Cors Fochno

Established in 2010, the Cors Fochno experiment investigates peatland response to climate change, focusing on the combined impacts of drought and warming. Cors Fochno is the only experiment globally to include both long-term warming and active simulation of realistic summer drought by pumping water from the plots.

The experiment consists of crossed treatments of warming using open top chambers and periodic groundwater pumping. Passive warming chambers warm the peat surface whilst a month-long summer drought treatment is imposed in August every 4 to 5 years.

There are twelve climate change plots measuring 2 x 2m. The four treatments are replicated three times. Treatments are: 3 control plots, 3 summer drought plots, 3 passively-warmed plots, and 3 warmed and droughted plots.

Using this unique long-term climate change experiment, the effects of warming and drought on peatland functioning have now been measured for over 14 years. Andrews et al (2021) found a significant increase in shrub abundance under the warming treatments. A change in greenhouse gas emissions was demonstrated with a shift in net ecosystem exchange of CO₂ from an average net sink to a net source under combined warming and drought (Andrews, 2021). This raises questions about the source of these emissions and the underlying processes driving this shift.

Since 2023, the research has moved from observing changes in peatland functioning to unravelling the underlying soil processes. By measuring soil microbial community functioning and environmental variables in combination with greenhouse gas emissions, the experiment aims to unravel the drivers of emitted CO₂. The focus lies on changes in plant-microbe interactions under long-term climate change and surrounding a summer drought.

Main PI: Ben Keane

Email: ben.keane@york.ac.uk

Nina Overtoom

Email: nina.overtoom@york.ac.uk

At Cors Fochno, scientists are looking at how climate change affects peatbogs. Over the summer, a drought experiment took place at this LTE which was made possible by a small grant in partnership with the Ramble Worldwide Outdoor Trust.

Nina Overtoom joins the team as a PhD student

Cors Fochno at the IUCN UK Peatland conference & new PhD opportunity (Sylvia Toet, Simon Caporn, Luke Andrews)

Moor House Hard Hill, Moor House Grazing Plots, Peatland-ES-UK, Whim Bog

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BIFoR-FACE, Buxton, Colt Park Meadows, Culardoch, Clocaenog,
Hillsborough LTS, Llyn Brianne, Pwllpeiran, Tadham & Tealham Moor, Wytham (RainDrop)

BangorDIVERSE, Clocaenog, Denmark Farm (Ceredigion), Elan Valley Meadows, Lady Park Wood, Llyn Brianne, Newborough Warren, Raisbeck & Pentwyn, Ruabon Moor, Pwllpeiran