Observations and research across Alaska indicate shifting berry ripening times and unpredictable yields, with climate change as a key factor affecting these important subsistence and cultural resources.

Early Ripe Blueberries (Vaccinium ovalifolium)

Very early berries this year.

Salmon Berries (Rubus spectabilis) Early

Early bloom of salmonberry bushes.

A terrible year for berry harvest in the Upper Nushagak River.

Crooked Island, 25 Miles south of Togiak. Remnants of blackberries.

5-27-14 Early salmon berry blossoms - Toksook Bay, Alaska, USA

7-24-13 More salmon berries - Nondalton, Alaska, USA

The outlook for blueberries in Southcentral Alaska this year is bleak, scientists say. The reason: Two species of moth have damaged berry patches, as well as native deciduous trees, from the southern Kenai Peninsula to Mat-Su.