Yukon's 2017 'Bioblitz' identifies 30 new species

A celebration of Yukon's biodiversity turned up dozens of species never before recorded in the territory, and helped paint a picture of the territory's unique flora and fauna.

Results are starting to come in from the2017Bioblitz, which was heldin a small corner ofKluaneNational ParknearA'ayChu, or the Slims River.About 70 people attended, including 55 experts.

Their goal? Toscour the tundra for a weekendidentifying as many species as possible.

Places like Kluane National Park are hotspots for biodiversity, according to Parks Canada biologist Carmen Wong,and owing to the remoteness of these places, they remain largely unexplored by scientists.

"It's incredible, we're still finding things new to science,"said Wong.

"We do not know everything about these environments and that really is mind blowing So, it just means we have to look harder and understand more about where we're living."

Wong refers to the Bioblitz as "a big treasure hunt," an event which takes place in a new region of the Yukon every year.

Parks Canada, along with a number of partners,held 35 Bioblitz events across the country last year, in celebration of Canada 150.

• 'It's a treasure hunt': BioBlitz takes over PEInational park
• A blitz for biology: Mapping B.C.'s wildlife to mark Canada 150

Wong said almost 900 different species were identified in the park, 30 of which have never been recorded in the territory. She addedthat a third of all the plant species in Yukon and a quarter of all Yukon's spiders were found during the blitz.

'A hotspot for biodiversity'

"We knew from past collections that there were interesting things there,"Wong said. "It's a bit of a hotspot for biodiversity in Yukon."

She attributes the abundance of unique flora and fauna in this particular region to the lasting impacts ofBeringia.

According to Syd Cannings, a species at risk biologist with the Canadian Wildlife Service,the unglaciated portion of the Yukon used to be isolated from the rest of North Americaand was essentially part of Asia for tens of thousands of years.

"You kind of don't think there's any options for discovering new things to science. And this effort, over the last year, really emphasizes that's not true. Particularly for the insect world," Wong said.

After the searching comes to an end, a list is composited with all the species that were identified. That list then goes to the Yukon Conservation Data Centre, to update existing records.

Bruce Bennett, who works with the data centre,helped to co-ordinate the event. When asked to describe the results, Bennett's face drewinto a big grin.

"Each year has been getting better and better,"he said.

Bennett said one of the most interesting finds from this year's blitz is a small alpine spider. He said the specimen is completely new to science, and was never before recorded anywhere else on Earth and the surprises don't stop there.

• Peregrine falcon recovery 'astounding,' says Yukon biologist

He said that spiders were a big part of the findings in 2017, partially owing to the attendance of a handful of an arachnid experts from the Royal British Columbia Museum. Bennett said 77 spider species were found, one of which is new to North America and a number of others havenever been seen before in the Yukon.

There were also two new mosquitoes identified, Bennett added.

"We are one of the last undiscovered places. That's why there's such a huge interest among scientists," he said.

Buzzing with excitement over bumble bee

Scientists also identified an endemic species of bumble bee last year which is found only in the Kluane region, and a small area near Denali, Alaska.

The bee was first identified as a new species in 2016, but Wong said the Bioblitz results indicate the bee is much more common than scientists originally thought.

Bombuskluanensis, as it's been aptly named, is distinguishable from other bumble bees by its large cheeks and perhaps the fact that it lives near one of the largest icefields on the planet.

While the discovery may not seem like a big deal, it turns out the chances of discovering a new species of bumble bee is quite a long shot.

"It's the first new bumble bee to be [discovered]in North America in over 80 years,"Bennett said.

"It was a great chance to make a snapshot of what was there at the time. It serves as a benchmark [for future studies] and it really helps us manage our natural environment and capture those changes."

Bennett said he's hoping to find a few more new species during this year's event, currently scheduled for June 28in Tombstone Territorial Park.

• MORE NORTH NEWS |Beavers on the tundra? Yukon biologists see the unexpected
• MORE NORTH NEWS | Long-lost brothers find each other, and their huge Yukon family