Indigenous-led analysis of important subsistence species response to
resource extraction
Abstract
Subsistence hunting, or “country food,” is essential for Indigenous
Peoples who face high food insecurity and is critical for Indigenous
Food Sovereignty. For many First Nations of Canada, subsistence hunting
is also inextricably linked to traditional conservation practices, as
hunting is an important way of engaging with nature. In the boreal of
Canada, large game such as moose (Alces alces) are a primary source of
protein for many First Nations. However, resource extraction, including
forestry practices and oil and gas extraction, has shifted large game
distributions and affected the availability and abundance of food
resources. Here, we used remote camera trap data and generalized linear
models to evaluate moose habitat use and spatial-numerical response to
possible stressors in north-central Alberta, including fire, harvest,
oil and gas extraction, and other disturbances. We also examined the
effects of human-caused stressors on habitat use by sex and age class
data. The proportion of various land cover types and human land use for
resource extraction were important in moose habitat use. Overall, adult
moose avoided burned areas and grasslands. Notably, male, female, and
young moose all used habitat differently and at different spatial
scales. However, young moose (with their mothers) strongly selected
natural forest disturbances such as burned areas but avoided
human-created disturbances such as petroleum exploration “seismic”
lines. Female moose with young attempting to maximize forage
opportunities do not use human-disturbed forests in the same ways they
use naturally disturbed areas. This also aligns with observations from
Indigenous communities, which have linked human disturbance to declines
in moose densities and displacement from traditional hunting grounds.
Understanding and predicting shifts in large game distributions is
critical to supporting Indigenous Food Sovereignty and identifying where
industries operating on First Nations lands can better engage
responsibly with First Nations.