Jari T. Huttunen

Fluxes of methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide in boreal lakes and potential anthropogenic effects on the aquatic greenhouse gas emissions.

We have examined how some major catchment disturbances may affect the aquatic greenhouse gas fluxes in the boreal zone, using gas flux data from studies made in 1994-1999 in the pelagic regions of seven lakes and two reservoirs in Finland. The highest pelagic seasonal average methane (CH(4)) emissions were up to 12 mmol x m(-2) x d(-1) from eutrophied lakes with agricultural catchments. Nutrient loading increases autochthonous primary production in lakes, promoting oxygen consumption and anaerobic decomposition in the sediments and this can lead to increased CH(4) release from lakes to the atmosphere. The carbon dioxide (CO(2)) fluxes were higher from reservoirs and lakes whose catchment areas were rich in peatlands or managed forests, and from eutrophied lakes in comparison to oligotrophic and mesotrophic sites. However, all these sites were net sources of CO(2) to the atmosphere. The pelagic CH(4) emissions were generally lower than those from the littoral zone. The fluxes of nitrous oxide (N(2)O) were negligible in the pelagic regions, apparently due to low nitrate inputs and/or low nitrification activity. However, the littoral zone, acting as a buffer for leached nitrogen, did release N(2)O. Anthropogenic disturbances of boreal lakes, such as increasing eutrophication, can change the aquatic greenhouse gas balance, but also the gas exchange in the littoral zone should be included in any assessment of the overall effect. It seems that autochthonous and allochthonous carbon sources, which contribute to the CH(4) and CO(2) production in lakes, also have importance in the greenhouse gas emissions from reservoirs.

Release of CO2 and CH4 from small wetland lakes in western Siberia

CO2 and CH4 fluxes were measured from three small wetland lakes located in the middle taiga and forest tundra zones onWest Siberian Lowlands (WSL), the world’s largest wetland area. Fluxes were measured during summer 2005 using floating chambers and were validated against the thin boundary layer model based on the relationship between gas exchange and wind speed. All studied lakes were supersaturated with CO2 and CH4, and acted on a seasonal basis as sources of these greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Daily mean CO2 fluxes measured with chambers ranged from near the zero to 3.1 g CO2 m-2 d-1 and corresponding CH4 fluxes from 1.1 to 120 mg CH4 m-2 d-1. CH4 ebullition (0.65–11 mg CH4 m-2 d-1) was detected in two of the lakes. Total carbon evasion from the studied lakes during the active season was 23–66 g C m-2, of which more than 90% was released as CO2-C. The carbon loss per unit area from the studied lakes was of similar magnitude as previously reported values of net carbon uptake of Siberian peatlands. This emphasizes the importance of small water-bodies in the carbon balance of West Siberian landscape.

Fluxes of nitrous oxide and methane from drained peatlands following forest clear-felling in southern Finland

Drainage of waterlogged sites has been part of the normal forestry practice in Fennoscandia, the Baltic countries, the British Isles and in some parts of Russia since the early 20th century, and currently, about 15 million hectares of peatlands and other wetlands have been drained for forestry purposes. The rate of forest clear-felling on drained peatlands will undergo a rapid increase in the near future, when a large number of these forests approach their regeneration age. A small-scale pilot survey was performed at two nutrient-rich and old peatland drainage areas in southern Finland to study if forest clear-felling has significant impacts on the exchange of nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) between soil and atmosphere. The average N2O emissions from the two drainage areas during three growing seasons following clear-felling were 945 and 246 μg m−2 d−1. The corresponding CH4 fluxes were −0.07 and −0.52 mg m−2 d−1. Clear-felling had impacts on the environmental factors known to affect the N2O and CH4 fluxes of peatlands, i.e. clear-felling raised the water table level and increased the peat temperature. However, no substantial changes in the fluxes of CH4 following clear-felling were observed. The results concerning N2O indicated a potential for increased emissions following clear-felling of drained peatland forests, but further studies are needed for a critical evaluation of the impacts of clear-felling on the fluxes of CH4 and N2O.

Effect of experimental nitrogen load on methane and nitrous oxide fluxes on ombrotrophic boreal peatland

Methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) dynamics were studied in a boreal Sphagnum fuscum pine bog receiving annually (from 1991 to 1996) 30 or 100 kg NH4NO3-N ha−1. The gas emissions were measured during the last three growing seasons of the experiment. Nitrogen treatment did not affect the CH4 fluxes in the microsites where S. fuscum and S. angustifolium dominated. However, addition of 100 kg NH4NO3-N ha−1 yr−1 increased the CH4 emission from those microsites dominated by S. fuscum. This increase was associated with the increase in coverage of cotton grass (Eriophorum vaginatum) induced by the nitrogen treatment. The differences in the CH4 emissions were not related to the CH4 oxidation and production potentials in the peat profiles. The N2O fluxes were negligible from all microsites. Only minor short-term increases occurred after the nitrogen addition.

Cultivation of a perennial grass for bioenergy on a boreal organic soil – carbon sink or source?

The area under the cultivation of perennial bioenergy crops on organic soils in the northern countries is fast increasing. To understand the impact of reed canary grass (RCG, Phalaris arundinaceae L.) cultivation on the carbon dioxide (CO2) balance of an organic soil, net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) was measured for four years in a RCG cultivated cutover peatland in eastern Finland using the eddy covariance technique. There were striking differences among the years in the annual precipitation. The annual precipitation was higher during 2004 and 2007 and lower during 2005 and 2006 than the 1971–2000 regional mean. During wet growing seasons, moderate temperatures, high surface soil moisture and low evaporative demand favoured high CO2 uptake. During dry seasons, owing to soil moisture and atmospheric stress, photosynthetic activity was severely restricted. The CO2 uptake [gross primary productivity (GPP)] was positively correlated with soil moisture, air temperature and inversely with vapour pressure deficit. Total ecosystem respiration (TER) increased with increasing soil temperature but decreased with increasing soil moisture. The relative responses of GPP and TER to moisture stress were different. While changes in TER for a given change in soil moisture were moderate, variations in GPP were drastic. Also, the seasonal variations in TER were not as conspicuous as those in GPP implying that GPP is the primary regulator of the interannual variability in NEE in this ecosystem. The ecosystem accumulated a total of 398 g C m−2 from the beginning of 2004 until the end of 2007. It retained some carbon during a wet year such as 2004 even after accounting for the loss of carbon in the form of harvested biomass. Based on this CO2 balance analysis, RCG cultivation is found to be a promising after‐use option on an organic soil.

Exchange of CO2, CH4 and N2O between the atmosphere and two northern boreal ponds with catchments dominated by peatlands or forests

Concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) in the water column and their exchange at the water/air interface were studied during the open water period in two freshwater ponds with different catchment characteristics in the northern boreal zone in Finland; either peatlands or coniferous upland forests dominated the catchment of the ponds. Both ponds were supersaturated with dissolved CO2 and CH4 with respect to the equilibrium with the atmosphere, but were close to the equilibrium with N2O. The mean CO2 efflux from the pond was higher in the peatland-dominated catchment (22 mg m−2 h−1) than in the forested catchment (0.7 mg m−2 h−1), whereas the mean CH4 emissions were similar (7.6 and 3.5 mg m−2 d−1, respectively). The fluxes of N2O were generally negligible. The higher CO2 concentrations and efflux in the pond with the peatland-dominated catchment were attributed to a greater input of allochthonous carbon to that pond from its catchment due to its higher water colour and higher total organic carbon (TOC) concentration. The water pH, which also differed between the ponds, could additionally affect the CO2 dynamics. Since the catchment characteristics can regulate aquatic carbon cycles, catchment-scale studies are needed to attain a deeper understanding of the aquatic greenhouse gas dynamics.

A novel sediment gas sampler and a subsurface gas collector used for measurement of the ebullition of methane and carbon dioxide from a eutrophied lake

A novel sediment bubble gas sampler and a subsurface bubble gas collector were designed to measure the ebullition of gases from profundal sediments of aquatic ecosystems. The sediment gas sampler was constructed to collect bubble gas samples directly from the uppermost sediment layers for gas composition analysis. The floating subsurface gas collector, designed to trap the bubbles released naturally from sediments, permitted the measurement of both the volume and the composition of the bubble gas. Due to its low cost, light weight and rapid sampling capability, the gas collector is ideal for studies requiring many replicate collectors. These devices were used for measurement of the ebullition of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) during an open water period from hypereutrophic Lake Postilampi, situated within the midboreal zone in Finland. The bubble gas obtained from the sediment with the sediment gas sampler had higher concentrations of CH4 and CO2 than the bubbles trapped in the gas collectors. This indicated that the bubble gas composition changed, either naturally during the migration of the bubbles from the sediment through the water column to the gas collectors, and/or during their storage in the collectors prior to sampling. The mean CH4 ebullition from Lake Postilampi was estimated to be in the range from 36 to 46 mg m(-2 d(-1), based on the bubble gas CH4 concentrations measured from the gas collectors and sediment, respectively. The bubbles contained only 0.02-0.57% of CO2 and thus, the ebullition had no significance in the release of CO2 from the lake.

Bare soil and reed canary grass ecosystem respiration in peat extraction sites in Eastern Finland

This paper reports chamber measurements of ecosystem respiration (ER) from reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) (RCG) cultivation made during 2004 and 2005 and respiration rates from an adjacent, bare peat extraction site. Annually, the RCG site released 1465 g in 2004 and 1968 g CO2 m-2 in 2005. The peat extraction site, however, emitted 498 g in 2004 and 264 g CO2 m-2 in 2005. Heterotrophic respiration accounted for about 45% of the RCG ER. Temperature explained 75–88% of the variation in 2005 RCG heterotrophic respiration. Autotrophic respiration was the dominant component of ER and it followed a similar seasonal pattern as the living (green) biomass. RCG heterotrophic respiration was related to soil temperature in interaction with soil volumetric water content and seasonal rainfall distribution. It explained 79 and 47% of the variation in the bare soil respiration from the peat extraction site during 2004 and 2005 snow free periods, respectively. Compared to other ecosystems, emissions from RCG were lower indicating that the RCG is a promising after use option in organic soils.

Spatial and seasonal variation in greenhouse gas and nutrient dynamics and their interactions in the sediments of a boreal eutrophic lake

Dynamics of greenhouse gases, CH4, CO2 and N2O, and nutrients, NO2− + NO3−, NH4+ and P, were studied in the sediments of the eutrophic, boreal Lake Kevätön in Finland. Undisturbed sediment cores taken in the summer, autumn and winter from the deep and shallow profundal and from the littoral were incubated in laboratory microcosms under aerobic and anaerobic water flow conditions. An increase in the availability of oxygen in water overlying the sediments reduced the release of CH4, NH4+ and P, increased the flux of N2O and NO2− + NO3−, but did not affect CO2 production. The littoral sediments produced CO2 and CH4 at high rates, but released only negligible amounts of nutrients. The deep profundal sediments, with highest carbon content, possessed the greatest release rates of CO2, CH4, NH4+ and P. The higher fluxes of these gases in summer and autumn than in winter were probably due to the supply of fresh organic matter from primary production. From the shallow profundal sediments fluxes of CH4, NH4+ and P were low, but, in contrast, production of N2O was the highest among the different sampling sites. Due to the large areal extension, the littoral and shallow profundal zones had the greatest importance in the overall gas and nutrient budgets in the lake. Methane emissions, especially the ebullition of CH4 (up to 84% of the total flux), were closely related to the sediment P and NH4+ release. The high production and ebullition of CH4, enhances the internal loading of nutrients, lake eutrophication status and the impact of boreal lakes to trophospheric gas budgets.

Fluxes of nitrous oxide and methane on an abandoned peat extraction site: effect of reed canary grass cultivation.

Drained organic soils are among the most risky soil types as far as their greenhouse gas emissions are considered. Reed canary grass (RCG) is a potential bioenergy crop in the boreal region, but the atmospheric impact of its cultivation is unknown. The fluxes of N(2)O and CH(4) were measured from an abandoned peat extraction site (an organic soil) cultivated with RCG using static chamber and snow gradient techniques. The fluxes were measured also at an adjacent site which is under active peat extraction and it is devoid of any vegetation (BP site). The 4-year average annual N(2)O emissions were low being 0.1 and 0.01 g N(2)O m(-2)a(-1) at the RCG and BP sites, respectively. The corresponding mean annual CH(4) emissions from the RCG and BP sites were also low (0.4 g and 0.9 g CH(4) m(-2)a(-1)). These results highlight for the first time that there are organic soils where cultivation of perennial bioenergy crops is possible with low N(2)O and CH(4) emissions.