I loved your field work footage and explanations. Do you have a sense of how your findings can/should inform policy to prevent leakage of CO2 from the ground?
Judges’ Queries and Presenter’s Replies
Presentation Discussion
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Great question, and one that I frequently mull over because of my own interest in science and policy. As scientists, we can’t make the decisions, but we can provide information that describes “what is at stake” (a recent COMPASS blog provides a nice discussion of this very topic: http://compassblogs.org/blog/2012/05/21/but-wha...).
With this in mind, I see my work as a small piece of the puzzle of how our activities effect ecosystems that will, in turn, effect us. This big picture can inform policy because it speaks to the risks that we are taking when we choose (or choose not to choose) a carbon emissions pathway.
Do you have any thoughts on the matter? I would love to hear them. Thanks for your question! -
Interesting research! How strong are interactive effects between permafrost loss with increasing temperatures, vegetation types (and shifts), and soil carbon storage? Playing out a model of elevated temperature effects on soil carbon on a longer temporal scale, it seems like you’d have to tease apart (long term?) changes due to vegetation shifts versus (short term?) term losses of carbon previously protected from decomposition by permafrost.
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Great point, and you’re absolutely right, there are a lot of interactions to consider here. I have yet to dive in to the modeling component of my research, but this will be important to understand the relative importance of short-term and long-term drivers. The data I have so far is a start, but I will be collecting permafrost samples and conducting temperature incubation experiments in the lab to better parameterize such a model.
Thanks for your interest! -
I’m really impressed with your video. Seeing the landscape context of the various habitat types you sampled helped me understand your methods. I’ve read that there is a tendency for arctic habitats to become more shrubby with increased temperatures. This means that grasslands (your highest C storage habitat) will become shrubby over time. What do you think this will do to carbon storage?
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Shrub expansion is already being observed in the Arctic, so what you have described is a likely scenario. “Shrubification” is a process that takes decades and is key for understanding the long-term trajectory of the system. If grass patches transition to shrub cover, the carbon that is stored in these soils will be exposed to new environmental conditions, which will likely modify decomposition rates. I will have more information about vegetation-mediation of the link between aboveground and belowground temperatures in a few months. Stay tuned!
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Shrub expansion is already being observed in the Arctic, so what you have described is a likely scenario. “Shrubification” is a process that takes decades and is key for understanding the long-term trajectory of the system. If grass patches transition to shrub cover, the carbon that is stored in these soils will be exposed to new environmental conditions, which will likely modify decomposition rates. I will have more information about vegetation-mediation of the link between aboveground and belowground temperatures in a few months. Stay tuned!
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Great Video! I particularly like your application of Remote Sensing techniques.
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Thanks!
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It was really helpful to see the landscape and then your labels of types of soils. Your field works photos were also great and helped me understand what you’re doing out there.
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I’m glad you liked it! When are you going to see it first hand though?
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Great presentation! The integration of large scale (satellite) and small scale field sample is well done. The carbon cycle cartoon will informative and fun.
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High compliments from a master at weaving an exciting science story, thank you!
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Awesome video! Very clear explanation of the research question and the methods used to address them.
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Thanks so much for checking it out! It’s sure is a challenge to cover the bases in less than 3 minutes.
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Great job. Looking forward to hearing about your findings.
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Thanks a lot, I’ll keep you posted.
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Nice presentation, with concise explanations/graphics on key components of your research (such as the carbon cycle and Arctic habitats).
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Thanks!
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Awesome video. We should have enlisted your help for class. Why you were creating the carbon cycle animation a few weeks ago makes a lot more sense now.
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Great presentation. The video format, which combined your poster figures with audio and video excerpts, really conveyed more information than just reading your poster. Do you have any expectations based on your initial results, for how the landscape around Kangerlussuaq will change with the warming Arctic? Which type of landscape will dominate?
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Terrific video. It really adds to your poster. This is a difficult landscape to imagine and your video and explanation of the vegetation mosaic convey the complexity of the ecosystem and the need for an interdisciplinary tool kit to figure out future changes in soil carbon cycling.
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good work Julia. The landscape is impressive
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Great video Julia! It will be very interesting to see what you find out regarding the temperature sensitivity of decomposition across the landscaoe classes.
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good work Julia. The landscape is impressive
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Excellent video that complements your poster, and I learned a lot from watching this. I especially enjoyed the conceptual figures embedded laboratory your video explaining carbon cycling. It seems that you have made an effective use of combining laboratory, field, and satellite data.
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