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

Conference · Tue Jun 01 00:00:00 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-; CODEN: BECLAG
• Journal Information: Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America; (United States), Vol. 74:2; Conference: 78. annual Ecological Society of America (ESA) meeting, Madison, WI (United States), 31 Jul - 4 Aug 1993; ISSN 0012-9623
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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