David Locky, PhD, PWS, PBiolGrant MacEwan University

Wetlands in Alberta:Challenges and Opportunities

Overview• What & Where• Function & Value• Alberta’s Keystone Ecosystem• Losses & Impacts• Restoration & Construction• A Few Points on Policy• Observations & Insights…

Wetlands are the only ecosystem in the world recognized by international

treaty, the Ramsar Convention

What & Where

What: Wetland Defined

Land…saturated with water…

to promote wetland or aquatic processes…poorly drained soils,

hydrophytic vegetation…various kinds of biological activity

Wetlands in Alberta

Environment Canada

“Well, actually, Doreen, I rather resent beingcalled a ‘swamp thing’, … I prefer the term

‘wetlands-challenged mutant.’ “

Wetland Classification

Classification in Alberta

Classification of Natural Ponds and Lakes in the Glaciated Prairie RegionStewart & Kantrud (1971)

Five Classes of Wetlands• Bog• Fen• Swamp• Marsh• Shallow Water Wetland

Classification in Alberta

Mineral Soil Wetland Peatland

Wetlands in Alberta

Environment Canada

Peat-forming?No Yes

Wetlands in Alberta

Bog

Fen

Conifer SwampShrub Swamp

Marsh

ShallowWater

Wetland

Swamp

Peat-forming?No Yes

Mineral Soil Wetland Peatland

Where Are The Wetlands?

Vitt et al. (2000)

Western Canadian Peatlands

PEATLANDZONE

MINERALSOIL

WETLANDZONE

• Bog• Fen• Conifer Swamp

• Marsh• SWW• Shrub Swamp

Alberta’sTwo Wetland Regions

Wetlands in Alberta

• 11% of Canada’s wetlands?

• ~20% of the province?

• ~93% peatlands? ~7% MSW?

Wetland Function and Value

Function encompasses the science-based ‘performance’ of a wetland whereas value

includes a socio-economic ‘usefulness’ factor

Function vs. Value

Sources• Water• Sediment (Peat)• Biodiversity

Sinks• Water• Sediment (Peat)

Transformers• Biogeochemistry• Water• Physical Forces

Wetland Function

Functional Differences

Kusler 1983

• Type

• Size

• Location

Wetland Value• Flood Control• Groundwater Recharge• Shoreline Stabilization and Storm Protection• Sediment and Nutrient Retention, and Export• Climate Change Mitigation, Water Purification• Reservoirs of Biodiversity• Wetland Products• Recreation and Tourism• Cultural Value

Alberta Wetlands:Some Points on

Function and Value

Productivity

• Important for biodiversity far beyond borders

• Maintain hydrology of adjacent areas

• Temporary habitat and refuge for upland spp

Biodiversity

Mea

n S

pp. R

ichn

ess

0

10

20

30

40

50BryophytesVascular Plants

Locky & Bayley 2006

Plant Diversity

Locky & Bayley 2006

WoodedBog

OpenER Fen

Black SpruceSwamp

WoodedMR Fen

OpenMR Fen

pH/AlkalinityConductanceWater table

MicrohabitatsHigh

HighHighHigh

Low

LowLowLow

LowMR = Moderate-rich

ER = Extreme-rich

Biodiversity Mechanisms

Wooded Moderate-rich Fen

• Often the last remaining areas in degraded landscapes &, thus, mitigate fragmentation

Mitigate Fragmentation

NWTHay-Zama

Lakes

Peace-AthabascaDelta

Whooping CraneSummer Range

BeaverhillLake

SK

AB

BC

USA

Ramsarin AB

• Highly effective at removing sediments, excess nutrients, and pollution

• Natural and constructed wetlands

Storage and Filters

Wetlands AreWell-Connected

LOCAL ANDREGIONAL

DISCHARGE

LOCALRECHARGE LOCAL

DISCHARGE

LOCALDISCHARGE

LOCAL ANDINTERMEDIATE

DISCHARGE

RECHARGELOCAL

RECHARGE

Stre

am/

Wet

land

Sprin

g

Drain

age

Divid

e

Carbon • Peatlands represent

25% to 50% of the global carbon pool

• 147 Gt in Canada, 17 Gt in Alberta

• Complex cycle: CO2 & CH4

• Source or sink?

Wetlands are worth more per hectarethan most other ecosystem types

• Costanza et al. 1997 - $/ha/year: $19,580

• Flood control/acre/year: $96,000

• Nutrient filtration/acre/year: $75,196

• Water supply/acre/year: $291,357

• Horticultural peat in Alberta/year: $69 M

Economic Valueof Wetlands

Estimated Cost of the Loss of Alberta’s Wetlands: $45.7 B (1999)

• Have an impact on the landscape inordinate to their size or distribution

Keystone Ecosystems

Wetlands are Alberta’s Keystone Ecosystem

Losses & Impacts:

Over 60% of Alberta’s wetlands have been lost in the settled region but “93%” of Alberta’s

wetlands are in the unsettled region

Peatland ZoneThe Atlas of Canada (2004)Climate Change

• Carbon?• Function?• Value?

No Change

Very Slight

Slight

Moderate

Severe

Extremely Severe

Sensitivity Level

Many of Alberta’s peatlands initiated 6,000 years ago when the climate was much wetter

-- their existence may be tenuous based on current climate projections

Direct Impacts

Conventional Oil & Gas

Forestry

In-Situ Oil Sands Technology:• 80% of OSR

• Expensive

• Challenging

• Restoration?

Peatland Zone

Googlemaps

Oil Sands Mining:• Air

• Land

• Surface Water

• Ground Water

Peatland Zone

Googlemaps

Oil Sands Mines:• Eight approved -- 1500 km2

• Other proposed -- Additional 700 km2

• Much of this is lost peatland (45-50%)

Peatland Zone

Can We Bring Them Back?Restoration & Construction

Wetland Construction

EIA

City of Edmonton

Peak Experience Imagery

EIA

Shepard Wetland, Calgary

Kennedale Wetland, Edmonton

Suncor Reclamation

There are no known examples of successfully constructed peatlands in the world

Syncrude Constructed Fen

Suncor Constructed Fen

A Few Points onWetland Policy in Alberta

• Federal

• Provincial

• Municipal

The Tools

• 1991

• 29% of Canada

• No-net-loss

• 10.6% of Alberta

Federal Policy

• Calgary has no-net-loss policy

• Edmonton has no wetland policy

• Many examples where Alberta’s no-net-loss policy was applied

Municipal Policy

Provincial Policy1993 1993

Mitigation… a process to reduce

wetland loss by

1. Avoid

2. Minimize

3. Compensate

Restoration/Compensation

3:1

Restoration/Mitigation

Wetland Replacement Ratio Graph

2006

A Case ofSemi-

Permanency

• Well pad on dry land (2005)

• Flooded next year (2006)

Provincial Policy

?

Challenges & Opportunities

Wetland Policy and Practice in Alberta:An Opportunity for Leadership

• We know the way

• We have the expertise

• The timing has never been better

• Policy, evaluation, science, management

Wetland Monitoring Programsand Protocols

• Wetland inventory

• Wetland classification

• Evaluation, carbon, climate change, planning

• Baseline for what we have, cumulative impacts

Two Types, Two Regions, Two Strategies

• Strong dichotomy for all elements

• Peatlands vs. mineral soil wetlands

• Wetland loss, land use, and population

• Mineral Soil Wetland Zone – Peatland Zone

Wetlands are Alberta’s Keystone Ecosystem

• Strong linkages between terrestrial & aquatic

• Many functions and high value

• All of Alberta’s biomes

• Bellwether

• Marketable size black spruce and tamarack are common in peatlands

• Ditching, mounding, and draining

• Winter when organic soils are frozen

Peatland Logging Basics

• Watering-up• Modification of soil microclimate• Loss of nutrients with tree biomass• Reduction of soil hydraulic conductivity• Introduction of weedy species (fens vs. bogs)• Formation of stable shrub communities• Paludification and reduction of productivity

Effects of Peatland Logging

• Higher precipitation = much timber

• Bogs and black spruce swamps

• Black spruce >10cm dbh

• Peat depth 0.5 – 1.0 m

• ½ of forest that is logged is peatland

Peatland Logging in NE Ont.

• Specialized or adapted equipment is used

http://www.unb.ca/standint/nbcc/machine/skidding/cbunkskd.jpg

Lakehead U

Peatland Logging in NE Ont.

Logging Peatlandsin the Western Boreal

Locky & Bayley. 2007. CJFR

Stable Shrub CommunitiesWeeds

Exposed Peat

Implications

• Changes to plant succession• Changes to soil and surface waters

Short-term Effects

Summary

• Disturbed, sterile peat• More vascular plants, weeds• Stable shrub communities

Potential Longer-term Effects

Summary

• Based on known limitations, will peatland logging become a significant activity in the western boreal region?

• Seismic and related activities take significantly more black spruce and tamarack from peatlands than logging….

Does it matter?

Further Observations

Athabasca University

Conventional & Oil Sands

1. Effects of logging in older harvest blocks (post 20 years)?

2. Logging in fens vs. bogs vs. black spruce swamps?

3. Logged peatlands vs. burned peatlands?

Research Opportunities

David Lockylockyd@macewan.ca

Thank you...