NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Gwich'in Settlement Area

Tags: physical sciences, vegetation, paleontology, ancient forests, forestry, trees

Project Description: Researchers are currently working on a project at Banks Island where they will measure stumps and logs of 3-million-year-old trees and attempt to understand the species that grew there, how tall the trees were, their diameters and the annual production of wood and foliage. Researchers know the Banks Island trees were spruce, larch and pine. To accurately determine what the ancient trees looked like, scientists need modern analogs. The white spruce, black spruce and tamarack in the region around Inuvik are likely the nearest living relatives of the ancient trees. The researchers will travel by rented vehicle to their study sites in the Gwich'in Settlement Area. They will do a reconnaissance first, with the assistance of Environment and Natural Resources, Forest Division, to see which sites are the most suitable. When the final sites are chosen, the research team will dissect trunks, branches and needles of ten to fifteen trees of each species studied, specifically, black spruce, white spruce, and tamarack. The researchers will also measure the diameters at breast height of all trees in fifteen to thirty 15x15 metre plots. One chain saw, hand saws, clippers, and mechanical scales for weighing tree parts are the only equipment needed. The researchers may hire a local person to serve as a member of the research team and/or as a wildlife monitor. The study will generate a data base of forest biomass and annual productivity for a variety of forest vegetation assemblages. The researchers will submit reports as required and expect to have papers published in scientific journals in 1-2 years. The researchers are willing to give talks to the public and in local schools. The study will be conducted at various sites in Gwich'in Settlement Area (sites are located at approximately, 67º45'34"N, 133º53'09"W and 68º06'34"N, 133º28'32"W), from July 14 to August 4, 2005.