About PEATBOG
PEATBOG aims to understand how nitrogen pollution and changing climate, individually and combined, will affect the biodiversity and ecosystem properties of peatlands. We also aim to develop meaningful indicators of risk to these impacts that are of use to conservation managers and policymakers.
To address these aims, we first, through surveys, determine relationships between peatland species richness and nitrogen deposition across northern Europe and the Alps. Second, by manipulating in the field, the water table and temperature of two peatlands in areas receiving different levels of nitrogen pollution, we investigate whether peatlands that have received historically high nitrogen loads are more sensitive to drought and warming than less polluted peatlands. Impacts on nutrient cycles and carbon accumulation are examined at various levels of detail in process-based studies across the survey sites, field manipulation sites and in controlled laboratory experiments. Changes in microbial community composition and function are also determined across the different scales of inquiry, and linked to changes in the vegetation and soil. Finally the survey, field, and laboratory investigations are integrated to develop scientific models, and a range of applications for management and policy, all focusing on the response of peatlands to elevated nitrogen deposition and climate change.
The main users of the results of PEATBOG will be conservation managers, policymakers, and scientists. For conservation managers the project aims to produce simple and reliable indictors of sensitivity to nitrogen deposition and risk for biodiversity loss for raised bogs and, potentially, other peatland types in Europe. These could take the form of ecological indicator species, dichotomous decision trees, or recommendations for monitoring networks. For policymakers the project will produce national/European-scale risk assessments, GIS-based maps to highlight peat-forming regions most vulnerable to current and future changes in climate and nitrogen pollution, and an evaluation of the effectiveness of applying the critical loads concept for biodiversity protection of peatlands. For the scientific community PEATBOG will produce new information on the integrated ecological/biogeochemical impacts of N deposition on peatlands, including scientific publications, detailed process-based models for hypothesis testing, and open-access data.
The project has a seven-member Core Advisory Group encompassing the European policy and conservation arenas concerned by PEATBOG, and a wider Stakeholder/ Scientists Group with representatives from science, policy, management and the public.
PEATBOG Presentations: Europe
PEATBOG Presentations: Outside Europe
5th International Nitrogen Conference (New Delhi, India)
AGU Fall Meeting 2011 (San Francisco, USA)
Additional General Information
Dise Utrecht March 10 overview
Dise Linkoping Oct 09 overview
Dise Manchester March 09 overview