Faculty Mentor(s)

Dr. Michael Philben, Geological & Environmental Science

Document Type

Poster

Event Date

4-12-2024

Abstract

In this study, seven peat bogs across a latitudinal transect of Michigan were used to analyze inorganic nitrogen (nitrate and ammonium) release from peat to predict the impact that climate warming has on peatland nitrogen cycle. More nitrogen release is expected in samples kept at warmer temperatures (simulated climate warming) and also from samples from lower latitudes in the transect. 1-m peat core samples were taken at each site. 20 g of acid washed sand was added to upper chambers of microlysimeters (two-chambered filter towers). 50 g of peat was added onto the sand and was left to equilibrate for a week. Microlysimeters were leached with 80 mL of 0.01M CaCl2 solution and nitrogen was quantified using ion chromatography. Microlysimeters were incubated for two weeks before leaching procedures were repeated. A separate field-based cation-anion exchange analysis was performed through the installation of plant root simulators. Current results indicate that levels of cumulative nitrogen mineralization are higher in southernmost sites kept at higher temperatures, which supports the hypothesis.

Comments

This research was supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), under award number 80NSSC20M0124, Michigan Space Grant Consortium (MSGC). Additional support provided by the Nicholas Ver Hey ’75 Geology Summer Research Fund and the Rex Johnson Geology Summer Research Fund.

One author in abstract booklet, Hannah Sturgeon, does not appear on poster.

Additional authors appear on poster that are not listed in the abstract booklet: Abigail Brewer, Gael Figueroa-Enriquez, and Christopher Klaver.

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