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Decadal vegetation changes in a northern peatland, greenhouse gas fluxes and net radiative forcing

Author

  • T Johansson
  • Nils Malmer
  • P M Crill
  • T Friborg
  • Jonas Åkerman
  • Mikhail Mastepanov
  • Torben Christensen

Summary, in English

Thawing permafrost in the sub-Arctic has implications for the physical stability and biological dynamics of peatland ecosystems. This study provides an analysis of how permafrost thawing and subsequent vegetation changes in a sub-Arctic Swedish mire have changed the net exchange of greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide (CO2) and CH4 over the past three decades. Images of the mire (ca. 17 ha) and surroundings taken with film sensitive in the visible and the near infrared portion of the spectrum, [i.e. colour infrared (CIR) aerial photographs from 1970 and 2000] were used. The results show that during this period the area covered by hummock vegetation decreased by more than 11% and became replaced by wet-growing plant communities. The overall net uptake of C in the vegetation and the release of C by heterotrophic respiration might have increased resulting in increases in both the growing season atmospheric CO2 sink function with about 16% and the CH4 emissions with 22%. Calculating the flux as CO2 equivalents show that the mire in 2000 has a 47% greater radiative forcing on the atmosphere using a 100-year time horizon. Northern peatlands in areas with thawing sporadic or discontinuous permafrost are likely to act as larger greenhouse gas sources over the growing season today than a few decades ago because of increased CH4 emissions.

Publishing year

2006

Language

English

Pages

2352-2369

Publication/Series

Global Change Biology

Volume

12

Issue

12

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Wiley-Blackwell

Topic

  • Ecology
  • Physical Geography

Keywords

  • peatland
  • permafrost
  • Sweden
  • northern
  • GWP
  • greenhouse gases
  • aerial CIR photography
  • carbon balance
  • radiative forcing
  • sub-Arctic
  • vegetation
  • change

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1354-1013