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Abstract
Methane and carbon dioxide emissions from two Scottish peat soils and two Japanese paddy soils were compared. During aerobic incubation, CH4 uptake occurred with the peat soils showing a slightly higher activity than the paddy soils. Temperature exerted a marked effect on CO2 production but had a negligible effect on CH4 uptake rate except at 30°C where two soils showed a slight emission of CH4. At 10 and 20°C, the mean first order uptake rate constant for all soils was 0.19 d−1. With anaerobic incubation, CO2 production decreased while CH4 emission was promoted. The highest production (ng CH4-C g−1 fresh wt. soil over 7 d) originated from the indigenous bog peat (4,500) while that from the other peat soil (10), from an area of drained and forested bog, was less than the production from either paddy soils (290 and 140). The proportion of carbon emitted as CH4 reached 11% for the bog peat, 1% for the paddy soils but only 0.02% for the forest peat. Though organic matter levels played some role in CH4 emission, the population level of methanogens determined by previous land use was thought to be the major factor controlling this process. Hence, greater differences, particularly for CH4 emission, were found between the two peat soils as a result of previous iooding history than was found between the peat and paddy soils.