Abstract
Effects of climate change on the biodiversity and carbon accumulation in bogs during the last ca 400 years will be studied by analysing peat cores (microfossils, macro-remains) from bogs along a N-S transect in NW-Europe. The strategy of 14C AMS wiggle matching will be applied for high-resolution dating. The contribution of different Sphagnum species and other peat-forming plants will be compared with historical records of temperature and precipitation (available from 1706 onwards), but also with fluctuations of solar activity as reflected in the 14C and sunspot records. Palynological data from the same peat cores will be used to analyse the changes in the intensity of human impact on the landscape around the bogs. Possible effects of the input of soil dust and nitrogen compounds will be compared with the recorded changes in species composition and carbon sequestration. Information, obtained in project 2, about relevant morphological characteristics of Sphagnum species, competition between species under different climatological conditions, biomass production and decomposition will be used in the analysis and interpretation of the collected palaeo-records. The palaeo-data will be used for the validation of the peat growth simulation model NUCOM-BOG (project 3 for postdoc researcher).
Netherlands