In the Arctic, the dynamic nature of climate change is directly affecting ecosystems and human communities (Bush & Lemmen 2019). Climatic changes are often reported as regional trends, but impacts differ between and within ecosystems and are ultimately experienced locally (Byg & Salick 2009). Additionally, directional trends in environmental conditions do not fully represent impacts because increased variability within and across years may also drive significant change. We considered multiple changes occurring in the Gwich'in Settlement Area (GSA) in northwestern Canada to highlight how Arctic residents are dealing with global change at local scales and why local experiences are relevant to global audiences.

We are a group of Gwich'in First Nation land users and researchers collaborating on a community-based monitoring program and other research related to an important subsistence fish in the Mackenzie River watershed: łuk dagaii (broad whitefish [Coregonus nasus]) (Hovel et al. 2020; Proverbs et al. 2020). The ongoing monitoring program is a partnership between Gwich'in community members, the Gwich'in Renewable Resources Board (www.grrb.nt.ca), community Renewable Resource Councils, and academic researchers. Authors A.S., A.V., and E.V. are Gwich'in land users involved in the monitoring program. They sample a subset of their subsistence harvest to document information about łuk dagaii populations (Hovel et al. 2020; Hodgson et al. 2020). In our experience, identifying local impacts of environmental change is key to understanding their varied effects and developing adaptive strategies.

Indigenous people around the world are intricately connected to the ecosystems where they live and hold deep knowledge of seasonal changes in biological and environmental conditions. This traditional knowledge (TK) is passed through generations and informs historical and present-day land use (Turner et al. 2000; Eira et al. 2018). Like other Indigenous people, the ancestors of A.S., A.V., and E.V. monitored the land, noting patterns and unusual events (Gill et al. 2014). This tradition continues today. Throughout the GSA, residents are witnessing unprecedented changes to the land, rivers, and lakes (Gill et al. 2014). Until recently, interactions between the Gwich'in and the seasons, land, and animals operated in a predictable cycle (Fig. 1). This seasonal rhythm, however, is changing rapidly.

As landscapes change, Gwich'in land users frequently observe novel conditions and can no longer consistently rely on knowledge of seasonal patterns. For instance, community members noted an unseasonably warm March in 2019, when it rained instead of snowed. This had not happened in living memory, and reflects increasing March temperatures (Fig. 2). A.S. noticed unusual seasonal temperatures for the rest of 2019. He wore winter clothing in July, but a t-shirt in September, when conditions are typically frosty. These seasonal shifts have resulted in uncertainty, and A.V. was unsure whether it would stay cold or warm up amidst these unpredictable changes. Other unusual conditions contribute to uncertainty, including changing river hydrology and flow phenology (Yang et al. 2015). Near Fort McPherson, Northwest Territories, average monthly discharge of the Peel River is changing, with trends varying among months (Fig. 2). August flow has been decreasing through time (Fig. 2), similar to elsewhere in the Mackenzie River Basin (Bawden et al. 2014). These and other unusual conditions affect harvesters’ access to the river. In autumn 2019, A.S. witnessed rapidly changing water levels on the Peel River, including the lowest flows he had ever witnessed at his camp. In 1 day, water levels dropped so quickly that he could not repeat his boat route in the same day, a highly unusual occurrence.

Uncertainties and unpredictability in environmental conditions affect Gwich'in land use. For instance, climate variability compromises harvest predictability (Fig. 1), and changing river phenology affects fishing practices. Gwich'in ancestors knew when to set nets, and taught A.S. to start fishing around 26 June. In 2019, he set a net on 10 June—over 2 weeks ahead of the traditional schedule—and caught many fish. A.S. had never experienced this, associating it with warmer temperatures and early ice breakup. These changes have land users concerned about fish migration, spawning, and competition from new species. In the last few years, A.S. has caught fish with mature eggs in November, something typically seen in October. Additionally, A.V. noted rapidly increasing numbers of Pacific salmon in Gwich'in territory. All 5 Pacific salmon species have now been caught in the Arctic, and community members are concerned they will compete with subsistence fishes (Dunmall 2018).

In response to shifting and unpredictable phenology, Gwich'in land users combine TK with an innovative mindset. Researchers increasingly cite Indigenous Peoples’ relationships to the land and TK as factors that enhance responses to social–ecological changes (i.e., adaptive capacity [Ford 2012]). Gwich'in community members are adapting in multiple ways, including modifying fishing techniques. For example, changing hydrology has changed river morphology. During low water in 2019, E.V. could not fish in his traditional eddy, so he set his net near a recently formed sand bar and successfully caught fish. Additionally, A.V. determined how to dry fish in damp, unexpectedly cool summer weather: keep a woodstove burning in the drying house to prevent mold. In a third example, A.S. prepared to fish ahead of schedule in 2020. Although water levels were too high, he will remain flexible in the future. By devising new fishing techniques in response to change, E.V. and A.V. are adapting to uncertain conditions.

Gwich'in community members are passing on this new knowledge by teaching youth land-based skills. Teaching about both traditional environmental conditions and new, variable conditions creates a strong foundation of traditional and adaptive practices. With his sons, A.S. plans to teach land-based skills to youth who have not had the opportunity to learn. It is important to him that local youth, in a time when they see younger generations protesting climate change globally, know they can learn to survive. A.V. and E.V. also teach youth, and A.V. shares similar feelings, quoting another community member who said: “Eventually, we're going to have to go back on the land.” She strongly feels that youth need to know their traditional ways of life alongside how the land is changing. E.V. says teaching youth is important to protect people's lifestyles and put food on the table. A.S. emphasizes that they have to teach TK differently because of unpredictability: He feels that he has to find new ways to survive by continuing to utilize everything the Elders taught him and also adapting some of these practices.

Gwich'in community members are also sharing knowledge outside of their community, including with researchers. Like many community members, AS., A.V., and E.V. wonder what unpredictable conditions mean for the animals they harvest. This has driven their involvement in research. A.V. hopes her observations will inspire ideas for addressing changing landscapes and lifestyles. A.V. and E.V. stress the importance of including youth in research, to provide training, exposure to biology and other disciplines, and time on the land (Hovel et al. 2020). For E.V., knowledge coproduction instills hope that fish will not be neglected. The projects described here coproduce knowledge by centering community priorities around adaptation to changing phenology, providing opportunities for youth and combining TK and Western science to understand the impacts of changing environments.

It is increasingly recognized that collaboration with Indigenous communities is essential to doing meaningful scientific research about environmental change (Ban et al. 2018). When conducted in a way that respects multiple approaches and recognizes the validity of different knowledge systems, incorporating both TK and Western science can strengthen project design and implementation and provide unique insights (Pearce 2018). The mutually beneficial projects described here were motivated by the importance of łuk dagaii to Gwich'in ways of life. We adapted scientific methods based on Gwich'in knowledge to answer questions and implement methods relevant to all parties. Gwich'in knowledge is central to study design (e.g., when, where, and how to sample fish without compromising fish drying techniques), and Gwich'in adaptive strategies have ensured fishing success despite fluctuating water levels and uncertainty in migration phenology.

Gwich'in observations of environmental change and adaptive responses highlight research areas that require further attention across the north. For instance, substantial scientific knowledge gaps remain for northern fish species (Dey et al. 2018). In Gwich'in territory, life history patterns and habitat requirements are uncertain for many species, although scientific research in the region has occurred for decades (Reist 1989; Harris et al. 2012). Gwich'in knowledge can help fill these knowledge gaps, and Gwich'in observations of changing seasonal phenology have prompted additional questions of interest to community members and researchers. These include questions about fish spawning, migration, phenology, abundance, and interactions with new species and safety concerns over accessing the river. Complementary scientific tools can address questions that cannot be answered fully with TK, such as tracking life-long fish movements (Hodgson et al. 2020).

Detailed observations and adaptive strategies make Indigenous land users powerful players in research on global ecological change. Indigenous groups around the world possess longstanding TK about their territories, foster high amounts of biodiversity, and have significant adaptive capacities (Ford 2012; Schuster et al. 2019). We believe that focusing on these experiences at local scales lends numerous benefits, including the following: local voices highlight the impacts of global climate change at scales relevant to social–ecological systems; local experiences showcase innovative adaptive strategies that are effective within or across regions; and collaborations between communities and researchers extend local experiences with environmental change and adaptation to broader audiences.

In these ways, collaborative work addresses pressing questions on social–ecological change relevant to local communities and global audiences. This comprehensive approach informs understandings of patterns of climate change and adaptations at the spatial and temporal scales at which they are expressed.

在北极，气候变化的动态性质直接影响生态系统和人类社区（Bush & Lemmen 2019）。气候变化通常被报告为区域趋势，但生态系统之间和内部的影响不同，最终会在当地经历（Byg & Salick 2009）。此外，环境条件的方向趋势并不能完全代表影响，因为年份内和年份间的变化增加也可能推动重大变化。我们考虑了加拿大西北部 Gwich'in 定居区 (GSA) 发生的多种变化，以突出北极居民如何在当地范围内应对全球变化，以及为什么当地体验与全球受众相关。

我们是一群 Gwich'in First Nation 土地使用者和研究人员，他们合作开展基于社区的监测计划和其他与 Mackenzie River 流域中一种重要的自给性鱼类相关的研究：łuk dagaii（阔白鱼 [ Coregonus nasus ]）（Hovel 等人2020 ;谚语等人2020）。正在进行的监测计划是 Gwich'in 社区成员、Gwich'in 可再生资源委员会 (www.grrb.nt.ca)、社区可再生资源委员会和学术研究人员之间的合作伙伴关系。作者 AS、AV 和 EV 是参与监测计划的 Gwich'in 土地用户。他们对自给自足收获的子集进行抽样，以记录有关 łuk dagaii 种群的信息（Hovel 等人，2020 年；Hodgson 等人，2020 年）。2020 年）。根据我们的经验，确定环境变化对当地的影响是了解其不同影响和制定适应性策略的关键。

世界各地的土著人民与他们生活的生态系统有着错综复杂的联系，他们对生物和环境条件的季节性变化有着深入的了解。这种传统知识 (TK) 代代相传，并为历史和当今的土地利用提供信息（Turner 等人，2000 年；Eira 等人，2018 年）。像其他土著人一样，AS、AV 和 EV 的祖先监测土地，记录模式和异常事件（Gill 等人，2014 年）。这个传统一直延续到今天。在整个 GSA 中，居民正在目睹土地、河流和湖泊发生前所未有的变化（Gill 等人，2014）。直到最近，Gwich'in 与季节、土地和动物之间的相互作用以可预测的周期运行（图 1）。然而，这种季节性节奏正在迅速变化。

随着景观的变化，Gwich'in 土地使用者经常观察到新的情况，并且不能再始终依赖于季节性模式的知识。例如，社区成员注意到 2019 年 3 月异常温暖，当时下雨而不是下雪。这在人们的记忆中从未发生过，反映了 3 月气温的升高（图 2）。AS 注意到 2019 年剩余时间的季节性气温异常。他在 7 月穿着冬季服装，但在 9 月穿着 T 恤，当时天气通常是寒冷的。这些季节性变化导致了不确定性，AV 不确定在这些不可预测的变化中它会保持寒冷还是温暖。其他不寻常的条件会导致不确定性，包括不断变化的河流水文和流量物候（Yang 等人，2015 年））。在西北地区的麦克弗森堡附近，皮尔河的平均月流量正在发生变化，其趋势因月份而异（图 2）。8 月的流量随着时间的推移一直在减少（图 2），类似于 Mackenzie 河流域的其他地方（Bawden 等人，2014 年）。这些和其他异常情况影响收割机进入河流。2019 年秋季，AS 目睹了皮尔河的水位迅速变化，包括他在营地中见过的最低水位。一天之内，水位下降得如此之快，以至于他无法在同一天重复他的乘船路线，这是非常不寻常的情况。

环境条件的不确定性和不可预测性会影响 Gwich'in 的土地利用。例如，气候变化会影响收获的可预测性（图 1），而不断变化的河流物候会影响捕捞实践。Gwich'in 的祖先知道何时放网，并教 AS 在 6 月 26 日左右开始捕鱼。2019 年，他在 6 月 10 日下网——比传统计划提前了 2 周多——并捕获了许多鱼。AS 从未经历过这种情况，将其与较高的温度和早期的冰层破裂联系起来。这些变化让土地使用者担心鱼类迁徙、产卵和来自新物种的竞争。在过去的几年中，AS 在 11 月捕获了带有成熟卵的鱼，这通常在 10 月出现。此外，AV 注意到 Gwich'in 领土上太平洋鲑鱼的数量迅速增加。2018 年）。

为了应对不断变化和不可预测的物候状况，Gwich'in 土地使用者将传统知识与创新思维相结合。研究人员越来越多地将土著人民与土地和传统知识的关系作为增强对社会生态变化反应的因素（即适应能力 [Ford 2012]）。Gwich'in 社区成员正在以多种方式适应，包括修改捕鱼技术。例如，变化的水文改变了河流的形态。2019年低水位期间，EV无法在他的传统涡流中钓鱼，因此他将网放在最近形成的沙洲附近并成功捕获了鱼。此外，AV 还确定了如何在潮湿、出乎意料的凉爽夏季天气中烘干鱼：在烘干房中保持木炉燃烧以防止发霉。在第三个例子中，AS 准备在 2020 年提前捕鱼。虽然水位太高，但他将来会保持灵活。通过设计新的捕鱼技术以应对变化，EV 和 AV 正在适应不确定的条件。

Gwich'in 社区成员正在通过教授青年陆上技能来传递这种新知识。关于传统环境条件和新的可变条件的教学为传统和适应性实践奠定了坚实的基础。AS 计划与他的儿子们一起向没有机会学习的年轻人传授陆上技能。在他看到年轻一代在全球范围内抗议气候变化的时候，当地青年知道他们可以学会生存，这对他来说很重要。AV 和 EV 也教年轻人，AV 也有类似的感受，引用另一位社区成员的话说：“最终，我们将不得不回到这片土地上。” 她强烈认为，年轻人需要了解他们的传统生活方式以及土地如何变化。EV 说教育青年对保护人们很重要 s 生活方式并将食物放在桌子上。AS 强调，由于不可预测性，他们必须以不同的方式教授传统知识：他觉得他必须通过继续利用长老教给他的一切并调整其中一些做法来找到新的生存方式。

Gwich'in 社区成员也在社区之外分享知识，包括与研究人员分享。像许多社区成员一样，AS.、AV 和 EV 想知道不可预测的条件对他们收获的动物意味着什么。这促使他们参与研究。AV 希望她的观察能够激发解决不断变化的景观和生活方式的想法。AV 和 EV 强调让青年参与研究、提供培训、接触生物学和其他学科以及在陆地上的时间的重要性（Hovel 等人，2020 年））。对于电动汽车，知识联合生产灌输希望，鱼不会被忽视。这里描述的项目通过将社区优先事项集中在适应不断变化的物候、为青年提供机会以及结合传统知识和西方科学来了解不断变化的环境的影响来共同产生知识。

人们越来越认识到，与土著社区的合作对于开展有意义的环境变化科学研究至关重要（Ban 等人，2018 年）。当以尊重多种方法并承认不同知识体系有效性的方式进行时，结合传统知识和西方科学可以加强项目设计和实施并提供独特的见解（Pearce 2018）。此处描述的互利项目的动机是 łuk dagaii 对 Gwich'in 生活方式的重要性。我们采用基于 Gwich'in 知识的科学方法来回答问题并实施与各方相关的方法。Gwich'in 知识是研究设计的核心（例如，何时、何地以及如何在不影响鱼干燥技术的情况下对鱼进行采样），并且 Gwich'in 适应性策略确保了捕鱼成功，尽管水位波动和迁移物候不确定。

Gwich'in 对环境变化和适应性反应的观察突出了北方需要进一步关注的研究领域。例如，北方鱼类物种仍然存在巨大的科学知识差距（Dey 等人，2018 年）。在 Gwich'in 领土，许多物种的生活史模式和栖息地要求是不确定的，尽管该地区的科学研究已经进行了几十年（Reist 1989 ; Harris et al. 2012）。Gwich'in 的知识可以帮助填补这些知识空白，Gwich'in 对季节性物候变化的观察引发了社区成员和研究人员感兴趣的其他问题。其中包括有关鱼类产卵、迁徙、物候、丰度以及与新物种的相互作用以及进入河流的安全问题的问题。补充性科学工具可以解决传统知识无法完全回答的问题，例如跟踪鱼类终生运动（Hodgson 等人，2020 年）。

详细的观察和适应性策略使土著土地使用者成为全球生态变化研究的有力参与者。世界各地的土著群体在其领土上拥有长期的传统知识，促进了大量的生物多样性，并具有显着的适应能力（福特2012 年；舒斯特等人2019 年）。我们相信，在当地范围内关注这些经验会带来许多好处，包括：当地经验展示了在区域内或跨区域有效的创新适应性战略；社区和研究人员之间的合作将当地在环境变化和适应方面的经验扩展到更广泛的受众。

通过这些方式，协作工作解决了与当地社区和全球受众相关的社会生态变化的紧迫问题。这种综合方法有助于理解气候变化和适应在空间和时间尺度上表达的模式。