Aude Lalis, a researcher at the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle in Paris and a specialist in polar biodiversity, will talk about her experience in the field and living in Nunavut with the Arctic foxes that she has been studying since 2009.
The Arctic fox, which has a circumpolar distribution, is one of the 10 flagship species chosen by the IUCN Species Survival Commission to represent the impact of climate change on Earth.
The Arctic fox, so little known because it receives so little media coverage, is facing
- loss of its habitat. As the Arctic region warms, the tundra where it feeds in summer is slowly being replaced by the boreal forest of the south, and the pack ice where it feeds in winter is retreating year by year.
- changes in the cycles of its prey (rodents). With changes in the snow cover and the arrival of spring earlier and earlier, not only is the vegetation changing, but the amount of food available is also decreasing. The decline in lemming and field vole populations is leading to a decline in the Arctic fox.
- This is due to the increasing competition and predation from the red fox, which is attracted northwards (cf. global warming). The presence of the red fox in the Arctic fox's range has already been observed, and is likely to jeopardise its survival.
The Arctic fox, which plays a key role in the Arctic environment, highlights the impact of climate change not only on interactions between species, but also on the overall functioning of the tundra ecosystem.
Among Arctic fox populations, the one on Bylot Island in northern Baffin Island (Nunavut, Canada) has become the most studied in the world. It is one of the best models for applying new satellite tracking techniques to understand how Arctic fauna is affected by the increasing melting of polar ice.
Come and take part in shedding light on the "Arctic fox"...
Duration: 1h30.
Price: Adults: €9.50 / Children aged 2-17: €5.50.

For more information, call 03 39 50 80 20 or visit contact@espacedesmondespolaires.org