Polar Bear Pass
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Polar Bear Pass is a 262,400 hectare wetland and mountain pass on Bathurst Island in Nunavut, Canada, and an International Biological Program site. It was designated a Ramsar site on May 24, 1982,[1] and a National Wildlife Area in 1990.[1] Its name is derived from the polar bears that migrate through the region between March and November each year.[2] The site is on federal Crown land, and is administered by the Canadian Wildlife Service, a division of Environment Canada, with respect to the Canada Wildlife Act's National Wildlife Area Regulations. Land use is also subject to the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement.[1] The area's boundaries are being reviewed. To the north is the area for the proposed Tuktusiuqvialuk National Park.[3]
The wetland exists within a tundra desert in the high Arctic. It is a staging area for migratory birds, as well as a breeding area for numerous bird species. The large insect population is an ample food source for these birds.
Various water features are located throughout the site, including lakes, tundra ponds and meadows. Vegetation consists primarily of "grasses, sedges, mosses and lichens"[2], as well as a diversity of flowering plants.
An ecological research station is located on the site. Various studies have been conducted in the area, including those on the endangered Peary Caribou by the Canadian Wildlife Service. Currently, the territorial government is funding studies on muskoxen and caribou in the region.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Polar Bear Pass National Wildlife Area, Nunavut - Ramsar Site. Environment Canada. Retrieved on 2008-01-27.
- ^ a b The Annotated Ramsar List: Canada. The Annotated Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance. Ramsar Convention Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-27.
- ^ National Parks in Nunavut. The Atlas of Canada. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved on 2008-01-27.
