From The Top: Surface Peat Drives Below Ground Carbon Cycling
EMSL Project ID
60514
Abstract
Carbon-cycling processes within tropical peat soils are necessary to understand in order to predict what is going to happen to the 104 Pg of global carbon stored in their waterlogged soils. Carbon released from soils as CO2 or CH4 can be directly linked to changes in carbon-climate feedbacks. Anticipated changes in precipitation and hydrology in the tropics have the potential to decrease the sink strength of tropical peatlands and stimulate the return of stored soil carbon to the atmosphere, amplifying climate change. Solid-state NMR can demonstrate changes in distribution of compound classes across peat soil that can inform us about controls on carbon cycling in these carbon rich soils. This study will utilize a peatland site in Panama to explore how peat carbon chemistry influences both surface and sub surface carbon emissions from tropical peat. If we are to effectively include these carbon rich ecosystems in global carbon budgets and earth system models, we must fill this knowledge gap.
Project Details
Project type
Limited Scope
Start Date
2022-10-01
End Date
2023-01-31
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Team Members