Cultural Extinction under Climate Change: Threats to the Indigenous Use of Giant Conifers in Northern Forests

Boreal and northern temperate forests are home to northern indigenous peoples, and large conifers are vital to their lives. However, under climate warming, large coniferous trees are declining in these northern forests, which may threaten the way of life for northern indigenous peoples, who rely on large coniferous trees. It takes several centuries for coniferous trees to become large. The disappearance of giant confers causes indigenous people to lose traditional knowledge about the use of these trees in their traditional ways, a loss that will inevitably become permanent over several centuries. Furthermore, the “extinction of experience” of being in front of these giant trees might create negative feedback for indigenous societies by eliminating their recognition of the importance of such trees for their culture, so they may put less effort into conserving the giant conifers of boreal and temperate forests. In addition to conserving giant conifers themselves, we should also address the parallel goal of creating experiences that introduce people to giant conifers via ecological education or nature tourism. The protection of these giant trees can provide an interface between the mitigation of global climate change and the conservation of local cultural services provided to indigenous people in boreal and northern temperate regions.