SENR Seminar Series

The SENR Seminar Series welcomes Mike Waddington, Professor, School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University. He will present Hot Hot Peat! Managing boreal wildfires in an era of drought and warming in 103 Kottman Hall. 

Listen online at www.carmenconnect.osu.edu/hotpeat/

The boreal is a mosaic of forests and peatlands shaped by wildfire. Fire drives boreal vegetation and organic soil dynamics and is a vital component of this biome that plays a globally important role in climate regulation. However, boreal wildfire severity and area burned are expected to double by the end of this century as forest and peat fuels become drier. An increase in high severity 'mega fires' can lead to catastrophic ecosystem collapse and the loss of valuable ecosystem services such as water regulation and quality to downstream communities. This increase in wildfire risk is taking place at the same time as more people are working, living and playing in the boreal.  Recent wildfire disasters such as the 2010 Moscow peat fires and the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire have increased the awareness of the key challenge and question facing wildfire management agencies. "How can boreal peatland ecosystems be managed to reduce the risk of catastrophic collapse while protecting human health, water quality, property and economic activity from wildfire?". In this lecture, an integrative watershed-ecosystems experimental and modelling approach to tackling this question will be explored and a potential strategy to mitigate peat wildfire severity will be discussed.