Why are Canadian moose declining? Interviews with Indigenous communities offer new clues

As one of the most iconic creatures in their ecosystems, moose have lumbered their way into the fabric of Canadian culture in Ontario. Recreational hunting, Indigenous well-being and the region’s ecosystem health all depend on these antlered giants. But in the last two decades, their population has declined by 20 percent. Now, a new collaboration between researchers from the University of Guelph, Ontario, and three Anishinabek First Nation communities has revealed numerous reasons why the numbers of moose (Alces alces) are dropping. The impact of climate change on their environment appears to be the main factor, but several other potential causes emerged from the Indigenous perspectives provided to researchers in interviews. The team described   work recently in the journal People and Nature. “It’s being seen by both knowledge systems,” said study coauthor Steven Kell, head biologist for Shawanaga First Nation in Nobel, Ontario. “[Moose decline] is going to have a negative effect not only ecologically, but also culturally and on the health and well-being of First Nation people.” Seeds travel via a moose’s fur, increasing biodiversity in wetlands. Tom Koerner/USFWS Mountain-Prairie on Wiki Commons In Ontario, moose—the second-largest land animal in North America—support several predators in the ecological food chain and provide food security to Indigenous residents. The people of Shawanaga use every part of the animal in daily practices and cultural traditions. Even the dew claws of hooves become part of their cultural regalia as chimes during ceremonial dancing. The mammals also increase the biodiversity of wetlands by…This article was originally published on Mongabay