The Mackenzie River Basin, encompassing much of boreal Alberta, is the third largest boreal peatland region in the world and the region is warming at rate much greater than the global average. Climate warming, along with a more active fire regime and accelerating permafrost thaw has the potential to influence peatland functions, with regards to both their balance of greenhouse gases and their influence on downstream water quality. Findings from northern Alberta shows how permafrost thaw increases methane emissions, while burned peatland continue to release carbon dioxide for many years after fires. Permafrost thaw is also likely to increase the downstream delivery of organic matter and methylmercury from peatlands into rivers and lakes. Over the next few years, research in collaboration with the Dene Tha First Nation will monitor water quality in the Hay River basin to address community concerns about impacts of climate change on water quality.
Related Resources
Digging Into Canadian Soils - An Introduction to Soil Science
Resource Date:
2021
Organization
Shrub Changes with Proximity to Anthropogenic Disturbance in Boreal Wetlands Determined Using Bi-temporal Airborne LiDAR in the Oil Sands Region, Alberta Canada
Resource Date:
August
2021
Effects of Fire Severity and Woody Debris on Tree Regeneration for Exploratory Well Pads in Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana) Forests
Resource Date:
September
2021
Organization
Dynamic Patterns in Winter Ungulate Browse Succession in the Boreal Plains of Alberta
Resource Date:
July
2021
Organization
Short-term Effects of Wildfire in Boreal Peatlands: Does Fire Mitigate the Linear Footprint of Oil and Gas Exploration?
Resource Date:
April
2021
Was this helpful?
|