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Project Code [2012-CCRP-PhD.2]
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Project title
Greenhouse gas balances in rewetted peatland forests
Primary Funding Agency
Environmental Protection Agency
Co-Funding Organisation(s)
n/a
Lead Organisation
University of Limerick (UL)
Lead Applicant
Kenneth Byrne
Project Abstract
Peatlands cover 17-20% of the irish landscape and store at least half of national soil carbon stocks. Drainge and disturbance lowers the water table and tranforms the soil from a carbon sink to a source. Drainage for forestry has been one of the most common disturbances to peatlands in Ireland with 43% of forests being on peat soils. Recent years have seen > 3,000 hectares of forested peatlands clearfelled and rewetted with the objective of restoring them as functional peatland and this area is likely to increase in the future. Given the increasing importance of peatlands in national greenhouse gas inventories and the lack of studies this project is timely. Field studies will be conducted at four rewetted forested peatlands sites (two on raised bog and two on blanket bog). Specific project objectives are: 1. To measure CO2 and CH4 fluxes in re-wetted forested peatlands using chamber methods (WP1). 2. To investigate the relationship of CO2 and CH4 to environmental and climatic variables including soil temperature, water table depth, photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) and vegetation type (WP2). 3. To produce Emission Factors of CO2 and CH4 (WP3). 4. To quantify C stocks and decomposition in woody
Grant Approved
�73,499.00
Research Hub
Climate Change
Research Theme
Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Sinks, and Management Systems
Initial Projected Completion Date
31/12/2016