NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Gwich'in Settlement Area

Tags: biology, land reclamation, native plants, botany

Objective(s): To collect data regarding winter survival, seedling emergence, overall plant vigor and productivity in order to assess each native plants' suitability for use in land reclamation in the NWT.

Project Description: The objectives of this project are: 1) To continue assessing the performance of native plants which were seeded and transplanted into field plots in 2006 and 2007; and, 2) To establish two new field plots at the Inuvik golf course to monitor native seed performance in a disturbed habitat. The research team intends to collect data regarding winter survival, seedling emergence, overall plant vigor and productivity in order to assess each species' suitability for use in land reclamation in the NWT. In 2014, the project established two new field plots of plants grown from local. In 2015 and onwards, long-term vegetation monitoring will be done to study the plants' performance over the years. Springtime data collection will take place in May or early June and will include assessments of winter survival, seedling emergence, and the general health of the plants. Autumn data collection will take place in August or early September and will include assessments of seedling survival, reproduction efforts (i.e. evidence of flowers or seed production), and the general health of the plants. General repairs will be made to the plot boundaries if necessary. All data will be collected visually. The research team anticipate there to be no disturbances to the plots or the surrounding terrain, or even to the plants themselves (outside of vandalism or herbivory, which is beyond the teams control). Educational outreach will take place throughout this project. Youth and community members will be invited to do some hands-on learning about environmental stewardship, reclamation practices with native species, and monitoring revegetation success over time. Once data has been collected and analyzed, results will be shared in annual funding reports, as well as on www.nwtresearch.com. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from May 1, 2015 to October 31, 2015.