The consequences of polar amplification of warming include a longer ice-free season leading to increased evaporative stress on lakes, and reductions in winter precipitation that can lead to reduced snowmelt contributions to lakes and rivers. Water quality is also a fundamental concern due to exponential growth of northern communities, and resource development activity intensifies. The confluence of climate change and development pressures has led to several northern communities voicing strong concerns over the sustainability of local fisheries as well as identifying looming water crises. Since water governance systems in northern Canada are under rapid evolution, we examine key vulnerabilities from both a human-centered perspective, as well as the biophysical evolution of freshwater systems in response to a warming climate. This requires working in partnership with indigenous peoples, and incorporating indigenous knowledge and governance structures directly into the research plan.
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Vulnerability of Sable Island’s freshwater ecosystems under a changing climate
Sable Island National Park Reserve (Sable Island NPR) is an example of a coastal ecosystem that is highly influenced by environmental change and subsequent variability in weather extremes. Storm-surge activity and erosion has led to large-scale change in the surface hydrology of Sable Island NPR. … Continue readingVulnerability of Sable Island’s freshwater ecosystems under a changing climate
Vulnerability of northern water supply
Vulnerability of northern water supply lakes to changing climate and demand Arctic regions face a unique vulnerability to shifts in seasonality, which influences the summer recharge potential of freshwater reservoirs caused by decreased precipitation and increased evaporative stress. This pressure puts small remote northern communities … Continue readingVulnerability of northern water supply
Hydrologic Monitoring in Arctic systems
Hydrologic monitoring tools for freshwater municipal planning in the Arctic: the case of Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada Freshwater and the services it provides are vital to both natural ecosystems and human needs; however, extreme climates and their influence on freshwater availability can be challenging for municipal … Continue readingHydrologic Monitoring in Arctic systems
Climate indicating midges at the tundra-taiga ecotones
Deconstructing the effects of climate warming and catchment processes on nutrient conditions and biology of shallow subarctic lakes is necessary to anticipate their future evolution. While changes in catchment supply of nutrients on aquatic production are considered important, few studies have examined high-resolution biotic responses … Continue readingClimate indicating midges at the tundra-taiga ecotones