Modelling peatland development in high-boreal Quebec, Canada, with DigiBog_Boreal

Abstract

DigiBog is a numerical model that simulates peat accumulation in temperate peatlands. Here, we modify DigiBog for boreal peatlands (DigiBog_Boreal) by accounting for snow cover, short growing seasons and groundwater exchanges between the peat and the aquifer. DigiBog_Boreal is then used to replicate ∼6500 years of peat accumulation at two high boreal latitude peatlands in Quebec, Canada. DigiBog_Boreal was driven with a weather generator and climate models, while peat cores from the sites were used to develop initial conditions and calibrate DigiBog_Boreal. Our results demonstrate that DigiBog_Boreal can replicate well peat thickness and age-depth profiles but cannot produce long-term fluctuations in water-table depths. Here, a possible explanation for DigiBog_Boreal's underperformance is the stability in the climatic drivers and less likely the new model developments. The results also indicate that peat decomposition and accumulation in DigiBog_Boreal are sensitive to water stored on the peat surface.