Title: Wildfire overrides hydrological controls on boreal peatland methane emissions
Citation: The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Study Site: Fort McMurray, Alberta
Purpose: Boreal peatlands represent a globally important store of carbon, and disturbances such as wildfire can have a negative feedback to the climate. Understanding how carbon exchange and greenhouse gas (GHG) dynamics are impacted after a wildfire is important, especially as boreal peatlands may be vulnerable to changes in wildfire regime under a rapidly changing climate. However, given this vulnerability, there is very little in the literature on the impact such fires have on methane (CH4) emissions. This study investigated the effect of wildfire on CH4 emissions at a boreal fen near Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, that was partially burned by the Horse River Wildfire in 2016.
Abstract: We measured CH4 emissions and environmental variables (2017–2018) and CH4 production potential (2018) in two different microform types (hummocks and hollows) across a peat burn severity gradient (unburned (UB), moderately burned (MB), and severely burned (SB)).
Supplemental Information Summary:
Research:
Further Info: Davidson, S. J., Van Beest, C., Petrone, R., and Strack, M.: Wildfire overrides hydrological controls on boreal peatland methane emissions, Biogeosciences, 16, 2651–2660, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2651-2019, 2019.
Status: Complete
Keywords:
carbon dioxide,
hydrology,
methane,
soil carbon,
peat properties,
Wildfire,
fen,
Geographical coordinates: North: 56.938926893850514, South: 56.938926893850514 East: -111.54887853583233 West: -111.54887853583233
Bounding Temporal Extent: Start Date: 2017-01-01, End
Date: 2018-12-31
