Distinct thermal regimes drive contrasting heatwave responses in alpine and montane peatlands of the Canadian Rockies

This study assesses how peatlands situated at elevational extremes of their Canadian Rocky Mountain range differ in thermal dynamics and vulnerability to temperature extremes, using in situ data collected before, during and after the record-breaking 2021 heatwave. The study sites include Helen fen (High site), (2365 m, 1.2 ha, 51°40’59.98”N, 116°24’32.9”W), situated above tree line, and Sibbald fen (Low Site) (1480 m, 130 ha, 51°03’29.38” N, 114°52’11.66” W), located in the montane zone. Environmental data for these sites is provided. Study period September 2019 to March 2022. No recording indicated by NA. Datasets: HelTempsWT2019-2022 and SibbTempsWT2019-2022 Time: Timestamp of measurement (DD/MM/YYYY HH:MM) AirTempC: Air temperature measured in °C every 15 minutes in Helen, every 30 minutes in Sibbald. WT_m: Soil water table depth from data logger in m, measured hourly. T_5cm – 70cm: Soil temperature at 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40 cm depth (°C) at Helen, plus 40, 50, 50, 70 at Sibbald, measured hourly. NR_W_m2: Net radiation (W m⁻²), every 15 minutes in Helen, every 30 minutes in Sibbald.