Alaska EPSCoR AHM May 27, 2010

Shannon DonovanUniversity of Alaska AnchorageDepartment of Geography and

Environmental Studies

The Issues: They are Complex Predator control occurs across many Northwest states

and Alaska Gray wolves were delisted from the Federal ESA Prey (caribou and moose) populations seem to be

decreasing/fluctuating in some areas Different management strategies employed on different

land types and by different agencies Problematic for sport and subsistence huntingLittle is known/agreed upon about existing numbers of

predators and prey Highly controversial topic Need for biological, economical and social baseline data

Bringing Together an Interdisciplinary Team

To date, several folks have met to develop an interdisciplinary project focused on predator/prey management issues.

Matt Berman, UAA ISERShannon Donovan UAA Julie Lurman Joly, UAF Don Spalinger, UAA Toby Schwörer , UAA ISERJeff Welker, UAA ENRI

Discussed needs, resources and opportunities as well as the challenges of addressing predator management in Alaska.

Wolves, Bears, and Their Prey in Alaska: Biological and Social Challenges in Wildlife Management.

Report by the National Research Council in 1997

Provides 17 conclusions and recommendations for moving forward

Many of these recommendations have not been followed up on as of yet

Need and opportunity to develop an interdisciplinary approach for collecting baseline data

Habitat availability and quality need to be better understood

Increase coordination across agencies to better understand predator-prey relationships across landscapes

Assess full economic costs and benefits of predator management programs

Manage and monitor predators and prey using adaptive management strategies

Increase understanding of social values Develop a framework for incorporating public opinion Create and implement conflict resolution strategies

Select Recommendations: Coordinate and Cooperate

Alaska Residents’ Attitudes toward Predator Management Statewide in Unit 13

Study conducted by Cornell for ADF&G in 2003Random sample of 1300 households statewide and

1300 in Unit 13Among other things, the study assessed public

acceptance of predator controlStudy shows public acceptance is conditional

“when predation reduces prey populations to the point that some local residents who rely on game for food are unable to find moose or caribou to hunt”

Study also suggests public interest in increasing prey is greater than their interest in decreasing predators

Umbrella Research Question

Under what conditions does predator control make social and ecological systems more resilient?

Sub-Topics Predator-prey relationships Carrying capacity (habitat)Migration (in and out of local areas

and across land types)Fire and fire managementPredator management and policies: different

rules in different landsPublic opinions and stakeholder values Rule making processes

What are the optimal predator and prey harvest rates that maximize long term social net benefits?

How effective is predator control in selected study areas?What are the economic benefits and costs of predator control

versus what they could be under ecosystem-based management?

To what degree are prey populations changing at regional levels? How do population changes coincide with other factors?

How can social and ecological changes be monitored at a landscape level – to what degree can spatial mapping help better understand systems?

What are the range of factors affecting prey populations?How important are predators in shaping sense of place?How can lessons learned about predator management in the

North be applied to other areas -like WY, ID and MT?What strategies can be employed to reduce stakeholder

conflict?

Other potential ideas Assess impacts of predator management and

reduced prey on native communities Incorporate local knowledge into adaptive

management strategies Look at the impact of climate change on prey

movementModeling changes in predator-

prey relationships

Approach Assess impacts of predator management and

prey availability across landscapes Identify what is already known and gaps in

the knowledgeDevelop intensive case studies in varying

geographic regions Generate baseline data sets Bring stakeholders together Develop plausible strategies for effectively

monitoring and managing predators and prey

Hopeful Outcomes Provide managers and policymakers with relatively

objective data needed to solve a complex bio-social problem

Create a framework for collaboration across landscapes

Create a framework for collaboration across agencies Understand public values regarding predator

management Identify true costs and benefits of predator

management Develop a successful models that can be

implemented in other regions

Potential Funding NSF

Dynamics of coupled human and natural systems (Nov. deadline)

ARCSS (Dec. deadline)National Fish and Wildlife

Foundation (Nov. deadline)Federal initiatives/earmarks

Shannon Donovan 907-786-6052

afsmd@uaa.alaska.edu