Spectral albedo and summer ground temperature of herbaceous and shrub tundra vegetation at Bylot Island, Canadian High-Arctic

These data are in support of a preprint: 

Comparing spectral albedo and NDVI of herbaceous and shrub tundra vegetation at Bylot Island, Canadian High-Arctic

Florent Domine, Maria-Belke-Brea, Ghislain Picard, Laurent Arnaud, and Esther Lévesque

To be submitted in 2023. 

The spectral albedo of several vegetation assemblages on Bylot Island and in Mala River valley on nearby Baffin Island were recorded between 10 and 18 July 2015. The spectral range covered was 346 to 2400 nm. Surfaces were classified according to the main vegetation types. Classes used are graminoids, moss, Salix arctica, soil, and Salix richardsonii. S. richardsonii is the only truly erect species on Bylot Island. Transmission spectra of radiation through the S. richardsonii canopy were also recorded. S. richardsonii spectra were different depending on the location where they were measured and we present spectra for sites in active parts of an alluvial fan (Salix-G2), an inactive part of an alluvial fan (Salix-D1) and in a mesic area on Mala River Valley (Salix-M). We also present typical relative solar irradiance spectra recorded at Bylot Island during the campaign, under clear and overcast conditions. In conjunction with spectral albedo data, these irradiance spectra allow the calculation of the broadband (BB) albedo of the vegetation types and to compare BB albedo values under identical irradiance conditions.  83 spectra were recorded: 39 for S. richardsonii and 44 for low vegetation and soil. 17 transmission spectra under S. richardsonii were recorded. We present here only averages for each vegetation type. We also present averages for all low vegetation types and for all S. richardsonii spectra, to allow the calculation of the radiative impact of erect shrubs at Bylot Island. 

We also present soil temperature data at 15 cm depth for the spots GRASS (mostly Salix Arctica), TUNDRA (Mostly moss), SALIX-D1 (Salix richardsonii) and SALIX-F (Salix richardsonii). SALIX-F is similar to SALIX-G2. The data are during summer 2020. 

The locations of the various spots investigated are: 

Spot name  Latitude  Longitude Vegetation types found

TUNDRA 73.150° -80.004° Humid and moist polygons with low vegetation dominated by mosses, graminoids, S. arctica and S. herbacea.

PLAINE 73.167° -79.915° Low vegetation and bare soil patches caused by cryoturbation (mudboils) with mosses, graminoids and S. arctica.

GRASS 73.158° -79.907° Low vegetation between patches of S. richardsonii dominated by S. arctica, with litter, mosses, graminoids and occasional bare soil.  

SALIX-D1 73.158° -79.907° Scattered patches of S. richardsonii <35 cm tall. Understory is mosses, graminoids, litter, S. arctica and bare soil.

SALIX-M 73.006° -80.685° Mesic area with patches of S. richardsonii 35 to 40 cm tall. Understory includes moss, graminoids and litter. Between patches: herb tundra with graminoids and mosses. The area is not within an alluvial fan.

SALIX-G2 73.168° -79.812° Extended area in an alluvial fan with S. richardsonii >40 cm. Understory includes litter, mosses, graminoids, bare soil, S. arctica and S. reticulata.

SALIX-F 73.182° -79.745° Similar to SALIX-G2. Ground temperature is monitored there. No spectral data were recorded at that site.