Effects of climate change on midwestern ecosystems: North American bog and fen

The North American Bog and Fen ecosystem may be increasingly vulnerable to climate stressors, particularly water deficits and warming temperatures. These peat-forming wetlands, found at the southern extent of their range in the Midwest, depend on relatively stable hydrological and thermal conditions. Climate change may disrupt these conditions through projected declines in summer precipitation, increases in summer vapor pressure deficit and temperature, and longer periods of warmth throughout the year. These changes could lower water tables, accelerate aerobic decomposition, and alter peat-accumulating processes that define bogs and fens. Water deficits, compounded by warmer conditions, may reduce moss and sedge productivity and promote peat subsidence and compaction. Collectively, these impacts may compromise the structural integrity of this ecosystem and reduce its capacity to store carbon, maintain unique microhabitats, and support moisture-dependent species.