@rahelleilab.bsky.social
In those boggy places we measure, define, and change, stop first, and listen๐| PhD candidate at The University of Waikato, Aotearoa - New Zealand | Peatland Restoration Trajectories through the Active-Passive Continuum | In Awe of Soil | She/They
Are you fascinated by how peatlands form and how they are impacted by human land use? I am seeking PhD students to join my lab at the Asian School of the Environment in Singapore. For more, visit dynamicpeatlands.org/phd-programme
22.09.2025 13:51 โ ๐ 6 ๐ 6 ๐ฌ 0 ๐ 0Thanks so much for sharing this! ๐คฉ
30.07.2025 00:42 โ ๐ 0 ๐ 0 ๐ฌ 0 ๐ 0
Leeza Speranskaya is a Masters graduate from the University of Waikato, now working as an environmental scientist at a consultancy. She is a self-proclaimed data cruncher but enjoys the occasional bush-bash, both of which she got to experience during her Masters! Leezaโs Masters research focussed on Kopuatai bog, a unique peatland ecosystem located near Paeroa, New Zealand. Kopuatai is dominated by a plant called Empodisma robustum, a wire rush that has allowed this peatland to form due to its high water retention abilities. Specifically, this plant conserves water through restricted transpiration and its dense standing litter. Leezaโs research had two components - (a) analysing over 10 years of evaporation data (i.e., data crunching) which was diligently collected by her supervisor Dave Campbell via the eddy covariance method, and (b) measuring interception loss by collecting rainwater from under the dense E. robustum structure (i.e., bush-bashing). The 10-year evaporation dataset was compared to that of Mer Bleue, Canada, in collaboration with key researchers Peter Lafleur and Elyn Humphreys, to determine the impact of their differing vegetation types on evaporation. This research was able to confirm that E. robustum does in fact have higher water retention capabilities than the Sphagnum mosses found at Mer Bleue during dry canopy conditions, while wet canopy conditions allowed for higher evaporation due to interception loss. An analysis of evaporation patterns with increasing vapour pressure deficit (VPD) at Kopuatai and Mer Bleue indicated that E. robustum is able to restrict evaporation at high VPD, which may allow it to be more resistant to climatic warming and drying compared to ecosystems like Mer Bleue.
PeatECR Bio Series #1 - just in time to introduce our first featured bio in for July 2025 ๐
Today we introduce Leeza Speranskaya, a recent MSc graduate, focusing on evaporation dynamics in restiad peat bogs. Connect with Leeza here:
www.linkedin.com/in/leeza-spe...
#PeatECRBioSeries
The Global Wetland Outlook 2025, was just published. Much of this is not new to people already working in and around wetlands, but it will no doubt be an important source to support wetland conservation and restoration. I am weeping for all the wetscapes ๐
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
vimeo.com/803716464
A little presentation I gave as part of a wonderful internship with the Wetland Trust of New Zealand and Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research in 2022-23. It will be common knowledge for peatland researchers, as it was mostly aimed at people with no prior awareness of peatlands๐ฑ
Dear community, I look forward to sharing some of my research on peatland restoration, particularly restiad raised bogs in Aotearoa, New Zealand. For now, here is an image of the fascinating cluster roots of Empodisma robustum, the major peat-former in Waikato lowland raised bogs๐ฑ
09.05.2025 00:11 โ ๐ 11 ๐ 1 ๐ฌ 0 ๐ 0With field season right around the corner, a little reminder to all #PeatECR to put your camera focus on #peatland wildlife this year ๐ธ๐ป๐ฆ๐ท๏ธ๐ฆ๐๐ฆฉ๐ฆซ๐ฆฆ๐ซ๐ชฟโฆ๐ฆ
Check out the terms and conditions for having your photo featured in the 2026 #PeatCalendar here ๐ peatecr.com/contact-us2/...
Vacant position for #PeatECR
27.04.2025 15:49 โ ๐ 1 ๐ 4 ๐ฌ 0 ๐ 0
