Wetlands, climate change and human disturbance:microscale to macroscale studies

湿地、气候变化和人类干扰：微观尺度到宏观尺度的研究

• 批准号: 92592-2007
• 负责人: Warner, Barry
• 金额: $ 1.17万
• 依托单位: University of Waterloo
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2010-01-01 至 2011-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=451197
• 关键词: Wetlands; climate; change; human; disturbance

Wetlands are estimated to cover 4-8% of the land surface of the Earth, which is 2-3 times more than lakes, reservoirs, rivers and other freshwater bodies. The world's wetland soils contain the greatest quantities of carbon, a large proportion of which is in Canadian wetlands (including peatlands). Disturbance by humans is a major environmental problem threatening Canada's wetland and carbon resources and the large economy dependant (directly and indirectly) upon wetlands (ie. food production, horticultural peat industry, water supplies, ecotourism activities, native communities). Wetland disturbances are also closely linked to climate changes. Unfortunately, it is difficult to identify which disturbances are within the natural range of variability and which are due to humans. This research uses paleoecological methods (ie. analysis of pollen, plant macrofossils, testate amoebae, sediment characteristics, C sequestration, age dating) to reconstruct past wetland environments over long (Holocene time) and short (100 years) time frames to assess the nature of change and magnitude of disturbances. This research contributes to resolving controversies about changes in wetlands, whether climate induced soil decomposition in wetlands will have positive feedback to climate change, or conversely, if carbon derived from plant biomass will exceed decomposition, thereby having negative feedback to climate change. Testate amoebae, a large component of wetland microbial communities, are being studied to develop testate amoebae as sensitive biomonitors of whole microbial communities to identify small-scale climate and carbon changes and human impacts. Given that wetlands are a predominant part of the natural landscape in Canada, the information collected in this project will provide protocols for assessing negative environmental disturbances. This information will feed into development of better management plans, environmental and economic policies and regulations, and wetland restoration and rehabilitation efforts currently practiced at local, provincial/territorial, and national levels in Canada.

据估计，湿地覆盖了地球陆地表面的4%-8%，是湖泊、水库、河流和其他淡水水体的2-3倍。世界上湿地土壤含有最多的碳，其中很大一部分在加拿大湿地(包括泥炭地)。人类干扰是一个主要的环境问题，威胁着加拿大的湿地和碳资源，以及(直接和间接)依赖湿地的巨大经济。粮食生产、园艺泥炭产业、供水、生态旅游活动、土著社区)。湿地的干扰也与气候变化密切相关。不幸的是，很难确定哪些干扰在自然变化范围内，哪些是由人类造成的。本研究使用古生态方法(即。分析花粉、植物大型化石、遗迹阿米巴虫、沉积物特征、碳封存、年龄测定)，以重建长时间(全新世)和短时间(100年)的过去湿地环境，以评估变化的性质和干扰的程度。这项研究有助于解决湿地气候引起的土壤分解是否会对气候变化产生正反馈，或者来自植物生物量的碳是否会超过分解，从而对气候变化产生负反馈的争议。人们正在研究湿地微生物群落的一个重要组成部分--变形虫，以开发出变形虫作为整个微生物群落的敏感生物指标，以确定小规模气候和碳变化以及人类影响。鉴于湿地是加拿大自然景观的主要组成部分，本项目收集的信息将为评估负面环境干扰提供方案。这些信息将用于制定更好的管理计划、环境和经济政策和法规，以及目前在加拿大地方、省/地区和国家各级实施的湿地恢复和重建工作。