Influence of Climate and Land Use Change on Carbon in Agriculture, Forest, and Peatland Ecosystems across Canada

This chapter illustrates the influence of climate change on the carbon (C) pools in managed ecosystems across Canada. Specifically, the ecosystems considered are agricultural environments, forests, and peatlands. Much of the focus of discussion is on the interaction between different C pools, under changing climatic conditions, with specific reference to C fluxes in the three managed ecosystems. The need for the intense management of Canadian peatlands–wetlands, forests, and agricultural ecosystems is increasing to fulfill the requirements of food, livestock feed, fiber, and fuel production. Climate change affects both the distribution and character of the landscape through changes in temperature, precipitation, and natural disturbance patterns. These impacts are not entirely separable from the effects of other anthropogenic changes such as land use change, soil degradation, erosion, and drainage, all of which may be exacerbated by climate change.