How vulnerable — or resilient — are northern ecosystems to a changing climate? And what does that mean for the people who depend on them? To find out, an ambitious research project is combining NASA remote-sensing technology with the expertise of Indigenous hunters and scientists in the field.

 

The Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment, or NASA ABoVE, focuses on ecosystems in Alaska, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and western Nunavut. “This immense area is warming rapidly,” says Mike Gill, a scientist who has worked at Polar Knowledge Canada, a partner in the project. “Indigenous people there are feeling the changes now, and they’re looking for answers to some fundamental questions. Will there be enough caribou to harvest in the future? Will forest fires become more of a threat? How will climate change affect the ice roads that some communities depend on for supplies, and the traditional winter routes to their hunting and fishing grounds?” These are among the questions that drive the project.