Department of Geography and PlanningOn September 25th 2025 Clara Schryer successfully defended an excellent MSc thesis: Integrated Terrestrial and Hydrological Carbon Fluxes in High Arctic Watersheds. The thesis involved two seasons of intensive field work at the Cape Bounty Arctic Watershed Observatory, where she took measurements of discharge, gas fluxes in soil collars, and collected samples to quantify concentrations of carbon in dissolved, particulate and gas phases. By quantifying the total watershed C gas fluxes from various vegetation community types, and also the C in runoff from wet sedge catchments, she was able to demonstrate that the terrestrial C fluxes are orders of magnitude greater than the lateral carbon fluxes in these watersheds. Additionally, as a result of the contrasting meteorological conditions over the two seasons of the study, she was able to investigate the importance of air temperature and soil moisture in controlling the net flux of carbon from these watersheds.
Clara's co-supervisors Drs Lafreniere and Scott are looking forward to continuing to work with Clara to see this work published soon!