Unveiling drivers of greenhouse gas fluxes from PT drylands and their sensitivity to climate change

Apresentação de Joana Serôdio no 19º Encontro Nacional de Ecologia.

Resumo:
Drylands are singular and diverse ecosystems that occupy more than 40% of the terrestrial surface (37% of continental Portugal). In many areas worldwide, the climate change (CCh) is increasing the aridity producing dryland expansion. However, the joint effect of different CCh drivers on the features, functions and services of drylands remains largely unknown. Further, there is large uncertainty on how CCh-driven alterations in biotic and abiotic soil attributes will feedback CCh through the greenhouse gases (GHG) fluxes. The UNDERCLIME project aims to (1) assess the soil-atmosphere GHG exchange in Portuguese arid and semiarid-regions, (2) unveil its biotic and abiotic drivers and (3) evaluate the ecosystem resilience to different CCh scenarios. We are performing a two-year observational study in 8 sampling areas from 5 natural parks distributed along an aridity gradient in Portugal, where we installed open top chambers and rainfall shelters to simulate the forecasted increase in temperatures (~3 °C) and reduction in precipitation (~35%), respectively. We combine seasonal campaigns to collect gas and soil samples and install ion exchange membranes with laboratory bioassays. We also process drone-derived images, quantify GHG fluxes, analyse edaphic properties and determine the abundance, diversity and functional characterization of vegetation as well as soil microorganisms.

Study financed by the FCT (PTDC/BIA-ECO/30231/2017) within PT2020 and COMPETE 2020 (UID/BIA/04004/2019).

Sociedade Portuguesa de Ecologia - SPECO