Peatlands store substantial amounts of carbon, but large areas have been drained for agriculture, forestry, or peat extraction, resulting in their degraded state. This degradation has prompted both the European Union and Norway to invest in several peatland restoration projects.
Traditional peatland restoration in Norway involves raising the water table by blocking ditches while leaving remnant vegetation intact. However, it has been suggested that removing remnant vegetation and actively revegetating with peat mosses may lead to a faster recovery towards natural or pristine conditions.
The Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) is quantifying the effects of different peatland restoration methods on greenhouse gas fluxes, biodiversity, and hydrology. They are comparing the effects of (1) raising the water table only, (2) removing the top vegetation to reduce competition for establishing peatland vegetation, (3) active Sphagnum revegetation, and (4) Sphagnum farming. Our most intensive activity involves measuring the fluxes of CO2 and CH4 from two recently restored peatlands in the Oslo and Bærum areas.
We are seeking one to two students who will measure fluxes and analyze the results for potential treatment-induced differences in CO2 and CH4 fluxes.
The students should enjoy fieldwork, as we plan to measure fluxes for at least two days every two weeks. We are also open to students measuring CO2 and CH4 fluxes from other areas of the peatland, such as on top of ditch blocks or in areas where the water table is above the soil surface.
The students will work with a research team based at NINA, in close collaboration with a postdoctoral researcher. They will gain insights into working in a research project and environment within a research institute, and we offer high levels of support to facilitate their development.
