Effect of Climate Warming on Biotic Communities and the Carbon Balance of Sphagnum Peatlands
Project
Type : PEATWARM research initiative (french ANR – Agence nationale française de la recherche) (2008-2012)
Fund : French ANR (Agence nationale de la Recherche), EPFL and WSL (swiss partnership)
Description :
Sphagnum peat-bogs are valuable humid ecosystems which provide specific habitats and host a typical and large biodiversity. They have an important function in carbon sequestration at a world scale. We study the vegetation, soil microbial communities and activity, labile and recalcitrant organic matter, plant-macrofauna-microbes interactions, and carbon fluxes in a warming experiment in field conditions, to asses the effect of ongoing climate change on these ecosystems and the possible feedback to effects on climate.
Our main hypothesis is that with a temperature increase, there will be a change in the competition between mosses and vascular plants and that this will affect the belowground ecosystem functions.
A peatland is equipped with OTC’s (Open Top Chamber) and control plots. The treatment induces a raise of approximatively 3°C. OTC’s and control plots are equipped with temperature sensors, piezometers, plant productivity, vegetationsurvey, gas rings (CH4 and CO2), and litter bags.
Web page : http://peatwarm.cnrs-orleans.fr/
Keywords :
Peatbog, warming experiment, vegetation change, carbon cycle, microbial communities, biogeochemistry of peat and pore water, litter decomposition
Collaborations :
Principal investigator :
Prof. Alexandre Buttler
Co-Applicant :
Prof. Edward Mitchell
Team :
Prof. Luca Bragazza (joint Univ. Ferrara and WSL)
Gregory Bernard (joint UFC Besançon and EPFL)
Julien Parisod
Partnership : 
University of Orléans
University of Franche-Comté
University of Nancy
Université of Rennes
University of Poitiers
Study site :
A raised peatbog in Frasne, near Pontarlier (France)
Contact
Email : [email protected]
Adjunct Professor
Office : GR B2 417
Phone : [+41] 21 693 39 39 or [+41] 21 693 39 05