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

加拿大北方偏远的富水景观提供了重要的野生动物栖息地，并维持土著和当地北方社区，但极易受到气候变化的影响。气候驱动的变化在偏远的北方淡水绿洲威胁到保护工作的极度濒危的鸣禽起重机，北美最高的鸟和世界上最稀有的鸟类之一。由于其人口少和湿地栖息地的要求，鸣鹤起重机几乎灭绝（1941年16）。唯一活跃的鸣鹤起重机繁殖区是位于伍德布法罗国家公园（WBNP）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。高鸣鹤起重机在浅池塘附近筑巢，这些池塘提供了首选的食物、筑巢材料和长视线来发现捕食者。在干旱的年份，池塘水位下降减少了鸣鹤起重机生产增加巢捕食和减少食物供应。在多雨的年份，水位上升会淹没巢穴，降低孵化的成功率。自1966年以来，已经记录了筑巢成功率和巢的位置，但池塘的水文和生态条件在空间和时间上的变化仍然完全未知。污染物的远距离迁移也令人关切。人为颗粒（微塑料、微纤维）是新出现的一类令人关切的污染物，西北地区的淡水鸟类已被证明与加拿大南部的鸟类具有相当的浓度。此外，繁殖区可能在耶洛奈夫金矿有毒砷的远场遗留排放范围内，汞是一个令人关切的问题，因为加拿大北方的沉积量仍然接近峰值水平。拟议的研究将提高自然和人为引起的过程调节水生生态系统在加拿大北方整合系统的大规模的当代水文生态测量与长期记录从沉积物岩心分析。短期目标是描述水资源对气候变化和污染物沉积的脆弱性，在最后剩下的自然繁殖栖息地的极度濒危的高鸣起重机。我将努力将研究过渡到一个机构领导的长期监测计划，让当地和土著人民发挥有意义的作用，就像我在其他地方取得的成就一样。调查结果将为联邦和地方机构的WBNP行动计划和战略提供信息，以保护极度濒危的鸣禽起重机种群。该研究将直接促进联合国教科文组织2017年关于WBNP的报告中的建议16：“继续密切监测大WBNP生态系统内的整个使用和潜在的鸣禽起重机筑巢区，以便能够应对可能不断变化的管理要求”，并为联合国教科文组织关于WBNP世界遗产地位的未决决定提供信息。将向至少2名博士、4名硕士和17名理学士学生以及1名博士后提供环境评估所需技能的多学科培训。

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.