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Warming effects on greenhouse gas fluxes in peatlands are modulated by vegetation composition
Author(s) -
Ward Susan E.,
Ostle Nicholas J.,
Oakley Simon,
Quirk Helen,
Henrys Peter A.,
Bardgett Richard D.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
ecology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.852
H-Index - 265
eISSN - 1461-0248
pISSN - 1461-023X
DOI - 10.1111/ele.12167
Subject(s) - environmental science , graminoid , greenhouse gas , peat , global warming , climate change , carbon sink , sink (geography) , ecosystem , vegetation (pathology) , ecology , plant community , geography , biology , ecological succession , medicine , cartography , pathology
Understanding the effects of warming on greenhouse gas feedbacks to climate change represents a major global challenge. Most research has focused on direct effects of warming, without considering how concurrent changes in plant communities may alter such effects. Here, we combined vegetation manipulations with warming to investigate their interactive effects on greenhouse gas emissions from peatland. We found that although warming consistently increased respiration, the effect on net ecosystem CO 2 exchange depended on vegetation composition. The greatest increase in CO 2 sink strength after warming was when shrubs were present, and the greatest decrease when graminoids were present. CH 4 was more strongly controlled by vegetation composition than by warming, with largest emissions from graminoid communities. Our results show that plant community composition is a significant modulator of greenhouse gas emissions and their response to warming, and suggest that vegetation change could alter peatland carbon sink strength under future climate change.