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The eastern coastline of James Bay is known to have been home to sizeable eelgrass beds (Zostera marina L.) which thrived in the bay's shallow, subarctic waters. The region was subjected to substantial hydroelectric dams, large fires, and other human activities in the past half-century. To assess the impact of these factors on eelgrass beds, a historical reconstruction of eelgrass bed distribution was performed from images acquired by Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper (TM) in 1988, 1991, and 1996 and images of the Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) in 2019. All the images were classified using the Random Forests classifier (RF) and assessed for accuracy each year on a bay-wide scale using an independent field validation dataset. The validation data were extracted from an eelgrass bed map established using aerial photos and field surveys in 1986, 1991, and 1995 and from a field survey in 2019. The overall validation accuracy of the classified images (between 72% and 85%) showed good agreement with the other datasets for most locations, providing reassurance about the reliability of the research. This makes it possible to use satellite imagery to detect past changes to eelgrass distribution within a bay. The classified images of 1988 and 1996 were also compared to aerial photos taken in years close to each other at ten sites to determine their ability to assess small eelgrass beds' shape and presence. Such a comparison revealed that the classified images accurately portrayed eelgrass distribution even at finer scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited information exists on Little Gulls (Hydrocoloeus minutus) in the Hudson Bay Lowlands, their presumed primary North American breeding site. A 48-year checklist dataset from 1973–2021 in the Ontario portion of the Lowlands combined with a 10-year intensive observation dataset from July to September 2009–2019 in southwestern James Bay, Ontario, reveal key insights. Checklist records consisted primarily of migrants and included 473 Little Gulls (annual mean = 14.8, range = 0–91), with peak numbers (122 individuals) in the third week of May. Intensive observations documented 267 Little Gulls (range = 3–54/year). In the intensive study, adults were first recorded in the third week of July, while second-year birds and juveniles appeared in the first week of August, when all age groups peaked in abundance. The last sightings were juveniles and occurred in the first week of September. This paper advances understanding of Little Gull ecology and migration in North America, emphasizing the necessity for future research. Future studies that employ advanced tracking technology will reveal breeding locations, migration routes, roosting sites, and non-breeding locations, which are vital for the conservation of this enigmatic North American gull species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hunting, trapping, and fishing are part of an Indigenous lifestyle in subarctic Canada. However, this lifestyle may be a route of exposure to contaminants and may pose a risk for the people who rely on a subsistence diet. Monte Carlo simulations for the chemical concentration of eight game species and one fish species were carried out by randomly sampling 10,000 samples from the contaminant measures for each species. We then calculated a probabilistic non-carcinogenic hazard quotient or carcinogenic risk values to estimate the human health risk of exposure to contaminants. Of the species examined, ducks were of concern for potential carcinogenic risk. There was a modeled probabilistic 95th-percentile risk associated with the consumption of ducks and polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) congener 153 in boys, women, and men (1.09 × 10−6, 1.57 × 10−6, and 2.17 × 10−6, respectively) and, to a lesser extent, with geese and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congener 153 in men (1.19 × 10−6). Contaminant concentration in the intake rate (food consumption) for PBB congener 153 exposure risk was more important than that for PCB congener 153, where intake rate had greater relevance. The consumption of waterfowl may increase the exposure to organohalogens; however, there are health and wellness benefits associated with the harvesting and consumption of subsistence foods that must also be considered. We recommend follow-up species-specific studies focused on ducks to clarify and elucidate the results in the present study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numbers of temperate‐breeding Atlantic and Mississippi Flyway Canada geese have greatly increased since the 1980s. Consequently, numbers of yearlings, sub‐adults and failed breeders undertaking pre‐molt migration to northern latitudes has also increased, potentially providing additional hunting opportunities for Cree hunters living near James Bay, Canada. We described movement patterns and habitat use of molt migrant Canada geese Brenta canadensis maxima along the east coast of James Bay based on nine geese fitted with GSM–GPS devices during 11 northward and eight southward migrations between 2015 and 2019. Geese staged for 2.8 ± 0.6 days (mean ± standard error of the mean) at 3.2 ± 0.6 staging sites (mostly tidal flats and salt marshes) from the first week of June in spring and 3.8 ± 1.8 days at 2.0 ± 0.5 staging sites (mostly inland freshwater wetlands, peatlands and tidal flats) from the first week of September when returning south. Shallow and deep water habitats were used as resting sites during both migrations. In spring, molt migrants were mostly harvested in June well after the migration of sub‐arctic breeding geese whereas in autumn, both subspecies were harvested in September. Molt migrant temperate‐breeding geese can increase harvest opportunities and represent supplementary wildlife food for Cree communities. However, the current number of molt migrant geese harvested by Cree hunters is not sufficient to significantly impact populations of temperate‐breeding geese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Many shorebirds rely on small numbers of staging sites during long annual migrations. Numerous shorebird species are declining and understanding the importance of these staging sites is important for successful conservation. We surveyed endangered rufa red knots (Calidris canutus rufa) staging in James Bay, Ontario, Canada, during southbound migration in 2017 and 2018. We used mark‐resight data and count data in an integrated Bayesian analysis to quantify migration phenology, estimate passage population size, and model the age structure of the stopover population. Many adult red knots arrived in James Bay in a single wave in early August in 2017, whereas adult red knots arrived in multiple smaller waves in July and mid‐August in 2018. These waves may correspond with breeding phenology where more red knots bred successfully and arrived in one large event in 2017 and the higher number of earlier arrivals in July 2018 may have been failed breeders. We included a binomial generalized linear model in the integrated analysis to estimate that 20% and 10% of staging red knots were juveniles in 2017 and 2018, respectively. In future applications, this method could provide a metric to assess breeding performance and develop our understanding of its role in population declines. Overall, we estimated that up to 23% of the estimated rufa red knot population staged in southwestern James Bay for an average of 10–12 days. The region is a key staging site for endangered red knots and could be included in conservation planning. © 2021 The Wildlife Society. : We used an integrated Bayesian analysis to estimate passage population size and migration phenology of endangered red knots staging in southwestern James Bay, Ontario, Canada during southbound migration. Our integrated analysis included a method to model the age structure of the population, which could be used as a tool to monitor breeding success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) are an important wildlife food resource for Cree people living in communities along the James Bay coasts. According to Traditional Ecological Knowledge, environmental changes along the coast have affected hunting success. Also, changes in the relative abundance of different goose populations that use James Bay may affect hunting opportunities. The objective of our study was to use band recoveries to identify Canada Goose populations harvested by Eeyou Istchee Cree hunters in their Eastern James Bay territory between 2000 and 2020. A total of 744 band recoveries were reported including 198 from the Atlantic Population (AP), 82 from the Southern Hudson Bay Population (SHBP), 122 from the Atlantic Flyway Resident Population (AFRP), 339 from the Mississippi Flyway Giant Population (MFGP), and three that could not be assigned to a population. The percentage of banded geese that were recovered was three times greater for the AP than for the other three populations. Eighty-seven percent of recoveries were reported in spring and 72% were submitted by hunters from the two northern communities (Chisasibi and Wemindji). Most recoveries were reported from coastal hunting sites, but a greater proportion of banded geese of the AP were recovered inland compared to the other goose populations, an indication of their propensity to migrate inland. The most noticeable change in the goose harvest compared to the 1970s was the rapid increase of molt migrant temperate-breeding geese of the AFRP and MFGP. In addition to environmental changes along the James Bay east coast, changes in the relative abundance of each goose population may affect hunting success because each population is differently susceptible to hunting within the territory due to differences in migratory behavior. Our study demonstrates the usefulness of band recoveries in tracking these changes and we therefore encourage agencies to maintain banding programs and Cree hunters to report their recovered bands.

Indoor concentrations of black carbon (BC) were measured when wood was burned for traditional cultural activities in a study in a Cree community located in subarctic Canada. The study also included an intervention using a propane-fuelled heater to mitigate in situ BC. Mass concentrations of BC were measured in a game-smoking tent for 39 days and in hunting cabins on the west coast of James Bay, Canada, for 8 days. Five-minute averaged BC mass concentration (N = 12,319) data were recorded and assessed using optimised noise-reduction averaging. Mean BC mass concentrations were lower in hunting cabins (mean = 8.25 micrograms per cubic metre (µg m−3)) and higher in the game-smoking tent (mean = 15.46 µg m−3). However, excessive BC peaks were recorded in the game-smoking tent (maximum = 3076.71 µg m−3) when the fire was stoked or loaded. The intervention with the propane heater in a hunting cabin yielded a 90% reduction in measured BC mass concentrations. We do not presume that exposure to BC is of concern in hunting cabins with appropriate wood-burning appliances that are well-sealed and vent outside. In game-smoking tents, we advise that persons take intermittent breaks outside of the tent for fresh air. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hudson Bay system is undergoing climate-driven changes in sea ice and freshwater inflow and has seen an increase in winter river inflow since the 1960s due in part to flow regulation for hydropower production. Southeast Hudson Bay and adjacent James Bay are at the forefront of these changes, with more than 1-month shortening of the season of sea ice cover as defined using satellite data, increases in winter inflow from the regulated La Grande River complex, and changes in coastal ice and polynya behavior described by Belcher Islands' Inuit. In summer, there is a fresh coastal domain in southeast Hudson Bay fueled by river runoff and sea ice melt. To investigate winter oceanographic conditions and potential interactions between runoff and ice melt or brine in southeast Hudson Bay, we initiated the first winter study of the shallow waters surrounding the Belchers, collecting conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) profiles and conductivity-temperature (CT) time series using under-ice moorings, and collecting water samples and ice cores during four campaigns between January 2014 and March 2015. Tandem measurements of salinity and δ18O were made for the water and ice samples to discriminate between freshwater sources (river runoff and sea ice melt). We find that southeast Hudson Bay, and particularly the nearshore domain southeast of the Belchers, is distinguished in winter by the presence of river water and strong surface stratification, which runs counter to expectations for a system in which local freshwater remains frozen on land until spring freshet (May–June) and sea ice growth is adding brine to surface waters. The amount of river water around the Belcher Islands increased significantly from fall through to late winter according to δ18O records of ice. The accumulation of river water in surface waters during the winter is directly associated with an accumulation of brine, which considerably exceeds the capacity of local ice formation to produce brine. We therefore infer that brine is advected into the study area together with river water, and that interplay between these properties establishes and maintains the level of surface stratification throughout winter. With reference to a NEMO ocean model simulation of winter circulation in the study area, we propose a conceptual model in which winter river inflow into James Bay drives the northward transport of both river water and brine captured near the surface, with reductions in brine-driven deep convection in the area's flaw leads. While past changes in winter oceanographic conditions and sea ice cannot be reconstructed from the few available scientific data, the presence of significant runoff in winter in southeast Hudson Bay implies heightened sensitivity to delayed freeze-up under a warmer climate, which will have the effect of reducing brine early in the winter, also promoting increased stratification and river plume transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indoor concentrations of black carbon (BC) were measured when wood was burned for traditional cultural activities in a study in a Cree community located in subarctic Canada. The study also included an intervention using a propane-fuelled heater to mitigate in situ BC. Mass concentrations of BC were measured in a game-smoking tent for 39 days and in hunting cabins on the west coast of James Bay, Canada, for 8 days. Five-minute averaged BC mass concentration (N = 12,319) data were recorded and assessed using optimised noise-reduction averaging. Mean BC mass concentrations were lower in hunting cabins (mean = 8.25 micrograms per cubic metre (µg m−3)) and higher in the game-smoking tent (mean = 15.46 µg m−3). However, excessive BC peaks were recorded in the game-smoking tent (maximum = 3076.71 µg m−3) when the fire was stoked or loaded. The intervention with the propane heater in a hunting cabin yielded a 90% reduction in measured BC mass concentrations. We do not presume that exposure to BC is of concern in hunting cabins with appropriate wood-burning appliances that are well-sealed and vent outside. In game-smoking tents, we advise that persons take intermittent breaks outside of the tent for fresh air.

Copyright of Anthropologica is the property of CASCA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract River ice breakup and resulting flood risk is a nearly annual concern for communities along the five major rivers draining to the James and Hudson Bay Coasts in Ontario (Moose, Albany, Attawapiskat, Winisk and Severn Rivers). Ice breakup within this region has historically been monitored using flight reconnaissance supplemented by assessment of hydrometric data. More recently, remote sensed imagery have been used to monitor near real-time ice breakup and flood risk. However, the near real-time remotely sensed breakup information was found to have limited utility in the absence of a broader spatial and temporal understanding of breakup progression. The primary purpose of this study was to develop a method for generating a dataset of breakup dates. A secondary objective was to calculate statistics from this dataset that can be used to provide context to operational near real-time imagery analysis and improve understanding of ice processes in the study area. An automated method for detecting river ice breakup dates from 2000 to 2017 using MODIS imagery was developed. This method uses a threshold-based technique that aims to maximize river coverage and minimize effects of cloud obstruction. Image processing was completed in the high-performance Google Earth Engine application which enabled iterative classification and model calibration. The breakup date dataset was used to calculate statistics on breakup timing, duration, annual variability and breakup order. An assessment of patterns within these data is discussed, relationships between breakup timing, duration and highwater years is explored and the operational utility of these statistics is described. The classification compared well with Water Survey of Canada derived breakup dates with mean bias ranging from −2.0 days to 6.7 days and mean absolute error of 3.4 days to 6.9 days across the rivers. Latitude and distance upstream were found to be primary controls on breakup timing with drainage network configuration and reach morphology also having an influence. No relationships between highwater years and calculated breakup statistics were found. It is recommended that future studies use the dataset developed in this study in combination with hydrometric and remotely sensed data to improve prediction of highwater and understanding of breakup processes within these rivers. Highlights • Derive ice breakup dates from MODIS leveraging the rapid processing of GEE • Calculate range of breakup dates, duration, annual variability and sequence • Latitudinal and downstream breakup trends are observed with notable exceptions. • Demonstrate utility of results for informing operational flood monitoring [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Recherches Amérindiennes au Québec is the property of Societe Recherches Autochtones au Quebec and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A network of winter roads that consists of snow-ice roads over land, muskeg, and frozen lakes and rivers has been and continues to be a critical seasonal lifeline in remote-northern First Nation (FN) communities in Ontario’s Far North. This study examines current vulnerability of the Fort Albany community to physical, social, and economic impacts associated with the changing of the viability and longevity of winter roads and its seasons, as well as the river ice regimes. Semi-directive interviews with key informants (n = 8) and structured surveys with winter road users (n = 54) were conducted to gather local knowledge about the evolution of winter roads and climatic and environmental changes in winter road conditions and seasons. Trends in the river ice breakup and flood events for the Moose River, Albany River, and Attawapiskat River were also examined. The results of this study indicate that climatic factors, particularly air temperature and snowfall, have directly affected the construction and maintenance of the James Bay Winter Road. Trend analyses of spring flooding for the three rivers exhibit statistically significant increases (p ≤ 0.01) over the past few decades; thus, flooding in nearby communities has become a more significant threat in recent years. A few short- and medium-term adaptation strategies have been initiated in response to the impacts of climate change on winter roads; however, developing long-term planning and feasible adaptation for remote-northern communities in Ontario’s Far North is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From 2009-2014, incidental collections of terrestrial molluscs were made from the Far North of Ontario, Canada. Thirty-four species of terrestrial molluscs were identified from these collections, including one exotic species, Deroceras reticulatum, and three newly reported species from the Far North, Vallonia pulchella, Vertigo cf. genesii, and Gastrocopta similis. Vertigo cf. genesii is newly reported from Ontario. Some species have not been collected in Ontario for many years and some of these only once before. Subnational conservation ranks are discussed for higher-ranked species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Where post-glacial colonization and founder events are numerous, peripheral populations tend to have reduced genetic diversity as compared to their centrally located counterparts. Such decrease in genetic variability can limit their potential to adapt to changes in their environment. At northern latitudes for instance, populations are often living in conditions close to their physiological limits. Thus, identifying the levels of genetic diversity in peripheral populations is key to estimating the potential for adaptation to ongoing environmental change. In this context, we investigated the distribution of genetic diversity at the northern edge of the wood frog's ( Lithobates sylvaticus) range by reconstructing its post-glacial history in an area where phylogeographical data were lacking. Location James Bay area (north-central Canada). Methods DNA was extracted from 463 wood frog tissue samples from 17 localities. Seven microsatellite loci were used to quantify genetic diversity and evaluate genetic structure through estimates of the fixation index, isolation-by-distance analyses and Bayesian clustering algorithms ( tess and structure). Phylogeographical relationships were investigated using single nucleotide polymorphisms in the ND2/ tRNATRP mitochondrial genes. Phylogenetic trees were built using the neighbour-joining and the maximum likelihood inference methods implemented in mega5. Results Our analyses identified a contact zone between two colonizing lineages originating from one glacial refugium. Populations in this contact zone present sympatrically distributed haplotypes from both lineages and higher genetic variation than the surrounding populations. Population structure analyses revealed the differentiation of three genetic clusters, each covering large areas around the coast of James Bay. Main conclusions Our study suggests that higher than expected genetic diversity and gene flow may be present in peripheral populations. Such adaptive potential is critical in areas of upcoming development and environmental changes. Thus, our study emphasizes the importance of understanding species post-glacial history for the prediction of future evolutionary trends and species distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postglacial isostatic uplift causes rapid land emergence and drives wetland development on Canada's James Bay providing a modern field laboratory to test models of wetland succession. In this study, we reconstruct wetland development in four Holocene sediment/peat records ranging in age from 6500 to 250 years based on a suite of palynomorph (pollen, spores, and dinoflagellate cysts) and carbon/nitrogen modern analogues from tidal marshes, fens, and bogs of eastern James Bay. The fossil palynomorph data was compared to the modern palynomorph signatures using Discriminant Analysis and a similarity measure (squared chord distance). Principal Components Analysis (PCA) was used to determine if gradients exist among samples from different ecosystems and which taxa are most important in defining these gradients. Palynological richness (rarefaction analysis) and evenness were used to explore the palynological diversity of various paleo-wetland types. Our results indicate that while wetland development generally progressed from nutrient-rich to nutrient-poor and/or ombrotrophic communities, the succession was reset at times and reversals occurred. Our study revealed that modern wetlands of James Bay are generally good analogues for their mid to late Holocene counterparts, although rapid glacio-isostatic uplift during the mid Holocene favored the formation of poor analogue, transitional tidal communities that were palynologically heterogenous and occasionally diverse. Inter-site comparisons suggest that a combination of autogenic processes and allogenic forcing have contributed to Holocene wetland development in eastern James Bay, the latter including factors such as changes in surface hydrology, fire, and climate. • Land chronosequences provide a field laboratory to test models of wetland succession. • Modern wetland palynomorph and C/N were compared to four paleo-wetland records. • Modern James Bay wetlands are generally good analogues for paleo-wetlands. • The dominant hydrarch succession model is tidal marsh-fen-poor fen-bog. • Disturbance can drive reversals from nutrient-poor to nutrient rich wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research by Eugene Hunn (1996) suggested that toponymic density and population density are roughly equal for a range of indigenous groups across North America. In Wemindji, Quebec, historic and current toponymic and population data support Hunn's observation. I demonstrate that toponymic constraints are real by holding the number of traditional toponyms (898) as a background constant, and estimating the growth of Wemindji's population from 1960 to 2010 based on knowledge held by local experts. Measurements from historic air photographs assumed toponymic growth proportional to the area within the limits of Wemindji town development. A set of 78 new town place names provide a baseline for that measurement. Relative to toponymic density, population density steadily increased from 1960 to 2010, with a graph depicting the two densities suggesting equality in approximately 1995. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the movements and home range of boreal woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus) in the James Bay lowlands. As part of ongoing studies to measure the potential effects of the De Beers Victor Project on the local and regional environment, a study of woodland caribou was initiated. This study involves the use of GPS collars with Argos satellite system uplink to monitor movements of caribou. Additional aerial surveys of a study area (22 000 km2) in the early and late winter are used to provide an overall indication of the usage of the area around Victor by caribou and other wildlife. Animals were collared in December 2004 at varying distances from the Victor site (max. 60 km). Preliminary data for 2005 has been analysed. During 2005, some animals moved large distances >480 km from Victor, while others were relatively sedentary. One animal (from the total of ten) was harvested by a hunter in March. The only obvious trend in movement patterns occurred in the middle of November when all the collared animals began to move north-west. The daily distances moved in November were much greater (10-20 km/d) than earlier in the year (0.5-10 km/d) and by mid December they were all north and west of their locations when first collared, in some cases more than 480 km to the northwest of their initial capture sites. The minimum annual distances covered for the nine remaining animals ranged between 900 and 1500 km. The home ranges of the caribou ranged from 8000 km2 to 56 380 km2 with a mean home range of 23 434 km2, which is much greater than boreal woodland caribou in other parts of Ontario.

To determine past distribution and relative abundance of caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in the Hudson Plains Ecozone (HPE) of Ontario, we reviewed past HPE-wide winter systematic aerial surveys, partial winter systematic surveys, summer photographic surveys, incidental observations of caribou, and other sources of information from the period 1950—2003. We conducted new HPE-wide aerial surveys in February 2003 and 2004 to evaluate current distribution patterns. From this information, we defined 9 core wintering areas in the HPE and differentiated between 3 catego¬ries of relative abundance. Wintering areas for the January—March period have changed relatively little over the past 45 years. Summer distribution of caribou along the Hudson Bay coast apparently shifted or expanded from the area west of the Severn River to the central and eastern portions of the coast since the 1980s, and caribou observations have become much more common in the area east of the Winisk River since 1998. Because major resource development activities in the HPE are proposed and some are imminent, we recommend additional caribou surveys to document current caribou population identity, size, and distribution, and research projects to better define caribou wintering areas, calving areas, and movement patterns in the HPE.

Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are managed by the 5 nations where they occur (Canada, Greenland/Denmark, Norway, Russia, United States) using discrete subpopulations. In Canada, polar bears are harvested throughout their range, and several subpopulations are managed by more than one jurisdiction; therefore, recent management focused on ensuring sustainable polar bear harvests. Consequently, the subpopulation from which harvested bears are removed and the geographic boundaries of that subpopulation must be correctly identified. However, boundaries of the Southern Hudson Bay (SH) subpopulation have not been verified using satellite radio-telemetry data. Sea ice duration has already declined in Hudson Bay and James Bay, and both the duration and distribution of sea ice are predicted to decline greatly in the next century; therefore, it is important to document current habitat use patterns to assess the potential impacts of climate change. We used a probabilistic approach to describe the utilization distribution for the SH subpopulation based on data from 1997-2003 from 26 adult female bears fitted with satellite collars and assessed whether the currently accepted boundaries represent the population utilization distribution. We conclude that the SH boundaries do reflect the current spatial distribution of adult female bears in this subpopulation. Our analysis provides a benchmark to compare to the future distribution and habitat use of this subpopulation in response to effects of climate change and identifies future research needs to investigate polar bear distribution in James Bay and in the area near the boundary between the SH and Western Hudson Bay management zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Differentiation of boreal wetlands in the palaeo record is required for studies of isostacy and sea level change, landscape change, and climate dynamics. To develop palynomorph signatures and calibrate soil C–N ratios for boreal wetlands we sampled low and high elevation tidal marshes, fens and bogs along eastern James Bay, Canada. A discriminant analysis model showed that a small subset of palynomorph taxa can effectively discriminate between the four wetland types. Cyperaceae, Poaceae, and Potamogeton–Triglochin-type are important to the classification of high marshes. Bryidae spores and pollen of Myrica gale, Cyperaceae, and Poaceae are indicative of fen. Moss spores alone, primarily from Sphagnum, but also Bryidae type spores, derived from brown mosses are the indicators of bog. The use of palynomorph assemblages to discriminate among wetland types is not dependent upon the localized presence of a plant source — as it would be using macrofossil analysis. C/N of bog soils can be clearly distinguished from fen and tidal marshes and can be used as a pollen-independent proxy to indicate fen to bog wetland succession. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Introduction: In Canada, unique food security challenges are being faced by Aboriginal people living in remote-northern communities due to the impacts of climate change on subsistence harvesting. This study used traditional environmental knowledge (TEK) to investigate whether there was a temporal relationship between extreme climatic events in the summer of 2005, and fish die-offs in the Albany River, northern Ontario, Canada. Also, TEK was utilized to examine a potential shift in subsistence fish species distribution due to climate change. Methods: To investigate whether there was a temporal relationship between the fish die-offs of July 2005 (as identified by TEK) and an extreme climatic event, temperature and daily precipitation data for Moosonee weather station were utilized. To determine if there was an increasing trend in mean maximal summer temperatures with year, temperature data were examined, using regression analysis. Present-day fish distributions were determined using unpublished TEK data collated from previous studies and purposive, semi-directive interviews with elders and experienced bushman. Results: Fish die-offs in 2005 occurred during the time period 11-18 July, as reported by participants. Recorded air-temperature maxima of the two July 2005 heat waves delineate exactly the time period of fish die-offs. Two heat waves occurring during the same summer season and so close together has never before been recorded for this region. A highly significant (p<0.0009) positive relationship between mean maximal summer temperatures and year was evident. Regionally novel fish species were not apparent, utilizing TEK. Conclusions: Traditional environmental knowledge coupled with climate data revealed temporal relationships between extreme climatic events in 2005, and fish die-offs in the Albany River. Thus, climate change can directly impact food security by decreasing the number of fish through mortality--and indirectly through population dynamics--by impacting the yield of fish subsistence harvests in the future. By contrast, TEK did not reveal northward expansion of novel fish species in the Albany River or fish distributional contraction in the western James Bay region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study investigates the interannual variability and interdecadal trends in streamflow input to Hudson Bay (including James Bay) over 1964–2008. The 23 rivers chosen for this study span a maximum gauged area of 2.54×106 km2 and collectively transport 522km3 of freshwater to Hudson Bay each year. Adjusting this value for the missing contributing area yields a total annual freshwater flux of 760km3 into Hudson Bay. The standard deviation and coefficient of variation in annual streamflow to Hudson Bay reach 48.5km3 and 0.09, respectively. The monotonic trend assessed with a Kendall–Theil Robust Line shows no detectable (|signal-to-noise ratio|<1) change in total discharge into Hudson Bay over 1964–2008. A 5-year running mean in total Hudson Bay streamflow, however, reveals a downward trend from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s, followed by relatively high flows in the mid-1980s, and then an upward trend, marked by a record annual discharge of 635km3 in 2005, until the end of the study period. There is a notable shift in the seasonality of Hudson Bay discharge over time, with a detectable positive (negative) trend in winter (summer) streamflow from 1964 to 2008. Annual hydrographs for regulated and natural rivers over two periods suggest these changes arise from the storage of water in reservoirs during spring and summer that is later released for the generation of hydroelectricity in fall and winter. The naturally-flowing rivers show a marked decline in the variability of daily streamflow input to Hudson Bay in recent years while the opposite trend is found in the regulated systems. The fall 2009 diversion of 14.5km3 yr−1 or 48% of the total annual streamflow from the Rupert River northward into La Grande Rivière for enhanced power production further exacerbates the streamflow timing shifts observed in Hudson Bay. The potential impacts of flow regulation on the Hudson Bay marine environment are then discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Understanding the processes controlling peatland carbon (C) sequestration is critical to anticipate potential changes in the global C cycle in response to climate change. Although identification of these factors may be relatively straightforward on seasonal timescales, at centennial to millennial timescales complexities arise because of interactions between climate, vegetation, hydrology and long-term ecological processes. To better understand the factors controlling long-term C accumulation, Holocene rates of C sequestration were quantified from three pristine ombrotrophic peatlands in boreal Quebec, northeastern Canada (52°N, 75–76°W). Bulk density and loss-on-ignition analyses, combined with radiocarbon dating and age–depth modelling, were used to estimate long-term apparent rates of carbon accumulation. Past changes in vegetation and water-table depth were obtained from plant macrofossil and testate amoeba analysis. Earliest regional peat accumulation started ~7520 cal. BP, with long-term rates of C sequestration varying between 14.9 and 22.6 g/m2 per yr. High C sequestration rates occurred during the mid Holocene when relatively stable Sphagnum section Acutifolia communities were present, while low rates were found during the cooler late Holocene when Cyperaceae and ligneous vegetation were more dominant. However, C sequestration was highly variable among cores, implying that local topography, geomorphology and hydrology, or disturbance factors such as fire, mediate the influence of climate on C accumulation. Reconstructed water-table depths reveal several dry shifts since 3000 cal. BP, suggesting that episodic cold and dry conditions during the late Holocene may have contributed to lower C sequestration rates. Given the intensity of the water-table shifts at these times, we hypothesize that recurrent episodes of frozen subsurface peat might have intensified surface drying. As projected by climate scenarios, anticipated warmer and wetter conditions may lead to greater stability of hummock Sphagna cover and increased C sequestration potential in boreal peatlands. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses socioenvironmetal changes in James Bay, Canada, a subarctic geographic area inhabited by the Cree first nations tribe, focusing on the impact of these changes on the Canada Goose and the woodland caribou, two traditional food species for the Cree. Topics mentioned include research based on data collected by the Cree Trappers association (CTA), consumption level and hunting needs of traditional food, and the effects of environmental changes on diet and overall health. Other topics include animal behavior, migration patterns, and lifestyles of aboriginal communities.

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Abstract: Deglaciation of the James Bay region was highly dynamic, with the occurrence of ice (Cochrane) readvances into glacial Lake Ojibway around final deglaciation time, which culminated with the drainage of Ojibway waters into Hudson Bay and subsequent incursion of the Tyrrell Sea at ∼8 ka. Renewed interest on these events comes from the possible link between the drainage of the ice-dammed Lake Agassiz-Ojibway and a major climate deterioration known as the 8.2-ka cooling event. Recent glaciological modeling suggests that this drainage may have occurred subglacially, a mechanism that can accommodate more than one lake discharge, as suggested by marine records. The exact number and timing of drainage events, as well as location of the lake discharge pathway(s) remain, however, largely unconstrained. Here we focus on the events that led to the drainage of Lake Ojibway by documenting late-glacial sedimentary sequences located east of James Bay. Our investigations indicate that the deglacial sequence consists of a readvance till, extensive Ojibway rhythmites, and thick marine sediments. The glaciolacustrine and marine units are separated by a 60 cm-thick horizon composed of laminated silt beds containing rounded clay balls and disseminated clasts resulting from the abrupt drainage of the lake. Radiocarbon dating of marine fossils lying above the drainage horizon indicates that the glaciolacustrine episode ended around 8128–8282 cal yr BP. Micropaleontological analyses reveal that freshwater ostracods (Candona sp.) and marine microfossils (foraminifers, dinocysts) occur together in the upper part of the Ojibway sediments. Analysis of oxygen isotopes (δ18O) of ostracods and foraminifers originating from the same stratigraphic position show highly contrasting values that suggest possible subglacial exchanges between Lake Ojibway and Tyrrell Sea waters prior to the final drainage event. The complexity of the deglacial events is further indicated by radiocarbon dating of marine shells retrieved from a Cochrane till that suggests that the last ice readvance occurred almost simultaneously with the final lake discharge. These results bring additional constraints on the drainage mechanism of the coalesced Lake Agassiz-Ojibway and indicate that the James Bay region formed an important drainage pathway for meltwaters at the end of the last deglaciation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Accounts of the adaptive responses of northern aboriginal peoples include examples of purposive modification and management of ecologically favorable areas to increase resource productivity. Practices include clearing of trees, burning of berry patches and construction of fish weirs. This paper examines the adaptive capacity of the northern aboriginal community of Wemindji, east coast James Bay, in relation to long term landscape changes induced by coastal uplift processes. Associated changes are noticeable within a human lifetime and include the infilling of bays, the merger of islands with the mainland, as well as shifts in vegetative and wildlife communities. In response, generations of Cree hunters have actively modified the landscape using a variety of practices that include the construction of mud dykes and the cutting of tuuhiikaan, which are corridors in the coastal forest, to retain and enhance desirable conditions for goose hunting. We provide an account of the history, construction, and design of these features as well as the motivations and social learning that inform them. We reveal a complex and underappreciated dynamic between human resistance and adaptation to environmental change. While landscape modifications are motivated by a desire to increase resource productivity and predictability, they also reflect an intergenerational commitment to the maintenance of established hunting places as important connections with the past. Our findings support a revised perspective on aboriginal human agency in northern landscape modification and an enhanced role for aboriginal communities in adaptive planning for environmental change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seaweed flora from James Bay, Canada is compared with three contiguous northeastern Canadian Arctic areas (Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, and the Ellesmere-Baffin Islands area extending northward to the Arctic Ocean). A conspicuous reduction pattern was evident with 131 taxa recorded for the Ellesmere-Baffin Islands area, 106 for Hudson Strait, 81 from Hudson Bay, and 44 in James Bay. The Ellesmere-Baffin Islands area has a more rocky open coastal environment and higher salinities than James Bay, which is more highly sedimented and impacted by hydroelectric development and freshwater discharge. The Ellesmere-Baffin Islands area (∼32-30.5%) has a higher mean number of shared taxa (90.0 ± 18.4 SE) than James Bay (37.6 ± 2.7 SE), while Hudson Strait and Hudson Bay have intermediate values of 78 ± 14.1 SE and 64 ± 9.2 SE, respectively. The combined flora from the four areas consists of 164 taxa, including 49 red, 65 brown, 1 chrysophyte, and 49 green algae. Fifty of these total taxa (31%) were only found in one area, with 25 occurring between Ellesmere Island and Baffin Island, 13 within the Strait proper, and 6 in both Hudson and James Bays. Strong habitat and salinity gradients, as well as the great distances between collection sites and the haphazard nature of collections may have contributed to these restrictive patterns. Cheney's (1977) floristic ratio documents that all four geographies (including their composite flora) have cold water floras. Four new distributional records are documented from James Bay: Chaetomorpha minima, Elachista fucicola, Phyllophora pseudoceranoides, and Spyridia filamentosa. The cryptogenic taxon Spyridia, which has unclear origins, is a warm-water disjunct in the northwestern Atlantic previously known only from one site in Nova Scotia and a few locations in southern Maine/New Hampshire but mostly south of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. A single introduced species (Dumontia contorta from Europe) is recorded from James Bay and the Ellesmere-Baffin Islands area, while none are documented from the other areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Ecosystems are complex and difficult to predict and control. Western science-based societies have tended to simplify ecosystems to manage them. Some indigenous and other rural groups who interact closely with a given resource system seem to have developed practices that are adapted to live with complexity. This paper examines how indigenous Cree hunters in James Bay, subarctic Canada, understand and deal with ecological complexity and dynamics, and how their understanding of uncertainty and variability shape subsistence activities. The focus is the Canada goose ( Branta canadensis) hunt which is adaptive to shifts and changes in local and regional conditions. Ecological understandings of Cree hunters allow them to account for and deal with a very large number of variables at multiples scales. The Cree deal with these variables qualitatively, an approach consistent with some scientific ways of dealing with complexity, such as adaptive management and fuzzy logic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollen and macrofossil analyses from central peat cores along with 23 radiocarbon dates were used in palaeoecological reconstructions for three peatlands (LG1, LG2 and LG3) within the lower La Grande Rivière watershed in northern boreal Québec. Basal ages from LG3 and LG2 indicate up to an 1100 years later and possibly more abrupt Tyrrell Sea retreat in the LG3 area compared with the timeline for the region. Both autogenic and allogenic factors were found to have influenced local vegetation succession and rates of peat accumulation. Internal autogenic factors such as peat accumulation were key elements for the general peatland developmental pathway that followed the classic hydrosere sequence (pond-fen-bog). Regional climate and hydrography are the main external factors associated with changes in vegetation assemblages, surface wetness and consequently rates of peat accumulation. The LG2 and LG3 peatlands began developing shortly after 7000 cal. BP as shallow ponds with herbaceous freshwater aquatic and emergent taxa. Both sites rapidly evolved into fens with brown mosses. The autogenic transition from fen to bog occurred at both sites between 6000 and 5500 cal. BP. A long-term decrease in peat accumulation rates corresponding to a gradual densification of the local tree and shrub cover occurred at the LG2 and LG3 sites between 5000 and 1500 cal. BP. These changes were simultaneous at the two sites and therefore suggest the influence of external factors such as a shift to cooler and drier climatic conditions from the middle to late Holocene (Neoglacial period). Development of the LG1 site was delayed by a much later Tyrrell Sea retreat and started with a relatively long eutrophic aquatic phase. Both internal factors (minerotrophic conditions) and external factors (local topography and climate) contributed to the somewhat slower pace of vegetation succession. Synchronous increased peat accumulation rates in the last 1500 years at the three sites are attributable to regional vegetational shifts possibly due to the influence of recent climatic conditions and lower peat compaction of the acrotelm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Great concern has been raised with respect to the 13 traplines that constitute the traditional territory of the Ouje-Bougoumou Cree located in the James Bay region of northern Quebec, Canada, with respect to mine wastes originating from three local mines. As a result, an “Integrative Risk Assessment” was initiated consisting of three interrelated components: a comprehensive human health study, an assessment of the existing ecological/environmental database, and a land use/potential sites of concern study. In this paper, we document past and present land use in the traditional territory of the Ouje-Bougoumou Cree for 72 heads of households, including 13 tallymen, and use a Geographic Information System (GIS) to layer harvest/hunting and gathering/collecting data over known mining areas and potential sites of concern. In this way, potential receptors of contamination and routes of human exposure were identified. Areas of overlap with respect to land use activity and mining operations were relatively extensive for certain harvesting activities (e.g., beaver, Castor canadensis and various species of game birds), less so for fish harvesting (all species) and water collection, and relatively restrictive for large mammal harvesting and collection of firewood (and other collection activities). Potential receptors of contaminants associated with mining activity (e.g., fish and small mammals) and potential routes of exposure (e.g., ingestion of contaminated game and drinking of contaminated water) were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Despite their dual importance in the assessment of endangered/threatened species, there have been few attempts to integrate traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and evolutionary biology knowledge (EBK) at the population level. We contrasted long-term aboriginal TEK with previously obtained EBK in the context of seasonal migratory habits and population biology of a salmonid fish, brook charr, (Salvelinus fontinalis) inhabiting a large, remote postglacial lake. Compilation of TEK spanning four decades involved analytical workshops, semidirective interviews, and collaborative fieldwork with local aboriginal informants and fishing guides. We found that TEK complemented EBK of brook charr by providing concordant and additional information about (1) population viability; (2) breeding areas and migration patterns of divergent populations; and (3) the behavioral ecology of populations within feeding areas; all of which may ultimately affect the maintenance of population diversity. Aboriginal concerns related to human pressures on this species, not revealed by EBK, also help to focus future conservation initiatives for divergent populations and to encourage restoration of traditional fishing practices. However, relative to EBK, the relevance of TEK to salmonid biodiversity conservation was evident mainly at a smaller spatial scale, for example, that of individual rivers occupied by populations or certain lake sectors. Nevertheless, EBK was only collected over a 4-yr period, so TEK provided an essential long-term temporal window to evaluate population differences and persistence. We concluded that, despite different conceptual underpinnings, spatially and temporally varying TEK and EBK both contribute to the knowledge base required to achieve sustainability and effective biodiversity conservation planning for a given species. Such integration may be particularly relevant in many isolated regions, where intraspecific diversity can go unrecognized due to sparse scientific knowledge or undocumented TEK, and where governmental agencies and local communities increasingly seek to find common ground on which to address biodiversity issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The present study investigates the potential impacts of climate warming on the water balance and vegetation patterns in a coastal wetland ecosystem on James Bay, Canada. The study illustrates some of the linkages within this system and how they might respond to a change in mean summer temperature. These linkages are outlined in a simple conceptual model with hydrology, salinity, topography, and vegetation distribution components. The model includes two feedbacks: a vegetation/evaporation feedback, and a hydrologic, runoff/storage feedback. A mathematical model is developed to examine changes in evaporation and water balance under a range of temperature change scenarios. Although the model is relatively insensitive to the internal feedbacks, model runs for temperature-change scenarios of +2 to +8°C above present summertime normal showed evaporation increased by 18 to 64%, respectively, which resulted in decreases, in wetland water table of 40 to 129% below the normal summer drawdown. These changes in basin storage significantly affect the distribution of woody species in the wetland. The basin area inhabited by woody species increased from the present 25% to 32% for a +2°C temperature change and to 51% for a +8°C change. Increased stomatal resistance of the wetland vegetation, which might result from increased CO concentrations, partially offsets the evaporation enhancement from warmer summer temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]