Sensitivity of carbon gas fluxes to weather variability on pristine, drained and rewetted temperate bogs

Climate change is considered to alter the functioning of boreal peatland ecosystems, but the vulnerability of pristine, rewetted and drained peatlands to climate change in temperate regions is unknown. We measured carbon (C) gas exchange during wet (2009) and dry (2010) growing periods in pristine,...

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Main Authors: Z. Urbanová, T. Picek, E.-S. Tuittila
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: International Mire Conservation Group and International Peatland Society 2013-05-01
Series:Mires and Peat
Subjects:
Online Access:http://pixelrauschen.de/wbmp/media/map11/map_11_04.pdf
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author Z. Urbanová
T. Picek
E.-S. Tuittila
author_facet Z. Urbanová
T. Picek
E.-S. Tuittila
author_sort Z. Urbanová
collection DOAJ
description Climate change is considered to alter the functioning of boreal peatland ecosystems, but the vulnerability of pristine, rewetted and drained peatlands to climate change in temperate regions is unknown. We measured carbon (C) gas exchange during wet (2009) and dry (2010) growing periods in pristine, drained and rewetted sites in mountain bogs in the Bohemian Forest (Czech Republic). Wetter lawns with sedges and drier habitats dominated by ericaceous shrubs were distinguished and studied at each site. Methane (CH4) emissions, which decreased in the order pristine > rewetted > drained, were generally lower during the 2010 growing period than in 2009 as a consequence of a drought. During the drought in 2010, photosynthesis (PG) in the drier habitats with shrub vegetation increased on pristine and rewetted sites, while total respiration (RECO) remained the same. Communities dominated by sedges maintained similar rates of PG and RECO during both growing periods. Generally, this led to higher C accumulation during the drought on pristine and rewetted bogs. At the drained bog site, the decreased water table (WT) during the drought led to increased PG and RECO, such that the net C accumulation was similar in the two years. Drained peatlands may be more threatened by future climate change than pristine or rewetted peatlands because of their limited buffering capacity for decreased WT. In the case of further decreases in WT, they could lose the peatland vegetation and functions that have partly persisted through decades of drainage.
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spelling doaj.art-b45948307abc4545a9751034027826112023-08-02T05:10:20ZengInternational Mire Conservation Group and International Peatland SocietyMires and Peat1819-754X2013-05-011104114Sensitivity of carbon gas fluxes to weather variability on pristine, drained and rewetted temperate bogsZ. Urbanová0T. Picek1E.-S. Tuittila2University of South Bohemia, Czech RepublicUniversity of South Bohemia, Czech RepublicUniversity of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, FinlandClimate change is considered to alter the functioning of boreal peatland ecosystems, but the vulnerability of pristine, rewetted and drained peatlands to climate change in temperate regions is unknown. We measured carbon (C) gas exchange during wet (2009) and dry (2010) growing periods in pristine, drained and rewetted sites in mountain bogs in the Bohemian Forest (Czech Republic). Wetter lawns with sedges and drier habitats dominated by ericaceous shrubs were distinguished and studied at each site. Methane (CH4) emissions, which decreased in the order pristine > rewetted > drained, were generally lower during the 2010 growing period than in 2009 as a consequence of a drought. During the drought in 2010, photosynthesis (PG) in the drier habitats with shrub vegetation increased on pristine and rewetted sites, while total respiration (RECO) remained the same. Communities dominated by sedges maintained similar rates of PG and RECO during both growing periods. Generally, this led to higher C accumulation during the drought on pristine and rewetted bogs. At the drained bog site, the decreased water table (WT) during the drought led to increased PG and RECO, such that the net C accumulation was similar in the two years. Drained peatlands may be more threatened by future climate change than pristine or rewetted peatlands because of their limited buffering capacity for decreased WT. In the case of further decreases in WT, they could lose the peatland vegetation and functions that have partly persisted through decades of drainage.http://pixelrauschen.de/wbmp/media/map11/map_11_04.pdfcarbon dioxidedrainagemethanephotosynthesisrespirationrestorationsedge
spellingShingle Z. Urbanová
T. Picek
E.-S. Tuittila
Sensitivity of carbon gas fluxes to weather variability on pristine, drained and rewetted temperate bogs
Mires and Peat
carbon dioxide
drainage
methane
photosynthesis
respiration
restoration
sedge
title Sensitivity of carbon gas fluxes to weather variability on pristine, drained and rewetted temperate bogs
title_full Sensitivity of carbon gas fluxes to weather variability on pristine, drained and rewetted temperate bogs
title_fullStr Sensitivity of carbon gas fluxes to weather variability on pristine, drained and rewetted temperate bogs
title_full_unstemmed Sensitivity of carbon gas fluxes to weather variability on pristine, drained and rewetted temperate bogs
title_short Sensitivity of carbon gas fluxes to weather variability on pristine, drained and rewetted temperate bogs
title_sort sensitivity of carbon gas fluxes to weather variability on pristine drained and rewetted temperate bogs
topic carbon dioxide
drainage
methane
photosynthesis
respiration
restoration
sedge
url http://pixelrauschen.de/wbmp/media/map11/map_11_04.pdf
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AT tpicek sensitivityofcarbongasfluxestoweathervariabilityonpristinedrainedandrewettedtemperatebogs
AT estuittila sensitivityofcarbongasfluxestoweathervariabilityonpristinedrainedandrewettedtemperatebogs