Regions: North Slave Region
Tags: physical sciences, climate change, caribou, snow water equivalence
| Principal Investigator: | English, Michael C (25) |
| Licence Number: | 15890 |
| Organization: | Wilfrid Laurier University |
| Licensed Year(s): |
2016
|
| Issued: | Jun 09, 2016 |
| Project Team: | Colin Robertson, Nick Wilson |
Objective(s): To work with local residents of Wekweeti to understand how changes in the annual snowpack may impact caribou.
Project Description: The objectives are to work with local residents of Wekweeti to understand how changes in the annual snowpack may impact caribou. The idea is that with increased incursions of warm southern air into the subarctic during winter that snow crusts and ice lenses may be created in the snowpack and as a result increase the energy expenditures of the caribou when foraging for food at the base of the snowpack. For the snow surveys the research team use a standard practice initiated by Environment Canada which involves using an EC 30 snow tube, taking one density measurement per site and recording 30 random snow depth measurements. Depth x density = SWE. The research team also record snow crusts and ice lenses and determine their respective densities. The research team will use snowmobiles from local residents. During other trips to Wekweeti the research team have established close ties with the Arrowmaker School and the teachers there. The research team have given talks at the school. Research results will be presented at community meetings; meeting with the Chief of Wekweeti; meeting with trappers and hunters; meetings with school children and their teachers. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from June 9, 2016 to December 31, 2016.
