Interactive effects of vegetation and water table depth on belowground C and N mobilization and greenhouse gas emissions in a restored peatland

Lazcano, Cristina; Deol, Anoop S.; Brummell, Martin E.; Strack, Maria

doi:10.1007/s11104-020-04434-2

Regular Article
Published: 27 January 2020

Interactive effects of vegetation and water table depth on belowground C and N mobilization and greenhouse gas emissions in a restored peatland

Cristina Lazcano ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-5495-481X¹,
Anoop S. Deol²,
Martin E. Brummell³ &
Maria Strack⁴

Plant and Soil volume 448, pages 299–313 (2020)Cite this article

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Abstract

Aims

This study assesses the relative effects of hydrology and colonization by vascular plants on belowground C and N mobilization, and emission of CO₂ and CH₄ in an extracted bog under restoration in Alberta (Canada).

Methods

A wet (high water table) and dry (low water table) area were identified at the site and plots with cottongrass (Eriophorum vaginatum) or bare peat were established in each area. Plant growth, peat and porewater dissolved C (DOC) and N (TDN), microbial biomass and the emissions of CO₂ and CH₄ were monitored at the plots throughout the growing season.

Results

The largest concentrations of DOC were measured in dry and bare sites. Lower E2:E3 ratios suggested a higher aromaticity of the DOC at these sites that were net sources of CO₂ and CH₄. The concentration of TDN was greater in plots with cottongrass and high water table, supporting a more abundant microbial biomass. Cottongrass dominated plots also had larger gas emissions as compared to bare plots even though they were net C sinks due to their high photosynthetic rates.

Conclusion

Maintaining a high water table is key to reducing peatland C losses. While vascular plant presence seems to prime the release of N and greenhouse gases, the inputs of C exceeded the losses and recovered the C sink function of the peatland ecosystem in the short term. Carbon inputs are maximized under high water table and plant presence.

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Acknowledgments

Funding was provided by a Collaborative Research and Development Grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), supported by the Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association and its members. Site access and logistical support were provided by Sungro Horticulture Inc. Authors would like to thank Dr. Seeta Sistla for proofreading of the manuscript. The authors also thank the editor and the two anonymous reviewers for helping us to improve the quality of this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616-8627, USA
Cristina Lazcano
Department of Geography, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
Anoop S. Deol
School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
Martin E. Brummell
Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
Maria Strack

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Cristina Lazcano
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Anoop S. Deol
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Martin E. Brummell
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Maria Strack
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Correspondence to Cristina Lazcano.

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Lazcano, C., Deol, A.S., Brummell, M.E. et al. Interactive effects of vegetation and water table depth on belowground C and N mobilization and greenhouse gas emissions in a restored peatland. Plant Soil 448, 299–313 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-020-04434-2

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Received: 03 September 2019
Accepted: 17 January 2020
Published: 27 January 2020
Issue Date: March 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-020-04434-2

Keywords

Eriophorum vaginatum
Plant-soil interactions
Ecosystem restoration
C cycling
N cycling
Ecohydrology