Petra Straková

My postdoctoral research focuses on biogeochemical processes in boreal peatlands and their responses to climatic and/or land-use changes. I study the interactions between plant community composition, microbial enzyme activity, rates of organic matter (plant litter, peat) decomposition and environmental conditions in pristine and drained peatlands. My ultimate qoal is to quantify how each of these factors contribute to the C sink/source function of peatlands under different conditions, and to provide decomposition data and models that will be used for verifying the functionality and reliability of ecosystem-level C models and for developing them further.

This research vas initiated during my doctoral study, results from the early stage of litter decomposition process are summarized in my doctoral thesis "Carbon dynamics in peatlands under changing hydrology: Effects of water level drawdown on litter quality, microbial enzyme activities and litter decomposition rates" (approved with distinction -kiittäen hyväksytty-, received the Doctoral Thesis Award from the Finnish Society of Forest Science).