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

加拿大北部偏远的水资源丰富的景观为野生动物提供了重要的栖息地，并维持了土著和当地的北部社区，但极易受到气候变化的影响。在一个偏远的北部淡水绿洲，气候驱动的变化威胁着对极度濒危的白鹤的保护工作，白鹤是北美最高的鸟类，也是世界上最稀有的鸟类之一。由于其数量少和湿地栖息地的要求，鸣鹤几乎灭绝（1941年有16只）。唯一活跃的鸣鹤繁殖区是国际重要的拉姆萨尔湿地，位于伍德布法罗国家公园（WBNP），被联合国教科文组织列为世界遗产。鸣鹤在浅池塘附近筑巢，那里提供了首选的食物、筑巢材料和较长的视线，可以发现捕食者。在干旱的年份，池塘的减少通过增加巢穴捕食和减少食物供应来减少鸣鹤的产量。在潮湿的年份，水位上升淹没了巢穴，降低了孵化的成功率。自1966年以来，已记录了筑巢成功率和筑巢地点，但池塘的水文和生态条件随时间和空间的变化仍然完全未知。污染物的长途运输也令人担忧。人为颗粒（微塑料、微纤维）是一类令人关注的新兴污染物，NWT的淡水鸟类已被证明具有与加拿大南部鸟类相当的浓度。此外，繁殖区域可能处于黄奈夫金矿有毒砷的远场遗留排放物的范围内，而汞是一个令人担忧的问题，因为加拿大北部的沉积物仍接近峰值水平。拟议的研究将通过整合系统的景观尺度当代水文生态测量和沉积物岩心分析的长期记录，提高对加拿大北部水生生态系统调节的自然和人为过程的理解。短期目标是表征水资源对气候变化和污染物沉积的脆弱性，在最后的自然繁殖栖息地为极度濒危的白头鹤。我将努力把这项研究转变为一个由机构主导的长期监测项目，让当地和土著人民发挥有意义的作用，就像我在其他地方所做的那样。调查结果将为WBNP的行动计划以及联邦和地方机构保护极度濒危的鸣鹤种群的策略提供信息。这项研究将直接有助于联合国教科文组织2017年关于世界白鹤保护区的报告中的第16条建议：“继续密切监测世界白鹤保护区大生态系统内整个已使用和潜在筑巢区域，以便能够应对可能发生变化的管理要求”，并为联合国教科文组织关于世界白鹤保护区世界遗产地位的未决决定提供信息。将为至少2名博士、4名硕士、17名理学士和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.