Recovery of Methanogenesis Following Summer Drought in Soils from Two Cool Temperate Peatlands,New York State,USA

Following a summer drought, intact cores of peat soil from two cool temperate peatlands (a rain-fed bog and a groundwater-fed swamp) were exposed experimentally to three different water table levels. The goal was to examine recovery of anaerobic methanogenesis and to evaluate peat soil decomposition to methane (CH₄), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) upon rewetting. Methane emission from soils to the atmosphere was greatest (mean = 80 μmol m^?2 s^?1) when the entire peat core was rewetted quickly; emission was negligible at low water level and when peat cores were rewetted gradually. Rates of CO₂ emission (mean = 1.0 μmol m^?2 s^?1) were relatively insensitive to water level. Concentrations of CH₄ in soil air spaces suggest that onset of methanogenesis induces, but later represses, aerobic oxidation of CH₄ above the water table. Concentrations of CO₂ suggest production at the soil surface of swamp peat versus at greater depths in bog peat. Portions of peat soil incubated in vitro without oxygen (O₂) exhibited a lag before the onset of methanogenesis, and the lag time was less in peat from the cores rewetted quickly. The inhibition of methanogenesis by the selective inhibitor 2-bromoethanesulfonic acid (BES) decreased CO₂ production by 20 to 30% but resulted in an increase in concentrations of DOC by 2 to 5 times. The results show that methanogens in peat soils tolerate moderate drought, and recovery varies among different peat types. In peat soils, the inhibition of methanogenesis might enhance DOC availability.     

Effects of disturbances on the carbon balance of tropical peat swamp forests

Tropical peatlands have accumulated huge soil carbon over millennia. However, the carbon pool is presently disturbed on a large scale by land development and management, and consequently has become vulnerable. Peat degradation occurs most rapidly and massively in Indonesia, because of fires, drainage, and deforestation of swamp forests coexisting with tropical peat. Peat burning releases carbon dioxide (CO₂) intensively but occasionally, whereas drainage increases CO₂ emission steadily through the acceleration of aerobic peat decomposition. Therefore, tropical peatlands present the threat of switching from a carbon sink to a carbon source to the atmosphere. However, the ecosystem‐scale carbon exchange is still not known in tropical peatlands. A long‐term field experiment in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia showed that tropical peat ecosystems, including a relatively intact peat swamp forest with little drainage (UF), a drained swamp forest (DF), and a drained burnt swamp forest (DB), functioned as net carbon sources. Mean annual net ecosystem CO₂ exchange (NEE) (± a standard deviation) for 4 years from July 2004 to July 2008 was 174 ± 203, 328 ± 204 and 499 ± 72 gC m^?2 yr^?1, respectively, for the UF, DF, and DB sites. The carbon emissions increased according to disturbance degrees. We found that the carbon balance of each ecosystem was chiefly controlled by groundwater level (GWL). The NEE showed a linear relationship with GWL on an annual basis. The relationships suggest that annual CO₂ emissions increase by 79–238 gC m^?2 every 0.1 m of GWL lowering probably because of the enhancement of oxidative peat decomposition. In addition, CO₂ uptake by vegetation photosynthesis was reduced by shading due to dense smoke from peat fires ignited accidentally or for agricultural practices. Our results may indicate that tropical peatland ecosystems are no longer a carbon sink under the pressure of human activities.     

The positive net radiative greenhouse gas forcing of increasing methane emissions from a thawing boreal forest‐wetland landscape

At the southern margin of permafrost in North America, climate change causes widespread permafrost thaw. In boreal lowlands, thawing forested permafrost peat plateaus (‘forest’) lead to expansion of permafrost‐free wetlands (‘wetland’). Expanding wetland area with saturated and warmer organic soils is expected to increase landscape methane (CH₄) emissions. Here, we quantify the thaw‐induced increase in CH₄ emissions for a boreal forest‐wetland landscape in the southern Taiga Plains, Canada, and evaluate its impact on net radiative forcing relative to potential long‐term net carbon dioxide (CO₂) exchange. Using nested wetland and landscape eddy covariance net CH₄ flux measurements in combination with flux footprint modeling, we find that landscape CH₄ emissions increase with increasing wetland‐to‐forest ratio. Landscape CH₄ emissions are most sensitive to this ratio during peak emission periods, when wetland soils are up to 10 °C warmer than forest soils. The cumulative growing season (May–October) wetland CH₄ emission of ~13 g CH₄ m^?2 is the dominating contribution to the landscape CH₄ emission of ~7 g CH₄ m^?2. In contrast, forest contributions to landscape CH₄ emissions appear to be negligible. The rapid wetland expansion of 0.26 ± 0.05% yr^?1 in this region causes an estimated growing season increase of 0.034 ± 0.007 g CH₄ m^?2 yr^?1 in landscape CH₄ emissions. A long‐term net CO₂ uptake of >200 g CO₂ m^?2 yr^?1 is required to offset the positive radiative forcing of increasing CH₄ emissions until the end of the 21st century as indicated by an atmospheric CH₄ and CO₂ concentration model. However, long‐term apparent carbon accumulation rates in similar boreal forest‐wetland landscapes and eddy covariance landscape net CO₂ flux measurements suggest a long‐term net CO₂ uptake between 49 and 157 g CO₂ m^?2 yr^?1. Thus, thaw‐induced CH₄ emission increases likely exert a positive net radiative greenhouse gas forcing through the 21st century.     

Greenhouse gas fluxes from tropical peatlands in south‐east Asia

The lowland peatlands of south‐east Asia represent an immense reservoir of fossil carbon and are reportedly responsible for 30% of the global carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry. This paper provides a review and meta‐analysis of available literature on greenhouse gas fluxes from tropical peat soils in south‐east Asia. As in other parts of the world, water level is the main control on greenhouse gas fluxes from south‐east Asian peat soils. Based on subsidence data we calculate emissions of at least 900 g CO₂ m^?2 a^?1 (～250 g C m^?2 a^?1) for each 10 cm of additional drainage depth. This is a conservative estimate as the role of oxidation in subsidence and the increased bulk density of the uppermost drained peat layers are yet insufficiently quantified. The majority of published CO₂ flux measurements from south‐east Asian peat soils concerns undifferentiated respiration at floor level, providing inadequate insight on the peat carbon balance. In contrast to previous assumptions, regular peat oxidation after drainage might contribute more to the regional long‐term annual CO₂ emissions than peat fires. Methane fluxes are negligible at low water levels and amount to up to 3 mg CH₄ m^?2 h^?1 at high water levels, which is low compared with emissions from boreal and temperate peatlands. The latter emissions may be exceeded by fluxes from rice paddies on tropical peat soil, however. N₂O fluxes are erratic with extremely high values upon application of fertilizer to wet peat soils. Current data on CO₂ and CH₄ fluxes indicate that peatland rewetting in south‐east Asia will lead to substantial reductions of net greenhouse gas emissions. There is, however, an urgent need for further quantitative research on carbon exchange to support the development of consistent policies for climate change mitigation.     

Effect of hydrological conditions on nitrous oxide, methane, and carbon dioxide dynamics in a bottomland hardwood forest and its implication for soil carbon sequestration

This study was conducted at three locations in a bottomland hardwood forest with a distinct elevation and hydrological gradient: ridge (high, dry), transition, and swamp (low, wet). At each location, concentrations of soil greenhouse gases (N₂O, CH₄, and CO₂), their fluxes to the atmosphere, and soil redox potential (Eh) were measured bimonthly, while the water table was monitored every day. Results show that soil Eh was significantly (P < 0.001) correlated with water table: a negative correlation at the ridge and transition locations, but a positive correlation at the permanently flooded swamp location. Both soil gas profile analysis and surface gas flux measurements indicated that the ridge and transition locations could be a sink of atmospheric CH₄, especially in warm seasons, but generally functioned as a minor source of CH₄ in cool seasons. The swamp location was a major source of CH₄, and the emission rate was higher in the warm seasons (mean 28 and median 23 mg m^?2 h^?1) than in the cool seasons (both mean and median 13 mg m^?2 h^?1). Average CO₂ emission rate was 251, 380 and 52 mg m^?2 h^?1 for the ridge, transition and swamp location, respectively. At each location, higher CO₂ emission rates were also found in the warm seasons. The lowest CO₂ emission rate was found at the swamp location, where soil C content was the highest, due to less microbial biomass, less CO₂ production in such an anaerobic environment, and greater difficulty of CO₂ diffusion to the atmosphere. Cumulative global warming potential emission from these three greenhouse gases was in an order of swamp > transition > ridge location. The ratio CO₂/CH₄ production in soil is a critical factor for evaluating the overall benefit of soil C sequestration, which can be greatly offset by CH₄ production and emission.     

High emissions of greenhouse gases from grasslands on peat and other organic soils

Drainage has turned peatlands from a carbon sink into one of the world's largest greenhouse gas (GHG) sources from cultivated soils. We analyzed a unique data set (12 peatlands, 48 sites and 122 annual budgets) of mainly unpublished GHG emissions from grasslands on bog and fen peat as well as other soils rich in soil organic carbon (SOC) in Germany. Emissions and environmental variables were measured with identical methods. Site‐averaged GHG budgets were surprisingly variable (29.2 ± 17.4 t CO₂‐eq. ha^?1 yr^?1) and partially higher than all published data and the IPCC default emission factors for GHG inventories. Generally, CO₂ (27.7 ± 17.3 t CO₂ ha^?1 yr^?1) dominated the GHG budget. Nitrous oxide (2.3 ± 2.4 kg N₂O‐N ha^?1 yr^?1) and methane emissions (30.8 ± 69.8 kg CH₄‐C ha^?1 yr^?1) were lower than expected except for CH₄ emissions from nutrient‐poor acidic sites. At single peatlands, CO₂ emissions clearly increased with deeper mean water table depth (WTD), but there was no general dependency of CO₂ on WTD for the complete data set. Thus, regionalization of CO₂ emissions by WTD only will remain uncertain. WTD dynamics explained some of the differences between peatlands as sites which became very dry during summer showed lower emissions. We introduced the aerated nitrogen stock (N_air) as a variable combining soil nitrogen stocks with WTD. CO₂ increased with N_air across peatlands. Soils with comparatively low SOC concentrations showed as high CO₂ emissions as true peat soils because N_air was similar. N₂O emissions were controlled by the WTD dynamics and the nitrogen content of the topsoil. CH₄ emissions can be well described by WTD and ponding duration during summer. Our results can help both to improve GHG emission reporting and to prioritize and plan emission reduction measures for peat and similar soils at different scales.     

Multiyear greenhouse gas balances at a rewetted temperate peatland

Drained peat soils are a significant source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to the atmosphere. Rewetting these soils is considered an important climate change mitigation tool to reduce emissions and create suitable conditions for carbon sequestration. Long‐term monitoring is essential to capture interannual variations in GHG emissions and associated environmental variables and to reduce the uncertainty linked with GHG emission factor calculations. In this study, we present GHG balances: carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) calculated for a 5‐year period at a rewetted industrial cutaway peatland in Ireland (rewetted 7 years prior to the start of the study); and compare the results with an adjacent drained area (2‐year data set), and with ten long‐term data sets from intact (i.e. undrained) peatlands in temperate and boreal regions. In the rewetted site, CO₂ exchange (or net ecosystem exchange (NEE)) was strongly influenced by ecosystem respiration (R_eco) rather than gross primary production (GPP). CH₄ emissions were related to soil temperature and either water table level or plant biomass. N₂O emissions were not detected in either drained or rewetted sites. Rewetting reduced CO₂ emissions in unvegetated areas by approximately 50%. When upscaled to the ecosystem level, the emission factors (calculated as 5‐year mean of annual balances) for the rewetted site were (±SD) ?104 ± 80 g CO₂‐C m^?2 yr^?1 (i.e. CO₂ sink) and 9 ± 2 g CH₄‐C m^?2 yr^?1 (i.e. CH₄ source). Nearly a decade after rewetting, the GHG balance (100‐year global warming potential) had reduced noticeably (i.e. less warming) in comparison with the drained site but was still higher than comparative intact sites. Our results indicate that rewetted sites may be more sensitive to interannual changes in weather conditions than their more resilient intact counterparts and may switch from an annual CO₂ sink to a source if triggered by slightly drier conditions.     

Effects of short-term drying and irrigation on CO2 and CH4 production and emission from mesocosms of a northern bog and an alpine fen

Atmospheric CO₂ and CH₄ exchange in peatlands is controlled by water table levels and soil moisture, but impacts of short periods of dryness and rainfall are poorly known. We conducted drying-rewetting experiments with mesocosms from an ombrotrophic northern bog and an alpine, minerotrophic fen. Efflux of CO₂ and CH₄ was measured using static chambers and turnover and diffusion rates were calculated from depth profiles of gas concentrations. Due to a much lower macroporosity in the fen compared to the bog peat, water table fluctuated more strongly when irrigation was stopped and resumed, about 11 cm in the fen and 5 cm in the bog peat. Small changes in air filled porosity caused CO₂ and CH₄ concentrations in the fen peat to be insensitive to changes in water table position. CO₂ emission was by a factor of 5 higher in the fen than in the bog mesocosms and changed little with water table position in both peats. This was probably caused by the importance of the uppermost, permanently unsaturated zone for auto- and heterotrophic CO₂ production, and a decoupling of air filled porosity from water table position. CH₄ emission was <0.4 mmol m^?2 day^?1 in the bog peat, and up to >12.6 mmol m^?2 day^?1 in the fen peat, where it was lowered by water table fluctuations. CH₄ production was limited to the saturated zone in the bog peat but proceeded in the capillary fringe of the fen peat. Water table drawdown partly led to inhibition of methanogenesis in the newly unsaturated zone, but CH₄ production appeared to continue after irrigation without time-lag. The identified effects of irrigation on soil moisture and respiration highlight the importance of peat physical properties for respiratory dynamics; but the atmospheric carbon exchange was fairly insensitive to the small-scale fluctuations induced.     

Post‐fire carbon dynamics in the tropical peat swamp forests of Brunei reveal long‐term elevated CH4 flux

Tropical peatlands hold about 15%–19% of the global peat carbon (C) pool of which 77% is stored in the peat swamp forests (PSFs) of Southeast Asia. Nonetheless, these PSFs have been drained, exploited for timber and land for agriculture, leading to frequent fires in the region. The physico‐chemical characteristics of peat, as well as the hydrology of PSFs are affected after a fire, during which the ecosystem can act as a C source for decades, as C emissions to the atmosphere exceed photosynthesis. In this work, we studied the longer‐term impact of fires on C cycling in tropical PSFs, hence we quantified the magnitude and patterns of C loss (CO₂, CH₄ and dissolved organic carbon) and soil‐water quality characteristics in an intact and a degraded burnt PSF in Brunei Darussalam affected by seven fires over the last 40 years. We used natural tracers such as ¹⁴C to investigate the age and sources of C contributing to ecosystem respiration (R_eco) and CH₄, while we continuously monitored soil temperature and water table (WT) level from June 2017 to January 2019. Our results showed a major difference in the physico‐chemical parameters, which in turn affected C dynamics, especially CH₄. Methane effluxes were higher in fire‐affected areas (7.8 ± 2.2 mg CH₄ m^?2 hr^?1) compared to the intact PSF (4.0 ± 2.0 mg CH₄ m^?2 hr^?1) due to prolonged higher WT and more optimal methanogenesis conditions. On the other hand, we did not find significant differences in R_eco between burnt (432 ± 83 mg CO₂ m^?2 hr^?1) and intact PSF (359 ± 76 mg CO₂ m^?2 hr^?1). Radiocarbon analysis showed overall no significant difference between intact and burnt PSF with a modern signature for both CO₂ and CH₄ fluxes implying a microbial preference for the more labile C fraction in the peat matrix.     

Carbon exchange of grazed pasture on a drained peat soil

Land‐use changes have contributed to increased atmospheric CO₂ concentrations. Conversion from natural peatlands to agricultural land has led to widespread subsidence of the peat surface caused by soil compaction and mineralization. To study the net ecosystem exchange of carbon (C) and the contribution of respiration to peat subsidence, eddy covariance measurements were made over pasture on a well‐developed, drained peat soil from 22 May 2002 to 21 May 2003. The depth to the water table fluctuated between 0.02 m in winter 2002 to 0.75 m during late summer and early autumn 2003. Peat soil moisture content varied between 0.6 and 0.7 m³ m^?3 until the water table dropped below 0.5 m, when moisture content reached 0.38 m³ m^?3. Neither depth to water table nor soil moisture was found to have an effect on the rate of night‐time respiration (ranging from 0.4–8.0 μmol CO₂ m^?2 s^?1 in winter and summer, respectively). Most of the variance in night‐time respiration was explained by changes in the 0.1 m soil temperature (r²=0.93). The highest values for daytime net ecosystem exchange were measured in September 2002, with a maximum of ?17.2 μmol CO₂ m^?2 s^?1. Grazing events and soil moisture deficiencies during a short period in summer reduced net CO₂ exchange. To establish an annual C balance for this ecosystem, non‐linear regression was used to model missing data. Annually integrated (CO₂) C exchange for this peat–pasture ecosystem was 45±500 kg C ha^?1 yr^?1. After including other C exchanges (methane emissions from cows and production of milk), the net annual C loss was 1061±500 kg C ha^?1 yr^?1.     

Greenhouse gas budget (CO2, CH4 and N2O) of intensively managed grassland following restoration

The first full greenhouse gas (GHG) flux budget of an intensively managed grassland in Switzerland (Chamau) is presented. The three major trace gases, carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O) were measured with the eddy covariance (EC) technique. For CO₂ concentrations, an open‐path infrared gas analyzer was used, while N₂O and CH₄ concentrations were measured with a recently developed continuous‐wave quantum cascade laser absorption spectrometer (QCLAS). We investigated the magnitude of these trace gas emissions after grassland restoration, including ploughing, harrowing, sowing, and fertilization with inorganic and organic fertilizers in 2012. Large peaks of N₂O fluxes (20–50 nmol m^?2 s^?1 compared with a <5 nmol m^?2 s^?1 background) were observed during thawing of the soil after the winter period and after mineral fertilizer application followed by re‐sowing in the beginning of the summer season. Nitrous oxide (N₂O) fluxes were controlled by nitrogen input, plant productivity, soil water content and temperature. Management activities led to increased variations of N₂O fluxes up to 14 days after the management event as compared with background fluxes measured during periods without management (<5 nmol m^?2 s^?1). Fluxes of CO₂ remained small until full plant development in early summer 2012. In contrast, methane emissions showed only minor variations over time. The annual GHG flux budget was dominated by N₂O (48% contribution) and CO₂ emissions (44%). CH₄ flux contribution to the annual budget was only minor (8%). We conclude that recently developed multi‐species QCLAS in an EC system open new opportunities to determine the temporal variation of N₂O and CH₄ fluxes, which further allow to quantify annual emissions. With respect to grassland restoration, our study emphasizes the key role of N₂O and CO₂ losses after ploughing, changing a permanent grassland from a carbon sink to a significant carbon source.     

Effects of seasonality,transport pathway,and spatial structure on greenhouse gas fluxes in a restored wetland

Wetlands can influence global climate via greenhouse gas (GHG) exchange of carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O). Few studies have quantified the full GHG budget of wetlands due to the high spatial and temporal variability of fluxes. We report annual open‐water diffusion and ebullition fluxes of CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O from a restored emergent marsh ecosystem. We combined these data with concurrent eddy‐covariance measurements of whole‐ecosystem CO₂ and CH₄ exchange to estimate GHG fluxes and associated radiative forcing effects for the whole wetland, and separately for open‐water and vegetated cover types. Annual open‐water CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O emissions were 915 ± 95 g C‐CO₂ m^?2 yr^?1, 2.9 ± 0.5 g C‐CH₄ m^?2 yr^?1, and 62 ± 17 mg N‐N₂O m^?2 yr^?1, respectively. Diffusion dominated open‐water GHG transport, accounting for >99% of CO₂ and N₂O emissions, and ~71% of CH₄ emissions. Seasonality was minor for CO₂ emissions, whereas CH₄ and N₂O fluxes displayed strong and asynchronous seasonal dynamics. Notably, the overall radiative forcing of open‐water fluxes (3.5 ± 0.3 kg CO₂‐eq m^?2 yr^?1) exceeded that of vegetated zones (1.4 ± 0.4 kg CO₂‐eq m^?2 yr^?1) due to high ecosystem respiration. After scaling results to the entire wetland using object‐based cover classification of remote sensing imagery, net uptake of CO₂ (?1.4 ± 0.6 kt CO₂‐eq yr^?1) did not offset CH₄ emission (3.7 ± 0.03 kt CO₂‐eq yr^?1), producing an overall positive radiative forcing effect of 2.4 ± 0.3 kt CO₂‐eq yr^?1. These results demonstrate clear effects of seasonality, spatial structure, and transport pathway on the magnitude and composition of wetland GHG emissions, and the efficacy of multiscale flux measurement to overcome challenges of wetland heterogeneity.     

Winter CO2 CH4 and N2O fluxes on some natural and drained boreal peatlands

CO₂ and CH₄ fluxes during the winter were measured at natural and drained bog and fen sites in eastern Finland using both the closed chamber method and calculations of gas diffusion along a concentration gradient through the snowpack. The snow diffusion results were compared with those obtained by chamber, but the winter flux estimates were derived from chamber data only. CH₄ emissions from a poor bog were lower than those from an oligotrophic fen, while both CO₂ and CH₄ fluxes were higher in theCarex rostrata- occupied marginal (lagg) area of the fen than in the slightly less fertile centre. Average estimated winter CO₂-C losses from virgin and drained forested peatlands were 41 and 68 g CO₂-C m^–2, respectively, accounting for 23 and 21% of the annual total CO₂ release from the peat. The mean release of CH₄-C was 1.0 g in natural bogs and 3.4 g m^–2 in fens, giving rise to winter emissions averaging to 22% of the annual emission from the bogs and 10% of that from the fens. These wintertime carbon gas losses in Finnish natural peatlands were even greater than reported average long-term annual C accumulation values (less than 25g C m^–2). The narrow range of 10–30% of the proportion of winter CO₂ and CH₄ emissions from annual emissions found in Finnish peatlands suggest that a wider generalization in the boreal zone is possible. Drained forested bogs emitted 0.3 g CH₄-C m^–2 on the average, while the effectively drained fens consumed an average of 0.01 g CH₄-C m^–2. Reason for the low CH₄. efflux or net oxidation in drained peatlands probably lies in low substrate supply and thus low CH₄ production in the anoxic deep peat layers. N₂O release from a fertilized grassland site in November–May was 0.7 g N₂O m^–2, accounting for 38% of the total annual emission, while a forested bog released none and two efficiently drained forested fens 0.09 (28% of annual release) and 0.04 g N₂O m^–2 (27%) during the winter, respectively.     

The contribution of bryophytes to the carbon exchange for a temperate rainforest

Bryophytes blanket the floor of temperate rainforests in New Zealand and may influence a number of important ecosystem processes, including carbon cycling. Their contribution to forest floor carbon exchange was determined in a mature, undisturbed podocarp‐broadleaved forest in New Zealand, dominated by 100–400‐year‐old rimu (Dacrydium cupressimum) trees. Eight species of mosses and 13 species of liverworts contributed to the 62% cover of the diverse forest floor community. The bryophyte community developed a relatively thin (depth <30 mm), but dense, canopy that experienced elevated CO₂ partial pressures (median 46.6 Pa immediately below the bryophyte canopy) relative to the surrounding air (median 37.6 Pa at 100 mm above the canopy). Light‐saturated rates of net CO₂ exchange from 14 microcosms collected from the forest floor were highly variable; the maximum rate of net uptake (bryophyte photosynthesis – whole‐plant respiration) per unit ground area at saturating irradiance was 1.9 μmol m^?2 s^?1 and in one microcosm, the net rate of CO₂ exchange was negative (respiration). CO₂ exchange for all microcosms was strongly dependent on water content. The average water content in the microcosms ranged from 1375% when fully saturated to 250% when air‐dried. Reduction in water content across this range resulted in an average decrease of 85% in net CO₂ uptake per unit ground area. The results from the microcosms were used in a model to estimate annual carbon exchange for the forest floor. This model incorporated hourly variability in average irradiance reaching the forest floor, water content of the bryophyte layer, and air and soil temperature. The annual net carbon uptake by forest floor bryophytes was 103 g m^?2, compared to annual carbon efflux from the forest floor (bryophyte and soil respiration) of ?1010 g m^?2. To put this in perspective of the magnitude of the components of CO₂ exchange for the forest floor, the bryophyte layer reclaimed an amount of CO₂ equivalent to only about 10% of forest floor respiration (bryophyte plus soil) or ～11% of soil respiration. The contribution of forest floor bryophytes to productivity in this temperate rainforest was much smaller than in boreal forests, possibly because of differences in species composition and environmental limitations to photosynthesis. Because of their close dependence on water table depth, the contribution of the bryophyte community to ecosystem CO₂ exchange may be highly responsive to rapid changes in climate.     

Land use of drained peatlands: Greenhouse gas fluxes,plant production,and economics

Drained peatlands are hotspots for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which could be mitigated by rewetting and land use change. We performed an ecological/economic analysis of rewetting drained fertile peatlands in a hemiboreal climate using different land use strategies over 80 years. Vegetation, soil processes, and total GHG emissions were modeled using the CoupModel for four scenarios: (1) business as usual—Norway spruce with average soil water table of ?40 cm; (2) willow with groundwater at ?20 cm; (3) reed canary grass with groundwater at ?10 cm; and (4) a fully rewetted peatland. The predictions were based on previous model calibrations with several high‐resolution datasets consisting of water, heat, carbon, and nitrogen cycling. Spruce growth was calibrated by tree‐ring data that extended the time period covered. The GHG balance of four scenarios, including vegetation and soil, were 4.7, 7.1, 9.1, and 6.2 Mg CO₂eq ha^?1 year^?1, respectively. The total soil emissions (including litter and peat respiration CO₂ + N₂O + CH₄) were 33.1, 19.3, 15.3, and 11.0 Mg CO₂eq ha^?1 year^?1, respectively, of which the peat loss contributed 35%, 24%, and 7% of the soil emissions for the three drained scenarios, respectively. No peat was lost for the wet peatland. It was also found that draining increases vegetation growth, but not as drastically as peat respiration does. The cost–benefit analysis (CBA) is sensitive to time frame, discount rate, and carbon price. Our results indicate that the net benefit was greater with a somewhat higher soil water table and when the peatland was vegetated with willow and reed canary grass (Scenarios 2 and 3). We conclude that saving peat and avoiding methane release using fairly wet conditions can significantly reduce GHG emissions, and that this strategy should be considered for land use planning and policy‐making.     

Change in fluxes of carbon dioxide,methane and nitrous oxide due to forest drainage of mire sites of different trophy

Northern peatlands accumulate atmospheric CO₂ thus counteracting climate warming. However, CH₄ which is more efficient as a greenhouse gas than CO₂, is produced in the anaerobic decomposition processes in peat. When peatlands are taken for forestry their water table is lowered by ditching. We studied long-term effects of lowered water table on the development of vegetation and the annual emissions of CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O in an ombrotrophic bog and in a minerotrophic fen in Finland. Reclamation of the peat sites for forestry had changed the composition and coverage of the field and ground layer species, and increased highly the growth of tree stand at the drained fen. In general, drainage increased the annual CO₂ emissions but the emissions were also affected by the natural fluctuations of water table. In contrast to CO₂, drainage had decreased the emissions of CH₄, the drained fen even consumed atmospheric CH₄. CO₂ and CH₄ emissions were higher in the virgin fen than in the virgin bog. There were no N₂O emissions from neither type of virgin sites. Drainage had, however, highly increased the N₂O emissions from the fen. The results suggest that post-drainage changes in gas fluxes depend on the trophy of the original mires.     

Regional-scale measurements of CH4 exchange from a tall tower over a mixed temperate/boreal lowland and wetland forest

The biosphere–atmosphere exchange of methane (CH₄) was estimated for a temperate/boreal lowland and wetland forest ecosystem in northern Wisconsin for 1997–1999 using the modified Bowen ratio (MBR) method. Gradients of CH₄ and CO₂ and CO₂ flux were measured on the 447‐m WLEF‐TV tower as part of the Chequamegon Ecosystem–Atmosphere Study (ChEAS). No systematic diurnal variability was observed in regional CH₄ fluxes measured using the MBR method. In all 3 years, regional CH₄ emissions reached maximum values during June–August (24±14.4 mg m^?2 day^?1), coinciding with periods of maximum soil temperatures. In 1997 and 1998, the onset in CH₄ emission was coincident with increases in ground temperatures following the melting of the snow cover. The onset of emission in 1999 lagged 100 days behind the 1997 and 1998 onsets, and was likely related to postdrought recovery of the regional water table to typical levels. The net regional emissions were 3.0, 3.1, and 2.1 g CH₄ m^?2 for 1997, 1998, and 1999, respectively. Annual emissions for wetland regions within the source area (28% of the land area) were 13.2, 13.8, and 10.3 g CH₄ m^?2 assuming moderate rates of oxidation of CH₄ in upland regions in 1997, 1998, and 1999, respectively. Scaling these measurements to the Chequamegon Ecosystem (CNNF) and comparing with average wetland emissions between 40°N and 50°N suggests that wetlands in the CNNF emit approximately 40% less than average wetlands at this latitude. Differences in mean monthly air temperatures did not affect the magnitude of CH₄ emissions; however, reduced precipitation and water table levels suppressed CH₄ emission during 1999, suggesting that long‐term climatic changes that reduce the water table will likely transform this landscape to a reduced source or possibly a sink for atmospheric CH₄.     

Effect of water table on greenhouse gas emissions from peatland mesocosms

Peatland landscapes typically exhibit large variations in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to microtopographic and vegetation heterogeneity. As many peatland budgets are extrapolated from small-scale chamber measurements it is important to both quantify and understand the processes underlying this spatial variability. Here we carried out a mesocosm study which allowed a comparison to be made between different microtopographic features and vegetation communities, in response to conditions of both static and changing water table. Three mesocosm types (hummocks?+?Juncus effusus, hummocks?+?Eriophorum vaginatum, and hollows dominated by moss) were subjected to two water table treatments (0–5 cm and 30–35 cm depth). Measurements were made of soil-atmosphere GHG exchange, GHG concentration within the peat profile and soil water solute concentrations. After 14 weeks the high water table group was drained and the low water table group flooded. Measurement intensity was then increased to examine the immediate response to change in water table position. Mean CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O exchange across all chambers was 39.8 μg m^?2 s^?1, 54.7 μg m^?2 h^?1 and ?2.9 μg m^?2 h^?1, respectively. Hence the GHG budget was dominated in this case by CO₂ exchange. CO₂ and N₂O emissions were highest in the low water table treatment group; CH₄ emissions were highest in the saturated mesocosms. We observed a strong interaction between mesocosm type and water table for CH₄ emissions. In contrast to many previous studies, we found that the presence of aerenchyma-containing vegetation reduced CH₄ emissions. A significant pulse in both CH₄ and N₂O emissions occurred within 1–2 days of switching the water table treatments. This pulsing could potentially lead to significant underestimation of landscape annual GHG budgets when widely spaced chamber measurements are upscaled.     

Methane emissions from fen,bog and swamp peatlands in Quebec

A static chamber technique was used weekly from spring thaw to winter freezing to measure methane emissions from 10 sites representing subarctic fens and temperate swamps and bogs. Rates of < 200 mg CH₄ m^–2 d^–1 were recorded in subarctic fens: within-site emissions were primarily controlled by the evolution of the peat thermal regime, though significant releases during spring thaw were recorded at some sites. Between subarctic fens, topography and water table elevation were important controls on methane emissions, with the general sequence: pool = horizontal fen> string. Emission rates from the 2 swamp sites were lower (< 20 mg CH₄ m^–2 d^–1 ), except during the spring thaw and when the sites were saturated. The low water table ( < 80 cm depth) in abnormally dry years reduced emission rates; rates were also low from a swamp site which had been drained and cleared of vegetation for horticulture. Methane emission rates were also low (< 5 mg CH₄ m^–2 d^–1) from 2 ombrotrophic bog sites. Laboratory measurements of rates of methane production under anaerobic conditions and methane consumption under aerobic conditions revealed that production rates were generally highest in the surface layers (0 to 2.5 cm depth); production was high in the fens and very low in the bogs. The swamp samples were able to produce methane under anaerobic conditions, but were also able to consume methane under aerobic conditions. Annual methane emission rates are estimated to be 1 to 10 g CH₄ m^–2 from the fens, 1 to 4 g CH4 m^–2 from the swamps and <0.2 g CH₄ m^–2 from the bogs and drained swamp.     

Carbon dioxide emissions through oxidative peat decomposition on a burnt tropical peatland

In Southeast Asia, a huge amount of peat has accumulated under swamp forests over millennia. Fires have been widely used for land clearing after timber extraction, thus land conversion and land management with logging and drainage are strongly associated with fire activity. During recent El Niño years, tropical peatlands have been severely fire‐affected and peatland fires enlarged. To investigate the impact of peat fires on the regional and global carbon balances, it is crucial to assess not only direct carbon emissions through peat combustion but also oxidative peat decomposition after fires. However, there is little information on the carbon dynamics of tropical peat damaged by fires. Therefore, we continuously measured soil CO₂ efflux [peat respiration (RP)] through oxidative peat decomposition using six automated chambers on a burnt peat area, from which about 0.7 m of the upper peat had been lost during two fires, in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. The RP showed a clear seasonal variation with higher values in the dry season. The RP increased logarithmically as groundwater level (GWL) lowered. Temperature sensitivity or Q₁₀ of RP decreased as GWL lowered, mainly because the vertical distribution of RP would shift downward with the expansion of an unsaturated soil zone. Although soil temperature at the burnt open area was higher than that in a near peat swamp forest, model simulation suggests that the effect of temperature rise on RP is small. Annual gap‐filled RP was 382 ± 82 (the mean ± 1 SD of six chambers) and 362 ± 74 gC m^?2 yr^?1 during 2004–2005 and during 2005–2006 years, respectively. Simulated RP showed a significant negative relationship with GWL on an annual basis, which suggests that every GWL lowering by 0.1 m causes additional RP of 89 gC m^?2 yr^?1. The RP accounted for 21–24% of ecosystem respiration on an annual basis.