Authors:
Vytas Huth, Gerald Jurasinski, Anke Günther, Stephan Glatzel
Book:
Proceedings of the 14th International Peat Congress
Venue:
Stockholm
Keywords:
carbon-dioxide, extensive-grassland, nitrous-oxide, non-growing-season, peatland
Documentfile:
Huth et al 2012: Winter Greenhouse Gas Emissions of a Minerotrophic Fen Under Nature Conservation Management in No
Summary:
Theme X. Peatland carbon budgets and greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes
SUMMARY
Drained peatlands are sources of carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O). While CO2 emissions mainly occur in summer, high N2O emissions may also occur in winter. Abandonment of intensive grassland possibly leads to low nutrient supply and thus to low N2O emissions. Here we examine the role of extensification practices on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from a temperate drained fen in winter. Although the studied winter was extraordinarily cold, CO2 and N2O emissions were 4.4 t ha-1 and 2.6 t ha-1 CO2-equivalents, whilst methane (CH4) emissions were negligible. Thus extensification of grassland use alone may not be a suitable measure to reduce GHG emissions from temperate drained fens.