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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
The Impacts Of Climate Change On Communities Of Fungi In Boreal Peatlands, Asma Asemaninejad Hassankiadeh
The Impacts Of Climate Change On Communities Of Fungi In Boreal Peatlands, Asma Asemaninejad Hassankiadeh
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Peatlands have an important role in global climate change through sequestration of atmospheric CO2. Climate change is already affecting these ecosystems, including both above- and below- ground communities and their functions. Fungi play a central role in these communities. As a result, there is concern that altered fungal community function may turn peatlands from carbon sinks to carbon sources, greatly exacerbating the impacts of climate change. In order to gain a better insight into effects of climate change on the structure and function of these carbon sequestrating ecosystems, this thesis focuses on diversity and structure of fungal communities …
Decomposition Dynamics Under Climate Change Conditions In Boreal Peat, Rosa Del Giudice
Decomposition Dynamics Under Climate Change Conditions In Boreal Peat, Rosa Del Giudice
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Boreal peatlands currently act as carbon sinks, but are projected to become carbon sources under climate change. Shifts in plant community composition alongside increased decomposition rates are potential mechanisms precipitating this change. My objective was to determine the decomposition potential of different peatland plant litters (Sphagnum magellanicum (peat moss), Carex magellanica (graminoid) and Chamaedaphne calyculata (woody shrub)) during short-term (48 hour) leaching and microbial decomposition (20 week) phases. The 48-hour leaching experiment measured mass loss and leachate chemistry of litters grown under ambient and elevated CO2, while the 20-week experiment measured heterotrophic respiration and mass loss of …
A Systems Approach To Modelling The Effects Of Climate Change On Agroforestry: A Case Study In Western Tanzania, Elaine M. Samuel
A Systems Approach To Modelling The Effects Of Climate Change On Agroforestry: A Case Study In Western Tanzania, Elaine M. Samuel
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Climate change is anticipated to have significant effects on agricultural production in sub-Saharan Africa as the magnitude of weather events increase in severity. Smallholder farmers in western Tanzania are potentially vulnerable to climate change impact as crops rely on precipitation as the only source of water. It is prudent to evaluate different modes of agricultural adaptations, such as agroforestry, that these farmers can easily adopt to improve their resiliency to the effects of climate change. System dynamics modelling is a cost-effective tool to simulate the long-term behaviour of agroforestry systems under future climate conditions. Water, Nutrient, and Light Capture in …