REWETTING POCOSIN WETLANDS LOWERS GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

ECU Author/Contributor (non-ECU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)

Luise Armstrong (Creator)

Institution

East Carolina University (ECU )

Web Site: http://www.ecu.edu/lib/

Abstract: Restored peatlands are known to be highly efficient carbon sinks and wetland restoration efforts take advantage of this efficiency to use as a climate change mitigation strategy. Evaluating the carbon sequestration capacity of peatland requires a greater understanding of how the seasonal fluxes of greenhouse gases (GHG) change , both in magnitude and direction , during and after peatland restoration. One aspect that has not received much attention is how carbon dioxide , methane and nitrous oxide emissions change during peatland restoration involving a hydrologic manipulation (i.e. raising water table depth). This study involved field data collection of GHG fluxes , soil temperature , soil moisture , and water table depths before and after hydrologic manipulation. I investigated the role of water table depth and soil temperature on changes in GHG fluxes pre- and post-hydrologic manipulation of a pocosin wetland (a shrub/scrub bog containing low nutrient , acidic soils). The study revealed that higher water table depths correlated to lower carbon dioxide (CO2) , higher methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. I found that the reduction in CO2 outpaced the increases in CH4 and N2O by a factor of 100. In addition , rewetting the pocosin wetlands also decreased the susceptibility to fire as evidenced by the decreased smoldering potential of soils undergoing hydrologic restoration. Taken together , the decreased CO2 emissions and reduced smoldering potential of rewetted soils indicates that hydrologic restoration of a pocosin wetland may be an effective mechanism to lower soil greenhouse gas emissions.

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Thesis

Language: English

Date: 2017

Keywords

Pocosin wetland

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