Sheep versus sea-lions? Quantifying human impacts on the carbon and greenhouse gas balance of peatlands in the Falkland Islands

Summary

• The project will offer the opportunity to study and work in the unique, extensive and poorly understood peatlands of the Falkland Islands
• It will combine an extensive programme of field measurements using state of the art analysers with in-depth analysis of peat geochemical and DNA sequencing of peat microbial communities. 
• The project aims to produce the first ever empirically-based estimate of the GHG balance of Falkland peatlands, and how this has been affected by land-use, supporting UK and Falkland Island Government policy on land-management and the future development of carbon offsetting and climate change mitigation schemes.

Background

The Falkland Islands are the largest of the UK’s Overseas Territories, and hold some of the most carbon-rich soils on Earth. Peatlands cover almost half of the land area, and account for ~10% of the total peat area under UK jurisdiction.

These peatlands developed over millenia in the absence of humans or herbivorous mammals. Since human settlement began 250 years ago, large-scale grazing and other land-use pressures have caused profound ecological changes.

Around 80% of the Islands’ distinctive ‘tussac’, a tall peat-forming grass which provides habitat and shelter for wildlife including penguins and sea-lions, has been lost to grazing, and peat erosion is widespread. However, we do not know whether Falkland peatlands continue to sequester carbon (thus contributing to climate change mitigation) or whether human activities have converted these vast carbon stores into greenhouse gas (GHG) emission sources. 

The PhD project will offer a unique opportunity to advance scientific understanding of this exceptional, ecologically rich but poorly understood ecosystem. It will break new ground by making the first comprehensive measurements of GHG (CO2 and CH4) fluxes from natural and degraded Falkland peatlands.

Cutting-edge geochemical and microbiological sequencing analyses, and habitat characterisation and upscaling using Earth Observation data, will provide new mechanistic, landscape-scale understanding of the drivers of these fluxes. The results will enhance fundamental understanding of this important ecosystem and help to understand the wider vulnerability of global peatlands to land-use and climate change.

The project will be of policy and public interest by quantifying the GHG emissions of the Falkland Islands, support the UK and Falkland governments in meeting their climate change targets, and have direct practical application in the development of a Falkland carbon offsetting scheme. 

Supervision and training

This project is cross institutional between UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, University of Leicester, South Atlantic Environment Research Institute and the Natural History Museum.

The student will have full access to CEH, UoL anf Natural History Museum training programmes. The student will acquire specialist skills in GHG flux measurements, soil microbiology, next generation sequencing techniques, field work skills, organic geochemistry and EO data analysis. They will also have opportunities to receive science communication training.

How to apply

Read how to apply to this studentship on the CENTA website

The deadline for applications is 13 January 2021.