Climate change through the eyes of recreational hunters: impacts on wildlife and adaptive responses

ABSTRACT

Climate change is increasingly recognized as a serious threat to wildlife globally. Environmentally unsustainable human activities do not only damage wildlife resources but also contribute to exacerbating the impacts of climate change. The objective of this research is to assess how local hunters in the Dana Biosphere Reserve perceive climate change and its impacts on wildlife resources, and to understand their adaptive responses to these impacts. Through semi-structured interviews with local hunters, it was revealed that the area faces multiple climate threats, including reduced rainfall, shifting rainy seasons, and more frequent and intense droughts. Climate change has resulted in several problems, including a decline in the rate of reproduction of many wild species, changes in geographical distribution, and substantial declines in wildlife abundance. Consequently, most hunters have changed their hunting practices, avoided overhunting, and engaged in alternative outdoor activities.

KEYWORDS:

• Adaptive responses
• climate change
• hunters
• Jordan
• recreation substitution
• solastalgia
• wildlife resources

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge Dr. Sabrina Helm from the University of Arizona for her valuable suggestions and advice.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by the Deanship of Scientific Research at the University of Jordan.