Leeza Speranskaya is a Masters graduate from the University of Waikato, now working as an environmental scientist at a consultancy. She is a self-proclaimed data cruncher but enjoys the occasional bush-bash, both of which she got to experience during her Masters! Leeza’s Masters research focussed on Kopuatai bog, a unique peatland ecosystem located near Paeroa, New Zealand. Kopuatai is dominated by a plant called Empodisma robustum, a wire rush that has allowed this peatland to form due to its high water retention abilities. Specifically, this plant conserves water through restricted transpiration and its dense standing litter. Leeza’s research had two components - (a) analysing over 10 years of evaporation data (i.e., data crunching) which was diligently collected by her supervisor Dave Campbell via the eddy covariance method, and (b) measuring interception loss by collecting rainwater from under the dense E. robustum structure (i.e., bush-bashing). The 10-year evaporation dataset was compared to that of Mer Bleue, Canada, in collaboration with key researchers Peter Lafleur and Elyn Humphreys, to determine the impact of their differing vegetation types on evaporation. This research was able to confirm that E. robustum does in fact have higher water retention capabilities than the Sphagnum mosses found at Mer Bleue during dry canopy conditions, while wet canopy conditions allowed for higher evaporation due to interception loss. An analysis of evaporation patterns with increasing vapour pressure deficit (VPD) at Kopuatai and Mer Bleue indicated that E. robustum is able to restrict evaporation at high VPD, which may allow it to be more resistant to climatic warming and drying compared to ecosystems like Mer Bleue.
PeatECR Bio Series #1 - just in time to introduce our first featured bio in for July 2025 💚
Today we introduce Leeza Speranskaya, a recent MSc graduate, focusing on evaporation dynamics in restiad peat bogs. Connect with Leeza here:
www.linkedin.com/in/leeza-spe...
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