How thawing permafrost changes greenhouse gas emissions from peatlands

By sara [dot] hakansson [at] mgeo [dot] lu [dot] se (Sara Håkansson) - published 23 September 2026

In his doctoral thesis, BECC-member Patryk Łakomiec examined how northern peatlands exchange carbon dioxide and methane with the atmosphere. His findings show that thawing permafrost changes how these ecosystems process carbon and could help improve estimates of future greenhouse gas emissions.

What did your research focus on?

“I examined the exchange of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide and methane) between northern peatlands and the atmosphere. I examined how factors such as permafrost status, peat and air temperature, sunlight and the length of the growing season influence these gas emissions. I also analysed how data analysis methods can influence our estimates of the amount of carbon that peatlands take up or release. “