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Emission of highly 13 C‐depleted methane from an upland blanket mire
Author(s) -
Bowes Helen L.,
Hornibrook Edward R. C.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2005gl025209
Subject(s) - mire , flux (metallurgy) , sphagnum , peat , environmental science , methane , wetland , ombrotrophic , abundance (ecology) , hydrology (agriculture) , atmospheric sciences , ecology , chemistry , bog , geology , biology , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry
Rates and δ 13 C values of CH 4 flux are reported from an upland blanket mire (Blaen Fign) situated in Wales UK. The δ 13 C values of CH 4 flux were similar from Sphagnum and vascular flora dominated areas despite flux rates being an order of magnitude greater from the latter. Methane flux was 13 C‐depleted relative to belowground CH 4 , indicating that transport occurred predominately via passive diffusion through vascular flora and that pore water diffusion and ebullition contributed little to CH 4 flux. The strong influence of vascular flora abundance on CH 4 flux strength suggests that any factors altering vegetation assemblages in blanket mires will likely impact CH 4 emission rates. Methane flux from Blaen Fign was highly 13 C‐depleted compared to emissions from minerotrophic wetlands, suggesting that δ 13 C values may be useful for tracing CH 4 flux from blanket mires and other types of ombrogenous peatlands to the global CH 4 budget.