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Influence Of Permafrost Thaw, Microtopography, And Precipitation On Methane Cycling In Northern Peatlands, Clarice Rachelle Perryman

Doctoral Dissertations

Northern peatlands are both globally important carbon (C) stores and sources of methane (CH4). The impacts of climate change including warming, changing precipitation and hydrology, shifts in vegetation, and thawing permafrost may increase the vulnerability of the northern peatland C stock, including the amount of C lost to the atmosphere as CH4. Variation in peatland water table depth strongly influences CH4 cycling, as water table levels largely control redox conditions and therefore rates of anaerobic CH4 production (methanogenesis) and aerobic CH4 oxidation (consumption, methanotrophy). As CH4 emissions reflect the balance of methanogenesis and methanotrophy, changes in water table depth due …