The Wetter the Better? Understanding Wet Woodland Carbon Dynamics in the Anthropocene

Globally, peatlands are essential terrestrial carbon stores that can provide nature-based solutions for climate change mitigation. One of the least well-understood types of peatlands in the world are wet woodlands (peatlands with substantial tree cover). Wet woodlands were once a common habitat type across the UK, but after years of disturbance and destruction, only an estimated 50-70,000 ha remain. Despite their scarcity, these ecosystems could be substantial, long-term carbon sinks due to their peat-forming characteristics. However, climate change and increasing development will determine whether these ecosystems become a source of carbon in the future. We are seeking an individual who will i) quantify contemporary carbon dynamics and fluxes, ii) determine past landscape dynamics using paleoenvironmental techniques, iii) link current and future carbon sequestration to ecohydrological variables (i.e., water table depth), and iv) make comparisons to other wetland ecosystems (e.g., tropical peatlands).