"Indigenous knowledge and scientific research must work in concert to further understand specific climate change impacts in specific locations in order to develop appropriate adaptation strategies," the researchers wrote.
Craig Gerlach of the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy at the University of Alaska Fairbanks said local lore was valuable to scientists because the lives of the native population in the upper latitudes is intricately linked with the climate, weather and ecosystem.
"Unexpected changes and unprecedented environmental conditions are easily noticed," Gerlach said. What the USGS survey found matches what scientists know is happening elsewhere.
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