Name
Disruption of Water-Energy Exchange by Resource Access Road Disturbance in a Boreal Peatland
Date & Time
Monday, May 25, 2026, 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Description
Over the past five decades, oil and gas development has substantially altered northern Alberta’s landscape, particularly in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region, where wetlands dominate. These wetlands are sensitive to hydrological disturbances and are increasingly affected by linear infrastructure. Resource access-roads can modify peatland structure by removing vegetation, compacting peat, and restricting surface and subsurface water flow, triggering ecohydrological feedbacks that influence water table levels, vegetation composition, microclimate, and evapotranspiration. Despite their prevalence, the cumulative impacts of these disturbances on peatland hydrological functioning remain poorly understood. This study investigates the hydrological and energy flux responses to a mineral resource access road in a boreal peatland complex (Aspen site) in Northern Alberta. Roads often act as dams, creating upstream flooding and downstream drying, which alter peatland water-energy exchange. A multi-scale monitoring approach was employed to quantify these impacts. Surface evapotranspiration was measured using in situ lysimeters containing peat microforms such as hummocks and lawns, distributed along transects perpendicular to the road to capture disturbance gradients. Additionally, sap-flow sensors were used to isolate tree transpiration from total site evapotranspiration, revealing species-specific responses to soil and atmospheric conditions. Preliminary results show higher spatial variability in understory evapotranspiration on the drier side, with pronounced differences between the hummock and lawn. These findings highlight how vegetation responses to vapour pressure deficit and root-zone hypoxia were particularly evident on the flooded side. These observations provide a comprehensive assessment of how road construction modifies autogenic feedbacks and hydrological connectivity in boreal fens.
Location Name
McInnes Room
Full Address
Dalhousie University
Halifax NS
Canada
Halifax NS
Canada
Session Type
Poster
Abstract ID
370
Speaker Organization
University of Calgary
Session Name
B-2
Co-authors
Scott Ketcheson - Faculty of Science and Technology, Athabasca River Basin Research Institute, Athabasca University, Canada
Presenting Author
Saeed Heravi - MSc Student, Department of Geography, University of Calgary, Canada