Methane and methanogen community dynamics across a boreal peatland nutrient gradient

Abstract. We monitored CO 2 and CH 4 fluxes using eddy covariance from 19 May to 27 September 2011 in a poor fen located in northern Michigan. The objectives of this paper are to: (1) quantify the flux of CH 4 from a sub-boreal peatland, and (2) determine which abiotic and biotic factors were the most correlated to the flux of CH 4 over the measurement period. Net daily CH 4 fluxes increased from 70 mg CH 4 m −2 d −1 to 220 mg CH 4 m −2 d −1 from mid May to mid July. After July, CH 4 losses steadily declined to approximately 50 mg CH 4 m −2 d −1 in late September. During the study period, the peatland lost 17.4 g CH 4 m −2 . Both abiotic and biotic variables were correlated with CH 4 fluxes. When the different variables were analyzed together, the preferred model included mean daily soil temperature at 20 cm, daily net ecosystem exchange (NEE) and the interaction between mean daily soil temperature at 20 cm and NEE (R 2 = 0.47, p value < 0.001). The interaction was important because the relationship between daily NEE and mean daily soil temperature with CH 4 flux changed when NEE was negative (CO 2 uptake from the atmosphere) or positive (CO 2 losses to the atmosphere). On days when daily NEE was negative, 25 % of the CH 4 flux could be explained by correlations with NEE, however on days when daily NEE was positive, there was no correlation between daily NEE and the CH 4 flux. In contrast, daily mean soil temperature at 20 cm was poorly correlated to changes in CH 4 when NEE was negative (17 %), but the correlation increased to 34 % when NEE was positive. The interaction between daily NEE and mean daily soil temperature at 20 cm indicates shifting environmental controls on the CH 4 flux throughout the growing season.

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“…Godin et al, 2012;Lai, 2009;Segers, 1998). In our study, both mean daily air and soil temperatures at 20 cm depth were correlated CH 4 flux (Fig.…”

Section: Varying Controls On Ch 4 Fluxessupporting

confidence: 62%

“…Basiliko and Yavitt, 2001;Coles and Yavitt, 2002;Godin et al, 2012;Yavitt and Seidmann-Zager, 2006). Our results strongly support this past work.…”

Section: Substrate Qualitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Shifting environmental controls on CH<sub>4</sub> fluxes in a sub-boreal peatland

et al. 2013

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“…Poor fens are generally characterised by lower pH and nutrient concentrations, and 'rich' sites by higher pH and nutrients. The authors also note that their 'poor' sites tended to have lower water tables than their 'rich' sites [69]. Although not explicitly stated, this was interpreted as a natural contrast between sites, rather than an effect of management.…”

Section: Poor-vs-richmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Although not explicitly stated, this was interpreted as a natural contrast between sites, rather than an effect of management. In the two studies, which were undertaken at the same sites, CH 4 was found to be produced at higher rates in richer peats [69], DOC concentration to be higher in poorer peats [69,70], Figure 10 Forest plot of meta-analysis of effect sizes (raw mean difference) comparing dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration in drained versus undrained peatlands. The dashed line represents no effect.…”

Section: Poor-vs-richmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating effects of land management on greenhouse gas fluxes and carbon balances in boreo-temperate lowland peatland systems

et al. 2014

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Background: Peatlands cover 2 to 5 percent of the global land area, while storing between 30 and 50 percent of all global soil carbon (C). Peatlands constitute a substantial sink of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) via photosynthesis and organic matter accumulation, but also release methane (CH 4 ), nitrous oxide (N 2 O), and CO 2 through respiration, all of which are powerful greenhouse gases (GHGs). Lowland peats in boreo-temperate regions may store substantial amounts of C and are subject to disproportionately high land-use pressure. Whilst evidence on the impacts of different land management practices on C cycling and GHG fluxes in lowland peats does exist, these data have yet to be synthesised. Here we report on the results of a Collaboration for Environmental Evidence (CEE) systematic review of this evidence. Methods: Evidence was collated through searches of literature databases, search engines, and organisational websites using tested search strings. Screening was performed on titles, abstracts and full texts using established inclusion criteria for population, intervention/exposure, comparator, and outcome key elements. Remaining relevant full texts were critically appraised and data extracted according to pre-defined strategies. Meta-analysis was performed where sufficient data were reported.

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“…This observation provides support for the functional redundancy concept, in which different methanogen OTUs have the same function of producing methane, but with different tolerances to micro environmental conditions. However, Godin et al (2012) concluded, in their study, that the methanogenic community structure was a predictor of methane production during early fall, but not during spring.…”

Section: Increased Nitrogen Loads Drives Plant Composition Towards Vamentioning

confidence: 93%

Nitrogen and methanogen community composition within and among three Sphagnum dominated peatlands in Scandinavia

Martí

Juottonen

Robroek

et al. 2015

Soil Biology and Biochemistry

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Ombrotrophic raised bogs are nutrient poor acidic peatlands accumulating organic matter.They are widely spread on northern latitudes and are substantial sources of methane emissions to the atmosphere being of great concern from a climate change perspective. We investigated the methanogen community composition along microtopographic gradients within three bogs in Scandinavia, receiving different amounts of nitrogen precipitation.Methanogenic community analyses by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism of the mcrA gene showed different profiles among the three sites, while no influence of the microtopographic gradients was observed. Peat temperature and dissolved organic carbon were the major edaphic variables explaining 38% of the variation of the methanogenic community diversity among the bogs. The family Methanoregulaceae (hydrogenotrophic methanogens) showed the largest relative proportion and highest activity in all three sites.

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Methane and methanogen community dynamics across a boreal peatland nutrient gradient

Cited by 62 publications

References 35 publications

Shifting environmental controls on CH<sub>4</sub> fluxes in a sub-boreal peatland

Shifting environmental controls on CH<sub>4</sub> fluxes in a sub-boreal peatland

Evaluating effects of land management on greenhouse gas fluxes and carbon balances in boreo-temperate lowland peatland systems

Nitrogen and methanogen community composition within and among three Sphagnum dominated peatlands in Scandinavia

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Methane and methanogen community dynamics across a boreal peatland nutrient gradient

Cited by 62 publications

References 35 publications

Shifting environmental controls on CH&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt; fluxes in a sub-boreal peatland

Shifting environmental controls on CH&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt; fluxes in a sub-boreal peatland

Evaluating effects of land management on greenhouse gas fluxes and carbon balances in boreo-temperate lowland peatland systems

Nitrogen and methanogen community composition within and among three Sphagnum dominated peatlands in Scandinavia

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Shifting environmental controls on CH<sub>4</sub> fluxes in a sub-boreal peatland

Shifting environmental controls on CH<sub>4</sub> fluxes in a sub-boreal peatland