Reconstitution des taux récents d’accumulation de carbone et des conditions paléoécologiques de la tourbière boréale Degerö Stormyr, Suède
In the event that the important carbon reservoir sequestered in peatlands were to be destabilized, the impacts on global climate could be major. However, the factors influencing carbon accumulation rates at decadal and centennial scale in peatlands have not yet been clearly identified and past and contemporary carbon accumulation dynamics of the same study site have rarely been compared. This project aimed to (1) reconstruct fine scale (cm) carbon accumulation rates for the Degerö Stormyr peatland (Sweden), (2) identify the key factors influencing accumulation rates and (3) compare the reconstructed rates to modern carbon fluxes measured at the site. Two complementary methodological approaches were used: paleoecological reconstructions and modelling. The main conclusions of this thesis are that: (1) Apparent rates of carbon accumulation are mainly related to hydroclimatic conditions in the acrotelm, but are influenced by the vegetation composition of the peat in the catotelm. (2) True rates of carbon accumulation for the recent period (≈ last 130 years) are similar to the net ecosystem carbon balance measured on site. (3) The comparison between recent and long-term carbon accumulation dynamics suggests that Degerö Stormyr has sequestered more carbon over the past decades. The results of this thesis highlight the importance of studying factors influencing carbon accumulation rates at different time scales and suggest that emphasis should be placed on decadal and centennial scales.
Peatlands Sweden Paleoecology Modelling Carbon accumulation Net carbon balance Environmental change