Peatlands and Global Carbon Cycle Modeling

Abstract

Peatlands cover 3–5% of the global land surface, contain about 20% of all terrestrial organic carbon, and contribute significantly to total biogenic methane emissions to the atmosphere. More than one third of northern peatlands contain permafrost. Northern peatlands are likely to experience the consequences of climate warming earlier, more rapidly, and to a greater degree than many of the Earth's other major ecosystems.

To map out how peatlands could be incorporated into global-scale coupled climate-carbon models and to determine what research and model development would be needed to overcome major obstacles, 17 scientists with expertise in peatland ecology, biogeochemistry and vegetation modeling, and global-scale coupled climate-carbon modeling participated in a workshop organized by the U.S. National Science Foundationsponsored PeatNet (http://www.peatnet.siu.edu/).

Department

Earth Sciences, Earth Systems Research Center

Publication Date

7-21-2009

Journal Title

EOS, Transactions American Geophysical Union

Publisher

American Geophysical Union Publications

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1029/2009EO290005

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Rights

©2009. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.

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