Interactive, place-based mapping of climate analogs in yukon’s mountain regions to inform tree species selection in areas of rapid climate change
Partners
Nadele Flynn – PhD Candidate, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta
Andreas Hamann, Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Dr. Fiona Schmiegelow, Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Whitehorse, Yukon
Partner Organization: Alexco Environmental Group (AEG), Whitehorse, Yukon
Lea Pigage, Senior Biologist, Project Manager
Project Timeline: 4 months in 2020
Region: Yukon
The goal of this internship is to develop an interactive, place-based, climate analog tool, specific to Yukon’s boreal tree species, using biologically meaningful climate variables determined from tree-ring, climate, and topo-edaphic relationships. A dendrochronological approach will be used to analyze the relationship of climate variables and radial growth response of four tree species along topo-edaphic gradients in the Faro Mine and Mount Nansen Mine site areas (near the community of Carmacks). An on-line interactive climate-analog tool will be developed using biologically meaningful climate variables, determined from tree-ring width and climate variation, for four common boreal tree species. This research will inform selection of seed stock for forest ecosystem reclamation, by linking historic growth response of tree species to their contemporary and future climate analogs.