中国自然湿地甲烷排放: 1995-2004年研究总结

From studies undertaken during 1995-2004, annual budgets of CH₄ emissions from natural wetlands and its temporal and spatial variations were examined throughout China, and various factors influencing CH₄ emissions were also evaluated. The seasonal variation in CH₄ emissions that increased with increasing plant growth reached its peak in August;decrease in the emissions was found in freshwater marshes but not in peatlands. Emissions were mainly controlled by temperature and depth of standing water. Low CH₄ emissions at the early plant growing stages were not because of deficiency of organic C for CH₄ production but because of low temperatures. Low temperatures not only reduced CH₄ production but also stimulated CH₄ oxidation by lowering the activity of other aerobic microbes which left more O₂ in the rhizosphere for methanotrophs. Low summer temperatures (below 20 ℃) in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau lowered CH₄ production and CH₄ emission resulting in little or no seasonal variation of emissions. Diel and spatial variation in CH₄ emissions depended on plant species. For plants that transport CH₄ using the pressure-driven convective through-flow mechanism, diel variation in CH₄ emissions was governed by diel variation of solar energy load (that produces temperature and vapor pressure differences within various plant tissues) and stomatal conductance. For plants that transport gases using the molecular diffusion mechanism only, the diel variation of CH₄ emissions was because of differences in the magnitude of O₂ produced through photosynthesis and then delivered into the rhizomes and/or rhizosphere for CH₄ oxidation. Emergent plants could transport more CH₄ than submerged plants because the former transport CH₄ directly into the atmosphere rather than into water as do submerged plants where CH₄ can be further be oxidized during its diffusion from water to the atmosphere. Emergent plants with high gas transport capacity could not only transport more CH₄ into the atmosphere but also live in deeper water, which in turn would inundate more plant litter, resulting in increased availability of C for CH₄ production. Annual CH₄ emission from natural wetlands in China was estimated to be 1.76 Tg, up to 1.17 Tg of which was emitted from freshwater marshes. CH₄ emission from freshwater marshes mainly occurred during the growing season and less than 8% was released during the freeze-thawing period despite the fact that thawing efficiently released CH₄ fixed in ice column into the atmosphere.     

稻田土壤甲烷排放模型: Ⅰ. 模型的建立

With an understanding of the processes of methane production, oxidation and emission, a semi-empirical model, focused on the contributions of rice plants to the processes and also the influence of environmental factors, was developed to predict methane emission from rice paddy soils. In the present model, the amount of methane transported from the soil to the atmosphere was determined by the rates of CH₄ production and an emitted fraction. The rates of CH₄ production in irrigated rice soils were computed from the availability of methanogenic substrates that are primarily derived from rice plants and added organic matter and the influence of soil texture, soil redox potential and temperature. The fraction of methane emitted was assumed to be modulated by the rice plants and declines with rice growth and development. To make it applicable to a wider area with limited data sets, a simplified version of the model was also derived to predict methane emission in a more practical manner.     

Impact of Tillage and Fertilizer Application Method on Gas Emissions in a Corn Cropping System

Tillage and fertilization practices used in row crop production are thought to alter greenhouse gas emissions from soil.This study was conducted to determine the impact of fertilizer sources,land management practices,and fertilizer placement methods on greenhouse gas(CO₂,CH₄,and N₂O)emissions.A new prototype implement developed for applying poultry litter in subsurface bands in the soil was used in this study.The field site was located at the Sand Mountain Research and Extension Center in the Appalachian Plateau region of northeast Alabama,USA,on a Hartsells fine sandy loam(fine-loamy,siliceous,subactive,thermic Typic Hapludults).Measurements of carbon dioxide(CO₂),methane(CH₄),and nitrous oxide(N₂O)emissions followed GRACEnet (greenhouse gas reduction through agricultural carbon enhancement network)protocols to assess the effects of different tillage(conventional vs.no-tillage)and fertilizer placement(subsurface banding vs.surface application)practices in a corn(Zea mays L.)cropping system.Fertilizer sources were urea-ammonium nitrate(UAN),ammonium nitrate(AN)and poultry litter(M)applied at a rate of 170 kg ha^-1 of available N.Banding of fertilizer resulted in the greatest concentration of gaseous loss(CO₂ and N₂O)compared to surface applications of fertilizer.Fertilizer banding increased CO₂ and N₂O loss on various sampling days throughout the season with poultry litter banding emitting more gas than UAN banding.Conventional tillage practices also resulted in a higher concentration of CO₂ and N₂O loss when evaluating tillage by sampling day.Throughout the course of this study,CH4 flux was not affected by tillage,fertilizer source,or fertilizer placement method.These results suggest that poultry litter use and banding practices have the potential to increase greenhouse gas emissions.     

Responses of the methanogenic pathway and fraction of CH4 oxidization in a flooded paddy soil to rice planting

Rice planting (RP) is significant to methane (CH₄) emissions from paddy fields, but its effect on the relative contribution of the acetoclastic methanogenesis to total CH₄ production (F_ac) and the fraction of CH₄ oxidized (F_ox) is poorly understood. To quantify the responses of the F_ac and F_ox to RP, we investigated CH₄ fluxes, CH₄ production and oxidation potentials, dissolved CH₄ concentrations, and their stable carbon isotopes in a flooded paddy soil. The mcrA and pmoA gene copies were also determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Compared with the unplanted soil (control, CK), the seasonal CH₄ emissions from the planted soil were significantly enhanced, 13.6 times, resulting in large decreases in the CH₄ concentrations in the soil solution. This indicated that much more CH₄ was released into the atmosphere by the RP than was stored in the soils. Acetoclastic methanogenesis became more important from the tillering stage (TS) to the ripening stage (RS) for the CK, with F_ac values increased from 17%–20% to 46%–55%. With RP, the F_ac values were enhanced by 10%–20%, and it significantly increased the copy numbers of the mcrA gene at the four rice stages (TS, booting stage (BS), grain-filling stage (GS), and RS). Furthermore, the effect of the RP on the abundance of the mcrA gene was highly concurrent with the effect on the F_ac values. At the TS, the F_ox values at the soil-water interface were around 50%–75% for the CK, being 15%–20% lower than those of the RP in the rhizosphere. It increased to 65%–100% at the GS, but was reduced by 20%–30% after the RP. These differences might be because the copy numbers of the pmoA gene were significantly raised at the TS while lowered at the GS by the RP. This was further demonstrated by the strong correlations between the effect of the RP on the abundance of the pmoA gene and the effect on the F_ox values. These findings suggest that RP markedly impacts on the abundances of the mcrA and pmoA genes, affecting the pathway of CH₄ production and the fraction of CH₄ oxidization, respectively.     

间伐和去除凋落物对马尾松林细根生产力和土壤有机碳含量的影响

Soils play a critical role in the global carbon cycle, and can be major source or sink of CO₂ depending upon land use, vegetation type and soil management practices. Fine roots are important component of a forest ecosystem in terms of water and nutrient uptake. In this study the effects of thinning and litter fall removal on fine root production and soil organic carbon content were examined in 20-year-old Masson pine (Pinus resinosa) plantations in Huitong, Hunan Province of China in the growing seasons of 2004 and 2005. The results showed that fine root production was significantly lower in the thinning plots than in the control plots, with a decrease of 58% and 14% in 2004 and 2005 growing seasons, respectively. Litter fall removal significantly increased fine root production by 14% in 2004. Soil temperature (T_soil) and soil moisture (M_soil) were higher in the thinning plots than those in the controls. Litter fall removal had significant effiects on T_soil and M_soil. Soil organic carbon content was higher in the thinning plots but was lower in the plots with litter fall removal compared with that in the controls. Our results also indicated that annual production of fine roots resulted in small carbon accumulation in the upper layers of the soil, and removal of tree by thinning resulted in a significant increase of carbon storage in Masson pine plantations.     

无机氮对高原沼泽甲烷氧化的影响

In a series of laboratory incubations using soils of two contrasting sites from a temperate marsh on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, potential methane (CH₄) oxidation rates were measured to study the effects of inorganic N inputs on CH₄ oxidation. For a drained site, subsurface peat (5-15 cm) at an initial 20 μL CH₄ L^-1 showed a significantly different (P < 0.05) CH₄ oxidation rate compared to other soil depths, with a maximal rate of 20.9 ng CH₄ gDW (dry weight)^-1 h^-1; the underlying mineral soil layers (15-30 and 30-50 cm) also had a strong CH₄ oxidation capacity at about an initial 2000 μL CH₄ L^-1. With a waterlogged site, the CH₄ oxidation rate in an aerobic incubation was significantly greater (P < 0.05) in the surface soil layer (0-5 cm) compared to the 15-30 and 30-50 cm depths. There was generally no or a very weak effect from addition of NO₃^- on CH₄ oxidation. In marked contrast, NH₄⁺ salts, such as (NH₄)₂SO₄, NH₄Cl and NH₄NO₃, exhibited strong inhibitions, which varied as a function of the added salts and the initial CH₄ level. Increasing NH₄⁺ usually resulted in greater inhibition and increasing initial CH₄ concentrations resulted in less. NH₄⁺ inhibition on CH₄ oxidation in natural high-altitude, low-latitude wetlands could be as important as has been reported for agricultural and forest soils. The NH₄⁺ effects on the CH₄ oxidation rate need to be further investigated in a wide range of natural wetland soil types.     

15N tracers and microbial analyses reveal in situ N2O sources in contrasting water regimes of a drained peatland forest

Managed peatlands are a significant source of nitrous oxide (N₂O), a powerful greenhouse gas and stratospheric ozone depleter. Due to the complexity and diversity of microbial N₂O processes, different methods such as tracer, isotopomer, and microbiological technologies are required to understand these processes. The combined application of different methods helps to precisely estimate these processes, which is crucial for the future management of drained peatlands, and to mitigate soil degradation and negative atmospheric impact. In this study, we investigated N₂O sources by combining tracer, isotopomer, and microbial analysis in a drained peatland forest under flooded and drained treatments. On average, the nitrification genes showed higher abundances in the drained treatment, and the denitrification genes showed higher abundances in the flooded treatment. This is consistent with the underlying chemistry, as nitrification requires oxygen while denitrification is anaerobic. We observed significant differences in labelled N₂O fluxes between the drained and flooded treatments. The emissions of N₂O from the flooded treatment were nearly negligible, whereas the N₂O evolved from the nitrogen-15 (¹⁵N)-labelled ammonium (¹⁵NH⁺₄) in the drained treatment peaked at 147 μg ¹⁵N m^-2 h^-1. This initially suggested nitrification as the driving mechanism behind N₂O fluxes in drained peatlands, but based on the genetic data, isotopic analysis, and N₂O mass enrichment, we conclude that hybrid N₂O formation involving ammonia oxidation was the main source of N₂O emissions in the drained treatment. Based on the ¹⁵N-labelled nitrate (¹⁵NO-₃) tracer addition and gene copy numbers, the low N₂O emissions in the flooded treatment came possibly from complete denitrification producing inert dinitrogen. At atomic level, we observed selective enrichment of mass 45 of N₂O molecule under ¹⁵NH⁺₄ amendment in the drained treatment and enrichment of both masses 45 and 46 under ¹⁵NO-₃ amendment in the flooded treatment. The selective enrichment of mass 45 in the drained treatment indicated the presence of hybrid N₂O formation, which was also supported by the high abundances of archaeal genes.     

亚硒酸盐和可变电荷土壤表面羟基离子的交换反应: Ⅰ.电解质种类及pH的影响

Hydroxyl release of red soil and latosol surfaces was quantitatively measured using a self-made constant pH automated titration instrument, to study the changes of hydroxyl release with different added selenite amounts and pH levels, and to study the effects of electrolytes on hydroxyl release. Hydroxyl release increased with the selenite concentration, with a rapid increase at a low selenite concentration while slowing down at a high concentration. The pH where maximum of hydroxyl release appeared was not constant, shifting to a lower valus with increasing selenite concentration. Hydroxyl release decreased with increasing electrolyte concentration, and the decrease was very rapid at a low electrolyte concentration but slow at a high electrolyte concentration. For NaClO₄, NaCl and Na₂SO₄ hydroxyl release was in the order of NaClO₄ > NaCl 》 Na₂SO₄, and the difference was very significant. But for NaCl, KCl and CaCl₂, the order of hydroxyl release was NaCl > KCl > CaCl₂, and the difference was smaller. The amount of hydroxyl release from Xuwen latosol was greater than that from Jinxian red soil. Hydroxyl release existed in a wider range of pH with Xuwen latosol than with Jinxian red soil, due to their difference in soil properties. However, both soils had similar curves of hydroxyl release, indicating the common characteristics of variable charge soils.     

有机酸对污染土壤中镉释放的影响

There is limited information on the release behavior of heavy metals from natural soils by organic acids. Thus, cadmium release, due to two organic acids (tartrate and citrate) that are common in the rhizosphere, from soils polluted by metal smelters or tailings and soils artificially contaminated by adding Cd were analyzed. The presence of tartrate or citrate at a low concentration (≤ 6 mmol L^-1 for tartrate and ≤ 0.5 mmol L^-1 for citrate) inhibited Cd release, whereas the presence of organic acids in high concentrations (≥ 2 mmol L^-1 for citrate and ≥ 15 mmol L^-1 for tartrate) apparently promoted Cd release. Under the same conditions, the Cd release in naturally polluted soils was less than that of artificially contaminated soils. Additionally, as the initial pH rose from 2 to 8 in the presence of citrate, a sequential valley and then peak appeared in the Cd release curve, while in the presence of tartrate the Cd release steadily decreased. In addition, Cd release was clearly enhanced as the electrolyte concentration of KNO₃ or KCl increased in the presence of 2 mmol L^-1 tartrate. Moreover, a higher desorption of Cd was shown with the KCl electrolyte compared to KNO₃ for the same concentration levels. This implied that the bioavailability of heavy metals could be promoted with the addition of suitable types and concentrations of organic acids as well as reasonable field conditions.     

土壤中有效结合态氨的一种测定方法

Dynamics of fixed NH₄⁺ in NH₄⁺-treated soils incubated with glucose at 37±2 ℃ during the course of incubation and factors affecting it were studied. Results showed that content of fixed NH₄⁺ in soil reached a minimum on day 7 after incubation and then increased gradually regardless of the amount of glucose added and the kind of soil tested. However, the amount of fixed NH₄⁺ released from the soil at the given time varied with both the amount of glucose added and the kind of soil examined. In cases glucose was added at a rate of 10.0g C/kg soil, the amount of fixed NH₄⁺ retained in soil after 7 days of incubation was almost identical to that found by Neubauer test. Addition of K⁺ depressed the release of fixed NH₄⁺ significantly. Based on the results obtained a method for determining the content of available fixed NH₄⁺ in soils was proposed and the amount of N as available fixed NH₄⁺ in two soils measured by this method on an area profile-depth basis was presented.     

Can Sphagnum leachate chemistry explain differences in anaerobic decomposition in peatlands?

Peatlands are important ecosystems in the global carbon cycle, serving as both the largest terrestrial soil carbon pool and a significant source of the greenhouse gas methane (CH₄). In Sphagnum moss-dominated wetlands, anaerobic decomposition, and in particular the production of CH₄, is highly variable and controlling factors are poorly understood. The main objective of this study was to determine if leachates of Sphagnum can explain differences in anaerobic decomposition and CH₄ production from three Sphagnum-dominated peatlands.Soils from each peatland were incubated anaerobically for 40 days with Sphagnum-derived organic matter (S-DOM) extracted using distilled water at 25 or 60 °C in a fully-crossed experimental design. S-DOM extracted at 25 °C had a minimal effect on decomposition, but S-DOM extracted at 60 °C increased CO₂ production in all soils. The magnitude of the increased CO₂ production in response to S-DOM depended on the source site of the S-DOM. The response of CH₄ production to additions of S-DOM extracted at 60 °C was more complex. Soils from one peatland produced no CH₄ during the incubation, regardless of S-DOM source. The same S-DOM additions led to an increase in CH₄ production in a second soil, but a decrease in CH₄ production in the third soil. Stable isotopic evidence suggests that these patterns were driven by the selective inhibition or stimulation of acetoclastic methanogenesis. Taken together, these data suggest S-DOM alone does not explain differences in anaerobic decomposition in peatlands, but may play a role in regulating CO₂ and CH₄ production.     

Carbon emission flux and storage in the degraded peatlands of the Zoige alpine area in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau

The Zoige alpine peatlands cover approximately 4,605 km² of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau and are considered to constitute the largest plateau peatland on the Eurasian continent. However, the Zoige alpine peatlands are undergoing major degradation because of human activities and climate change, which would cause uncertainty in the budget of greenhouse gases (CH₄ and CO₂) and carbon (C) storage in global peatlands. This study simultaneously investigates the CH₄ and CO₂ emission fluxes and C storage at three typical sites with respect to the peatland degradation gradient: peatland, wet meadow and dry meadow. Results show that peatland degradation would increase the CO₂ emission and decrease the CH₄ emission. Moreover, the average C emission fluxes were 66.05, 165.78 and 326.56 mg C m^?2 hr^?1 for the peatland, wet meadow and dry meadow, respectively. The C storage of the vegetation does not considerably differ among the three sampling sites. However, when compared with the peatland (1,088.17 t C ha^?1), the soil organic C storage decreases by 420 and 570 t C ha^?1 in case of wet and dry meadows, respectively. Although the C storage in the degraded peatlands decreases considerably, it can still represent a large capacity of C sink. Therefore, the degraded peatlands in the Zoige alpine area must be protected and restored to mitigate regional climate change.     

Limited effects of six years of fertilization on carbon mineralization dynamics in a Minnesota fen

Peatlands, including fens, are important ecosystems in the context of the global carbon cycle. Future climate change and other anthropogenic activities are likely to increase nutrient loading in many peatland ecosystems and a better understanding of the effects of these nutrients on peatland carbon cycling is necessary. We investigated the effects of six years of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization, along with liming, on carbon mineralization dynamics in an intermediate fen in northern Minnesota. Specifically, we measured CO₂ and CH₄ emission from intact peat cores, as well as CH₄ production and CH₄ consumption at multiple depths in short-term laboratory incubations. Despite increased nitrogen and phosphorus availability in the upper 5 cm of peat, increased pH, and clear shifts in the vegetation community, fertilization and liming had limited effects on microbial carbon cycling in this fen. Liming reduced the net flux of CO₂ approximately 3-fold compared to the control treatment, but liming had no effect on CH₄ emissions from intact cores. There were no nutrient effects on CO₂ or CH₄ emissions from intact cores. In all treatments, rates of CH₄ production increased with depth and rates of CH₄ consumption were highest near the in situ water-table level. However, nutrient and liming had no effect on rates of CH₄ production or CH₄ consumption at any depth. Our results suggest that over at least the intermediate term, the microbial communities responsible for soil carbon cycling in this peatland are tolerant to wide ranges of nutrient concentrations and pH levels and may be relatively insensitive to future anthropogenic nutrient stress.     

Methane and methanogen community dynamics across a boreal peatland nutrient gradient

Field and lab-based methane (CH₄) fluxes and methanogen community structure were characterized across three peatlands in central Ontario (Canada) representing a successional and nutrient gradient from rich to poor fens. Air temperature was a strong and significant predictor of both CH₄ and carbon dioxide (CO₂) fluxes among the three sites. Net CH₄ efflux and in vitro CH₄ production potential were significantly greater in the rich and intermediate than the poor fen site. Although the poor fen site had the lowest water table position, this was not a significant predictor of CH₄ emissions and in general the 3 sites were relatively wet compared to many northern peatlands. Consistently, during spring and fall, ethanol stimulated in vitro CH₄ production potential from the poor fen, but not the rich and intermediate sites, indicating substrate limitation for CH₄ production in the poor fen. Lower rates of CH₄ production and emissions in the poor fen site were consistent with our hypotheses based on poorer substrate quality and a lack of sedges in that peatland type. However phylogeny of dominant methanogens inferred from terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analyses of 16S rDNA illustrated inconsistencies with previous reports of methanogens in northern peatlands. For example members likely of the family Methanosaetaceae (obligate high-affinity acetate fermenters) comprised a substantial portion of total methanogen population in the poor fen. In contrast, members of the order Methanomicrobiales (obligate CO₂ reducers) were important methanogens in the rich and intermediate fens and not detected in the poor fen. Methanogen community structure based on T-RFLP across the 3 sites was distinct during spring, while during fall methanogen communities in the poor fen samples were still somewhat distinct from those in the rich and intermediate fens. Methanogen diversity (community richness and evenness) was not correlated with rates of CH₄ production in the spring when soil respiration, and presumably rhizosphere activity, was slow. However, diversity was a significant predictor of CH₄ production in the early fall (when both production and emissions rates were higher), indicating that methanogen diversity can potentially play a role in biogeochemical cycling and greenhouse gas emissions in northern peatlands.     

Dung application increases CH<Subscript>4</Subscript> production potential and alters the composition and abundance of methanogen community in restored peatland soils from Europe

Peatland restoration via rewetting aims to recover biological communities and biogeochemical processes typical to pristine peatlands. While rewetting promotes recovery of C accumulation favorable for climate mitigation, it also promotes methane (CH₄) emissions. The potential for exceptionally high emissions after rewetting has been measured for Central European peatland sites previously grazed by cattle. We addressed the hypothesis that these exceptionally high CH₄ emissions result from the previous land use. We analyzed the effects of cattle dung application to peat soils in a short- (2 weeks), a medium- (1 year) and a long-term (grazing) approach. We measured the CH₄ production potentials, determined the numbers of methanogens by mcrA qPCR, and analyzed the methanogen community by mcrA T-RFLP-cloning-sequencing. Dung application significantly increased the CH₄ production potential in the short- and the medium-term approach and non-significantly at the cattle-grazed site. The number of methanogens correlated with the CH₄ production in the short- and the long-term approach. At all three time horizons, we found a shift in methanogen community due to dung application and a transfer of rumen methanogen sequences (Methanobrevibacter spp.) to the peatland soil that seemed related to increased CH₄ production potential. Our findings indicate that cattle grazing of drained peatlands changes their methanogenic microbial community, may introduce rumen-associated methanogens and leads to increased CH₄ production. Consequently, rewetting of previously cattle-grazed peatlands has the potential to lead to increased CH₄ emissions. Careful consideration of land use history is crucial for successful climate mitigation with peatland rewetting.     

The importance of episodic ebullition methane losses from three peatland microhabitats: a controlled‐environment study

Ebullition and episodic ebullition in particular, may be an important pathway for methane (CH₄) losses from northern peatlands. We quantified the importance of episodic ebullition using controlled environment laboratory incubations of samples of near‐surface bog peat, focusing on how ebullition can be measured effectively and assessing the variation in CH₄ losses between microhabitats and seasons. The peat samples were collected from hollow and lawn microhabitats at two raised bogs: Longbridgemuir, southwest Scotland, and Cors Fochno, west Wales. We found that CH₄ fluxes excluding episodic ebullition differed between peatland microhabitats but not between summer and early autumn conditions. Conversely, episodic ebullition did not differ between microhabitat types but virtually stopped after the onset of early autumn conditions. Most strikingly, episodic ebullition was less than 3.3% of total CH₄ fluxes, and was therefore an insignificant mechanism of CH₄ loss from our peat samples.     

In situ quantification of CH<Subscript>4</Subscript> bubbling events from a peat soil using a new infrared laser spectrometer

Purpose  

CH₄ emissions from peatlands are space and time dependent. The variety of efflux routes contributes to these variabilities. CH₄ bubbling remains difficult to investigate since it occurs on a timescale of seconds. The aims of this study were to use for the first time the recently built infrared high-resolution spectrometer, SPectrometre Infra-Rouge In situ Troposphérique to (1) measure in situ CH₄ fluxes in natural and artificial peatland plot and (2) observe online bubbling events with quantification of CH₄ emission fluxes corresponding to this very sudden degassing event.     

pH controls over anaerobic carbon mineralization,the efficiency of methane production,and methanogenic pathways in peatlands across an ombrotrophic–minerotrophic gradient

Methane (CH₄) production varies greatly among different types of peatlands along an ombrotrophic–minerotrophic hydrogeomorphic gradient. pH is thought to be a dominant control over observed differences in CH₄ production across sites, and previous pH manipulation experiments have verified the inhibitory effect of low pH on CH₄ production. In this experiment, we asked (i) if the major effect of low pH is direct inhibition of one or both pathways of methanogenesis and/or inhibition of ‘upstream’ fermentation that provides substrates for methanogens, and (ii) to what extent is pH sufficient to explain differences in CH₄ production relative to other factors that co-vary across the gradient. To address these questions, we adjusted the pH of peat slurries from 6 peatlands to 4 levels (3.5, 4.5, 5.5, and 6.5) that reflected their range of native pH, maintained these pH levels over a 43-day anaerobic laboratory incubation, and measured a suite of responses within the anaerobic carbon cycle. Higher pH caused a significant increase in CO₂ production in all sites. Regardless of site, time, and pH level, the reduction of inorganic electron acceptors contributed to <12% of total CO₂ production. Higher pH caused acetate pooling by Day 7, but this effect was greater in the more ombrotrophic sites and lasted throughout the incubation, whereas acetate was almost completely consumed as a substrate for acetoclastic methanogenesis by Day 43 in the minerotrophic sites. Higher pH also enhanced CH₄ production and this process was up to 436% more sensitive to changes in pH than CO₂ production. However, across all sites and pH levels, CH₄ production accounted for <25% of the total gaseous C production. Fermentation appeared to be the main pathway for anaerobic C mineralization. Our results indicate that low pH inhibits CH₄ production through direct inhibition of both methanogenesis pathways and indirectly through its effects on fermentation, but the direct effects are stronger. The inability of acetoclastic methanogenesis to fully compensate for acetate pooling in ombrotrophic peats at higher pH suggests that CH₄ production is inhibited by some factor(s) in addition to pH in these sites. We examine a variety of other potential inhibitory mechanisms and postulate that humic substances may provide an important inhibitory effect over CH₄ production in ombrotrophic peatlands.     

The fine scale variability of dissolved methane in surface peat cores

Peat forming wetlands are globally important sources of the greenhouse gas CH₄. The variability of flux recordings from peatlands is however considerable and the distribution of CH₄ below the water table poorly described. Surface peat (0-500 mm below the water table) is responsible for the bulk of emissions and a localised region of intense CH₄ concentration may exist within this region but the structure of peat and presence of gas bubbles make the determination of in situ gas distributions problematic. We report on the in situ distribution and concentrations of CH₄, CO₂ and O₂ in surface bog peat cores using Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry and relate this to peat physical structure. Replicate cores collected in spring and autumn from both hollows and hummocks are used (n = 10). CH₄ recorded in almost every profile was localised in intense peaks reaching concentrations up to 350 μM at depths where O₂ was absent. Each CH₄ peak had a coincident CO₂ peak with a minimum mean ratio of ∼20:1 (CO₂:CH₄) and we found more CH₄ beneath hollows than hummocks. In statistical comparisons CH₄ concentration and distribution differed significantly between profiles for each depth. We demonstrate that variability found within a single core is at least as great as that between cores collected across the bog. The distribution of CH₄ was negatively correlated with bulk density and in some cases the location of roots matched those of intense CH₄ concentration where bubbles had formed and been trapped. Our comparisons suggest variability in gas distribution is caused by a heterogenous peat structure that controls the movement of gas bubbles and contains localised hotspots of gas production. The small and fine root systems of vascular plants on the peatland surface may cause high levels of methanogenic activity in their vicinity and also represent a physical barrier capable of trapping CH₄ bubbles.     

Estimating the carbon stock of a blanket peat region using a peat depth inference model

At the global scale peatlands are an important soil organic carbon (SOC) pool. They sequester, store and emit carbon dioxide and methane and have a large carbon content per unit area. In Ireland, peatlands cover between 17% and 20% of the land area and contain a significant, but poorly quantified amount of SOC. Peatlands may function as a persistent sink for atmospheric CO₂. In Ireland the detailed information that is required to calculate the peatland SOC pool, such as peat depth, area and carbon density, is inconsistent in quality and coverage. The objective of this research was to develop an improved method for estimating the depth of blanket peat from elevation, slope and disturbance data to allow more accurate estimations of the SOC pool for blanket peatlands. The model was formulated to predict peat depth at a resolution of 100 ha (1 km²). The model correctly captured the trend and accounted for 58 to 63% of the observed variation in peat depth in the Wicklow Mountains on the east coast of Ireland. Given that the surface of a blanket peatland masks unknown undulations at the mineral/peat interface this was a successful outcome. Using the peat depth model, it was estimated that blanket peatland in the Wicklow Mountains contained 2.30 Mt of carbon. This compares to the previously published values ranging from 0.45 Mt C to 2.18 Mt C.