Abstract
Abstract. The effect of tree (lodgepole pine) planting with and without intensive drainage on soil greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes was assessed after 45 yr at a raised peatbog in West Flanders Moss, central Scotland. Fluxes of CO2 CH4 and N2O from the soil were monitored over a 2-yr period every 2 to 4 weeks using the static opaque chamber method in a randomised experimental block trial with the following treatments: drained and planted (DP), undrained and planted (uDP), undrained and unplanted (uDuP) and for reference also from an adjoining near-pristine area of bog at East Flanders Moss (n-pris). There was a strong seasonal pattern in both CO2 and CH4 effluxes which were significantly higher in late spring and summer months because of warmer temperatures. Effluxes of N2O were low and no significant differences were observed between the treatments. Annual CH4 emissions increased with the proximity of the water table to the soil surface across treatments in the order: DP < uDP < uDuP < n-pris with mean annual effluxes over the 2-yr monitoring period of 0.15, 0.64, 7.70 and 22.63 g CH4 m−2 yr−1, respectively. For CO2, effluxes increased in the order uDP < DP< n-pris < uDuP, with mean annual effluxes of 1.23, 1.66, 1.82 and 2.55 kg CO2 m−2 yr−1, respectively. CO2 effluxes dominated the total net GHG emission, calculated using the global warming potential (GWP) of the three GHGs for each treatment (76–98%), and only in the n-pris site was CH4 a substantial contribution (23%). Based on soil effluxes only, the near pristine (n-pris) peatbog had 43% higher total net GHG emission compared with the DP treatment because of high CH4 effluxes and the DP treatment had 33% higher total net emission compared with the uDP because drainage increased CO2 effluxes. Restoration is likely to increase CH4 emissions, but reduce CO2 effluxes. Our study suggests that if estimates of CO2 uptake by vegetation from similar peatbog sites were included, the total net GHG emission of restored peatbog would still be higher than that of the peatbog with trees.
Highlights
Earth System SciencesGlobally, undisturbed peatlands are important sinks for atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) (Alm et al, 1997; Turunen et al, 2002), but emit methane (CH4) and the net global warming impact may be neOar czeeroa(nCaSnncelileent cale., 1993)
Based on soil effluxes only, the near pristine (n-pris) peatbog had 43 % higher total net greenhouse gas (GHG) emission compared with the drained and planted (DP) treatment because of high CH4 effluxes and the DP treatment had 33 % higher total net emission compared with the undrained and planted (uDP) because drainage increased CO2 effluxes
There are limited published robust year-long data on GHG flux from afforested cool temperate peatlands, from the UK (Billett et al, 2010; Lindsay, 2010; Birkin et al, 2011; Morison et al, 2012) so this study presents the first analysis of the impact of tree planting and drainage on simultaneous CO2, CH4 and N2O fluxes
Summary
Undisturbed peatlands are important sinks for atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) (Alm et al, 1997; Turunen et al, 2002), but emit methane (CH4) and the net global warming impact may be neOar czeeroa(nCaSnncelileent cale., 1993). The importance of managed peatlands in the global carbon budget and in the GHG radiative forcing of climate is uncertain because of conditions the and tceomnptreTarsahttiunerge eCofnfreCyctOos2soafpnwdhaCeteHrre4taflbulxe/ease(rOobeicchiteyl et al, 1993; Laine et al, 1996; Shindell et al, 2004; Ise et al, 2008) and the supply of readily decomposed substrate (Christensen et al, 2003; Sirin and Laine, 2008). Yamulki et al.: Soil CO2 CH4 and N2O fluxes from an afforested lowland raised peatbog
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