Investigating the influence of climate-induced landscape changes on water and carbon balances in permafrost landscapes

研究气候引起的景观变化对永久冻土景观水和碳平衡的影响

• 批准号: RGPIN-2016-04286
• 负责人: Turner, Kevin
• 金额: $ 1.82万
• 依托单位: Brock University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=709079
• 关键词: Investigating; influence; climate; induced; landscape

The proposed research addresses the urgent need to identify and map the implications of climate-induced landscape changes on water and carbon balances in an ecologically and culturally significant lake-rich landscape in northern Canada. Old Crow Flats (OCF), YK is one of many lake-rich permafrost landscapes that are prominent across northern regions. These landscapes are ecological hotspots and provide important resources for northern communities. There is widespread evidence that these areas are highly sensitive to changing climate conditions. In particular, the 14,500-square-kilometre OCF basin has experienced drastically changing water levels, and shrub proliferation during recent decades. Potential impacts on wildlife have raised concerns about local food security. Furthermore, it is likely that warming ground temperatures is accelerating existing thaw slumps along the Old Crow River, as experienced elsewhere in northwestern Canada. However, it is unclear how the water and carbon balance of northern lake-rich landscapes are responding to land cover changes and disturbance. My research program will build on my previous work in OCF and provide training for nine HQP in pursuit of identifying these relations and refine predictions of how this important landscape will respond to future climate change. Integrating leading-edge research approaches to elucidate how water balance and carbon export responds under varying states of landscape change is of particular interest during this next five-year phase of research. Initially, locations and rates of shrub proliferation in OCF will be identified using spaceborne remote sensing, and bolstered by use of unmanned aviation systems (UAS) and dendrochronological techniques. Surface and sub-surface water and carbon balances will be derived using analyses of flow measurements and water chemical and isotopic properties measured at multiple scales (lake-specific and sub-catchment) and landscape features (creeks, lakes, fens, watertracks). River water chemistry measurements upstream and downstream of slump locations will be coupled with UAS-derived digital surface models of slumps to evaluate water quality and carbon export responses. Paleolimnological analyses will provide additional long-term context of how hydroecological conditions have responded to past climate and landscape modifications. Research outcomes will include refined knowledge of how water and carbon balances respond to climate-driven landscape changes and the basis to predict how these important lake-rich environments will respond to future conditions. This knowledge will be valuable for informing land management strategies and enhancing the capability of northern community adaptation as climate change continues.

拟议的研究解决了迫切需要确定和绘制气候引起的景观变化对加拿大北部具有重要生态和文化意义的湖泊丰富景观中水和碳平衡的影响。 YK 的 Old Crow Flats (OCF) 是北方地区众多湖泊丰富的永久冻土景观之一。这些景观是生态热点，为北部社区提供重要资源。广泛的证据表明这些地区对气候条件变化高度敏感。特别是近几十年来，面积达 14,500 平方公里的 OCF 盆地经历了水位急剧变化和灌木繁殖。对野生动物的潜在影响引起了人们对当地粮食安全的担忧。此外，地面温度升高可能正在加速老克罗河沿岸现有的解冻衰退，就像加拿大西北部其他地方所经历的那样。然而，目前尚不清楚北部湖泊丰富的景观的水和碳平衡如何响应土地覆盖变化和干扰。我的研究计划将以我之前在 OCF 的工作为基础，并为九个 HQP 提供培训，以寻求识别这些关系并完善对这一重要景观将如何应对未来气候变化的预测。 在下一个五年的研究阶段，整合前沿研究方法来阐明水平衡和碳输出在不同景观变化状态下的反应是特别令人感兴趣的。最初，将使用星载遥感来确定 OCF 中灌木增殖的位置和速度，并通过使用无人机系统 (UAS) 和树木年代学技术来支持。将通过对多种尺度（特定湖泊和子流域）和景观特征（小溪、湖泊、沼泽、水道）测量的流量测量和水化学和同位素特性进行分析，得出地表和地下水及碳平衡。塌陷位置上游和下游的河流水化学测量将与无人机系统衍生的塌陷数字表面模型相结合，以评估水质和碳输出响应。古湖泊学分析将为水文生态条件如何响应过去的气候和景观变化提供额外的长期背景。研究成果将包括对水和碳平衡如何应对气候驱动的景观变化的深入了解，以及预测这些重要的湖泊丰富环境将如何应对未来条件的基础。随着气候变化的持续，这些知识对于为土地管理战略提供信息和增强北方社区的适应能力非常有价值。