Author: Biogeomod2018

Mushrooms are older than we thought ! “Science Advances”

Mushrooms are older than we thought ! “Science Advances”

Biogeomod2018

New publication in Science Advances

A new study led by Steeve Bonneville from the Université libre de Bruxelles, shows that the first mushrooms were already present on Earth between 715 and 810 million years ago, 300 million years earlier than the scientific community had believed until now. The results, published in Science Advances, also suggest that mushrooms could have been important partners for the first plants that colonized the continental surface.

Link to the article: Molecular identification of fungi microfossils in a Neoproterozoic shale rock (2020) Bonneville S., F. Delpomdor, A. Préat, C. Chevalier, T. Araki, M. Kazemian, A. Steele, A. Schreiber, R. Wirth and L. G. Benning, Science Advances, Vol. 6, no. 4, doi:10.1126/sciadv.aax7599.

Link to the official press release

Link to National Geographic article

Link to RTBF TV-reportage

Nature Communications October 2019

Nature Communications October 2019

Biogeomod2018

Unexpected large evasion fluxes of carbon dioxide from turbulent streams draining the world’s mountains


Horgby Å., Luigi Segatto P., Bertuzzo E., Lauerwald R., Lehner B., Ulseth A.J., Vennemann T.W. and Battin T.J.

Nature Communications 10, article 4888 (2019), https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-12905-z

Abstract

Inland waters, including streams and rivers, are active components of the global carbon cycle. Despite the large areal extent of the world’s mountains, the role of mountain streams for global carbon fluxes remains elusive. Using recent insights from gas exchange in turbulent streams, we found that areal CO2 evasion fluxes from mountain streams equal or exceed those reported from tropical and boreal streams, typically regarded as hotspots of aquatic carbon fluxes. At the regional scale of the Swiss Alps, we present evidence that emitted CO2 derives from lithogenic and biogenic sources within the catchment and delivered by the groundwater to the streams. At a global scale, we estimate the CO2 evasion from mountain streams to 167 ± 1.5 Tg C yr−1, which is high given their relatively low areal contribution to the global stream and river networks. Our findings shed new light on mountain streams for global carbon fluxes.

New Project H2020: NUNATARYUK

New Project H2020: NUNATARYUK

Biogeomod2018

Most human activity in the Arctic takes place along permafrost coasts and these coasts have become one of the most dynamic ecosystems on Earth. Permafrost thaw is exposing these coasts to rapid change, change that threatens the rich biodiversity, puts pressure on communities and contributes to the vulnerability of the global climate system. NUNATARYUK will determine the impacts of thawing coastal and subsea permafrost on the global climate, and will develop targeted and co-designed adaptation and mitigation strategies for the Arctic coastal population.

NUNATARYUK brings together world-leading specialists in natural science and socio-economics to:

  1. develop quantitative understanding of the fluxes and fates of organic matter released from thawing coastal and subsea permafrost;
  2. assess what risks are posed by thawing coastal permafrost, to infrastructure, indigenous and local communities and people’s health, and from pollution;
  3. use this understanding to estimate the long-term impacts of permafrost thaw on global climate and the economy.

NUNATARYUK will be guided by a Stakeholders’ Forum of representatives from Arctic coastal communities and indigenous societies, creating a legacy of collaborative community involvement and a mechanism for developing and applying innovative evidence-based interventions to enable the sustainable development of the Arctic.

More information on nunataryuk/home