Implications of the hydrogeomorphic setting of peatlands in Manitoba's southeastern and Interlake regions for peatland harvesting, restoration and climate change

泥炭地占加拿大陆地面积的14%以上，占马尼托巴面积的近38%。它们是景观的重要组成部分，因为它们提供防洪和碳储存。泥炭地的存在是因为水源的微妙平衡（例如，雨水）和水分损失（例如，蒸发）。在干旱易发的大草原，泥炭地已发展成为与当地地下水流动路径的重要连接，在干旱时为泥炭地提供水源。这些连接部分地受到当地水文（水）、气候和水文地质（基岩）的控制，这里称为水文地貌环境。马尼托巴横跨两个不同的水文地貌环境（气候和基岩）之间的边界，提供了一个很好的机会来研究各自发挥的作用。一个地点在马尼托巴的Interlake地区，另一个在马尼托巴东南部。 泥炭收获（用于园艺泥炭生产）需要泥炭地的排水以便于收获。排水可以作为气候变化（长期干旱）或其他需要排水的土地利用变化的替代品，这意味着我们可以了解地下水在气候变化中可能发挥的作用，以及不同水文地貌环境中的其他土地利用变化。这项研究将研究这些不同的水文地貌环境如何影响泥炭地的大小和类型，以及比较天然泥炭地收获泥炭地，以评估地下水流动路径的变化（作为气候或土地利用变化的替代品）。地下水流逆转（即，干旱时向泥炭地供水）也对水平衡和碳收支产生影响。这项研究将提供很好的洞察力，以了解与地下水流动路径相连的泥炭地（加拿大西部的大部分泥炭地）如何应对气候变化，这对加拿大和加拿大的碳预算非常重要。 在拟议的研究计划中培训的高素质人员也将对加拿大大有裨益，他们将学会将理论知识应用于实际问题。

Peatlands represent over 14% of Canada's landmass by area and nearly 38% of Manitoba, by area. They are important components of the landscape as they provide flood protection and carbon storage. Peatlands exist because of a delicate balance of water sources (e.g., rain) and water losses (e.g., evaporation). In the drought prone prairies, peatlands have developed an important connection to local groundwater flow paths, providing a source of water to the peatlands in times of drought. These connections are controlled, in part, by the local hydrology (water), climate, and hydrogeology (bedrock), here called the hydrogeomorphic setting. Manitoba straddles the border between two distinct hydrogeomorphic settings (climate and bedrock) providing an excellent opportunity to study the role each plays. One location is in Manitoba's Interlake region, and the other in South Eastern Manitoba. Peat harvesting (for horticultural peat production) requires the drainage of the peatlands to facilitate harvesting. The drainage may act as a surrogate for climate change (prolonged droughts), or other land use changes that require drainage of the landscape, meaning that we can learn about the role that groundwater may play in a changing climate, as well as with other land use changes in different hydrogeomorphic settings. This study will examine how these distinct hydrogeomorphic settings influences peatland size and type, as well as compare natural peatlands to harvested peatlands to assess changes in groundwater flow paths (as a surrogate for climate or land use change). The groundwater flow reversals (i.e., supplying water to the peatland in times of drought) also have implications for the water balance and carbon budget. This research will provide great insight into how peatlands that are connected to groundwater flow paths (the majority of Western Canada's peatlands) may respond to a changing climate, something of great importance to Canada and Canada's carbon budget. The highly qualified personal trained in the proposed research program will also be of great benefit to Canada and they will have learned to apply theoretical knowledge to practical problems.