This article is over 5 years old and may contain outdated information.

Environment

Laurier student wins Weston Award for Northern Research

Katherine Black is working to better understand the implications associated with the spread of green alder shrubs across the Arctic tundra

  • Jun 21, 2016
  • 220 words
  • 1 minutes
Expand Image
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

A Masters student at Wilfred Laurier University has been awarded the prestigious W. Garfield Weston Award for Northern Research for her work on green alder shrubs in Canada’s Arctic.

Under the supervision of Laurier associate professor Dr. Jennifer Baltzer, Katherine Black is working to better understand the implications associated with the spread of these shrubs across the Arctic tundra.

“A lot of Arctic ecosystems are experiencing greening of the tundra, where systems previously dominated by low shrubs are increasingly becoming dominated by tall shrubs like green alder,” says Baltzer.

“This has a huge impact on energy balance and many other factors, so getting a better understanding of why these alders are where they are and what might constrain their expansion is very important.”

Previous research suggests greening of the tundra may have an impact on local warming, water and nutrient cycles, and plant variety. Black will look to test these hypotheses at a remote field site in Trail Valley Creek, N.W.T.

“What happens in the Arctic impacts the whole world, so getting a better understanding of changing conditions in the tundra is critical,” says Baltzer.

The W. Garfield Weston Award for Northern Research is presented by the Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies (ACUNS) and honours academic excellence and a high calibre research proposal committed to northern research.

Advertisement

Help us tell Canada’s story

You can support Canadian Geographic in 3 ways:

Related Content

People & Culture

Royal Canadian Geographical Society Awards 2020

Award recipients honoured in the first virtual Annual General Meeting and Fellows Show.

  • 2630 words
  • 11 minutes
rcgs awards ceremony

People & Culture

Presenting the 2019 RCGS award winners

In celebration of its 90th year, the RCGS handed out awards to a diverse and star-studded roster of honourees

  • 2464 words
  • 10 minutes

People & Culture

An Arctic fieldtrip

A group of students from around the world who embark on an unforgettable journey of Arctic education wind up discovering something about themselves in the process

  • 2672 words
  • 11 minutes
Geordie Dalglish

History

Northern exposure: The W. Garfield Weston Foundation

A champion of Arctic research, The W. Garfield Weston Foundation empowers Canadian scientists in the North

  • 285 words
  • 2 minutes
Advertisement
Advertisement