Climate change and tundra plants

Christine Spencer has studied the effects of climate change on tundra plants here at Yukon University. She completed two directed studies in the Northern Environmental and Conservation Sciences program and has held several student research positions at YukonU.

In 2018, Christine began working with the YukonU Research Centre collecting data on tundra plants to understand their response to climate change through the Student Training and Employment Program (STEP). This program is offered by the Government of Yukon to help students work in a field relevant to their education. The program offers positions every summer, the applications of which open December of the year prior.

Her work in the STEP program sparked her interest and resulted in her completing two directed studies focused on the tundra plant research with the International Tundra Experiment (ITEX), that monitors the effects of global warming on tundra plants. It is a collaborative research project across various polar and alpine locations globally. Her outstanding addition to this international project awarded her an ACUNS scholarship, which was then followed by two more years of data collection.

Most recently, Christine won a scholarly activity grant from Yukon University, which allowed her to continue her work with ITEX this summer. The scholarly activity grant is funding available to YukonU staff and students that allows them to conduct northern-focused, niche research.

Watch for student research opportunities or speak with an instructor about how to develop a directed study at YukonU.