Peatlands cover more than 10% of Canada and store over 100 Gt C, making them one of Canada’s largest terrestrial carbon pools. Peatlands are currently experiencing climate and land-use change, altering their ecohydrology and biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and other elements. Peatlands are ecosystems looked to for natural climate solutions, but assessing their capacity to contribute requires understanding the links among their hydrology, ecology and biogechemistry. This session seeks presentations of research on the ecohydrology and biogeochemistry of undisturbed and disturbed temperate and boreal peatlands. Empirical and theoretical studies are welcome.

Conveners: Nigel Roulet, Department of Geography, McGill University; Maria Strack, Department of Geography and Environmental Management, Faculty of Environmental, University of Waterloo; Peter Whittington, Department of Geography and Environment, Brandon University; Tim Moore, Department of Geography, McGill University

2:00pm - 2:15pm    The importance of hydrogeomorphic setting for total mercury and methylmercury export from fen wetlands in western Canada    
Presenter(s): Colin McCarter

2:15pm - 2:30pm    Effects of Fertilization on Peatland Soil Phosphorus Pools    
Presenter(s): Camille Jones

2:30pm - 2:45pm    Assessing carbon pools and fluxes in southern Ontario swamps
Presenter(s): Megan Schmidt

2:45pm - 3:00pm    The controls of climate, geology and vegetation on the properties and grouping of Ontario peatlands
Presenter(s): James Seward

3:00pm - 3:15pm    Modeling methane fluxes along the gradient of Boreal-Arctic peatland ecosystems with process-based model    
Presenter(s): Mousong Wu

3:15pm - 3:30pm    Methane sources, production, and transfers to the atmosphere: towards an integrative conceptual model of a temperate French peatland
Presenter(s): Alexandre Lhosmot