More reflections on 2017 field work

Guest post by Jackie Hung:

Going to Cape Bounty for a second field season, the novelty of High Arctic field work has still not worn off. Seeing the Weatherhaven tents through the window of the Twin Otters as we circled the cape brought back all the memories of the previous season. That is, until we had to dig out the tents from over 2 metres of snow.

Opening camp was a completely new, rewarding, and humbling experience. Seeing the landscape transform from late-winter conditions to spring and summer growth gave me a new perspective on the amount of change that the land undergoes and the harsh environment that the flora and fauna endure here. I was able to finally see and take part in some of the research and data collection that is undertaken in the early season, including lake sampling and river channelizing. Coming to the field before the growing season has also given us the chance to see the birds in their nesting season. Camp has been frequented by several visitors so far, including large muskox herds, curious caribou, and large Arctic hares.

 

Snow sampling and working with data loggers that record soil temperature year-round at Cape Bounty. 

 The transition into July and the growing season was a welcome change for me as a soil scientist. We were keen to arrive early into the field to capture the spring-summer transition; however, that occurred a few weeks later than it did last season. The higher amount of snowfall in the Canadian Arctic this summer meant a delayed start to my sampling. My research builds on the knowledge base established from the previous season and looks to explore unanswered questions that came up during my field sampling and analysis. My Master’s research at Ryerson University looked at the spatial and temporal dynamics soil nitrogen availability and how it related to environmental variables in the wet sedge meadows. Moving forward, I am interested in examining the relationships between the soil available nitrogen, gas exchange, and the changing climate in the wet sedge meadows and mesic tundra and linking these questions to remote sensing techniques.

In 2017, my day-to-day activities included taking static CO₂ measurements, trace gas sampling, spectroradiometer work, and soil sampling. Carbon exchange autochambers and buried soil moisture and temperature loggers are allowing me to take continuous measurements in various locations to complement my seasonal data set. Soil samples taken from the field will be used towards laboratory experiments that will allow me to manipulate different biophysical features to see the microbial response the soils to elevated temperature and fertilization. This field season has given me a head start to the sampling for my new role as a Queen’s student and will help in formulating the questions that will form the basis of my Ph.D.