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Plant species from mesotrophic wetlands cause relatively high methane emissions from peat soil

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Abstract

Plants can influence methane emissions from wetland ecosystems by altering its production, consumption and transport in the soil. The aim of this study was to investigate how eight vascular plant species from mesotrophic to eutrophic wetlands vary in their influence on CH4 emissions from peat cores, under low and high N supply. Additionally, we measured the production of low-molecular-weight organic acids (LOA) by the same species (also at low and high N supply), because LOA form a substrate for methanogenesis. There were considerable differences among species in their effects upon rates of CH4 emission. Six of the species (Eriophorum latifolium Hoppe, Potentilla palustris (L.) Scop., Anthoxanthum odoratum (L.) s. str., Carex rostrata Stokes, Carex elata All., Carex acutiformis Ehrh.) increased CH4 emissions up to five times compared to control peat cores without plants, whereas two species (Phalaris arundinacea L., Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud.) had no effect. There was a weak negative correlation between plant biomass and CH4 emission. N addition had no significant general effect upon CH4 emission. LOA production varied considerably among species, and tended to be highest for species from mesotrophic habitats. LOA production was stimulated by N addition. We conclude that some species from mesotrophic wetlands tend to cause higher CH4 emissions than species from eutrophic wetlands. This pattern, which contradicts what is often mentioned in literature, may be explained by the higher LOA production rates of species adapted to less productive habitats.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Adrian Hartmann and Jacynthe Dessureault-Rompré for their help with the measurements of CH4 and organic acids respectively, and Martin Schroth for providing the possibility to use the ion chromatograph. Carmen Rothenbühler, Pascal Niklaus and René Graf for practical and interspecific technical help during the experiments. Financial support within the project TUMSS (Towards the Understanding of Methane Sinks and Sources) funded by ETH's School Domain of Earth, Environment and Natural Resources is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Integrative Biology, Plant Ecology, ETH Zurich, Universitätstrasse 16, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland

    Albert Koelbener, Peter J. Edwards & Harry Olde Venterink

  2. Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystems Analysis, GeoBiosphere Science Centre, Lund University, Sölvegatan 12, 223 62, Lund, Sweden

    Lena Ström

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  1. Albert Koelbener
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  2. Lena Ström
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Correspondence to Albert Koelbener.

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Responsible Editor: Per Ambus.

Appendices

Appendix A

The eight plant species used in the experiments with their Ellenberg- and MOVE N indicator values (Bakkenes et al. 2002; Ellenberg et al. 1991). MOVE values are based on Ellenberg values. A dataset of 100’000 vegetation relevees from the Netherlands served as a base for the calculation of these values.

Species

Ellenberg N-value

MOVE N-value

Eriophorum latifolium

2

–

Potentilla palustris

2

4.07 (±0.96)

Carex rostrata

3

4.02 (±1.17)

Anthoxanthum odoratum

–

4.47 (±1.06)

Carex elata

5

4.93 (±1.00)

Carex acutiformis

5

5.14 (±0.97)

Phragmites australis

7

5.52 (±1.22)

Phalaris arundinacea

7

6.14 (±0.72)

Appendix B

Mean total acetate (A) and formate (B) production (+/− SE) per plant of eight wetland species in nutrient solution during three days. Species are ordered according to the fertility index (N-values) of Ellenberg et al. (1991) increasing from left to right (see Appendix A). Notice the different scales in A and B.

figure a

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Koelbener, A., Ström, L., Edwards, P.J. et al. Plant species from mesotrophic wetlands cause relatively high methane emissions from peat soil. Plant Soil 326, 147–158 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-009-9989-x

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