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Arctic Field Ecology
(to be revised for 2002)
Calendar of Seminars & Events
June 20-21. Meeting in Yellowknife
Staff and students should plan to arrive on June 20th. Students should arrive no later than June 21st.
June 22-24. Field skills
We fly into the field on the 22nd and spend the first three days focused on camping skills, 1st aid, some general ecology talks in the evenings and hikes to look at vegetation, wildlife, den sites, and interesting landscape features.
June 25. Arctic Plant biology and ecology
Students will be introduced to the local plant life through observation and collection.
June 26. Plant community ecology and sampling and Current research in the Arctic
We will examine what a plant community is and is not, why sample one and how to sample one. We will also discuss current literature and research topics in the Arctic.
- Field activity
- Required reading
- Additional reading
- Field resources
June 27. Releve method: describing plant communities
This seminar will focus and expand on the releve method introduced in the previous seminar.
- Field activity
- Required reading
- Additional reading
- Field resources
June 28.Soils and soil processes
- Field activity
- Required reading
- Additional reading
- Field resources
June 29. Periglacial landforms and Introduction to research design
This area was glaciated quite recently and we will observe and study a variety of landforms created by glaciers, glacial retreat and cold climates. Also, One of the major foci of the class is the nature of the research question and how to generate and hone hypotheses. We will discuss proposal design and review the research methods each student investigated as part of the pretip assignment.
- Field activity
- Required reading
- Additional reading
- Field resources
June 30. Split camp and Generating research questions
July 1. First exam and Presenting research ideas
We will have a short exam followed by presentation and discussion of research questions generated the previous day.
- Exam formats and examples
- Field activity
- Required reading
- Additional reading
- Field resources
July 2. Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)
This seminar will focus on the Inuit people who live in the Arctic by providing a background on TEK ideology as a world view, how it is similar and how it is different from western science.
- Field activity
- Required reading
- Additional reading
- Field resources
July 3. Carbon cycling: decomposition
We will look the role of soil organisms role in decomposition in Arctic soils.
- Field activity
- Required reading
- Additional reading
- Field resources
July 4. Working with field samples: getting the most from your field season
This seminar will focus on the problems and methods of data and sample collection. The quality and success of a field expedition is dependent on getting the complete set of samples and data safely back to the lab.
- Field activity
- Required reading
- Additional reading
- Field resources
July 5. Vertebrate ecology
We will examine the diversity of birds, mammals in fish in the region and focus on the ecology of caribou, muskoxen, wolves, wolverine, and bear. We will also examine the distribution of birds and small mammals relative to vegetation and landforms along the riparian corridor and discuss current issues in wildlife research.
- Field activity
- Required reading
- Additional reading
- Field resources
July 6. Insect ecology
We will look at the diversity of insects in the Arctic and measure their abundance in a variety of habitats.
- Field activity
- Required reading
- Additional reading
- Field resources
July 7. Hierarchical controls on landscape patterns: Climate, substrate, topography
We will sample vegetation, soils, and soil insects along a toposequence. Putting many of the skills we have learned to use.
- Field activity
- Required reading
- Additional reading
- Field resources
July 8. Split camp and Generating research questions
Format will be as on the first split day, students should prepare for presentation on July 9 concerning research project.
July 9. Second exam and Presenting research ideas
We will have a short exam followed by presentation and discussion of research questions generated the previous day.
July 10. Arrive at coast of Arctic Ocean in Bathurst Inlet
Local Inuit experts in wildlife and traditional ecological knowledge will be joining us for several days and conducting informal seminars on mammals, birds, general wildlife ecology and traditional Inuit life in the north.
July 11. Final research project assignment. TEK seminars with Sandra Eyegetok and Lena Kamoayuk.
July 12. Final projects and TEK seminars with Sandra Eyegetok and Lena Kamoayuk.
July 13. Final projects and TEK seminars with Sandra Eyegetok and Lena Kamoayuk.
July 14. Final projects and TEK seminars with Sandra Eyegetok and Lena Kamoayuk.
July 15. Final project presentations.
July 16. Course ends in the morning. Grading and final day activities.
July 19. Fly from Umingmaktuuq to Yellowknife.