PhD defence: Rewetting of peatlands – a tool to mitigate climate change
Rewetting of peatlands to mitigate climate change has been a hot topic in recent years. However, detailed knowledge on climate effects following rewetting including ‘paludiculture’, the productive land use of rewetted peatlands for biomass production, was lacking.
During her PhD studies, Claudia Kalla Nielsen studied how soil-specific biogeochemical drivers affect greenhouse gas emissions for different peatlands before and after rewetting, as also under different paludiculture management options. Further, Claudia studied how paludiculture grass biomass can be used for the production of green protein in biorefineries.
The new research findings contribute to the understanding of peat soil biogeochemistry and the effects on sustainable peatland management practices on greenhouse gas exchange. These answers are vital to enhance the efficiency of rewetting as a nature-based solution to climate change mitigation, while offering sustainable land use options.
The PhD study was completed at Department of Agroecology, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University.
This summary was prepared by the PhD student.
Time: Friday, 17 March 2023 at 13:00
Place: 8814-3075, Auditorium, Aarhus University, Campus Viborg, Blichers Allé 20, 8830 Tjele
Title of PhD thesis: Peatland rewetting: Exploring soil-specific climate mitigation potentials in paludiculture for green protein biorefinery
Contact information: Claudia Nielsen e-mail: Claudia@agro.au.dk tel.: +45 24768830
Members of the assessment committee:
Senior scientist, Dr.-Ing. Bärbel Tiemeyer, Johan Heinrich von Thünen-Institute, Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries, Germany
Associate Professor, Phd, MSc Peter Roslev, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Denmark
Senior Researcher Henrik Skovgård (chair), Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Denmark
Main supervisor:
Senior Researcher Poul Erik Lærke, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Denmark
Co-supervisor:
Professor Uffe Jørgensen, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Denmark
Language: The PhD dissertation will be defended in English
The defence is public.
The PhD thesis is available for reading at the Graduate School of Technical Sciences/GSTS,
Jens Baggesens Vej 53, building 5221, 8200 Aarhus N.