Plant Phenology - Quttinirpaaq

Climate change, especially changes in spring temperatures and the timing of snow melt, can affect the phenology of Arctic plants. Shifts in plant phenology may alter plant-pollinator interactions and nutrient availability for herbivores, if these animals do not respond similarly to climatic changes. The phenology of two tundra plant species, Mountain Avens (Dryas integrifolia) and Purple Saxifrage (Saxifraga oppositifolia), are monitored in Quttinirpaaq National Park near Tanquary Fiord following an International Tundra Experiment (ITEX) field protocol. Approximately every three days, 25 plants (or plant patches depending on the size of the plant) of each species that were randomly selected in the first year of monitoring and are replaced as needed (e.g., plants that die or are destroyed by trampling), are counted for their number of buds, flowers, and flowers that have reached maturity (i.e., when all petals have dropped or wilted). The monitoring begins after the opening of camp (typically early June) and goes until all flowers have reached the last phenophase. The peak flower days for each plant (based on the flower counts) are averaged to determine the annual average peak…

Publisher

Parks Canada

Resources

2

Catalogue metadata updated

2024-12-09