Indigenous-led analysis of important subsistence species response to resource extraction

Subsistence hunting, or “country food,” is essential for Indigenous Peoples who face high food insecurity and is critical for Indigenous Food Sovereignty. For many First Nations of Canada, subsistence hunting is also inextricably linked to traditional conservation practices, as hunting is an important way of engaging with nature. In the boreal of Canada, large game such as moose (Alces alces) are a primary source of protein for many First Nations. However, resource extraction, including forestry practices and oil and gas extraction, has shifted large game distributions and affected the availability and abundance of food resources. Here, we used remote camera trap data and generalized linear models to evaluate moose habitat use and spatial-numerical response to possible stressors in north-central Alberta, including fire, harvest, oil and gas extraction, and other disturbances. We also examined the effects of human-caused stressors on habitat use by sex and age class data. The proportion of various land cover types and human land use for resource extraction were important in moose habitat use. Overall, adult moose avoided burned areas and grasslands. Notably, male, female, and young moose all used habitat differently and at different spatial scales. However, young moose (with their mothers) strongly selected natural forest disturbances such as burned areas but avoided human-created disturbances such as petroleum exploration “seismic” lines. Female moose with young attempting to maximize forage opportunities do not use human-disturbed forests in the same ways they use naturally disturbed areas. This also aligns with observations from Indigenous communities, which have linked human disturbance to declines in moose densities and displacement from traditional hunting grounds. Understanding and predicting shifts in large game distributions is critical to supporting Indigenous Food Sovereignty and identifying where industries operating on First Nations lands can better engage responsibly with First Nations.