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The evolution of carbon dioxide and methane was measured from laboratory columns packed with surface (0–30 cm) materials representing a fen, a bog and a swamp and with varying water tables and treated with water containing 10 mg L −1 dissolved organic carbon. Carbon dioxide evolution increased in a linear relationship as the water table was lowered, ranging from 0.3–0.5 g CO 2 m −2 d −1 to 6.6–9.4 g CO 2 m −2 d −1 for the water table at 10 cm above and 70 cm below the peat surface, respectively. Methane evolution decreased in a logarithmic relationship as the water table was lowered. The fen showed the highest rates of methane flux (28 mg CH 4 m −2 d −1 when inundated) and the bog the lowest (0.7 mg CH 4 m −2 d −1 when inundated). These differences appeared to be related to the acidity of the soils and their microbial characteristics. Molar ratios of carbon dioxide:methane evolution increased from 4 to 173 under inundated conditions to > 2500 when the water table was at a depth of 70 cm. Key words: Methane, carbon dioxide, water table, organic soils, peatlands
Moore et al. (Wed,) studied this question.