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Variations in Ecosystem-Scale Methane Fluxes Across a Boreal Mire Complex Assessed by a Network of Flux Towers

Noumonvi, Koffi Dodji ; Nilsson, Mats B. ; Ratcliffe, Joshua L. ; Öquist, Mats G. ; Kljun, Natascha LU orcid ; Fransson, Johan E.S. ; Järveoja, Järvi ; Lindroth, Anders LU orcid ; Simpson, Gillian and Smeds, Jacob , et al. (2025) In Global Change Biology 31(5).
Abstract

High latitude mires are key ecosystems in the context of climate change since they store large amounts of carbon while constituting an important natural source of methane (CH4). However, while a growing number of studies have investigated methane fluxes (FCH4) at the plot- (~1 m2) and ecosystem-scale (~0.1–0.5 km2) across the boreal biome, variations of FCH4 magnitudes and drivers at the mesoscale (i.e., 0.5–20 km2) of a mire complex are poorly understood. This study leveraged a network of four eddy-covariance flux towers to explore the spatio-temporal variations in ecosystem-scale FCH4 across a boreal mire complex in northern Sweden over 3 years (2020–2022).... (More)

High latitude mires are key ecosystems in the context of climate change since they store large amounts of carbon while constituting an important natural source of methane (CH4). However, while a growing number of studies have investigated methane fluxes (FCH4) at the plot- (~1 m2) and ecosystem-scale (~0.1–0.5 km2) across the boreal biome, variations of FCH4 magnitudes and drivers at the mesoscale (i.e., 0.5–20 km2) of a mire complex are poorly understood. This study leveraged a network of four eddy-covariance flux towers to explore the spatio-temporal variations in ecosystem-scale FCH4 across a boreal mire complex in northern Sweden over 3 years (2020–2022). We found a consistent hierarchy of drivers for the temporal variability in FCH4 across the mire complex, with gross primary production and soil temperature jointly emerging as primary controls, whereas water table depth had no independent effect. In contrast, peat physical and chemical properties, particularly bulk density and C:N ratio, were identified as significant baseline constraints for the spatial variations in FCH4 across the mire complex. Our observations further revealed that the 3-year mean annual FCH4 across the mire complex ranged from 7 g C m−2 y−1 to 11 g C m−2 y−1, with a coefficient of variation of 16% that is similar to the variation observed among geographically distant mire systems and peatland types across the boreal biome. Thus, our findings highlight an additional source of uncertainty when scaling information from single-site studies to the mire complex scale and beyond. Furthermore, they suggest an urgent need for peatland ecosystem models to resolve the mesoscale variations in FCH4 at the mire complex level to reduce uncertainties in the predictions of peatland carbon cycle-climate feedbacks.

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publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
climate change, eddy covariance, high latitude mires, landscape scale variations, mesoscale, methane emissions, northern peatlands, peat physical and chemical properties, peatland complex, spatio-temporal control
in
Global Change Biology
volume
31
issue
5
article number
e70223
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • pmid:40323019
  • scopus:105004323918
ISSN
1354-1013
DOI
10.1111/gcb.70223
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s). Global Change Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
id
ef153a8c-0cf1-438b-914e-bbd41e1461e6
date added to LUP
2025-05-14 17:04:02
date last changed
2025-07-09 21:09:39
@article{ef153a8c-0cf1-438b-914e-bbd41e1461e6,
  abstract     = {{<p>High latitude mires are key ecosystems in the context of climate change since they store large amounts of carbon while constituting an important natural source of methane (CH<sub>4</sub>). However, while a growing number of studies have investigated methane fluxes (FCH<sub>4</sub>) at the plot- (~1 m<sup>2</sup>) and ecosystem-scale (~0.1–0.5 km<sup>2</sup>) across the boreal biome, variations of FCH<sub>4</sub> magnitudes and drivers at the mesoscale (i.e., 0.5–20 km<sup>2</sup>) of a mire complex are poorly understood. This study leveraged a network of four eddy-covariance flux towers to explore the spatio-temporal variations in ecosystem-scale FCH<sub>4</sub> across a boreal mire complex in northern Sweden over 3 years (2020–2022). We found a consistent hierarchy of drivers for the temporal variability in FCH<sub>4</sub> across the mire complex, with gross primary production and soil temperature jointly emerging as primary controls, whereas water table depth had no independent effect. In contrast, peat physical and chemical properties, particularly bulk density and C:N ratio, were identified as significant baseline constraints for the spatial variations in FCH<sub>4</sub> across the mire complex. Our observations further revealed that the 3-year mean annual FCH<sub>4</sub> across the mire complex ranged from 7 g C m<sup>−2</sup> y<sup>−1</sup> to 11 g C m<sup>−2</sup> y<sup>−1</sup>, with a coefficient of variation of 16% that is similar to the variation observed among geographically distant mire systems and peatland types across the boreal biome. Thus, our findings highlight an additional source of uncertainty when scaling information from single-site studies to the mire complex scale and beyond. Furthermore, they suggest an urgent need for peatland ecosystem models to resolve the mesoscale variations in FCH<sub>4</sub> at the mire complex level to reduce uncertainties in the predictions of peatland carbon cycle-climate feedbacks.</p>}},
  author       = {{Noumonvi, Koffi Dodji and Nilsson, Mats B. and Ratcliffe, Joshua L. and Öquist, Mats G. and Kljun, Natascha and Fransson, Johan E.S. and Järveoja, Järvi and Lindroth, Anders and Simpson, Gillian and Smeds, Jacob and Peichl, Matthias}},
  issn         = {{1354-1013}},
  keywords     = {{climate change; eddy covariance; high latitude mires; landscape scale variations; mesoscale; methane emissions; northern peatlands; peat physical and chemical properties; peatland complex; spatio-temporal control}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Global Change Biology}},
  title        = {{Variations in Ecosystem-Scale Methane Fluxes Across a Boreal Mire Complex Assessed by a Network of Flux Towers}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70223}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/gcb.70223}},
  volume       = {{31}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}