Ecosystem and biogeochemical reassembly after fire on peatlands

The project will take place in northern Scotland where wildfires have burned areas spanning a variety of ecological contexts and the plots differ in their fire history. Sampling of plant biomass and soil organic matter will be used to quantify the total stocks of carbon in the ecosystem. Changes in

carbon cycling will be evaluated by monitoring plant growth combined with analyses of soil carbon cycling using in situ measures of microbial activity and laboratory measurements of specific microbial enzymes. Measurements of organic matter chemistry, charcoal content, and microbial communities will be used to determine the mechanisms controlling the carbon turnover.