Effect of inundation, oxygen and temperature on carbon mineralization in boreal ecosystems

Youngil Kim; Sami Ullah; Nigel T. Roulet; Tim R. Moore

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.12.065

Effect of inundation, oxygen and temperature on carbon mineralization in boreal ecosystems

Youngil Kim, Sami Ullah, Nigel T. Roulet, Tim R. Moore^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Geography

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

12 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The inundation of boreal forests and peatlands through the construction of hydroelectric reservoirs can increase carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) emission. To establish controls on emission rates, we incubated samples of forest and peat soils, spruce litter, forest litter and peatland litter collected from boreal ecosystems in northern Quebec for 16weeks and measured CO₂ and CH₄ production rates under flooded or non-flooded conditions and varying oxygen concentration and temperature. CO₂ production under flooded conditions was less than under non-flooded conditions (5-71 vs. 5-85mgCg^-1C), but CH₄ production under flooded conditions was larger than under non-flooded conditions (1-8158 vs. 0-86μgCg^-1C). The average CO₂ and CH₄ production rate factor for flooded:non-flooded conditions was 0.76 and 1.32, respectively. Under flooded conditions, high oxygen concentrations increased CO₂ production in peat soils but decreased CH₄ production in forest and peat soils and spruce litter. Warmer temperatures (from 4 to 22°C) raised both CO₂ production in peat soils and peatland litter, and CH₄ production in peat soils and spruce litter. This study shows that the direction and/or strength of CO₂ and CH₄ fluxes change once boreal forests and peatlands are inundated.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	381-392
Number of pages	12
Journal	Science of the Total Environment
Volume	511
Early online date	30 Dec 2014
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.12.065
Publication status	Published - 1 Apr 2015

Keywords

Boreal forests
Carbon dioxide production
Flooding
Methane production
Oxygen concentration
Peatlands
Temperature

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Environmental Engineering
Environmental Chemistry
Waste Management and Disposal
Pollution

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https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969714017677?via%3DihubLicence: None: All rights reserved

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title = "Effect of inundation, oxygen and temperature on carbon mineralization in boreal ecosystems",

abstract = "The inundation of boreal forests and peatlands through the construction of hydroelectric reservoirs can increase carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emission. To establish controls on emission rates, we incubated samples of forest and peat soils, spruce litter, forest litter and peatland litter collected from boreal ecosystems in northern Quebec for 16weeks and measured CO2 and CH4 production rates under flooded or non-flooded conditions and varying oxygen concentration and temperature. CO2 production under flooded conditions was less than under non-flooded conditions (5-71 vs. 5-85mgCg-1C), but CH4 production under flooded conditions was larger than under non-flooded conditions (1-8158 vs. 0-86μgCg-1C). The average CO2 and CH4 production rate factor for flooded:non-flooded conditions was 0.76 and 1.32, respectively. Under flooded conditions, high oxygen concentrations increased CO2 production in peat soils but decreased CH4 production in forest and peat soils and spruce litter. Warmer temperatures (from 4 to 22°C) raised both CO2 production in peat soils and peatland litter, and CH4 production in peat soils and spruce litter. This study shows that the direction and/or strength of CO2 and CH4 fluxes change once boreal forests and peatlands are inundated.",

keywords = "Boreal forests, Carbon dioxide production, Flooding, Methane production, Oxygen concentration, Peatlands, Temperature",

author = "Youngil Kim and Sami Ullah and Roulet, {Nigel T.} and Moore, {Tim R.}",

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AU - Kim, Youngil

AU - Ullah, Sami

AU - Roulet, Nigel T.

AU - Moore, Tim R.

PY - 2015/4/1

Y1 - 2015/4/1

N2 - The inundation of boreal forests and peatlands through the construction of hydroelectric reservoirs can increase carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emission. To establish controls on emission rates, we incubated samples of forest and peat soils, spruce litter, forest litter and peatland litter collected from boreal ecosystems in northern Quebec for 16weeks and measured CO2 and CH4 production rates under flooded or non-flooded conditions and varying oxygen concentration and temperature. CO2 production under flooded conditions was less than under non-flooded conditions (5-71 vs. 5-85mgCg-1C), but CH4 production under flooded conditions was larger than under non-flooded conditions (1-8158 vs. 0-86μgCg-1C). The average CO2 and CH4 production rate factor for flooded:non-flooded conditions was 0.76 and 1.32, respectively. Under flooded conditions, high oxygen concentrations increased CO2 production in peat soils but decreased CH4 production in forest and peat soils and spruce litter. Warmer temperatures (from 4 to 22°C) raised both CO2 production in peat soils and peatland litter, and CH4 production in peat soils and spruce litter. This study shows that the direction and/or strength of CO2 and CH4 fluxes change once boreal forests and peatlands are inundated.

AB - The inundation of boreal forests and peatlands through the construction of hydroelectric reservoirs can increase carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emission. To establish controls on emission rates, we incubated samples of forest and peat soils, spruce litter, forest litter and peatland litter collected from boreal ecosystems in northern Quebec for 16weeks and measured CO2 and CH4 production rates under flooded or non-flooded conditions and varying oxygen concentration and temperature. CO2 production under flooded conditions was less than under non-flooded conditions (5-71 vs. 5-85mgCg-1C), but CH4 production under flooded conditions was larger than under non-flooded conditions (1-8158 vs. 0-86μgCg-1C). The average CO2 and CH4 production rate factor for flooded:non-flooded conditions was 0.76 and 1.32, respectively. Under flooded conditions, high oxygen concentrations increased CO2 production in peat soils but decreased CH4 production in forest and peat soils and spruce litter. Warmer temperatures (from 4 to 22°C) raised both CO2 production in peat soils and peatland litter, and CH4 production in peat soils and spruce litter. This study shows that the direction and/or strength of CO2 and CH4 fluxes change once boreal forests and peatlands are inundated.

KW - Boreal forests

KW - Carbon dioxide production

KW - Flooding

KW - Methane production

KW - Oxygen concentration

KW - Peatlands

KW - Temperature

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JO - Science of the Total Environment

JF - Science of the Total Environment

ER -

Effect of inundation, oxygen and temperature on carbon mineralization in boreal ecosystems

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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