Terrestrial ecosystem sampling on Victoria Island, King William Island and continental Nunavut, 2013-2014

• Main Authors: McLennan, Donald, Bennett, Bruce, MacKenzie, Will, McKillop, Robin, Meidinger, Del, Turner, Derek, Wagner, Johann
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Cryospheric Information Network 2015
• Subjects: Arctic; Cambridge Bay; GIS; Mapping; Satellite imagery; Vegetation; Victoria Island; Polar Knowledge Canada/Canadian High Arctic Research Station; Nunavut; Canada; British Columbia; King William Island; William Island; victoria island
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.21963/12527; https://www.polardata.ca/pdcsearch/?doi_id=12527

Various arctic terrestrial ecosystems have been sampled and characterized during the summers of 2013 and 2014 on Victoria Island, as well as King William Island and parts of continental Nunavut. Plot sampling has been performed at selected location, by recording vegetation, environmental and soil characteristics on standardized data cards. These data cards have been photographed, and then digitized and entered into the VPro 15 ecosystem management software, developed by the Government of British Columbia Ministry of Forest's Research Branch. This software allows the tabulation, management and analysis of large amounts of ecosystem data. Additionally, the occurrence of various ecosystem types in these areas was also documented by geo-referenced digital photographs and videos, GPS waypoints and tracks. This data will be entered into a GIS software and overlaid on satellite imagery. By matching pixel values of the satellite images, and other data with different ecosystem types in the field, the Random Forest software model will be trained, with the aim of predicting and delineating terrestrial ecosystems over large areas. : Purpose: The identification, sampling and characterization of various terrestrial ecosystems, started around Cambridge Bay in 2013, and has been extended in 2014 to other areas of Victoria Island, as well as King William Island and parts of continental Nunavut. At selected locations, vegetation, environmental and soil characteristics have been recorded on standardized data cards. These data have been then digitized and entered into the VPro 15 ecosystem data management software. This ecosystem data, in conjunction with geo-referenced digital photographs and videos, satellite imagery, as well as other predictors, will be used to train a model using Random Forest software aimed at predicting and delineating terrestrial ecosystems over large areas. : Summary: Vegetation, site, and soil characteristics have been described on Victoria Island, King William Island and continental Nunavut. Based on this data, 16 ecosystem types have been defined in the region. This information, along with pictures, videos and associated geographical coordinates that have been recorded of the occurrence of these ecosystem types, will aid in development of a model which will allow mapping of vegetation and habitat types from satellite images.