Development of a model for estimating the sensitivity of Canadian peatlands to climate warming

Under current scenarios of increasing greenhouse gases, the expected increa ses in global temperatures have the potential to affect, in many areas, the peatlands that now cover 14 % of the soil area of Canada. A model for esti mating peatland sensitivity to climate warming was developed using publishe d information on the current state of climate, vegetation, and permafrost t ogether with the changes expected with a doubling of CO2. Calculations base d on this sensitivity model and data for the areal extent and carbon conten t of organic soils in Canada, show that approximately 60 % of the area of C anadian peatlands is expected to be severely to extremely severely affected by climate warming. These peatlands, which are deemed most sensitive to cl imate warming, also contain 53 % of the 154 Gt of carbon found in organic s oils.