Persistent and emerging threats to Arctic biodiversity and ways to overcome them: a horizon scan

Lemieux, Tanya A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3990-4157; Coles, Jackson D.R.; Haley, Anne L. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3582-9850; LaFlamme, Michelle L.; Steel, Sara K.; Scott, Kara M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1401-5903; Provencher, Jennifer F.; Price, Courtney ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2406-4290; Bennett, Joseph R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3901-9513; Barrio, Isabel C. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8120-5248; Findlay, Helen S. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9742-9246; Goodman, Simon J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4118-8575; Matthews, Blake ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9089-704X; Näslund, Joacim ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1091-2225; Pearce, David. A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5292-4596; Hollister, Robert D. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4764-7691; Mallory, Mark L. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2744-3437; Smith, Paul A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9573-5218; Schaepman-Strub, Gabriela ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4069-1884; Cooke, Steven J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5407-0659. 2025 Persistent and emerging threats to Arctic biodiversity and ways to overcome them: a horizon scan. Arctic Science, 11. 1-29. 10.1139/as-2024-0035

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Text (Open Access) © 2025 Authors Lemieux, Coles, Haley, LaFlamme, Steel, Scott, Bennett, Barrio, Findlay, Goodman, Matthews, Näslund, Pearce, Hollister, Mallory, Schaepman-Strub, Cooke; CAFF International Secretariat; and The Crown. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited. lemieux-et-al-2024-persistent-and-emerging-threats-to-arctic-biodiversity-and-ways-to-overcome-them-a-horizon-scan.pdf - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. Download (5MB) | Preview

Abstract/Summary

Arctic biodiversity is under threat from both climate-induced environmental change and anthropogenic activity. However, the rapid rate of change and the challenging conditions for studying Arctic environments mean that many research questions must be answered before we can strategically allocate resources for management. Addressing threats to biodiversity in the Arctic is further complicated by the region's complex geopolitics, as eight countries claim jurisdiction over the area, with multiple local considerations such as Indigenous sovereignty and resource rights. Here, we identify research priorities to serve as a starting point for addressing the most pressing threats to Arctic biodiversity. We began by collecting pressing research questions about Arctic biodiversity, thematizing them as either threats or actions, and then categorizing them further into 18 groups. Then, drawing on cross-disciplinary and global expertise of professionals in Arctic science, management, and policy, we considered the barriers to answering these questions and proposed potential solutions that could be implemented if barriers were overcome. Overall, our horizon scan provides an expert assessment of threats (e.g., species’ responses to climate change) and actions (e.g., a lack of fundamental information regarding Arctic biodiversity) needing attention and is intended to guide future conservation action within the Arctic.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1139/as-2024-0035
ISSN:	2368-7460
Additional Keywords:	conservation, barriers, foresight, policy, management, climate change
Date made live:	14 Jan 2025 16:55 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/538729

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