In Calmer Waters: The Influence of Source Water on Alpine River Systems in Tongait KakKasuangita SilakKijapvinga (Torngat Mountains National Park), Nunatsiavut, Labrador

Abstract ID: 3.11526 | Not reviewed | Requested as: Talk | TBA | TBA

Katryna Barone (1,2)
Andrew, Trant (1); Robert, Way (2); Nicholas, Barrand (3); Joe, Mallalieu (3); David, Hannah (3); Nathan, Kennedy (4); Holly, Lightfoot (4); Nhu, Le (1,2); Yifeng, Wang (2); Michelle, Saunders (5); Nicole, Gaul (2); Melissa, Denniston (6); Ella, Jacque (6); Jessica, Sheppard (6)

(1) Trant Ecological Legacies Lab, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
(2) Northern Environmental Geoscience Laboratory, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
(3) School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
(4) Western Newfoundland and Labrador Field Unit, Parks Canada, Rocky Harbour, Newfoundland, Canada
(5) Department of Lands and Natural Resources, Nunatsiavut Government, Nain, Labrador, Canada
(6) Inuit Youth Research Technician Program, Queens University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

Categories: Conservation, Cryo- & Hydrosphere, Ecosystems
Keywords: Mountain Hydrology, Alpine, Climate Change, Catchment Hydrology, Ecohydrology

Categories: Conservation, Cryo- & Hydrosphere, Ecosystems
Keywords: Mountain Hydrology, Alpine, Climate Change, Catchment Hydrology, Ecohydrology

Abstract

Tongait KakKasuangita SilakKijapvinga (Torngat Mountains National Park) encompasses the northern tip of Labrador and is situated at the southernmost limit of the Arctic Cordillera. This region is an integral part of the homeland for Inuit from Nunatsiavut and Nunavik and hosts the only remaining glaciers in continental northeastern North America. Like other high-latitude regions, glacial melt is currently a key source of streamflow in the summer months and provides refugia for cold-water specialized species. Continued climate warming is expected to make streamflow warmer, slower, and less turbid, putting stream function and culturally significant species such as ikKaluk (Arctic char) at risk. Future glacial loss is also expected to transition downstream habitats to resemble those of more barren non-glacial fed watersheds, further affecting ecosystem services, connected habitats, and community resources. This research aims to examine the impacts of cryospheric (ice) and hydrological (water) systems on ecohydrology by exploring glacial and late-lying snow influences on stream composition and riverine habitats. Stream composition and ecological function is examined through a stable isotopic analysis of oxygen and hydrogen and measurements of aqueous dissolved organic and inorganic carbon from stream water samples collected from three basins with different dominant water sources: glacial meltwater, snowmelt, and rain and groundwater. As this area has not undergone water sampling in the past this work also established a baseline for future research. Further spatial comparisons of watershed sources and downstream ecology were accomplished through Landsat-based satellite imagery tasseled cap indices of wetness, brightness, and greenness and annual water level measurements from various streams throughout the Park. As continued climate warming is projected to shift the contribution of water sources it is important to know the unique influence each of these have in order to better predict how upstream and downstream systems will respond to continued change. This will further our understanding of how changes in the cryosphere and hydrosphere impact northern ecosystems and human livelihoods in support of future environmental monitoring, adaptation, and conservation.