A5057374711- Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
- Mercury impact and mitigation studies
- Climate change and permafrost
- Soil erosion and sediment transport
- Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
- Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
- Groundwater flow and contamination studies
- Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact
- Coal and Its By-products
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Hydrology and Sediment Transport Processes
- Lichen and fungal ecology
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
- Methane Hydrates and Related Phenomena
- Soil and Unsaturated Flow
- Bryophyte Studies and Records
- Heavy metals in environment
- Water Resources and Management
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Flood Risk Assessment and Management
- Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment
Nipissing University
2023-2024
McMaster University
2021-2023
University of Toronto
2018-2022
The Scarborough Hospital
2019-2022
University of Waterloo
2012-2020
ABSTRACT Maintaining sufficiently high surface (capitula) soil‐water pressures to avoid the draining of hyaline cells (desiccation) is paramount hummock‐forming Sphagnum species' survival; however, mechanisms capitula water supply are poorly understood. This study investigates how hydraulic characteristics different species ( fuscum , rubellum and magellanicum ) contribute desiccation avoidance, on basis numerical simulations parameterized with measured soil for each species. Although having...
Peatlands are wetlands that provide important ecosystem services including carbon sequestration and water storage respond to hydrological, biological, biogeochemical processes. These processes strongly influenced by the complex pore structure of peat soils. We explore literature on implications for biogeochemical, microbial in peat, highlighting gaps our current knowledge a path move forward. Peat is an elastic multi-porous structured organic soil. Surficial (near-surface) peats typically...
Abstract The Bois‐des‐Bel peatland was restored in the winter of 1999; since then, an ~15–20 cm Sphagnum moss carpet has regenerated over site, but it is currently unknown how structure and cutover peat influences hydrology Bois‐des‐Bel. This study evaluates hydrophysical properties Bois‐des‐Bel, based on a combination field monolith experiments at (RES), natural (NAT) unrestored (UNR) site. lowest soil moisture RES 0.09 3 −3 , while 0.20 NAT. These results were similar both individual core...
Abstract Metal mining and smelting activities are one of the largest anthropogenic sources arsenic pollution to environment, with pervasive consequences human environmental health. Several decades metal processing near Yellowknife, NT, Canada have resulted in widespread accumulation biomass, soils, sediments, exceeding health limits. The landscape surrounding Yellowknife is frequently disturbed by wildfire, most recently 2023, when 2500 km 2 burned. While wildfire-mediated release stored...
Peatlands are potent landscape sinks of natural and industrial toxic metals metalloids (TMMs) but the long-term sequestration TMMs in peatlands is at increasing risk due to climate change enhanced peatland fires. The ability retain results from a host interacting hydrological, biological, geomorphological, chemical feedbacks, which underpin functionality general. Fire transformative force that often disrupts these interactions leading potential release our air, land, water. Given wildfire...
Peatland ecosystems, while covering only ~3% of the land surface area, are globally-important sinks atmospheric carbon dioxide and regionally-important pollutants such as toxic metals metalloids. While metal concentrations in peatlands generally low, can be far higher near current historic industrial centres, particularly upper few decimetres peat profile. Under normal conditions these remain safely sequestered peat. However, there is concern that, addition to direct emissions, peatland...
Sphagnum moss plays an important role in regulating toxic metal and metalloid mobility by influencing peatland pH, dissolved organic matter composition, ecohydrology. However, historical pollution has led to the absence of peatlands many landscapes globally. Other often co-occurring pollutants, like sulphate, alter biogeochemistry, leading enhanced peat decomposition altering Furthermore, these polluted landscapes, metals metalloids are preferentially stored soils relative mineral soil...
Climate change is increasing boreal biome drying, area-burned, wildfire intensity, and burn severity as evidenced by the unprecedented 2023 Canadian season (>15 Mha burned). Of particular concern in wildfires are deep burning smouldering peat fires that can switch peatlands to net emitters of atmospheric carbon. Less studied effects on water-borne carbon deleterious impacts downstream water quality burned area recovers post-fire. To better understand northern peatlands, we investigated...
Peatlands have been widely recognised as important carbon stores, ecological habitats and natural hydrological buffers. However, comparatively less attention has given to the role of peatlands long-term stores pollutants, particularly toxic metals metalloids (TMMs). Furthermore, potential for their release is poorly understood. An improved understanding TMM distribution in critical, because climate warming risks increasing mobilisation, through enhanced decomposition changes processes, with...
Industrial contamination has profoundly impacted peatland ecosystems, degrading their biodiversity and essential functions such as carbon sequestration. The Sudbury region in Ontario, Canada is one of the world's largest metal mining centres historically global point source sulfur pollution serves a critical case study for understanding addressing these impacts. Peatlands closest to sources have suffered extensive degradation, with keystone vegetation, including Sphagnum mosses, locally...
Core Ideas Determining unsaturated hydraulic conductivity in highly compressible porous media. Method comparison between uniform and non-uniform soil water pressure gradients. Hydrophysical parameter measurement living undecomposed Sphagnum moss. Update on Price et al 2008 (DOI: 10.2136/sssaj2007.0111N) improvements to method. Highly soil, such as moss peat, undergo volume change with varying volumetric content (θ) pressures (ψ), so typical methods for determining (Kunsat) non-compressible...
Abstract Large peatland complexes dominate the landscape of James Bay Lowland in subarctic Ontario, Canada. However, there is not a thorough understanding hydrological processes occurring these important systems, particularly how ladder fens connect large domed bogs to aquatic ecosystems that drain complex. Ladder consist pool‐rib topography where flow downgradient controlled by peat ribs. Within ribs, low‐lying preferential paths typically enhance transmission water, whereas elevated ridge...
Abstract Peatlands are sources of bioaccumulating neurotoxin methylmercury (MeHg) that is linked to adverse health outcomes. Yet, the compounding impacts climate change and reductions in atmospheric pollutants on mercury (Hg) export from peatlands highly uncertain. We investigated response annual flow‐weighted concentrations (FWC) yields total‐Hg (THg) MeHg cleaner air using an unprecedented hydroclimatic (55‐year; streamflow, temperature, precipitation, peatland water tables), depositional...
Abstract Mercury (Hg) in forest runoff varies geographically and relation to silvicultural practices. There is also considerable uncertainty about how management practices, such as residual biomass removal, affect Hg mobilization, downgradient cumulative effects. In this study, total Hg, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), sulfate (SO 4 2− ) mobilization were compared among unharvested harvested hillslopes with without peat soil invertebrate methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations assessed a...