Tracking the impacts of recent warming and thaw of permafrost peatlands on aquatic ecosystems: a multi-proxy approach using remote sensing and lake sediments (CIMP164)

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Metadata Language: en

Responsible Party:

Organisation Name: NWT CIMP

Role: Point Of Contact

Contact Info:

E-Mail Address: yvonne_pike@gov.nt.ca

Metadata Date: 2019-03-04

Metadata Standard Name: ISO 19139/19115 Metadata for Datasets

Metadata Standard Version: 2003

Abstract: Regions within the discontinuous permafrost zone of the southern Northwest Territories (Canada) are experiencing accelerated thaw of permafrost as a result of recent warming. We used remotely-sensed imagery (1947–2012) to track changes in the extent of peat plateau collapse around two study lakes: KAK-1 and TAH-7. Subfossil diatoms were ana- lyzed from sediment cores to reconstruct limnological changes over the past ~300 years and assess whether peatland subsidence affected lake ecology. Extensive peat plateau col- lapse was evident in catchments between 1970 and present day. In TAH-7, diatom assem- blages indicated a substantial increase in coloured dissolved organic carbon coincident with the time of peat collapse, suggesting that permafrost thaw has resulted in increased transport of terrestrial organic matter to the lake. At KAK-1, while also tracking changes linked to climate warming, no changes in diatom assemblages could be linked to peat pla- teau collapse. Using our combined approaches, we conclude that collapsing peat plateaus may significantly alter aquatic ecosystems, but the impacts of permafrost thaw on aquatic ecosystems in the sporadic discontinuous permafrost zone are complex.

Language: en

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Title: Tracking the impacts of recent warming and thaw of permafrost peatlands on aquatic ecosystems: a multi-proxy approach using remote sensing and lake sediments (CIMP164)

Date:

Date: 2019-03-04

Date Type: Publication Date

Topic Category: Environment and Conservation

Keyword Collection:

Keyword: Impacts of recent warming and thaw of permafrost peat lands

Keyword: aquatic ecosystems

Keyword: remote sensing and lake sediments

Spatial Extent:

West Bounding Longitude: -122

East Bounding Longitude: -116

North Bounding Latitude: 62

South Bounding Latitude: 60

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URL: https://nwtdiscoveryportal.enr.gov.nt.ca/geoportaldocuments/2016-17%20-%20REPORT%20-%20KTFN%20(Simba)%20CIMP149%20-%20Tracking%20the%20impacts%20of%20recent%20warming%20and%20thaw%20of%20permafrost%20peatlands%20on%20aquatic%20ecosystems.pdf

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Organisation Name: Cumulative Impact Monitoring Program (CIMP)

Role: Point Of Contact