NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Tags: mining impacts, vegetation, wetlands, ecological monitoring

Objective(s): To conduct a comprehensive wetland plant community vegetation analysis along Bakers Creek with a focus on the lower stretch of the creek and to obtain soil samples for an assessment of soil dwelling fungal communities.

Project Description: The research team will conduct a comprehensive wetland plant community vegetation analysis along Bakers Creek with a focus on the lower stretch of the creek. In addition soil samples will be obtained for an assessment of soil dwelling fungal communities. The assessment will include emergent vegetation along riparian areas as well a floating leaved, free floating and submerged vegetation in the channel. Specific locations to be sampled will be determined in consultation with Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada scientists. Ideally sample sites will be located proximal to existing long term monitoring sites. Existing datasets could then be used to identify correlations between plant community structure and present and historic environmental characteristics. In addition to existing Site Management Plan sites further upstream of Giant Mine may be sampled to further characterize the vegetation throughout a greater stretch of Bakers Creek. At each study site a transect will be run across the channel and extending out to include riparian habitat. Along the transect a series of 1x1m quadrats will be placed using a stratified random sampling approach. The number of quadrats assessed per site will be chosen to encompass the variability in environmental conditions within a given site. Within each quadrat, vegetation will be identified to the lowest possible taxonomic unit, and density, richness, percent cover and diversity quantified. A sample of each unique taxa will be collected and pressed for submission to the Wilfrid Laurier Herbarium. Multivariate approaches will be utilized to explore patterns in plant community structure and relate any patterns to environmental characteristics. Soil samples will be brought to the Wilfred Laurier University (WLU) lab and bioassays conducted to determine the presence and density of soil dwelling mycorrhizal fungi. Students taking the Northwest Territories Field Course offered by WLU will participate in the sampling and gain knowledge in related to field sampling approaches and gain an understanding the ecological issues surrounding Giant Mine. Data collected will provide insight into the factors the shape plant community structure along Bakers creek. This information will provide baseline data to gauge future restoration efforts and provide a measure of ecosystem health throughout the watershed. Upon completion, a detailed report of the methodology, species lists and community data for each site, and results of the multivariate analysis will be provided to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and to Matt Hoover, Regulatory Analyst, North Slave Métis Alliance. Additional opportunities for communicating results will be explored following discussions with representatives from DENR and the North Slave Metis Alliance. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from August 4, 2014 to August 24, 2014.