Characterizing vulnerability of northern freshwater ecosystems to climate variation and airborne pollution

描述北部淡水生态系统对气候变化和空气污染的脆弱性

• 批准号: RGPIN-2022-03219
• 负责人: Hall, Roland
• 金额: $ 3.13万
• 依托单位: University of Waterloo
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=745728
• 关键词: Characterizing; vulnerability; northern; freshwater; ecosystems

Remote water-rich landscapes in northern Canada provide important wildlife habitat and sustain Indigenous and local northern communities yet are highly vulnerable to climate change. Climate-driven changes at a remote northern freshwater oasis threaten conservation efforts for the critically endangered Whooping Crane, North America's tallest bird and one of the world's rarest birds. Due to its small population and wetland habitat requirements, Whooping Crane nearly went extinct (16 in 1941). The only active Whooping Crane breeding area is a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance in Wood Buffalo National Park (WBNP), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Whooping Crane nest near shallow ponds that provide preferred food, nest material and long sight lines to detect predators. In dry years, drawdown of ponds reduces Whooping Crane production by increasing nest predation and reducing food supply. In wet years, water-level rise inundates nests, reducing hatching success. Nesting success and nest locations have been recorded since 1966 but variation over space and time in hydrological and ecological conditions of the ponds remains completely unknown. Long-distance transport of contaminants also raises concern. Anthropogenic particles (microplastics, microfibers) are an emerging class of contaminants of concern, and freshwater birds in NWT have been shown to have comparable concentrations to birds in southern Canada. Also, the breeding area may be within reach of far-field legacy emissions of toxic arsenic from gold mines at Yellowknife and mercury is a concern because deposition remains near peak levels across northern Canada. The proposed research will improve understanding of natural and human-caused processes regulating aquatic ecosystems in northern Canada by integrating systematic landscape-scale contemporary hydro-ecological measurements with long term records from analysis of sediment cores. The short-term goal is to characterize water resource vulnerability to climate change and contaminant deposition at the last remaining natural breeding habitat for the critically endangered Whooping Crane. I will strive to transition the research to an agency-led long-term monitoring program that involves local and Indigenous people in meaningful roles, as I've achieved elsewhere. Findings will inform the WBNP Action Plan and strategies by federal and local agencies to conserve the critically endangered Whooping Crane population. The research will contribute directly to Recommendation 16 from the 2017 Report by UNESCO on WBNP: "Continue to closely monitor the entire used and potential nesting area of the Whooping Crane within the Greater WBNP Ecosystem so as to be able to respond to possibly changing management requirements" and inform pending decisions at UNESCO on WBNP's World Heritage Status. Multidisciplinary training in sought-after skills for environmental assessment will be provided to at least 2 PhD, 4 MSc and 17 BSc students, and 1 postdoc.

加拿大北部偏远、水资源丰富的景观提供了重要的野生动物栖息地，维持着土著和当地北部社区的生存，但极易受到气候变化的影响。北部偏远淡水绿洲的气候变化威胁着极度濒危的美洲鹤的保护工作，美洲鹤是北美最高的鸟类，也是世界上最稀有的鸟类之一。由于种群数量少和对湿地栖息地的要求，鸣鹤几乎灭绝（1941年有16只）。唯一活跃的美洲鹤繁殖区是伍德布法罗国家公园 (WBNP) 内的拉姆萨尔国际重要湿地，该湿地被联合国教科文组织列为世界遗产。美洲鹤在浅水池塘附近筑巢，提供首选食物、筑巢材料和长视线以发现捕食者。在干旱年份，池塘水位下降会增加巢穴捕食和减少食物供应，从而减少鸣鹤的产量。在潮湿的年份，水位上升会淹没巢穴，降低孵化成功率。自 1966 年起就有筑巢成功率和筑巢地点的记录，但池塘水文和生态条件随空间和时间的变化仍然完全未知。污染物的长距离运输也引起了人们的担忧。人为颗粒（微塑料、微纤维）是一类新兴的令人关注的污染物，西北地区淡水鸟类的浓度已被证明与加拿大南部鸟类的浓度相当。此外，繁殖区可能处于黄刀镇金矿有毒砷的远场遗留排放范围内，而汞也令人担忧，因为加拿大北部地区的沉积量仍接近峰值水平。拟议的研究将通过将系统的景观尺度当代水文生态测量与沉积物岩心分析的长期记录相结合，提高对调节加拿大北部水生生态系统的自然和人为过程的理解。短期目标是描述极度濒危的鸣鹤最后剩余的自然繁殖栖息地的水资源对气候变化和污染物沉积的脆弱性。我将努力将研究转变为由机构主导的长期监测计划，让当地和原住民发挥有意义的作用，就像我在其他地方取得的成就一样。研究结果将为 WBNP 行动计划以及联邦和地方机构保护极度濒危鸣鹤种群的战略提供信息。该研究将直接为联合国教科文组织 2017 年 WBNP 报告中的建议 16 做出贡献：“继续密切监测大 WBNP 生态系统内整个美洲鹤的已使用和潜在筑巢区域，以便能够应对可能变化的管理要求”并通报联合国教科文组织关于 WBNP 世界遗产地位的待决决定。将为至少 2 名博士生、4 名硕士生、17 名理学士生以及 1 名博士后提供有关环境评估热门技能的多学科培训。