Journal

The Hills Are Alive...

Today we set up OTCs (open top chambers) at Sagwon. Sagwon is about 1 1/2 hours north of Toolik. The drive to and from was beautiful and yielded views of caribou, muskox, and dall sheep. The dall sheep were too far away to photograph.

Muskox along the Dalton Highway
One of the muskox we saw today.
Caribou along the Dalton Highway
Caribou on the way to Sagwon on the Dalton Highway.

Also, before all the snow hit, this part of the tundra was already greening up and beginning to bloom. With the snow melted, wildflowers could be seen.

Wildfower along the Dalton Highway
Wildflowers were blooming!!
Wildfower along the Dalton HighwayWildfower along the Dalton Highway

Other incredible lichen and berries were visible too!

Lichen from the Sagwon ecotypes site
Lichen from the Sagwon ecotypes site.
Berries from the Sagwon ecotypes site
Berries are a readily available food source for many animals.
Finger Lichen at Sagwon
Finger lichen (Dactylina arctica). One of the few I can name!

At Sagwon, between intermittent ice showers, we were able to set up and stake down 24 OTCs. Navigating tussocks is tricky. They are unstable and don't seem to move the way you anticipate them to. Between pounding in tent stakes and rebar into permfrost and navigating the terrain, you look up and are treated to an amazing view that few people get to experience. Today was a good day to be in the arctic.

OTCs at Sagwon
Step One: Place the OTC over the experimental site and get your stake ready to attach. Photo by Matthew Simon.
OTCs at Sagwon
Step Two: Tread the screw through the hole and attach the washer and nut on the other side. Photo by Matthew Simon.
OTCs at Sagwon
Step Three: Find a nearby tussock to push the stake into. Use a 4 pound hammer to secure it into the permafrost. Do this two more times to secure the OTC. Photo by Matthew Simon.
Sagwon OTC site
The view at Sagwon is amazing.
Tussocks at Sagwon.
Each mound is a tussock. The ground in between is very squishy.

The Adventures Of Flat Cat

Today Flat Cat discovered the magical wall of candy here at Toolik.

Flat Cat #8
Flat Cat and the Wall of Candy.

Details
Author
Melissa Lau
Date
Location
Sagwon
Expedition
Phenology and Vegetation Change in the Warming Arctic
Weather Summary
Partly cloudy, cold, then warmer, then colder again...
Temperature
37
Wind Speed
6
Wind Chill
32

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Comments

Sun, 06/17/2018 - 11:05

michelle

I was in Alaska on vacation near Homer and hiked through the sphagnum forests that were also squishy. As a runner, I loved the bounce, but I suspect that trying to hammer into spongy stuff is a bit tricky. Thanks for the nice pictures. The lichen are really unique!

Sun, 06/17/2018 - 16:36

Melissa Lau

There is so much diversity out here. I'm surprised by the level of complexity among ecosystems and how quickly they change from one to the
other in just a few meters!

On 6/17/18 11:05 AM, PolarTREC wrote: