Seasonal ground ice impacts on spring ecohydrological conditions in a western boreal plains peatland

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 765-779 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandon Van Huizen ◽  
Richard M. Petrone ◽  
Jonathan S. Price ◽  
William L. Quinton ◽  
John W. Pomeroy
Keyword(s):  
Ground Ice ◽  
Boreal Plains ◽  
Ice Impacts

Hydrological Response of a Patchy High Arctic Wetland

2000 ◽  
Vol 31 (4-5) ◽  
pp. 317-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathy L. Young ◽  
Ming-ko Woo
Keyword(s):  
Weather Conditions ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Ground Ice ◽  
Ice Melt ◽  
Snow Storage ◽  
Streamflow Response ◽  
Dry Seasons ◽  
And Storage ◽  
Surface And Subsurface Flow ◽  
Present Understanding

High Arctic patchy wetlands are ecological oases in a polar desert environment and are vulnerable to climatic warming. At present, understanding of their responses to external factors (climate and terrain) is limited. This study examines a wetland located in a topographic depression maintained by seasonal snowmelt, ground ice melt and lateral inflows. The wetland is located on Cornwallis Island, Nunavut, Canada. Hydrological, climatological and soil observations were made over several summers with different weather conditions. The summers of 1996 and 1997 were cool and wet but the summer of 1998 was warm and dry. The melt in 1996 was rapid due to rain on snow events and only lasted six days. Deeper snow in 1997 prolonged the melt season to 18 days. A shallow snow-cover in 1998 and early melt depleted the snow by early June. Surface, groundwater and storage fluctuations in the wetland were dictated by snowmelt, rainfall, evaporation loss from the wetland and lateral inputs which in turn were controlled by the melting of the late-lying snow storage in the catchment. Soil factors influence the spatial variations in ground thaw which affects the surface and subsurface flow. Streamflow response of the wetland reflects a nival regime and augmentation of streamflow thoughout the summer season in all three years is supported by multiple water sources: ground ice melt and suprapermafrost water from a large late-lying snowpack. Overall, this study suggests that the survival of some patchy wetlands depends on their interaction with the surrounding basin, with a dependency probably being more important during warm and dry seasons.

scholarly journals Late-winter habitat use by the Fisher, Pekania pennanti (Erxleben, 1777), in the Boreal Plains Ecozone of northwestern Saskatchewan, Canada

2014 ◽  
Vol 128 (3) ◽  
pp. 272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilbert Proulx
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Larix Laricina ◽  
Forest Stands ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Winter Habitat ◽  
Boreal Plains ◽  
Pekania Pennanti ◽  
Crown Closure

Late-winter habitat use by the Fisher, Pekania pennanti (Erxleben, 1777) in northwestern Saskatchewan was assessed in February 2009, 2011, and 2012. A total of 78 Fisher tracks were recorded over 60 300 m of snowshoe surveys. Fisher tracks were significantly less frequent than expected in Tamarack (Larix laricina [Du Roi] K. Koch) stands with > 40% crown closure and mainly 0–10 m trees (P < 0.05) and in open areas. Fishers used other habitat types equal to availability, including muskeg and coniferous, mixed, and deciduous forest stands. Maintaining mosaics of forest stands of different seral stages interspersed with muskeg would meet the late-winter habitat needs of Fishers in the Boreal Plains Ecozone of northwestern Saskatchewan.

Tradeoffs between forestry resource and conservation values under alternate policy regimes: A spatial analysis of the western Canadian boreal plains

2010 ◽  
Vol 221 (21) ◽  
pp. 2590-2603 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grant Hauer ◽  
Steve Cumming ◽  
Fiona Schmiegelow ◽  
Wiktor Adamowicz ◽  
Marian Weber ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Analysis ◽  
Policy Regimes ◽  
Boreal Plains ◽  
Conservation Values
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document