My dissertation will focus on two main topics. The first part of the study will go over how restoration measures affect the carbon dynamics (CO2 & CH4) of peatlands that have been previously drained for forestry. The experimental setup includes forested peatlands restored at different times, pristine spruce and pine mires, as well as two peatland sites that will be restored in the fall of 2024. In total, there are 44 study sites.
The second part of the work will investigate the effects of vegetation community succession and other environmental factors on the changes in soil carbon stocks in restored peatlands. This section will also test how testate amoebae and plant macrofossils could potentially be used to help in calculating peat accumulation and in the spatial and temporal assessment of restoration effects.
The results will provide information how restored forested peatlands act as carbon storage and cycling, as well as their potential to mitigate climate change in Finland.
