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BSES (British Schools Exploring
Society)
Trip to Greenland
Summer 2007
   
The main aims of this project were to introduce
young explorers to modern field work techniques through practical
experience, to investigate variation in vegetation with altitude and
provide a baseline record of vegetation in the Kugssuaq valley.
Secondary aims were to collect Normalised Difference Vegetation
Index (NDVI) readings and associated data with the potential for use
in future research relating satellite NDVI data to vegetation
characteristics for low arctic vegetation, to identify different
vegetation community types and investigate differences in average
NDVI between these.
Skye loaned the expedition a SpectroSense2+ logging meter NDVI
system, fitted with two 2-channel incident & reflected light
sensors, matched to the Red and Near Infra-red bands of the AHVRR
satellite.
Relative percentage cover of different functional vegetation groups
changed with altitude, as did species diversity with more deciduous
shrubs and diversity at higher altitudes. Variation in average NDVI
was found between five community types with willow scrub having the
highest NDVI and mossy heath the lowest. These NDVI records will be
made available online in the near future.
The young explorers gained experience in field techniques as well as
project planning, teamwork and communication.
The full science report
can be found by clicking
here and the students’ informal report can be found
by clicking
here.
More details on the British Schools Exploring Society can be found
at www.bses.org.uk
Skye would like to thank Jessica Abbott, the Bioscience group’s
Science Leader for this report and photographs.
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