Research Update Cors Fochno Nina Overtoom PhD

Nina Overtoom has started a PhD in which she is looking at the role of vegetation, soil processes and soil microbial communities as a response to greenhouse gas fluxes as a result of climate change in peatlands. Cors Fochno in Wales presents the unique opportunity to research a 12-year climate change manipulation experiment including warming and episodic summer drought. Previous research on the site has found a shift in vegetation community composition with an increase of ericaceous shrubs and changes in the greenhouse gas fluxes. This research aims to unravel the processes underlying the observed changes in greenhouse gas fluxes with a focus on plant-soil interactions. The research which is a NERC ACCE DTP is a collaboration between the University of York, UKCEH and Natural Resources Wales.