From Trappers to Tourists: Ecological change and human utilization of moose

Project description

The perception and use of natural resources is in change. Particularly in peripheral areas with fragile environments like the alpine river environments in Scandinavia, climate change is projected to have a significant impact on ecosystems and human societies. Historical, archeological and current data show that key species for human presence has been, and still is, moose (Alces alces). In this multidisciplinary, multiinstitutional research we combine archeology, genetics (ancient and current DNA), social and economic geography, and population ecology to contrast historical human use of the central natural resource moose with current use. Furthermore, by combining climate change models, spatial human population projection models, forest projection models and spatial moose population models we explore future scenarios for vegetation-moose-human interactions.

We have defined six areas of investigation which overlap extensively.
1) Moose colonization history.
2) Moose population dynamics.
3) Human selection pressures.
4) Timing of migration and human use.
5) Migration routes and
6) Current and future human use

Our research address the consequences of environmental change at three temporal scales; historically (8000 yrs back), current processes, and in the future (100 yrs from now). We will do this by combining empirical data of several types with scenario work, a novel approach in environmental research. We foster three graduate students, ourselves and our institutions from two universities in interdisciplinary work - improving our knowledge base for environmental research, which is multidisciplinary by nature. Our work is relevant for the future management of human-wildlife interactions, in particular the trade-off between commodification and conservation of a pivotal natural resource in northern hemisphere.