Lorna I Harris
Postdoctoral Fellow (Ecohydrology), McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

I am an early career scientist interested in wetland ecosystems and the likely changes to these ecosystems due to climate change and development. My research focuses on the ecohydrology and biogeochemistry of northern peatlands. I am interested in how peatlands form and develop over time and how this development may be impacted by environmental change (climate change or development). I study vegetation-hydrology relationships and gas exchange (CO2 and CH4) across various microforms (hummocks and hollows) in both pristine and hydrologically impacted bogs and fens. For my PhD at McGill University, I studied peatlands near Attawapiskat in the Hudson Bay Lowland (HBL)  - a vast expanse of peatland in northern Ontario, Canada. The HBL comprises the second largest continuous area of peatlands in the world (at approximately 250,000 sq km) and are considered to be significantly at risk from climate change. Changes in biogeochemical processes in this region could have major consequences for global greenhouse gas exchange and climate regulation. This region is also likely to face significant development pressure in the near future, from mining operations in particular. For my Postdoctoral research, I am working on various peatlands and wetlands within the rock barrens landscape of the Canadian Shield, along Eastern Georgian Bay in Ontario, Canada.


Contact Information:
School of Geography and Earth Sciences
McMaster University
General Sciences Building (Main Office: room 206)
Hamilton, Ontario
Canada, L8S 4K1

Email: lorna.harris@mail.mcgill.ca

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