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-upland interface and how feedbacks in peatlands can buffer the effects of climate change (resistance) due to their ability to generate and retain moisture within an increasingly arid climate. Peatlands also alter wildfire patterns in burns (frequency and intensity) that further promote resistance and resilience of local ecosystem function and biodiversity. We propose to examine these factors using a combination of remote sensing and field studies that will assess wildfire patterns, forest characteristics and function (productivity, growth, and regeneration), and refugia modeling and mapping within Alberta's increasingly fragmented and threatened boreal forest. Proposed research 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 Forest Service and Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute-we will work with our partners to integrate academic priorities of research and training of graduate students and research assistant with that of the applied management priorities of our partner organizations. This includes development of a set of tools, maps, and knowledge that can be used to address environmental management priorities surrounding climate change adaptation for Canada's boreal forest.