Regions: Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut
Tags: biology, soil, algae, plant communities, plant life cycles
| Principal Investigator: | Bliss, Lawrence (13) |
| Licence Number: | 8109 |
| Organization: | University of Washington |
| Licensed Year(s): |
1993
1992
1991
1989
1988
|
| Issued: | Jan 01, 1988 |
| Project Team: | Dr. Caroline Bledsoe; Dr. Sam Bledsoe; Dr. David Chapin; Dr. Leal Dickson; A. Leggett; R. Lennihan; two field assistants |
Objective(s): To study the rates of carbon accumulation by algae, bryophytes, and vascular plants; to determine the rates of nitrogen fixation by terrestrial bluegreen algae; to determine the major algal species that account for this accumulation; to determine the rates of decomposition and nutrient cycling; and, to establish the successional pattern of plant communities.
Project Description: Dr. Bliss and his research team are returning to continue their investigation of how soil develops from bare rock along the ocean edge. Seaweed washes up on shore and rots. Small plants grow on the rotting seaweed and help to form soil. As the soil gets thicker, larger plants such as those eaten by muskox and geese begin to grow. This is how the rich coastal lowlands have been formed which are so important to High Arctic wildlife.
