Landscape Analysis of Treeline Dynamics in Southwest Yukon

1
PPS-Arctic Canada
2
PPSA Canada OBJECTIVES

• To model temporal spatial treeline dynamics
  ecological, social, cultural
• To assess climate change impacts on processes in
  the treeline ecotone
• To determine ecosystem services of the treeline
  ecotone vulnerability
• To develop conceptual models of long-term
  relationships between human health
  environmental change

3
FUNDING FOR PPSA Canada

• IPY Canada funded 50 of original request - 2.5
  mil CAD
• Received notification in mid-February
• Funding until March 31, 2007 received
• Funding for yrs 2-4 not yet received, but
  confirmed

4
Canada East
TMealy Mt URed Wine Mt VKamestastin SSchefferv
ille
5
Eastern Canada PPSA Research Groups
Labrador John Jacobs (MUN) Luise Hermanutz
(MUN) Trevor Bell (MUN) Alvin Simms (MUN) Paul
Marino (MUN) Colin Laroque (Mt. A) ON Doubleday,
van Oostdam, Donaldson
Karen Harper (DAL) Brian Starzomski (DAL) Gavin
Kernaghan (ST. Marys) Quebec Serge Payette
(Laval) Stéphane Boudreau (Laval) Frank Berninger
(UQAM)
6
LABRADOR
7
Tundra Site 1000 m.a.s.l.
Base Camp 600 m.a.s.l.
FLAGSHIP SITE
Treeline Site 570 m.a.s.l.
Mealy Mountains - Moraine Valley Study Area
8
CLIMATOLOGY J. JACOBS

• Objective To integrate spatial and temporal
  processes across altitudinal gradients toward
  understanding climate change impacts on plant
  communities MSc

Approach Investigate a) Relationship between
landscape regional climate b) Spatial
(elevation, topography) climate variability
9
Climate Program
Base station standard elements
OTC Sites soil temperatures
Satellite stations air and ground temperature,
solar radiation, precipitation
10
SOIL CHEMISTRY, TEMPERATURE MOISTURE
11
PALEOCLIMATOLOGY T. Bell C Laroque
Objective Reconstruction of the Neoglacial
environment using submerged subfossil wood MSc
Submerged Log - 4,000 yr B.P.
Evidence of past forest stands above present-day
local tree line Red Wine Mountains
12
Dendrochronology of recent and long-term
environmental change C. Laroque T. Bell 2
MSc
Mapping and coring white spruce outliers
13
TREELINE ECOLOGY L. Hermanutz P. Marino
Objectives 1)Does lack of seed limit treeline
species and taiga ecotone expansion? MSc 2)
Stand dynamics of trees importance of
disturbance PhD 3) Shrubs as foundation species
in expansion of the treeline MSc 4) Do
cryptogams mediate tree and shrub establishment?
MSc
14
SPATIAL CONFIGUATION K. Harper

• Objective Spatial configuration of trees at the
  treeline as related to past, current and future
  treeline movement MSc
• Sites Labrador (2007, 2008), Churchill (2008)

15
TEACHING MODULESK. Harper T. Wright (new
collaborator)

• Objective Development of teaching modules on the
  causes and consequences of treeline movement
• Sites At least 4 communities TBA
• This project will assist in integrating the
  results of PPS Arctic into northern communities

16
The role of mycorrhizal fungi in seedling
establishment above treeline G. Kernaghan

Smith and Read 1997

• Objectives
• Determine ectomycorrhizal innoculum in tundra
  habitats adjacent to
• treeline, using bait seedlings and greenhouse
  bioassays
• 2) Determine the influence of other
  ectomycorrhizal plants (e.g. woody
• shrubs) on patterns of ectomycorrhizal
  inoculum above treeline
• 3) Determine the importance of mycorrhizal fungi
  to seedling
• establishment relative to abiotic factors

17
S. Boudreau
Objectives i. To evaluate the impacts of large
hydro-electric reservoirs on caribou activity
MSc ii. To evaluate the impacts of caribou
activity on tree seedling establishment,
survival and growthMSc
18
PPS-Arctic, Tromso, March 22-23, 2007
Objective To evaluate the impacts of large
hydro-electric reservoirs on caribou activity

• Approach
• trampling scars are dated by counting the number
  of annual rings added after scar formation
• - age structure of the scars used as an index of
  caribou activity

19
Ancient highway in the Red Wine Mountains
attests to larger caribou populations in the past
20
PPS-Arctic, Tromso, 22-23 March 2007

• Objective ii. To evaluate the impacts of caribou
  activity on tree seedling establishment, survival
  and growth
• Approach
• Age transition year between  root wood  (with
  no distinctive growth rings) and stem-like wood
  produced when the root is exposed to light
  following the tramplng and destruction of lichen
  carpet
• 2) Age trampling scars on
• seedlings and lichen
• attributes

21
FATALITY S. PAYETTE

• The fate of the arctic-alpine flora of tundra
  uplands within the circumboreal forest

22
GIS Expert System A. Simms

• Providing a dynamic analytical tool where the
  synthesis of disparate datasets can be used to
• 1 Monitor and model spatial and temporal
  changes to the environment as well as its
  potential social-economic impacts on a regions
  inhabitants MSc
• 2 Compare and evaluate scientific or
  traditional knowledge

23
Traditional Knowledge Innu Inuit
Science Data Climate, Environment, Demographic,
Socio-Economic , Health etc.
The Process
Individual or Community Surveys (previous and
ongoing) Natural language expressions of
environmental change, social-economic well
being, occupancy and resource Utilisation.
Data Sources (previous and ongoing) Relevant
academic, government, industry studies!
Raw Data
Processed Data or Study Results
Knowledge Engineering Convert knowledge to
condition and consequence format
Data Mining and Knowledge Production Convert data
to condition and consequence format
Integrate knowledge bases and link knowledge
spatially and temporally in expert system and
GIS.
24
QUESTIONS?
QUESTIONS?