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Simulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions of a Peatland EcosystemUnder Global Warming and Elevated CO2 at the SPRUCE Experimental Site

Active Dates 9/1/2022-6/30/2024
Program Area Atmospheric System Research
Project Description
Peatlands store about 20% of the global soil carbon and play an important role in global carbon cycling. With global warming and increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration, these peatlands could release large amounts of greenhouse gases such as CO2, methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) that would further accelerate global warming. The overall goal of this proposal is to quantify the dynamics and controls of peatland soil CO2, CH4 and N2O emissions using a process-based model (DeNitrification-DeComposition, DNDC) under different temperature and CO2 treatments, based on the DOE SPRUCE (Spruce and Peatland Response Under Changing Environments) experimental data. Extensive field measurements in the SPRUCE project make it an ideal site to parameterize the DNDC model and validate the model outputs. Specifically, we will simulate soil greenhouse gas emissions under five temperature treatments and two atmospheric CO2 concentrations in the peatland ecosystem using the DNDC model and explore the mechanisms of changes in soil greenhouse gas emissions and link these changes to microbial processes and environmental factors. Results of this project will improve our understanding of the magnitudes and controls of peatland soil greenhouse gas emissions and reduce uncertainties of the greenhouse gas emission estimations. The project will help develop research capabilities in climate and Earth system modeling and global change ecology at Tennessee State University and strengthen its partnership and collaboration with the DOE Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The project will also train graduate and undergraduate students at Tennessee State University who are underrepresented in climate and environmental sciences.
Award Recipient(s)
  • Tennessee State University Nashville (PI: Hui, Dafeng)