Adam Fortais

Peatlands are wetland ecosystems that are home to at-risk species, tremendous biodiversity, and are responsible for storing huge amounts of carbon. In fact, peatlands are the largest natural carbon source in the world, making them instrumental in mitigating the effects of global warming. However, being a large carbon sink is a double-edged sword because these peatlands release large amounts of carbon when they burn through wildfires. Evidently, it is important to understand the factors that may make peatlands more vulnerable to wildfires to potentially intervene and even restore these ecosystems. But, what are these factors? Emma Sherwood, a 2nd year Master's student in the School of Earth, Environment, & Society, is researching these factors and creating maps of peatlands that may be more vulnerable to the effects of wildfires. Tune in to learn more about Emma's research and her active lifestyle outside the lab!  To learn more about the McMaster Ecohydrology lab, check out their lab page here You c