West-central Manitoba Research Articles

Noteworthy Bird Sightings in West Central Manitoba in 2022

Noteworthy Bird Sightings in West Central Manitoba in 2022

Noteworthy Bird Sightings in West Central Manitoba in 2021

Noteworthy Bird Sightings in West Central Manitoba in 2021

Noteworthy Bird Sightings in West Central Manitoba in 2020

Noteworthy Bird Sightings in West Central Manitoba in 2020

A simulated rover exploration of a long-lived hypersaline spring environment: The East German Creek (MB, Canada) Mars analogue site

We undertook a Mars rover-like deployment at a terrestrial analogue site consisting of active and relict perennial hypersaline springs at the East German Creek site in west-central Manitoba, Canada. This site serves as an analogue for possible long-lived springs on Mars. The deployment consisted of landing site-type investigations involving panoramic imagery from which regions of interest and targets of interest were selected for subsequent analysis by close-up imagery, and reflectance and Raman spectroscopy. These data were then used to prioritize samples for caching in the context of sample return. It was found that reflectance spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy were complementary because they generally identified different minerals and phases. Reflectance spectra of the surfaces of whole rocks often differed from bulk powders of the same samples. Powdering of samples generally reduced the spectral contributions of the surface and grain coatings, allowing the identity of the “bulk rock” to be better determined. Raman spectra of powdered bulk samples were generally featureless due to induced fluorescence. Both spectroscopic techniques were equally effective at detecting biology at the site (cyanobacteria/chlorophyll). Biological activity could also be inferred from the crenulated texture of cyanobacterial mats. Post-deployment analysis of the samples was used to confirm and expand mineral identities, largely by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and elemental analysis. Mineral abundances, presence of phases undetectable by spectroscopy and XRD, and the pervasive presence of Fe oxyhydroxides could be addressed by X-ray fluorescence and wet chemistry. The deployment also provided valuable operational experience for current and next-generation planetary researchers. Overall, the results suggest that multiple analytical techniques, being the XRD, XRF, reflectance and Raman spectroscopy are highly complementary in exploring and characterizing a biology-hosting hypersaline springs environment. This work provides a framework for the value of different instruments for exploring similar sites on Mars, as the instrument from our field campaign have equivalents on the Perseverance and Rosalind Franklin rovers.

Metamorphic and structural evolution of the Flin Flon – Athapapuskow Lake area, west-central Manitoba

The Flin Flon – Athapapuskow Lake area, situated in the Flin Flon Greenstone Belt, Manitoba, consists of ocean-floor and island-arc assemblages, deformed and metamorphosed during the Trans-Hudson Orogeny (∼1.86–1.69 Ga). A new map of metamorphic mineral assemblages and isograds has been compiled that reveals a largely coherent regional metamorphic sequence increasing in metamorphic grade from prehnite–pumpellyite to amphibolite facies. Regional metamorphism postdates most of the deformation within the area, with the exception of the reactivation of major block-bounding faults. The regional prograde sequence has been subdivided into 10 metamorphic zones, separated by 9 isograds, that describe the transition from prehnite–pumpellyite to greenschist to amphibolite facies. The formation of contact metamorphic aureoles, pre-dating regional metamorphism, record conditions up to amphibolite facies. Equilibrium phase diagrams for the island-arc (low-Mg) and ocean-floor (high-Mg) assemblages were calculated and allow for the evaluation of the modelling techniques and determination of pressure–temperature conditions. Discrepancies between the modelling predictions and natural observations occur due to (1) limitations in the thermodynamic models for some of the complex minerals (e.g., amphibole); and (2) metastable persistence of some minerals to higher grade due to sluggish reaction kinetics. Notwithstanding these discrepancies, the modelling suggests that metamorphosed mafic rocks in the Flin Flon – Athapapuskow Lake area reached about 430–480 °C and 3.0–4.5 kbar. Peak metamorphic conditions within contact aureoles that preceded regional metamorphism did not exceed 500 °C (at a pressure between 2.7 and 4.4 kbar). The metamorphic field gradient records a transition from 250–300 °C/1.5–2.3 kbar to 430–480 °C/3–4.5 kbar (100–150 °C/kbar), defining a geothermal gradient of approximately 25–31 °C/km.

Singing For Frog Plain

Pierre Falcon is the earliest known Metis composer. Born in 1793 in Fort La Coude (Elbow Fort) in what is now west-central Manitoba, his adult life spanned the “Golden Years” (Shore 2001) of the western Metis nation. Known as the Bard of the Prairies, Falcon’s songs drew on events of local importance during this period, providing a means to remember and share Metis history, and to solidify a sense of Metis nationalism. Beginning in the late-1800s historians, novelists, folklorists, journalists, and musicians began turning their attention to Falcon, resulting in a strikingly large number of popular and academic references to his life and songs. While these references are varied, together they tell a story about the relationship between Canada and the Metis Nation. On the one hand, references to Falcon often draw from, and in fact help create, images of the Imaginary Indian (Francis 1992). Yet on the other hand, many references to Falcon erase his Indigeneity, or blend his Metis identity seamlessly into a Franco-Manitoban, or western Canadian identity. These seemingly contradictory representations, as I will argue in this paper, ultimately point to the ambiguous positioning of Metis people as Indigenous peoples, and speak to an obsession with mixed-ness that denies the Metis their full and authentic Indigeneity.

Till Geochemistry in West-Central Manitoba: Interpretation of Provenance and Mineralization Based on Glacial History and Multivariate Data Analysis

Till geochemical datasets from archived samples in west-central Manitoba are interpreted using multivariate data analytical techniques such as principal component analysis and pathfinder element index methods, combined with a spatial representation of the data in a geographic information system (GIS). Results show that carbonate till derived from Hudson Bay, as expressed by the (Ca + Mg)/Na ratio, is found predominantly east of Leaf Rapids and extends south into the Northeastern Kisseynew Domain. A 30- to 70-km-wide zone is documented beyond the limit of dissolvable carbonate dispersal that contains till of Labradorean provenance with low Ca-Mg-Mn-Te concentrations, noncalcareous till of Keewatin provenance, and silty calcareous till at depth. The variation in till provenance, together with the predominance of southwesterly ice-flow indicators, suggests that carbonate dispersal occurred prior to deglaciation, and that surface tills in the zone of confluence between Labradorean and Keewatin ice are likely the result of recycling of calcareous tills and/or carbonate-leached sandy tills, mainly by Keewatin ice. The newly defined limits of carbonate and Ca-rich till, typically used to assess provenance and glacial transport, provide a new framework for evaluating the significance of till geochemical patterns when drift prospecting over the Trans-Hudson orogen. Several regional- to local-scale dispersal trains from geochemically distinct bedrock sources are discussed in terms of elemental association, glacial transport characteristics, and potential bedrock sources. The multivariate statistical approach combined with GIS mapping also highlights new areas with small multi- or single-element enrichments that may be of further interest for volcanogenic massive sulfide exploration or for potentially more detailed drift sampling.

Speciation in North American water lilies: evidence for the hybrid origin of the newly discovered Canadian endemic Nymphaea loriana sp. nov. (Nymphaeaceae) in a past contact zone

Field observations of morphologically intermediate water lilies in central Canada suggested a hybrid origin involving the parents Nymphaea odorata Aiton and Nymphaea leibergii Morong despite the fertile nature of these plants. Sequencing of the nrITS and the plastid rps4–trnT–trnF regions further including all members of the north temperate Nymphaea subg. Nymphaea clade, and samples from other hybrids occurring in North America in the wild, allowed us to determine that individuals of N. leibergii and of N. odorata were the maternal and paternal parents, respectively. Hybrids of New England have all proven to be sterile, are genetically variable, and probably are F1. By comparison, the plants of east-central Saskatchewan and west-central Manitoba are fully fertile and genetically uniform based on ISSR and sequence data. On the basis of this evidence, the latter are here described as a new species, Nymphaea loriana sp. nov., which may have originated during the Holocene climatic optimum about 6000 years ago in a past contact zone of the parents. Further hybrids detected between N. odorata and Nymphaea tetragona Georgi, as well as between N. leibergii and N. tetragona, were always sterile. Gene trees of the temperate clade of Nymphaea converge on a clade of small-flowered water lilies (sect. Chamaenymphaea), including N. leibergii, N. tetragona, and Nymphaea pygmaea. Nuclear ITS further resolves an American clade (Nymphaea mexicana Zucc. – N. odorata) sister to all remaining species. This split into two major subclades also appears in the otherwise less resolved rps4–trnT–trnF tree. Thus the origin of N. loriana is a reticulation between long-separated parental lineages.

Extremely 'vanadiphilic' multiply metal-resistant and halophilic aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs, strains EG13 and EG8, from hypersaline springs in Canada.

Two pinkish peach-colored strains of obligately aerobic phototrophic bacteria, EG13 and EG8, were isolated from a saline spring effluent stream in west central Manitoba, Canada. The strains possessed bacteriochlorophyll a incorporated into a typical purple bacterial light-harvesting complex 1 (870 nm) and reaction center (801 nm). Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated 100% identity among the isolates and 99% similarity to Roseovarius tolerans EL-172(T). The strains were physiologically well adapted to high salinity (0-22%), fluctuating pH (7-12) and temperature (7-40 °C) of the exposed hypersaline stream of East German Creek. EG8 and EG13 were also highly resistant to the toxic metal(loid) oxyanions tellurite, selenite and metavanadate (≥1000 μg/ml each). Most intriguingly, growth and pigment production of EG13 on glutamate minimal medium was stimulated by 1000-10000 μg/ml of sodium metavanadate compared to metal-free conditions. Phylogenetic analysis and phenotypic properties such as pigment composition and morphology indicate close relatedness to Roseovarius genus.

Abundance, distribution, and species assemblages of colonial waterbirds in the boreal region of west-central Manitoba and east-central Saskatchewan

Central and southern Manitoba contain some of the largest breeding populations of several colonial waterbird species in North America. Despite the value of this region for waterbirds, very little monitoring has been conducted on Lake Winnipeg, Lake Winnipegosis, or Lake Manitoba in the past three decades and little is known about the smaller boreal lakes in adjacent areas to the north. In June 2011, boat surveys were conducted on 11 boreal lakes in west-central Manitoba and east-central Saskatchewan to examine current abundance and distribution of colonial waterbirds in that region. Data from this survey were compared with abundance of colonial waterbirds on Lake Winnipegosis and Lake Manitoba from an aerial survey of these lakes in 2012. Waterbird colonies were located on 7 of the 11 lakes in 2011 and included Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) (2373 adults, 1134 pairs in 7 colonies), Common Terns (Sterna hirundo) (1367 adults, 772 pairs in 29 colonies), Forster’s Terns (Sterna forsteri) (20 adults, 11 pairs in 1 colony), Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus) (876 adults, 568 pairs in 23 colonies), and Ring-billed Gulls (Larus delawarensis) (3752 adults, 16 colonies). Common Terns and Herring Gulls appeared to be predominantly breeders and pair abundance for both species increased in a sigmoidal fashion; lakes <100 km2 in area had few breeding pairs. Numbers of Double-crested Cormorants and especially, Ring-billed Gulls, may have included a sizeable non-breeding component. Densities (pairs/lake area) of Common Terns and Herring Gulls were about 2 and 4 times higher, respectively, on these lakes than on Lake Winnipegosis and Lake Manitoba, while Double-crested Cormorant and Ring-billed Gull densities were higher on lakes Winnipegosis and Manitoba. Additional studies of productivity in relation to lake characteristics and connectivity among colonies throughout the region would further our understanding of the importance and sustainability of waterbird populations in this region of the boreal forest.

Old-Growth Characteristics of DisjunctThuja occidentalisStands at their Northwestern Distribution Limit, Central Canada

ABSTRACT: Old-growth northern white-cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.) stands were examined in the Mid-Boreal Lowlands of west-central Manitoba. These stands represent the NW distribution limit of the species, which occurs disjunct from its continuous range limit in North America. The objectives involved characterizing the vegetation-environmental relationships, forest structure, and old-growth attributes of these stands. The environmental control exerted on these communities was explored with both cluster analysis and canonical correspondence analysis. Three T. occidentalis stand types were identified: xeric, mesic, and hydric — each representing a specific moisture regime and successional pathway. In the xeric sites, T. occidentalis co-occurred with jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.), whereas in the mesic sites it co-occurred with white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) and balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.). In the hydric sites, tamarack (Larix lancina (Du Roi) K. Koch) was the companion species. All s...

Northward range extension for the gray treefrog in west-central Manitoba

Northward range extension for the gray treefrog in west-central Manitoba

Ecology and Habitat Selection of a Woodland Caribou Population in West-central Manitoba, Canada

This study examines the ecology of Rangifer tarandus caribou (woodland caribou) in the Naosap range in west-central Manitoba, Canada. This population is considered to be of high conservation concern because of potential resource-development impacts; therefore, baseline data are required to guide and evaluate the management of this species in this area. Radio-telemetry data were collected every two weeks from February 1998 to April 2001 and used in combination with forest-inventory data to evaluate habitat selection, site fidelity, movement, and grouping patterns. In both summer and winter, selected habitats were mature upland spruce and pine forests, as well as treed muskeg. Hardwood forests were least selected at all scales. Mature coniferous forest was preferred over immature coniferous forests in a pair-wise comparison in winter, but not in summer. Home-range sizes were within expected ranges of variation. Animals used distinct areas in summer and winter, showing broad fidelity to seasonal ranges. However, small shifts in the core areas were observed, particularly in winter. Movement rates and grouping behavior were typical of other caribou. Habitats used in winter were common in the study area, but the ability of the animals to disperse to alternate winter areas is not known. Management efforts could focus on protecting known calving and winter-use areas, and regenerating coniferous forests after logging, which is consistent with regional forest-management objectives.

Assessing the length of the post-disturbance recovery period for woodland caribou habitat after fire and logging in west-central Manitoba

This study examined the habitat characteristics of areas used by woodland caribou and areas disturbed by fire or logging in the Naosap caribou range in west-central Manitoba. The population inhabiting this area is currently considered to be of high conservation concern. The purpose was to determine how long after disturbance forests again resembled caribou habitat and whether there were differences in the recovery period between fire disturbed and logged areas. Sample transects were located in areas used by caribou and areas disturbed by fire or logging. Previously, it was shown that variables positively associated with habitat suitability in this region were species composition (presence of black spruce), an index of arboreal lichen abundance and tree size, while variables negatively associated with habitat suitability were deadfall abundance and species composition (presence of trembling aspen). It was hypothesized that if disturbed sites had become suitable caribou habitat, then they should be statistically indistinguishable from sites used by caribou based on these variables. Using cluster analysis, it was found that 2 statistical clusters showed the highest level of agreement with sampling clusters, with 88% of plots used by caribou classified into one cluster, and 74% of disturbed plots classified into the other. Although a small proportion (12%) of disturbed plots resembled used plots, 30 years (the age of the oldest disturbed plot) was not enough time, in general, for forest to return to conditions resembling caribou habitat in this region.

Vegetation characteristics of forest stands used by woodland caribou and those disturbed by fire or logging in Manitoba

This study examined woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in an area known as the Kississing-Naosap caribou range in west central Manitoba. The vegetation characteristics of areas used by caribou and areas disturbed by fire or logging were measured in order to develop a model to estimate habitat quality from parameters collected during stan¬dard resource inventories. There was evidence that habitat index values calculated using a visual score-sheet index could be used as the basis to relate parameters commonly collected during resource inventories to habitat suitability. Use of this model to select long and short-term leave areas during forest management planning could potentially mitigate some of the negative impacts of forest harvesting. Abundance of arboreal lichen and wind-fallen trees were important predictor variables in the suitability model, but their inclusion did not explain more variance in habitat suitability than models that did not include them. Extreme post-fire deadfall abundance may play a role in predator-prey dynamics by creating habitat that is equally unsuitable for all ungulates, and thus keeping both moose and caribou densities low.

Reports

Swan River chert is a lithic material that was commonly utilized by precontact people on the southern part of the Canadian prairie provinces and the adjoining states since at least Clovis times. The chert occurs in glacial till and other Quaternary deposits within the area of use. It occurs in highest density west of lakes Winnipegosis and Manitoba. Archaeologists have speculated about its bedrock source at least since 1980. This paper describes one primary geological source of Swan River chert located in west-central Manitoba. Rather than a continuous bedded layer, the chert occurs in randomly distributed solution chimneys in Devonian carbonates of the Souris River Formation exposed in the Mafeking quarry, west-central Manitoba.

Pollen deposition in the boreal forest of west-central Canada

Deposition of tree and tall shrub pollen was examined along a 5.5-km transect in mixed boreal forest in west-central Manitoba, Canada. Annual pollen deposition averaged ca. 6850 grains/cm2 in 1992, with jack pine contributing 67.3% and spruce 24.5% of the total. In general, flowering plant species released their pollen in early to late May, while conifer (spruce and pine) pollen release occurred in early to mid-June. Pollen deposition was poorly correlated with relative species abundance in the community, with some species (e.g., jack pine) being over-represented in the pollen rain and others (e.g., aspen poplar) being under-represented. In 1993, spruce pollen deposition was 63% of that in 1992. By contrast, total pollen deposition by jack pine showed little variation from 1991 to 1993. However, pollen release dates varied between years, occurring earlier in years with warmer spring temperatures. Jack pine pollen release exhibited diurnal variation, with the majority of pollen being released during daylight hours on warm, sunny days. Keywords: Manitoba, jack pine, black spruce, boreal forest, pollen rain, palynology.

Atmospheric deposition of macronutrients by pollen in the boreal forest

Atmospheric deposition of macronutrients by pollen was investigated at three sites in the boreal forest of west-central Manitoba. Tree and tall shrub pollen rain was sampled in late May and June of...

Climate and the southern limit of the western Canadian boreal forest

Four species of boreal forest conifers share a similar southern limit of natural distribution in the three Prairie Provinces of western Canada. The southern boundaries of boreal forest and aspen parkland were compared with geographic patterns of several climate variables to provide a preliminary assessment of how global climate change could affect forest distribution in the future. Forest zonation corresponded most closely with climatic moisture regimes (annual precipitation minus potential evaporation). In contrast, thermal characteristics of climate (mean July and annual temperature, growing degree-days) showed an inconsistent relationship with forest zonation. It is postulated that moisture limitations prevent conifer regeneration south of the present limit of natural distribution. Alternatively, the more arid climates south of the boreal forest may have promoted higher fire frequencies historically, thus preventing conifers from achieving sufficient longevity to regenerate. The driest areas of boreal forest in the region occur at low elevations in west-central Manitoba, throughout Saskatchewan and Alberta, and the southwestern Mackenzie District, Northwest Territories; these areas may be most vulnerable to increased climatic dryness. Climatically induced losses of forest cover from these low-elevation areas could eventually lead to the fragmentation of the boreal forest in western Canada.

An analysis of the distribution of fish species in a large prairie lake

The distribution of fishes in Dauphin Lake, a large, shallow, turbid, prairie lake in west-central Manitoba, was examined using gillnets. Catch per unit effort was used to assess differences in distribution thai may be attributed lo year, season, lake zone (inshore, offshore), substratum, water depth, water temperature, turbidity and presence of other fish species. Although 13 species were caught, only the distributions of the six most abundant was analysed. Variation in number of species caught was attributed mainly to lake zone, water depth and water temperature. White sucker (Catastomus commersoni) distribution can be explained by zone and temperature. Shorthead redhorse (Moxostoma macrolepidotum) catches were related to depth and temperature. Cisco (Coregonus artedii) catches varied with year, zone and temperature. Variances in northern pike (Esox Indus) distribution reflected year and zone. Walleye (Stizostedkm vitreum) varied with year, depth and temperature and differences in the catches of yellow perch (Pertaflurescens) were attributed to year, depth, temperature and turbidity. They were also positively correlated to the numbers of northern pike caught.