REU: Peatlands and Global Climate Change: Insights Obtained Through Comparative Studies of Northern and Southern Sites

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This research will gain insights into carbon balances in peatlands and measure gaseous exchanges of carbon between peatlands and the atmosphere. Drs. Wieder and Yavitt will use a series of descriptive and experimental field and laboratory studies to evaluate historical development and present function of peatland ecosystems. This research will focus on comparisons between Sphagnum-dominated peatlands that have developed over thousands of years in relatively warmer climates (southern peatlands in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia) and Sphagnum-dominated peatlands that developed in cooler regions. Specific research objectives are: to characterize changes in chemical nature of organic matter during long-term peat accumulation, to determine the relative importance of methane production versus sulfate reduction in peatlands subjected to differing atmospheric sulfur depositions, to quantify transfers of photosynthetically fixed 14CO2 within a northern and southern peatland, to experimentally evaluate effects of biotic versus abiotic factors on the transfer of photosynthetically fixed 14CO2, and to evaluate the effects of temperature and water table level on gaseous carbon fluxes from peatlands to the atmosphere. Information obtained from this research will improve our ability to predict possible changes in peatland ecosystem function, particularly with regard to carbon balance, peat accumulation/degradation, and exchange of carbon gases with the atmosphere under various projections of global climate change. Drs. Wieder and Yavitt are leading peatland researchers. The facilities available for this research are outstanding.