Predicting methane emissions in northern peatlands by using in situ data of plant communities, remote sensing and ecohydrological analysis

Climate change mitigation and political decision-making require a systemic understanding of the global carbon cycle and its primary regulators. Northern peatlands store approximately one-third of all terrestrial carbon and act as strong sinks of carbon dioxide (CO2) while releasing methane into the atmosphere. Currently, these peatlands represent one of the biggest natural sources of rapidly growing methane emissions. Methane is mostly released through plants, which regulate the magnitude of the flux in various ways. Different plant traits and characteristics behind methane regulation are still insufficiently understood.

We are looking for a talented and motivated candidate dedicated to combine multidisciplinary data from boreal and Arctic fens. The PhD project aims to combine in situ studies of plant community structures, ecohydrology and biogeochemistry with remotely sensed data to estimate future greenhouse gas emissions on a local scale and to upscale the predictions to an ecosystem scale. With experimental manipulation of plant communities, we aim to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the key factors regulating the carbon cycle in northern fens. The main objective of the project is to gain information about plant-soil-water interactions and to assess the impacts of climate change on vegetation, hydrology and greenhouse gas exchange in boreal and Arctic regions.

The doctoral researcher will carry out scientific research together with the multidisciplinary research group of Hydrology and Water Quality. The PhD researcher will undertake the following studies in the PhD thesis: 1) the dependence of methane flux on plant community composition in a boreal fen; 2) applying remote sensing and ecosystem modelling to estimate methane emissions of fens in the changing climate on a local and global scale; 3) examining the most important methane flux regulators with experimental manipulation of plant communities in boreal and Arctic regions.

The research will be carried out in close collaboration with Teemu Tahvanainen from University of Eastern Finland, Efrén Lopéz-Blanco from Aarhus University and other collaborators in Digital Waters flagship (DIWA) and Oulanka, Kobbefjord and Zackenberg research stations.

The position requires an active approach, diligence and cooperation skills, willingness to work as a part of a team and a passion to learn new. We also expect a Master’s degree in ecology or a related field of environmental sciences. Due to the nature of the described PhD project, the candidate would benefit also from having e.g. the following skills: (1) Good understanding of peatland ecology, plant science and greenhouse gases, (2) Demonstrated skills and willingness for field work and monitoring, and (3) Knowledge of or dedication to learn advanced ecosystem modelling techniques.

Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)

Water, Energy and Environmental Engineering Research Unit, Faculty of Technology

Torben R. Christensen, University of Oulu

Hannu Marttila, University of Oulu

Aino Korrensalo, Luke

Aino Korrensalo, Luke