Evaluating wetland extent trends using remote sensing: case studies in the Canadian Rockies

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dc.contributor.authorRodrigues, Italo Sampaio
dc.contributor.authorUniversity of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science
dc.contributor.supervisorHopkinson, Christopher
dc.date.accessioned2025-08-29T21:43:16Z
dc.date.available2025-08-29T21:43:16Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.degree.levelPh.D
dc.description.abstractMountainous wetlands provide critical ecosystem services, but their sustainability is increasingly threatened by climate change impacts on river flow, runoff regimes, and landscape dynamics. The main objective of this thesis is to investigate how wetland hydrology and land cover in two mountainous regions, the Upper Columbia floodplain in British Columbia and the Eastern Slopes of Alberta (ES), are changing over time and how they could react under future climate scenarios. The specific aims of this thesis are to: 1) Evaluate historical and projected changes in wetland land cover and hydrology in the Upper Columbia River floodplain (1984ā€“2040); 2) Apply and expand these methods to the ES (1984ā€“2023); 3) Quantify open water evaporation relative to forest ecosystem evapotranspiration volumes, and assess seasonal variations between the snowmelt- and rainfall-dominated periods. Results on Objective 1 indicate that from 1984 to 2022 the Upper Columbia floodplain has already undergone significant hydrological and ecological changes. Peak river discharge now occurs eleven days earlier and with shorter duration, so generating greater peak flows over a shorter period. These shifts have matched a drying trend in wetland habitats and a transition to woody and shrubby vegetation. Under both RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5, projected data (2020sā€“2040s) show a continuous reduction in late-summer open water areas; the seasonal peak shifts earlier into spring (April to mid-May). Applying a similar analytical approach to the ES in Objective 2 revealed both parallel and contrasting trends. In the snowmelt-dominated period (late May to mid-July), subalpine (ā‰¤2300 m) and alpine (>2300 m) regions experienced increases in open water, non-woody, and woody/shrub vegetation while barren land decreased. On the other hand, the rainfall-dominated period (late July to mid-September) revealed a decline in open water area and an increase in barren land, so suggesting possible seasonal water constraints and vegetation changes. For Objective 3, the estimated proportion (P%) of open water evaporation in relation to volumes of forest ecosystem evapotranspiration. Historically, P% was 2.4% during the snowmelt-dominated period and 2.1% during the rainfall-dominated period. Especially in earlier stages of the hydrologic year, these trends indicate rising contributions of surface water bodies to total evapotranspiration. The consequences comprise changed water availability, habitat changes, and the long-term viability of wetland ecosystem services. The noted seasonality of hydrological changes and acceleration highlights the need for adaptive water management and conservation strategies considering local and regional dynamics.
dc.description.sponsorshipThe author received funding provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC; grant no. 2017-04362), Alberta Innovates, the Nexen Fellowship in Water Resources, the Columbia Wetlands Stewardship Partners and the Shuswap Bandā€™s Columbia Headwaters Aquatic Restoration SecwĆ©pemc Strategy (CHARS) project.
dc.embargoNo
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10133/7118
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherLethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Geography and Environment
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Geography and Environment
dc.publisher.facultyArts and Science
dc.relation.ispartofseriesThesis (University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science)
dc.subjectopen water
dc.subjectclimate change
dc.subjectland cover trends
dc.subjectforecast
dc.subjectwater resources
dc.subjectLandsat archive
dc.subject.lcshDissertations, Academic
dc.subject.lcshClimatic changes--Research--Montane Cordillera Ecozone (B.C. and Alta.)
dc.subject.lcshEcological forecasting--Montane Cordillera Ecozone (B.C. and Alta.)
dc.subject.lcshLandsat satellites
dc.subject.lcshWetlands--Montane Cordillera Ecozone (B.C. and Alta.)--Remote sensing
dc.subject.lcshWetlands--Monitoring--Montane Cordillera Ecozone (B.C. and Alta.)
dc.subject.lcshWetland surveys--Montane Cordillera Ecozone (B.C. and Alta.)
dc.subject.lcshWetland hydrology--Research--Montane Cordillera Ecozone (B.C. and Alta.)
dc.subject.lcshLand cover--Research--Montane Cordillera Ecozone (B,C, and Alta.)
dc.subject.lcshMountain watersheds--Research--Montane Cordillera Ecozone (B.C. and Alta.)
dc.subject.lcshFloodplains--Montane Cordillera Ecozone (B.C. and Alta.)--Remote sensing
dc.subject.lcshTime-series analysis
dc.titleEvaluating wetland extent trends using remote sensing: case studies in the Canadian Rockies
dc.typeThesis
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