Variation in the plant-mediated methane transport and its importance for methane emission from intact wetland peat mesocosms

Bhullar, Gurbir S.; Edwards, Peter J.; Venterink, Harry Olde

doi:10.1093/jpe/rts045

Cited by 70 publications

(76 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Decreasing WT and increasing thickness of the aerobic peat layer will enable non-aerenchymatous plant species, such as shrubs, to grow on previously wetter sites. Because plant-mediated methane transport forms a significant part of the total methane flux (Bhullar et al, 2013), the flux rate can be straightly affected by a change in the abundance of aerenchymatous plant species. At the same time, a longer growing season and increasing primary production and substrate availability are able to increase methane emission.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The consumption of methane is partly regulated by the proportions of these three routes. If the surface of peatland is not water saturated, a part of the diffusing methane is oxidized in the upper aerobic peat layer or within Sphagnum mosses by methanotrophic bacteria (Hanson and Hanson, 1996;LeMer and Roger, 2001;Larmola et al, 2010), while the methane transported by plants (Bhullar et al, 2013) or bubbles is emitted directly to the atmosphere. Although a large part of methane can also be oxidized in plants, such as rice (Bosse and Frenzel, 1997), so far significant methane oxidation has not been detected in bog plants, such as Eriophorum angus-tifolium and E. vaginatum (Frenzel and Rudolph, 1998).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Small spatial variability in methane emission measured from a wet patterned boreal bog

et al. 2018

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Abstract. We measured methane fluxes of a patterned bog situated in Siikaneva in southern Finland from six different plant community types in three growing seasons (2012)(2013)(2014) using the static chamber method with chamber exposure of 35 min. A mixed-effects model was applied to quantify the effect of the controlling factors on the methane flux.The plant community types differed from each other in their water level, species composition, total leaf area (LAI TOT ) and leaf area of aerenchymatous plant species (LAI AER ). Methane emissions ranged from −309 to 1254 mg m −2 d −1 . Although methane fluxes increased with increasing peat temperature, LAI TOT and LAI AER , they had no correlation with water table or with plant community type. The only exception was higher fluxes from hummocks and high lawns than from high hummocks and bare peat surfaces in 2013 and from bare peat surfaces than from high hummocks in 2014. Chamber fluxes upscaled to ecosystem level for the peak season were of the same magnitude as the fluxes measured with the eddy covariance (EC) technique. In 2012 and in August 2014 there was a good agreement between the two methods; in 2013 and in July 2014, the chamber fluxes were higher than the EC fluxes.Net fluxes to soil, indicating higher methane oxidation than production, were detected every year and in all community types. Our results underline the importance of both LAI AER and LAI TOT in controlling methane fluxes and indicate the need for automatized chambers to reliably capture localized events to support the more robust EC method.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Small spatial variability in methane emission measured from a wet patterned boreal bog

et al. 2018

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“…The lower CH 4 emissions of the surface type emergent vegetation might be the result of increased CH 4 oxidation in the soil, as plants with aerenchymatous tissue release oxygen into the rhizosphere, in reverse to the emission of CH 4 into the atmosphere (Bhullar et al, 2013). Minke et al (2015) highlight the difference in net CH 4 release for typical helophyte stands with moderate emissions for Typha dominated sites.…”

Section: Annual Ch 4 Emissionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

High net CO<sub>2</sub> and CH<sub>4</sub> release at a eutrophic shallow lake on a formerly drained fen

et al. 2016

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Abstract. Drained peatlands often act as carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) hotspots. Raising the groundwater table is expected to reduce their CO 2 contribution to the atmosphere and revitalise their function as carbon (C) sink in the long term. Without strict water management rewetting often results in partial flooding and the formation of spatially heterogeneous, nutrient-rich shallow lakes. Uncertainties remain as to when the intended effect of rewetting is achieved, as this specific ecosystem type has hardly been investigated in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) exchange. In most cases of rewetting, methane (CH 4 ) emissions increase under anoxic conditions due to a higher water table and in terms of global warming potential (GWP) outperform the shift towards CO 2 uptake, at least in the short term.Based on eddy covariance measurements we studied the ecosystem-atmosphere exchange of CH 4 and CO 2 at a shallow lake situated on a former fen grassland in northeastern Germany. The lake evolved shortly after flooding, 9 years previous to our investigation period. The ecosystem consists of two main surface types: open water (inhabited by submerged and floating vegetation) and emergent vegetation (particularly including the eulittoral zone of the lake, dominated by Typha latifolia). To determine the individual contribution of the two main surface types to the net CO 2 and CH 4 exchange of the whole lake ecosystem, we combined footprint analysis with CH 4 modelling and net ecosystem exchange partitioning.The CH 4 and CO 2 dynamics were strikingly different between open water and emergent vegetation. Net CH 4 emissions from the open water area were around 4-fold higher than from emergent vegetation stands, accounting for 53 and 13 g CH 4 m −2 a −1 respectively. In addition, both surface types were net CO 2 sources with 158 and 750 g CO 2 m −2 a −1 respectively. Unusual meteorological conditions in terms of a warm and dry summer and a mild winter might have facilitated high respiration rates. In sum, even after 9 years of rewetting the lake ecosystem exhibited a considerable C loss and global warming impact, the latter mainly driven by high CH 4 emissions. We assume the eutrophic conditions in combination with permanent high inundation as major reasons for the unfavourable GHG balance.

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“…However, it is generally agreed that vascular plants stimulate CH 4 emissions by allowing the gas to bypass the oxygenated upper soil layer moving through the plant tissues (Joabsson et al, 1999;Kutzbach et al, 2004;Lai, 2009). This plant-mediated transport can represent between 30 and almost 100 % of the total methane flux (Bhullar et al, 2013). Plants that provide such a shortcut between the root zone and the atmosphere are referred to as "shunt" species .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High methane emissions dominated annual greenhouse gas balances 30 years after bog rewetting

et al. 2015

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Abstract. Natural peatlands are important carbon sinks and sources of methane (CH 4 ). In contrast, drained peatlands turn from a carbon sink to a carbon source and potentially emit nitrous oxide (N 2 O). Rewetting of peatlands thus potentially implies climate change mitigation. However, data about the time span that is needed for the re-establishment of the carbon sink function by restoration are scarce. We therefore investigated the annual greenhouse gas (GHG) balances of three differently vegetated sites of a bog ecosystem 30 years after rewetting. All three vegetation communities turned out to be sources of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) ranging between 0.6 ± 1.43 t CO 2 ha −2 yr −1 (Sphagnum-dominated vegetation) and 3.09 ± 3.86 t CO 2 ha −2 yr −1 (vegetation dominated by heath). While accounting for the different global warming potential (GWP) of CO 2 , CH 4 and N 2 O, the annual GHG balance was calculated. Emissions ranged between 25 and 53 t CO 2 -eq ha −1 yr −1 and were dominated by large emissions of CH 4 (22-51 t CO 2 -eq ha −1 yr −1 ), with highest rates found at purple moor grass (Molinia caerulea) stands. These are to our knowledge the highest CH 4 emissions so far reported for bog ecosystems in temperate Europe. As the restored area was subject to large fluctuations in the water table, we assume that the high CH 4 emission rates were caused by a combination of both the temporal inundation of the easily decomposable plant litter of purple moor grass and the plant-mediated transport through its tissues. In addition, as a result of the land use history, mixed soil material due to peat extraction and refilling can serve as an explanation. With regards to the long time span passed since rewetting, we note that the initial increase in CH 4 emissions due to rewetting as described in the literature is not inevitably limited to a shortterm period.

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Variation in the plant-mediated methane transport and its importance for methane emission from intact wetland peat mesocosms

Cited by 70 publications

References 38 publications

Small spatial variability in methane emission measured from a wet patterned boreal bog

Small spatial variability in methane emission measured from a wet patterned boreal bog

High net CO<sub>2</sub> and CH<sub>4</sub> release at a eutrophic shallow lake on a formerly drained fen

High methane emissions dominated annual greenhouse gas balances 30 years after bog rewetting

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Variation in the plant-mediated methane transport and its importance for methane emission from intact wetland peat mesocosms

Cited by 70 publications

References 38 publications

Small spatial variability in methane emission measured from a wet patterned boreal bog

Small spatial variability in methane emission measured from a wet patterned boreal bog

High net CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; and CH&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt; release at a eutrophic shallow lake on a formerly drained fen

High methane emissions dominated annual greenhouse gas balances 30 years after bog rewetting

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High net CO<sub>2</sub> and CH<sub>4</sub> release at a eutrophic shallow lake on a formerly drained fen