US-Ireland Cooperative Science: The Formation and Development of Peatlands in Ireland

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Objective: In maritime regions at the southern edge of the Arctic, blanket bogs have grown over large areas of sloping terrain that once supported forests. The classic locality for blanket bogs are the highlands of the British Isles, especially the western coastal region of Ireland, where blanket peats cover a diversity of substrates. The numerous roads that have been built through these blanket bogs provide a unique cross-sectional profile of the peat and underlying mineral soil along toposequences covering many kilometers. The study of such sequences will allow the determination of whether the blanket peat originated simultaneously over the entire slope or progressively upslope by drainage impedance near the base of the slope. Field work in Ireland will be conducted in close cooperation with faculty from Trinity College, who have extensive experience with Irish peatlands. The effect of Holocene climatic changes on the formation, development, and stability of these peatlands will be examined along toposequences where the local effects of changing slope, soil, and hydrology may be distinguished from the more regional influence of climate. In particular the relation of peat growth to prehistoric forest clearance will be studied, as well as the relationship of peat erosion to human disturbance over time. The U.S. investigators Dr. Paul H. Glaser and Dr. Herbert E. Wright will collaborate in this research with Dr. W.A. Watts and Dr. Paul Dowding of Trinity College, Dublin. Relevance: It is the objective of the U.S.-Ireland Cooperative Science Program to promote mutually beneficial research cooperation and to enable U.S. scientists to take advantage of special research opportunities. This award fulfills that objective by enabling Dr. Glaser and Dr. Wright to spend two years in collaboration with Irish scientists with complementary expertise. Merit: There is an excellent prospect that the proposed research will result in a significant contribution to scientific knowledge. The principal investigators are respected, productive scientists, who will be working with other international experts in this field. The work plan is sound and the budget is reasonable. Funding: This award will not duplicate other funding.