The Land
Southwest Anderson Plain
(in detail)
(Part II)
by
Jean-Luc Pilon
NOGAP Archaeologist
Canadian Museum of Civilization
Vegetation
Within the southwest Anderson Plain there is a great deal of
heterogeneity in the modern vegetation. It varies according to local
topography which in turn affects local soil drainage. Similarly, recent
local events such as forest fires greatly alter the composition of the
vegetation. In general the assemblage is dominated by black and white
spruce respectively (Picea glauca or mariana ). Other
arboreal species of significance are paper birch (Betula papyrifera),
american aspen (Populus tremuloides), balsam poplar (Populus
balsamifera) and tamarack (Larix laricana) (Ritchie
1984:chap.4;Rowe 1959:28). Shrub species often include willows(Salix
sp.), alder (Alnus sp.), dwarf birch (Betula glandulosa),
rose (Rosa sp.), Labrador Tea (Ledum sp.). Finally
various mosses (especially Sphagnum), lichens (various
Cladonia sp.) grasses and sedges can be found. Over much of
the landscape which we visited, the forest is easily characterized as an
open woodland.
Climate
Considering the latitude of the study area--between approximately 67 and 69 degrees North-- the climate is not as severe as it is further east in the Northwest Territories. Examination of weather maps clearly indicate the effect that Hudson's Bay has on weather patterns north of 60 ; it acts to depress the Arctic weather systems. The following table provides a synopsis of the weather conditions prevaling today in the research area (Fletcher and Young n.d.).| Climatic Data for the southwest Anderson Plain | |
|---|---|
| Mean annual temperature | 10 to 20 F (-6.7 to -12 C) |
| Mean January temperature range | -30 to -15 F (-34.4 to -23.3 C) |
| Mean April temperature range | 0 to 25 F (-17.8 to -4 C) |
| Mean July temperature range | 45 to 70 F (7.2 to 21 C) |
| Mean October temperature range | 10 to 30 F (-9.4 to -1 C) |
| Number of Frost-Free Days | 80-100 |
| Mean Annual Precipitation | 5-15 inches |
| Mean Annual Snowfall | 40-50 inches |
| Mean Snowfall-Dec.Jan.Feb. | 10-30 inches |
| Mean Snowfall-Mar.Apr.May | 10-20 inches |
| Mean Snowfall-Jun.Jul.Aug. | 0-5 inches (least in July) |
| Mean Snowfall-Sep.Oct.Nov. | 20-30 inches (greatest in October) |
| Mean Precipitation-Jun.Jul.Aug. | 4-5 inches |
| Mean Precipitation-Sep.Oct.Nov. | 2-3 inches |
| Primary Wind Directions | |
| December, January, February | |
| Tuktoyuktuk | East |
| Inuvik | East |
| South Delta | North-West |
| June, July, August | |
| Tuktoyuktuk | East |
| Inuvik | North-West |
| South Delta | North-West |
At more than 67 degrees of latitude, summers
witness 24 hours of sunlight and the opposite is true in winter months
with 24 hours of darkness at the end of December. This photograph is of
the school yard in Inuvik at 9 a.m. in early March.
It must be pointed out that there are no meteorologial stations in the southwest Anderson Plain. Rather, the closest stations are located in the Mackenzie Delta (Inuvik and a station in the southern Delta), at Tuktoyaktuk and at Fort Good Hope. The temperature data spans the period from 1948 to 1973, while the precipitation and wind direction information ends in 1972.
Animal Resources
Detailed lists of the bird, fish and mammal species found in the
general area of the Mackenzie Delta, including much of the southwest
Anderson Plain, can be found in Martell et al. (1984). In many respects
the species found in the southwest Anderson Plain are the same as those
found elsewhere in the Subarctic, with some differences in the numbers
and concentrations. Information relating to caribou and certain
species of migratory waterfowl (whistling swan, snow and white-fronted
geese) indicate that this area is particularly important either as
wintering range in the case of caribou or as staging areas during spring
migrations in the case of the latter avian species (Canada n.d.).
In recent years the numbers of caribou wintering around Tenlen Lake
have been large enough to allow their commercial harvesting. In a one
week period, during the late winter months of the early 1980s, up to
eight Twin Otters were filled with dressed caribou carcases (Albert
Adams, personal communication 1985). We have observed numerous signs
indicating the use of caribou in the winter, such as droppings and shed
antler. Although Martell et al. mention the presence of moose in
the region, it does not appear to be well represented. This conflicts
somewhat with our experience over the last three summers. Encounters
and sighting were perhaps far and few between, but they did occur with
regularity. Land Use Information Series maps (Canada n.d.) show
some areas as important for the domestic fisheries. Such information is
based on the recent, limited use of the region and presumably detailed
studies of these resources would indicate that much of the region
contains good fish stocks.
