Peatlands are important wetland ecosystems in the Adirondacks and elsewhere and AWI conducts long-term monitoring of birds in Adirondack peatlands to understand the implications of climate change for these unique places. Peatlands are important global carbon storage reservoirs, and this scarf depicts the threat of fires to these systems. Nearly 23 million acres of peatlands burned in Siberia, above the Arctic Circle, from 1984 to 2020; nearly half of that burned in 2019 and 2020. Rows in moss green represent years when < 0.1 Mha of peatlands burned, black are years when 0.1 – 0.2 Mha burned, and red are years when > 0.2 Mha of peatlands burned.  Data are 1984 – 2020 with 4 rows representing each year. Based on the research of Descals et al. 2022.

By Anne Connor