Research activities within the chair aim at better understanding the functioning of northern ecosystems and at obtaining a better knowledge of the impacts of human activities on northern biodiversity.
The study of the influence of climatic variability on Northern biodiversity is at the heart of research performed in the chair. Northern ecosystems are currently warming up, and current warming trends will persist. The consequences of climate warming on the functioning and biodiversity of northern ecosystems will be dramatic. Intensive research is critical to understand current ecological changes and predict future changes.
A major interest of the chair involves the ecology of wild mammals and birds from northern ecosystems. Mammals and birds play an important ecological role in northern ecosystems, they are good ecological indicators, and they are central to many conservation problems in the North. Our studies cover topics such as populations status, strategies of reproduction and utilization of resources, and migration of arctic nesting birds.
Our definition of northern biodiversity is wide as it includes all species and all ecosystems with boreal and arctic influences.
The Canada Research Chair on Northern Biodiversity is part of Groupe de recherche sur les environnements nordiques (BORÉAS), Centre d'études nordiques (CEN), and Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science (QCBS).
Partners
The Canada Research Chair on Northern Biodiversity is supported by:
- Canada Research Chairs program (CRC)
- Fonds de Recherche du Québec - Nature et Technologies (FRQ-NT)
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
- Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI)
- Polar Continental Shelf Project (Polar Shelf)
- Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada
- Network of Centres of Excellence of Canada (ArcticNet)
- Mittimatalik Hunters & Trappers Organization (Mittimatalik HTO)
- Ressources naturelles Québec (MRN)
- Développement durable, Environnement, Faune et Parcs (MDDEFP)
- Parks Canada
- Nunavut General Monitoring Program
- Nunavut Wildlife Management Board (NWMB)
- Kenneth M. Molson Foundation
- Consortium on Regional Climatology and Adaptation to Climate Change (Ouranos)
- Nature Conservancy Canada (NCC)
- Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC)
- Regroupement Québec Oiseaux
- Atlas des Amphibiens et des Reptiles du Québec (http://www.atlasamphibiensreptiles.qc.ca, AARQ)