Publications

Abstract Wetland-pond systems on the Western Boreal Plain (WBP) in northwestern Canada account for as much as 50% of the landscape and represent the largest carbon pool in Canada. However, this region is also among the most threatened due to increased industrial, agricultural and recreational development. As ponds dry due to enhanced evaporation and hydrological disconnection with upland areas, pond sediments are exposed and riparian areas dry out, leading to increased decomposition and the loss of CO₂ to the atmosphere. This paper demonstrates how respiration/oxidation potentials vary in this region, and are linked to the different organic substrates that are found in areas with variable surficial geology and vegetation cover. We illustrate carbon exchange in relation to vegetation succession and increased oxidation in the surrounding riparian peatlands in drying pond-wetland systems in the sub-humid climates of the boreal plain.