We found a match
Your institution may have rights to this item. Sign in to continue.
- Title
Methane emissions from an alpine fen in central Switzerland.
- Authors
Liebner, Susanne; Schwarzenbach, Simon; Zeyer, Josef
- Abstract
Methane emissions and below ground methane pore water concentrations were determined in an alpine fen at 1,915 m a.s.l. in central Switzerland. The fen represented an acidic (pH 4.5-4.9), nutrient-poor to mesotrophic habitat dominated by Carex limosa, Carex rostrata, Trichophorum caespitosum and Sphagnum species. From late fall to late spring the fen was snow-covered. Throughout winter the temperatures never dropped below 0°C at 5 cm below the vegetation surface. Methane emissions in June, July, August and September were in the range of 125 (±26)-313 (±71) mg CH m day with a tendency to decrease along the summer season. Mean methane pore water concentrations at a depth of 20-40 cm below the vegetation surface were 526 (±32) μM in June and in the range of 144 (±10)-233 (±7) μM in July, August and September. At a depth of 0-20 cm the mean methane pore water concentrations dropped back to <20 μM with an almost linear decrease between 0 and 15 cm. Oxygen pore water concentrations were close to air saturation in the first few centimeters and dropped back below detection limit at a depth of 20 cm. In July and August the pore water concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were in the range of 7.2-10.1 mg C l at all depths. The pore water concentrations of acetate, formate and oxalate were in the range of 2.0-8.2 μM at all depths. Methanotrophic and methanogenic communities were quantified using pmoA and mcrA, respectively, as marker genes. The abundances of both communities showed a distinct peak at a depth of 10-15 cm below the vegetation surface.
- Subjects
SWITZERLAND; METHANE analysis; EMISSIONS (Air pollution); HABITATS; GREENHOUSE gases; ORGANIC acids; GENETIC markers
- Publication
Biogeochemistry, 2012, Vol 109, Issue 1-3, p287
- ISSN
0168-2563
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s10533-011-9629-4