic, and recent reductions in sea ice may alter food webs throughout the region. Sea ice loss may also stress Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens), which feed on benthic macroinvertebrates in the Bering and Chukchi seas. However, no studies have examined the effects of sea ice on foraging Pacific walrus space use patterns. We tested...
Authors
William Beatty, Chadwick Jay, Anthony Fischbach, Jacqueline Grebmeier, Rebecca Taylor, Arny Blanchard, Stephen Jewett
Forecasting the relative influence of environmental and anthropogenic stressors on polar bears Forecasting the relative influence of environmental and anthropogenic stressors on polar bears
Effective conservation planning requires understanding and ranking threats to wildlife populations. We developed a Bayesian network model to evaluate the relative influence of environmental and anthropogenic stressors, and their mitigation, on the persistence of polar bears (Ursus maritimus). Overall sea ice conditions, affected by rising global temperatures, were the most influential...
Authors
Todd Atwood, Bruce Marcot, David Douglas, Steven Amstrup, Karyn Rode, George Durner, Jeffrey Bromaghin
Multi-decadal trends in spring arrival of avian migrants to the central Arctic coast of Alaska: Effects of environmental and ecological factors Multi-decadal trends in spring arrival of avian migrants to the central Arctic coast of Alaska: Effects of environmental and ecological factors
Warming in the Arctic has caused the transition from winter to summer to occur weeks earlier over the last half century, yet little is known about whether avian migrants have altered their timing of arrival on breeding areas to match this earlier seasonal transition. Over a 50-yr period, we examined trends in the timing of the first arrival for 16 avian migrant species at the terminus of...
Authors
David Ward, J. Helmericks, Jerry Hupp, L. McManus, Michael Budde, David Douglas, K.D. Tape
Changing arctic ecosystems—What is causing the rapid increase of snow geese in northern Alaska? Changing arctic ecosystems—What is causing the rapid increase of snow geese in northern Alaska?
Through the Changing Arctic Ecosystems (CAE) initiative, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) informs key resource management decisions for Arctic Alaska by providing scientific information on current and future ecosystem response to a warming climate. The Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) of northern Alaska is a key study area within the USGS CAE initiative. This region has experienced a warming...
Authors
Jerry Hupp, David Ward, Mary Whalen, John Pearce
Changing Arctic Ecosystems: Updated forecast: Reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions required to improve polar bear outlook Changing Arctic Ecosystems: Updated forecast: Reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions required to improve polar bear outlook
The Arctic is warming faster than other regions of the world due to the loss of snow and ice, which increases the amount of solar energy absorbed by the region. The most visible consequence has been the rapid decline in sea ice over the last 3 decades-a decline projected to bring long ice-free summers if greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are not significantly reduced. The polar bear (Ursus...
Authors
Karen Oakley, Todd Atwood, Douglas Mugel, Karyn Rode, Mary Whalen
Changing Arctic ecosystems: resilience of caribou to climatic shifts in the Arctic Changing Arctic ecosystems: resilience of caribou to climatic shifts in the Arctic
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Changing Arctic Ecosystems (CAE) initiative strives to inform key resource management decisions for Arctic Alaska by providing scientific information and forecasts for current and future ecosystem response to a warming climate. Over the past 5 years, a focal area for the USGS CAE initiative has been the North Slope of Alaska. This region has experienced...
Authors
David Gustine, Layne G. Adams, Mary Whalen, John Pearce
Changing Arctic ecosystems: ecology of loons in a changing Arctic Changing Arctic ecosystems: ecology of loons in a changing Arctic
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Changing Arctic Ecosystems (CAE) initiative informs key resource management decisions for Arctic Alaska by providing scientific information on current and future ecosystem response to a changing climate. From 2010 to 2014, a key study area for the USGS CAE initiative has been the Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska. This region has experienced rapid...
Authors
Brian Uher-Koch, Joel Schmutz, Mary Whalen, John Pearce
Changing Arctic ecosystems: sea ice decline, permafrost thaw, and benefits for geese Changing Arctic ecosystems: sea ice decline, permafrost thaw, and benefits for geese
Through the Changing Arctic Ecosystems (CAE) initiative, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) strives to inform resource management decisions for Arctic Alaska by providing scientific information on current and future ecosystem response to a warming climate. A key area for the USGS CAE initiative has been the Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska. This region has experienced a warming...
Authors
Paul Flint, Mary Whalen, John Pearce
Changing Arctic ecosystems--the role of ecosystem changes across the Boreal-Arctic transition zone on the distribution and abundance of wildlife populations Changing Arctic ecosystems--the role of ecosystem changes across the Boreal-Arctic transition zone on the distribution and abundance of wildlife populations
Arctic and boreal ecosystems provide important breeding habitat for more than half of North America’s migratory birds as well as many resident species. Northern landscapes are projected to experience more pronounced climate-related changes in habitat than most other regions. These changes include increases in shrub growth, conversion of tundra to forest, alteration of wetlands, shifts in...
Authors
Lance McNew, Colleen Handel, John Pearce, Anthony DeGange, Leslie Holland-Bartels, Mary Whalen