Methane fluxes from a tropical peatland in Brunei Darussalam

Authors:
A. Hoyt, S. Pangala, L. Gandois, A. Cobb, F. M. Kai, X. Xu, V. Gauci, Y. Mahmud, A. S. Kamariah, J. A. Eri and C. F. Harvey

Book:
Proceedings of the 15th International Peat Congress

Venue:
Kuching

Keywords:
methanogenesis, porewater-samples, tropical-peatland

Documentfile:
ipc16p154-158a094hoytpangala.etal_.pdf

Summary:

SUMMARY

Emissions of methane (CH4) from tropical wetlands are highly uncertain. Although tropical peatlands are warm,wet, anoxic environments, limited CH4 emissions have been observed. We examine CH4 production and transport ina pristine tropical peatland in Borneo to determine the rate and carbon source of CH4 production. First, we use the14C composition of dissolved CH4, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) within thepeat porewater to identify the source of CH4 production. In contrast to the peat, which ages with depth to nearly3000 cal BP, DOC is of contemporary origin throughout the peat column, to depths of 4.5m. The 14C content of CH4…