Print PageFlux of greenhouse gasses (GHG’s) such as CO2 and CH4 from peatlands is expected to vary under different scenarios of global change. However, very little is understood about the relative contributions of changes in soil temperature and water table elevation to variations in gas flux. We instrumented a small Appalachian peatland with passive soil warming chambers which warm the soil in the chamber by 3 and 5 degrees C. Warmed and control plots are also instrumented with soil and air temperature sensors, soil moisture sensors, and water level sensors. Soil flux of CO2 and CH4 are collected weekly through the growing season from all plots.
Results/Conclusions
Results show that fluxes of CH4 exhibit pronounced seasonality that are closely tied with both water level and soil temperature. Fluxes of CO2 vary on a much more dynamic time scale and are less controlled by water level than by short term (daily) variations in soil temperature. This work shows that in peatlands, where substantial carbon stores exist, an understanding of increasing GHG flux can be made difficult without considering the interrelated factors of soil temperature and water level, on both seasonal and daily time scales.
