Olivia Kuuri-Riutta

Peatlands form a natural archive that store not only a huge amount of carbon, but also information about past vegetation, hydrology and carbon dynamics. In my PhD project, I investigate the recent climate-induced changes in peatland vegetation and testate amoeba communities, which are tightly connected with the peatland carbon cycle. My aim is to quantify the impacts of the ongoing climate change, particularly the suggested drying trend, on the functioning of peatland plant and microbial communities. By providing an insight to the past changes, my research will contribute to understanding the ongoing and future changes in northern peatlands.

I graduated as a Master of forest sciences from the University of Helsinki majoring in environmental change.