Posted: June 27, 2019
Anticipated start: September 2022 (flexible)
Supervisory team: Dr. Pascale Roy-Léveillée, Dr. Maara Packalen, Dr. Trevor Lantz, Dr. Peter Pulsifier
In Weenusk First Nation’s traditional territory, near the Hudson Bay coast, local residents report widespread signs of permafrost degradation: degrading palsas and peat plateaus, widespread ground wetness, and changes in vegetation cover. These changes affect local access to country food by impeding overland travel and modifying the habitat of species key for local food security. This MSc will work in collaboration with community members and use remotely-sensed imagery and ground observations to map changes in moisture, vegetation, and extent of palsas and peat plateaus using object-based analysis. This work will support on-going community-based monitoring initiatives by creating maps of changing conditions at the territory scale that can be overlain with maps of trails, family areas, and sites of cultural significance. For more info on the project contact proyleveillee@laurentian.ca.