Vegetation controls methane emissions in a coastal brackish fen

Abstract

Climate change and associated sea level rise will likely affect coastal ecosystems and lead to more frequent inundations. Plants are an important control for methane (CH4) emissions in peatlands because the metabolism of the living plant can either enhance or attenuate CH4 emissions and plant litter supplies an easily available carbon source for methanogenesis. Here we compare the contribution of various dominant plant species to methane emissions in a degraded, rewetted coastal brackish fen at the southern Baltic Sea coast in Northeast Germany. We analyse one year of bi-weekly static closed chamber data gathered at measurement spots that were located in different mono-dominant vegetation stands (Bolboschoenus maritimus (L.) Palla, Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani (C.C.Gmel.) Palla, Carex acutiformis Ehrh.). Furthermore, data on water level, water temperature, conductivity (sulphate), and several peat characteristics were recorded. Generally, the annual methane emissions were low with an average across vegetation stands of 14 kg CH4 ha(-1) a(-1), which we related to high decomposition of peat after drainage and to relatively low water levels in summer. Nevertheless, methane emissions varied between different vegetation types with significantly higher methane fluxes (31.8 +/- A 5.7 kg CH4 ha(-1) a(-1)) from Bolboschoenus maritimus stands compared to Carex acutiformis and Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani stands (4.3 +/- A 1.2 and 5.7 +/- A 2.4 kg CH4 ha(-1) a(-1), respectively). None of the environmental variables that have been recorded can explain this difference. Thus, vegetation composition seems to be an important driver for methane emissions in coastal brackish fens and may therefore be crucial with regard to recreation measures.

Keywords

Greenhouse gas emissions; Coastal peatlands; Rewetting; Bolboschoenus maritimus; Peatland restoration; Closed chamber measurements

Published in

Wetlands Ecology and Management
2013, volume: 21, number: 5, pages: 323-337
Publisher: SPRINGER

SLU Authors

• Koebsch, Franziska

  • University of Rostock

UKÄ Subject classification

Ecology
Environmental Sciences

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-013-9304-8

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/90207