David Olefeldt
Contact
Associate Professor, Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sci - Renewable Resources Dept
- olefeldt@ualberta.ca
- Phone
- (780) 248-1814
- Address
-
3-48D South Academic Building
11328 - 89 Ave NWEdmonton ABT6G 2J7
Overview
Research
Major responsibilities/Research Interests:
My research interests are broadly focused on catchment carbon cycling in boreal to arctic landscapes, with a focus on the role of wetlands. Wetlands store vast amounts of organic carbon in the form of peat, but these stores are sensitive to disturbances such as permafrost thaw, wildfire, droughts and human activities. A destabilization of wetlands has been identified as one of the largest potential transfers of carbon from the biosphere to the atmosphere, a potential major feedback mechanism to ongoing climate change. I study both the exchange of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide and methane) between land and atmosphere as well as the downstream transport and fate of dissolved organic carbon. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas which is very sensitive to wetland conditions. Downstream transport of dissolved organic carbon from wetlands is a main control on the carbon balance and food-web structure in streams and lakes. I have in my research addressed questions related to wetland carbon cycling and carbon export following disturbances such as permafrost thaw and wildfire, with work in both Scandinavia and the Mackenzie watershed. My research bridges topics within soil and aquatic sciences and I often combine field, lab and remote sensing approaches to answer my research questions.
Courses
REN R 250 - Water Resource Management
The course introduces basic hydrological principles, the global water cycle, global demand and supply of freshwater, history and current concepts in water resource management, water conflict, water law, and water economics. The course emphasizes Canadian and global water management issues of the 21st century, including water regulation, climate change, drinking water availability, water quality, eutrophication, and freshwater biodiversity. Prerequisite: *30.
REN R 605 - Advanced Research Skills
Prepares PhD students to function in a research environment. Focuses on research management, best practices in scientific research, and ethics and philosophy of science. The grade is credit/no credit.