Climate change in peatlands: Holocene record, recent trends and related impacts on biodiversity and sequestered carbon (CLIMPEAT)

Project partners: Nature Research Centre (Leading Party), Institute for Geological Sciences of University of Bern, and Vilnius University

Project duration: January 2013 – March 2016

Project number: LSP-12 015

Project value: LTL 2,030,81.

Project idea: Tree growth in peatlands mostly depend on groundwater fluctuations: with higher water level, root systems assume lower amounts of oxygen and nutrients. Therefore, forest vegetation dynamics in peatlands reflects all water level fluctuations that occurred in the past, and fossil tree stumps in different peat layers can be regarded as Holocene climate history archives.

Project purpose: CLIMPEAT project is intended to spell out relationships between peatland ecosystems and climate changes, as well as between anthropogenic activities and preserved carbon emissions. Project results will help better understand relationships between pedosphere, atmosphere and anthropogenic factors and will contribute to the conservation and rational management of peatland resources.

Sources of funding: Lithuanian–Swiss Cooperation Programme funds.

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