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

缓冲了人为气候变化。特别是，我们将集中在泥炭地高地界面和如何反馈泥炭地可以缓冲气候变化（阻力）的影响，由于他们的能力，以产生和保持水分在日益干旱的气候。泥炭地还改变野火燃烧的模式（频率和强度），进一步促进当地生态系统功能和生物多样性的抵抗力和恢复力。我们建议使用遥感和实地研究相结合的方法来研究这些因素，这些研究将评估野火模式、森林特征和功能（生产力、生长和再生），并在阿尔伯塔日益分散和受威胁的北方森林中进行refugia建模和绘图。拟议的研究将导致开发管理工具，支持气候智能型生态系统（森林）管理和保护规划，并解决加拿大的两个关键优先事项。为了实现这些研究目标，并支持我们的合作伙伴组织-加拿大森林服务和阿尔伯塔生物多样性监测研究所-的活动，我们将与我们的合作伙伴合作，将研究生和研究助理的研究和培训的学术优先事项与应用管理优先事项相结合，我们的合作伙伴组织。这包括开发一套工具、地图和知识，可用于解决围绕加拿大北方森林适应气候变化的环境管理优先事项。

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.