Managing greenhouse gas flux from created wetlands: hydrology, carbon supply and prior land use

Session: Wetland Restoration in the Great Lakes Basin: Research and Innovation (2)

Sonia Huang, Rochester Institute of Technology, [email protected]
Thulfiqar Al Graiti, Rochester Institute of Technology, [email protected]
Michael McGowan, Rochester Institute of Technology, [email protected]
Nathan Eddingsaas, Rochester Institute of Technology, [email protected]
Carmody McCalley, Rochester Institute of Technology, [email protected]
Christy Tyler, Rochester Institute of Technology, [email protected]

Abstract

Freshwater wetlands are frequently created or restored with the goal of replicating valuable ecosystem functions lost elsewhere. However, studies in created wetlands have demonstrated production of greenhouse gases (GHG) may be enhanced during early establishment. In this research, we investigated the impact of hydrology and carbon addition on fluxes of N2O, CH4 and CO2 from two created wetlands that differ in antecedent land use. There was high seasonal and inter-annual variability in weather conditions during the study period and rainfall and temperature were the dominant factors controlling GHG fluxes within both wetlands. When moisture conditions were more typical, carbon addition increased rates of soil respiration and there was a trend towards higher ecosystem respiration; however, carbon addition also increased gross primary production, resulting in no net change in CO2 exchange. Carbon addition had a positive effect on soil N2O fluxes and there was a trend towards higher CH4 production potential in amended soils. When creating wetlands, the regulation of nutrients, carbon and hydrology should be taken into consideration to limit GHG production.