Raised Bogs – Western and Traditional Knowledge Review and Lidar Analysis

Suncor has committed to returning disturbed landscapes to sustainable ecosystems that existed prior to development. Bogs occur in the natural landscape in the Oil Sands Region. It may be possible to create a bog over a constructed ice lens. The scope of this proposal is to combine (1) western science and traditional knowledge (i.e., literature review and consultation with indigenous people) with a focus on criteria needed to establish bog habitat on reclaimed landscapes with (2) using LiDAR to identify locations of known or suspected frost mound or raised bogs for field study to gain an understanding of local frost mound bogs. The outcomes will be the first step in determining the feasibility of constructing a bog over an ice lens.

(1) LiDAR Analysis – Bog islands are areas of thicker peat within degraded peat plateaus that persist after melting of surroundings. Thick peat that dries in the summer can insulate ancient permafrost; external factors (climate warming, fire) are required to initiate permafrost loss. (2) Western/Traditional Knowledge Review – Conditions to develop/maintain an ice lens include: (1) nearby water source, (2) dome shape that allows peat moss to dry in summer, insulating ice below, (3) high enough to isolate water table but keep moss layer active, and (4) significant peat moss cover. A bog could theoretically be constructed by: (1) flooding/freezing or cutting/placing ice in pit to a level above ground, stratified with silt/clay layers, (2) matching cryosuction hydrology, (3) covering ice with blocks of peat and vegetation and (4) maintaining core of silt/clay to ensure area stays above water table. More study is needed to look at (1) processes/properties hard to observe via LiDAR, (2) equations for balancing water storage, holding capacity and rates of ET, and (3) applied processes to construct and monitor bogs.