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Research
SFU researchers co-launch initiative to conserve and steward ecosystems in B.C. Coast Mountains
Researchers from 91泡芙, the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia team up to conserve some of British Columbia鈥檚 most iconic backcountry 鈥� B.C.鈥檚 coastal mountains.
The alpine ecosystems within these mountain ranges are among those most sensitive to warming temperatures. They also face increasing threats from increasing backcountry activities.
To better understand and steward these alpine landscapes, this team of researchers 鈥� in partnership with the Squamish Nation and BC Parks and led by UVic鈥檚 No茅mie Boulanger-Lapointe 鈥� have launched the
Together, they鈥檙e working to develop sustainable tools for mountain-use decision-making on natural resources, risk management, Indigenous stewardship practices and more, to protect the cultural, spiritual and ecological significance of this region.
SFU researchers are leading projects addressing past, present and future ecosystems in the Coast Mountains.
鈥淭hese projects will address human use of these alpine landscapes, as well as how climate change and recreation impact the ecosystems and what consequences there might be for people living nearby,鈥� says Chelsea Little, SFU lead for the Alpine Horizons Research Initiative and assistant professor in the School of Environmental Science.
Little will helm two aspects of the research focused on biodiversity and human impacts. In the subalpine tundra southeast of Garibaldi Lake, her research group will steward an ongoing climate change experiment where they warm the soil and vegetation by a few degrees Celsius every summer鈥� conditions that ecosystems will face in the coming century.
By monitoring aboveground and belowground responses to this warming, they will help predict how Coast Mountain terrestrial ecosystems might change in the future.
Little and Jane Fowler an assistant professor in SFU Biological Sciences are also looking into the impacts of recreational backcountry activities on these key alpine ecosystems. They will survey biodiversity in the mountain range鈥檚 alpine streams and assess water quality impacts of campsites, outhouses, trails, and other infrastructure to help project partners in planning new park infrastructure and assess the impact of these developments.
Shawn Chartrand, also an assistant professor in SFU Environmental Science, will lead efforts to understand stream flow responses to likely warming scenarios. As the Coast Mountains鈥� glaciers melt, water availability, timing and extremity of peak flows, and stream drying will change.
These changes in flow conditions have important consequences for multiple societal benefits, from recreation to water delivery to lower elevations, including for salmon habitat.
Rudy Reimer, associate professor in SFU鈥檚 Department of Archaeology Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Community-Based Archaeology, will investigate how humans used these landscapes in the past.
Findings from Reimer鈥檚 team will expand our understanding of ancient human-environmental interactions in the sub-alpine and alpine of S岣祑x瘫w煤7mesh Nation territory. This information will be shared with both BC Parks and S岣祑x瘫w煤7mesh Nation, to be used in integrative development planning and for S岣祑x瘫w煤7mesh Nation Rights and Title.
鈥淲e are extremely pleased to participate in this important work being undertaken in our Territory,鈥� says Sxw铆xwtn Wilson Williams, spokesperson and S岣祑x瘫w煤7mesh 脷xwumixw (Squamish Nation) councillor in a
This research is supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Alliance Grant, and is a partnership between Squamish First Nation, BC Parks, the University of British Columbia and 91泡芙.