A new publication co-authored by John Ziker (Department of Anthropology) and Karl Mertens (Ph.D. candidate in ecology, evolution and behavior) examines the adaptive strategies of Nenets reindeer herders to rapid climate change in the Arctic.
The article, “Adaptive Strategies of Indigenous Nenets Reindeer Herders for Climate Change in Yamal,” examines reindeer herders’ responses to the increasing frequency of extreme rain-on-snow events in the region, resulting in massive losses of reindeer, into the tens of thousands of animals and threatening the traditional way of life of one of the last fully nomadic human population in the Arctic. Results show that responses to extreme weather events are extremely diverse and every household chooses a response depending on its exact location, the size of their herd, labor power available, financial resources, social networks, specific qualifications and skills of the household members, and individual preferences and character.
The paper describes 10 different strategies being employed. An analysis of regional climate trends indicates areas within Yamal peninsula that are particularly being affected.
The paper was developed as part of a U.S. National Science Foundation funded project in the Navigating the New Arctic program (NSF 2126792, 2126794, 2126798, 2126799).