Simon Weldon

Forsker

(+47) 407 69 197
simon.weldon@nibio.no

Sted
Ås - Bygg O43

Besøksadresse
Oluf Thesens vei 43, 1433 Ås (Varelevering: Elizabeth Stephansens vei 21)

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Sammendrag

Peatlands have acted as net CO2 sinks over millennia, exerting a global climate cooling effect. Rapid warming at northern latitudes, where peatlands are abundant, can disturb their CO2 sink function. Here we show that sensitivity of peatland net CO2 exchange to warming changes in sign and magnitude across seasons, resulting in complex net CO2 sink responses. We use multiannual net CO2 exchange observations from 20 northern peatlands to show that warmer early summers are linked to increased net CO2 uptake, while warmer late summers lead to decreased net CO2 uptake. Thus, net CO2 sinks of peatlands in regions experiencing early summer warming, such as central Siberia, are more likely to persist under warmer climate conditions than are those in other regions. Our results will be useful to improve the design of future warming experiments and to better interpret large-scale trends in peatland net CO2 uptake over the coming few decades.

Sammendrag

Studien undersøkte hvordan ulike dreneringssystemer (torpedo-, slisse- og tradisjonelle grøfter) påvirker hydrologi, nitrogentap, lystgassutslipp og avling av korn på marin leire. Bakgrunnen er økende nedbørintensitet som gjør god drenering nødvendig for å sikre avlinger. Forsøket ble gjennomført fra 2023 til 2025 på Grimsrud gård, Østfold der vannstrømning, jordfuktighet, nitrat i drensvann og klimagassutslipp ble målt. Tekniske problemer førte imidlertid til databrudd i flere sesonger. Hydrologiske data viste store variasjoner mellom både systemer og år. Torpedogrøftene hadde ofte noe høyere avrenning og langsommere tørkehastighet, trolig på grunn av høyere jordfuktighet og mulig jordpakking. Nitratmålinger viste ingen entydige forskjeller mellom systemene, og stor romlig variasjon mellom grøfter gjorde det vanskelig å beregne representative N‑tap. Sensorene viste karakteristiske nitratpulser under nedbør, men episodisk avrenning skapte usikkerhet. Lystgassmålingene viste gjennomgående høyere N₂O‑utslipp i torpedosystemet, særlig under våte forhold tidlig i sesongen. Dette indikerer økt denitrifikasjon i perioder med begrenset dreneringsytelse. Avlingsregistreringer viste ingen systematiske forskjeller mellom dreneringsmetodene. Samlet viser resultatene at forskjeller mellom systemene er vanskelige å dokumentere sikkert på grunn av stor naturlig variasjon og tekniske utfordringer. Videre overvåkning med forbedret måleoppsett anbefales for å kunne vurdere langtidseffekter på hydrologi og nitrogentap.

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Sammendrag

Compost application is a widely recommended practice to maintain and improve soil fertility. However, such a practice could be a main entry path for plastic into soil. Accordingly, in the present work, two different compost samples, obtained with and without biochar, were analyzed to investigate how composting can affect the presence of microplastics (MPs). The substrate of both samples (consisting of a mixture of household food waste and animal manure) was also analyzed for comparative purposes. Samples were processed by oxidation, flotation, and filtration. MPs on the filters were observed, counted, and size-calibrated using both a stereomicroscope and an inverted microscope. MPs larger than 1 mm were further characterized by attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). In parallel, mesoplastics (0.5–2 cm) were recovered from substrate and compost and extracted in methanol for testing in vitro cytotoxicity. The estimated concentration of MPs ranged from 820 to 1340 fragments/kg of dry sample, depending upon the sample. Three polymers represented the totality of identified plastic items: polyethylene (PE, including both low and high density), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polypropylene (PP) in order of abundance. Nevertheless, cytotoxicity was only observed in mesoplastic extracts from the substrate and could not be attributed to the identified plastic items themselves, suggesting that cytotoxic effects could have been caused by contaminants adsorbed to plastics or by the leaching of plastic additives during the extraction process. In summary, the composting process reduced the cytotoxicity of plastic extracts and the presence of MPs in compost, which could be attributed to the fragmentation of plastics.