Publication Date:
2018-03-06
Description:
Warming in the boreal forest region has already led to changes in the fire regime. This may result in increasing fire frequency or severity in peatlands, which could cause these ecosystems to shift from a net sink of carbon (C) to a net source of C to the atmosphere. Similar to C cycling, peatlands serve as a net sink for mercury (Hg), which binds strongly to organic matter and accumulates in peat over time. This stored Hg is also susceptible to re-release to the atmosphere during peat fires. Here we investigate the physical properties that influence depth of burn in experimental peat columns and the resulting emissions of CO, CO 2 , CH 4 , and gaseous and particulate Hg. As expected, bulk density and soil moisture content were important controls on depth of burn, CO 2 emissions, and CO emissions. However, our results show that CH 4 and Hg emissions are insensitive to combustion temperature or fuel moisture content. Emissions during the burn...
Print ISSN:
1748-9318
Electronic ISSN:
1748-9326
Topics:
Biology
,
Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
Permalink
