A quick overview CARMA Network CircumArctic Rangifer Monitoring

A quick overview

CARMA Network (Circum-Arctic Rangifer Monitoring & Assessment Network) Third Meeting November 28 -30, 2006 Network

CARMA • • • Rationale Mission History Structure Activities Goals

Global Process Regional decision making New and more difficult challenges: • High uncertainty • Rapid directional change • Increased complexity • Considerable heterogeneity Local well being

The Mission of CARMA “To monitor and assess the impacts of global change on the Human-Rangifer System across the Arctic through cooperation, both geographically and across disciplines. ”

• 1998 - The Arctic Council directed CAFF to “identify elements of a program to monitor circumpolar biodiversity” and to “assess the effects of climate change on Arctic ecosystems”.

1999 -“The Human Role in Reindeer/Caribou Systems” Workshop

Its “Research Plan” · Anticipating and responding to change · Understanding the resilience of Human. Rangifer Systems · Developing new methods for comparative studies · Facilitating communication among players · Organizing into a network · Reframing the paradigm to include hunters and herders

Background: February, 2000: CAFF responds to Arctic Council recommendation by establishing the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program

CARMA official Launch, Vancouver Oct 31 – Nov 1 2004 Representatives from Russia, Finland, Norway, Greenland, Canada, and the U. S. at the official launch of CARMA Network

Second Meeting of the CARMA Network Nov 15 -16 • Linked with IPY • Identified research questions: – What is the resilience of Human-Rangifer Systems to global change? – What are the vulnerabilities of these systems? • Organized into focus areas • Initiated funding proposal planning

Three sources of information… Remote sensing Field studies Local knowledge

Where do we want to be one year from now? • Protocols for monitoring established • Monitoring data collection in full swing • Co-management boards engaged in the process and their involvement well defined • Sub-questions for research well defined • Funding in place

Where do we want to be at the end of IPY (March 2009)? • Strong arctic network established • Intensive monitoring completed • Dataset from different sources types compiled • Decision-support tools for co-managers developed and pre-tested.

Preparing for change