Beyond peatlands: the role of Canada's tidal and prairie wetlands in climate change mitigation and adaptation

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Among the numerous ecosystem services provided by wetlands, climate regulation is identified as one of their most important benefits to society. Wetland ecosystems play an important role in the global carbon cycle; they provide the ideal environment for long-term storage of atmospheric carbon dioxide, yet they are also the largest single source of methane emissions. Climate change has the potential to increase greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from wetlands, however, the consequences of rising temperatures on wetland GHG exchange remains uncertain. Furthermore, preventing further wetland loss and restoring wetland ecosystems has been identified by researchers and governments, including the Government of Canada, as important in limiting future emissions to help meet climate goals. With growing interest in wetland management and restoration as a Natural Climate Solution, improved estimates of wetland carbon sequestration and GHG fluxes across Canadian wetland types are strongly needed. The objective of this partnership is therefore to contribute to an improved understanding of the response of wetland carbon dynamics to management and climate change in key wetland types across Canada. Here we focus on wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region of western Canada and tidal wetlands along the Pacific Coast since these ecosystems are understudied relative to other wetland types in Canada, yet they play important roles in carbon cycling and climate regulation. Specifically, this study leverages existing funding and infrastructure to investigate carbon and GHG dynamics across four wetland sites, with the aims of measuring and modeling GHG fluxes in prairie wetlands in Manitoba and in tidal marshes of the Pacific Coast. By combining field-based measurements, remote sensing, and modelling, this research will provide new insights into the controls on wetland GHG dynamics, and quantify the potential climate benefits of wetland management and conservation. This research is key to better predicting wetland feedbacks to climate change, which in turn will directly help inform regional and national climate mitigation strategies and related policy development.