Mapping Muskox Habitat in the Canadian High Arctic with SPOT Satellite Data
SPOT satellite data were used to detect and map muskox habitat on Devon Island, N.W.T. Muskox habitat in the Canadian High Arctic is restricted to small islands of productive sedge meadow isolated within a matrix of sparsely vegetated polar desert. On Devon Island, muskox herds move among small lowl...
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The Arctic Institute of North America
1991
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Online Access: | https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64624 |
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ftunivcalgaryojs:oai:journalhosting.ucalgary.ca:article/64624 2023-05-15T14:19:12+02:00 Mapping Muskox Habitat in the Canadian High Arctic with SPOT Satellite Data Pearce, Cheryl M. 1991-01-01 application/pdf https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64624 eng eng The Arctic Institute of North America https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64624/48538 https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64624 ARCTIC; Vol. 44 No. 5 (1991): Supplement: 1–171; 49-57 1923-1245 0004-0843 Animal distribution Animal food Mapping Muskoxen Plant distribution Remote sensing Satellite photography Sedges Polar deserts Wildlife habitat Plant cover Devon Island Nunavut Truelove Lowland info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion research-article 1991 ftunivcalgaryojs 2022-03-22T21:21:48Z SPOT satellite data were used to detect and map muskox habitat on Devon Island, N.W.T. Muskox habitat in the Canadian High Arctic is restricted to small islands of productive sedge meadow isolated within a matrix of sparsely vegetated polar desert. On Devon Island, muskox herds move among small lowlands on the northeast coast adjacent to Jones Sound in response to the seasonal availability of sedge-dominated habitat. Comparisons between the enhanced satellite images and species composition, plant cover, and standing crop on these lowlands showed that sedge meadows were spectrally distinct from the dwarf shrub/heath and cushion plant/lichen-moss types on beach ridges and rock outcrops, indicating that spectral data can be used to identify critical forage habitat for muskoxen in the High Arctic. The hummocky sedge/moss meadow and the less productive frost boil sedge/moss meadow types could be separated from each other on the enhanced imagery. The satellite data were simplified using a supervised classification to document the type and areal cover of muskox habitat along the northeast coast of Devon Island. The spatially isolated hummocky sedge/moss and frost boil sedge/moss meadows occupied only 3% (16.73 sq/km) and 6% (32.84 sq/km) respectively of a total land area of 549.38 sq/km.Key words: muskox habitat, SPOT satellite data, sedge meadows, Devon Island, Truelove Lowland Mots clés: habitat du boeuf musqué, données fournies par le satellite Spot, prairies à laîches, île Devon, basses terres Truelove Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Arctic Devon Island Île Devon muskox Nunavut polar desert University of Calgary Journal Hosting Arctic Devon Island ENVELOPE(-88.000,-88.000,75.252,75.252) Jones Sound ENVELOPE(-86.000,-86.000,76.002,76.002) Nunavut ARCTIC 44 5 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Calgary Journal Hosting |
op_collection_id |
ftunivcalgaryojs |
language |
English |
topic |
Animal distribution Animal food Mapping Muskoxen Plant distribution Remote sensing Satellite photography Sedges Polar deserts Wildlife habitat Plant cover Devon Island Nunavut Truelove Lowland |
spellingShingle |
Animal distribution Animal food Mapping Muskoxen Plant distribution Remote sensing Satellite photography Sedges Polar deserts Wildlife habitat Plant cover Devon Island Nunavut Truelove Lowland Pearce, Cheryl M. Mapping Muskox Habitat in the Canadian High Arctic with SPOT Satellite Data |
topic_facet |
Animal distribution Animal food Mapping Muskoxen Plant distribution Remote sensing Satellite photography Sedges Polar deserts Wildlife habitat Plant cover Devon Island Nunavut Truelove Lowland |
description |
SPOT satellite data were used to detect and map muskox habitat on Devon Island, N.W.T. Muskox habitat in the Canadian High Arctic is restricted to small islands of productive sedge meadow isolated within a matrix of sparsely vegetated polar desert. On Devon Island, muskox herds move among small lowlands on the northeast coast adjacent to Jones Sound in response to the seasonal availability of sedge-dominated habitat. Comparisons between the enhanced satellite images and species composition, plant cover, and standing crop on these lowlands showed that sedge meadows were spectrally distinct from the dwarf shrub/heath and cushion plant/lichen-moss types on beach ridges and rock outcrops, indicating that spectral data can be used to identify critical forage habitat for muskoxen in the High Arctic. The hummocky sedge/moss meadow and the less productive frost boil sedge/moss meadow types could be separated from each other on the enhanced imagery. The satellite data were simplified using a supervised classification to document the type and areal cover of muskox habitat along the northeast coast of Devon Island. The spatially isolated hummocky sedge/moss and frost boil sedge/moss meadows occupied only 3% (16.73 sq/km) and 6% (32.84 sq/km) respectively of a total land area of 549.38 sq/km.Key words: muskox habitat, SPOT satellite data, sedge meadows, Devon Island, Truelove Lowland Mots clés: habitat du boeuf musqué, données fournies par le satellite Spot, prairies à laîches, île Devon, basses terres Truelove |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Pearce, Cheryl M. |
author_facet |
Pearce, Cheryl M. |
author_sort |
Pearce, Cheryl M. |
title |
Mapping Muskox Habitat in the Canadian High Arctic with SPOT Satellite Data |
title_short |
Mapping Muskox Habitat in the Canadian High Arctic with SPOT Satellite Data |
title_full |
Mapping Muskox Habitat in the Canadian High Arctic with SPOT Satellite Data |
title_fullStr |
Mapping Muskox Habitat in the Canadian High Arctic with SPOT Satellite Data |
title_full_unstemmed |
Mapping Muskox Habitat in the Canadian High Arctic with SPOT Satellite Data |
title_sort |
mapping muskox habitat in the canadian high arctic with spot satellite data |
publisher |
The Arctic Institute of North America |
publishDate |
1991 |
url |
https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64624 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-88.000,-88.000,75.252,75.252) ENVELOPE(-86.000,-86.000,76.002,76.002) |
geographic |
Arctic Devon Island Jones Sound Nunavut |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Devon Island Jones Sound Nunavut |
genre |
Arctic Arctic Devon Island Île Devon muskox Nunavut polar desert |
genre_facet |
Arctic Arctic Devon Island Île Devon muskox Nunavut polar desert |
op_source |
ARCTIC; Vol. 44 No. 5 (1991): Supplement: 1–171; 49-57 1923-1245 0004-0843 |
op_relation |
https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64624/48538 https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64624 |
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ARCTIC |
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44 |
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