Journal Article

Plant–Environment Interactions in the Low Arctic Torngat Mountains of Labrador

Whitaker, Darroch, Lewkowicz, Antoni G., Cuerrier, Alain, Hermanutz, Luise, Davis, Emma, Way, Robert G., Collier, Laura Siegwart, Trant, Andrew

2021

Overview

The eastern Canadian Subarctic and Arctic are experiencing significant environmental change with widespread implications for the people, plants, and animals living there. In this study, we integrate 10 years of research at the Nakvak Brook watershed in Torngat Mountains National Park of Canada, northern Labrador, to assess the sensitivity of ecological and geomorphological systems to regional climate warming. A time series of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index indicates that the area has undergone a significant greening trend over the past four decades. Analyses of shrub cross sections suggest that greening has been caused by a combination of rapid establishment and growth that began in the late 1990’s and coincided with warmer growing season temperatures. Recent (2010–2015) vegetation change has been subtle and heavily moderated by soil moisture status. Plant canopy height is greater in wet areas and has an insulating effect on ground surface temperatures during the winter, a consequence of snow trapping by shrub canopies. Observations of subsurface conditions indicate that the study site is best characterized as having discontinuous near-surface permafrost. The importance of subsurface conditions for above-ground vegetation depends on the geomorphological context, with plants in wet areas underlain by fine materials being the most likely to be growth-limited by permafrost, thus being potential hot-spots for future change. With the expectation of sustained climate change, loss of adjacent sea ice, and proximity to the forest-tundra ecotone, it is likely that the Torngat Mountains will continue to be an area of rapid environmental change in the coming decades.

• Publisher: Springer Science + Business Media,Springer US,Springer,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Analysis / Arctic region / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Canopies / canopy / canopy height / climate / Climate change / Ecology / ecotones / Environmental changes / Environmental Management / Flowers & plants / Geoecology/Natural Processes / Geomorphology / Global temperature changes / Global warming / Growing season / Hydrology/Water Resources / Life Sciences / Mountains / National parks / National parks and reserves / normalized difference vegetation index / Normalized difference vegetative index / Original Articles / Permafrost / Plant Sciences / Sea ice / shrubs / snow / Soil moisture / soil water / Surface temperature / time series analysis / Tundra / Vegetation / Vegetation index / watersheds / winter / Zoology