Effects of retrogressive permafrost thaw slumping on benthic macrophyte and invertebrate communities of upland tundra lakes

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dc.contributor.authorMesquita, Patricia S.
dc.contributor.supervisorWrona, Frederick John
dc.contributor.supervisorProwse, Terry D.
dc.date.accessioned2008-08-01T18:16:44Z
dc.date.available2008-08-01T18:16:44Z
dc.date.copyright2008en_US
dc.date.issued2008-08-01T18:16:44Z
dc.degree.departmentDepartment of Geography
dc.degree.levelMaster of Science M.Sc.en_US
dc.description.abstractGlobal warming is forecast to cause significant thawing of the permafrost that surrounds lakes and rivers across the Arctic, with potential wide-scale effects on the water quality and biotic characteristics of these water bodies. The benthic environment is believed to be especially sensitive to permafrost-induced ecological change, and this has been the focus of recent field intensive research. Five lakes disturbed and three lakes undisturbed by retrogressive permafrost thaw slumps were sampled during late summer of 2006 to assess the potential effects of slumping on benthos. Water quality parameters, submerged macrophytes, benthic invertebrates, and sediment were collected. A significant difference (p < 0.05) between disturbed and undisturbed lakes was found for macrophyte, invertebrates, underwater light attenuation, and some sediment variables. The results suggest that thaw slumps can affect submerged macrophyte biomass, benthic invertebrate abundance, and also community structure in upland tundra lakes. Such differences between undisturbed and disturbed lakes are suggested to be related to changes in water column transparency, sediment nutrient availability, soil and terrestrial vegetation loading from the landscape, and changes in slope angle of the littoral zone.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1828/1041
dc.languageEnglisheng
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.rightsAvailable to the World Wide Weben_US
dc.subjectclimate changeen_US
dc.subjectpermafrosten_US
dc.subjectarcticen_US
dc.subjectmacrophytesen_US
dc.subjectinvertebrateen_US
dc.subjectchemistryen_US
dc.subjectsedimenten_US
dc.subjectbenthicen_US
dc.subjectbenthosen_US
dc.subjectglobal warmingen_US
dc.subjectthaw slumpsen_US
dc.subjecttundraen_US
dc.subjectInuviken_US
dc.subjectlakeen_US
dc.subject.lcshUVic Subject Index::Sciences and Engineering::Biology::Ecologyen_US
dc.subject.lcshUVic Subject Index::Sciences and Engineering::Biology::Limnologyen_US
dc.subject.lcshUVic Subject Index::Sciences and Engineering::Biologyen_US
dc.titleEffects of retrogressive permafrost thaw slumping on benthic macrophyte and invertebrate communities of upland tundra lakesen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US

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