Combining Research and Education: Bioclimatic Zonation along a Canadian Arctic Transect

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Scientists and students from five countries combined research and education in an investigation of bioclimatic zonation along a Canadian Arctic transect, from Amund Ringnes Island and Ellesmere Island in the north to the Daring Lake research camp at the southern edge of the tundra in Nunavut. We addressed three important needs in Arctic science: 1) to integrate education and research, 2) to provide field experiences for undergraduates, and 3) to foster international collaboration. We describe five subzones within the Arctic tundra zone. Subzones are defined by the vegetation typical of mesic environments at low elevations and the dominant growth forms of vegetation in these environments. Subzonal boundaries coincide with the northern limits of several species of woody plants with distinct upright or prostrate growth forms, and ultimately with the northern limit of woody plant species. The five subzones, A-E, from north to south, are characterized by dominant growth form: (A) cushion forb, (B) prostrate dwarf shrub, (C) hemiprostrate dwarf shrub, (D) erect dwarf shrub, and (E) low shrub.

Frost‐boil ecosystems: complex interactions between landforms, soils, vegetation and climate

“…She described the trends of horizontal and vertical structure of the vegetation in frost boil systems, and developed a concept of succession associated with frost boils occurring on the Taimyr Peninsula. Similar relationships with respect to bioclimate zonation have been verified in North America (Gould et al, 2003). The major elements of Matveyeva's zonal scheme are summarized in Figure 10.…”

The nature of spatial transitions in the Arctic

“…The transition from High to Low Arctic corresponds to the appearance of 'southern' tundras dominated by boreal floristic elements, a wide variety of erect shrub species, well-developed moss carpets and extensive graminoid-dominated tundra. It has also been described as the boundary between the arctic and the 'hypoarctic' (with boreal floristic elements), based on floristic distributions (Yurtsev, 1994), and as the northern limit of erect dwarf shrub growth forms (Edlund, 1990;Gould et al, 2002Gould et al, , 2003. The transition also represents the separation of predominantly mineral soils in the High Arctic from the presence of more peaty surface horizons in the Low Arctic.…”

Vegetation, plant biomass, and net primary productivity patterns in the Canadian Arctic

“…Climatic control on vegetation is expressed in the Canadian and Circumpolar Arctic as a distinct pattern of bioclimatic zonation from north to south recognized by shifts in growth form dominance, amount of vegetation cover, species diversity, plant community composition, and associated ecological properties [ Edlund and Alt , 1989; Edlund , 1990a; Chernov and Matveyeva , 1997; Elvebakk et al , 1999; Walker , 2000; Gould et al , 2002a]. Bioclimatic zones can be readily distinguished in some areas of the Arctic using advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) satellite imagery.…”

“…Bioclimatic zonation patterns are less readily apparent in the Canadian Arctic, where the climatic gradient (i.e., mean July temperature gradient of 12°C to <3°C) stretches across 1000s of kilometers of heterogeneous landscapes, including the Arctic Archipelago complex of islands, open and frozen ocean, mountains, coarse calcareous plateaus and areas of Baffin Island, the Labrador and Ungava Peninsulas, and Keewatin dominated by exposed granitic bedrock. Nevertheless, zonation patterns can be delimited based on climatic patterns and vegetation distributions [ Edlund and Alt , 1989; Edlund , 1990b; Yurtsev , 1994; Elvebakk et al , 1999; Walker , 2000; Gould et al , 2002a, 2002b]. These bioclimatic zones are useful in interpreting satellite imagery and ancillary data in order to map vegetation at sites where no field studies have been initiated [ Walker , 1999].…”