Remote Sensing of Vegetation Types, Productivity and Change in the Canadian High Arctic

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***Arctic ecosystems are critically important systems to study within the context of global climate and environmental change. However, due to its remoteness and logistical challenges, research on Arctic vegetation condition remains largely understudied. Arctic ecosystems cover approximately 5 million km2 globally, with almost half of this spatial extent falling within Canada's sovereignty (i.e., 2.4 million km2). Scientists have determined that the strongest signals of climate change are being observed in the Arctic (i.e., at high latitudes). This warming will have widespread and diverse impacts on Arctic vegetation; i.e., plant growth will increase and differentially affect species abundance, biodiversity and reproductive success, thereby changing community boundaries, composition and overall ecosystem processes. Satellite remote sensing data provides an opportunity to estimate and monitor vegetation. However, there has been limited research conducted in the Canadian Arctic on characterizing vegetation types and modelling biophysical variables using high spatial resolution remote sensing data (in situ studies to calibrate and validate appropriate remote sensing models to estimate these variables at high spatial resolutions. My research will develop remote sensing methods to classify vegetation types of ecological significance, quantify vegetation biophysical properties (i.e., percent cover, carbon exchange) and link these measures across scales to examine vegetation/landscape response spatially and temporally. ******In 2017, the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program reported that “The Arctic's climate is shifting to a new state.” and that “Climate change in the Arctic has continued at a rapid pace.” In 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported that warming in the Arctic is, and will continue to be, two to three times higher than the global average. With clear evidence of warming in the Arctic, Canada has the potential to be a leader in evaluating the impacts of warming on diverse Arctic ecosystems. The results of my research will enable our ability to assess environmental change across Arctic terrestrial ecosystems and estimate future feedback scenarios. This research will help us inform development decisions and adaptation strategies for communities and resource industries living and operating in Canada's North. Over the five year granting period, I will train 3 PhD candidates, 4 MSc candidates and 3 BSc (Hons) students who will conduct research in the Canadian High Arctic, thereby contributing to the next generation of Arctic scientists and practitioners specifically trained in Arctic field methods, remote sensing image processing and spatial data analysis. My research will provide methods for monitoring the response of Arctic terrestrial ecosystems and terrain to a shifting climate condition.*** **