Arctic and Subarctic Examples of Intertidal Zonation

Ellis, Derek; Wilce, Robert T.

doi:10.14430/arctic3676

Cited by 47 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…8). Here a representative intertidal community includes the green algal genera Enteromorpha, Blidingia, Ulothrix, Urospora, Rhizoclonium and Codiolum; the brown algae Fucus, Ralfsia, Pseudolithoderma, Petroderma, Litosiphon, Sphacelaria and Pilayella; and the red alga Rhodochorton (see also Wilce 1959;Ellis and Wilce 1961). Both the number of species and development of populations dwindle beyond this region.…”

Section: Observations and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For the western area, there is a single paper (Collins 1927), which resulted from the Canadian Arctic Expedition of 1913-191 8. Studies by Wilce (1959) and Ellis and Wilce (1961) provide an ecological description of intertidal communities in the southeastern Canadian Arctic. The last-mentioned two papers are significant in that they stem from an endeavour of personal field work; the reports preceding that of Wilce (1959), with the exception of one or two, are based mainly on specimens and data received from members of geographic explorations.…”

Section: Fig 1 Location Mapmentioning

confidence: 99%

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General Ecology of the Canadian Arctic Benthic Marine Algae

Lee¹

1973

ARCTIC

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ABSTRACT. The Canadian Arctic marine flora is basically a regional extension of Atlantic species. As the extreme environmental conditions of low temperature, low salinity and long periods of darkness intensify towards the western and northern parts of the Canadian Arctic, there is a marked reduction in the number of species. The protective cover of sea ice, together with the seasonal development of a low salinity layer from ice melt, hinders mixing between water layers, and nutrient replenishment is apparently a critical problem. Communities are generally small and isolated largely because of substrate limitations. A population may be extensive and dense, but this is attributed to the small number of species and the relative ineffectiveness of most of these in competing for the available space. Following seasonal ice melt, the intertidal habitat in colder regions remains unsuitable for algal growth, because of its exposure to a combination of adverse climatic and oceanographic conditions. The decreasing diversity of species, as the physical conditions become more adverse, together with the nearly complete absence of endemics, indicate a low level of adaptation, and the arctic communities are judged to be ecologically immature. RÉSUMÉ:Écologie générale des algues marines benthiques de l'Arctique canadien. Fondamentalement, la flore marine du Canada arctique est une extension régionale d'espèces atlantiques. A mesure que les conditions de basse température, de faible salinité et de longues périodes d'obscurité s'intensifient vers l'ouest et le nord de l'Arctique canadien, il se produit une réduction marquée dans le nombre des espèces. La couche protectrice de glace de mer et le développement saisonnier d'une couche de faible salinité par suite de la fonte de la glace, nuit au mélange des couches d'eau, et le renouvellement des Cléments nutritifs est apparemment un problème critique. Les communautés sont généralement petites et isolées, surtout à cause des limitations du substrat. Une population peut être étendue et dense, mais ceci est attribuable au petit nombre d'espèces et à l'inefficacité relative de la plupart d'entre elles à lutter pour l'espace disponible. Après la fonte saisonnière des glaces, le milieu intertidal des régions plus froides demeure impropre à la croissance des algues par son exposition à un complexe de conditions climatiques et océanogra-phiques adverses. La diversité décroissante des espèces à mesure que les conditions physiques deviennent plus adverses, et l'absence presque complète d'endémiques, indiquent un faible niveau d'adaptation et ces communautés algaires doivent être jugées écologiquement immatures.1Based on a paper (Lee

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Section: Observations and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Fig 1 Location Mapmentioning

confidence: 99%

General Ecology of the Canadian Arctic Benthic Marine Algae

Lee¹

1973

ARCTIC

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“…This constrains understanding of modern molluscan ecology and zoogeography and limits our ability to draw generalizations from the fossil record. Few quantitative studies have concentrated on intertidal and upper subtidal zones, and the works of Ellis (1955Ellis ( , 1960 and Ellis and Wilce (1961) still provide benchmarks for the Canadian Arctic, particularly for southern Baffin Island. They described a seaward-increasing density of fauna below the generally barren zone above mean tide level.…”

Section: Arctic Molluscsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Marine Molluscs as Indicators of Environmental Change in Glaciated North America and Greenland During the Last 18 000 Years

Dyke¹,

Dale²,

McNeely³

2007

gpq

116

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ABSTRACTDated mollusc collections are classified in assemblages to map paleo-faunistic zones. Hiatella arctica and Mya truncata account for almost half the records and comprise a restricted arctic assemblage. Arctic assemblages comprise 70% and arctic-dominated assemblages 80% of the database. Fifteen species dominate but 170 taxa are recorded. At last glacial maximum, the arctic zone extended from the Arctic Ocean to the Grand Banks. The boreal zone in the western Atlantic was compressed. The subarctic zone, which today dominates eastern Canada, was small. The boreal zone was extensive in the eastern Pacific where subarctic and arctic zones were compressed. Zones shifted northward during deglaciation and the arctic zone diversified when Bering Strait submerged 10.5-10.3 ka BP. Western Arctic molluscs during Younger Dryas time indicate shallow waters warmer than present. Major North Atlantic currents were established 9.5-9.0 ka BP. The subarctic zone extended to the head of Baffin Bay and a boreal zone became established in West Greenland 9-8 ka BP, with intensive changes about 8.5 ka BP. We relate the latter to the reduction of Mackenzie River discharge and in sea ice export to the North Atlantic as Laurentide ice withdrew from Mackenzie headwaters. The extended subarctic zone in Baffin Bay persisted until 3 ka BP and then retreated about 1000 km on the Canadian side. Boreal-subarctic molluscs in the Gulf of St. Lawrence before 9.5 ka BP derived from the glacial refugium. High boreal-subarctic molluscs farther north probably migrated from Europe. We postulate that the Labrador Current acts as a one-way valve for mollusc migrations at glacial-interglacial scales.

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“…The small quantity of shell fragments within this unit may be related to sediment disturbances caused by the abrasive work and mixing effect of grounding sea ice, which typically occurs in arctic and subarctic marine coastal zones (e.g. Ellis and Wilce, 1961;Hillaire-Marcel, 1979;Gilbert and Aitken, 1981;Aitken and Gilbert, 1986). Besides its erosive effects in macrotidal areas, annual melting and freezing of sea ice largely influences surface water salinities (Ellis and Wilce, 1961;Aitken and Gilbert, 1986).…”

Section: Basal Pre-isolation Units Hendry Lakementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ellis and Wilce, 1961;Hillaire-Marcel, 1979;Gilbert and Aitken, 1981;Aitken and Gilbert, 1986). Besides its erosive effects in macrotidal areas, annual melting and freezing of sea ice largely influences surface water salinities (Ellis and Wilce, 1961;Aitken and Gilbert, 1986).…”

Section: Basal Pre-isolation Units Hendry Lakementioning

confidence: 99%

Isolation of Lacustrine Basins and Marine Regression in the Kuujjuaq Area, Northern Québec, as Inferred from Diatom Analysis

Pienitz¹,

Lortie²,

Allard³

2007

gpq

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Ce document est protégé par la loi sur le droit d'auteur. L'utilisation des services d'Érudit (y compris la reproduction) est assujettie à sa politique d'utilisation que vous pouvez consulter en ligne.https://apropos.erudit.org/fr/usagers/politique-dutilisation/ Cet article est diffusé et préservé par Érudit.Érudit est un consortium interuniversitaire sans but lucratif composé de l'Université de Montréal, l'Université Laval et l'Université du Québec à Montréal. Il a pour mission la promotion et la valorisation de la recherche. Résumé de l'article Le contenu diatomifère de carottes provenant du fond de deux lacs situés près de Kuujjuaq à 50 km au sud du rivage de la baie d'Ungava, a été examiné en vue de retracer les phases d'isolement de ces lacs de la mer postglaciaire d'lberville. La succession stratigraphique des zones de diatomées démontre clairement les changements paléoenvironnementaux provoqués par le relèvement isostatique postglaciaire et la régression marine; on reconnaît en effet dans les séquences diatomologiques une phase d'occupation marine, une phase d'isolement de la mer et une phase lacustre subséquente. L'analyse des diatomées s'est révélée un outil utile pour identifier la phase et les modalités d'isolement des bassins devenus lacustres et pour retracer les changements de paléosalinités associés. En tenant compte des dates au 14C sur les unités d'isolement, de l'altitude du seuil de ces lacs et de la forme des courbes d'émersion des régions adjacentes, une courbe d'émersion préliminaire de la région de Kuujjuaq a pu être construite. Cette courbe montre qu'après la déglaciation, datée à 7000 BP, !'emersion fut rapide et continue à un taux moyen de l'ordre de 5,7-5,8 m/siècle jusqu'à environ 4800-4300 BP. Par après, !'emersion fut plus lente, à un taux d'environ 0,9 m/siècle. Cette étude s'ajoute à d'autres pour mettre en évidence le grand potentiel de l'analyse des diatomées pour la reconstruction précise de courbes de variation du niveau marin et de relèvement isostatique des régions englaciées.Géographie physique et Quaternaire, 1991, vol. 45, n° 2, p. 155-174,10 fig., 6 tabl., 1 ABSTRACT The Holocene sediment records of two lakes, located 50 km south of the Ungava Bay coast near Kuujjuaq have been examined using diatom analysis in order to trace basin isolation from marine influence. The succession of diatom zones clearly documents paleoenvironmental changes induced by glacio-isostatic uplift and regression of postglacial D'lberville Sea through consecutive periods of marine occupation, isolation from the sea and subsequent lacustrine conditions. Diatom analysis proved to be an effective tool in identifying the position of the isolation contact in the sediment columns and in defining the related changes in paleosalinity and isolation dynamics. Based on the Sedated isolation contacts and the threshold elevations of both lakes, a tentative emergence curve has been reconstructed which is in agreement with curves from adjacent areas. This allowed, for the first time, to infer trends in glacio...

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Arctic and Subarctic Examples of Intertidal Zonation

Cited by 47 publications

References 8 publications

General Ecology of the Canadian Arctic Benthic Marine Algae

General Ecology of the Canadian Arctic Benthic Marine Algae

Marine Molluscs as Indicators of Environmental Change in Glaciated North America and Greenland During the Last 18 000 Years

Isolation of Lacustrine Basins and Marine Regression in the Kuujjuaq Area, Northern Québec, as Inferred from Diatom Analysis

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