This text is part of the special notebook Université du Québec à Rimouski
Better understanding the fauna and flora of the Canadian Far North and seeing how they adapt to climate change is the work carried out by the University of Quebec at Rimouski (UQAR). Professors and students from the establishment regularly travel to Nunavut to develop biodiversity management plans in the far north of Canada.
Research projects for the Department of National Defense are currently taking place on Ellesmere Island, Nunavut. “It’s in the very north of Canada. There is even one of the places where I work that is closer to Moscow than to Ottawa. It’s really at the top of the planet,” describes Dominique Berteaux, professor in the Department of Biology, Chemistry and Geography at UQAR.
Arctic hares, polar bears, caribou, musk oxen… The one who holds the Canada Research Chair in Northern Biodiversity studies several species living in the Far North. Mr. Berteaux’s activities take place in collaboration with National Defense, but also with different organizations, to better understand the organization of northern ecosystems. “What is the influence of snow, ice, animal movements, in connection with the climate which changes very quickly? » describes the member of the BOREAS Northern Environments Research Group.
Under the supervision of Professor Berteaux, biology doctoral student Émilie Desjardins collects data near the Alert military station in the Arctic. “We are really lucky to be able to go there. We are the only team of biologists to have obtained collaboration with the Ministry of Defense,” she rejoices.
Its work aims to use the ecosystem approach to protect biodiversity around the Canadian Forces Alert establishment. This approach takes into account the species that are present, but also the dynamics that exist between them and the physical environment. She also considers humans in the ecosystem, she explains.
Monitor the evolution of ecosystems
Work carried out in recent years has shed light on previously unexplored animal movements. “We noticed that, in the North, animals move around a lot within the same year. They can travel great distances on the ice floe, or in the tundra,” describes Mr. Berteaux.
Along with the Inuit, researchers combine traditional indigenous knowledge and new technologies, adds the professor. They are increasingly using non-invasive techniques to collect data. “When an animal walks, it leaves some traces of DNA under its feet. We have the possibility of collecting them and analyzing them,” he illustrates. This avoids having to capture animals and install collars on them to track their movements.
For his part, Mme Desjardins is particularly interested in species at risk and those protected by the Migratory Birds Convention Act. His work focuses in particular on the preservation of polar bears, Peary caribou, red knots, and around twenty other species of migratory birds. “We had no idea what species were present. The armed forces did not know this. They discovered that there were several in danger who needed to be protected by federal laws,” explains the student.
By identifying existing species and their habitat, research will make it possible to establish the areas to be protected, avoiding driving there with military vehicles or building new infrastructure.
Mme Desjardins also studies non-native plant species introduced to the Arctic. The data collected will be used to model consumer relationships. “Who eats what, and in what proportions? We are studying this in the current context. But we also aim to predict it by considering the repercussions of climate change, she specifies. For example, there will be fewer plants. But there will be others that will grow. It’s to see how it will change the dynamic. And in what proportions animal species will be present. »
Better protect species
Climate change will continue to disrupt the Arctic landscape. Mr. Berteaux cites as an example the populations of polar bears which are decreasing further south of the country. “But all the way north, there are places where their numbers are increasing. The ice floe is starting to become thinner. It becomes more favorable for the seals, and therefore, for the bears,” he says.
Eventually, Mme Desjardins wishes to develop a biodiversity management plan. “It will combine all the information that we will collect: the laws in force, the threats that weigh, climate change, the destruction of habitats, non-native species,” she lists. This document will be used to propose recommendations with a view to preserving biodiversity while authorizing human activities responsibly.
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