using ecohydrological tipping points to aid peatland ......1) drying of a black spruce peatland...
TRANSCRIPT
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Sophie Wilkinson1 Paul Moore1 Mike Flannigan2 Mike Wotton3 Mike Waddington1 1 School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University
2 Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Alberta
3 Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto
Using ecohydrological tipping points to aid
peatland restoration and reduce burn severity
@SuperMossSophie
McMaster University Ecohydrology Group
ecohydrology.mcmaster.ca
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@ SuperMossSophie @MACecohydrology
Peatland Ecosystem Services
Soil carbon store
-Production > Decomposition + Combustion
Run-off producing ecosystems
Array of positive and negative autogenic feedbacks
Unique flora – Sphagnum mosses
Photo credit: A.Sergeev, 2012
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Alberta’s Boreal Bogs
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Black spruce (picea mariana) dominated
120 year average fire return interval
Low canopy fuel load and connectivity
Low burn severity due to Sphagnum
2-3 cm burn releasing 3-5 kg C/m2
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Boreal Stressors
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Enhanced fire regime
Median number of spread days per year by fire zone and time-period.
Wang et al 2015
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Boreal Stressors
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Drier peatlands
Mean seasonal DC as a function of temperature
increase and precipitation change.
Flannigan et al 2013
Dro
ugh
t C
od
e
Drier
Wetter
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Ecohydrological Tipping Points
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Ecohydrological Tipping Points
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Source: Kettridge et al. (2015) Nature Scientific Reports
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WTD - Afforestation Feedback Positive Ecohydrological Feedback
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WTD - Afforestation Feedback Positive Ecohydrological Feedback
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Source: Waddington et al., 2015
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WTD - Afforestation Feedback Positive Ecohydrological Feedback
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Source: Waddington et al., 2015
@ SuperMossSophie @MACecohydrology
WTD - Afforestation Feedback Positive Ecohydrological Feedback
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Research Objectives
1) Assess the difference in black
spruce stand characteristics
along a hydrological gradient
2) Characterize peat burn severity
along a hydrological gradient
3) Quantify ecohydrological tipping
points to high peat burn severity
to aid restoration and adaptive
management
@ SuperMossSophie @MACecohydrology
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Study Site
http://view.rmwb.ca/#!/?basemap=hybrid
Moderately Drained
18 m ditch spacing
Heavily Drained
9 m ditch spacing
Undrained-
> 30 m from ditch
Hydrologic gradient
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Drainage Enhanced Afforestation Hydrology impacts tree productivity
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Post-fire Ground Cover Loss of Sphagnum and exposure of mineral soil in HD treatment
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0 000
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
LiveSphagnum BurntSphagnum BurntFeathermoss MineralSoil
%ofTreatm
entA
rea
UD MD HD
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Peat Burn Severity Significant difference in burn severity Irreversible peat carbon loss
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Undrained Burn Severity Live Sphagnum and vegetation recovery
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Moderately-drained Burn Severity Damaged Sphagnum and little recovery
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Heavily-drained Burn Severity No Sphagnum and lack of peat for recovery
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Burn Severity and the Tipping Point Positive correlation between basal diameter and burn severity
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Processes of
increasing vulnerability:
1. WT drawdown
2. WTD-Afforestation
Positive Feedback
3. Regime Shift
A
C
2.
3.
1.
Po
ten
tia
l De
pth
of B
urn
Increasing Vulnerability
Ecohydrological Tipping Point
@ SuperMossSophie @MACecohydrology
B D
States of increasing
vulnerability:
A. Stable State
B. Disrupted State
C. Tipping Point
D. Alternate Stable State
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Processes of
increasing vulnerability:
1. WT drawdown
2. WTD-Afforestation
Positive Feedback
3. Regime Shift
A
C
2.
3.
1.
Po
ten
tia
l De
pth
of B
urn
Increasing Vulnerability
Ecohydrological Tipping Point
@ SuperMossSophie @MACecohydrology
B D
States of increasing
vulnerability:
A. Stable State
B. Disrupted State
C. Tipping Point
D. Alternate Stable State
X
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Ecohydrological Tipping Point
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Management Options
Transpiration: Remove
trees
Sphagnum cover:
Remove trees and
transplant Sphagnum
Interception: Remove
trees and transplant
Sphagnum
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Processes of
increasing vulnerability:
1. WT drawdown
2. WTD-Afforestation
Positive Feedback
3. Regime Shift
A
1.
Po
ten
tia
l De
pth
of B
urn
Increasing Vulnerability
Ecohydrological Tipping Point
@ SuperMossSophie @MACecohydrology
B
States of increasing
vulnerability:
A. Stable State
B. Disrupted State
C. Tipping Point
D. Alternate Stable State
X
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Fuel Treatments
NATURAL THINNED
Adaptive Management –
Tree Removal
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Fuel Treatments Adaptive Management Test –
Prescribed Burn
Peat C loss (Kg C/m2)
Natural = 0.84
Thinned = 0.34
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Sphagnum Restoration - Transplants
Sphagnum regeneration
usually begins after
~10 years
Transplants could
expedite recovery and
carbon accumulation
Pre-burn transplants
may reduce burn
severity and carbon loss
@ SuperMossSophie @MACecohydrology
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Summary 1) Drying of a black spruce peatland enhanced the
WTD-afforestation feedback
2) Tipping point to high severity peat burn is bounded by the
MD and HD treatment stand characteristics
3) Ecohydrological tipping point identification can aid
peatland restoration and adaptive management decisions
@ SuperMossSophie @MACecohydrology