title: High emissions of greenhouse gases from grasslands on peat and other organic soils.
abstract: Drainage has turned peatlands from a carbon sink into one of the world's largest greenhouse gas (GHG) sources from cultivated soils. We analyzed a unique data set (12 peatlands, 48 sites and 122 annual budgets) of mainly unpublished GHG emissions from grasslands on bog and fen peat as well as other soils rich in soil organic carbon (SOC) in Germany. Emissions and environmental variables were measured with identical methods. Site-averaged GHG budgets were surprisingly variable (29.2 ± 17.4 t CO2-eq. ha-1yr-1) and partially higher than all published data and the IPCC default emission factors for GHG inventories. Generally, CO2(27.7 ± 17.3 t CO2ha-1yr-1) dominated the GHG budget. Nitrous oxide (2.3 ± 2.4 kg N2O-N ha-1yr-1) and methane emissions (30.8 ± 69.8 kg CH4-C ha-1yr-1) were lower than expected except for CH4emissions from nutrient-poor acidic sites. At single peatlands, CO2emissions clearly increased with deeper mean water table depth (WTD), but there was no general dependency of CO2on WTD for the complete data set. Thus, regionalization of CO2emissions by WTD only will remain uncertain. WTD dynamics explained some of the differences between peatlands as sites which became very dry during summer showed lower emissions. We introduced the aerated nitrogen stock (Nair) as a variable combining soil nitrogen stocks with WTD. CO2increased with Nairacross peatlands. Soils with comparatively low SOC concentrations showed as high CO2emissions as true peat soils because Nairwas similar. N2O emissions were controlled by the WTD dynamics and the nitrogen content of the topsoil. CH4emissions can be well described by WTD and ponding duration during summer. Our results can help both to improve GHG emission reporting and to prioritize and plan emission reduction measures for peat and similar soils at different scales.
authors.affiliation: Thünen Institute for Climate-Smart Agriculture, Bundesallee 50, 38116, Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Bärbel
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-2266-0600
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tiemeyer
authors.affiliation: Institute of Landscape Biogeochemistry, Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Eberswalder Straße 84, 15374, Müncheberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Albiac Borraz
authors.affiliation: Institute of Landscape Biogeochemistry, Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Eberswalder Straße 84, 15374, Müncheberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Augustin
authors.affiliation: Thünen Institute for Climate-Smart Agriculture, Bundesallee 50, 38116, Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bechtold
authors.affiliation: Landscape Ecology and Site Evaluation, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 6, 18059, Rostock, Germany.
authors.forename: Sascha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Beetz
authors.affiliation: State Authority for Mining, Energy and Geology Lower Saxony, Stilleweg 2, 30655, Hanover, Germany.
authors.forename: Colja
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Beyer
authors.affiliation: Chair of Vegetation Ecology, University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf, Am Hofgarten 4, 85354, Freising, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Drösler
authors.affiliation: Institute for Geography, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Johann-Joachim-Becher-Weg 21, 55099, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ebli
authors.affiliation: Chair of Vegetation Ecology, University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf, Am Hofgarten 4, 85354, Freising, Germany.|Chair of Restoration Ecology, Technische Universität München, Emil-Ramann-Str. 6, 85354, Freising, Germany.
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Eickenscheidt
authors.affiliation: Institute for Geography, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Johann-Joachim-Becher-Weg 21, 55099, Mainz, Germany.|Institute of Soil Science and Land Evaluation, University of Hohenheim, Emil-Wolff-Str. 27, 70593, Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fiedler
authors.affiliation: Chair of Vegetation Ecology, University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf, Am Hofgarten 4, 85354, Freising, Germany.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Förster
authors.affiliation: Thünen Institute for Climate-Smart Agriculture, Bundesallee 50, 38116, Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Freibauer
authors.affiliation: Institute of Landscape Biogeochemistry, Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Eberswalder Straße 84, 15374, Müncheberg, Germany.|Meo Carbon Solutions GmbH, Hohenzollernring 72, 50672, Köln, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giebels
authors.affiliation: Landscape Ecology and Site Evaluation, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 6, 18059, Rostock, Germany.|Department of Geography and Regional Research, University of Vienna, Althanstr. 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Glatzel
authors.affiliation: Chair of Vegetation Ecology, University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf, Am Hofgarten 4, 85354, Freising, Germany.|Chair of Restoration Ecology, Technische Universität München, Emil-Ramann-Str. 6, 85354, Freising, Germany.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heinichen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Landscape Biogeochemistry, Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Eberswalder Straße 84, 15374, Müncheberg, Germany.|Institute of Soil Landscape Research, Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Eberswalder Straße 84, 15374, Müncheberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.affiliation: State Authority for Mining, Energy and Geology Lower Saxony, Stilleweg 2, 30655, Hanover, Germany.
authors.forename: Heinrich
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Höper
authors.affiliation: Landscape Ecology and Site Evaluation, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 6, 18059, Rostock, Germany.
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jurasinski
authors.affiliation: Thünen Institute for Climate-Smart Agriculture, Bundesallee 50, 38116, Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Leiber-Sauheitl
authors.affiliation: Institute of Soil Science and Land Evaluation, University of Hohenheim, Emil-Wolff-Str. 27, 70593, Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: Mandy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peichl-Brak
authors.affiliation: Division of Soil Science and Site Science, Humboldt University zu Berlin, Albrecht-Thaer-Weg 2, 14195, Berlin, Germany.|State Authority for Mining, Geology and Resources Brandenburg, Inselstr. 26, 03046, Cottbus, Germany.
authors.forename: Niko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Roßkopf
authors.affiliation: Institute of Soil Landscape Research, Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Eberswalder Straße 84, 15374, Müncheberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sommer
authors.affiliation: Division of Soil Science and Site Science, Humboldt University zu Berlin, Albrecht-Thaer-Weg 2, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Jutta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zeitz
mesh_terms: D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis; D005740:Gases / Q000032:analysis*; D005858:Germany; D065948:Grassland; D017752:Greenhouse Effect; D008697:Methane / Q000032:analysis; D009609:Nitrous Oxide / Q000032:analysis; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D005740:Gases; D012987:Soil; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D009609:Nitrous Oxide; D008697:Methane
keywords: Kyoto Protocol; carbon dioxide; grassland management; methane; nitrous oxide; water table depth