Anagrafe della ricerca

Although only 1% of the Earth's surface is covered by inland waters, their collective contribution to global carbon fluxes is substantially similar to terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Rivers and tidal systems are in fact formidable activators for atmospheric CO2 sequestration. However, as invoked during the EGU 2017 Bagnold Medal Lecture (E. Wohl), there is a tremendous need for modelling and quantification in River Carbon Science. The underlying idea of the project is that the riverine-estuarine system behaves as a combined virtuous cycle that catalyses the gross primary production, namely the carbon sequestered from the atmosphere. Within this virtuous cycle, the high fluvial morphological activity enhances the functioning of Blue Carbon Ecosystems (BCE). Under the overview of a multidisciplinary integrated approach (involving skills from morphodynamic modelling, remote sensing, field and laboratory analysis) we address the carbon cycle within the framework of a novel “Carbon Continuum”, from inland to coastal wetlands. The project is composed of 3 Research Units (RU) and 1 Sub-unit, with an overall staff of 4 researchers, 4 postdocs specifically recruited for the project and 3 PhD students from other projects, and it is organised with a multiscale approach aiming to analyse the overall carbon budget of two selected watersheds: Amazon and Tagliamento (NE Italy). The project foresees joint collaborations among the RUs, with staff exchanges, transfer of knowledge and use of in-house resources of the RUs.