How heterogeneous is water table level and nutrients distribution across mires?

Peatlands store a tremendous amount of carbon due to their year-round waterlogged conditions, leading to a slow decomposition of dead plant material. Below the oxic layer, some micro-organisms (methanogens) require this anoxic condition to produce methane from the dead plant material. Some of the fixed carbon through photosynthesis is therefore returned to the atmosphere either through plant respiration or as methane emissions. Water table level is therefore an important variable that influences the carbon dynamics in peatlands. Due to the heterogeneous nature of peat surface and the overall slope of the catchment, water table level is not the same across the mire surface. Furthermore, the heterogeneity of the mire surface and water table level can influence how nutrients are distributed across the mire surface (through water movements between microforms of the mire surface). The goal of this project is to map the spatial distribution of water table level across the surface of four mires, and link it with peat properties (especially nutrient content) and vegetation distribution. To achieve that goal, several water table level loggers will be installed across the mire surface, and a procedure will be set up, including a digital elevation model, to spatialize water table level across the mire surface over time. The pH of water will also be measured, to help understand how it relates to WTL and nutrients distribution.

You will work within a multidisciplinary research team, and will collaborate with other students for fieldwork. A motivation to learn spatial data analysis and some programming (R, Matlab) is required.

For more information, please email Koffi Dodji Noumonvi (koffi.noumonvi@slu.se)

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