Reconciling the Apparent Absence of a Last Glacial Maximum Alpine Glacial Advance, Yukon Territory, Canada, through Cosmogenic Beryllium-10 and Carbon-14 Measurements

We present a new in situ produced cosmogenic beryllium-10 and carbon-14 nuclide chronology from two sets (outer and inner) of alpine glacier moraines from the Grey Hunter massif of southern Yukon Territory, Canada. The chronology potential of moraines deposited by alpine glaciers outside the limits of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) ice sheets potentially provide a less-ambiguous archive of mass balance, and hence climate than can be inferred from the extents of ice sheets themselves. Results for both nuclides are inconclusive for the outer moraines, with evidence for pre-LGM deposition (beryllium-10) and Holocene deposition (carbon-14). Beryllium-10 results from the inner moraine are suggestive of canonical LGM deposition, but with relatively high scatter. Conversely, in situ carbon-14 results from the inner moraines are tightly clustered and suggestive of terminal Younger Dryas deposition. We explore plausible scenarios leading to the observed differences between nuclides and find that the most parsimonious explanation for the outer moraines is that of pre-LGM deposition, but many of the sampled boulder surfaces were not exhumed from within the moraine until the Holocene. Our results thus imply that the inner and outer moraines sampled pre- and post-date the canonical LGM and that moraines dating to the LGM are lacking likely due to overriding by the subsequent Late Glacial/earliest Holocene advance.

Fomitopsis betulina. [Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria].

A description is provided for Fomitopsis betulina. Sporophores of this fungus are found on both living and dead trees, where the fungus causes a brown-rot decay of heartwood, eventually reducing the substratum to a red-brown friable mass. Some information on its associated organisms and substrata, dispersal and transmission, habitats and conservation status is given, along with details of its geographical distribution (Asia (China (Gansu, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Nei Mongol Autonomous Region, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Xinjiang Autonomous Region, Yunnan), India (Meghalaya, Uttarakhand), Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan (Akmola, East Kazakhstan, Kostanay, North Kazakhstan), Nepal, Russia (Altai Krai, Altai Republic, Amur Oblast, Chelyabinsk Oblast, Irkutsk Oblast, Kamchatka Krai, Khabarovsk Krai, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Novosibirsk Oblast, Omsk Oblast, Primorsky Krai, Sakha Republic, Sakhalin Oblast, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Tomsk Oblast, Tyumen Oblast, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Zabaykalsky Krai), South Korea, Uzbekistan), Central America (Belize, Panama), Europe (Åland Islands, Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia (Bryansk Oblast, Chuvash Republic, Ivanovo Oblast, Kaliningrad Oblast, Kaluga Oblast, Kirov Oblast, Komi Republic, Kostroma Oblast, Krasnodar Krai, Kursk Oblast, Leningrad Oblast, Mari El Republic, Moscow Oblast, Murmansk Oblast, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Orenburg Oblast, Perm Krai, Pskov Oblast, Republic of Bashkortostan, Republic of Dagestan, Republic of Karelia, Republic of Mordovia, Republic of Tatarstan, Ryazan Oblast, Samara Oblast, Saratov Oblast, Smolensk Oblast, Tula Oblast, Tver Oblast, Udmurt Republic, Vladimir Oblast, Yaroslavl Oblast), Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, UK), North America (Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Yukon Territory), USA (Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin)), South America (Argentina, Colombia)).

Implement and Analysis on Current Ecosystem Classification in Western Utah of the United States and Yukon Territory of Canada

The study cases in western Utah of the United States and Yukon Territory of Canada have more natural land and conservative ecosystems in North America. The ecosystem classification of land (ECL) in these two ecoregions had been analyzed and validated through implementation. A full ECL case study was accomplished and examined with eight upper levels of ECOMAP plus ecological site and vegetation stand in Western Utah, the US. Theoretically, applying Köppen climate system classification, Bailey’s Domain and Division were applied to the United States, North America, and world continents. However, Canada’s continental upper level ecoregion framework defined the ecological Mozaic on a sub-continental scale, representing an area of the hierarchical ecological units characterized by interactive and adjusting abiotic and biotic factors. Using Bailey’s Domain as the top level of Canada’s territorial ecoregion was recommended. Eight levels of ELCs were established for Yukon Territory, Canada. Thus, the second study case recommends integrating the ecosystem approaches with Bailey’s upper level ECL, broad ecosystem classification, and objectively defined ecological site in different countries, or ecoregions. Our study cases had exemplified the implementations with a full ELCs in Bailey’s 300 Dry Domain and 100 Polar Domain.

Micropropagation and Cryopreservation of Yukon Draba (Draba yukonensis), a Special Concern Plant Species Endemic to Yukon Territory, Canada

Yukon Draba (Draba yukonensis) is a small, short-lived perennial mustard species that is endemic to southwestern Yukon in Canada. This plant has been categorized as a species of Special Concern. It faces the threat of habitat loss due to natural and man-made causes and a population that is unevenly distributed to a few large and several small subpopulations in the area. It will therefore be judicious to undertake investigations on the conservation of this species to save it from further deterioration which may lead to its extinction. In this study, a protocol was developed for in vitro propagation and cryopreservation of Yukon Draba. The micropropagation protocol was optimized using shoot tips which enabled clonal propagation and in vitro storage of the species. Shoots grew best in the medium containing MS basal salts and had the highest multiplication with the addition of 2 µM 6-benzylaminopurine or 5 µM Kinetin with 3% sucrose. The addition of 10 µM Indole Butyric Acid (IBA) produced the highest number of adventitious roots on the shoots and the longest root length was observed at 2 µM IBA. The rooted plantlets were transferred to greenhouse and the highest survival (87.5%) was observed for the plantlets treated with a lower concentration of IBA (2 µM). Cryopreservation protocol was developed using the droplet-vitrification method for in vitro shoot tips. Two-week-old shoots had the highest survival and regrowth following exposure to plant vitrification solution 3 (PVS3) for 30 min, prior to direct immersion of the droplets into the liquid nitrogen. The optimized protocols for the micropropagation and cryopreservation may be useful for the long-term germplasm conservation and reintroduction of this species in its natural habitat.

“The system is well intentioned, but complicated and fallible” interviews with caregivers and decision makers about palliative care in Canada

Background Canadian palliative care (PC) philosophy seeks to support individuals in a person-centered and sensitive manner. Unfortunately, philosophy does not necessarily translate into practice and this divide may leave patients without appropriate care at the end of life, causing distress for some families. The primary goal of the study was to identify key factors affecting perceptions of quality PC from the perspective of informal caregivers and decision makers (e.g., program managers) and to understand how their experiences within the health care system may have influenced their perceptions. Methods Nine caregivers and 11 decision makers from Yukon Territory, British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, & Nova Scotia shared their experiences in PC via interview or focus group. Audio recordings were transcribed verbatim and qualitatively analyzed for themes. Results Three themes emerged, including the Caregiver as Anchor, Bewildering System, and Patient, Caregiver, and Family-Centered Care. While these results resembled other studies on caregivers and individuals receiving PC, the present study also uncovered systemic concerns. There was agreement between the two participant groups across most subthemes, however only caregivers reported feelings of being trapped by the health care system and a general lack of respect from health care professionals. Additionally, caregivers stressed the importance of preserving some sort of normalcy in daily life despite the individual’s illness. Conclusions Caregivers are critical. The health care system expects them to help a great deal, but they often do not feel supported or respected and the system is lacking the capacity and resources to meet their needs while they are grieving loss and struggling to meet demands.

Ogilvie Platform Composite Tectono-Sedimentary Element

The Ogilvie Platform Composite Tectono-Sedimentary Element occupies an area of about 68,000 square kilometers in the northern part of the Yukon Territory of Canada and includes all Paleozoic- and Triassic-aged strata between a base of Cambrian unconformity and a base of Jurassic and Cretaceous unconformity. This cratonic platform is composed of two lithologically distinct sedimentary successions; a lower suite of peritidal, to shallow subtidal, carbonate-dominated, Cambrian- to Middle Devonian-aged units, and an upper succession of siliciclastic-dominated alluvial fan, shelf delta, nearshore, slope and basinal strata of Middle Devonian to Late Permian and Triassic age. The lower succession is composed of a syn-rift tectono-sedimentary element (TSE) and an overlying passive continental margin TSE. The upper succession is composed of an Ellesmerian orogenic foreland TSE and a syn-epeirogenic TSE. The total discovered oil reserve within the Ogilvie Platform is estimated to be 1.757 × 106 m3 (11.05 million barrels, or MMbbl) and the total discovered gas reserve is estimated to be 2.376 × 109 m3 (83.7 Bcf) in four oil and gas pools. A variety of stratigraphic and structural trap types have been assessed to contain additional conventional hydrocarbon reserves, with a total mean potential of 33.4 × 106 m3 (210.1 MMbbls) of oil and 33.4 × 109 m3 (2.63 Tcf) of gas. The organic-rich shale and siltstone-dominated petroleum source rock units, such as within the Road River Group, Canol and Ford Lake formations, and organic-rich strata within the Hart River and Blackie formations are also prospective for large reserves of unconventional oil and gas and have yet to be formally assessed.

Hydrological implications of vegetation change in a subarctic, alpine catchment, Yukon Territory, Canada

<p>As a result of altitude and latitude amplified impacts of climate change, widespread alterations in vegetation composition, density and distribution are widely observed across the circumpolar north. The influence of this vegetation change on the timing and magnitude of hydrological fluxes is uncertain, and is confounded by changes driven by increased temperatures and altered precipitation (P) regimes. In northern alpine catchments, quantification of total evapotranspiration (ET) and evaporative partitioning across a range of elevation-based ecosystems is critical for predicting water yield under change, yet remains challenging due to coupled environmental and phenological controls on transpiration (T). In this work, we analyze 6 years of surface energy balance, ET, and sap flow data at three sites along an elevational gradient in a subarctic, alpine catchment near Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada. These sites provide a space-for-time evaluation of vegetation shifts and include: 1) a low-elevation boreal white spruce forest (~20 m), 2) a mid-elevation subalpine taiga comprised of tall willow (Salix) and birch (Betula) shrubs (~1-3 m) and 3) a high-elevation subalpine taiga with shorter shrub cover (< 0.75 m) and moss, lichen, and bare rock. Specific objectives are to 1) evaluate interannual ET dynamics within and among sites under different precipitation regimes , and 2) assess the influence of vegetation type and structure, phenology, soil and meteorological controls on ET dynamics and partitioning.  Eddy covariance and sap flow sensors operated year-round at the forest and during the growing season at the mid-elevation site on both willow and birch shrubs for two years. Growing season ET decreased and interannual variability increased with elevation, with June to August ET totals of 250 (±3) mm at Forest, 192 (±9) mm at the tall shrub site, and 180 (± 26) mm at the short shrub site. Comparatively, AET:P ratios were the highest and most variable at the forest (2.4 ± 0.3) and similar at the tall and short shrub (1.2 ± 0.1).  At the forest, net radiation was the primary control on ET, and 55% was direct T from white spruce. At the shrub sites, monthly ET rates were similar except during the peak growing season when T at the tall shrub site comprised 89% of ET, resulting in greater total water loss. Soil moisture strongly influenced T at the forest, suggesting the potential for moisture stress, yet not at the shrub sites where there was no moisture limitation. Results indicate that elevation advances in treeline will increase overall ET and lower interannual variability; yet the large water deficit during summer implies a strong reliance on early spring snowmelt recharge to sustain soil moisture. Changes in shrub height and density will increase ET primarily during the mid-growing season. This work supports the assertion that predicted changes in vegetation type and structure will have a considerable impact on water partitioning in northern regions, and will also vary in a multifaceted way in response to changing temperature and P regimes.  </p>