Rebecca Baldock | ALES Graduate Seminar

Event details: A graduate exam seminar is a presentation of the student’s final research project for their degree.
This is an ALES MSc Final Exam Seminar by Rebecca Baldock. This seminar is open to the general public to attend.

MSc with Drs. Sylvie Quideau and Uldis Silins.

Zoom Link: https://ualberta-ca.zoom.us/j/96887015684?pwd=XZxbCCV7k36NkhsCbFpZD2iTC8cByB.1

Thesis Topic: Fire and harvesting impacts on forest floor and water extractable organic matter chemical composition in the Canadian Rocky Mountains

Abstract: 

Forests are crucial carbon reservoirs, storing a large portion of the world’s terrestrial organic carbon, with two-thirds of it in soil organic matter (OM). Dissolved OM in soils plays a vital role in carbon and nutrient cycling, influencing water quality and ecosystem health. This study examined water extractable OM (WEOM) in forest soils impacted by clear-cut harvesting and fire in the southern Canadian Rockies. The chemical composition of WEOM in forest floor and mineral soils was analyzed using solid-state ¹³C NMR, UV absorbance, and various GCMS techniques. Distinct differences were detected between forest floor OM and WEOM. Forest floor OM was richer in aromatic and phenolic compounds, while WEOM showed stronger signals in alkyl, O-alkyl, and carbonyl regions. Although clear-cutting had minimal impact, fire significantly altered forest floor WEOM where several black carbon biomarkers were identified. The combination of analytical techniques provided a comprehensive understanding of forest floor and mineral soil carbon and their associated WEOM.