Carbon Storage in Soil Under Climate Change

The objective is to study carbon dynamics in the root zone as influenced by several years of climatic perturbation to shrub-heath land vegetation combining extended summer drought, increased temperature and elevated CO2. The work will address the questions:

• What are the changes in microbial community composition? Individual groups and species of microorganisms will be identified by means of gas chromatographic analysis of specific signature compounds (PLFA and NLFA).
• What are the dominant functional groups of microorganisms in the root zone? This will be assessed by tracing isotopically labeled carbon into the signature compounds in microbial cell membranes and storage structures
• What are the consequences of changes in microbial communities for the turnover and storage of plant assimilated carbon in the soil?

     
The project is closely linked to CLIMAITE, which is the world’s biggest in situ experiment to investigate the combined effects of important climate change factors on ecosystem processes and functions. The work will be carried out as a combination of laboratory scale investigations at Risø DTU, Biosystems Division and field work at the CLIMAITE and in co-operation with other PhD-students and researchers within the CLIMAITE project.

Participants:
The project is part of STAiR, the International Research Education Programme for Soil Technology And interdisciplinary Research in Soil and Environmental Sciences. STAiR involves University of Aarhus, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Aalborg University and Risø DTU.
 
Role:
Risø DTU hosts a PhD project relating to the STAiR themes III, Soil Biology and IV, Hydropedology & Climate. Risø DTU will also host the PhD course Organic matter turnover and stabilization in soil - concepts and implications for soil fertility, environmental loads and climate change 31 May – 4 June 2010

Resources:
The project receives funding from the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation and from Climaite.dk

Duration:
The project grant covers 2009-2012.

Web pages:
www.stair.agrproject.dk and www.climaite.dk

Employees involved:
Iver Jakobsen (supervisor), Per Ambus (supervisor), Sabine Reinsch (PhD student) and Marie Merrild (MSc student)