Spatio-temporal dynamics of degrading palsa mires and their greenhouse gas fluxes across Fennoscandia (SPACEFEN)

SPACEFEN investigates critically endangered palsa mires, permafrost peatland features vulnerable to climate-driven thawing, whose role in greenhouse gas (GHG) dynamics remains uncertain. The project links palsa life cycle stages with spatio-temporal GHG fluxes to predict climate feedbacks. In the project, we combine continuous eddy covariance measurements at Finland’s first permafrost peatland flux site with chamber-based field data, biogeochemical analyses, and state-of-the-art remote sensing products. Multi-scale geospatial and process-based modelling will improve carbon and nitrogen cycle predictions across Fennoscandia and the pan-Arctic. The project is a research consortium with the Finnish Meteorological Institute with many national and international collaborators.