DEVELOPING KNOWLEDGE ON THE STATUS OF AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS IN THE CHIC-CHOC MOUNTAINS
Biocultural Place:
The Chic-Chocs are an Appalachian mountain range located in Gaspésie region of south-eastern Quebec. The name Chic-Chocs comes from the Mi’gmaq word, sigsôg, meaning “impenetrable barrier” or “rocky mountains”. The Chic-Chics are located in the heart of the Gespe’gewa’gi, the seventh District of the Mi’gma’gi that includes two on-reserve Mi’gmaq communities (Gesgapegiag and Listuguj) and one off-reserve (Gespeg; total population 5,700). The economy of the Mi’gmaq communities today is based on fisheries, forestry, tourism, and arts and crafts. The Chic-Choc wildlife reserves and the Parc de la Gaspésie are major tourist destinations in Quebec, which attract enthusiasts of nautical and land activities, including recreational fishing. Managed by Sépaq, the Chic-Choc wildlife reserves and the Parc de la Gaspésie are key destinations for sport fishing, an activity that generates several million dollars in revenue per year (for example, brook trout generates ~$15M per year in the region). These activities depend on the quality, purity and integrity of the landscape and therefore, better management of aquatic environments will help protect this industry.
Knowledge Leaders:
Catherine Lambert, Executive Director, Mi’kmaq Maliseet Aboriginal Fisheries Management Association
Louise Chavarie, Associate Professor, The Norwegian University of Life and Sciences
Knowledge Collaborators:
Heidi Swanson, Associate Professor, Waterloo University
Milla Rautio, Associate Professor, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
Pierre Magnan, Professor, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
Christophe Kinnard, Professor, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
Andrea Bortelo, Associate Professor, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
Jean-Sébastien Moore, Assistant Professor, Université Laval
Jean-François Lapierre, Assistant Professor, Université de Montréal
Olivier Morisette, Researcher and manager, Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks
Marie-Claude Richer, Biologist, Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks
Danielle Gauthier, Biologist, Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks
Claude Isabel, Biologist, Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (Sépaq) – Parc de la Gaspésie
Amélie Gilbert, Biologist, Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (Sépaq) – Parc de la Gaspésie
Julie Leblanc, Avalanche Forecaster and Professional Services Manager, Avalanche Québec
Other Collaborating Organizations:
University of Waterloo
Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
Université de Montréal
Université Laval
Québec Ministry of Forests
Wildlife and Parks
Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (Sépaq)
Avalanche Québec
Hub Focus and Goals:
The knowledge hub will generate collaborative research and management efforts between the Mi’gmaq, university researchers and management organizations. Specifically the hub will: 1) establish a network of researchers and Indigenous knowledge holders to improve knowledge of aquatic ecosystems in the Chic-Chocs, 2) undertake multidisciplinary research, 3) implement a standardized sampling program for all users, and 4) promote scientific training of under-represented groups (Mi’gmaq) in science. Research will include approaches at the nexus of biogeochemistry and community ecology to undertake long-term monitoring of the phenology of key species with a particular emphasis on winter ecology, which is rarely studied but of undeniable importance. All alpine species in the Chic-Chocs are good candidates for climate change monitoring. Several of these species reach their southeastern limits of distribution in this mountain range (e.g., Arctic char) and are therefore particularly vulnerable. The activities of the hub will include an assessment of the ice/snow cycle, the carbon and nutrient cycle, and an inventory of the biodiversity and abundance of aquatic organisms in the Chic-Chocs (including the detection of invasive species). The hub’s research activities will contribute to the development of basic knowledge on the state of aquatic ecosystems, which will help improve wildlife-forest-aquatic-recreational-tourism management plans, which are important for the region’s economy. One of the goals of the hub is to implement a standardized winter and summer sampling program to facilitate long-term monitoring of aquatic environments in the Chic-Choc region. The project also aims to increase Mi’gmaq presence in the stewardship of the region’s natural resources in both management and research activities to implement fair, equitable and positive opportunities for under-represented groups. A Mi’gmaq knowledge-sharing camp, an activity that has not been done in this region for a long time, will be an important Indigenous cultural activity for this project. It will inform Indigenous youth about medicinal plants and traditional food sources (caribou, moose, hare, fish and berries).