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Abstract
Wilderness plays a vital role in global and landscape-level conservation of wildlife. Millions of migratory birds and mammals rely on wilderness lands and waters during critical parts of their life. As large, ecologically intact landscapes, wilderness areas also play a vital role in addressing global climate change by increasing carbon sequestration, reducing fragmentation, and providing dispersal corridors. However, potential biome shifts, fragmentation, and the effects of urbanization threaten even remote wilderness areas. The National Wildlife Refuge System (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) protects over 18 million acres of designated wilderness in Alaska. Wildlife protected within this wilderness spend significant parts of their lives in Canada, Latin American, and other countries, which are also suffering the effects of global climate change. We briefly discuss three species that spend significant portions of their lives in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, but rely on habitat in other countries during other phases of their lives. Examples of successful international efforts are provided. We suggest that by enhancing hemispheric partnerships to preserve critical habitat as permanently protected wildlands, we can increase resiliency, redundancy, and representation of habitats for these shared species.
Parent Publication
Keywords
wilderness,
biodiversity,
conservation,
protected areas,
economics,
subsistence,
tourism,
traditional knowledge,
community involvement,
policy,
stewardship,
education,
spiritual values,
migratory wildlife
Citation
Meeks, Will; Fox, Jimmy; Roeper, Nancy. 2011. Shared wilderness, shared responsibility, shared vision: Protecting migratory wildlife. In: Watson, Alan; Murrieta-Saldivar, Joaquin; McBride, Brooke, comps. Science and stewardship to protect and sustain wilderness values: Ninth World Wilderness Congress symposium; November 6-13, 2009; Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. Proceedings RMRS-P-64. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 72-77.
