NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region

Tags: physical sciences, climatology, permafrost, environmental monitoring, vegetation, community based monitoring

Objective(s): To establish vegetation and permafrost monitoring sites in the region and to build local capacity for monitoring vegetation and permafrost in the region.

Project Description: There are two objectives associated with this research. The first is to establish vegetation and permafrost monitoring sites in the region. The establishment of these permanent monitoring sites will improve our understanding of base-line environmental conditions in the region. The second goal for the 2010 monitoring season is to build local capacity for monitoring vegetation and permafrost in the region. This will be accomplished by organizing a summer fieldwork-training program in each of the three communities. This training program will be led by faculty and students from the University of Victoria and researchers from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. During the 2010 field season, individuals from each community will be trained to implement the vegetation and permafrost monitoring protocols developed as part of a Mackenzie Delta CIMP pilot project. Key variables in this protocol include: vegetation structure, ground temperatures, berry productivity, shrub growth and abundance, frost tube installation, CRREL drilling, and water-jet drilling. Monitor trainees will work with staff from the University of Victoria (UVIC) and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) to establish monitoring sites in key areas near each community. In the long-term it is our intention to re-sample the vegetation at these sites every five years. These sites will augment core sites established near each community in 2009. At each core site, INAC maintains a meteorological station and records snow and active layer depths on an annual basis. At each site the researchers will describe the vegetation structure and composition using a modified line intercept method. Vegetation plots will be 30x30m. To facilitate species identification, in some cases plant samples will be collected. Active layer depth and soil moisture will be recorded and collect soil samples for laboratory analysis. At some site temperature cables will be installed to determine permafrost conditions at various depths (surface, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 8, 10 and 15 m). At these sites the reserachers will also install "frost tubes" to determine the depth of annual thaw. This project is a collaborative effort between the Hunters and Trappers Committees of Inuvik, Aklavik, and Tuktoyaktuk, with support from the Joint Secretariat, the University of Victoria, and Indian and Northern Affairs (INAC) (See Section 1). Monitoring sites in this project were identified by members of the Aklavik, Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk HTCs. This project will directly involve Inuvialuit monitors, northern students, and scientists. It is intended to facilitate knowledge transfer among Inuvialuit monitors and northern scientists, which will in turn contribute to local capacity to monitor and understand local environmental change. This knowledge transfer is a key goal identified by both the pilot project steering committee and local HTCs. Members from each community will also be hired to guide and provide logistical support (Wildlife monitors). Community members will be trained in vegetation and permafrost monitoring protocols. They will learn how to establish permanent monitoring sites and collect data in accordance with established CIMP protocols. Once participants have completed training on data collection they will assist UVIC and INAC researchers in the establishment of the 2010 monitoring stations. The community benefit of this program has the potential to be long-term. The training is meant to be simple and easily transferrable once learned. Monitoring sites are situated close to communities in priority areas identified by the HTCs. Core sites located close to communities can be visited year-round and offer excellent potential links with high school science classes. Project findings will be communicated using a plain language summary. This report will highlight project findings and successes and will be made available to schools, and interested community members. This information will also be presented to each community in the spring of 2011. Copies of Power Point presentations will also be provided to each community. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from August 7, 2010 to September 22, 2010.