See also:

Soil temperatures in Old Crow permanent plots
 
Long-term monitoring of plant communities in Old Crow
 
Developing a collection of local plants

Arctic Borderlands Ecological Knowledge Co-op

• Location: Old Crow, Yukon Territory

• Email Contact: arcticborderlands@gmail.com

• Goal: To monitor vegetation patterns and soil temperatures as indicators of long term climate change

• Method: Two co-operating agencies of the Arctic Borderlands Ecological Knowledge Co-operative, Environment Canada and the Vuntut Gwitchin Renewable Resource Council, set up plots to monitor vegetation patterns and soil temperatures near Old Crow in 1997. The initiation of this program was funded in part by a grant from the Northern Research Institute at Yukon College.
   
  In July, 1997, monitoring plots were established in three areas, two in spruce forests and one in alpine tundra. In each area, six permanent one-metre square plots were established and the plants in each plot were inventoried. This was done by identifying and counting all the plants that touched a small rod placed at each of 100 points within the plot. Field work was done by Jill Johnstone and Joan Eamer (Environment Canada, Whitehorse) and Joe Tetlichi (Old Crow). Data summaries are available on the Old Crow plant indicator page.
   
  Ongoing monitoring will involve following the timing of flowering and fruit production each year, as well as counting the numbers of flowers or berries produced. Once every five years, the detailed inventory of the plants in each plot will be repeated to assess whether the plant community is changing over time.
   
  At two of the sites, soil temperatures (in the top of the permafrost and in the active layer near the surface) are being measured using temperature probes and data loggers. Scott Smith (Agriculture Canada, Whitehorse) installed the probes.