Speaker
Description
In Finland, around 10 % of fields are on drained peatlands, yet these areas contribute to more than 50 % agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. With target for carbon neutrality by 2035, there is significant pressure to reduce GHG emissions from cultivated peatlands. The local significance of these peatlands presents socio-economic challenges due to their uneven distribution across the country. At the same time, recent global and economic trends, along with the increased frequency of extreme weather events, have highlighted the importance of national food security. Cultivated peatlands are valued for their consistent yield in dry conditions as they typically tolerate short drought periods better than mineral soils. Northern climate changing even faster than global average, the need for resilient agricultural practices is higher than ever. 
NorPeat (The Nordic Experimental Peat Agroecosystem, AnaEE site) offers a platform to study extensive water management impact on crop yield, water- and air in full production scale. The site is a 26 ha cultivated peatland under grass rotation for beef cattle feed production, located approximately 200 km south of the Arctic Circle, where summer daylight exceeds 20 hours. Below the peat profile (15–75 cm) is mineral subsoil with potential for acid sulfate formation, making water table management critical for controlling productivity, GHG emissions and the risk of acidic leachate generation. The field is divided into 8 hydrologically controlled and monitored plots.. Water storage reservoir (0.7 ha) collecting spring snowmelt and high precipitation events in upper catchment is located next to the field and connected to the subsurface drainage system. Subsurface irrigation allows manipulation of the water table level on individual plots. Environmental conditions are extensively monitored to supplement the datasets of GHG emissions and leaching. The NorPeat platform is open for collaborative research and contributes to the AnaEE infrastructure network. It enables research on climate mitigation, adaptation, and system resilience, and provides a testbed for developing and validating water management strategies for norther agriculture.
| Are you participating to the "AnaEE Environmental Rising Star Award "? | No |
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