Potential rates of anaerobic decomposition and experimental priming effects in thawed peats from discontinuous permafrost in western Canada
Abstract
Recent climate change has led to increased rates of warming and wildfire in the circumpolar region. It is predicted that this will promote the widespread thawing of permafrost and the development of thermokarst bogs in the peatlands of western Canada. Previously frozen deep organic matter becomes available to microbial activity with thermokarst with the potential loss of C stocks while liberating greenhouse gases to the atmosphere and creating a positive feedback to climate change. Although anoxic conditions in these waterlogged systems may reduce peat decomposition, fresh plant derived C inputs associated with high vegetation productivity post-thaw could increase peat decomposition. The effect of this potential mechanism on enhanced peat decomposition is poorly investigated though. We are measuring anaerobic CO2 and CH4 production rates from a peat plateau, an adjacent young and an old thermokarst feature in the discontinuous permafrost. Samples were selected from depths where peat has been exposed to seasonal thaw (active layer) and from deeper, previously frozen organic matter along 5 m profiles. Preliminary results indicate that most CO2 production is driven by the top meter of peat, especially in the recent thermokarst where the highest rates of CH4 production are also measured due to high vegetation productivity post-thaw. Data suggests that the decomposition of deeper peat is more temperature sensitive. We are considering a 13C labelling experiment to investigate the priming effects on heterotrophic respiration of organic matter heterotrophic respiration once the labile C pool has been depleted and production rates have become stable over time. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy will be used to determine how peat quality is related to anaerobic decomposition rates, its temperature dependency, and priming effects. These measurements aim to constrain the fate of C through anaerobic decomposition upon permafrost thaw.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016AGUFM.B43C0612E
- Keywords:
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- 0428 Carbon cycling;
- BIOGEOSCIENCESDE: 0486 Soils/pedology;
- BIOGEOSCIENCESDE: 0702 Permafrost;
- CRYOSPHEREDE: 1615 Biogeochemical cycles;
- processes;
- and modeling;
- GLOBAL CHANGE