Effects of climate and disturbance on ecohydrological processes in the western boreal forest

预计自然和工业压力将对加拿大西部北方平原的生态系统产生显著影响，但目前尚不清楚这将如何影响这些环境中水和碳的循环和储存。北方湿地池塘复合体构成了该地区的马赛克，由与高地地区的水文连通性维持。水文连通性的波动对池塘和泥炭地的碳循环以及池塘持久性和泥炭地演替都有影响。该领域正在进行的研究表明，在区域尺度上，潜在蒸散量经常超过降水输入，景观单元之间的水文连通性是池塘和河岸泥炭地功能和可持续性的关键决定因素。因此，在本研究项目中，水文、生物地球化学和微气象测量将在一系列尺度上同时进行，从而更全面地了解不同景观单元之间的水文和生物地球化学途径以及相互作用。本研究的目的是研究湿地水文学和生态系统动态的协同作用，在一系列湿地池塘复合体在WBP。本研究的创新点在于：(1)水文、气象和生态过程的生态系统尺度耦合研究；(2)量化该区域整体碳交换；(3)识别与水文气候循环和碳交换相关的主要反馈；(4)建立湿地-塘碳可持续性与流域水文的联系。这将为这种北方湿地系统的建模提供必要的改进，作为保护组织（如Ducks Unlimited）、石油和天然气以及森林工业的有价值的管理工具。

Natural and industrial stress is expected to have a pronounced impact on ecosystems in the boreal plain of Western Canada (WBP) but it is not clear how this will affect the cycling and storage of water and carbon in these environments. Boreal wetland pond complexes that comprise the mosaic of this region are sustained by hydrologic connectivity with upland areas. Fluctuations in hydrologic connectivity have implications for carbon cycling in the ponds and peatlands as well as pond permanence and peatland succession.Ongoing research in this area shows that on a regional scale, the potential evapotranspiration regularly exceeds precipitation inputs and hydrological connectivity between landscape units is the key determinant to pond and riparian peatland functioning and sustainability. Thus, in this research program, hydrological, biogeochemical and micrometeorological measurements will be made simultaneously at a range of scales, providing a fuller understanding of the hydrological and biogeochemical pathways, and interactions, among different landscape units.The objective of this research is to examine the synergy of wetland hydrology and ecosystem dynamics in a range of wetland pond complexes in the WBP. The innovations of this research are: (1) ecosystem scale coupling of hydrological, meteorological and ecological process studies; (2) quantifying the overall carbon exchange from this region; (3) identifying the main feedbacks associated with hydroclimatic cycles and carbon exchange; and (4) establishing the linkages between wetland-pond carbon sustainability and catchment hydrology. This will provide a necessary improvement to the modelling of such boreal wetland systems serving as a valuable management tool for conservation groups such as Ducks Unlimited and the oil and gas, and forest industries.