Anatomical anomaly data for Alnus alnobetula and Salix spp. collected from the Inuvialuit Settlement region, 2022-2024
GB/NERC/BAS/PDC/02160
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Summary
Abstract:
This dataset contains categorical records of blue ring and frost ring anomalies identified in cross sections from sampled living tundra shrubs, Alnus alnobetula and Salix spp., from riparian sites along a latitudinal transect. Data were collected in the Inuvialuit Settlement region during field campaigns in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Each column represents an individual shrub, and each row corresponds to a calendar year. Years of anomaly occurrence result from ring growth width crossdating following established shrub dendrochronological methods. Entries record the presence, type, and relative intensity of intra-annual ring anomalies. The dataset enables comparisons of growth disturbances and climate related stress events constraining shrub growth in Low Arctic tundra. These data were collected as part of the Beavers and Socio-ecological Resilience in Inuit Nunangat (BARIN) project. Funding was provided by the UK Research and Innovation Canada Inuit Nunangat UK Arctic research programme (CINUK) grant NE/X002578/1.
Keywords:
Arctic Vegetation, Blue rings, Dendrochronology, Frost rings, Tree Rings, Wood Anatomy
Citation
Hole, G., Buntgen, U., Buchwal, A., & Wheeler, H.C. (2026). Anatomical anomaly data for Alnus alnobetula and Salix spp. collected from the Inuvialuit Settlement region, 2022-2024 (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/10c117b5-37ef-4651-b948-14be40cc8216
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ASSOCIATED DATA SET(S)
- https://doi.org/10.5285/2ae27286-5730-42e4-a415-b62504b493c0
- https://doi.org/10.5285/b77627b1-712a-4c81-868f-c4c0a33a851d
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Constraints
| Access Constraints: | This dataset is under embargo until publication of the associated manuscript. |
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| Use Constraints: | This data is governed by the NERC data policy (http://www.nerc.ac.uk/research/sites/data/policy/) and supplied under Open Government Licence v.3 (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/). |
Basic Information
| Creation Date: | 2026-03-04 |
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| Dataset Progress: | Complete |
| Dataset Language: | English |
| ISO Topic Categories: |
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| Parameters: |
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| Personnel: | |
| Name | UK Polar Data Centre |
| Role(s) | Metadata Author |
| Organisation | British Antarctic Survey |
| Name | Georgia M Hole |
| Role(s) | Technical Contact, Investigator |
| Organisation | Anglia Ruskin University |
| Name | Ulf Buntgen |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | University of Cambridge |
| Name | Agata Buchwal |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Name | Helen C Wheeler |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | Anglia Ruskin University |
| Parent Dataset: | N/A |
Additional Information
| Reference: | Hole, G.M., Büntgen, U., Wang, Y., DeVries, B., Rees, W.G., Wheeler, H. (2025). Dendrochronology and remote sensing reveal beaver occupancy and colonization dynamics in an expanding Arctic population (2025). Ecosphere [In Press]. Hole, G.M., Büntgen, U., Buchwal, A., Rees, W.G., Wheeler, H. Thermal thresholds constrain lignification and frost injury in Low Arctic shrubs of northwestern Canada. [In review]. |
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| Quality: | Dating of years of anomalies for Alnus and Salix are determined by crossdating of growth rings, which exhibit significant overall interseries correlations and EPS >= 0.85 for the common period represented by at least five individuals. | |
| Lineage/Methodology: | Sample collection of Alnus alnobetula and Salix spp. was undertaken in the Inuvialuit Settlement region during field campaigns in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Data collection was undertaken within the wider BARIN project collaborative environment - which adhered to CARE principles including contributing to advancing Inuit governance in research according to the National Inuit Strategy on Research priority areas. Collaboration with Indigenous experts underpinned the project including Inuit co-development and management of the project, and direct consultation with and co-investigation by the Fisheries Joint Management Committee and Joint Secretariat organisations. Relevant work permits were obtained for work on Inuvialuit private lands, as well as approval from local Hunters and Trappers Committees (HTCs) where updates were provided regularly at HTC board meetings. Via work with community researchers, knowledge was also regularly informally shared and informed the research process. Key project datasets are shared amongst all project partners and stored in ways that allow access and joint control for academic and Inuvialuit partners. Shrub stems were sampled from living erect canopy-forming shrubs. Collected shrubs were then subsampled into discs, and further split into subsamples of sufficient size for microslides. Subsamples were soaked in water for at least 24 hours before preparing 10-20 micrometre thick cross-sections with a GSL1 microtome. Thin sections were then bleached in 10 percent sodium hypochlorite for 10 min to decolour cell walls, rinsed, and stained with a 1:2 Safranin-Astra Blue solution. After staining, they were progressively dehydrated in 50, 75, and 99 percent ethanol, mounted in Canada balsam under cover slips, and cured in an oven at 60 degrees celsius for at least 24 hours. Prepared slides were cleaned of excess balsam and digitised at 25x magnification via a Leica DM 2000 compound microscope with mounted Canon EOS 750D DSLR. Resulting images of thin or sanded sections were stitched into full slides or sections using PTGui and Adobe Photoshop. Shrub ring widths (SRW) were measured from calibrated stitched images using the open-source platform ImageJ. Following cross-dating of each annual ring growth measurement to a corresponding calendar year, anatomical anomalies observed in growth rings were logged and categorised. BR and FR were counted and categorized for both taxa. We distinguished two BR types: complete blue rings (BR), and partial blue rings (pBR). BR were defined as a shrub ring with a visible layer of completely blue, and thus unlignified cell walls or with blue inner cell walls. BR and pBR were categorised by severity, based on whether blue-stained tissue formed a continuous zone affecting both inner and outer cell walls, or a discontinuous and/or limited portion of cell walls with a less pronounced reduction in lignification. FR are defined as xylem anomalous callous tissue, formed due to damage by freezing during the growth period. We distinguished frost rings (FR) and partial frost rings (pFR) based on proportion of affected cells and extent of frost damaged tissue. Full FR are defined by severe collapse and deformity in cells and rays, and significant continuity of the anomalous zone around the section circumference. BR and FR were also categorized by position in the earlywood or latewood. In some cases, BR or FR formed extensive anomalous zones such as thinned blue cell walls or severe frost damage that did not achieve full circumferential continuity. These were classified as complete BRs or FRs due to the extent and severity of the anomalous tissue. Other noted anomalous features were noted, such as light wood tissue and damaged tissue. |
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Locality
| Temporal Coverage: | |
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| Start Date | 2022-01-01 |
| End Date | 2024-12-31 |
| Spatial Coverage: | |
| Latitude | |
| Southernmost | 68.556 |
| Northernmost | 69.351 |
| Longitude | |
| Westernmost | 133.777 |
| Easternmost | -132.894 |
| Altitude | |
| Min Altitude | N/A |
| Max Altitude | N/A |
| Depth | |
| Min Depth | N/A |
| Max Depth | N/A |
| Location: | |
| Location | Canada |
| Detailed Location | Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Northwest Territories |
Instrumentation
| Sensor(s): |
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Storage
| Data Storage: | Files are ordered by genus (salix/alnus). Sample IDs follow the structure 'locality.site.genus_code.sampling_number_key', where: - locality indicates sampling locality (ITH = Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway transect, TVC = Trail Valley Creek) - site: numbered sites, indicating whether sampling was undertaken around a dam, lodge, or dam and lodge complex. D = dam, L = lodge. DL = dam-lodge complex. LR = lodge reference (no lodge present but suitable geographic setting). U = unspecified. DLO = old, relict dam-lodge complex. - genus_code = genus of sample if determined during sampling (W=Willow, A=Alder, U=unspecified). - sampling_number_key: Numerical ID of collected sample, unique per site. E.g. ITH.L3.A.11 indicates an alder sample collected from the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway transect from Lodge site 3. Sample IDs can be cross-referenced with the related BARIN shrub inventories and RWI datasets. Entries: BEW/pBEW = earlywood full blue ring / partial blue ring BLW/pBLW = latewood full blue ring / partial blue ring FEW/pFEW = earlywood full frost ring / partial frost ring FLW/pFLW = latewood full frost ring / partial frost ring LEW/LLW = light earlywood/light latewood DEW/pDEW = damaged earlywood / partial damaged earlywood DLW/pDLW = damaged latewood / partial damaged latewood DR/pDR = damaged ring / partial damaged ring NA = no rings for that year None = no anomalies found |
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