Peat soil from 12 northern peatlands, spanning broad gradients in mean annual temperature (MAT), mean annual precipitation (MAP), and plant species composition, was incubated in vitro at differing temperature (2, 12, 22°C), aeration (anoxic, oxic), and with or without added glucose to evaluate controls on potential production of CH4 and CO2 (and CH4 consumption). Methane production and CH4 consumption (at 12°C) were significantly higher in open (nonforested) than forested peatlands, and varied as a function of MAT at each site, with maximum CH4 production (>450 nmol g‐1 d‐1) and minimum CH4 consumption (‐0.03 h‐1 g‐1) at intermediate MAT (i.e., CH4 production <200 nmol g‐1 d‐1 and CH4 consumption ‐0.06 h‐1 g‐1 at lower and higher MAT). Differences in lignin chemistry of the peat helped explain the variation in CH4 cycling: Added glucose stimulated CH4 production, but only in lignin‐rich peat. Carbon dioxide production (10–60 μmol g‐1 d‐1 at 12°C) showed a strong negative relationship with MAT and with the amount and type of lignin in the peat, which increased with decreasing MAT of the site. The results demonstrated complex ways in which temperature affected production of CH4 and CO2 (and CH4 consumption), attributed to differences in organic chemical composition of peat.
Production of methane and carbon dioxide in peatland ecosystems across North America: Effects of temperature, aeration, and organic chemistry of peat
Reprints and Corporate Permissions
Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?
To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:
Academic Permissions
Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?
Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:
If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.
Related Research Data
Related research
People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read.
Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine.
Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.
Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab.