Research Areas and Needs
If you have any questions or if you would like to express interest regarding research domains and the territory under study, funding opportunities or the Uapishka Station’s research logistical support, please contact Charles Gignac, Senior Project Manager, by email at cgignac@rmbmu.com or by phone at 418-296-1517, extension 1007. To download the complete research needs guide (in French), click here.
Vegetation and ecosystem
General knowledge development needs
-
Study and monitoring of the impact of climate change on northern ecosystems
-
Monitoring of ecosystem integrity in the protected areas of the research territory
-
Phenology of species of Innu cultural value and threatened species in characteristic vegetation areas across the territory
Specific knowledge development needs
-
Study of the ecological carrying capacity of the Uapishka (Groulx) Mountains
-
Study on the impact of motorized and non-motorized recreational and tourism activities on the vegetation cover (hikers, snowmobilers, etc.) – (ongoing project)
-
-
Inventory and monitoring of threatened plant species in the Uapishka (Groulx) Mountains)
-
Inventory of sectors with basophile plant potential
-
-
Inventory and monitoring of lichens in patches of arctic-alpine tundra and lichen heathlands
-
Establishment of a system to monitor the ecological integrity of lichen arctic-alpine tundra patches and heathlands over the short and long term to understand ecosystem response and climate change vulnerability
-
-
Dendrochronology study on trees and shrubs
-
Study and development of approaches or tools for the protection of plant species and their habitat
Fields
Botany | Plant biology | Forest ecology | Alpine ecology | Environmental sciences | Phenology | Dendrochronology | Citizen and participatory science
Nitassinan: territoriality and culture
General knowledge development needs
-
Development of conditions to ensure the protection, maintenance and enhancement of Innu Aitun on Nitassinan (ongoing project)
-
Development of tools to monitor the stewardship of Nitassinan and spatial information systems (ongoing project)
Specific knowledge development needs
-
Study and development of Innu-based approaches or tools for the protection, development and management of the territory and its resources
-
Study, identification, protection and enhancement of Innu historical, cultural and heritage sites (ongoing project)
-
Structuring of spatial information about the research territory and Nitassinan (ongoing project)
-
Digital elevation model (e. g.: topography, infrastructure, hydrology)
-
Map tracking of territory use and development and anthropogenic disturbances (e.g.: logging, abandoned mining sites)
-
Fields
Archaeology | Sociology | Anthropology | Morphology | Human geography | Geology | Forest ecology | Tourism | Geomatics | Citizen and participatory science
Nitassinan wildlife
General knowledge development needs
-
Study, ongoing inventory and distribution of land and water wildlife species populations essential to Innu Aitun
-
Study, ongoing inventory and distribution of land and water wildlife species populations threatened or at risk
Specific knowledge development needs
-
Study and development of approaches and tools to enhance Indigenous knowledge and participation (e.g.: wildlife monitoring and surveillance)
-
Study and documentation of Innu knowledge about wildlife species and their habitats
-
Study of the woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou)
-
Study of Innu knowledge about woodland caribou management and decision-making support
-
Ongoing inventories and distribution of populations (ongoing project);
-
Study of climate change impact on caribou habitat and food sources
-
Impact of anthropogenic disturbances on caribou habitat (forest management practices, resort vacationing, motorized and non-motorized recreational and tourism activities, road and industrial development, etc.)
-
Monitoring and study of fragmented habitat restoration
-
Predator-prey interactions with major predators (gray wolf, black bear, etc.) (ongoing project)
-
Study of woodland caribou connectivity needs
-
Fields
Land biology | Animal biology | Wildlife management | Forest ecology | Alpine ecology | Citizen and participatory science
Climate and hydrological monitoring
General knowledge development needs
Basic climate and hydrological parameters (ongoing projects)
Specific knowledge development needs
-
Setup of a climate data collection system at the Uapishka Station and in the Uapishka (Groulx) Mountains (ongoing projects)
Fields
Climatology and climate change | Hydrology | Limnology | Environmental sciences | Forest ecology | Alpine ecology
-
Air temperature
-
Air humidity
-
Wind speed
-
Wind direction
-
Atmospheric pressure
-
Precipitations
-
Snow cover (snow depth)
-
pH and water conductivity