Much of our research takes place in bogs and fens in Alberta, Canada. These wetlands have evolved under previously undisturbed and relatively pristine conditions, but with the geologically recent development of anthropogenic changes to these once untouched ecosystems, these peatlands are moving in new directions. Fires have historically swept through areas in this part of the world every 120 years or so, but that number is shrinking as fires happen more frequently and with greater intensity. Pollutants that include nitrogen and sulfur-rich compounds rain down at levels we can quantify. Precipitation regimes modulate the ecosystems.

Projects: Bog Monitoring Project – Fort McMurray, OSMA, Alberta, Canada (AEP 18GRAEM07 (Alberta Enviornment and Parks, Alberta Government)

We are actively focused on peatlands in the Fort McMurray area of Alberta that are adjacent to the Oil Sands Mining Area (OSMA) – a broadly defined region – a mosaic of bogs and fens and uplands and open mines and heavily trod roads and processing centers. This area is now heavily disturbed and we are seeing the results in responses of vegetation and microbes and fluxes to and from these systems.

Nitrogen and Fire – Central Alberta, Canada (NSF DEB-1256985 and Rapid 1143719)

Our established plots across northern Alberta are nestled in a chronosequence of bogs which have burned at various times in the past 125 years. We study Nitrogen and Carbon linkages and how the biogeochemical processes change with both the age of a bog and experimentally increased Nitrogen deposition.  We hope to continue to use these site infrastructures to expand our research in the coming years.

Experimental nitrogen addition alters structure and function of a boreal bog: critical load and thresholds revealed – Mariana Lake Bog, Alberta, Canada (CEMA – Cumulative Environmental Management Association)  

For five years, we experimentally adding varying amounts of Nitrogen to both a bog and a fen. With increasing pollution from Oil Sands Mining activities, there is a concern that we will reach a point where atmospheric inputs are causing detrimental changes to the wetlands. We are documenting those changes in these systems and have provided valuable data that will hopefully be used to advise legislators and scientists, alike. We recently published some great bed-time reading in Ecological Monographs. If that doesn’t tickle your fancy, Kel Wieder has uploaded some awesome YouTube videos of our research site building efforts. He has a bunch and you can find more on Kel’s website.