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

推进北极动物健康知识、监测和预测：微量矿物质在北极有蹄类动物健康中的作用

• 批准号: RGPIN-2021-02796
• 负责人: Kutz, Susan
• 金额: $ 2.91万
• 依托单位: University of Calgary
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=741811
• 关键词: Advancing; animal; health; knowledge; surveillance

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.

在脆弱且快速变化的北极，了解野生动物健康以及气候变化对野生动物健康的影响变得越来越紧迫。通过我们基于社区的野生动物健康监测计划 (CBWHS) 发现，北美大多数驯鹿群的严重减少、麝香牛的区域急剧减少以及这两个物种普遍健康状况不佳，凸显了这一紧迫性。维多利亚岛、努纳武特地区和西北地区的驯鹿和麝牛面临的一些值得注意的疾病问题包括：红斑丹毒丝菌的出现、布鲁氏菌和奥尔夫病毒感染、牙齿和蹄子异常、肺线虫活动范围扩大、身体状况不佳和怀孕率低。这种普遍的“健康状况不佳”令人费解，很可能是许多司机造成的后果。我们推测最近检测到的必需微量矿物质 (TM) 失衡可能起到了一定作用。铜、硒、锌等微量矿物质对于生长、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牛消费者的健康。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的影响。我将首先 (i) 评估毛发作为麝香牛和驯鹿 TM 状态的指标，然后 (ii) 研究驱动这些物种 TM 特征的年际变化和环境因素，以及 (iii) 在个体和群体规模上确定 TM 失衡的影响及其与其他健康决定因素的相互作用。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、基于狩猎的监测和土著知识。我们不断增长的关于驯鹿和麝牛健康的科学和 IK/LK 数据库将为这项研究提供支持。 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为北部社区青年、采伐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以及博士后研究员建立强大的能力。这项研究本身将产生用于野生动物监测的新工具，并极大地增进我们对气候、TM、传染病和压力如何相互作用以在快速变化的气候中影响驯鹿和麝牛健康的理解。从传统科学研究、CBWS 和 IK/LK 中生成的数据将为开发机械和预测人口模型提供输入，并加强土著人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各方接受，从而在需要时促进管理行动的制定和实施。