Terrestrial systems

The tundra, rivers and lakes of the continental Arctic underpin the lifestyle of Inuit and Northerners, providing food and drinking water. Projects devoted to this focus on understanding how changing terrestrial ecosystems impact industry, socio-economic development and climate change.

Current projects

Phase 5 (2019-2023)

Rapid climate change is driving shifts in the nutritional quality of aquatic food webs across the circumpolar North
Milla Rautio Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
Climate impacts on zoonotic disease trends in the warming Arctic
Patrick Leighton Université de Montréal
The distinct and threatened core microbial genetic potential of the Arctic’s Last Ice Area
Catherine Girard Université Laval
Nunataryuk – Permafrost thaw and the changing Arctic coast: the MacKenzie delta and coastal waters sampling
Marcel Babin Université Laval/Takuvik
Study of Arctic char catches and stock assessment and winter disappearance in Tasirjuarusik
Noah Eetook Northern Village of Kangirsuk
Health of Arctic Char near Kugluktuk, Nunavut
Eric Hitkolok Kugluktut Hunters and Trappers Organization
Developing seasonal multi-layer network models to evaluate cumulative impacts on Arctic ecosystems
Pierre Legagneux Université Laval
Changing nutrients and food web health in northern lakes and rivers
Milla Rautio Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
Suzanne Tank University of Alberta
Understanding and predicting future coastal climate-vegetation-cryosphere interactions in coastal Labrador
Robert Way Queen's University
Ensuring water security in the High Arctic: understanding the impacts of changing permafrost and hydrology on water quality and aquatic ecosystems.
Melissa Lafreniere Queen's University
Long-term hydrological dynamics of Canada’s largest watershed: climate controls on water quantity and quality of the Mackenzie River Basin
Jennifer Galloway University of Calgary