Carbon Stocks and Fluxes in Veredas in Central Cerrado

• Grant number: 22/13757-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: March 01, 2023
• End date: February 29, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Ecosystems Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Rafael Silva Oliveira
• Grantee: Larissa da Silveira Verona
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Peatlands are one of the most relevant ecosystems for global carbon dynamics. They occupy only 3-8% of the earth's surface but store about 21% of all organic carbon in the soil. The maintenance of this stock occurs under anoxic conditions, decreasing the metabolic activity of the main decomposers and increasing the prevalence of methanogenic organisms. In environments that maintain anoxic conditions over time, these stocks can be old and stable. Despite the global distribution of peatlands, the studies have been concentrated in northern hemisphere. Brazil is home to the largest extensions of tropical peat soils, mainly associated with flooded Amazonian plains. However, these soils are also present in other biomes, such as the Cerrado. Thid areas are ignored in world surveys. Peat in the Cerrado may be of particular interest because the typical climatic seasonality exposes carbon stocks to decomposition. This project aims to evaluate the carbon dynamics in peat soils formed in Cerrado wetlands, the Veredas. We expect to answer what is the total carbon stock in Veredas, what is the age and stability of this stock, and how climate seasonality affects carbon fluxes in this ecosystem. We will measure the peat volume in five Veredas of Chapada dos Veadeiros and collect soil samples to calculate total organic carbon. In addition, we will perform soil dating using the radiocarbon method and estimate chemical stability through the proportion of labile and recalcitrant compounds. CO2 and CH4 fluxes will be measured at each season in order to assess their variations over a year. We will have data on different components of carbon dynamics in this environment that will allow us to improve our understanding of the functioning of neotropical peatlands and highlight their importance in the Cerrado.