nÃo hà / The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects in the Caatinga biome of the technique of thinning on the dynamics of herbaceous phytomass productivity; fine roots; the deposition, accumulation and rates of decomposition of litter; aggregate stability; respirometry of the soil; stocks of carbon and nitrogen; and characterisation of changes in the spectral behaviour of the canopy. The study was carried out in two stages: the first in watersheds in the town of Iguatu, in the south central region of the State of CearÃ, Brazil, and the second in the watershed of the Caxitorà River, in the northern region of the state. The Iguatu experimental area comprised two watersheds, one under thinning for 5 years (CR5) and the other preserved with natural vegetation for 35 years (CS35). The variables to be sampled were: productivity of herbaceous biomass; fine roots; gravimetric moisture; isotope δ13C (â); aggregate stability; deposition, accumulation and rates of decomposition of litter; and stocks of total organic carbon and total nitrogen in the 0-20, 20-40 and 40-60 cm layers, from April 2013 to March 2014. The data were submitted to the analysis of means test and compared by t-test (p≤ 0.05). The increase in the intensity of herbaceous plants resulting from thinning contributed to an increase in stocks of total organic carbon (249% and 139% in the 20-40 cm and 40-60 cm layers respectively) and of total nitrogen (142% and 137% respectively), in relation to the area under preservation. The 0-10 cm layer of CR5 stored double the amount of fine roots found in CS35. In the topsoil (0-20 cm) of CR5, aggregates with a size 2.15 times greater than those found in CS35 were obtained. The greater conservation of litter on the soil of CR5 is associated with the greater input of lignified woody biomass from thinning, and consequently with the lower rates of decomposition and respirometry, which are evidenced by the low CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. Thinning in a Vertisol of the Caatinga biome has an influence on soil structure and on the stocks of carbon and nitrogen, making possible lower rates of CO2 emission and improving conditions for the infiltration of water. In the second phase of the experiment, SRTM (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission) data were used to evaluate the effect of the illumination geometry on the spectral characterisation of the canopy, as well as images from the OLI/Landsat 8 sensor, representative of the rainy and dry seasons of 2013. The images were converted into physical values (surface reflectance factors), the NDVI was calculated, and with the technique of principal component analysis images PC1 and PC2 were generated. Dispersion for the values of PC1 and PC2 from the different canopies was evaluated in a two-dimensional space. It was found that the reflectance intensity of the incident electromagnetic radiation in canopies of the caatinga biome is not only influenced by seasonality, but also by the illumination geometry arising from the topographical characteristics of the terrain. The effect of shading was predominant during the dry season, especially under low lighting conditions, irrespective of the structure of the plant cover. The NDVI proved to be unsuitable for detecting changes in the spectral behaviour of the Caatinga biome during the rainy season. / Objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar os efeitos da tÃcnica de raleamento do bioma caatinga sobre a dinÃmica da produtividade de fitomassa herbÃcea; raÃzes finas; deposiÃÃo, acumulaÃÃo e taxas de decomposiÃÃo da serapilheira; estabilidade de agregados; respirometria do solo; estoque de carbono, nitrogÃnio e caracterizaÃÃo das alteraÃÃes no comportamento espectral do dossel. O estudo foi conduzido em duas etapas: a primeira em microbacias hidrogrÃficas no municÃpio de Iguatu, regiÃo centro sul e a segunda na bacia hidrogrÃfica do rio CaxitorÃ, regiÃo norte, ambas no estado do CearÃ. A Ãrea experimental de Iguatu consistiu de duas microbacias adjacentes, sendo uma raleada por 5 anos (CR5) e a outra conservada com vegetaÃÃo natural hà 35 anos (CS35). As variÃveis amostradas foram: produtividade de fitomassa herbÃcea, raÃzes finas, umidade gravimÃtrica, isÃtopo δ13C (â), estabilidade de agregados, deposiÃÃo, acumulaÃÃo e taxas de decomposiÃÃo da serapilheira, estoque de carbono orgÃnico total e nitrogÃnio total nas camadas de 0-20, 20-40 e 40-60 cm entre abril/2013 e marÃo/2014. Os dados foram submetidos à anÃlise de teste de mÃdia e confrontados pelo Teste T (p≤0,05). O aumento da intensidade de plantas herbÃceas decorrente da tÃcnica de raleamento contribuiu para o acrÃscimo nos estoques de carbono orgÃnico total (249% e 139% nas camadas 20-40 cm e 40-60 cm, respectivamente) e do nitrogÃnio total (142% e 137%, respectivamente) em relaÃÃo à Ãrea conservada. A camada de 0-10 cm da parcela CR5 armazenou o dobro do quantitativo de raÃzes finas encontradas em relaÃÃo a CS35. Na camada superficial do solo (0-20 cm) da CR5 foram obtidos agregados com tamanho de 2,15 vezes acima dos obtidos na CS35. A maior conservaÃÃo de serapilheira no solo da CR5 està associada aos maiores aportes de fitomassa lenhosa lignificada proveniente do raleamento, e consequentemente das menores taxas de decomposiÃÃo e respirometria, constatada pelas baixas emissÃes de CO2 à atmosfera. O raleamento em Vertissolo do bioma Caatinga exerce influÃncia na estruturaÃÃo do solo, no estoque de Carbono e NitrogÃnio, possibilitando as menores taxas de emissÃo de CO2 e melhorando as condiÃÃes para a infiltraÃÃo de Ãgua. Jà na segunda etapa do experimento, foram utilizados dados do SRTM (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission) para avaliaÃÃo do efeito da geometria de iluminaÃÃo na caracterizaÃÃo espectral do dossel, alÃm de imagens do sensor OLI/LANDSAT 8 representativas da estaÃÃo chuvosa e seca de 2013. As imagens foram convertidas em valores fÃsicos (fatores de reflectÃncia de superfÃcie), calculado o Ãndice NDVI e, a partir da tÃcnica de componentes principais, geradas imagens PC1 e PC2. Foram avaliadas as dispersÃes dos valores de PC1 e PC2, em um espaÃo bidimensional, provenientes dos diferentes dossÃis. Os resultados indicaram que a intensidade de reflectÃncia da radiaÃÃo eletromagnÃtica incidente em dossÃis do bioma caatinga à influenciada tanto pela sazonalidade climÃtica quanto pela geometria de iluminaÃÃo decorrentes das caracterÃsticas topogrÃficas do relevo. O efeito sombreamento foi predominante durante o perÃodo seco, principalmente para condiÃÃo de pouca iluminaÃÃo independentemente da estrutura de cobertura vegetal. O NDVI nÃo se mostrou adequado para detectar alteraÃÃes no comportamento espectral do bioma caatinga durante a estaÃÃo chuvosa.

A quantificação de biomassa e carbono em florestas requer a aplicação de métodos adequados para se obter estimativas confiáveis de seus estoques. Neste sentido, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a aplicação de alguns métodos utilizados para a predição e estimação dessas variáveis em florestas nativas e restauradas da Mata Atlântica. Para isso, um primeiro capítulo aborda o uso do índice de vegetação NDVI como ferramenta auxiliar no inventário de estoques de biomassa em áreas de restauração florestal. Diferentes métodos de amostragem foram comparados em termos de precisão e conservadorismo das estimativas. Os resultados demonstraram que o NDVI apresentou adequada correlação com a biomassa estimada nas parcelas do inventário florestal instaladas em campo, sendo viável sua aplicação, seja para auxiliar na determinação de estratos, na aplicação da amostragem estratificada, seja como variável suplementar na utilização de um estimador de regressão relacionando-o à biomassa, no procedimento da amostragem dupla. Este último método, possibilitou minimizar as incertezas acerca das estimativas, valendo-se de uma intensidade amostral reduzida, fato que torna seu uso interessante, principalmente aos estudos em escala ampla, de modo a aumentar a confiabilidade das quantificações de estoques de carbono presentes na biomassa florestal, a custos de inventário reduzido. Um segundo capítulo discute a abordagem metodológica utilizada para inferir sobre a qualidade de modelos preditivos quando da seleção de modelos concorrentes para a aplicação em estudos de biomassa de florestas nativas. Para tanto, seis modelos considerando diferentes combinações de variáveis preditoras, incluindo diâmetro, altura total e alguma informação relativa à densidade da madeira, foram construídos a partir de dados de uma amostra de 80 árvores. As equações de predição de biomassa seca geradas por estes modelos foram avaliadas quanto à sua qualidade de ajuste e desempenho de aplicação. Neste segundo caso, aplicando-as aos dados de outra amostra composta por 146 árvores presentes em nove parcelas destrutivas instaladas em diferentes estágios sucessionais da floresta, de modo a possibilitar a avaliação dos vieses preditivos. No intuito de se verificar as discrepâncias nas estimativas de biomassa devido à aplicação das diferentes equações de predição de biomassa, as equações desenvolvidas, junto a outras disponíveis na literatura, foram aplicados aos dados de um inventário florestal realizado na área estudada. O estudo confirma a natureza empírica destas equações, atentando para a necessidade de prévia avaliação de seu desempenho de predição antes de sua aplicação, em especial, das ajustadas com amostras de outras florestas, expondo alguns dos principais fatores associados às causas de incertezas nas quantificações dos estoques de biomassa nos estudos realizado em florestas nativas. / The biomass and carbon quantification requires the application of appropriate methods to obtain reliable estimates of their stocks in natural and planted forests. The aim of this study was to evaluate different applicable methods to estimate biomass in both, natural and restored Atlantic Forests. The first chapter discusses the use of the vegetation index (NDVI) as an auxiliary tool in the inventory of biomass stocks in forest restoration areas. Different sampling methods were compared in terms of its accuracy and conservativeness. The results shown an adequate correlation between the vegetation index and the measured biomass, making the NDVI applicable either as supporting decision tool to define strata in the stratified sampling or as a predictor in the double sampling procedure. The last method allowed to the minimization of the uncertainties related to the biomass estimation combined to the reduction of sampling efforts. It makes the approach very interesting, especially in the context of large-scale surveys. The second chapter discusses the methodological approach used to evaluate the quality of predictive models applied to biomass studies in natural forests. For this, six models were fitted from 80 sample trees, using different combinations of predictor variables, such as, total height and information of wood density. The predictive equations generated by the models were evaluated according to their quality of fit and prediction performance. In order to evaluate its prediction performance, the equations were applied to the dataset of another 146 sample trees measured in nine destructive sample plots. The plots were located in different forest successional stages allowing the evaluation of model predictive bias among the stages. A third step of the analysis was the application of literature equations to a dataset of a forest inventory conducted in the study area, in order to verify the discrepancies in the estimates due to the use of these different models. The study confirms the empirical nature of the biomass equations and the need of previous evaluation in terms of prediction performance. This conclusion is even more relevant when we consider the equations that were obtained from other forests types, exposing some of the key factors associated to the causes of uncertainty in the biomass estimation applied to natural forests.

O aumento da concentração de CO2 na atmosfera nas últimas décadas e sua relação com o aquecimento global tem sido amplamente debatido nos meios acadêmicos. Paralelamente, o Brasil aparece como um dos grandes responsáveis pela emissão de gases estufa em decorrência do desmatamento. Buscando apoiar ações públicas, privadas e sociais e responder a questões ligadas ao papel de reflorestamentos mistos na absorção de carbono atmosférico e nas mudanças dos atributos do solo, este trabalho objetivou avaliar o estoque de carbono, o desenvolvimento florestal e os atributos edáficos em dois sistemas contrastantes de restauração florestal (Floresta Estacional Semidecidual). Foi analisado um experimento implantado em 1997, em Nitossolo Vermelho e Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo, avaliando três tratamentos em blocos casualizados, com três repetições em cada sítio: Controle (regeneração natural), Baixa Diversidade (semeadura direta) e Alta Diversidade (plantio por mudas). Dois locais com Floresta Nativa serviram de referência para os atributos do solo. Na camada de 0-40 cm, o Nitossolo tem textura argilosa e boa fertilidade e o Argissolo é arenoso com média fertilidade. Os atributos físicos e químicos do solo apresentaram alterações entre 1998 e 2010, com diferenças entre a Floresta Nativa e os demais tratamentos. Para as duas áreas experimentais, a relação C:N e o carbono da biomassa microbiana dos solos nos modelos de restauração se assemelharam ao Floresta Nativa, indicando que as atuais condições favorecem a ciclagem de nutrientes. Apesar disto, para os atributos químicos do solo avaliados, as diferenças entre a Floresta Nativa e os demais tratamentos continuam a existir, mesmo após 10 anos da implantação, devendo ser gradativo o retorno da fertilidade à condição pré-existente, com influência dos plantios. Os modelos de reflorestamento tiveram diferença significativa quanto ao desenvolvimento florestal. Nos primeiros dez anos, além de incrementar os processos de sucessão natural, o sistema de Baixa Diversidade proporcionou uma maior e melhor edificação da estrutura horizontal e vertical que o de Alta Diversidade, refletida numa maior produção de biomassa seca. O desenvolvimento das árvores no Alta Diversidade foi favorecido em solo de boa fertilidade. Numa análise conjunta, os solos de boa e média fertilidade não se diferenciaram em termos de desenvolvimento arbóreo, que pode estar mais relacionado à alta competição com invasoras. A partir do décimo ano a produtividade primária líquida se estabilizou para o modelo de reflorestamento com baixa diversidade de espécies sobre o solo arenoso de média fertilidade, indicando a necessidade de intervenção. A biomassa arbórea em sítio de média fertilidade com baixa diversidade de espécies nativas se apresentou como um importante reservatório de carbono. Em solo argiloso de boa fertilidade o principal reservatório de carbono foi o abaixo do solo. O reflorestamento com baixa diversidade de espécies arbóreas mostrou um elevado potencial e capacidade de estoque de carbono em sistemas florestais, maior do que o reflorestamento com alta diversidade. Ambos os modelos/técnicas de restauração têm suas vantagens e desvantagens, as quais devem ser consideradas nos processos de mitigação do aquecimento global e da restauração da biodiversidade da Mata Atlântica em larga escala. / The increase of CO2 concentration in the atmosphere over the last decades and its relation to global warming has been largely documented by scientists. In parallel, deforestation in Brazil accounts for most emissions of greenhouse gases. Attempting to support public, private and social actions as well as to answer the questions concerning the role of mixed reforestation in the absorption of CO2 and changes of soil attributes, this study aimed to assess the carbon stock, forest development and soil changes in two different systems of forest restoration. We evaluated an experiment undertaken in 1997, in a red Alfisol and a red-yellow Ultisol, evaluating three treatments in a randomized block design with three replications in each site: Control (natural regeneration), Low Diversity (direct seeding) and High Diversity (seedlings). Two sites with Native Forest were used as reference for the soil attributes. In the first layer (0-40 cm) the Alfisol has a clay texture with good fertility and Ultisol is sandy with medium fertility. The physical and chemical soil properties showed changes from 1998 to 2010 and differences between the Native Forest and the other treatments were evident. For both experimental areas, the C:N ratio of soils in reforestation models is similar to that in the native forest. The increase in carbon in soil microbial biomass indicates that current conditions may favor the decomposition of soil organic matter. For the soil properties evaluated, the differences between the Native Forest and the other treatments still exist and leading to a gradual return of fertility to the pre-existing condition, influenced by plantations. The forestry development had significant differences among the reforestation models. In the first ten years, besides increasing the processes of natural succession, the lower diversity model provided a better horizontal and vertical structure than the high diversity model, reflected in increased biomass production. The development of trees in the high diversity model was favored in soil of good fertility. In a pooled analysis, the high and medium fertility soil do not differ in terms of tree development, which may be more related to weed competition. After the tenth year, the net primary production has stabilized in the low diversity restoration model on the medium fertility sandy soil, requiring management intervention. The tree biomass in the site of medium fertility with low diversity of native species is presented as a major carbon pool. In clayey soil of good fertility the main carbon pool is underground. Reforestation with low diversity of tree species has a high potential and capacity of carbon stocking in forest ecosystems, higher than that of high diversity reforestation model. Both models and restoration techniques have advantages and disadvantages, which should be considered in the process to mitigate global warming and to restore biodiversity of the Atlantic Forest on a larger scale.

O estudo foi dividido em quatro partes. Na primeira parte analisou-se o impacto do clima na estocagem de carbono em solos de canaviais sem a queima da palhada. Foram escolhidos três regimes climáticos contrastantes do centro-sul do Brasil. O potencial de seqüestro de carbono orgânica no solo (COS) foi determinado, em cada regime climático, de acordo com a taxa anual de carbono remanescente no solo proveniente da palhada depositada. Para obter esta taxa, compararam-se os estoques de COS em canaviais com e sem queima da palhada. Esse ganho anual foi comparado com a entrada anual de carbono via palhada depositada. O ganho anual de COS (0-30 cm) em canaviais sem queima da palhada não resultou em diferenças significativas por clima: 1, 97 Mg ha-1 (clima norte), 2,00 Mg ha-1 (clima centro) e 1,70 Mg ha-1 (clima sul). Os regimes climáticos estudados também não revelaram diferenças significativas entre suas temperaturas e precipitações médias anuais. Porém, o aumento anual de COS um pouco menor no clima sul levou à conclusão que o potencial de seqüestro de carbono diminui ligeiramente em latitudes mais altas, devido à maior precipitação no centro-sul do Brasil. Na segunda parte avaliou-se o impacto da palhada sobre a estabilidade de agregados dos solos, que foi calculada pelo método de fracionamento proposto por Six et al. (2000a). A estabilidade de agregados no solo do canavial sem a queima da palhada aumentou, em média, 15,3% por ano na profundidade 0-30 cm. Na terceira parte, avaliou-se a diferença da estabilidade de agregados entre canaviais e mata nativa. O solo da mata nativa mostrou uma estabilidade de agregados significativamente maior (7,2 vezes). Supõe-se que a estabilidade de agregados seja maior na mata nativa como resultado da maior presença de matéria orgânica e biota no solo. Na quarta parte avaliou-se a origem do carbono nos agregados estáveis em água de fluxo contínuo para determinar que forma de agregação possui a melhor proteção contra a decomposição de carbono. Houve uma diferença significativa de \'delta\'13C entre os macroagregados e microagregados na camada superior, com 10% mais \'delta\'13C nos macroagregados. Isto indica mais carbono derivado da cobertura vegetal atual (C4), ou seja, mais incorporação da palhada nos macroagregados. O \'delta\'13C da fração de partículas livres ou agregados não estáveis em água de fluxo contínuo é menor em todas as profundidades, indicando que a matéria orgânica recente (C4) encontra-se no solo principalmente de forma agregada estável em água, evidenciando seu papel fundamental na estabilidade dos agregados. Constatou-se também, que quanto mais novo o macroagregado, maior o seu teor em carbono. Nos microagregados verificou-se o efeito contrário. Quanto mais velho o microagregado, maior o seu teor em carbono. Isso indica que o microagregado possui uma melhor proteção contra a decomposição de carbono, e também a capacidade de um aumento no teor de carbono, no decorrer do tempo, em virtude da assimilação de carbono mais novo. Conclui-se, que em termos de seqüestro de carbono de longa duração, é propício avaliar mecanismos de proteção do carbono recalcitrante dentro dos microagregados e estudar como técnicas agrícolas podem proteger melhor esta fração / The study was divided in four parts. The first part investigated climate impact on soil carbon stocks in sugar cane fields cultivated without green trash burning. For this purpose, three contrasting climates were chosen in Central and Southern Brazil. The sequestration potential of soil organic carbon (SOC) was determined for each climate, calculating how much of the carbon derived from deposited green trash remains in the soil every year. To obtain this rate, SOC stocks of sugar cane fields cultivated with and without green trash burning were compared. The annual difference (0-30 cm) did not differ significantly between climates: 1, 97 Mg ha-1 (Northern Climate), 2,00 Mg ha-1 (Central Climate) and 1,70 Mg ha-1 (Southern Climate). The climates did not show significant differences between their average annual temperatures and their annual precipitation. Nevertheless, a slightly smaller gain of SOC stocks in the Southern Climate leads to the conclusion that higher latitudes tend to stock slightly less COS due to higher annual precipitation. The second part evaluated the impact of green trash deposition on soil aggregate stability, which was calculated according to Six et al. (2000a). Soil aggregate stability under sugar cane fields cultivated with green trash burning had an average increase of 15,3% for soil depth 0-30 cm. The third part studied soil aggregate stability between sugar cane and natural forest vegetation. The forest soil revealed significantly higher (7,2 times) aggregate stability, supposedly due to higher organic matter content and more soil biota. The forth part examined the origin of carbon inside water-stable aggregates to determine which aggregation form provides better protection against carbon decomposition. The top soil layer showed a significant difference in \'delta\'13C between macro-aggregates (10% more \'delta\'13C) and microaggregates which means that more carbon derived from green trash (C4) was incorporated in macro-aggregates. \'delta\'13C of free soil particles or water-unstable aggregates is smaller for all soil layers indicating that fresh organic matter (green trash) is predominantly encountered in a water stable aggregated form in the soil. Furthermore, a correlation analysis revealed that more recent macro-aggregates had higher C content. The opposite was observed for micro-aggregates: the older the micro-aggregate, the higher its carbon content, leading to the conclusion that microaggregates protect carbon better against decomposition and are also capable to enrich their carbon pool through C assimilation. Given its long-term soil carbon sequestration potential, it is recommended to investigate carbon protection mechanisms for the recalcitrant C pool in micro-aggregates and also to study how agricultural techniques could improve the protection of the recalcitrant C pool

La séquestration du C dans les sols réduit les effets du changement climatique, et améliore la qualité du sol. L'introduction des prairies temporaires dans le cycle des cultures pourrait améliorer les matières organiques du sol (SOM). L'objectif de la thèse était d'évaluer l'impact des modes de gestion de prairies temporaires sur la quantité, la composition et les processus de stabilisation des SOM et les émissions de gaz à effet de serre (GHG).Mes résultats montrent un arrière effet de la gestion des prairies temporaires sur les SOM après 3 ans de culture. La durée des prairies influence la quantité et la composition de la biomasse microbienne ainsi que la nature des SOM. La fertilisation en N de la prairie est nécessaire à la séquestration du C dans le sol sans augmenter les émissions de GHG.Pour remplacer la fertilisation en N minérale, des légumineuses peuvent être utilisées. En conséquence, je me suis intéressée à l'effet de la luzerne sur les formes de C, de N et de P dans les sols sous mélanges luzerne-graminées. Mes résultats indiquent une absence d'augmentation du stock de C dans les sols sous mélanges comparés aux monocultures de graminées fertilisées, malgré une plus forte productivité de la luzerne. Les biomarqueurs moléculaires indiquent que l'introduction de la luzerne en prairie influence la dégradation des SOM plus que leur stabilisation. De plus, la luzerne influence fortement les formes du P dans les sols sous mélanges.Ainsi, lors de l'introduction de prairie dans les cycles de culture, il est important d'optimiser les modes de gestion afin de faire le bon compromis entre le stockage du C, les émissions de GHG et l'utilisation d'engrais. / Soil C sequestration reduces the effects of climate change, improves soil quality and food security. Soil organic matter (SOM) could be enhanced by introduction of ley grassland into the cropping cycle. The objective of this PhD thesis was to evaluate the effect of management practices of ley grassland on the quantity, composition and stabilization processes of SOM and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). My data showed legacy effects of duration and fertilization of the temporary grassland phase on SOM after 3 years of cropping. The duration of grassland phase influenced the quantity and composition of the microbial biomass as well as the nature of SOM. N fertilization during the grassland phase is necessary for soil C sequestration in soil without increasing GHG emissions.To replace mineral N fertilization, legumes may be used in forage production systems. Consequently, I was interested in the effect of introduction of lucerne on C, N and P forms in soils under lucerne-grass mixtures. My results indicate similar soil C stocks under mixtures and grass monocultures, despite the high productivity of lucerne. Molecular biomarkers indicated that the introduction of lucerne in grassland influenced the degradation of the SOM more than its stabilization. Moreover, the presence of lucerne influenced P forms in soils under mixtures.In conclusion, the introduction of ley grasslands into cropping cycles requires careful evaluation of the management practices in order to optimize C storage, GHG emissions and N fertilizer use.

Abstract Air temperatures in high-latitude regions are anticipated to rise by several degrees by the end of the century and result in substantial northward shifts of species. These changes will likely affect the source and sink dynamics of greenhouse gases and possibly lead to a net carbon release from high-latitude soils to the atmosphere. However, regional differences in carbon cycling depend highly on the vegetation community composition, which may be controlled by the abundance of herbivores. I investigated whether mammalian herbivores, mainly reindeer and rodents, alter ecosystem carbon storage through their impacts on vegetation and on dominant plant functional traits. I combined observations of recent changes in ecosystem carbon with experimental field manipulations of both herbivory and climate change and measured carbon storage in vegetation and soil, the uptake and release of carbon dioxide, microbial activity and compared these to plant community composition. Results of my PhD thesis show that under ambient conditions, the impacts of herbivory on both above- and belowground carbon storage ranged from positive to negative. Herbivory altered dominant plant functional traits and these were fairly good predictors of the changes in soil carbon. When combined with experimental warming, herbivory continued to exert control on the dominant plant functional traits but the strong effects of warming on ecosystem carbon storage mostly concealed the impact of herbivory. Interestingly, herbivory–nutrient interactions that were not linked to dominant functional traits determined the consequences of warming on soil carbon. Taken together, I show clear and site-specific impacts of herbivores on vegetation and ecosystem carbon storage and the processes that govern them. Therefore, I suggest that an improved understanding of the role of herbivory in the global carbon cycle could improve estimations of global carbon–climate feedbacks. / Tiivistelmä Vuosisadan loppuun mennessä arktisten alueiden lämpötilan odotetaan nousevan usealla asteella ja johtavan lajien siirtymiseen yhä pohjoisemmaksi. Nämä muutokset todennäköisesti muuttavat pohjoisten ekosysteemien kykyä vapauttaa ja sitoa ilmakehän hiiltä ja saattavat johtaa siihen, että yhä enemmän hiiltä vapautuu tundramailta ilmakehään. Kuitenkin paikallisesti hiilenkierto on riippuvainen kasviyhteisöstä ja erityisesti kasvien funktionaalisista ominaisuuksista. Väitöskirjassani tutkin, voivatko herbivorit, pääasiassa porot sekä jyrsijät, muokata hiilenkiertoa muuttamalla kasvillisuutta. Tutkimuksissani seurasin kuinka alueen laidunnushistoria on muokannut hiilivarastoja ja hiilenkiertoa tällä hetkellä ja pyrin arvioimaan herbivorien vaikutusta lämpenevässä ilmastossa kokeiden avulla, joissa manipuloidaan sekä herbivoriaa että lämpötilaa tai ravinteiden saatavuutta. Tulokseni perustuvat arvioihin hiilen varastoista, hiilidioksidin vapautumisesta ja sitoutumisesta sekä mikrobien aktiivisuudesta, joita vertaan kasviyhteisöön. Tulokseni osoittavat, että herbivoria voi joko lisätä tai vähentää ekosysteemin hiilivarastoja sekä maan päällä että maan alla. Muutokset hiilivarastoissa selittyivät varsin hyvin herbivorien tuottamilla kasvillisuusmuutoksilla ja valtalajien funktionaalisilla ominaisuuksilla. Herbivoria muokkasi kasviyhteisöä myös kokeellisen lämmityksen yhteydessä, mutta lämmityksen välittömät vaikutukset hiilivarastoihin peittivät suureksi osaksi alleen herbivorian vaikutukset. Kuitenkin herbivorian ja lannoituksen kasvillisuusmuutoksista riippumattomat yhdysvaikutukset määrittivät lämpenemisen seuraukset maan hiileen. Kaiken kaikkiaan, tutkimukseni osoittaa, että herbivorit voivat paikkakohtaisesti muokata kasvillisuutta, ekosysteemin hiilivarastoja sekä hiilenkierron prosesseja. Näiden tulosten myötä ehdotan, että parempi ymmärrys herbivorian vaikutuksista maailmanlaajuisesti voisi parantaa nykyisiä ennusteita siitä, kuinka ilmaston lämpeneminen muuttaa hiilenkiertoa.

Satellite geodesy plays an important role in earth observation. This dissertation presents three applications of satellite geodesy in environmental and climate change. Three satellite geodesy techniques are used: high-precision Global Positioning System (GPS), the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR). In the first study, I use coastal uplift observed by GPS to study the annual changes in mass loss of the Greenland ice sheet. The data show both spatial and temporal variations of coastal ice mass loss and suggest that a combination of warm atmospheric and oceanic condition drove these variations. In the second study, I use GRACE monthly gravity change estimates to constrain recent freshwater flux from Greenland. The data show that Arctic freshwater flux started to increase rapidly in the mid-late 1990s, coincident with a decrease in the formation of dense Labrador Sea Water, a key component of the deep southward return flow od the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Recent freshening of the polar oceans may be reducing formation of Labrador Sea Water and hence may be weakening the AMOC. In the third study, I use InSAR to monitor ground deformation caused by CO2 injection at an enhanced oil recovery site in west Texas. Carbon capture and storage can reduce CO2 emitted from power plants, and is a promising way to mitigate anthropogenic warming. From 2007 to 2011, ~24 million tons of CO2 were sequestered in this field, causing up to 10 MPa pressure buildup in a reservoir at depth, and surface uplift up to 10 cm. This study suggests that surface displacement observed by InSAR is a cost-effective way to estimate reservoir pressure change and monitor the fate of injected fluids at waste disposal and CO2 injection sites.

Forests in developing countries have the potential to contribute to global efforts to mitigate climate change, promote biodiversity and support the livelihoods of rural, local people. Approximately one-fourth of such forests are under the control of local communities, which primarily manage forests for subsistence and to meet their livelihood needs. The trend of bottom-up community control is increasing through the adoption of decentralization reforms over the last 40 years. In contrast, the United Nations has introduced the top-down program, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) for the conservation and enhancement of forest carbon and the sustainable management of forest in developing countries. REDD+ incentivizes forest-managing communities to sequester carbon and reduce emissions. REDD+ has created hope for managing forests to mitigate climate change and has created fear that the new initiative may not be effective and may not ensure continuing forest-managing community benefits. However, little research has been conducted to answer these concerns. By taking nationally representative data from Nepalese community-managed forests (“forest commons"), I bring insights into whether and how these forests can contribute to REDD+ initiatives, particularly as they relate to carbon sequestration, biodiversity, equity in benefit sharing and collective action. My results indicated the highly variable carbon and biodiversity in the forest plots across the country, depicting the availability of space for additional growth in carbon storage and biodiversity conservation. My results also reflect the complex and varied relationships of carbon with different indices of biodiversity at the national level, across geographic and topographic regions, and in forests with varying canopy covers. Weak positive relationships between carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation indicate the possibility of synergies between carbon-forestry and biodiversity conservation. I also found that the formal community forestry program (CFP) has clearly positive impacts on biodiversity conservation and household-level equity in benefit sharing and a negative impact on carbon sequestration at the national level. However, disaggregated results of impacts of CFP on biodiversity, carbon and equity across geography, topography, forest quality and social groups display mixed results i.e., either positive or negative or neutral. I also identified that different drivers of collective action have different (i.e., positive, neutral, and negative) associations with carbon sequestration, which either supports or challenges established knowledge. In aggregate, my research indicates the potential of contribution by forest commons, and specially the CFP, to global environmental initiatives such as REDD+. It suggests that targeted, dedicated policies and programs to increase carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation and foster equity and collective actions are critical. In addition, my results also contribute to the growing literature on socio-ecological implications of forest commons that demonstrated the need of interdisciplinary research to understand human-nature relationships in the changing context.

The hallmark of oceanic anoxic event 1a (OAE1a) (early Aptian ~125 Ma) corresponds to worldwide deposition of black shales with total organic carbon (TOC) content > 2% and a d13C positive excursion up to ~5‰. OAE1a has been related to large igneous province volcanism and dissociation of methane hydrates during the Lower Cretaceous. However, the occurrence of atypical, coeval and diachronous organic-rich deposits associated with OAE1a, which are also characterized by positive spikes of the d13C in epicontinental to restricted marine environments of the Tethys Ocean, indicates localized responses decoupled from complex global forcing factors. The present research is a high-resolution, multiproxy approach to assess the paleoenvironmental conditions that led to enhanced carbon sequestration from the late Barremian to the middle Aptian in a restricted, Tethyan marginal basin prior to and during OAE1a. I studied the lower 240 m of the El Pui section, Organyà Basin, Spanish Pyrenees. The basin developed as the result of extensional tectonism linked to the opening of the Atlantic Ocean. At the field scale the section consists of a sequence of alternating beds of cm – m-scale, medium-gray to grayish-black limestones and marlstones with TOC up to ~4%. The results indicate that the lowest 85 m of the section, from latest Barremian –earliest Aptian, characterize a deepening phase of the basin concomitant with sustained riverine flux and intensified primary productivity. These changes induced a shift in the sedimentation pattern and decreased the oxygen levels in the water column through organic matter respiration and limited ventilation of the basin. The upper 155 m comprising the earliest – late-early Aptian document the occurrence of OAE1a and its associated geochemical signatures (TOC up to 3% and a positive shift in d13C of ~5‰). However, a low enrichment of redox-sensitive trace elements indicates that the basin did not achieve anoxic conditions. The results also suggest that a shallower-phase of the basin, coeval with platform progradation, may have increased ventilation of the basin at the same time that heightened sedimentation rates and additional input of organic matter from terrestrial sources increased the burial and preservation rate of TOC in the sediment.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The shale and mudstone directly superjacent to Desmoinesian coal seams of southern Indiana (Springfield, Houchin Creek, Survant, and Seelyville coals) were initially deposited under marine waters and are shown to exhibit high concentrations of organic carbon, sulfur and redox-sensitive metals (Mo, V, Ni, Fe, and U) that were sequestered during times of benthic anoxia and intermittent to sustained euxinia (anoxic and sulfidic). Strata upsection display geochemical signatures that indicate increasingly oxic and nearshore sedimentation that mirrors cyclothemic sequence stratigraphic trends Carbon source, nearshore and offshore proximity, freshwater and marine influence, and redox conditions of the epeiric sea overlying southern Indiana during the Late Middle Pennsylvanian were identified and tracked throughout the deposition of four drill cores of the Petersburg, Linton and Staunton Formations. Carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur data (total organic carbon [TOC], total nitrogen [TN], and total sulfur [TS]); paleoredox proxies ([Mo/Al], [V/Al], [Th/U], [Fetot/Al]); organic carbon isotopes (δ13Corg); and detrital influx concentrations (Zr) were all used in conjunction with lithological and paleontological interpretations to better understand the mode of deposition in this unique midcontinent ancient epeiric sea. Geochemical results when combined with lithologic and paleontologic interpretations reveal a dynamic environmental system where water column geochemistry varies with the influence of variable magnitudes of epeiric seawater flooding on the extensive peatlands of equatorial Late Middle Pennsylvanian southern Indiana.