Interacting effects of vegetation components and water table on methane dynamics in a boreal fen
Abstract. Vegetation and hydrology are important controlling factors in peatland methane dynamics. This study aimed at investigating the role of vegetation components – sedges, dwarf-shrubs, and Sphagnum mosses – in methane fluxes of a boreal fen under natural and experimental water level drawdown conditions. We measured the fluxes during four growing seasons using static chamber technique in a field experiment where the role of the ecosystem components was assessed via plant removal treatments. The first year was a calibration year after which the water level drawdown and vegetation removal treatments were applied. Under natural water level conditions, plant-mediated fluxes comprised 68–78 % of the mean growing season flux (1.95 ± 0.21 g CH4 m−2 month−1 from June to September), of which Sphagnum mosses and sedges accounted for 1/4 and 3/4, respectively. The presence of dwarf shrubs, on the other hand, had a slightly attenuating effect on the fluxes. In water level drawdown conditions, the mean flux was close to zero (0.03 ± 0.03 g CH4 m−2 month−1) and the presence/absence of the plant groups had a negligible effect. In conclusion, water level acted as a switch; only in high water level conditions vegetation regulated the net fluxes. The results are relevant for assessing the response of peatland fluxes in changing climatic conditions, as water level drawdown and the consequent vegetation succession are the major projected impacts of climate change on northern peatlands.