Exploring the identification and use of socially defined indicators to monitor local environmental change in the Santa Catalina Mountains, Arizona

Identifying how populations living in landscapes at the forefront of climate change observe and interpret ecological shifts offers critical insights into communication and motivation regarding environmental change and broader climate adaptation. The use of scientific indicators to monitor local change often relies on quantitative methodologies that do not necessarily reflect how varied individuals within a landscape measure and document change. As a result, there is a need to better understand how individuals and interest groups across shared landscapes track climate change impacts at the local level. We conducted 43 semi-structured interviews with residents and professionals living and working in and around the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson, AZ, shortly after the 2020 Bighorn Fire to address this research gap. Specific biota emerged as socially defined “indicators” for monitoring environmental change and related processes. Selection and use of these indicators, including saguaro cacti and bighorn sheep, were embedded within varied place-based understandings in the Catalinas. We propose that the use of locally valued species for socially tracking longitudinal environmental change may benefit from the use of the term “charismatic indicators.” Charismatic indicators may vary across landscapes and place-based understandings and merit further exploration. We conclude with insights and guidance for the potential identification and use of charismatic indicators of environmental change in both research and management.