FORecasting hydrological response, Carbon balance and Emissions from natural mires in arctic-to-temperate zone transect in abrupt climatic change
Warsaw University of Life Sciences ·Poland
About this project
<p>Mires remain the most significant terrestrial carbon stock of the world. The most up to date research results have informed that former estimates of the amounts of carbon stored in mires can be underestimated by even as high as 100%. Dominant direct drivers of mire status originate from hydrology, namely the type (i.e., rain- or groundwater feeding) and quantities of water supplied to a mire and removed from this system in result of natural drainage and evapotranspiration. Impaired peat accumulation processes can result in a positive feedback of the emission of CO2 as a response to supply of mineral-rich groundwater (resulting from permafrost thaw and increase of the fen catchment area in Arctic palsa mires) and water balance changes (resulting from shortages of water in temperate fens and sloping fens). FORCE project results are likely to influence the global perspective of the need for conservation of natural mires and considering abrupt climatic change as a challenge for mire-related and water-related elements of carbon cycle. It is likely that the messages resulting from the FORCE project implementation will influence international strategies oriented at promotion of mire research and conservation, placing new threads of emissions and carbon accumulation in a management context.</p>
Bilateral cooperation results
The bilateral cooperation was satisfactory. The joint Polish-Norwegian publication was prepared. The project application was prepared in the consortium of NINA, SGGW, University of Oslo and Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. In the case of NINA and SGGW this initiative emerged directly from the FORCE project. We observed that the scale of wise peatland management is to small for the appropriate planning of environmental conservation on these ecosystems. The project was evaluated positive and granted by the Research Council of Norway and the joint research project was granted.
Project partners
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology Donor project partner· Norway
- The Norwegian Institute for Nature Research Donor project partner· Norway
- Institute of Geophysics Polish Academy of Sciences Project partner· Poland
- University of Warsaw Project partner· Poland
- Warsaw University of Technology Project partner· Poland