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Reposted by Jonny Ritson

Mike Peacock @peatymike.bsky.social · 2d

Looking for a PhD in aquatic carbon/GHG cycling? Take a look at this fantastic opportunity. Led by @aquaticcarbon.bsky.social and with Amy Pickard, Jens-Arne Subke and me. Field + lab components, and lots of exciting science.

iapetus.ac.uk/studentships...

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Jonny Ritson @jpritson.bsky.social · 9d

The most intriguing door sign in the University of Manchester. Sadly, the door is locked. These are private holes in the floor.

Jonny Ritson @jpritson.bsky.social · 12d

Remnants of a lowland raised bog. Left is still under agricultural production, right at ~50cm higher was abandoned in the 60s. Just under 1cm lost per year.

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Jonny Ritson @jpritson.bsky.social · 13d

Full results in prep- just wanted to show off some of the more dramatically successful pools!

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Jonny Ritson @jpritson.bsky.social · 13d

Without delving too much into the stats - it's safe to say our trial to speed up sphagnum colonisation of restoration pool was successful

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Jonny Ritson @jpritson.bsky.social · 20d

It's that time of year again

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Reposted by Jonny Ritson

Mike Waddington 🇨🇦 @peatofmind.bsky.social · 23d

New #PeatPaper by Lees et al. in #HydrologicalProcesses

"The Sponge Analogy Problem: Moving Towards Clearer Communication of Peatland Hydrological Processes"

#peatlands #hydrology #scicomm

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

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Reposted by Jonny Ritson

Laura Pottinger @laurajpottinger.bsky.social · 27d

How might stitching help us get to know mosses on more intimate terms?

New coauthored paper from the MossWorlds project on stitching sphagnum moss and doing creative, interdisciplinary work in geography labs: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
@uomcreativemcr.bsky.social (1/3)

Embroidered moss made from a selection of textural green fabrics attached to plain cotton fabric stretched across an embroidery hoop. A brown label with the handwritten words 'laboratory incident' is attached to the fabric.

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Jonny Ritson @jpritson.bsky.social · 27d

In the last year I've been made co-lead of my research group, been told I will be made permanent, been told I will be made redunant, been told I will not be made redundant but not permanent, and now that I can't accept consultancy income because I'm not permanent.

Academia is well run by top minds.

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Jonny Ritson @jpritson.bsky.social · 28d

Some highlights from a summer of fieldwork - lots of sphagnum (natural and planted) and the occasional sunny day on the bog

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Jonny Ritson @jpritson.bsky.social · Aug 29

We don't have a picarro but have had trouble with over heating in summer... check internal temp would be my first idea

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Jonny Ritson @jpritson.bsky.social · Aug 22

I shall remember this argument next time R2 tells me I have to cite all the Heinemeyer papers otherwise I'm being biased when I try to get a perspective piece published :)

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Jonny Ritson @jpritson.bsky.social · Aug 21

I'm not questioning the paleo evidence but you seem to be saying because it has cycled between Heather and sphagnum in the past, recent management has done nothing. This doesn't follow.

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Jonny Ritson @jpritson.bsky.social · Aug 21

But the 'myth' you're busting is "2. Fire and heather dominance are a result of recent management changes". Heather being dominant on a site a few thousand years ago doesn't change the fact many moors weren't heather 100 years ago but are now because of management with that stated goal.

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Jonny Ritson @jpritson.bsky.social · Aug 21

If you think a signficant result from a large, multi-site study needs to be ignored due to confounding factors, that's probably the sort of thing to put in your paper rather than presenting all the evidence in one direction and none of the evidence in the other?

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Jonny Ritson @jpritson.bsky.social · Aug 21

I wouldn't rely on them completely but C.E. Moss' maps often show moors having a small heather fringe in 1910 which are now 100% heather under burn management. I didn't realise anyone questioned that heather cover has increased given it was the goal of management from that period onwards

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Jonny Ritson @jpritson.bsky.social · Aug 21

Weird as the conclusion states the importance of not using one site and assuming others will be the same... would have thought a national, 95 site study is the sort of thing you'd treat with more weight than the single site studies you've cited (Lee, Miligan) that show increase in sphagnum

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Jonny Ritson @jpritson.bsky.social · Aug 21

Point 3 provides citations for sphagnum increasing with burning but fails to mention the massive 2,013 plot, 95 site study that showed at a national scale, burning decreases sphagnum. No critique of that paper, just seem to be ignoring it?

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Prescribed burning, atmospheric pollution and grazing effects on peatland vegetation composition

Burning, grazing and atmospheric pollution are associated with peatland vegetation composition and cover of key species, including Sphagnum. We suggest that, to promote cover of peat-forming species,...

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Jonny Ritson @jpritson.bsky.social · Aug 21

The point 2 summary about heather dominance not being a recent phenomena... how do you square that with maps of vegetation from ~100 years ago which show large increase of heather? Or do you mean some areas have had heather in the past so recent (~100yr) management for heather should be ignored?

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Reposted by Jonny Ritson

BES - Peatlands and Wetlands group @bes-peatlandsgroup.bsky.social · Aug 20

We are pleased to have a thematic session at this years @britishecologicalsociety.org annual meeting in Edinburgh December 2025 on ‘Past and Future Resilience of Global #Wetlands’ - we have some excellent speakers lined up and hopefully many wetland folks will attend the conference and present too!

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Jonny Ritson @jpritson.bsky.social · Aug 20

Probably a review on the same topic came out ten years ago? That's the usual reason to do 'research since X random date'

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Jonny Ritson @jpritson.bsky.social · Aug 18

In my ongoing tests to see which parts of my job AI can automate I asked ChatGPT to create a map for me of my plots using a satellite image basemap and a pop out showing where the site was in the UK.

Close. So close.

Reposted by Jonny Ritson

New Phytologist @newphyt.bsky.social · Aug 8

#TansleyReview: The effects of #drought on #Sphagnum #moss species and the implications for hydrology in #peatlands

Keane et al. 👇

📖 nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

#LatestIssue

The global and local distribution of Sphagnum and a detailed desciption of its anatomy.

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Jonny Ritson @jpritson.bsky.social · Aug 5

Great idea - we've bought one of these mega torches for our work

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Reposted by Jonny Ritson

Dr. Merritt Rae Turetsky @queenofpeat.bsky.social · Jul 19

Sphagnum mosses are fascinating from physiology, ecology, and climate perspectives. I'm especially proud of this @newphyt.bsky.social paper meant to inspire new research on ecoevolution and biodiversity. Check out the incredible cover art by Blanka Aguero! nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Image of the cover of the New Phytologist journal showing a close up image of brown and orange Sphagnum plants.

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