This project will produce substantial new information on the role of climate in shaping arctic biodiversity and how it will respond to climate change. Specifically, we will collect and identify arthropods using standardized protocols along local and regional climatic gradients, stratified according to vegetation types in Greenland. We have already completed similar campaigns at Godthåbsfjorden (2013) and Young Sound (2014) and South Greenland (2014-2015). With this campaign, we wish to expand the number of sites by including Disko Island as well as repeat ambitious monitoring efforts from the past two years at Narsarsuaq, South Greenland.

The main objectives are:

1) To map the distribution of terrestrial arthropod species along multiple climatic gradients (slope/aspect,

altitude, and continentality) in relation to vegetation community types from a climatically extreme

environment.

2) To collect live specimens of the seed bug Nysius groenlandicus and multiple species of wolf spiders including Pardosa hyperborea and Pardosa furcifera to supplement lab populations for climate experiments.

Field Site: Disko and Narsarsuaq

PI: Toke T. Høye

Link to Isaaffik website