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

在脆弱和快速变化的北极，了解野生动物健康以及气候变化对野生动物健康的影响日益紧迫。通过我们基于社区的野生动物健康监测计划(CBWHS)发现的北美大部分驯鹿群的严重下降、地区麝牛数量的急剧下降以及这两个物种普遍健康状况不佳，突显了这一紧迫性。在维多利亚岛、努纳武特和西北部的驯鹿和麝牛中，几个值得注意的疾病问题包括：出现大黄蜂、布鲁氏菌和奥夫病毒感染、牙齿和蹄子异常、肺虫活动范围扩大、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。我们推测，最近检测到的基本微量矿物质(TM)失衡可能正在发挥作用。微量矿物质，如铜、硒、锌和其他，对生长、繁殖和免疫都是必不可少的。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状况以及驯鹿和麝香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)评估毛发作为麝牛和驯鹿TM状况的指示器，然后(Ii)调查推动这些物种TM分布的年际变异性和环境因素，以及(Iii)在个体和种群尺度上确定TM不平衡的影响及其与其他健康决定因素的相互作用。为了做到这一点，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香健康的科学和IK/LK数据库将支持这项研究。研究结果将有助于指导有效的共同管理和保护这些物种。多方面的研究进程将从北部社区青年、收割机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那里建立大量能力。这项研究本身将产生新的野生动物监测工具，并极大地提高我们对气候、TM、传染病和压力如何在快速变化的气候中影响驯鹿和麝香健康的理解。从常规科学研究、CBWS和IK/LK产生的数据将为发展机械性和预测性人口模型以及加强共同管理决策过程中的土著声音提供投入。这些数据是共同生成的，因此结果更有可能被所有各方接受，从而有助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.