Carbon respiration from subsurface peat accelerated by climate warming in the subarctic

Ellen Dorrepaal (), Sylvia Toet, Richard S. P. van Logtestijn, Elferra Swart, Martine J. van de Weg, Terry V. Callaghan and Rien Aerts
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Ellen Dorrepaal: Institute of Ecological Science, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, NL-1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Sylvia Toet: Institute of Ecological Science, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, NL-1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Richard S. P. van Logtestijn: Institute of Ecological Science, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, NL-1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Elferra Swart: Institute of Ecological Science, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, NL-1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Martine J. van de Weg: Institute of Ecological Science, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, NL-1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Terry V. Callaghan: Abisko Naturvetenskapliga Station, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Rien Aerts: Institute of Ecological Science, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, NL-1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Nature, 2009, vol. 460, issue 7255, 616-619

Abstract: Carbon released from peat Climate-warming-induced acceleration of CO2 emissions through enhanced respiration of centuries-to-millennia-old peat deposits may form a strong positive feedback to our climate. But the long-term temperature sensitivity of carbon in peatlands, especially at depth, remains uncertain. Now an experiment involving long-term (8 years plus) artificial warming of subarctic peatland shows that warming by about 1 °C stimulated ecosystem respiration rates by more than 50%, the bulk of the increase deriving from long-term, recalcitrant carbon towards the bottom of the active layer above the permafrost. The findings suggest that climate warming accelerates the respiration of subsurface carbon reservoirs in peatlands to a much larger extent than was previously thought, potentially offsetting much of the Kyoto Protocol targets for greenhouse-gas emission reductions for the whole European Union.

Date: 2009
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DOI: 10.1038/nature08216

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