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Assessing the Role of Free-Roaming Horses in a Social–Ecological System

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Abstract

Management actions concerning free-roaming horses attract controversy in many areas. In the Chilcotin region of British Columbia, Canada, social and cultural values influence debates about management of free-roaming horses and perceptions of their ecological impacts. A dearth of current, empirical research on the role and impacts of horses in local ecosystems results in management decisions being informed largely by studies from other ecoregions and locations, which may not accurately represent local ecological, social, cultural, and economic influences. We initiated the first socio-ecological study of horse sub-populations, their grazing habitat, and past management approaches affecting current conditions in the ?Elegesi Qayuse Wild Horse Preserve in Xeni Gwet’in (Tsilhqot’in) First Nations’ territory. This exploratory study used mixed methods including a review of literature and unpublished data, assessment of vegetation in core grazing habitat, and exploration of local ecological and cultural knowledge and perceptions. Plant community composition and abundance in core grazing habitat of the Wild Horse Preserve are consistent with a structurally sound ecosystem. Socio-cultural factors are important for managers to consider in effective decision-making concerning horse populations.

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Notes

  1. We use the Anglicized word Chilcotin to refer to the geographical region in the south-western part of British Columbia’s interior. We use the word Tsilhqot’in to refer to the First Nations people whose territory includes much of that region, their culture, and their language.

  2. In accordance with the Research Ethics and Protocol Agreements under which this research was carried out, we use individual codes (e.g., IN01) to cite interview participants while maintaining confidentiality and anonymity.

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Acknowledgments

Authors acknowledge the Xeni Gwet’in First Nation, all Tsilhqot’in peoples, participants, and residents in Nemiah Valley for allowing and facilitating research within their communities and territory, and for their warm hospitality. Field research was made possible by in-kind support from Friends of Nemaiah Valley (FONV), Valhalla Wilderness Society, British Columbia Ministry of Forests and Range. Thanks to David Williams, Scott Slocombe, Susan Wismer, John Lewis, Erik Beever, and numerous individual volunteers for guidance and support. Research was financially supported by contributions from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRCC), the Ontario Ministry of Colleges Training and Universities, the Wilburforce Foundation, the University of Waterloo, FONV, Valhalla Wilderness Society, and individual private donors. Writing process was supported by the Tula Foundation.

Ethical standard

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the University of Waterloo Office of Research, the Xeni Gwet’in Research Protocol Agreement, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRCC), and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada

    Jonaki Bhattacharyya

  2. University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada

    Stephen D. Murphy

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  1. Jonaki Bhattacharyya
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Correspondence to Jonaki Bhattacharyya.

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Bhattacharyya, J., Murphy, S.D. Assessing the Role of Free-Roaming Horses in a Social–Ecological System. Environmental Management 56, 433–446 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-015-0508-y

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