James Bay Region Research Articles

An HPLC-ELSD Method for the Determination of Triterpenes in Sorbus decora and Sorbus americana Bark Used by the Eeyou Istchee Cree First Nation.

Sorbus decora and Sorbus americana are used traditionally as medicine by the Eeyou Istchee Cree First Nation of the James Bay region of Quebec, Canada. Because the ethanol extracts of the bark and the isolated terpenes of these plants have shown promising in vivo antidiabetic effects, an analytical method was developed and validated by RP-HPLC-ELSD for the identification and quantification of eight lupane- and ursane-type terpenes. The extraction method reproducibly recovered the compounds above 70 % and the chromatographic separation of betulin, 23-hydroxy-betulin, 23,28-dihydroxylupan-20(29)-ene-3β-caffeate, betulinic acid, α-amyrin, uvaol, 3β,23,28-trihydroxy-12-ursene, and 23,28-dihydroxyursan-12-ene-3β-caffeate was achieved within 27 min by linear gradient. The method produced highly reproducible quantitative data at interday and intraday levels. The limits of detection were in the ng level on-column with remarkable range and linearity. The target compounds were present at mg levels in the populations, collected from inland (Mistissini and Nemaska) and costal (Waskagnish and Chisasibi) Cree communities of northern Quebec. A triterpene, 23-hydroxybetulin, was the most abundant, while betulinic acid and uvaol were minor constituents. Overall, HPLC-ELSD analyses produced very similar profiles and contents of the eight compounds in the plants collected from four geographic locations. The developed HPLC-ELSD method can be used as a targeted analysis of triterpenes in these medicinal plants.

Sea Level Change in the Western James Bay Region of Subarctic Ontario: Emergent Land and Implications for Treaty No. 9

<p class="Pa5">In 1905 and 1906, the Cree of the southwestern James Bay region signed Treaty No. 9 whereby they relinquished to the Canadian government their claim to the lands south of the Albany River (the northern boundary of the province of Ontario at the time). The official text of Treaty No. 9 made no mention of land submerged below water cover, and thus the Cree did not relinquish such regions at that time. By contrast, the Cree of the northwestern James Bay and southwestern Hudson Bay region who signed the 1929–30 Adhesions to Treaty No. 9 relinquished their claims to “land covered by water” for the area bounded on the south by the northerly limit of Treaty No. 9, as this clause was specifically included in the text of the adhesion. The issue of “land covered by water” is significant because the western James Bay region has been, and will continue to be, subject to sea level changes associated with ongoing adjustments due to the last ice age and modern global warming signals. In the absence of detailed maps, we used models of these processes, constrained by available geophysical and geodetic data sets, to retrodict shoreline changes and the rate of land emergence over the last two centuries within the boundaries specified by Treaty No. 9. We also project shoreline migration to the end of the 21st century within the same region. The rate of land emergence since 1905 in the area south of the Albany River is estimated as ~3.0 km<sup>2</sup>/yr. Over the next century, land will continue to emerge in this region at a mean rate of ~1.4 km<sup>2</sup>/yr. This emergent land should be a subject of consideration within any comprehensive land claim put forward by the Cree; in this regard, it will be interesting to see how the Canadian judicial system and the Comprehensive Claims Branch handle the novel issue of emergent land.</p>

Mining in subarctic Canada: Airborne PM2.5 metal concentrations in two remote First Nations communities

Airborne particulate matter arising from upwind mining activities is a concern for First Nations communities in the western James Bay region of Ontario, Canada. Aerosol chemical components were collected in 2011 from two communities in northern Ontario. The chemical and mass concentration data of particulate matter collected during this study shows a significant difference in PM2.5 in Attawapiskat compared to Fort Albany. Elemental profiles indicate enhanced levels of some tracers thought to arise from mining activities, such as, K, Ni, and crustal materials. Both communities are remote and isolated from urban and industrial pollution sources, however, Attawapiskat First Nation has significantly enhanced levels of particulate matter, and it is likely that some of this arises from upwind mining activities.

Human exposure to soil contaminants in subarctic Ontario, Canada

BackgroundChemical contaminants in the Canadian subarctic present a health risk with exposures primarily occurring via the food consumption.ObjectiveCharacterization of soil contaminants is needed in northern Canada due to increased gardening and agricultural food security initiatives and the presence of known point sources of pollution.DesignA field study was conducted in the western James Bay Region of Ontario, Canada, to examine the concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (ΣDDT), other organochlorines, and metals/metalloids in potentially contaminated agriculture sites.MethodsExposure pathways were assessed by comparing the estimated daily intake to acceptable daily intake values. Ninety soil samples were collected at random (grid sampling) from 3 plots (A, B, and C) in Fort Albany (on the mainland), subarctic Ontario, Canada. The contaminated-soil samples were analysed by gas chromatography with an electron capture detector or inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer.ResultsThe range of ΣDDT in 90 soil samples was below the limit of detection to 4.19 mg/kg. From the 3 soil plots analysed, Plot A had the highest ΣDDT mean concentration of 1.12 mg/kg, followed by Plot B and Plot C which had 0.09 and 0.01 mg/kg, respectively. Concentrations of other organic contaminants and metals in the soil samples were below the limit of detection or found in low concentrations in all plots and did not present a human health risk.ConclusionsExposure analyses showed that the human risk was below regulatory thresholds. However, the ΣDDT concentration in Plot A exceeded soil guidelines set out by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment of 0.7 mg/kg, and thus the land should not be used for agricultural or recreational purposes. Both Plots B and C were below threshold limits, and this land can be used for agricultural purposes.

Adipogenic Activity of Wild Populations of Rhododendron groenlandicum, a Medicinal Shrub from the James Bay Cree Traditional Pharmacopeia.

The traditional medicinal plant, Labrador tea (Rhododendron groenlandicum (Oeder) Kron & Judd; Ericaceae), present in the pharmacopoeia of the Cree of Eeyou Istchee, has shown glitazone-like activity in the 3T3-L1 adipogenesis bioassay. This activity has been attributed to phenolic compounds, which have been shown to vary in this plant as a function of insolation parameters. The goal of this study was to determine if these changes in phenolic content were pharmacologically significant. Leaves were harvested in 2006 throughout the James Bay region of Northern Quebec and ethanol extracts were tested in vitro using the 3T3-L1 murine cell line adipogenesis bioassay. This traditional medicinal plant was found active in the assay. However, there was no detectable spatial pattern in the accumulation of intracellular triglycerides, suggesting that such patterns previously observed in the phenolic profile of Labrador tea were not pharmacologically significant. Nonetheless, a reduction in the adipogenic activity was observed and associated with higher concentrations of quercetin for which selected environmental variables did not appropriately explain its variation.

Quality of diet is associated with insulin resistance in the Cree (Eeyouch) indigenous population of northern Québec

Background and aimsIndigenous people worldwide have a greater disease burden than their non-aboriginal counterparts with health challenges that include increased obesity and higher prevalence of diabetes. We investigate the relationships of dietary patterns with nutritional biomarkers, selected environmental contaminants and measures of insulin resistance in the Cree (Eeyouch) of northern Québec Canada. Methods and resultsThe cross-sectional ‘Nituuchischaayihitaau Aschii: A Multi-Community Environment-and-Health Study in Eeyou Istchee’ recruited 835 adult participants (≥18 y) from 7 communities in the James Bay region of northern Québec. The three dietary patterns identified by principal component analysis (PCA) were: inland and coastal patterns with loadings on traditional foods, and a junk food pattern with high-fat and high-sugar foods. We investigated dietary patterns scores (in quantiles) in relation with nutritional biomarkers, environmental contaminants, anthropometry, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose and insulin, and insulin resistance.Homeostatic model assessment (HOMA-IR) was used as surrogate markers of insulin resistance. ANCOVA ascertained relationships between dietary patterns relationship and outcomes. Greater scores for the traditional patterns were associated with higher levels of n-3 fatty acids, mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) (P trend <0.001). Higher scores for the junk food pattern were associated with lower levels of PCBs and Vitamin D, but higher fasting plasma insulin and HOMA-IR. ConclusionOur results suggest that poor diet quality accompanied greater insulin resistance. Impacts of diet quality on insulin resistance, as a sign of metabolism perturbation, deserve more attention in this indigenous population with high rates of obesity and diabetes.

Integration of palaeohydrological proxies into a peatland model: a new tool for palaeoecological studies

AbstractTo assess the response of northern peatlands to hydrological changes, we analysed the response of a model designed to simulate peatland development at a millennial timescale, the Holocene Peat Model, to two hydrological drivers. The study is performed on two open ombrotrophic peatlands located in the James Bay region in North‐eastern Canada. For both sites, two simulations were realized: one based on a precipitation reconstruction from pollen data, used as input in the model, and a second using a water‐table depth reconstruction derived from testate amoebae to apply a forcing on the model. Simulated variations in carbon accumulation rates (CARs) and vegetation composition were analysed against palaeoecological datasets.In both sites and for the two hydrological drivers, modelling results in CARs showed periods of net carbon loss that coincided with fluctuations in observed CARs, although net carbon loss cannot be traced in palaeoecological datasets per se. The comparison between plant macrofossil records and simulated vegetation distributions highlighted differences between precipitation and water‐table depth‐driven simulations. Thus, the methodology used was found useful to analyse the origin of vegetation shifts in macrofossil datasets. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Long-term dynamics of a palsa in the sporadic permafrost zone of northwestern Quebec (Canada)

In the sporadic permafrost zone of the James Bay region in northwestern Quebec (Canada), permafrost has been showing signs of advanced degradation for the past 50 years. Several palsa peatlands are...

Introduction — Environmental Change in the Hudson and James Bay Region

There are two distinct views of the north: one as frontier, the other as homeland. —Thomas Berger (Berger, 1977) The general study region examined in this special issue is the drainage to the south...

The impact of climate change on the well‐being and lifestyle of a First Nation community in the western James Bay region

Through the use of traditional environmental knowledge (TEK), the impacts of climate change on the Fort Albany First Nation community are explored. Thirty‐nine community members were interviewed using a semi‐directive interview format to gather knowledge about their observations of local environmental and climatic change and the significance of these changes. Thematic analysis, cluster analysis, and concept mapping were applied to analyze interview transcriptions. A second round of interviews was conducted to obtain feedback on the themes and concepts that emerged from the first round of interviews. Community members indicated that there have been noticeable changes in the timing of seasons, snow type, and total snowfall, with an increase in extreme weather events. These changes have impacted animal behaviour, traditional harvesting activities, and the winter road, which have led to socio‐economic and well‐being issues. The community has exhibited strength in adapting to ongoing changes in the environment; however, their ability to adapt to climate change in the future is not certain.

Plasma concentrations of persistent organic pollutants in the Cree of northern Quebec, Canada: Results from the multi-community environment-and-health study

Historically, resource development has had negative impacts on the traditional lifestyle of First Nation Cree Communities in the Province of Quebec, Canada. In response to the perceived need for fisheries restoration and for managing health concerns associated with environmental pollutants, the Mercury Program in the James Bay Region of Quebec was reconstituted in 2001 and broadened to include a wider range of chemicals of concern. Based on comprehensive surveys of the nine Cree Territory (Eeyou Istchee) communities in this region during the period 2002–2009, blood plasma concentrations are presented of Aroclor 1260, PCB congeners 28, 52, 99, 101, 105, 118, 128, 138, 153, 156, 163, 170, 180, 183, and 187, Aldrin, ß-HCH, α-Chlordane, γ-Chlordane, oxy-Chlordane, trans-Nonachlor, cis-Nonachlor, p,p′-DDT, p,p′-DDE, Hexachloro benzene (HCB), Mirex, PBB 153, PBDE 47, PBDE 99, PBDE 100, PBDE 153, Toxaphene 26, and Toxaphene 50. The organohalogenated compounds were extracted using solid-phase extraction and cleaned on florisil columns before high resolution HRGC–MS analysis. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to reduce the large number of contaminant variables into a smaller number of uncorrelated variables. ANOVA identified significant differences between age groups, with the older participants having higher body burdens of legacy lipophilic contaminants, but not for the PBDEs. In certain female age groups, plasma concentrations of PBDEs were observed to be lower than for males; conversely, DDT was higher. Among communities, concentrations were different (p<0.001) for all contaminants. This work provides a baseline for the James Bay Eeyou Istchee communities who, to varying degrees, rely on food and other resources from the land and therefore are at higher risk of increased body burdens of legacy persistent organic pollutants (POPs).

A review of ground-penetrating radar studies related to peatland stratigraphy with a case study on the determination of peat thickness in a northern boreal fen in Quebec, Canada

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is a non-intrusive geophysical observation method based on propagation and reflection of high-frequency electromagnetic waves in the shallow subsurface. The vertical cross-sectional images obtained allow the identification of thickness and lithologic horizons of different media, without destruction. Over the last decade, several studies have demonstrated the potential of GPR. This paper presents a review of recent GPR applications to peatlands, particularly to determine peat stratigraphy. An example study of acquisition and comparison of peatland soil thickness of a fen-dominated watershed located in the James Bay region of Quebec, using (1) a meter stick linked to a GPS RTK and (2) a GSSI GPR, is given. A coefficient of determination ( r2) of 56% was obtained between the ordinary krigings performed on data gathered using both techniques. Disparities occurred mainly in the vicinity of ponds which can be explained by the attenuation of GPR signal in open water. Despite these difficulties – the higher time required for analysis and the error margin – it seems more appropriate to use a GPR, instead of a graduated rod linked to a GPS, to measure the peat depths on a site like the one presented in this study. Manual measurements, which are user-dependent in the context of variable mineral substrate densities and with the presence of obstacles in the substrate, may be more subjective.

Linking Cree hunters’ and scientific observations of changing inland ice and meteorological conditions in the subarctic eastern James Bay region, Canada

For the Cree First Nation communities of the eastern James Bay region in the Canadian Subarctic, local weather plays a key role in traditional subsistence activities. There is rising concern among the Cree about changes in inland ice conditions as they pose challenges to Cree livelihood, health and culture. Here we contrast Crees’ observations of inland ice conditions and long-term measurements obtained to foster interdisciplinary climate change research between scientists and Cree communities. We compiled qualitative observations of inland ice conditions and compared them with long-term measurements (> 25 years) of air temperature, precipitation and snow depth from three meteorological stations in the Cree territory. Cree hunters observed a weakening of lake ice cover (e.g., change in ice composition and structure, increased rain in winter). Trend analysis of long-term measurements showed a significant increase in mean autumn air temperature as well as in winter and autumn precipitation. By contrasting Cree hunters’ observations with climate data, we identified that an increase in fall and winter precipitation could be causing a weakening of inland ice through a change in its composition (i.e., snow ice instead of congelation ice). We conclude that Cree and scientific knowledge are complementary when investigating and understanding climate change in the Subarctic.

Potential Pitfalls of Pollen Dating

Pollen extracted from ocean and wetland sediments cored from the eastern Canadian Margin, James Bay region, and Atlantic provinces of Canada have been radiocarbon dated and results are reported here. Pollen dates from ocean sediments were compared with marine carbonate (mollusk shells or foraminifera) dates from the same core levels, dates for which validity was assessed via correlations with other cores, and for which reworking has been excluded. Pollen samples from 3 tidal wetlands were taken from levels dated with 137Cs and 210Pb profiles. Pollen dates from 2 additional wetlands were compared with 14C dates of botanical macrofossils. Most pollen dates disagree with 14C dates based on macrofossils or carbonates, with age differences typically exceeding 250 yr and reaching 4000 yr in one instance. In some cores, pollen dates show age reversals. Significant proportions of reworked pollen grains in ocean and wetland samples are associated with pollen dates that are too old. Prolonged core storage could result in pollen 14C ages that are too young, possibly because of growth of fungi or other microbes, but more work is needed to verify this hypothesis. Despite the problems we encountered, some pollen dates are consistent with other 14C dates from the same core levels, suggesting this dating method can work, but at present, more work is needed to understand the conflicting results obtained.

Metallogeny of the Marco zone, Corvet Est, disseminated gold deposit, James Bay, Quebec, Canada

The Corvet Est gold deposit is hosted by Archean rocks of the Superior Province in the James Bay region, northern Quebec, Canada. The Marco zone is hosted by amphibolite-grade, strongly foliated volcanic rocks and consists of disseminated gold, with an apparent thickness ranging from 1.8 to 39.5 m and gold grades up to 23 g·t–1 over 1 m, that is continuous along strike for ∼1.3 km. The lithotectonic sequence comprises footwall basaltic andesite amphibolite overlain by a lenticular unit of metadacite and then by hanging-wall basaltic andesite amphibolite, all intruded by quartz–feldspar porphyry dikes. Dacite, basaltic andesite amphibolite, and quartz–feldspar porphyry show a calc-alkaline to transitional affinity and plot in the plate margin arc basalt field, with typical volcanic arc trace element patterns. Mineralization consists of pyrite, arsenopyrite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, and gold, disseminated in deformed dacite, in andesite amphibolite, and in quartz–feldspar porphyry dikes. Dacite and andesite display weak alteration characterized by silicification. Native gold forms inclusions in metamorphic quartz, garnet, feldspar, arsenopyrite, and pyrite or free grains interstitial to quartz, feldspar, pyrite, chalcopyrite, and arsenopyrite. Free gold in late quartz veins cut the sericitized metamorphic fabric. Inclusion and interstitial native gold within minerals annealed during metamorphism shows that gold mineralization is pre- to syn-metamorphic, with some gold remobilized in later veins. Rhenium–osmium dating of arsenopyrite yields an isochron age of 2663 ± 13 Ma for mineralization and a weighted average model age of 2632 ± 7 Ma for arsenopyrite formed during peak metamorphism. The ∼2663 Ma arsenopyrite has a low initial 187Os/188Os of 0.19 ± 0.10, suggesting a juvenile crust or a mantle Os source. The sulfur isotope composition of Marco zone pyrite and arsenopyrite shows that sulfur could have been leached from its volcanic host rocks or from reduction of Archean seawater. The Corvet Est deposit is interpreted to be an orogenic gold deposit (2663 Ma) deformed and recrystallized during amphibolite-grade metamorphism (2632 Ma).

Geology of the Archean Intrusion-Hosted La-Grande-Sud Au-Cu Prospect, La Grande Subprovince, James Bay Region, Quebec(,

The Archean La Grande and Eastmain domains of the La Grande subprovince in the James Bay region of northwestern Quebec are the focus of renewed and extensive exploration as a result of recent major discoveries made in this region (e.g., ~8 Moz Au Roberto deposit). A number of significant Neoarchean Au ± base metal occurrences are present in the La Grande domain, including the La-Grande-Sud Au-Cu prospect (Zone 32, inferred resource of 4.2 million metric tons (Mt) at 2.1 g/t Au and 0.2 wt % Cu). The La-Grande-Sud Au-Cu prospect is hosted in the 2734 ± 2 Ma synvolcanic La-Grande-Sud Tonalite in the 2751 to 2732 Ma Yasinski Group volcanic rocks. The La-Grande-Sud Tonalite is a synvolcanic calc-alkaline intrusion emplaced in an arc-like tectonomagmatic setting. Timing relationships in mineralized zones as well as associated hydrothermal alteration zones support a pre- to early-D 1 origin for at least a part of the mineralization in the La-Grande-Sud Tonalite. Deformation events were responsible for the overprinting of the early mineralization by auriferous shear zone-related systems associated with D 2 . Evidence for a pre-D 2 and pre- to early-D 1 alteration and mineralization system includes: (1) a broadly concentric pattern defined by the hydrothermal alteration assemblages within the La-Grande-Sud Tonalite, which suggests that the hydrothermal alteration was, at least in part, controlled by the geometry of the intrusion rather than by the D 2 deformation; (2) the development of a weak biotite-bearing potassic assemblage (biotite-epidote-plagioclase-muscovite-calcite ± pyrite) that is gradually replaced outward from the center of the intrusion by a chlorite-bearing propylitic assemblage (chlorite-epidote-muscovite-plagioclase-calcite-pyrite), and locally overprinted by a sericitic alteration assemblage (muscovite-quartz-albite-chlorite-pyrite-carbonate), which represents the most intense alteration in the La-Grande-Sud Tonalite; (3) the presence of mineralized hydrothermal breccias along the margins of the intrusion; (4) deformed disseminated and stockwork-style Au-Cu sulfide mineralization consisting of pyrite, chalcopyrite, tennantite, arsenopyrite, pyrrhotite, Bi sulfosalts, and native Au ± Bi in the sericite, chlorite, and biotite facies alteration zones; (5) S 1 -parallel elongated tonalite clasts and sulfide veinlets in D 2 -folded and transposed hydrothermal biotite breccias; and (6) pyrite porphyroblasts that are elongated parallel to the S 1 fabric (syn-D 1 metamorphic recrystallization) and that were folded during D 2 . D 2 was associated with the development of conjugate auriferous extensional quartz-tourmaline veins (orogenic-style veins) that were superimposed on the pre- to early-D 1 intrusion-hosted mineralized system. Gold in these syn- to late-D 2 veins could have been remobilized from preexisting mineralization (disseminated sulfides) or was related to a late (syn-D 2 ) auriferous hydrothermal event. The intrusion-hosted Au mineralization of the La-Grande-Sud Au-Cu prospect illustrates that Archean synvolcanic intrusions, regardless of their size, can host a range of styles of alteration and mineralization, including both “early” and “late” mineralizing systems.

Antidiabetic Compounds from Sarracenia purpurea Used Traditionally by the Eeyou Istchee Cree First Nation

Through ethnobotanical surveys, the CIHR Team in Aboriginal Antidiabetic Medicines identified 17 boreal forest plants stemming from the pharmacopeia of the Cree First Nations of Eeyou Istchee (James Bay region of Northern Quebec) that were used traditionally against diabetes symptoms. The leaves of Sarracenia purpurea (pitcher plant), one of the identified Cree plants, exhibited marked antidiabetic activity in vitro by stimulating glucose uptake in C2C12 mouse muscle cells and by reducing glucose production in H4IIE rat liver cells. Fractionation guided by glucose uptake in C2C12 cells resulted in the isolation of 11 compounds from this plant extract, including a new phenolic glycoside, flavonoid glycosides, and iridoids. Compounds 6 (isorhamnetin-3-O-glucoside), 8 [kaempferol-3-O-(6″-caffeoylglucoside], and 11 (quercetin-3-O-galactoside) potentiated glucose uptake in vitro, which suggests they represent active principles of S. purpurea (EC(50) values of 18.5, 13.8, and 60.5 μM, respectively). This is the first report of potentiation of glucose uptake by compounds 6 and 8, while compound 11 (isolated from Vaccinium vitis) was previously shown to enhance glucose uptake. Treatment of H4IIE liver cells with the new compound 1, 6'-O-caffeoylgoodyeroside, decreased hepatic glucose production by reducing glucose-6-phosphatase enzymatic activity (IC(50) = 13.6 μM), which would contribute to lowering glycemia and to the antidiabetic potential of S. purpurea.

Monitoring Seasonal Hydrological Dynamics of Minerotrophic Peatlands Using Multi-Date GeoEye-1 Very High Resolution Imagery and Object-Based Classification

The La Grande River watershed, located in the James Bay region (54°N, Quebec, Canada), is a major contributor to the production of hydroelectricity in the province. Peatlands cover up to 20% of the terrestrial environment in this region. Their hydrological behavior is not well understood. The present study is part of a multidisciplinary project which is aimed at analyzing the hydrological processes in these minerotrophic peatlands (fens) in order to provide effective monitoring tools to water managers. The objective of this study was to use VHR remote sensing data to understand the seasonal dynamics of the hydrology in fens. A series of 10 multispectral pan-sharpened GeoEye-1 images (with a spatial resolution of 40 cm) were acquired during the snow-free season (May to October) in 2009 and 2010, centered on two study sites in the Laforge sector (54°06'N; 72°30'W). These are two fens instrumented for continuous hydrometeorological monitoring (water level, discharge, precipitation, air temperature). An object-based classification procedure was set up and applied. It consisted of segmenting the imagery into objects using the multiresolution segmentation algorithm (MRIS) to delineate internal structures in the peatlands (aquatic, semi-aquatic, and terrestrial). Then, the objects were labeled using a fuzzy logic based algorithm. The overall classification accuracy of the 10 images was assessed to be 82%. The time series of the peatland mapping demonstrated the existence of important intra-seasonal spatial dynamics in the aquatic and semi-aquatic compartments. It was revealed that the dynamics amplitude depended on the morphological features of the fens. The observed spatial dynamics was also closely related to the evolution of the measured water levels.

Seasonal and monthly hydrological budgets of a fen‐dominated forested watershed, James Bay region, Quebec

AbstractThe hydrology of Quebec, Canada, boreal fens is poorly documented. Many peatlands are located in watersheds with impounded rivers. In such cases, their presence influences reservoir inflows. In recent years, some fens have been subjected to an increase of their wet area, a sign that they may be evolving towards an aquatic ecosystem. This dynamic process is calledaqualysis. This article presents the seasonal and monthly hydrological budgets of a small watershed including a highly aqualysed fen (James Bay region). The monitoring of precipitation (P), runoff (Q) and groundwater levels (WL) was conducted during the ice‐free season. Three semiempirical equations (Thornthwaite, Priestley–Taylor and Penman–Monteith) were used and compared to calculate potential evapotranspiration. The first two equations, having fewer parameters, estimate higher potential evapotranspiration values than the third equation. The use of pressure‐level gauges installed in wells, for the calculation of peatland water storage, is inconclusive. Swelling of peat, peat decomposition and plant composition could be responsible for nonnegligible amounts of absorbed water, which are not entirely accounted for by well levels. The estimation of peat matrix water storage is potentially the largest source of error and the limiting factor to calculate water balances in this environment. The results show that the groundwater level and the water storage vary depending on the season and especially after a heavy rainfall. Finally, the results illustrate the complexity of water routing through the site and thus raise several questions to be resolved in the future. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Use of traditional environmental knowledge to assess the impact of climate change on subsistence fishing in the James Bay Region of Northern Ontario, Canada

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. 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. 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. 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.