Abstract
Methane emissions from northern high-latitude wetlands are an important consideration for understanding past, present, and future atmospheric concentrations of this important greenhouse gas. In this chapter we review progress on measuring methane emissions from northern wetlands and, through a model, estimate emission variability in relation to one component of climate variability. Our conclusions are as follows: (1) Methane emissions from northern wetlands are dependent on both soil moisture and temperature. The relative influence of these soil climate parameters is quite variable from one region to another, as is the magnitude of the net emission rate to the atmosphere. Some important wetland regions have not been surveyed for methane emissions (e.g., the Siberian Lowlands); further progress on defining global emissions from northern wetlands awaits field data from these areas. (2) Our preliminary modeling of the sensitivity of methane flux from northern wetlands to variability in temperature indicates that feedbacks from this source are unlikely to significantly influence rates of climate change during the initial stages of a global warming.
Keywords
- Soil Temperature
- Methane Emission
- Methane Flux
- North Slope
- Atmospheric Methane
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Bartlett, K.B., P.M. Crill, R.L. Sass, R.C. Harriss, and N.B. Dise. 1992. Methane emissions from tundra environments in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska. J. Geophys. Res. 97:16,645–16,660.
Born, M., H. Don, and I. Levin. 1990. Methane consumption in aerated soils of the temperate zone. Tellus 42B:2–8.
Clymo, R.S., and E.J.F. Reddaway. 1971. Productivity of Sphagnum (Bog-moss) and peat accumulation. Hidrobiologia 12:181–192.
Crill, P.M., K.B. Bartlett, R.C. Harriss, E. Gorham, E.S. Verry, D.I. Sebacher, L. Madzar, and W. Sanner. 1988. Methane flux from Minnesota peatlands. Global Biogeochem. Cycles 2:371–384.
Dise, N.B. Methane emission from Minnesota peatlands: Spatial and seasonal variability. Global Biogeochem. Cycles. (in press)
Dise, N.B. Winter fluxes of methane from Minnesota peatlands. Biogeochemistry (in press).
Dise, N.B. 1991. Methane emission from peatlands in northern Minnesota, Ph.D. dissertation, University of Minnesota.
Edwards, G., H.H. Neumann, G. den Hartog, O. Thurtell, and G.E. Kidd. 1991. Eddy correlation measurements of methane fluxes using a tunable diode laser at the Kinosheo Lake tower site during the Northern Wetlands Experiment. EOS 72:85.
Fan, S-M., S.C. Wofsy, P.S. Bakwin, D.J. Jacob, S.M. Anderson, P.L. Kebabian, J.B. McManus, C.E. Kolb, and D.R. Fitzjarrald. 1992. Micrometeorological measurements of CH4 and CO2 exchange between the atmosphere and the arctic tundra, J. Geophys. Res. 97:16,627–16,643.
Fung, I, J. John, J. Lerner, E. Matthews, M. Prather, L.P. Steele, and P.J. Fraser. 1991. Three-dimensional model synthesis of the global methane cycle. J. Geophys. Res. 96:13033–13065.
Guthrie, P. 1986. Biological methanogenesis and the CO2 greenhouse effect. J. Geophys. Res. 91:10847–10851.
Hameed, S., and R.D. Cess. 1983. Impact of a global warming on biospheric sources of methane and its climatic consequences, Tellus 35B:1–7.
Hamilton, J.D., C.A. Kelly, and J.W.M. Rudd. 1991. Methane and carbon dioxide flux from ponds and lakes of the Hudson Bay Lowlands. EOS 72:84.
Hansen, J. and S. Lebedeff. 1987. Global trends of measured surface air temperature. J. Geophys. Res. 92:13345–13372.
Harriss, R.C., E. Gorham, D.I. Sebacher, K.B. Bartlett, and P.A. Flebbe. 1985. Methane flux from northern peatlands. Nature 315:652–654.
Hillel, D. 1980. Fundamentals of Soil Physics, Academic Press, New York.
Khalil, M.A.K., and R.A. Rasmussen. 1990. Atmospheric methane: Recent global trends. Environ. Sci. Technol. 24:549–553.
King, S.L., P.D. Quay, and J.M. Lansdown. 1989. 13C/12C kinetic isotope effect for soil oxidation of methane at ambient atmospheric concentrations. J. Geophys. Res. 94:18273–18277.
Lashof, D. 1989. The dynamic greenhouse: Feedback processes that may influence future concentrations of atmospheric trace gases and climatic change. Climatic Change 14:213–242.
Livingston, G.P., and L.A. Morrissey. Methane emissions from Alaska arctic tundra in response to climatic change. In Proc. Int. Conf. on the Role of the Polar Regions in Global Change.
Martens, C.S., C.A. Kelley, J.P. Chanton, and W. Showers. 1992. Carbon and hydrogen isotopic characterization of methane from wetlands and lakes of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. J. Geophys. Res. 97:16,689–16,701.
Matthews, E. 1983. Global vegetation and land use: New high-resolution data bases for climate studies. J. Climate Appl. Meteorol. 22:474–487.
Matthews, E., and I. Fung. 1987. Methane emission from natural wetlands: Global distribution, area, and environmental characteristics of sources. Global Biogeochem. Cycles 1:61–86.
Mitchell, J.F.B. 1989. The greenhouse effect and climate change. Rev. Geophysics 24:115–139.
Moore, T.R., and R. Knowles. 1987. Methane and carbon dioxide evolution from subarctic fens. Can. J. Soil Sci. 67:77–81.
Moore, T.R., and R. Knowles. 1990. Methane emissions from fen, bog, and swamp peatlands in Quebec. Biogeochemistry 11:45–61.
Moore, T.R., N. Roulet, and R. Knowles. 1990. Spatial and temporal variations of methane flux from subarctic/northern boreal fens. Global Biogeochem. Cycles 4:29–46.
Moore, T.R., A. Heyes, S. Holland, W.R. Rouse, N.T. Roulet, and L. Klinger. 1991. Spatial and temporal variations of methane emissions in the Hudson Bay Lowlands. EOS 72:84.
Morrissey, L.A., and G.P. Livingston. 1992. Methane emissions from Alaska arctic tundra: An assessment of local spatial variability. J. Geophys. Res. 97:16,661–16,670.
Mosier, A.R. 1989. Chamber and isotope techniques. In M.O. Andreae and D.S. Schimel (eds.), Exchange of Trace Gases Between Terrestrial Ecosystems and the Atmosphere. Dahlem Workshop Repts., Life Sci. Res. Rept. #47, J. Wiley and Sons, New York, pp. 175–188.
National Academy of Sciences. 1991. Policy Implications of Greenhouse Warming. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.
Reeburgh, W.S., and S.C. Whalen. High latitude ecosystems as CH4 sources. In Trace Gas Exchange in a Global Perspective. SCOPE/IGBP (in press).
Ritter, J.A., J.D.W. Barrick, G.W. Sachse, G.L. Gregory, M.A. Woerner, C.E. Watson, G.F. Hill, and J.E. Collins. 1992. Airborne flux measurements of trace species in an arctic boundary layer. J. Geophys. Res. 97:16,601–16,625.
Ritter, J.A., C. Watson, J. Barrick, G. Sachse, J. Collins, G. Gregory, B. Anderson, and M. Woerner. 1991. Airborne boundary-layer measurements of heat, moisture, CH4, CO, and O3 fluxes over Canadian boreal forest and northern wetland regions. EOS 72:84.
Roulet, N.T., R. Ash, and T.R. Moore. 1992. Low boreal wetlands as a source of atmospheric methane. J. Geophys. Res. 97:3739–3749.
Rudd, J.W.M., and R.D. Hamilton. 1978. Methane cycling in a eutrophic shield lake and its effects on whole lake metabolism. Limnol Oceanogr. 23:337–348.
Ruffner, J.A. 1985. Climates of the States, 3rd ed., Gales Research Co., Detroit, MI.
Schiff, H.I. D.R. Karecki, F.J. Lubkin, R. Eng, and G.I. Mackay. 1991. A tunable diode laser system for CH4 flux measurements from a small aircraft. EOS 72:78.
Sebacher, D.I., R.C. Harriss, K.B. Bartlett, S.M. Sebacher, and S.S. Grice. 1986. Atmospheric methane sources: Alaskan tundra bogs, an alpine fen, and a subarctic boreal marsh. Tellus 38B:1–10.
Sellers, W.D. 1965. Physical Climatology, University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
Svensson, B.H. 1976. Methane production in tundra peat. In H.G. Schegel, G. Gottschalk, and N. Pfennig (eds.), Microbial Production and Utilization of Gases (H2, CH4, CO), E. Goltze, Gottingen, pp. 135–139.
Svensson, B.H., and T. Rosswall. 1984. In situ methane production from acid peat in plant communities with different moisture regimes in a subarctic mire. Oikos 43:341–350.
Verma, S.B., F.G. Ullman, D. Billesbach, R.J. Clement, J. Kim, and E.S. Verry. 1992. Eddy correlation measurements of methane flux in a northern peatland ecosystem. Bound. Layer Meteorol. 58:289–304.
Vitt, D., S. Bayley, T. Jin, L. Halsey, B. Parker, and R. Craik. 1990. Methane and carbon dioxide production from wetlands in boreal Alberta. Rept. on Contract #90–0270 to Alberta Environment.
Whalen, S.C., and W.S. Reeburgh. 1988. A methane flux time series for tundra environments. Global Biogeochem. Cycles 2:399–409.
Whalen, S.C., and W.S. Reeburgh. 1990. A methane flux transect along the trans-Alaska pipeline haul road. Tellus 42B:237–249.
Whalen, S.C., and W.S. Reeburgh. 1990. Consumption of atmospheric methane to sub-ambient concentrations by tundra soils. Nature 346:160–162.
Whalen, S.C. and W.S. Reeburgh. 1992. Interannual variations in tundra methane emissions: A four-year time-series at fixed sites. Global Biogeochem. Cycles 6:139–159.
Yarrington, M.R., and D.D. Wynn-Williams. 1985. Methanogenesis and the anaerobic microbiology of a wet moss community at Signy Island. In W.R. Siegfried, P.R. Condy, and R.M. Laws (eds.), Antarctic Nutrient Cycles and Food Webs, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp. 134–139.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Harriss, R., Bartlett, K., Frolking, S., Crill, P. (1993). Methane Emissions from Northern High-Latitude Wetlands. In: Oremland, R.S. (eds) Biogeochemistry of Global Change. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2812-8_25
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2812-8_25
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-6215-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-2812-8
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive