Advancing animal health knowledge, surveillance and prediction in the Arctic: the role of trace minerals in the health of Arctic ungulates

了解野生动物健康以及气候变化对野生动物健康的影响，在脆弱和快速变化的北极地区变得越来越紧迫。这种紧迫性突出表现在北美大多数驯鹿群的严重下降，麝牛的急剧区域下降，以及通过我们以社区为基础的野生动物健康监测计划（CBWHS）确定的两个物种的普遍健康状况不佳。维多利亚岛、努纳武特和西北地区驯鹿和麝牛的几个值得注意的疾病问题包括：出现红斑丹毒丝菌、布鲁氏菌和羊口疮病毒感染、牙齿和蹄异常、肺蠕虫范围扩大、身体状况差和怀孕率低。这种普遍的“健康状况不佳”令人费解，很可能是许多驱动因素造成的结果。我们推测，最近检测到的必需微量矿物质（TM）的不平衡可能发挥作用。微量矿物质，如铜，硒，锌等，对生长，繁殖和免疫力至关重要。植物是食草动物TM的主要来源，因此潜在的地质和气候驱动的植物多样性，物候和TM吸收的变化将影响驯鹿和麝香消费者的健康。我的目标是了解气候，动物TM状态以及驯鹿和麝牛种群的健康和动态之间复杂的相互作用。我将首先（一）评估头发作为一个指标的TM状态在麝牛和驯鹿，然后（二）调查年际变化和环境因素，驱动TM配置文件在这些物种和（iii）确定TM失衡的影响，以及它们与其他健康决定因素的相互作用，在个人和人口规模。为此，我将使用OneHealth框架，利用多种信息来源，包括传统的科学方法，基于猎人的监测和土著知识。我们不断增长的关于驯鹿和麝牛健康的科学和IK/LK数据库将支持这项研究。 研究结果将有助于指导这些物种的有效共同管理和保护。多方面的研究过程将建立从北方社区青年，收获者和土著野生动物组织，政府野生动物专业人员，大学本科生和研究生和博士后研究员的实质性能力。这项研究本身将为野生动物监测提供新的工具，并大大增加我们对气候，TM，传染病和压力如何在快速变化的气候中相互作用影响驯鹿和麝牛健康的理解。从传统科学研究、CBWS和IK/LK中产生的数据将为开发机械和预测人口模型提供投入，并加强土著在共同管理决策过程中的声音。数据是共同生成的，因此结果更有可能被所有各方接受，便于在需要时制定和执行管理行动。

Understanding wildlife health, and the impacts of a climate change on wildlife health, is increasingly urgent in a fragile and rapidly changing Arctic. This urgency is highlighted by severe declines of most caribou herds across North America, steep regional declines of muskoxen, and generalized poor health of both species as identified through our community-based wildlife health surveillance programs (CBWHS). Several notable disease issues in caribou and muskoxen on Victoria Island, Nunavut and NWT include: emergence of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, Brucella and orf virus infections, dental and hoof abnormalities, range expansion of lungworms, poor body condition, and low pregnancy rates. This generalized `poor health' is enigmatic and is likely the consequence of many drivers. We hypothesize that recently detected essential trace mineral (TM) imbalances may be playing a role. Trace minerals, like copper, selenium, zinc and others, are essential for growth, reproduction, and immunity. Plants are major sources of TMs for herbivores, thus underlying geology and climate driven changes in plant diversity, phenology, and TM uptake will influence the health of the caribou and muskox consumers. My goal is to understand the complex, interacting effects among climate, animal TM status, and the health and dynamics of caribou and muskox populations. I will first (i) evaluate hair as an indicator of TM status in muskoxen and caribou and then (ii) investigate inter-annual variability and environmental factors that drive TM profiles in these species and (iii) determine the effects of TM imbalances, and their interactions with other health determinants, at individual and population scales. To do this, I will use a OneHealth framework, drawing on multiple sources of information, including conventional scientific approaches, hunter-based surveillance, and Indigenous knowledge. Our growing database of scientific and IK/LK on caribou and muskox health will support this research. Research results will help guide effective co-management and conservation of these species. The multi-faceted research process will build substantial capacity from northern community youth, harvesters and Indigenous wildlife organizations, government wildlife professionals, university undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. The research itself will generate new tools for wildlife monitoring, and vastly increase our understanding of how climate, TM, infectious disease, and stress interact to influence caribou and muskox health in a rapidly changing climate. Data generated, derived from conventional scientific studies, CBWS, and IK/LK, will provide the inputs to develop mechanistic and predictive population models as well as strengthen the Indigenous voice in co-management decision process. The data are co-generated, thus results are more likely to be accepted by all parties, facilitating the development and implementation of management actions when needed.