Project Links
Toward an understanding of the history of balsam poplar plant communities in the Arctic
Western Arctic National Parklands » Toward an understanding of the history of balsam poplar plant communities in the Arctic » Document List
The proposed research is driven by the need to understand and predict the response of terrestrial landscapes to climatic change. Because these effects are expected to occur earliest and to be most pronounced at northern latitudes compared to other parts of the world, this region is often referred to as, "the canary in the coalmine" of global climate change. If balsam poplar stands in the Arctic are of recent origin, rather than relict, the consequences for the tundra landscape are significant. Due to differences in plant species' canopy architecture, energy exchange, and water and nutrient use, such changes in vegetation composition will have significant effects on arctic systems. These effects include changes in future hydrology, surface energy balance and biogeochemical cycling. In addition, the northern movement of trees into tundra areas will likely cause a positive feedback to climatic warming. A forested landscape absorbs more energy than snow-covered tundra which leads to a decrease in albedo and a subsequent increase in the heating of the overlying atmosphere. A greater understanding of the response of the "canary" (or arctic landscapes) to predicted change will provide an indicator for response in other parts of the world.
The project is proposed between 6/18/05 and 7/16/05. Sample sites will be adjacent to the Noatak River, from its headwaters to the village of Noatak, AK. The river will be accessed from the headwaters of the Noatak River via a charter float plane flight from Bettles, AK. From there, the two-person crew will paddle inflatable canoes to a take-out at the village of Noatak. Collections of plant and tissue specimens from balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera) plant communities will be made. A representative of all plant taxa (vascular plants, lichens and bryophytes) will be collected and pressed in the field for later verification and deposit at the University of Alaska Museum Herbarium. In addition, leaf or bud tissue for DNA extraction and analyses from balsam poplar will be made. The data (herbarium and tissue specimens) will be deposited in the University of Alaska Museum in Fairbanks, AK.
The National Park Service has approved this project after reviewing it for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).
Department of Biology and Wildlife
P.O. Box 756100
Fairbanks, Alaska 99775-6100
Phone: 907-474-7929
Fax: 907-474-6716
email: ftabc@uaf.edu
The project is proposed between 6/18/05 and 7/16/05. Sample sites will be adjacent to the Noatak River, from its headwaters to the village of Noatak, AK. The river will be accessed from the headwaters of the Noatak River via a charter float plane flight from Bettles, AK. From there, the two-person crew will paddle inflatable canoes to a take-out at the village of Noatak. Collections of plant and tissue specimens from balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera) plant communities will be made. A representative of all plant taxa (vascular plants, lichens and bryophytes) will be collected and pressed in the field for later verification and deposit at the University of Alaska Museum Herbarium. In addition, leaf or bud tissue for DNA extraction and analyses from balsam poplar will be made. The data (herbarium and tissue specimens) will be deposited in the University of Alaska Museum in Fairbanks, AK.
The National Park Service has approved this project after reviewing it for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).
Contact Information
Amy CarrollDepartment of Biology and Wildlife
P.O. Box 756100
Fairbanks, Alaska 99775-6100
Phone: 907-474-7929
Fax: 907-474-6716
email: ftabc@uaf.edu