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Vegetation is changing across the Arctic in response to increasing temperatures, which may influence archaeological sites in the region. At the moment, very little is known about how different plant species influence archaeological remains. In this study we visited 14 archaeological sites stretching across a climatic gradient from the outer coast to the inner fjords in the Nuuk Fjord area of West Greenland to assess the impact of vegetation growth on archaeological preservation. Examination of the physical disturbance of archaeological layers and materials by roots from different plant species showed that horsetail (Equisetum arvense) was particularly destructive because of its deep penetrating rhizomes and ubiquity across the study area. Willow (Salix glauca) also caused physical disturbance due to a dense root network, but its roots were mainly found in the upper 30 cm of the soil. Focus was also given to the impact from vegetation on the visibility of sites, where growth of willow was found be the main problem, especially in the inner fjords. Historic descriptions and aerial photographs from the sites show that shrub growth was already widespread in the region by the 1930s, but photos of some of the sites investigated show that the willow shrubs are significantly taller today, which has decreased the visibility of site features. The impact from horsetail and willow on archaeological sites may be mitigated using geotextiles and grazing by livestock, but both methods require further studies before being implemented in the study area. Key words: vegetation; Low Arctic; archaeological sites; root damage; visibility; Nuuk Fjord A la grandeur de l'Arctique, la vegetation change en reaction aux temperatures a la hausse, ce qui peut exercer une influence sur les sites archeologiques de la region. En ce moment, on en sait peu sur la maniere dont les differentes especes vegetales influencent les restes archeologiques. Dans le cadre de cette etude, nous avons visite 14 sites archeologiques repartis sur un gradient climatique allant de la zone cotiere exterieure aux fjords interieurs de la region du fjord de Nuuk, dans l'ouest du Greenland, afin d'evaluer l'incidence de la croissance de la vegetation sur la preservation archeologique. L'examen de la perturbation physique des couches et du materiel archeologiques au moyen des racines de differentes especes vegetales a permis de constater que la prele (Equisetum arvense) jouait un role particulierement destructeur en raison de ses rhizomes profonds et omnipresents dans toute la zone etudiee. Le saule (Salix glauca) entraine aussi des perturbations physiques en raison de son reseau de racines denses, bien que ses racines se trouvent principalement dans la couche superieure de sol de 30 cm. Nous avons aussi accorde de l'importance a l'incidence de la vegetation sur la visibilite des sites, ce qui a permis de conclure que la croissance du saule constituait le probleme principal, surtout dans la zone interieure des fjords. Les descriptions historiques et les photographies aeriennes des sites montrent que la croissance d'arbustes etait deja repandue dans la region dans les annees 1930, bien que certaines photos des sites etudies permettent de comprendre que les saules arbustifs sont beaucoup plus grands aujourd'hui, ce qui diminue la visibilite des caracteristiques des sites. L'incidence de la prele et du saule sur les sites archeologiques pourrait etre attenuee par l'utilisation de geotextiles et le broutage du betail. Il y a toutefois lieu de se pencher de plus pres sur ces deux methodes avant de les adopter dans la zone etudiee. Mots cles : vegetation; Bas-Arctique; sites archeologiques; endommagement des racines; visibilite; fjord de Nuuk Traduit pour la revue Arctic par Nicole Giguere., INTRODUCTION Archaeological sites in the Arctic represent an irreplaceable record of human history. Low temperatures, favourable moisture conditions, limited human impact, and sparse vegetation have limited the decay of material [...]

The killer whale (Orcinus orca (Linnaeus, 1758)) is a widely distributed marine predator with a broad ecological niche at the species level with evidence of specialization and narrow ecological niches among populations. Their occurrence in Canadian Arctic waters is limited by sea ice and it has been suggested that climate warming, which has caused increases in the area of ice-free water and duration of the ice-free season, has led to an increased killer whale presence during the open-water period. In this review, we summarize our knowledge of Canadian Arctic killer whale demographics and ecology, synthesizing published and previously unpublished information in a single document. More specifically, we summarize our knowledge of killer whale population size and trends, distribution and seasonality (including results from recent satellite-tracking studies), feeding ecology, and threats, and identify research priorities in the Canadian Arctic. Despite increased research efforts during the past decade, our demographic and ecological knowledge remains incomplete. An improved ecological understanding is necessary for effective management of killer whales and their prey, species of ecological, economic, and cultural importance to Canadian Inuit and the marine ecosystem. This knowledge will allow us to better understand the ecological consequences of a changing Arctic climate. Key words: abundance, distribution, killer whale, Orcinus orca, photographic identification, predation, satellite telemetry. L'epaulard (Orcinus orca (Linnaeus, 1758)) est un predateur marin a vaste aire de repartition et caracterise par une large niche ecologique a l'echelle de l'espece, mais qui presente des signes de specialisation et des niches ecologiques etroites a l'echelle des populations. Sa presence dans les eaux de l'Arctique canadien est limitee par la glace marine, et il a ete propose que le rechauffement climatique, qui a cause des augmentations de la superficie des eaux libres et de la duree de la periode d'eaux libres, y a aussi entraine une presence accrue d'epaulards durant la periode d'eaux libres. Dans la presente synthese, nous resumons les connaissances sur la demographie et l'ecologie des epaulards dans l'Arctique canadien en presentant dans un meme document une synthese d'information publiee et jamais publiee auparavant. Nous resumons plus precisement les connaissances sur la taille de la population et les tendances demographiques, la repartition et la saisonnalite (incluant des resultats d'etudes de surveillance satellitaire recentes) et l'ecologie de l'alimentation des epaulards, ainsi que sur les menaces auxquelles ils font face, et cernons les priorites de recherche dans l'Arctique canadien pour cette espece. Malgre des efforts de recherche accrus au cours de la derniere decennie, les connaissances demographiques et ecologiques demeurent incompletes. Une meilleure comprehension ecologique est necessaire pour une gestion efficace des epaulards et de leurs proies, des especes d'importance ecologique, economique et culturelle pour les Inuits du Canada et pour l'ecosysteme marin. Ces connaissances nous permettront de mieux comprendre les consequences ecologiques de l'evolution du climat arctique. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles : abondance, repartition, epaulard, Orcinus orca, identification photographique, predation, telemetrie satellitaire., Introduction Monitoring a population's demographics and ecology is key to documenting climate-linked population-level shifts and their ecosystem-level consequences (Pershing et al. 2015). This is particularly true for shifts in top-predator [...]

ABSTRACT. Arctic regions have been experiencing increasing pressures from multiple environmental stressors, most notably rapid climate change and human development. Previous research has demonstrated the impacts of calcareous dust from [...]

ABSTRACT. We present the first records of fungi associated with feathers from seabirds and sea ducks in the Canadian Arctic and sub-Arctic. Birds sampled in Nunavut and Newfoundland (Canada) included [...]

Diapause at depth is considered an integral part of the life cycle of Calanus copepods, but few studies have focused on the Arctic species Calanus glacialis and Calanus hyperboreus. By analyzing a large set of pan-arctic observational data compiled from multiple sources, we show that Arctic Calanus has a broad depth distribution in winter, indicating that diapause at depth is a facultative strategy. Both species' vertical distributions tend to deepen in winter and to be deeper and broader with increasing bottom depth, while individuals are aggregated closer to the sea floor in shallow areas. These results indicate that Arctic Calanus species pursue a relatively deep diapause habitat but are topographically blocked on the shelves. Interspecific differences in depth distribution during diapause suggest the importance of predation. The larger C. hyperboreus has a deeper diapause depth than C. glacialis, potentially to alleviate predation pressure or as a result of predation loss near the surface. Moreover, the mean depth of C. hyperboreus in winter is negatively associated with latitude, indicating a shoaling of the diapause population in the central Arctic Ocean where predation pressure is lower. Our results suggest a complex diapause behavior by Arctic Calanus, with implications for our view of the species' roles in Arctic ecosystems., Introduction Many organisms respond to periodically unfavorable environmental conditions by entering a state of dormancy. In the abundant marine pelagic copepods in the order Calanoida, dormancy can take the form [...]

Participatory scenario methodologies are increasingly used for studying possible future developments in the Arctic. They have the potential to contribute to several high-priority tasks for Arctic research, such as integration of indigenous and local knowledge in futures studies, providing a platform for activating Arctic youth in shaping their futures, identifying Arctic-relevant indicators for sustainable development, and supporting decision-making towards sustainable futures. Yet, to achieve this potential, several methodological challenges need to be addressed. These include attention to whose voices are amplified or silenced in participatory research practices, with special attention to diversification and the engagement of youth. Given the historic and potential future role of disruptive events for Arctic development trajectories, methods are needed in participatory scenario exercises to include attention to the dynamics and consequences of such events and regime shifts. Participatory scenarios can also be further improved through approaches that effectively combine qualitative and quantitative information. Finally, there is a need for systematic studies of how the results of scenario exercises influence decision-making processes. This article elaborates on ways in which attention to these aspects can help make scenarios more robust for assessing a diversity of potential Arctic futures in times of rapid environmental and social change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]