Stability of peatland carbon to rising temperatures

R. M. Wilson; A. M. Hopple; M. M. Tfaily; S. D. Sebestyen; C. W. Schadt; L. Pfeifer-Meister; C. Medvedeff; K. J. Mcfarlane; J. E. Kostka; M. Kolton; R. K. Kolka; L. A. Kluber; J. K. Keller; T. P. Guilderson; N. A. Griffiths; J. P. Chanton; S. D. Bridgham; P. J. Hanson

doi:10.1038/ncomms13723

Stability of peatland carbon to rising temperatures

R. M. Wilson, A. M. Hopple, M. M. Tfaily, S. D. Sebestyen, C. W. Schadt, L. Pfeifer-Meister, C. Medvedeff, K. J. Mcfarlane, J. E. Kostka, M. Kolton, R. K. Kolka, L. A. Kluber, J. K. Keller, T. P. Guilderson, N. A. Griffiths, J. P. Chanton, S. D. Bridgham, P. J. Hanson

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Abstract

Peatlands contain one-third of soil carbon (C), mostly buried in deep, saturated anoxic zones (catotelm). The response of catotelm C to climate forcing is uncertain, because prior experiments have focused on surface warming. We show that deep peat heating of a 2 m-thick peat column results in an exponential increase in CH₄ emissions. However, this response is due solely to surface processes and not degradation of catotelm peat. Incubations show that only the top₂0-30 cm of peat from experimental plots have higher CH₄ production rates at elevated temperatures. Radiocarbon analyses demonstrate that CH₄ and CO₂ are produced primarily from decomposition of surface-derived modern photosynthate, not catotelm C. There are no differences in microbial abundances, dissolved organic matter concentrations or degradative enzyme activities among treatments. These results suggest that although surface peat will respond to increasing temperature, the large reservoir of catotelm C is stable under current anoxic conditions.

Original language	English
Article number	13723
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms13723
State	Published - Dec 13 2016

Funding

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science Office of Biological and Environmental Research. Oak Ridge National Laboratory is managed by UT-Battelle, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy. Funding was provided by the U.S. Department of Energy under contract number DE-AC0500OR22725. Work conducted by J.E.K., M.K., J.P.C. and R.M.W. was supported by contract number DE-SC0012088, and by A.M.H., L.P.-M., C.M., J.K.K. and S.D.B. by contract DE-SC0008092 from the Office of Biological and Environmental Research, Terrestrial Ecosystem Science (TES) Program, U.S. Department of Energy.

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10.1038/ncomms13723

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Wilson, R. M., Hopple, A. M., Tfaily, M. M., Sebestyen, S. D., Schadt, C. W., Pfeifer-Meister, L., Medvedeff, C., Mcfarlane, K. J., Kostka, J. E., Kolton, M., Kolka, R. K., Kluber, L. A., Keller, J. K., Guilderson, T. P., Griffiths, N. A., Chanton, J. P., Bridgham, S. D., & Hanson, P. J. (2016). Stability of peatland carbon to rising temperatures. Nature Communications, 7, Article 13723. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms13723

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title = "Stability of peatland carbon to rising temperatures",

abstract = "Peatlands contain one-third of soil carbon (C), mostly buried in deep, saturated anoxic zones (catotelm). The response of catotelm C to climate forcing is uncertain, because prior experiments have focused on surface warming. We show that deep peat heating of a 2 m-thick peat column results in an exponential increase in CH4 emissions. However, this response is due solely to surface processes and not degradation of catotelm peat. Incubations show that only the top20-30 cm of peat from experimental plots have higher CH4 production rates at elevated temperatures. Radiocarbon analyses demonstrate that CH4 and CO2 are produced primarily from decomposition of surface-derived modern photosynthate, not catotelm C. There are no differences in microbial abundances, dissolved organic matter concentrations or degradative enzyme activities among treatments. These results suggest that although surface peat will respond to increasing temperature, the large reservoir of catotelm C is stable under current anoxic conditions.",

author = "Wilson, {R. M.} and Hopple, {A. M.} and Tfaily, {M. M.} and Sebestyen, {S. D.} and Schadt, {C. W.} and L. Pfeifer-Meister and C. Medvedeff and Mcfarlane, {K. J.} and Kostka, {J. E.} and M. Kolton and Kolka, {R. K.} and Kluber, {L. A.} and Keller, {J. K.} and Guilderson, {T. P.} and Griffiths, {N. A.} and Chanton, {J. P.} and Bridgham, {S. D.} and Hanson, {P. J.}",

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Wilson, RM, Hopple, AM, Tfaily, MM, Sebestyen, SD, Schadt, CW, Pfeifer-Meister, L, Medvedeff, C, Mcfarlane, KJ, Kostka, JE, Kolton, M, Kolka, RK, Kluber, LA, Keller, JK, Guilderson, TP, Griffiths, NA, Chanton, JP, Bridgham, SD & Hanson, PJ 2016, 'Stability of peatland carbon to rising temperatures', Nature Communications, vol. 7, 13723. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms13723

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T1 - Stability of peatland carbon to rising temperatures

AU - Wilson, R. M.

AU - Hopple, A. M.

AU - Tfaily, M. M.

AU - Sebestyen, S. D.

AU - Schadt, C. W.

AU - Pfeifer-Meister, L.

AU - Medvedeff, C.

AU - Mcfarlane, K. J.

AU - Kostka, J. E.

AU - Kolton, M.

AU - Kolka, R. K.

AU - Kluber, L. A.

AU - Keller, J. K.

AU - Guilderson, T. P.

AU - Griffiths, N. A.

AU - Chanton, J. P.

AU - Bridgham, S. D.

AU - Hanson, P. J.

PY - 2016/12/13

Y1 - 2016/12/13

N2 - Peatlands contain one-third of soil carbon (C), mostly buried in deep, saturated anoxic zones (catotelm). The response of catotelm C to climate forcing is uncertain, because prior experiments have focused on surface warming. We show that deep peat heating of a 2 m-thick peat column results in an exponential increase in CH4 emissions. However, this response is due solely to surface processes and not degradation of catotelm peat. Incubations show that only the top20-30 cm of peat from experimental plots have higher CH4 production rates at elevated temperatures. Radiocarbon analyses demonstrate that CH4 and CO2 are produced primarily from decomposition of surface-derived modern photosynthate, not catotelm C. There are no differences in microbial abundances, dissolved organic matter concentrations or degradative enzyme activities among treatments. These results suggest that although surface peat will respond to increasing temperature, the large reservoir of catotelm C is stable under current anoxic conditions.

AB - Peatlands contain one-third of soil carbon (C), mostly buried in deep, saturated anoxic zones (catotelm). The response of catotelm C to climate forcing is uncertain, because prior experiments have focused on surface warming. We show that deep peat heating of a 2 m-thick peat column results in an exponential increase in CH4 emissions. However, this response is due solely to surface processes and not degradation of catotelm peat. Incubations show that only the top20-30 cm of peat from experimental plots have higher CH4 production rates at elevated temperatures. Radiocarbon analyses demonstrate that CH4 and CO2 are produced primarily from decomposition of surface-derived modern photosynthate, not catotelm C. There are no differences in microbial abundances, dissolved organic matter concentrations or degradative enzyme activities among treatments. These results suggest that although surface peat will respond to increasing temperature, the large reservoir of catotelm C is stable under current anoxic conditions.

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Stability of peatland carbon to rising temperatures

Abstract

Funding

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