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The Relative Importance Of Methanogenesis In The Decomposition Of Organic Matter In Northern Peatlands, J. Elizabeth Corbett, Malak M. Tfaily, David J. Burdige, Paul H. Glaser, Jeffrey P. Chanton
The Relative Importance Of Methanogenesis In The Decomposition Of Organic Matter In Northern Peatlands, J. Elizabeth Corbett, Malak M. Tfaily, David J. Burdige, Paul H. Glaser, Jeffrey P. Chanton
OES Faculty Publications
Using an isotope-mass balance approach and assuming the equimolar production of CO2 and CH4 from methanogenesis (e.g., anaerobic decomposition of cellulose), we calculate that the proportion of total CO2 production from methanogenesis varies from 37 to 83% across a variety of northern peatlands. In a relative sense, methanogenesis was a more important pathway for decomposition in bogs (80 ± 13% of CO2 production) than in fens (64 ± 5.7% of CO2 production), but because fens contain more labile substrates they may support higher CH4 production overall. The concentration of CO2 produced from methanogenesis (CO …