Impacts of shrub removal on snow and near-surface thermal conditions in permafrost terrain adjacent to the Dempster Highway, NT, Canada

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dc.contributor.authorCameron, Emily A.
dc.contributor.authorLantz, Trevor C.
dc.contributor.authorKokelj, Steven V.
dc.date.accessioned2025-03-26T19:41:19Z
dc.date.available2025-03-26T19:41:19Z
dc.date.issued2024
dc.description.abstractThe Peel Plateau, NT, Canada, is an area underlain by warm continuous permafrost where changes in soil moisture, snow conditions, and shrub density have increased ground temperatures next to the Dempster Highway. In this study, ground temperatures, snow, and thaw depth were monitored before and after tall shrub removal (2014). A snow survey after tall shrub removal indicated that snow depth decreased by a third and lowered winter ground temperatures when compared with control tall shrub sites. The response of ground temperatures to shrub removal depended on soil type. The site with organic soils had cooler winter temperatures and no apparent change in summer temperatures following shrub removal. At sites with mineral soil, moderate winter ground cooling insufficiently counteracted increases in summer ground heat flux caused by canopy removal. Given the predominance of mineral soil along the Dempster, these observations suggest tall shrub removal is not a viable short-term permafrost management strategy. Additionally, the perpendicular orientation of the Highway to prevailing winter winds stimulates snow drift formation and predisposes the site to warmer permafrost temperatures, altered hydrology, and tall shrub proliferation. Subsequent research should explore the effectiveness of tall shrub removal at sites with colder winter conditions or different snow accumulation patterns.
dc.description.reviewstatusReviewed
dc.description.scholarlevelFaculty
dc.description.sponsorshipThis project was supported by funding from the Cumulative Impact Monitoring Program (CIMP), the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the Canada Foundation for Innovation. Northwest Territories Geological Survey Contribution #0154.
dc.identifier.citationCameron, E. A., Lantz, T. C., & Kokelj, S. V. (2023). Impacts of shrub removal on snow and near-surface thermal conditions in permafrost terrain adjacent to the Dempster Highway, NT, Canada. Arctic Science, 10(1), 87–107. https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2022-0032
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1139/as-2022-0032
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1828/21691
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherArctic Science
dc.rightsCC BY 4.0
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
dc.subjecttall shrub removal
dc.subjectpermafrost
dc.subjectArctic
dc.subjectclimate change
dc.subjectinfrastructure
dc.titleImpacts of shrub removal on snow and near-surface thermal conditions in permafrost terrain adjacent to the Dempster Highway, NT, Canada
dc.typeArticle

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