Grant: Advancing Climate Change Science in Canada

buffered against anthropogenic climate change. In particular, we will concentrate on the peatland-upland*interface and how feedbacks in peatlands can buffer the effects of climate change (resistance) due to their*ability to generate and retain moisture within an increasingly arid climate. Peatlands also alter wildfire patterns*in burns (frequency and intensity) that further promote resistance and resilience of local ecosystem function and*biodiversity. We propose to examine these factors using a combination of remote sensing and field studies that*will assess wildfire patterns, forest characteristics and function (productivity, growth, and regeneration), and*refugia modeling and mapping within Alberta's increasingly fragmented and threatened boreal forest. Proposed*research will lead to development of management tools that will support climate-smart ecosystem (forest)*management and conservation planning and address two key priorities for Canada.*To achieve these research objectives and to support activities of our partner organizations-Canadian Forest*Service and Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute-we will work with our partners to integrate academic*priorities of research and training of graduate students and research assistant with that of the applied*management priorities of our partner organizations. This includes development of a set of tools, maps, and*knowledge that can be used to address environmental management priorities surrounding climate change*adaptation for Canada's boreal forest.