"Bogs on the brink: Michigan peatlands in a warming climate" by Dr. Michael Philben, Geological and Environmental Department

Peatlands are a critical component of the global carbon cycle, sequestering a massive amount of carbon as organic matter while emitting methane. Climate change is likely affecting both processes, but the magnitude of this feedback is difficult to quantify. To address this, my group has established a climate transect of seven peatlands across Michigan. The transect spans 5°C of mean annual temperature, making it a useful analogue for understanding the impact of warming over the next century. We are using the transect to examine the effect of climate on carbon and nutrient cycling in these ecosystems. In this seminar, I will present results from our first two years of monitoring peatlands across the transect and discuss opportunities for students to get involved in this ongoing project.

Mike Philben joined the Hope College departments of Chemistry and Geology and Environmental Science in 2019, and he is a Global Water Research Institute (GWRI) Fellow. Before starting at Hope, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Memorial University (Canada) and at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. He is currently leading a project (funded by an NSF CAREER award) investigating the role of Michigan peat bogs in the global carbon cycle.