Articles | Volume 27, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-213-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-213-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
10 Jan 2023
Research article |
| 10 Jan 2023
| 10 Jan 2023
Water level variation at a beaver pond significantly impacts net CO2 uptake of a continental bog
Department of Geography, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A OB9, Canada
Tim Moore
Department of Geography, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A OB9, Canada
Elyn R. Humphreys
Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
Peter M. Lafleur
School of Environment, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada
Nigel T. Roulet
Department of Geography, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A OB9, Canada
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Jinnan Gong, Nigel Roulet, Steve Frolking, Heli Peltola, Anna M. Laine, Nicola Kokkonen, and Eeva-Stiina Tuittila
Biogeosciences, 17, 5693–5719, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5693-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5693-2020, 2020
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In this study, which combined a field and lab experiment with modelling, we developed a process-based model for simulating dynamics within peatland moss communities. The model is useful because Sphagnum mosses are key engineers in peatlands; their response to changes in climate via altered hydrology controls the feedback of peatland biogeochemistry to climate. Our work showed that moss capitulum traits related to water retention are the mechanism controlling moss layer dynamics in peatlands.
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Short summary
We applied CoupModel to quantify the impacts of natural and human disturbances to adjacent water bodies in regulating net CO2 uptake of northern peatlands. We found that 1 m drops of the water level at the beaver pond lower the peatland water table depth 250 m away by 0.15 m and reduce the peatland net CO2 uptake by 120 g C m-2 yr-1. Therefore, although bogs are ombrotrophic rainfed systems, the boundary hydrological conditions play an important role in regulating water storage and CO2 uptake.
We applied CoupModel to quantify the impacts of natural and human disturbances to adjacent water...
