Wetland ecohydrological sensitivity to ground ice conditions

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Wetlands that dominate the Western Boreal Forest (WBF) are particularly important due to their capacity to store water and carbon. The Boreal zone spans the transition from persistent seasonal ground ice to discontinuous permafrost and is expected to experience unprecedented warming. This warming is likely to cause a hydrological-ecological response, particularly in wetlands. The region is also stressed by increased industrial activity that may exacerbate the effects of climatic variability on wetland sustainability. These disturbances lead to changes in ground ice conditions (including permafrost degradation at the northern extent of this region) and surface cover, which directly affect the tenuous balance between evapotranspiration and precipitation, thereby posing serious challenges for sustainable water and natural resource management. The strong influence of ground ice on wetlands in the Boreal zone likely makes these ecosystems particularly susceptible to "hot" positive feedbacks, where disturbance may cause rapid non-linear responses in local climate, hydrology and biota. However, there remains a lack of understanding of the rates of frost layer degradation and the effects on surface cover and hydrological-ecological processes.