BIOCOMPLEXITY--Incubation Activity on Biocomplexity in Peatlands

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Peatlands are wetlands that have accumulated significant amounts of soil organic matter. Northern peatlands are an important component of the global carbon cycle and contain one-third of the global soil carbon pool. Under a warmer climate, this soil carbon may be oxidized and emitted to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide and/or methane, two important greenhouse gases, and thus exacerbate human-induced climate change. Therefore, it is important to predict the response of peatlands to climate change. The objective of this incubation proposal is to bring together two research groups that have developed separate models of peatlands which display complex behaviors. One model focuses on feedbacks between carbon accumulation and hydrology, whereas the other model focuses on feedbacks between plant communities and nutrient availability. A framework will be developed for a comprehensive simulation model that can both (i) simulate the initiation and development of peatlands over thousands of years and the resulting pattern of different peatland ecosystems that form on the landscape, and (ii) explore their shorter term response to climate change. This model will provide great insight into the complex behaviors of these unique ecosystems and will be invaluable in predicting the effects and potential feedbacks of climate change on peatlands