Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
•.
Describe. and. classify. ecotype. soils. (CSSC. 2006),. humus. forms,. and.
landforms,.and.relate.the.structure,.composition,.and.function.of.eco-
type. vegetation. communities. to. relevant. soil. and. landform. processes.
(periglacial. effects,. seepage,. inundation,. colluvial. effects,. nivation.
effects,. microclimate. effects);. identify. soil-moisture. and. soil-nutrient.
regime;.identify.characteristic.physiographic.conditions.(slope,.aspect,.
elevation,.meso-slope.position).
•.
Develop.a.park.ecosystem.classiication.based.on.vegetation.and.envi-
ronmental.information.
•.
Develop.and.map.a.regional/park.bioclimate.classiication.using.the.distri-
bution.of.plant.communities.on.zonal.sites.and.linked.to.the.Circum-arctic.
Vegetation. Mapping. project. (CAVM. Team. 2003);. this. will. be. especially.
important.in.mountainous.parks.or.parks.located.at.the.boundaries.of.major.
climatic.zones.
Taken.together,.the.knowledge.of.ecotypes.and.their.spatial.distribution.as.shown.
through.the.mapping.provide.a.logic.system.for.linking.the.distribution.of.park.terres-
trial.community.diversity.to.the.ecological.drivers.that.control.that.distribution..Such.
an.inventory.provides.a.basis.for.establishing.and.implementing.park.monitoring.by.
providing.the.fundamental.knowledge.to.rationalize,.locate,.and.monitor.focal.ecosys-
tems,.given.predicted.changes.in.climate.and.other.ecological.drivers.for.the.park..The.
inventory.also.provides.an.ecological.frame.for.establishing.and.conducting.research,.
and.for.modeling.potential.ecological.change.under.a.range.of.potential.scenarios.
It.is.understood.that.such.derived.inventories.contain.classiication.errors.(accu-
racy. for. the. Ivvavik. inventory. is. overall. 78%. at. this. time. Fraser. et. al.. submitted)..
The. inventories. should. be. considered. as. useful. models. for. visualizing. and. under-
standing.community.composition,.the.spatial.distribution.of.classiied.ecotypes,.and.
the.processes.that.control.that.condition.and.distribution..Where.the.inventories.are.
used.locally,.for.example,.to.develop.ground-based.monitoring,.map-polygon.attri-
butes.can.be.updated.based.on.further.ield.observations..In.this.way,.we.expect.map.
accuracy.to.improve.over.the.years.as.monitoring.and.other.ield.programs.progress.
The.vegetation.structure.and.composition.of.the.ecotypes,.soil.and.site.charac-
teristics,.as.well.as.their.position.in.the.landscape.largely.determine.their.value.as.
animal.habitat,.so.ecotypes.(along.with.other.factors).can.also.be.interpreted.for.their.
suitability. for. sustaining. key. wildlife. species.. By. measuring. change. in. ecological.
drivers. and/or. predicting. how. drivers. may. change. in. relation. to. predicted. climate.
change,.we.can.then.predict.changes.in.the.distributions.of.ecotypes.and.interpret.
potential.consequences.for.wildlife.species.important.to.park.managers.
Finally,.the.ecotype.maps.provide.a.“baseline”.for.assessing.future.changes.in.the.
areal.extent,.productivity,.composition,.structure,.and.distribution.of.park.ecological.
communities..In.that.northern.ecosystems.are.already.changing,.the.term.“baseline”.
is.used.in.the.sense.of.a.starting.point.for.measurement,.not.a.reference.condition.for.
the.desired.distribution.and.areal.extent.of.park.ecosystems..Management.thresholds.
for.assessing.change.in.park.ecotypes.will.need.to.be.set.in.the.context.of.a.desired.
condition.for.park.ecosystems,.as.part.of.the.evolving.park.monitoring.program.
