Canada's Subarctic Lakes are Drying at a Rate Not Seen in the Past 200 Years

A drop in snowfall over the subarctic regions of Canada had led to drying of lakes in the region, according to researchers. This noticeable drying is a recent occurrence and cause for concern.

The collaborative study conducted by researchers at the Universite Laval, Wilfrid Laurier University, Brock University and the University of Waterloo, studied nearly 70 lakes near Old Crow Yukon, Churchill and Manitoba. Most of the lakes included in this study are less than one meter deep.

The researchers noticed that more than half of the lakes were on flat terrains and were bordered by scrubby vegetation revealing signs of desiccation (extreme state of dryness).

The major issue rises from the reduction in meltwater. The researchers explain that during 2010-2012 there was a reduction in the average winter precipitation in Churchill by 76 mm, which is less when compared to the average rate counted from 1971-2000. It was in 2010 that the drying of lakes were first noticed.

According to the study lead author, Frederic Bouchard, a postdoctoral fellow at Universite Laval, "With this type of lake, precipitation in the form of snow represents 30 percent to 50 percent of the annual water supply."

This kind of desiccation is quite recent and not seen in the last 200 years. Isotopic analyses conducted on the remains of phytoplanktons gathered in the sediments of the lakebeds reveal that the water balance in the lakes was well maintained for almost 200 years, the  stability was disrupted only in recent years . If this ongoing trend of extremely dry summers and less snowy winters continues, the researchers predict that most subarctic shallow lakes will dry out completely.

Bouchard concludes, "It's difficult to predict all the repercussions of this habitat loss, but it's certain that the ecological consequences will be significant."

The study was presented in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.