Life Sciences Commons^™

Ecosystem Level Effects Of Climate Change On Northern Peatlands, Catherine M. Dieleman

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Northern peatlands are the world’s most efficient terrestrial ecosystems at storing carbon. The effects of global climate change are expected to be intensified in high latitude regions of the northern hemisphere, where peatlands are a dominant landscape feature. Accordingly, there is concern that climate change will change peatlands from carbon sinks into carbon sources. In order to better understand the impacts of climate change on peatland ecosystems, the research presented in this dissertation focuses on several mesocosm experiments conducted to develop a better understanding of the interactive effects of three key climate change stressors (increased atmospheric CO₂, increased …