| Summary: | With changes in climate, the high Arctic region will likely experience greater changes in temperaturecompared to other regions. It is also likely that soils will be wetter due to permafrost thawing andincreased precipitation. These changes in soil moisture have already led to the occurrence of active layerdetachments. At Cape Bounty on Melville Island, these active layer detachments have disturbedsignificant proportions of whole watersheds. The impact of these disturbances on wholeâwatershednutrient budgets is poorly understood. This project examines soil gas exchange (CO2, N2O, CH4) in threeactive layer detachments. At each site, soil gas exchange rates were measured across a disturbancegradient. In addition, other measurements such as soil moisture, temperature, and nutrient availabilitywere made to help understand the processes regulating trace gas production. This research will helpunderstand the connections between active layer detachments and watershedâscale nutrient losses dueto changes in climate.
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