Old Black Spruce - White Gull Creek, SK

Purpose / Scientific Focus

Carbon-cycling  •  Boreal Forest Ecology  •  Post-fire Regeneration  •  Soil Processes  •   Climate change and variability

Established through natural regeneration following an 1879 wildfire, this site is dominated by black spruce (90%) with smaller amounts of tamarack. The relatively flat landscape is characterized by peat-rich soils, hummock-hollow micro topography in wetter areas, and a high water table for most of the year. The thick moss and peat layer provides thermal insulation against seasonal temperature extremes, making Old Black Spruce (OBS) an important site for long-term research on boreal forest ecology, hydrology, carbon cycling, and climate change.

Boreal Ecosystem Research and Monitoring Sites

OBS is one of the three active monitoring sites in the Global Institute for Water Security (GIWS) BERMS program, a long-term research network that investigates interactions among climate, hydrology, and vegetation across representative boreal ecosystems. The active sites include Old Black Spruce, Old Jack Pine (OJP), and Fen.