FASS Staff Profile

DR MASSIMO LUPASCU
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
DEPARTMENT of GEOGRAPHY

Appointment:
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
Office:
AS3/02-02
Email:
geolm@nus.edu.sg
Tel:
+65 660 13003
Fax:
+65 6777 3091
Homepage:
http://profile.nus.edu.sg/fass/geolm/
Tabs

Brief Introduction

Originally from Italy, I hold a BSc in Biology and MSc in Ecology (Laurea Magistrale; 2004) from the Universita’ degli Studi Roma Tre, Italy, and a Ph.D. in Physical Geography (2009) from the University of Bristol, UK.

My research examines how climate and land-use change affect the biogeochemical cycling of one of the most important carbon-rich terrestrial ecosystems on our planet: peatlands (the thick, water-logged soil layer made up of dead and decaying plant material). I am specifically interested in quantifying the loss of soil carbon (C) and nutrients in Arctic and Tropical latitudes. These areas hold most of the world’s soil organic C with serious implications for our climate if this soil decomposes. In the Arctic surging temperatures are thawing permafrost (frozen soil), releasing substantial amounts of C as CO2 or CH4 into the atmosphere with significant consequences for our climate. In the Tropics, peatland ecosystems have been deforested and drained mainly for agricultural purposes, also leading to significant amounts of CO2 being released. Despite their importance in the C cycle, much is still unknown about the dangerous consequences that disturbances such as climate change and land-use change have on C emissions from these ecosystems, especially in the Tropics. Based on these premises, my research can be summarized into two key themes related to the following overarching Research Questions (RQ):
1. How do climate change and other anthropogenic activities (such as land-use change and fire) impact C cycling and storage in carbon-rich ecosystems such as peatlands?
2. How can we improve current peatland management to minimize anthropogenic peatland degradation while maintaining livelihoods and promoting food security?

More info at https://maxlupascu.myfreesites.net


Teaching Areas

- Research Methods in Environmental Science GE5217

- Our Planet: an Earth System Science Perspective GE2103

 


Current Research

My research program focuses on the carbon (C) cycling between the terrestrial biosphere and the atmosphere. I am particularly interested in understanding how climate change and land-use affect the allocation, cycling, and residence time of C in soils and plants. In turn, my studies further the science of terrestrial ecosystem feedbacks to the climate system, i.e. by constraining future levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

To monitor and predict changes in the cycling of C in terrestrial ecosystems, I apply field observations from natural soil and experiments. I use a variety of biogeochemical tools, including the analysis of trace gases (CO2, CH4, N2O), their stable C isotopes and radiocarbon content (14C-AMS) and soil incubations.

My research activities spread over different kind of ecosystems from the Tropics to high latitudes.

Check my website for more info https://maxlupascu.myfreesites.net


Research Interests

  • Soil biogeochemistry

  • GHG fluxes

  • Tropical peat swamp

  • Land-use change

  • Permafrost

  • Climate Change


Publications

OTHERS

  • 2023
    - Leifeld, J & Lupascu, M. Climate Impact of Peatland Agriculture (Chapter 5). In: Peatlands and Climate Change, eds Strack M. International Peatland Society Press. 2023 in press
    - Strack, M., Lupascu, M., Byrne, K., Roulet, N., Turetsky, M., Vasander,H., Waddington, J.M. Peatlands, Greenhouse Gas Exchange and Climate Change (Chapter 3). In: Peatlands and Climate Change, eds Strack M. International Peatland Society Press. 2023 in press
    - Lupascu, M., Taillardat, P., Sasmito, S.D., Agus, F., Mudiyarso, D., Ramchunder, S.J., Tata, H.L., Taylor, D. Sustainable peatland management and the potential for synergies between food security and climate change objectives in Indonesia. Global Environmental Change, 2023 in press
    2022
    - Bechtold, M., Klove, B., Lohila, A., Lupascu, M., Rochefort, L., Silvennoinen, H. (2022). Editorial: Observing, Modeling and Understanding Processes in Natural and Managed Peatlands. Frontiers in Earth Science, 10, doi:10.3389/feart.2022.930834
    - Akhtar, H., Lupascu, M., Sukri, R.S. “Interactions between microtopography, root exudate analogues and temperature determine CO2 and CH4 production rates in fire-degraded tropical peat”. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 169:108646, doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2022.108646, 2022
    2021
    - Lupascu M. Peat management by local communities can reduce emissions. Nature Climate Change, 11(11):891-893, doi.org/ 10.1038/s41558-021-01197-1, 2021
    - Yang, S., Lupascu, M., Meel, K.S. “Predicting forest fire in Indonesia using remote sensing data and deep machine learning”. Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence 35 (17), 14983-14990, 2021
    - Sasmito, S. D., Taillardat, P., Fong, L. S., Ren, J. W. F., Sundahl, H., Wijedasa, L., Lupascu, M., Taylor, D. Terrestrial and Aquatic Carbon Dynamics in Tropical Peatlands under Different Land Use Types: A Systematic Review Protocol. Forests, 12(10), doi:10.3390/f12101298, 2021
    2020
    - Akhtar, H., Lupascu, M., Sukri, R.S., Smith, T.E.L., Cobb, A.R., Swarup S. “Significant sedge-mediated methane emissions from fire-degraded tropical peatlands”. Environmental Research Letters, doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abc7dc, 2020
    - Sillanpää, M., Lupascu M., Yudha R.P., Sasmito S.D., Vulpas, S., Teo R.X. “Impacts of forestry on mangrove sediment dynamics”. In: Dynamic Sedimentary Environments of Mangrove Coasts Eds (Friess D.A, Sidik F). pp. 583-607. Elsevier. doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-816437-2.00018-5, 2020.
    - Estop‐Aragonés, C., Olefeldt, D., Abbott, B.W., Chanton, J.P., Czimczik, C.I. Dean, J.F., Egan, J.E., Gandois, L., Garnett, M.H., Hartley, I.P. Hoyt, A., Lupascu, M. et al. “Assessing the Potential for Mobilization of Old Soil Carbon after Permafrost Thaw: A Synthesis of 14C Measurements from the Northern Permafrost Region”. Global Biogeochemical Cycle, 34(9), doi.org/10.1029/2020GB006672, 2020
    - Tan, Z.D., Lupascu, M., Wijedasa, L.S. “Paludiculture as a sustainable land use alternative for tropical peatlands: A review”. Science of the Total Environment, 753, 142111, doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142111, 2020
    - Nichols, R.M. & Lupascu, M. “Undergraduate teaching assistants in Asia: A Singapore case study”. International Journal of Educational Research, 104 (101647), doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2020.101647, 2020
    - Lupascu, M. Akhtar, H., Smith, T.E.L., Sukri, R.S. “Post‐Fire carbon dynamics in the tropical peat swamp forests of Brunei reveal long term elevated CH4 flux”. Global Change Biology, doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15195, 2020
    - Lupascu, M., Vakkey, H., Tortajada, C. “Is flooding considered a threat in the degraded tropical peatlands?”. Science of The Total Environment, 137988, doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137988, 2020
    2019
    - Natali, S.M., JD. Watts, S. Potter, B.M. Rogers, S.M. Ludwig, A. Selbmann, P.F. Sullivan, B.W. Abbott, K.A. Arndt, L. Birch, M.P. Björkman, A. Bloom, G. Celis, T.R.Christensen, C.T. Christiansen, R. Commane, E.J Cooper, P. Crill, S. Davydov, I. Du, J.E. Egan, B. Elberling, E.S. Friborg, H. Genet, M. Göckede, J.P. Goodrich, P. Grogan, M. Jafarov J.D. Jastrow, A.A. M. Kalhori, Y. Kim, J. Kimball, L. Kutzbach, M.J. Lara, K.S., Liu, M.M. Loranty, M. Lund, M. Lupascu, et al. Large loss of CO2 in winter observed across pan-Arctic permafrost region. Nature Climate Change 9:852–857, doi.org/10.1038/s41558-019-0592-8, 2019
    2018
    - Taillardat, P.E., Friess, D.A., Lupascu, M. “Blue carbon strategies for climate change mitigation are most effective at the national scale”. Biology Letters, 14(10), doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2018.0251, 2018.
    - Lupascu, M., Czimczik, C.I., Welker, M.C., Ziolkwski, L.A., Cooper, E., Welker, J.M. “Winter ecosystem respiration and sources of CO2 from the High Arctic tundra of Svalbard: Response to a deeper snow experiment”, Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 123(8):2627-2642, doi.org/10.1029/2018JG004396, 2018.
    - Wijedasa, L.S., Sloan, S., Page, S., Clements G.R., Lupascu, M., & Evans, T.A. "Carbon emissions from Southeast Asian peatlands will increase despite REDD+ program". Global Change Biology, 24(10):4598-4613, doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14340, 2018
    2016
    - Wijedasa, L.S., Lupascu et al. “Denial of long-term issues with agriculture on tropical peatlands will have devastating consequences”. Global Change Biology, 10.1111/gcb.13516, 2016.
    Crowther, T.W., Rowe, C.W., Wieder, W.R., Carey, J.C., Machmuller, M.B., Todd-Brown, K.E.O., Snoek, L.B., Fang, S., Zhou, S.D., Blair, J.M., Bridgham, S.D., Burton, A.J., Carrillo, Y., Clark, J.S., Classen, A.T., Emmett, B., Estiarte, M., Frey, S.D., Guo, J., Harte, J., Jiang, L., Johnson, B.R., Kröel-Dulay, G., Larsen, K.S., Laudon, H., Lavallee, J.M., Luo, Y., Lupascu, M., Ma, L.N. “Quantifying global soil C losses in response to warming”. Nature, 540, 104-108, doi:10.1038/nature20150, 2016
    - Schädel, C., Bader, M.K.F., Schuur, E.A.G., Bracho, R., Capek, P., De-Baets, S., Diakova, K., Ernakovich, J., Estop-Aragones, C., Hartley, I.P., Iversen, C.M. Kane, E., Knoblauch, C., Lupascu, M., et al. “Changing environmental controls affect the strength of the permafrost carbon feedback“. Nature Climate Change, 6:950–953, doi:10.1038/nclimate3054, 2016
    - Trumbore, S.E., Xu, X., Santos, G.M., Czimczik, C.I., Beaupré, S.R., Pack, M.A., Hopkins, F.M., Lupascu, M., Ziolkowski, L. “Preparation for radiocarbon analysis” in: Radiocarbon and climate change. Eds. Trumbore, S.E. Shuur, T. Druffel, H.. pp. 279-315. Springer.
    - Ziegler, A.D., Benner S.G., Kunkel, M.L., Phang, V.H.X., Lupascu, M., Tantasarin, C. “Particulate carbon and nitrogen dynamics in a headwater catchment in Northern Thailand; Hysteresis, high yields, and hot spots”. Hydrological Processes, 30: 3339–3360. doi: 10.1002/hyp.10840. 2016
    2015
    - Pack, M., Xu, X., Lupascu M., Kessler, J.D., Czimczik, C.I., “A rapid method for preparing high concentration CH4 gas samples for 14C analysis by AMS”. Organic Geochemistry, 77, doi:10.1016/j.orggeochem.2014.10.010, 2015.
    - Treat, C., Natali, S., Ernakovitch, J., Iverseen, C., Lupascu, M., McGuire, A. et al. “A pan-Arctic synthesis of potential CH4 and CO2 production from anoxic soil incubations”. Global Change Biology, doi: 10.1111/gcb.12875, 2015
    - Walker, J.C., Xu, X., Farhni S.M., Lupascu, M., Czimczik, C.I. “Developing a passive trap for diffusive atmospheric 14CO2 sampling”. Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section B doi:10.1016/j.nimb.2015.05.030, 2015.
    2014
    - Lupascu, M., Wadham, J.L., Hornibrook, E., Pancost, R.D. “Methanogens Biomarkers variations in active permafrost layers during a single melting season”. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 25: 1823-1832, doi: 10.1002/ppp.1823, 2014.
    - Lupascu, M., Xu, X., Welker, J., Czimczik, C.I. “Rates and sources (14C) of summer ecosystem respiration in response to long-term deeper snow in the High Arctic of NW Greenland”. Journal of Geophysical Research-Biogeosciences, 119: 1180-1194, doi: 10.1002/2013JG002494, 2014.
    - Lupascu, M., Welker, J., Seibt, U., Xu, X., Velicogna, I., Lindsey, D.S., Czimczik, C.I. “Water availability regulates magnitude, seasonality and sources of ecosystem respiration in a polar semidesert in NW Greenland”. Biogeosciences, 11: 2457-2496, 2014
    - Lupascu, M., Welker, J., Seibt U., Maseyk, K., Xu, X., Czimczik, C.I. “High Arctic wetting reduces permafrost carbon feedbacks to climate warming”. Nature Climate Change, 4: 51-55, 2014. Highlighted Editor's Choice, Science, 343: 6166, 2014.
    2012
    - Lupascu, M., Wadham, J.L., Hornibrook, E., Pancost, R.D. “Temperature sensitivity of methane production in the permafrost active layer at Stordalen, Sweden: A comparison with non-permafrost northern wetlands”. Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine Research. 44: 469-482, 2012

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