Backgrounder - International Polar Year Projects and Funding (INAC)

Carbon, Microbial and Plant Community Dynamics in Low-Arctic Tundra: $300,000 This research will examine how Arctic ecosystems store large amounts of carbon in organic matter that may contribute to carbon dioxide production as climate warms, further enhancing the greenhouse effect. (Principal researcher: Suzanne Simard, University of British Columbia)

Climate Change Impacts on Canadian Arctic Tundra: $7,000,000 The project will examine how tundra ecosystems respond to climate variation. This study will provide the most complete assessment of tundra ecosystems in Canada, which can be used to evaluate climate changes in the future. (Principal researcher: Greg Henry, University of British Columbia)

Constructed Wetlands for Treatment of Wastewater in Arctic Communities: $700,000 This project will develop new engineering and technology solutions to assist Northern people to adapt to changing settlement patterns and the associated wastewater treatment health issues that arise. (Principal researcher: Mark Williamson, Fleming College)

Environmental Change and Traditional Use in the Old Crow Flats in Northern Canada: $1,720,150 This project will study the impacts of climate change on the people, country food and environment in the Vuntut Gwitch'in First Nation's traditional territory. (Principal researcher: Shel Graupe, Vuntut Gwitch'in First Nation)

Impacts of a Changing Arctic Tree Line: $2,500,000 This project will establish a network of long term monitoring and experimental plots to track future changes in the vegetation at the forest limit in the Canadian Arctic. This study will link recent changes in tree and shrub distributions at the tundra border to environmental change, and demonstrate how these changes will impact the health and well-being of northern communities. (Principal researcher: Karen Harper, Dalhousie University)

The Impacts of Oil and Gas Activity on Peoples in the Arctic: $500,000 Natural and social scientists will join with members of Arctic communities in Canada, Norway, Alaska and Russia to study the impacts of oil and gas activity on the health, traditional livelihoods, economic development and ecosystem change in the Arctic. (Principal researcher: Dawn Bazely, York University)

Measuring the Impact of Climate Change on Landscape and Water Systems in the High Arctic: $670,000 This research will investigate how climate change affects Arctic rivers, soils and vegetation, and provide an understanding of the hydrological and ecosystem processes that are sensitive to climate change. The research also seeks to predict and anticipate future climate change effects. (Principal researcher: Scott Lamoureux, Queen's University)

Monitoring the Impacts of Global Change on Caribou and Wild Reindeer and their Link to Human Communities: $3,000,000 An international network of scientists, managers and community representatives will work to improve our understanding of the impacts of changes in the Arctic on caribou and wild reindeer herds, as well as the people that depend on them for survival. (Principal researcher: Don Russell, Yukon College)

Northwest Territories Ice Patch Study: $650,000 The Study combines archaeology, biology and geology to investigate ancient hunting artifacts and animal remains preserved in alpine ice patches. This information will help manage caribou populations in the Northwest Territories and contribute to the sustained health and cultural well being of Aboriginal communities that rely on caribou for traditional subsistence activities. (Principal researcher: Thomas Andrews, Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre)

Polar Ecosystems in Transition: An Interdisciplinary Investigation into the Impacts of Climate Change on Polar Bears: $250,000 This project's objective is to gather scientific and Inuit knowledge on changes in the polar bear ecology. The project will examine foraging ecology, Inuit knowledge, and how the accumulation of contaminants in one population has changed with increasing temperatures. (Principal researcher: Elizabeth Peacock, Government of Nunavut)