An extensive series of sediment cores from many connected lakes, wetlands, and upland tundra and forests in northern Manitoba, Canada will be collected and examined for several indicators of ecosystem composition and function over the past 8000 years. Although ecological responses to Arctic warming have been shown in previous research, such as increases in lake productivity, permafrost thaw, shrub expansion, and northward shifts in the subarctic tree line, most of this work involves the study of a single ecosystem type, such as terrestrial forests, wetlands, or lakes. An objective of the new research is to examine how interactions among these ecosystems in the past have affected their responses to past climate change. Changes in one ecosystem may affect the response of others to climate change, such as when soil runoff from forests and wetlands alters the chemistry and productivity of the lakes into which they drain.
This project will be significant for determining how Arctic ecosystems may change in the future as a result of rapid warming. A better understanding of the linkages among these ecosystems will be essential for understanding ecological impacts on productivity, nutrient cycles, or biodiversity in the Arctic and will help inform the scientific community and the public about climate change, the direct impacts of this climate change on the people of the Arctic and extended global impacts on the carbon cycle and climate warming.
