Relationship between methane flux and peatland water-table and the feedback to global climate change

Conference · Tue Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1993 · Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America; (United States)

OSTI ID:5985439

Braunschweig, A M ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis (United States)

This field study examined the relationship between methane flux and peatland water-table height while limiting variation of other factors. My goal was to quantify the feedback that water-table drawdown, as-predicted by global climate change, will have on methane emission. Closed-chamber ground measurements were used from June through October to quantify methane emission from one drained and one undrained forested sphagnum bog in Minnesota. Water-table height in the drained bog varied, along a water-table gradient, from [minus]60 cm to [minus]5 cm (1991) and [minus]45 cm to +14 cm (1992). Water-table height in the undrained peatland ranged, on hummocks, hollows, and flooded bog corrals, from [minus]29 cm to +10 cm (1992). Mean methane emission in the drained bog was 11.2 mg CH[sub 4] m[sup [minus]2] day[sup [minus]1] (1991) and 14.3 mg CH[sub 4]m[sup [minus]2] day[sup [minus]1] (1992). Mean methane emission in the undrained bog was 99.1 mg CH[sub 4] m[sup [minus]2] day[sup [minus]1] (1992). A significant positive relationship was found between 1n (methane flux) and pleated water-table. This relationship implies a negative feedback to global warming. The results of this study suggest that the first stages in water-table drawdown will be the most significant in reducing methane emission from peatlands.

• OSTI ID: 5985439
• Report Number(s): CONF-930798--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America; (United States) Journal Volume: 74:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ALKANES
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
CLIMATIC CHANGE
DRAWDOWN
ECOSYSTEMS
EMISSION
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GLOBAL ASPECTS
GREENHOUSE EFFECT
HYDROCARBONS
MATTER
METHANE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC MATTER
PEAT
WATER TABLES
WETLANDS