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Prehistoric Inuit whalers affected Arctic freshwater ecosystems

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Prehistoric Inuit whalers affected Arctic freshwater ecosystems. Authors: Marianne Douglas ... To determine whether the ecology of ponds near Thule settlements ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Prehistoric Inuit whalers affected Arctic freshwater ecosystems


1
Prehistoric Inuit whalers affected Arctic
freshwater ecosystems
  • Authors
  • Marianne Douglas
  • John Smol
  • James Savelle
  • Jules Blais

2
Thule Inuit
Thought to have had little impact on High Arctic
lakes and ponds
3
(No Transcript)
4
Objective To determine whether the ecology of
ponds near Thule settlements were affected by the
whalers
  • Hypotheses
  • Elevated nutrient concentrations from decaying
    remains
  • Atypical biota
  • Expansion of moss substrates
  • Changes in diversity of diatom community

5
(No Transcript)
6
Site Description
  • Relatively large
  • Shallow
  • Water chemistry differed significantly
  • relatively high total phosphorous
  • high dissolved organic carbon
  • high calcium

7
Methods
  • Geochronical tools
  • - Dating sedimentary records and
    archae- ological remains
  • Fossil diatoms
  • - Environmental change
  • Stable nitrogen isotopes
  • - Dating whale remains

8
1200-1600 AD (19-20cm)
  • Early Communities

Fragilaria pinnata
Pinnularia balfouriana
9
Conclusion
  • Increase in moss and epiphytic diatoms between
    1200-1600 AD due to inputs of marine nitrogen
    from remains of marine mammals hunted by Thule
    whalers
  • It is ironic that the High Arctic, generally
    considered to be the last refuge from local human
    disturbances, contains the oldest record thus far
    obtained in the United States or Canada of a
    human population affecting freshwater ecology.
    The legacy of this prehistoric intervention is
    still evident in the ponds current limnology and
    biology.
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