Arctic freshwater systems: Hydrology and ecology

• Main Authors: Wrona, Fred, Pietroniro, Al, Curry, Allen, Bonsal, Barrie, Davison, Bruce, Baird, Donald, Culp, Joseph, Bailey, Robert, Carey, Sean, Beltaos, Spyros
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Cryospheric Information Network 2012
• Subjects: Benthic surveys; Biodiversity; Climate change; Community-based monitoring; Freshwater fluxes; Hydrology; Modeling; Northern Canada; Nutrient cycling; Snow; International Polar Year-Polar terrestrial freshwater State and flow to the ocean; Arctic; Nunavut; Yukon; Northwest Territories; Mackenzie River; Nunavik; Canada; British Columbia; Mackenzie Delta; Great Bear Lake; Ice; International Polar Year; Mackenzie river; permafrost; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5443/11398; https://www.polardata.ca/pdcsearch/?doi_id=11398

The project is divided into four themes: 1. "Freshwater Flux and Prediction" aims to investigate the importance of water to Canadian polar regions and how availability of water may change in the future. These goals will be achieved via field observations in polar locations which are currently instrumented as well as remote locations which have limited or no observational capabilities. Modelling studies will complement the field observations and aid in interpretation of the collected data. 2. "Nutrient Flux and Prediction" objectives include: a) implementing, refining, and testing an enhanced 1-dimensional hydraulic model of river flow through the Mackenzie Delta channel network; b) field investigations of real-time ice jams and measurements necessary for process-based modelling; c) identification of river ice cover and breakup patterns via satellite image analyses; d) linking the hydraulic model to a model of storm surging effects from the Beaufort coast; e) improved nutrient characterization of the Mackenzie River water during breakup and open-water; f) quantification of Mackenzie River nutrient fluxes, corrected for ice breakup and off-channel effects; g) long-term modelling of Mackenzie River flows and potential responses to climatic warming. 3. "Aquatic Ecosystem Hydro-ecology and Ecological Integrity (Arctic-BIONET)" objectives include: a) aquatic biodiversity assessment; b) improved Canadian and circumpolar perspective on the current status and future trends of freshwater biodiversity in relation to present and projected CVC; c) integrated, multidisciplinary climatological, hydrological and ecological process-based research at strategic "Supersites" located in the Mackenzie upland lakes and in the western and eastern Canadian Arctic; d) analysis of the limnology and heat budgets of Great Bear Lake in light of projected impacts from CVC; and e) with Parks Canada, a freshwater classification for northern National Parks that will identify the diversity of stream networks and lake/pond ecosystems. 4. "Community-based Capacity Building and Outreach" has the objective to establish a community-based monitoring consortium/network involving long-term sites in the Canadian Arctic. Project activities are taking place at field sites and communities across Canada¿s northern regions: Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Nunavik, Nunatsiavut, and northern British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Labrador. : Purpose: The Arctic has been identified as the region in the Northern Hemisphere that is most susceptible to the effects of climate variability and change (CVC). It is expected to display a warming that is more than twice the global average, show decreases in snowcover and sea-ice extent, display further retreat of permafrost, glaciers and ice-caps, and have increased inter-annual variability in weather conditions. Such significant changes/shifts in climatic regimes are expected to have far reaching impacts on the hydrology and ecology of northern/Arctic freshwater systems by impacting the ability of rivers, lakes and wetlands to maintain adequate streamflows, water levels and water quality for ecosystem sustainability. Changing climate is expected to directly impact not only the magnitude and timing of freshwater fluxes, but also a range of physical, chemical and biological processes in northern aquatic ecosystems. It is difficult to project the effects changing climate and environmental factors will have on Arctic freshwater systems partly due to a poor understanding of their inter-relationships, and partly due to a paucity of long-term monitoring sites and integrated hydro-ecological research programs in the Arctic. In light of the need for better understanding of Arctic freshwater hydrology and ecology, the research priorities of this project, through integrated, multidisciplinary hydrological, climatological, and ecological field studies and laboratory analyses, are to: (i) improve our process-level understanding of freshwater and nutrient flow, (ii) develop improved predictive models for freshwater and nutrient flux, (iii) develop a unique legacy database of freshwater biodiversity (structure and function) and related environmental information on Arctic freshwater ecosystems (lentic and lotic), and (iv) develop and provide tools and capacity in northern communities for improved community-based monitoring and assessment of the status and trends of the health and integrity of Arctic freshwater ecosystems. The general objective/aim of this project is to develop new knowledge and legacy information to assess and evaluate the hydrology and ecology of northern freshwater systems. The results will provide useful information to governments, industry and northern communities for making informed decisions at the regional, national and international levels. : Summary: Changes in climate are expected to have wide-ranging effects on various ecosystems in the Arctic, including freshwater systems. However, to identify what these effects will be, an understanding of the basic mechanisms and processes is needed. This project is increasing our knowledge and is developing predictive models for freshwater and nutrient flow, investigating chemical and physical processes in freshwater systems, establishing a database on freshwater biodiversity and helping northern communities develop community-based monitoring of Arctic freshwater ecosystems. By basing this work across the Canadian North, both an overall picture and regional characteristics are being defined.