Prof. Merritt Turetsky is featured in a Toronto Star story about a new study showing global carbon dioxide emissions from wildfires declined in the last 90 years as populations grew. However, this same trend did not play out in Canada.

In the article, Turetsky points to climate change as one of the reasons for more fire activity in Canada over the same period. She says climate change is causing more severe wildfires in Canada. She also says active fire suppression contributes to our country’s rise in emissions, because suppression leads to more severe fires.

Turetsky holds the Canada Research Chair in Integrative Ecology, and studies plant ecology, biogeochemistry and global change. She looks at how interactions between biological communities and nutrient cycling control soil and water quality and atmospheric emissions to affect the climate system.