Authors:
Paul J. Hanson, Randall K. Kolka, Colleen Iversen, Stephen D. Sebestyen, Richard J. Norby, Brian Palik, Peter Thornton, Jeffrey Warren, Stan D. Wullschleger and Les Hook
Book:
Proceedings of the 14th International Peat Congress
Venue:
Stockholm
Keywords:
carbon-cycle, elevated-co2, experiment, methane, vulnerability, warming
Summary:
I Inventory, stratigraphy and conservation of mires and peatlands
extended abstract
SUMMARY
We are constructing an experimental platform to address climate change response mechanisms in a Picea/Larix/Sphagnum ombrotrophic bog ecosystem located in northern Minnesota. This ecosystem located at the southern extent of the spatially expansive boreal peatland forests is hypothesized to be especially vulnerable to climate change and to have important feedbacks on the atmosphere and climate. The regression-based experiment will allow us to test mechanisms controlling vulnerability of organisms and ecosystem process changes for multiple levels of warming (up to +9 °C) combined with elevated CO2 exposures (900 ppm). New methods for whole-ecosystem warming at plot scales of 12- to 14-m diameter have been developed for this study