Introduction

Abstract

The ecosystems of the Arctic and Subarctic of northern Canada and Alaska are rapidly changing due to faster than expected climate warming and thawing permafrost, reshaping the land and releasing carbon gases. We provide new knowledge for aleocharine beetles in Northern Canada and Alaska and synthesize existing information, in order to provide the baseline information and diagnostic tools to facilitate future ecological studies and assessment of the susceptibility of these organisms to climate change. We gathered and studied all available specimens and records on species of aleocharine occurring in the study area (see Chap. 2), creating a comprehensive baseline data set for these species. This information is largely extracted from specimens currently housed in collections in Canada and USA (Alaska), and from the literature. Comprehensive ecological work on vertebrates and plants in the North, including responses to climate change, is possible because identification tools are available for these species. Our work will provide information and diagnostic tools to open up a new frontier of enquiry into Canada’s and Alaskan northern biodiversity.