The Wetter the Better? Understanding Wet Woodland Carbon Dynamics in the Anthropocene

在全球范围内，泥炭地是重要的陆地碳储存库，可以为减缓气候变化提供基于自然的解决方案。世界上最不为人所知的泥炭地类型之一是湿林地（有大量树木覆盖的泥炭地）。潮湿的林地曾经是英国常见的栖息地类型，但经过多年的干扰和破坏，估计只剩下5 -7万公顷。尽管它们很稀缺，但由于它们形成泥炭的特性，这些生态系统可能是大量的、长期的碳汇。然而，气候变化和日益增长的发展将决定这些生态系统在未来是否会成为碳的来源。我们正在寻找这样的人：1)量化当代碳动态和通量；2)利用古环境技术确定过去的景观动态；3)将当前和未来的碳封存与生态水文变量（即地下水位）联系起来；4)与其他湿地生态系统（如热带泥炭地）进行比较。

Globally, peatlands are essential terrestrial carbon stores that can provide nature-based solutions for climate change mitigation. One of the least well-understood types of peatlands in the world are wet woodlands (peatlands with substantial tree cover). Wet woodlands were once a common habitat type across the UK, but after years of disturbance and destruction, only an estimated 50-70,000 ha remain. Despite their scarcity, these ecosystems could be substantial, long-term carbon sinks due to their peat-forming characteristics. However, climate change and increasing development will determine whether these ecosystems become a source of carbon in the future. We are seeking an individual who will i) quantify contemporary carbon dynamics and fluxes, ii) determine past landscape dynamics using paleoenvironmental techniques, iii) link current and future carbon sequestration to ecohydrological variables (i.e., water table depth), and iv) make comparisons to other wetland ecosystems (e.g., tropical peatlands).