Potential methane production and methane oxidation rates in peatland ecosystems of the Appalachian Mountains, United States

Potential rates of methane production and carbon dioxide production were measured on 11 dates in 1986 in peat from six plant communities typical of moss‐dominated peatlands in the Appalachian Mountains. Annual methane production ranged from 2.7 to 17.5 mol m −2 , and annual carbon dioxide production ranged from 30.6 to 79.0 mol m −2 . The wide range in methane production values among the communities found within a single peatland indicates that obtaining one production value for a peatland may not be appropriate. Low temperature constrained the potential for methane production in winter, while the chemical quality of the peat substrate appears to control methane production in the summer. Methane oxidation was measured throughout the peat profile to a depth of 30 cm. Values for methane oxidation ranged from 0.08 to 18.7 uM h −1 among the six plant communities. Aerobic methane‐oxidizing bacteria probably mediated most of the activity. On a daily basis during the summer, between 11 and 100% of the methane produced is susceptible to oxidation within the peat column. Pools of dissolved methane and dissolved carbon dioxide in pore waters were less than 0.2 and less than 1.0 mol m −2 , respectively, indicating that methane does not accumulate in the pore waters. Peatlands have been considered as an important source of biologically produced methane. Despite the high rates of methane production, the high rates of methane oxidation dampen the potential emission of methane to the atmosphere.