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We investigated the causes for the seasonal and spatial variation of soil respiration in a first rotation Sitka spruce chronosequence composed of four age classes (10, 15, 31, and 47 year old) in Central Ireland. The study aimed Ó Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2006 (P < 0.05). Our results show that the adoption of an adequate sampling strategy, and the determination of some key environmental variables may help to explain a large proportion of total variation of soil respiration over the entire rotation length of afforested ecosystems.

We studied vegetation dynamics at peatlands, differing in their climate, land use management history and vegetation community in Ireland and Finland over a two-year period. Our aim was to develop a species-specific method to be used to (1) describe the seasonal dynamics of green (photosynthetic) area (GA) of the vegetation and (2) incorporate these changes into CO 2 exchange models. The extent of temporal and spatial variation between and within communities indicated the need for a two-step calculation approach for each community. Firstly, at biweekly to monthly intervals, GA of all species within a range of vascular plant communities was estimated by non-destructive field measurements. Gaussian or log-normal models were fitted to describe the seasonal dynamics of each species. Secondly, an estimate of community vascular green area (VGA) was obtained by summing the modelled daily GA of all species within the community. The highest values of VGA (2.1-6.0 m 2 m -2 ) occurred within the reed communities at the rewetted cutaway peatland in Ireland and the lowest at the ombrotrophic lawn communities in Finland (0.5-1.0 m 2 m -2 ). The relationship between light saturated gross photosynthesis (P G ) and VGA was either linear or hyperbolic depending on the degree of selfshading that occurred within each community. The addition of the VGA term into P G models improved the explaining power of the model by 57.6, 24.5 and 23% within the Typha latifolia, Phalaris arundinacea and Eriophorum angustifolium/Carex rostrata communities, respectively. VGA proved useful in recording the seasonal development of a wide range of peatland vascular plant communities over geographically and climatically different regions.

Hot spots of CH 4 emissions are a typical feature of pristine peatlands at the microsite and landscape scale. To determine whether rewetting and lake construction in a cutaway peatland would result in the re-creation of hot spots, we first measured CH 4 fluxes over a 2-year period with static chambers and estimated annual emissions. Second, to assess whether rewetting and lake creation would produce hot spots at the landscape level, we hypothesized a number of alternative land use scenarios for the peatland following the cessation of peat extraction. Using the results from this study and other studies from literature, we calculated the global warming potential (GWP) of each scenario and the respective contribution of CH 4 .The results showed that hot spots of CH 4 fluxes were observed as a consequence of microsite-specific differences in water table (WT) position and plant productivity. CH 4 fluxes were closely related to peat temperature at 10 cm depth and WT position. Annual emissions ranged from 4.3 to 38.8 g CH 4 m 22 yr 21 in 2002 and 3.2 to 28.8 g CH 4 m 22 yr 21 in 2003. The scenario results suggest that lake creation is likely to result in the re-creation of a hot spot at the landscape level. However, the transition from cutaway to wetland ecosystem may lead to a reduction in the GWP of the peatland.

Summary Although the deleterious effects of obesity have been well documented in terms of morbidity and mortality, less is known about what it is like to live with this complex and chronic disease. This study systematically reviewed and synthesized peer‐reviewed studies relating to the lived experience of patients with obesity. A total of 12,388 records were screened, resulting in the inclusion of 32 final studies. Meta‐ethnographic synthesis of these 32 studies generated five “third‐order constructs” or themes: the development of obesity; a life limited; stigma, judgment, shame, and blame; treatment and; experiences of specific or minority groups. These constructs describe, from the patient's perspective, the factors associated with the development and maintenance of obesity; the effects of the disease on their day‐to‐day lives; the impact of the stigma and judgment many patients are subjected to; and their experience of accessing, or trying to access, treatment for their healthcare needs. This synthesis reveals the dearth of studies that focus solely on the experience of the patient and highlights the tendency for participant‐informed, rather than participatory, methods in obesity research. It concludes with a call for further participatory research into the experiences of people living with obesity.