For peat’s sake
Wapusk National Park
Located on the shores of Hudson Bay, Wapusk National Park protects a plethora of diverse plants, animals and ecosystems, categorised into six unique ecosystems. These ecosystems, each with their own set of defining characteristics, are critical habitats that are home to polar bear dens, caribou herds, thousands of birds, and even more arctic animals.
Some of these ecosystems also contain up to two to three metres of peat, a spongy, soil-like substance made up of partially decayed organic matter, mostly from lichens and Sphagnum moss, in a water-logged environment. Peatlands cover almost one third of the park and have built up over thousands of years, resulting in an ecosystem that supports various plants and animals of Wapusk.
While peat may look like regular dirt to the untrained eye, the vast peatlands are a powerhouse for carbon sequestration. Carbon sequestration is the process of absorbing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. When an ecosystem releases more carbon than it absorbs, it’s called a carbon source. When an ecosystem absorbs more carbon than it releases, it’s a carbon sink.
While they only covers 3% of the Earth’s land, peatlands across the world hold one-third of its soil carbon, making them one of the most important carbon sinks in the world. Not only does peat hold more than its fair share of carbon by quantity, it also holds it longer than other soils. Boreal peatlands, such as those found in Wapusk, can hold carbon for up to 10,000 years, while boreal forests only hold carbon for up to 500 years.
By protecting Wapusk’s peatlands, we ensure that these carbon stores stay put, and are not released into the atmosphere, where they would otherwise become a source of greenhouse gas and contribute to climate change.
Parks and protected areas in Canada are part of a “natural climate solution” to climate change, as healthy ecosystems help nature and people adapt to climate change. These places conserve biodiversity, protect ecosystem processes, connect landscapes, take up and store carbon, build knowledge and understanding. By protecting areas such as Wapusk National Park, Parks Canada plays an important role in helping to address impacts of climate change by protecting and restoring healthy, resilient ecosystems and contributing to the recovery of species at risk.
Wapusk National Park covers 11,475 square kilometres in the area of the Hudson-James Bay Lowlands, a vast, low-lying plain on the western shores of Hudson Bay. Permafrost (permanently frozen ground) underlies this subarctic region and is topped by North America’s most extensive mantle of peat. Water in the form of lakes, bogs, fens, streams and rivers cover half of the land’s surface.
Wapusk National Park’s location, in the transition zone between boreal forest and arctic tundra, results in a diverse range of habitats. The coastal area is marked by salt marshes, dunes, beaches and an extensive intertidal zone that spans up to 10 kilometres between low and high tide marks. West of this coastal area are the wide-open spaces of the tundra made up of raised beach ridges, sedge meadows, peatlands and tundra ponds. In the southwestern portion of the park, a patchy landscape of weather worn spruce, tamarack and willow make up the northern boreal forests.
People are keepers of the land
Management of the park is aided by a ten-member Management Board. The Board advises the Minister on the planning, management and operation of the park, and is made up of representatives of the Government of Canada; Province of Manitoba; Town of Churchill; Fox Lake Cree Nation; and York Factory First Nation. Inuit and Dene representatives participate in board meetings as observers.
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