The End of Flowering

Emma Micalizzi

A last blast of colour from arctic fireweed (Chamerion latifolium).

July is almost over and almost all of the plants that we are monitoring have already finished flowering, and some species, such as purple saxifrage (Saxifraga oppositifolia) and one flower fleabane (Erigeron eriocephalus), have already began dispersing their seeds.  It feels like not that long ago that we were walking through snow and tagging plants that hadn’t come up yet, based on dead growth from last year.  In fact, some of our sites still had snow in places just a couple weeks ago.  Now we are beginning to pull tags out of the warm tundra where plants have finished dispersing their seeds.  It seems like the plant life cycles move very quickly here as the plants try to fit everything in before the impending winter.  The transition between most of our species being in peak flower and virtually no plants flowering was a very abrupt one, and some of the plants that still had flowers last week now have rapidly developing fruit, like the Lapland lousewort (Pedicularis lapponica). 

Ice still present in the Sylvia Grinnell River, a reminder that winter is never far away.

Another reminder that we are in the Arctic,  We had thought that ground here had been thawed for a while until on one visit when I suppose the ice broke free of the permafrost.

Some fledglings newly out of their nest.

As the plants finish flowering, the fledgling birds flee their nests, and the last of the ice finally disappears, it feels like summer is making its last stand before temperatures beginning falling and winter encroaches on Iqaluit.  I feel like my summer has flown by and it’s hard to believe that Zoe will be back in one week, and that I will leave in two weeks.  I feel like I still have a lot that I want to do and see while I’m here, and I’m wondering how I will fit it all in.  Fortunately I did get an opportunity to go for a hike up the Sylvia Grinnell River last weekend, and it was nice to see a side of the tundra that was more desolate than some of our sites.  I’m still hoping that I’ll be able to go sea kayaking before I leave and see the islands where the Sylvia Grinnell River opens into the bay. 

I’m sure that these last two weeks will fly by as fast as the past two months and before I know it, I’ll be heading south to a land with trees and dark nights.  I have thoroughly enjoyed conducting the field work this summer and spending time in Iqaluit.  I think that this has been a great experience that I will take a lot from and I feel very fortunate to have had this opportunity.

The view from a hike up the Sylvia Grinnell River.

Words From Lake Hazen

Zoe Panchen – 24^th June

We finally arrived at Lake Hazen on Friday the thirteenth but only just! After 3 days of waiting in Resolute I was anxious to arrive and get my research started but as we approached the camp, the co-pilot turned to us and asked if it was fog or dust ahead and I had visions of us having to turn around and go back. We circled four times before landing on the bumpy gravel runway.

When we landed I was amazed at the difference in snow cover from last year. There is no snow and the ground is bone dry, this time last year there was mud and snow everywhere. The first few days were also much warmer than anything I experienced last year. The temperature sensors we have put out are showing that the temperature the plants are experiencing at ground level here are reaching 20°C on sunny days but only 10°C at weather station height. We have had several dust storms and as we walk through the sedge meadows we kick up clouds of dust, again something I never saw last year.

Varsity Mountain, Lake Hazen mid-June 2014

Varsity Mountain, Lake Hazen mid-June 2013

              

The plants are at least a week or two ahead of where they were last year. It is mid-June and already the purple saxifrage (Saxifraga oppositifolia) is past its peak and the mountain avens (Dryas integrifolia), arctic lousewort (Pedicularis arctica) and Pallas’ wallflower (Erysimum pallasii) amongst others are in flower. There is 1000m of elevation gain between our camp on the shores of Lake Hazen and the summit of McGill Mountain behind the camp. So at Lake Hazen I will be monitoring species at several different altitudes to see how they differ in the timing of their flowering and fruiting.

Arctic Lousewort (Pedicularis arctica) in flower 2 weeks earlier at Lake Hazen in 2014 than 2013

I only saw an arctic fox from a distance at Lake Hazen last year so I was excited to see an arctic fox up close this year. He eyed me from a distance for a while, hopped up to a high spot circled around like a dog does before laying down and then laid down. I approached him slowly and he seemed quite relaxed and enjoyed being photographed.

Arctic fox looking relaxed at Lake Hazen, June 2014

Arctic fox molting to summer coat at Lake Hazen, June 2014

The bird diversity at these northern latitudes is quite limited; only about 20 species can be seen here. I have already seen all the birds I saw here last year. So I was thrilled to see a species I have never seen before and has not been recorded at Lake Hazen. A pair of red phalaropes landed close to us in a small lake as we walked back to camp. Their plumage is quite stunning but they are really small birds.

Male red phalarope in breeding plumage - not recorded at Lake Hazen before

There is no internet or cell phone coverage at Lake Hazen or for 100s of miles around so this blog post arrives to you via a 4hr twin otter flight to Resolute and then emailed to Emma in Iqaluit for her to post! Robert at Parks Canada kindly acted as messenger when he flew out of Quttinirpaaq National Park.

The Last of the Ice

Emma Micalizzi

The last of the ice on the bay.

It’s July and Iqaluit is starting to show the signs of what I suppose an arctic summer is.  Intrinsically I have no feelings as to what season it is, but I think that I rely on cues that aren’t here to tell the season, like leaves on trees and warm evenings.  Some times when a cool wind blows and it’s been overcast for days, it feels like autumn is here and winter won’t be far behind (which may be more true than I’d like to admit).  But for the most part in the past couple weeks, temperatures have reached or passed 10 degrees.  The tundra has turned green, the bay has melted, and the bugs are out in numbers that are very alarming (my bug jacket has become my most valuable possession), so as far as I can tell that means it's summer.  Yesterday the temperatures went up to 16 degrees, which is the warmest day that we’ve had.  After being accustomed to the temperatures here, it felt hot and I managed to gather up the courage to go swimming in the Apex River.  The water was cold enough to make my muscles cramp up, but the swim was very refreshing. 

A tufted saxifrage (Saxifraga caespitosa) in bloom.

We have seen flowers on almost all of the species that we are monitoring, and the hills are dotted with yellows and pinks from Maydell's oxytrope (Oxytropis maydelliana) and arctic fireweed (Chamerion latifolium), among others.  Now that the colourful flowers are visible, we’re seeing that some species that we tirelessly hunted for a month ago, such as arctic harebell (Campanula uniflora), are growing everywhere!

Arctic bladder campion (Silene involucrata) blooming.

The summer weather has also meant that I have been able to attend some events held in Iqaluit, such as throat singing performances and demonstrations of the traditional Inuit lifestyle on Nunavut Day.  I have enjoyed learning a bit about Inuit culture, although I have yet to retain any Inuktitut.   

I'm also enjoying having people to go out with.  The apartments that I’m staying in have had other researchers here the whole time, and this has provided a unique experience and the opportunity to meet some interesting people, hear about their research, and make some friends.  I think that the rest of the summer is going to go quickly and be filled with memorable experiences.

A Wheatear guarding its nest.