A NOVEL CARBON AND HYDROGEN ISOTOPE METHOD FOR QUANTIFYING PAST METHANE RECYCLING BY SPHAGNUM-METHANOTROPH SYMBIOSIS

摘要

Northern wetlands, dominated by Sphagnum, are an important part of the Earth's methane cycle. To constrain one part of the peatland methane cycle, we present a novel method for quantifying carbon assimilated by Sphagnum from its methanotrophic symbionts using stable isotope ratios of leaf wax biomarkers. We also apply this method to several circum-Arctic peatlands to compare methane cycle changes in peatlands with the global record of atmospheric methane.