Peat moorland re-wilding: enhancing carbon sequestration and slowing-the-flows?

泥炭沼泽地储存了大约三分之一的全球碳储量，可以作为几种温室气体的汇和源。这些高沼地也是高地水文循环的重要组成部分，有能力在高强度降雨时减轻洪水。在英国的许多地方，由于广泛的泥炭开采，农业，商业林业和侵蚀，以及与气候变化相关的温度和降雨制度的变化，泥炭地正面临着下降。我的研究将集中在北约克沼泽地五月莫斯的广泛的雨养（雨养）毯子沼泽。五月莫斯是一个特殊科学利益的网站（SSSI），保护与北约克沼泽国家公园的湿毯沼泽的独特特征。自2008年以来，随着商业森林的消失，它经历了显着的扩张，毯子沼泽和湿石南地的面积增加了一倍多。对该地点的微气象和水文监测汇编了近十年的微气象和水文数据，记录了能量平衡、蒸散和地下水位变化的变化。该网站所在的Fylingdales摩尔是皮克林减缓洪水的举措的一部分。我的研究将利用这个不断增长的数据库来测试这些土地管理实践在缓解河流流量峰值和增强泥炭地碳储存方面的作用的假设。该项目将最终评估这些恢复措施在恢复泥炭地水文和生态地球化学功能方面的成功。

Peat moorlands store approximately a third of the global carbon stock, and can act as both sinks and sources of several greenhouse gases. These moorlands also form a significant component of the upland hydrological cycle, with the capacity to alleviate flooding during high intensity rainfall events. In many parts of the UK, peatlands are facing decline owing to widespread peat extraction, agriculture, commercial forestry and erosion, as well as changing temperature and rainfall regimes associated with climate change. My research will focus on the extensive ombrotrophic (rain-fed) blanket mire at May Moss on the North York Moors. May Moss is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), protected for unique characteristics of wet blanket bog with the North York Moors National Park. It has undergone significant expansion with the removal of commercial forestry since 2008, more than doubling the area of blanket bog and wet heathland. Micrometeorological and hydrological monitoring of the site has compiled nearly a decade of micrometeorological and hydrological data documenting changes in the energy balance, evapotranspiration and water table variability. Fylingdales Moor, within which the site sits, is part of the Pickering slow-the-flow initiatives mitigating flooding. My research will make use of this growing database to test hypotheses about the role of these land management practices in mitigating peak river flow and enhancing carbon storage within peatlands. The project will ultimately assess the success of these restorative measures on the recovery of the hydrological and biogeochemical functions of peatlands.