Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jennifer L. Baltzer, Nicola J. Day, Xanthe J. Walker, David Greene, Michelle C. Mack, Heather D. Alexander, Dominique Arseneault, Jennifer Barnes, Yves Bergeron, Yan Boucher, Laura Bourgeau-Chavez, Carissa D. Brown, Suzanne Carriere, Brian K. Howard, Sylvie Gauthier, Marc-Andre Parisien, Kirsten A. Reid, Brendan M. Rogers, Carl Roland, Luc Sirois, Sarah Stehn, Dan K. Thompson, Merritt R. Turetsky, Sander Veraverbeke, Ellen Whitman, Jian Yang, Jill F. Johnstone
Summary: Intensifying wildfire activity and climate change are driving rapid forest compositional shifts in boreal North America, potentially leading to a loss of black spruce dominance. Following fires, post-fire regeneration failure is common for black spruce, while forests dominated by jack pine or broad-leaved trees show more resilience. Climate moisture deficits and increased fire activity may erode the remaining resilience in black spruce forests, pushing the system towards a tipping point not seen in thousands of years.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jiang Wu, Yao Yue, Cheng-Xin Qin, Hui Zeng, Ling-Yan He
Summary: This study evaluates future runoff and nutrient loads in the Shenzhen River under different levels of Urban Development Ecological Conservation using climate models projections. The results highlight the importance of implementing ecological protection measures in mitigating water quantity fluctuations and controlling nitrogen pollution. However, the simulation uncertainty for total phosphorus loads is higher. The study also emphasizes the increasing uncertainty in load predictions over time and the substantial influence of precipitation projections on runoff and nutrient load simulations.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rafael Pimentel, Berit Arheimer
Summary: The largest forest wildfire in Swedish modern history burnt 14,000 ha of Boreal forest in the Vastmanland County during the summer of 2014. The impacts of this wildfire on the hydrological regime were assessed over the three years following the event, showing changes in snow season duration and timing, streamflow behavior, and catchment response. The study demonstrates the usefulness of combining flow signatures and remote sensing products to detect changes in catchment hydrology.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Johan A. Eckdahl, Jeppe A. Kristensen, Daniel B. Metcalfe
Summary: This study investigated the impacts of wildfire on microbial community structure and nutrient cycling in boreal forest soils. The results showed a strong metabolic shift in burnt soils, releasing excessive N, P, K, and S and altering the microbial community structure. The findings also highlighted the influence of climate on burnt soil properties, which has implications for future boreal forest function.
FRONTIERS IN FORESTS AND GLOBAL CHANGE
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Xue Yan Chan, Francois-Nicolas Robinne, Marc-Andre Parisien, Xianli Wang, Thomas Fleming, Mike D. Flannigan
Summary: Fuel moisture content plays a crucial role in determining wildfire ignition and combustion potentials. The Canadian Fire Weather Index (FWI) System, which relies solely on weather observations, is used to track fuel moisture and compute fire potential indices. This study investigates the potential of inter-annual variation in lake levels as an indicator of regional fire activity. The results show that lake-level fluctuation is a significant predictor of regional area burned, often performing as well as or better than traditional fire-weather metrics.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Chen Lin, Junfeng Xiong, Ronghua Ma, Chenxi Zhu
Summary: It is essential to identify critical watershed source regions for lake protection. Studies have mainly focused on assessing TN and TP loads, neglecting the impact of watersheds on lake nutrients. By analyzing watershed nutrient loss over the past decade, SLRs causing lake nutrient enrichment were identified, with findings showing increasing TN and TP outputs, higher TP and TN concentrations in the western lake, and SLRs located in the western Chaohu watershed.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Haftu Abrha, Soro Dodiomon, Victor Ongoma, Haftom Hagos, Emiru Birhane
Summary: Ethiopia's forest fires are causing biodiversity loss and ecosystem destruction, highlighting the need for preventative measures. Limited knowledge regarding the future impact of climate on forest fires in Ethiopia calls for a study examining past and future climate patterns and their potential impact on wildfires. The study projects a moderate-to-high probability of fire occurrence in the future, emphasizing the importance of proactive fire management measures.
GEOMATICS NATURAL HAZARDS & RISK
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Sean M. P. Cahoon, Patrick F. Sullivan, Andrew N. Gray
Summary: Boreal forest soils in Alaska contain large carbon stocks that may be affected by climate change and disturbance, which could potentially contribute to rising atmospheric CO2 concentration. The study examines the factors influencing soil and live tree carbon stocks across boreal Alaska and emphasizes the importance of wildfire, landscape position, and forest type in shaping future carbon stocks in the region.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Limnology
Hai Xu, Mark J. McCarthy, Hans W. Paerl, Justin D. Brookes, Guangwei Zhu, Nathan S. Hall, Boqiang Qin, Yunlin Zhang, Mengyuan Zhu, Justyna J. Hampel, Silvia E. Newell, Wayne S. Gardner
Summary: Despite extensive abatement efforts focused on external phosphorus loading, harmful cyanobacterial blooms persist in Lake Taihu. Internal nutrient cycling plays a key role in sustaining these blooms, with nitrogen leaving the lake faster than phosphorus, creating persistent nitrogen limitation.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xiangzhen Kong, Maria Determann, Tobias Kuhlmann Andersen, Carolina Cerqueira Barbosa, Tallent Dadi, Annette B. G. Janssen, Ma. Cristina Paule-Mercado, Diego Guimaraes Florencio Pujoni, Martin Schultze, Karsten Rinke
Summary: Phosphorus (P) precipitation is an effective method to mitigate lake eutrophication, but it can lead to re-eutrophication and harmful algal blooms. The role of lake warming and its synergistic effects with internal loading have been understudied.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Winslow D. Hansen, Meg A. Krawchuk, Anna T. Trugman, A. Park Williams
Summary: Fire is a dominant disturbance in temperate and boreal biomes, and its increasing area with climate change may have a significant impact on forests. To better understand the feedback between fire-induced changes to forests and subsequent burning, a dynamic simulator called DYNAFFOREST was developed.
ENVIRONMENTAL MODELLING & SOFTWARE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Kevin S. McCann, Kevin Cazelles, Andrew S. MacDougall, Gregor F. Fussmann, Carling Bieg, Melania Cristescu, John M. Fryxell, Gabriel Gellner, Brian Lapointe, Andrew Gonzalez
Summary: Nearly 50 years ago, Rosenzweig and Tilman highlighted the destabilizing effects of nutrient addition on food webs and the resulting loss of species diversity and ecosystem function. Current research indicates that nutrient additions can lead to destabilization and loss of stability, particularly in human-impacted regions, due to competitive exclusion of edible plant species. Theoretical models suggest that spatial nutrient transport can amplify instabilities in highly modified landscapes, leading to rapid and expansive ecological disruptions over vast areas.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Adrianne P. Smits, Bryan Currinder, Nicholas Framsted, Luke C. Loken, Delores Lucero, Kelly A. Neal, Christine A. Parisek, Jim Sickman, Steven Sadro
Summary: The study found that the size and composition of carbon pools in lakes were more strongly influenced by watershed or lake features rather than elevation. Terrestrial contributions to lake resource pools and pelagic consumers were more related to local-scale watershed features such as vegetation cover or watershed area rather than elevation.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xinhua Hong, Cheng Liu, Chengxin Zhang, Yuan Tian, Hongyu Wu, Hao Yin, Yizhi Zhu, Yafang Cheng
Summary: A warming climate is a key factor driving intensified wildfires globally. The unprecedented wildfires in Australia from November 2019 to February 2020 released a significant amount of heat, gases, and particles into the atmosphere. It was estimated that these wildfires emitted approximately 963 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) based on direct satellite measurements. This led to a 50-80 times increase in total CO2 emissions in Australia compared to similar seasons from 2014-2019. The excess CO2 from the wildfires offset almost half of the global anthropogenic CO2 emissions reduction from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Additionally, the intense wildfires in December 2019 caused an additional positive radiative forcing of 1.48 watts per square meter in Australia and the surrounding areas, disrupting the global carbon cycle and hindering climate goals.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Amy S. Larsen, Danielle L. Rupp, David K. Swanson, Kenneth R. Hill
Summary: The mean annual air temperature in Alaska has been rising since the 1970s and is expected to continue to increase, causing significant environmental changes. A long-term lake and climate monitoring program in Interior Alaska revealed changes in vegetation and lake water chemistry due to wildfires and climate warming. The study highlights the cascading effects of warming soil and wildfires on catchment characteristics and the aquatic ecosystem.
Article
Agronomy
Ran Wang, John A. Gamon, Craig A. Emmerton, Kyle R. Springer, Rong Yu, Gabriel Hmimina
AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY
(2020)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Craig A. Emmerton, Colin A. Cooke, Sarah Hustins, Uldis Silins, Monica B. Emelko, Ted Lewis, Mary K. Kruk, Nadine Taube, Dongnan Zhu, Brian Jackson, Michael Stone, Jason G. Kerr, John F. Orwin
Article
Limnology
Lewis A. Molot, Sherry L. Schiff, Jason J. Venkiteswaran, Helen M. Baulch, Scott N. Higgins, Arthur Zastepa, Mark J. Verschoor, Daniel Walters
Summary: The study shows that low sediment redox may promote the formation of cyanobacteria blooms in eutrophic freshwaters, while high sediment redox may prevent blooms. Managers should consider the impact of their nutrient management choices on sediment redox when aiming to improve bloom management.
LAKE AND RESERVOIR MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
S. N. Higgins, C. M. Desjardins, H. Drouin, L. E. Hrenchuk, J. J. van der Sanden
Summary: The study found significant relationships between air temperatures and ice phenology in boreal lakes, with both ice-on and ice-off dates being predictable from seasonal air temperatures. Despite non-significant trends in ice-off dates, ice-on dates were trending later over time, and both ice-off dates and duration of ice-cover were becoming increasingly variable. Additionally, regional variations in ice-phenology and snow and ice-thickness across different sized lakes displayed significant relationships to lake size.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-BIOGEOSCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Anna-Maria Virkkala, Juha Aalto, Brendan M. Rogers, Torbern Tagesson, Claire C. Treat, Susan M. Natali, Jennifer D. Watts, Stefano Potter, Aleksi Lehtonen, Marguerite Mauritz, Edward A. G. Schuur, John Kochendorfer, Donatella Zona, Walter Oechel, Hideki Kobayashi, Elyn Humphreys, Mathias Goeckede, Hiroki Iwata, Peter M. Lafleur, Eugenie S. Euskirchen, Stef Bokhorst, Maija Marushchak, Pertti J. Martikainen, Bo Elberling, Carolina Voigt, Christina Biasi, Oliver Sonnentag, Frans-Jan W. Parmentier, Masahito Ueyama, Gerardo Celis, Vincent L. St.Louis, Craig A. Emmerton, Matthias Peichl, Jinshu Chi, Jarvi Jarveoja, Mats B. Nilsson, Steven F. Oberbauer, Margaret S. Torn, Sang-Jong Park, Han Dolman, Ivan Mammarella, Namyi Chae, Rafael Poyatos, Efren Lopez-Blanco, Torben Rojle Christensen, Min Jung Kwon, Torsten Sachs, David Holl, Miska Luoto
Summary: The study analyzed the spatial patterns and drivers of CO2 fluxes in high-latitude regions using statistical models, showing that machine learning and ensemble predictions outperformed traditional regression methods. CO2 sink strength was found to be larger in boreal biome compared to tundra, with the variability reflecting heterogeneity in soil organic carbon stocks, climate, and vegetation productivity. Despite uncertainty, the high-latitude region was estimated to be an annual CO2 sink during 1990-2015 based on ensemble predictions of NEE.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Karli Friesen-Hughes, Nora J. Casson, Henry F. Wilson
Summary: This study utilized high-frequency water quality data from three agricultural streams in southern Manitoba over 6 years to investigate seasonal patterns in nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations and their impacts on N/P stoichiometry. The results showed weak relationships between nitrogen concentration and discharge, strong association between dissolved organic N and dissolved organic carbon, and significantly lower nitrogen-to-phosphorus ratios during summer storm events. This suggests that climate-driven shifts in temperature and precipitation may have negative effects on downstream water quality in the region.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Karan Kakouei, Benjamin M. Kraemer, Orlane Anneville, Laurence Carvalho, Heidrun Feuchtmayr, Jennifer L. Graham, Scott Higgins, Francesco Pomati, Lars G. Rudstam, Jason D. Stockwell, Stephen J. Thackeray, Michael J. Vanni, Rita Adrian
Summary: Land use and climate change are expected to impact phytoplankton in lakes globally, but the effects vary significantly depending on the region and lake sensitivity. Urbanization is identified as a major driver of phytoplankton development in urban lakes, while climate plays a major role in lakes located in remote areas.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Water Resources
Adrienne A. Ducharme, Nora J. Casson, Scott N. Higgins, Karl Friesen-Hughes
Summary: This study found that landscape characteristics, particularly wetland coverage, can influence the variation in DOC concentrations during hydrological events in boreal headwater streams. Differences between catchments were more prominent during summer and fall events, while less apparent during early spring melt events.
HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
C. A. Ross, N. J. Casson, M. Tenuwara
Summary: Understanding hydrological dynamics in boreal Shield catchments is essential for predicting changes in stream runoff and chemistry in response to climate change. This study used long-term data to assess event-scale hydrologic response dynamics and stream loads of nitrate and chloride, revealing significant variability in both hydrologic response and loads between seasons.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-BIOGEOSCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Craig A. Emmerton, Paul E. Drevnick, Jessica A. Serbu, Colin A. Cooke, Jennifer A. Graydon, Megan Reichert, Marlene S. Evans, Mark E. McMaster
Summary: This study investigates the concentrations and yields of total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in small tributaries and major transboundary rivers, and associates these patterns with THg concentrations in fish tissues. The results show that landscape conditions influence the changes of Hg in rivers and the concentrations of Hg in fish tissues. Site-specific monitoring of THg and MeHg concentrations in water and fish is crucial for assessing regional-level patterns in fish tissue concentrations.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Colin A. Cooke, Craig A. Emmerton, Yi Yi, Lucie Levesque, Nancy Glozier
Summary: The mining activities and wildfires in northeastern Alberta, Canada have increased the pollution of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) in freshwater ecosystems. Through studying PACs in river water before and after the Fort McMurray wildfire, it was found that petrogenic PACs were the main source, while pyrogenic PACs mainly came from the wash-in of ash during short-term episodes of burned watersheds. This research provides new insights into the impacts of increasing wildfire frequency and severity in this industrialized region.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Haven S. J. S. Soto, Inoka D. Amarakoon, Nora J. Casson, Darshani Kumaragamage, Henry F. Wilson
Summary: This study aims to estimate the concentrations and loads of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) in snowmelt in a field with a history of manure application. The mean concentration of SMX throughout the snowmelt period was 0.0345 +/- 0.066 µg/L. The SMX cumulative load was 3.81 +/- 3.4 µg/L with a range of 1.03-12.8 µg/L. Both the concentration and load were not influenced by the method of manure application (i.e., surface applied versus sub-surface applied).
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Hebah S. Mejbel, Courtney L. Irwin, William Dodsworth, Scott N. Higgins, Michael J. Paterson, Frances R. Pick
Summary: Cyanobacterial blooms in aquatic environments have significant impacts on ecosystem, food webs, and economy. The relative importance of climate change, eutrophication, and other stressors on cyanobacterial bloom formation is still unclear due to the lack of long-term data. This study utilizes lake sediment archives to analyze the long-term trends and reveals additional changes not recorded in surface-water records.
FRESHWATER BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Emily H. Stanley, Luke C. Loken, Nora J. Casson, Samantha K. Oliver, Ryan A. Sponseller, Marcus B. Wallin, Liwei Zhang, Gerard Rocher-Ros
Summary: Despite their small size, fluvial ecosystems play a significant role in carbon processing and methane emissions. However, progress in understanding and estimating methane concentrations and fluxes in streams and rivers has been slow due to variability and limited data availability. In order to address these challenges, the Global River Methane Database (GriMeDB) provides a comprehensive resource of methane concentrations and fluxes, along with physical and chemical data, to examine environmental drivers and estimate fluvial contributions to methane emissions.
EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE DATA
(2023)