NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: North Slave Region

Tags: climate change, carbon fluxes, carbon dioxide, methane, hydrological processes, tundra ecosystems

Objective(s): To improve our understanding of the carbon, water and energy exchange between tundra and the atmosphere. Over the next five years, we plan to continue monitoring these exchanges between Tundra Shield ecosystems and the atmosphere. This long-term data will be analyzed to untangle the impacts of gradual, long-term climate change from short-term and highly variable weather events like drought and heat waves.

Project Description: This licence has been issued for the scientific research application No. 6094. The long-term research objective of this project is to improve our understanding of the carbon, water and energy exchange between tundra and the atmosphere. Over the next five years, we plan to continue monitoring these exchanges between Tundra Shield ecosystems and the atmosphere. This long-term data will be analyzed to untangle the impacts of gradual, long-term climate change from short-term and highly variable weather events like drought and heat waves. The specific objectives of our 2025 fieldwork include: 1) Continue to record carbon dioxide, methane, water and energy fluxes at three upland tundra sites, one wetland tundra site and at a site over the lake to relate long-term and short-term fluxes to changes in environmental conditions. 2) Determine the distribution and variability of late winter snow as a critical input to the landscapes water cycle. 3) Measure aquatic organic carbon concentrations alongside the hydrometric station that continuously records water levels and flow at Yamba River below Daring Lake to calculate aquatic carbon losses from the watershed. This research is based around 5 semi-permanent flux tower sites, having been previously established in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010 and most recently, 2024 (over the lake). These sites represent tundra types common in the Daring Lake region: sedge meadow, heath upland tundra, low shrub and tall shrub as well as a water body. At each site there is a semi-permanent tower (3-4 m high) outfitted with equipment to monitor meteorological variables (e.g., temperature, humidity and wind speed), energy fluxes of heat and water, and carbon dioxide exchange. Two of the towers (meadow and tall shrub) also have equipment that measures methane exchange. At each tower, soil temperature and soil water status will also be measured. The measurements from this equipment are logged on data loggers and retrieved for later computer analysis. In addition to these continuous measurements, the researchers regularly survey snow depth, soil thaw and vegetation leaf cover whenever we are in the field. In 2025, we will install a sensor in the water to measure concentrations of dissolved carbon at the hydrometric station to calculate how much aquatic carbon is exported from the watershed. The research team will engage with northerners by making public presentations of our research in Yellowknife when requested (e.g., Ecology North) and to our host GNWT agency, Wildlife Division of Environment and Climate Change. The researchers also participate in the Tundra Science and Culture Camp by demonstrating and discussing our research with students and elders, where we also learn from the elders about traditional knowledge of the land. We will participate in local workshops in Yellowknife (e.g. Landscape Carbon Workshop, Februrary 2025). The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from: April 14 - August 31, 2025