Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/N020227/1
Molecular metrics for assessing the status of peatlands
Fellowship Award
- Fellow:
- Dr NGA Bell, University of Edinburgh, Sch of Chemistry
- Grant held at:
- University of Edinburgh, Sch of Chemistry
- Science Area:
- Atmospheric
- Earth
- Freshwater
- Marine
- Terrestrial
- Overall Classification:
- Unknown
- ENRIs:
- Biodiversity
- Environmental Risks and Hazards
- Global Change
- Natural Resource Management
- Pollution and Waste
- Science Topics:
- Analytical Science
- FT Mass Spectrometry
- Nuclear Magn. Resonance NMR
- Chemical Structure
- Solid-state NMR
- Climate & Climate Change
- Climate modelling
- Dissolved organic matter
- Soil science
- Land use
- Organic matter
- Peat
- Soil chemistry & soil physics
- Soil organics
- Soil science
- Soil structure
- FT Mass Spectrometry
- Analytical Science
- Nuclear Magn. Resonance NMR
- Abstract:
- Peatlands, thick water-logged organic matter rich soils produced by the decay of plant and animal materials, are vital to humanity by providing countless benefits and ecological services. They represent a major carbon store, containing twice the amount of carbon than the entire forest biomass on this planet. When in a healthy condition, peatlands continuously remove carbon from atmosphere, helping our battle against climate change. Peatlands are natural sponges, holding up to 90% water and their ability to retain this water is important not only for sustaining their stability but also for providing a source of drinking water (e.g. 70% of UK drinking water runs from upland peatland catchments). They are also an important factor in flood management. Peatlands provide a unique habitat for many plant and animal species. Globally, peatlands have been damaged by human activities such as drainage to promote grazing lands, or extraction for a fuel or for making whisky; around 80% of UK's peatlands are classified as damaged. Damaged peatlands are a major cause for concern as they cannot provide many of their vital ecosystem services, e.g. they start releasing carbon rather than storing it. Rewetting of peatlands, thus raising their water table, is a widespread method for peat bog restoration. This reintroduces conditions where species like Sphagnum moss return, reducing the loss of carbon to waters and the atmosphere. However, recent studies suggest that rewetting does not always restore the peat back to full health in terms of biodiversity, water dynamics and carbon sequestration capacity. In order to understand these issues we need to ask a question: what is the peat made off? If peat is losing carbon, what are the molecules that are most affected? What if degradation removed some of the key molecules that protect peat against decomposition and carbon loss? What then happens when we try to restore the peat? In such instances, peat may not be able to return to its healthy state and rewetting could even cause it to degrade further. A better understanding of these processes at the molecular scale is required in order to suggest site specific measures that could address these issues. By developing molecular metrics to classify and monitor the restoration levels of peat we will help in preventing further peatland damage. The aim of my project is to examine changes of peatlands on the molecular level by comparing molecular characteristics of intact, degraded and restored sites. As human health has been advanced through structural studies of biomolecules yielding molecular level understanding of their function, molecular level structure-function relationships need to be developed for soil systems. The progress in this area is hindered by incredible complexity of soil organic matter, which is commonly cited as the most complex mixture on this planet. NMR and MS are universally acknowledged as the two most promising techniques for characterisation of the molecular composition of organic matter and I will use and further develop these techniques in my research. In my previous work I have already demonstrated the power of NMR to unravel the structures of certain, important types of molecules found in peat. The aim of the proposed work is to provide comprehensive, molecular level characterisation of peat. I aim to uncover the differences in molecular composition of peat organic matter and organic matter from peat pores in different bog conditions and to provide a molecular metrics to characterise the status of peat bogs. Such research is required to monitor effectiveness of restoration/preservation schemes and ultimately will contribute to bringing the bogs back to health and keeping them there. Once we know the molecules, we know what is happening to the carbon pool; we can follow its movements in and out of peat bogs, and therefore also improve models predicting effects of future land use and climate change on peat.
- NERC Reference:
- NE/N020227/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- Research Programme Fellowship
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Soil Security Fellows
This fellowship award has a total value of £325,833
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| DI - Other Costs | Indirect - Indirect Costs | DI - Staff | DA - Estate Costs | DA - Other Directly Allocated | DI - T&S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £62,588 | £83,075 | £91,086 | £32,530 | £50,794 | £5,759 |
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