considerably greater than that in the dissolved phase
(Fechner-Levy and Hemond, 1996). Correlation between
CH 4 emissions and water-table elevation (Roulet et al.,
1993), or the reduction of water flow due to the pore space
blocking by biogenic gas bubbles in peat soils (Beckwith
and Baird, 2001), is indicative of the close connection
between carbon cycling and hydrological processes.
Emission occurs via exchange through vascular plants,
as well as episodic ebullition (bubbling out) events that
can release large volumes of gas over a short time scale
(Fechner-Levy and Hemond, 1996). Ebullition primarily
depends on the volume of free-phase gas in the peat, as
well as the amount of dissolved gas in peat pore waters
available to replenish free-phase gas during ebullition
losses (Rosenberry et al., 2003). Glaser et al. (2004)
concluded that ebullition of gas from deep peat may represent a large, hitherto unrecognized source of radiocarbon
depleted methane emissions from northern peatlands.
These natural greenhouse emissions must be estimated in
order to determine the relative significance of anthropogenic emissions to global climate change (Rosenberry
et al., 2003), particularly since it is well accepted that
peatlands have contributed to the variable concentrations
of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere though the last
15,000 years (Parish et al., 2008). This is especially critical when considering that climate change effects are
already visible in some peatlands though the melting of
permafrost, changing of vegetation patterns in temperate
peatlands, or desertification of certain peatlands.
Summary
Peat soils present very unique physical and chemical properties particularly in terms of porosity, water-holding
capacity, and organic matter content. Furthermore, peat
soils and peatlands are the most efficient terrestrial ecosystems storing carbon, efficiently sequestering and accumulating carbon for thousands of years. Peatlands are very
important for biodiversity conservation and water regulation. Field studies related to peat hydrology and ecology
are extensive during the last century (Weber, 1902, 1908;
Boatman and Tomlinson, 1973; Glaser et al., 1981;
Clymo, 1984; Hobbs, 1986); however, many aspects of
peatland science are still very much uncertain. In that
regard, although some controversy exists regarding the
effect that changes in global temperature and rainfall
regime (i.e., global warming) may induce in peatland’s
carbon storage, most predictions foresee a negative impact
due to the accelerating rate of degradation in peat and the
release of stored carbon in the form of greenhouse gases.
Past climate changes over the last 15,000 years visible in
the soil record support this conjecture. Furthermore, some
current changes are already apparent as well in certain
peatlands such as those affected by permafrost melting
or desertification. Given the projected major changes in
temperature and precipitation anticipated under climate
change scenarios, it is critical that we achieve a better
understanding of the effects of such changes on the carbon
dynamics of peat soils and particularly in terms of
greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere.
Bibliography
Archibold, O. W., 1995. Ecology of World Vegetation. London:
Chapman and Hall.
Bailey, S. E., Olin, T. J., Bricka, R. M., and Adrian, D. D., 1999.
A review of potentially low-cost sorbents for heavy metals.
Water Research, 33(11), 2469–2479.
Baird, A. J., and Waldron, S., 2003. Shallow horizontal groundwater flow in peatlands is reduced by bacteriogenic gas production.
Geophysical Research Letters, 30, 2043.
Beckwith, C. W., and Baird, A. J., 2001. Effect of biogenic gas
bubbles on water flow through poorly decomposed blanket peat.
Water Resources Research, 37(3), 551–558.
Boatman, D. J., and Tomlinson, R. W., 1973. The Silver Flowe
I. Some structural and hydrological features of Brishie bog and
their bearing on pool formation. Journal of Ecology, 61,
653–666.
Brown, P. A., Gill, S. A., and Allen, S. J., 2000. Metal removal from
wastewater using peat. Water Research, 34(16), 3907–3916.
Bunt, A. C., 1988. Media and Mixes for Container-Grown Plants.
Boston: Unwin Hyman.
Chason, D. B., and Siegel, D. I., 1986. Hydraulic conductivity and
related physical properties of peat, Lost River Peatland, Northern
Minnesota. Soil Science, 142(2), 91–99.
Clymo, R. S., 1973. The growth of Sphagnum: some effects of environment. Journal of Ecology, 61, 848–870.
Clymo, R. S., 1984. The limits to peat bog growth. Philosophical
Transactions of the Royal Society. London, B, 303, 605–654.
Clymo, R. S., 1987. Rainwater-fed peat as a precursor of coal. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 32(1), 17–23.
Fechner-Levy, E. J., and Hemond, H. F., 1996. Trapped methane
volume and potential effects on methane ebullition in a northern
peatland. Limnology Oceanography, 41, 1375–1383.
Glaser, P. H., Whealer, G. A., Gorham, E., and Wright, H. E. J.,
1981. The patterned mires of the Red Lake Peatland, Northern
Minnesota: vegetation, water chemistry and landforms. Journal
of Ecology, 69, 575–599.
Glaser, P. H., Chanton, J. P., Morin, P., Rosenberry, D. O., Siegel,
D. I., Ruud, O., Chasar, L. I., and Reeve, A. S., 2004. Surface
deformations as indicators of deep ebullition fluxes in a large
northern peatland. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 18, GB1003.
Gorham, E., 1991. Role in the carbon cycle and probable responses
to climatic warming. Ecological Applications, 1, 182–195.
Hoag, R. S., and Price, J. S., 1997. The effects of matrix diffusion on
solute transport and retardation in undisturbed peat in laboratory
columns. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 28, 193–205.
Hobbs, N. B., 1986. Mire morphology and the properties and behaviour of some British and foreign peats. Quarterly Journal of
Engineering Geology, 19, 7–80.
Hooijer, A., Silvius, M., Woesten, H., and Page, S., 2006. PeatCO 2 : Assessment of CO 2 emissions from drained peatlands in
SE Asia. Delft Hydraulics Report Q3943.
IPCC, 2007. Climate Change, 2007: The Physical Science Basis,
Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment
Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In:
Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B.
Averyt, M. Tignor and H.L. Miller (eds.). Cambridge University
Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA,
996 pp.
Khalil, M. A. K., 2000. Atmospheric methane, Its role in the global
environment, Springer-Verlag, New York.
PEAT
479
(Fechner-Levy and Hemond, 1996). Correlation between
CH 4 emissions and water-table elevation (Roulet et al.,
1993), or the reduction of water flow due to the pore space
blocking by biogenic gas bubbles in peat soils (Beckwith
and Baird, 2001), is indicative of the close connection
between carbon cycling and hydrological processes.
Emission occurs via exchange through vascular plants,
as well as episodic ebullition (bubbling out) events that
can release large volumes of gas over a short time scale
(Fechner-Levy and Hemond, 1996). Ebullition primarily
depends on the volume of free-phase gas in the peat, as
well as the amount of dissolved gas in peat pore waters
available to replenish free-phase gas during ebullition
losses (Rosenberry et al., 2003). Glaser et al. (2004)
concluded that ebullition of gas from deep peat may represent a large, hitherto unrecognized source of radiocarbon
depleted methane emissions from northern peatlands.
These natural greenhouse emissions must be estimated in
order to determine the relative significance of anthropogenic emissions to global climate change (Rosenberry
et al., 2003), particularly since it is well accepted that
peatlands have contributed to the variable concentrations
of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere though the last
15,000 years (Parish et al., 2008). This is especially critical when considering that climate change effects are
already visible in some peatlands though the melting of
permafrost, changing of vegetation patterns in temperate
peatlands, or desertification of certain peatlands.
Summary
Peat soils present very unique physical and chemical properties particularly in terms of porosity, water-holding
capacity, and organic matter content. Furthermore, peat
soils and peatlands are the most efficient terrestrial ecosystems storing carbon, efficiently sequestering and accumulating carbon for thousands of years. Peatlands are very
important for biodiversity conservation and water regulation. Field studies related to peat hydrology and ecology
are extensive during the last century (Weber, 1902, 1908;
Boatman and Tomlinson, 1973; Glaser et al., 1981;
Clymo, 1984; Hobbs, 1986); however, many aspects of
peatland science are still very much uncertain. In that
regard, although some controversy exists regarding the
effect that changes in global temperature and rainfall
regime (i.e., global warming) may induce in peatland’s
carbon storage, most predictions foresee a negative impact
due to the accelerating rate of degradation in peat and the
release of stored carbon in the form of greenhouse gases.
Past climate changes over the last 15,000 years visible in
the soil record support this conjecture. Furthermore, some
current changes are already apparent as well in certain
peatlands such as those affected by permafrost melting
or desertification. Given the projected major changes in
temperature and precipitation anticipated under climate
change scenarios, it is critical that we achieve a better
understanding of the effects of such changes on the carbon
dynamics of peat soils and particularly in terms of
greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere.
Bibliography
Archibold, O. W., 1995. Ecology of World Vegetation. London:
Chapman and Hall.
Bailey, S. E., Olin, T. J., Bricka, R. M., and Adrian, D. D., 1999.
A review of potentially low-cost sorbents for heavy metals.
Water Research, 33(11), 2469–2479.
Baird, A. J., and Waldron, S., 2003. Shallow horizontal groundwater flow in peatlands is reduced by bacteriogenic gas production.
Geophysical Research Letters, 30, 2043.
Beckwith, C. W., and Baird, A. J., 2001. Effect of biogenic gas
bubbles on water flow through poorly decomposed blanket peat.
Water Resources Research, 37(3), 551–558.
Boatman, D. J., and Tomlinson, R. W., 1973. The Silver Flowe
I. Some structural and hydrological features of Brishie bog and
their bearing on pool formation. Journal of Ecology, 61,
653–666.
Brown, P. A., Gill, S. A., and Allen, S. J., 2000. Metal removal from
wastewater using peat. Water Research, 34(16), 3907–3916.
Bunt, A. C., 1988. Media and Mixes for Container-Grown Plants.
Boston: Unwin Hyman.
Chason, D. B., and Siegel, D. I., 1986. Hydraulic conductivity and
related physical properties of peat, Lost River Peatland, Northern
Minnesota. Soil Science, 142(2), 91–99.
Clymo, R. S., 1973. The growth of Sphagnum: some effects of environment. Journal of Ecology, 61, 848–870.
Clymo, R. S., 1984. The limits to peat bog growth. Philosophical
Transactions of the Royal Society. London, B, 303, 605–654.
Clymo, R. S., 1987. Rainwater-fed peat as a precursor of coal. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 32(1), 17–23.
Fechner-Levy, E. J., and Hemond, H. F., 1996. Trapped methane
volume and potential effects on methane ebullition in a northern
peatland. Limnology Oceanography, 41, 1375–1383.
Glaser, P. H., Whealer, G. A., Gorham, E., and Wright, H. E. J.,
1981. The patterned mires of the Red Lake Peatland, Northern
Minnesota: vegetation, water chemistry and landforms. Journal
of Ecology, 69, 575–599.
Glaser, P. H., Chanton, J. P., Morin, P., Rosenberry, D. O., Siegel,
D. I., Ruud, O., Chasar, L. I., and Reeve, A. S., 2004. Surface
deformations as indicators of deep ebullition fluxes in a large
northern peatland. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 18, GB1003.
Gorham, E., 1991. Role in the carbon cycle and probable responses
to climatic warming. Ecological Applications, 1, 182–195.
Hoag, R. S., and Price, J. S., 1997. The effects of matrix diffusion on
solute transport and retardation in undisturbed peat in laboratory
columns. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 28, 193–205.
Hobbs, N. B., 1986. Mire morphology and the properties and behaviour of some British and foreign peats. Quarterly Journal of
Engineering Geology, 19, 7–80.
Hooijer, A., Silvius, M., Woesten, H., and Page, S., 2006. PeatCO 2 : Assessment of CO 2 emissions from drained peatlands in
SE Asia. Delft Hydraulics Report Q3943.
IPCC, 2007. Climate Change, 2007: The Physical Science Basis,
Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment
Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In:
Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B.
Averyt, M. Tignor and H.L. Miller (eds.). Cambridge University
Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA,
996 pp.
Khalil, M. A. K., 2000. Atmospheric methane, Its role in the global
environment, Springer-Verlag, New York.
PEAT
479