Shrub Extent Monitoring in Kluane Alpine Tundra

Field sampling in late July or early August every five years tracks shrub expansion in the Kluane region of Yukon. Parks Canada monitors two sub-measures: percent cover of shrubs and height of tallest shrub. The data supports analysis of climate change impacts on alpine tundra vegetation and wildlife habitat.

Use Cases

• Analyze trends in percent cover of shrubs over time to model climate-driven vegetation shifts.
• Correlate height of tallest shrub measurements with habitat suitability for species like moose or ptarmigan.
• Use the five-year sampling intervals to project future shrub extent and upslope movement in the alpine tundra.

Strengths

• Data collection follows a standardized five-year interval, enabling longitudinal trend analysis.
• Focuses on two specific, measurable sub-measures: percent cover and shrub height.
• Produced by Parks Canada, an authoritative organization for ecological monitoring in Canadian national parks.

Limitations

• The dataset's temporal coverage and total number of observations (rows) are unspecified.
• Geographic scope is limited to the Kluane region, limiting broader applicability.
• Data granularity is restricted to periodic five-year snapshots, missing annual variability.

Provenance

Source

Parks Canada

Collection Method

Field sampling in alpine vegetation plots during late July/early August.

Time Range

Sampling occurs every five years; specific start year unknown.

Freshness

Updated as of March 2026, with data collection scheduled every five years.

Geography

Kluane region, Yukon, Canada.