Quantifying Peatland Ecohydrological Resilience to Drought

量化泥炭地的生态水文抗旱能力

• 批准号: RGPIN-2018-05437
• 负责人: Waddington, James
• 金额: $ 7.43万
• 依托单位: McMaster University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=754864
• 关键词: Quantifying; Peatland; Ecohydrological; Resilience; Drought

Peatlands cover ~17% of Canada's land surface and are located primarily in the boreal and subarctic ecozones. Peatland ecosystems represent a global climate regulator and a regionally important water resource, containing one-third of the global soil carbon pool and accounting for 10% of the global surface fresh water. However, climate change is expected to lead to drier conditions, increased vegetation stress and a greater incidence of wildfire. While field evidence suggests that peatlands are generally resilient ecosystems, some modelling studies suggest peatlands will represent a strong and persistent positive feedback to drying under climate change. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop and adopt a new approach to quantify ecohydrological processes in peatlands to determine their resilience to climate change mediated drought. As such, the aim of this research is to quantify peatland ecohydrological resilience to drought. Moss ecophysiology lab experiments will be complemented with a field based process quantification of peat resilience in response to varying severity of drought. A novel space for time approach will be used in this research by examining peat-filled wetlands ranging in depth (and successional state) from 0.1m to >2m. A mathematical model will be parameterized using the lab and field experiments used to simulate the effects of drought on peatland ecohydrology to assess peat depth thresholds to drought. This research will train and develop 12 highly qualified personnel including 2 MSc and 2 PhD students. The research will provide new information, enhanced models, guidelines, and recommendations that will help government and industry better understand the long-term ecological and hydrological ramifications of natural resource management decisions and responses to climate change of peatlands. The relationship between drought and climate change could have significant implications for forestry activities, wildfire community protection and carbon sequestration.

泥炭地覆盖了加拿大约17%的陆地表面，主要位于北部和亚北极生态区。泥炭地生态系统是全球气候调节器和区域重要水资源，占全球土壤碳库的三分之一，占全球地表淡水的10%。然而，气候变化预计将导致条件更加干燥，植被压力增加，野火发生率更高。虽然现场证据表明，泥炭地通常是有弹性的生态系统，但一些模拟研究表明，泥炭地将代表着在气候变化下对干旱的强烈和持久的正反馈。因此，迫切需要开发和采用一种新的方法来量化泥炭地的生态水文过程，以确定其对气候变化引发的干旱的适应能力。因此，这项研究的目的是量化泥炭地对干旱的生态水文恢复能力。苔藓生态生理学实验室实验将与泥炭应对不同严重干旱的野外量化过程相补充。在这项研究中，将使用一种新的时间空间方法，研究深度(和演替状态)从0.1米到2米的泥炭填充湿地。利用模拟干旱对泥炭地生态水文学影响的实验室和野外实验，将一个数学模型参数化，以评估泥炭干旱的深度阈值。本研究将培养和培养12名高素质人才，其中硕士研究生2名，博士生2名。这项研究将提供新的信息、增强的模型、指导方针和建议，帮助政府和行业更好地了解泥炭地自然资源管理决策和应对气候变化的长期生态和水文影响。干旱和气候变化之间的关系可能会对林业活动、野火社区保护和碳封存产生重大影响。