On the Path to Becoming A Scientist

Jill Young, was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her father was in the Air Force, in turn she spent much of her childhood moving from place to place.

How do we assess vegetation health in the Tundra?

The Scientific Method in Action

Observe. Question. Hypothesize. Design. Collect Data. Analyze Data. Draw Conclusions. Share. Repeat.

Observation:

Many factors attribute to whether or not a seed will grow into a mature larch tree.

Fire Severity and Overcoming Obstacles

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." -Marcel Proust

Background Information:

What is carbon?

Ground Squirrels can be spotted everywhere around Toolik Field Station on a daily basis. They come across our path as we walk to the lab, or the run across the boardwalk as we head out to the plots or tram site.

Remote

Just how remote is Siberia? Evidence of the Arctic's seclusion from the rest of the world is scattered as far as the eye can see. What arrives in Cherskiy, Russia, rarely leaves. Rusting metal sweeps the landscape in waves. Abandoned ships and aircrafts float down river.

My last week in the Arctic has begun! Although I am sad, the team keeps me busy and I try to help out with whatever I can.

Permafrost is permanently frozen soil and you can find it underneath the entire North Slope of Alaska. It can be about 90-600 meters thick here, but near Toolik lake it is 200 meters thick.

The Arctic Circle: Where the Sun Never Sets

June 21st marks the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Banners line the streets and music blares from nearby tents. In Cherskiy, Siberia, the solstice marks a time to celebrate the sun and fertility.

Toolik Lake is a kettle lake, which means it was formed by the melting of large blocks of buried glacier ice. It is 1.5km2 and at its deepest it is 25 meters.

Two Food Webs

Benthic