Evaluating disturbance-mediated vegetation change and climate-change refugia potential across Alberta boreal forest lands

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buffered against anthropogenic climate change. In particular, we will concentrate on the peatland-uplandinterface and how feedbacks in peatlands can buffer the effects of climate change (resistance) due to theirability to generate and retain moisture within an increasingly arid climate. Peatlands also alter wildfire patternsin burns (frequency and intensity) that further promote resistance and resilience of local ecosystem function andbiodiversity. We propose to examine these factors using a combination of remote sensing and field studies thatwill assess wildfire patterns, forest characteristics and function (productivity, growth, and regeneration), andrefugia modeling and mapping within Alberta's increasingly fragmented and threatened boreal forest. Proposedresearch will lead to development of management tools that will support climate-smart ecosystem (forest)management and conservation planning and address two key priorities for Canada.To achieve these research objectives and to support activities of our partner organizations-Canadian ForestService and Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute-we will work with our partners to integrate academicpriorities of research and training of graduate students and research assistant with that of the appliedmanagement priorities of our partner organizations. This includes development of a set of tools, maps, andknowledge that can be used to address environmental management priorities surrounding climate changeadaptation for Canada's boreal forest.