Future methane fluxes of peatlands are controlled by management practices and fluctuations in hydrological conditions due to climatic variability
<p>Peatland management practices, such as drainage and restoration, have a strong effect on boreal peatland methane (CH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>4</sub></span>) fluxes. Furthermore, CH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>4</sub>...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2024-12-01
|
| Series: | Biogeosciences |
| Online Access: | https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/21/5745/2024/bg-21-5745-2024.pdf |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | <p>Peatland management practices, such as drainage and restoration, have a strong effect on boreal peatland methane (CH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>4</sub></span>) fluxes. Furthermore, CH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>4</sub></span> fluxes are strongly controlled by local environmental conditions, such as soil hydrology, temperature and vegetation, which are all experiencing considerable changes due to climate change. Both management practices and climate change are expected to influence peatland CH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>4</sub></span> fluxes during this century, but the magnitude and net impact of these changes is still insufficiently understood. In this study, we simulated the impacts of two forest management practices, rotational forestry and continuous cover forestry, as well as peatland restoration, on hypothetical forestry-drained peatlands across Finland using the land surface model JSBACH (Jena Scheme for Biosphere–Atmosphere Coupling in Hamburg) coupled with the soil carbon model YASSO and a peatland methane model HIMMELI (Helsinki Model of Methane Buildup and Emission for Peatlands). We further simulated the impacts of climatic warming using two RCP (Representative Concentration Pathway) emission scenarios, RCP2.6 and RCP4.5. We investigated the responses of CH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>4</sub></span> fluxes, soil water-table level (WTL), soil temperatures and soil carbon dynamics to changes in management practices and climate. Our results show that management practices have a strong impact on peatland WTLs and CH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>4</sub></span> emissions that continues for several decades, with emissions increasing after restoration and clearcutting. Towards the end of the century, WTLs increase slightly, likely due to increasing precipitation. CH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>4</sub></span> fluxes have opposing trends in restored and drained peatlands. In restored peatlands, CH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>4</sub></span> emissions decrease towards the end of the century following decomposition of harvest residue in the top peat layers despite increasing WTLs, while in drained peatland forests sinks get weaker and occasional emissions become more common, likely due to rising WTLs and soil temperatures. The strength of these trends varies across the country, with CH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>4</sub></span> emissions from restored peatlands decreasing more strongly in southern Finland, and forest soil CH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>4</sub></span> sinks weakening most in northern Finland.</p> |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1726-4170 1726-4189 |