Effects of climate and disturbance on ecohydrological processes in the western boreal forest

自然和工业压力预计将对加拿大西部北部平原(WBP)的生态系统产生显著影响，但目前尚不清楚这将如何影响这些环境中水和碳的循环和储存。北部湿地池塘复合体构成了该地区的马赛克，通过与高地地区的水文连通来维持。水文连通性的波动对池塘和泥炭地的碳循环以及池塘的持久性和泥炭地的演替都有影响。正在进行的这一领域的研究表明，在区域尺度上，潜在的蒸散量经常超过降水输入，景观单元之间的水文连通性是池塘和河岸泥炭地功能和可持续性的关键决定因素。因此，在这项研究计划中，将在一系列尺度上同时进行水文、生物地球化学和微气象测量，以更全面地了解不同景观单元之间的水文和生物地球化学途径以及相互作用。本研究的目的是研究WBP湿地池塘复合体中湿地水文和生态系统动力学的协同作用。本研究的创新之处在于：(1)水文、气象和生态过程研究的生态系统尺度耦合；(2)量化该区域的总体碳交换；(3)确定与水文气候循环和碳交换相关的主要反馈；(4)建立湿地-池塘碳可持续性与流域水文学之间的联系。这将对北方湿地系统的建模提供必要的改进，这些湿地系统是无限制鸭子、石油和天然气以及森林业等保护组织的宝贵管理工具。

Natural and industrial stress is expected to have a pronounced impact on ecosystems in the boreal plain of Western Canada (WBP) but it is not clear how this will affect the cycling and storage of water and carbon in these environments. Boreal wetland pond complexes that comprise the mosaic of this region are sustained by hydrologic connectivity with upland areas. Fluctuations in hydrologic connectivity have implications for carbon cycling in the ponds and peatlands as well as pond permanence and peatland succession.Ongoing research in this area shows that on a regional scale, the potential evapotranspiration regularly exceeds precipitation inputs and hydrological connectivity between landscape units is the key determinant to pond and riparian peatland functioning and sustainability. Thus, in this research program, hydrological, biogeochemical and micrometeorological measurements will be made simultaneously at a range of scales, providing a fuller understanding of the hydrological and biogeochemical pathways, and interactions, among different landscape units.The objective of this research is to examine the synergy of wetland hydrology and ecosystem dynamics in a range of wetland pond complexes in the WBP. The innovations of this research are: (1) ecosystem scale coupling of hydrological, meteorological and ecological process studies; (2) quantifying the overall carbon exchange from this region; (3) identifying the main feedbacks associated with hydroclimatic cycles and carbon exchange; and (4) establishing the linkages between wetland-pond carbon sustainability and catchment hydrology. This will provide a necessary improvement to the modelling of such boreal wetland systems serving as a valuable management tool for conservation groups such as Ducks Unlimited and the oil and gas, and forest industries.