A5033101171- Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
McMaster University
2019-2024
Northern peatlands store ~500 Pg C and are important ecosystems for global climate regulation. Wildfire is the largest natural disturbance to within Boreal Plains of western Canada. Historically, low-severity fires in this region release less carbon than accumulates over a fire return interval (~120 years), allowing maintain their sink function. While peat combustion (measured as depth burn; DOB) typically low, ranging from 5-10 cm (representing emissions ~1 kg m-2), during prolonged...
The Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System (CFFDRS), and in particular the Weather Index (FWI), are tools used widely across Canada globally for assessing wildfire potential predicting behaviour. While FWI system has been readily utilized a number of different forest stand types, use to represent or behaviour peatlands shown be less effective, especially case smouldering (flameless) peat fires. This is, part, due wide variation properties hydrological responses meteorological forcings...
Peatlands are globally important long-term sinks of carbon, however there is concern that climate change-mediated drought will weaken their carbon sink function due to enhanced decomposition and moss moisture stress. Furthermore, heightened also increase peat combustion loss during wildfire leading peatland degradation a potential ecosystem regime shift. Despite research developments on ecohydrological tipping points in semi-arid ecosystems, peatlands the wet end continuum has been...
Northern peatlands provide important ecosystem services and while these ecosystems are facing large increases in the frequency severity of climate-mediated disturbances (e.g., wildfire, drought), they generally resilient to disturbances. Numerous autogenic feedbacks operate within that regulate their response changes seasonal water deficit. However, our recent research has determined shallow have greater table variability drawdown rates, moisture stress depths burn than deeper peatlands....
A 3.6 ha experimental fire was conducted in a black spruce peatland forest that had undergone thinning the year prior. After 50 m of spread natural stand at 35–60 min−1, crown (43,000 kW m−1 intensity using Byram’s method) encountered 50% stem removal treatment; rates treatment were 50–60 min−1. Fuel consumption control (2.75 kg m−2) comparable to (2.35 m−2). Proxy measurements in-stand heat flux sensors as well photogrammetric flame heights detected reductions 30–40% control. Crown fuel...
Abstract A suite of autogenic ecohydrological feedbacks and moss traits are important for protecting vast peatland carbon stocks following wildfire disturbance. Here, we examine how peat burn severity water table depth (WTD) affect the strength one such feedback—the hydrophobicity–evaporation feedback (HEF). The HEF is an evaporation‐limiting known to minimize loss wildfire. surface becomes hydrophobic creating evaporative cap thereby reducing post‐fire evaporation; however, recent studies...
ABSTRACT Peatlands are critical for global climate regulation storing approximately 500 Gt of carbon and accounting 33% soil organic carbon. Regionally, these ecosystems provide essential wildfire resilience important pollutant sinks but degradation puts key ecosystem services at risk. Smelting operations in Sudbury, ON, Canada, released 12 000 t particulate copper nickel into the atmosphere between 1883 1969. Toxic metal sulphur deposition on peatlands from smelting activities caused...
The wildfire regime in Canada’s boreal region is changing; extended fire seasons are characterized by more frequent large fires (≥200 ha) burning greater areas of land, whilst climate-mediated drying increasing the vulnerability peatlands to deep burning. Proactive management strategies, such as fuel modification treatments, necessary reduce danger at wildland–human interface (WHI). Novel approaches especially needed where smouldering combustion a challenge suppression efforts and releases...