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      Insights into mountain wetland resilience to climate change: An evaluation of the hydrological processes contributing to the hydrodynamics of alpine wetlands in the Canadian Rocky Mountains

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      MERCER-THESIS-2018.pdf (5.123Mb)
      Date
      2018-10-02
      Author
      Mercer, Jason Joel 1983-
      ORCID
      0000-0002-6193-5032
      Type
      Thesis
      Degree Level
      Masters
      Metadata
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      Abstract
      Hydrological conditions play an important role in provisioning the exceptionally valuable ecosystem services and functions of wetlands. In alpine areas, wetland functions and services are expected to be very sensitive to climate-mediated changes in hydrology. However, few field studies of alpine wetland hydrology currently exist, thus limiting understanding of how wetlands will respond to warming and drying, and how their ecosystem services and functions will change. This study examines key processes contributing to the hydrological stability of alpine wetlands in Banff National Park, AB, Canada. During the two-year study, snowmelt timing differed by over three weeks, allowing for the examination of water table patterns under comparatively wet and dry conditions. Contrary to expectations, water table positions were relatively stable in each study year, particularly in the peat-bearing soils. Hydrophysical and hydrochemical data together provide evidence that the observed stability is in part due to groundwater contributions, which made up as much as 53% of the water budget in one peatland. Soil conditions also appear to play a role in stabilizing water table regimes. The results suggest that alpine wetlands, and peatlands in particular, may be more resilient to changes in climate than currently thought. Mineral wetlands, comparatively, may have limited adaptive capacity.
      Degree
      Master of Science (M.Sc.)
      Department
      Geography and Planning
      Program
      Geography
      Supervisor
      Westbrook, Cherie
      Committee
      Bedard-Haughn, Angela; Pomeroy, John; Whittington, Peter
      Copyright Date
      May 2018
      URI
      http://hdl.handle.net/10388/11257
      Subject
      mountain wetlands
      climate change
      hydrology
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