©Govt NWT

…As permafrost thaws across the Arctic, the ground under these trees becomes unstable, causing trees to tilt or even sink into the newly boggy ground. And when drunken forests eventually die, the disruptive impact on the ecosystem extends to water quality, because dead trees falling into nearby bodies of water release carbon and mercury as they decompose. That’s why researchers at the Scotty Creek Research Station are monitoring drunken forests, as well as other signs of climate change, including water quality, soil biogeochemistry, greenhouse gas fluxes and soil carbon storage. …The station is located just over 60 kilometres south of Fort Simpson, and started as a seasonal camp in 1999 before becoming an all-season research facility in 2003. Since then, the station has had to move twice because of rapid permafrost thaw, which caused the land around the station to become increasingly boggy.