NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region

Tags: biology, plant distribution, vegetation, taxonomy

Objective(s): To produce the first “Flora of the Canadian Arctic”, a field guide to all plant species of the Canadian arctic. Also to implement an Arctic Plant website to provide easy access to information, to undertake studies on diversity and distribution of arctic plants and mosses; and to obtain DNA barcodes for all Canadian Arctic plants.

Project Description: The Research long term goals are to: 1) produce the first “Flora of the Canadian Arctic”, a field guide to all plant species of the Canadian arctic; 2) implement an Arctic Plant website to provide easy access to information; 3) undertake studies on diversity and distribution of arctic plants and mosses; and 4) obtain DNA barcodes for all Canadian Arctic plants. The objectives on Victoria Island in 2010 are to a) document vascular plant and moss species in areas that are botanically unknown or poorly known; b) obtain complete plant inventories of selected areas as baseline data for long term monitoring; c) do taxonomic studies to clarify species limits of taxonomically problematic plant groups and d) collect samples for DNA bar-coding studies. The researchers focus on a different arctic region each year, while attempting to cover as many sites within a region as possible. At each camp, the investigator will undertake research both in the vicinity of camp (within walking distance) and at more distant sites reached by helicopter. Helicopter access is essential in order to adequately document the plants of a larger area. Plant specimens will be collected (both herbarium specimens and leaf material preserved in silica gel for DNA studies), photographed, and studied. A collection is usually made up of 1-5 plants per species; if a plant is quite large only part of the plant will be taken. Collections will be deposited at the National Herbarium of Canada, Canadian Museum of Nature (CMN), and lab research will take place at the CMN. Social and Educational: The researchers will be pleased to give presentations about past arctic research and field trips to people in the communities of Inuvik and Ulukhaktok (Holman). Plant and moss specimen data bases and species lists for the sites will be entered into data bases that will be provided to members of the communities who wish to know about them. Plant specimens will be deposited in the herbarium at ARI in Inuvik. The data and photographs taken during field work will be made available to the NWT Virtual Herbarium. These photographs can be also shared with the members of the communities. In the long term, the work will contribute information to the development of the guide, ‘Flora of the Canadian Arctic’. An Aurora Research Institute report describing field work results will be prepared. The research results will be published in scientific papers and other reports that can be made available to individuals and communities in the NWT. The results will also be presented at scientific meetings. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from July 1, 2010 to July 31, 2010.