Date of Award

Spring 2026

Abstract

Wetlands are the largest and most variable natural source of methane (CH₄) to the atmosphere, contributing an estimated 161 Tg CH₄ yr-1 globally. Climate and anthropogenic changes can alter hydrology, geochemistry, and vegetation, generating substantial variability in CH₄ emissions across landscapes. Long-term measurements of CH₄ fluxes, inclusive of all transport pathways (ebullition, plant transport and diffusion), are rare but essential for understanding wetland contributions to the global carbon cycle. We present a decadal dataset of ebullitive CH₄ emissions from a temperate peatland, examining variation among vegetation types and relationships with environmental drivers. We found that ebullitive CH₄ fluxes were highest and most variable in sedge-dominated sites and showed modest correlations with peat temperature and water table depth, while shrub-dominated sites exhibited stronger relationships with deeper peat temperatures. Overall, environmental conditions explained flux variability only partially, highlighting the complexity of ebullitive CH₄ dynamics. This dataset provides one of the longest continuous records of ebullitive CH₄ fluxes from a temperate peatland and improves understanding of temporal and spatial patterns in peatland CH₄ emissions, with implications for global carbon budgeting and CH₄ modeling.

Document Type

Master's Thesis

First Advisor

Ruth Varner

Second Advisor

Michael Palace

Third Advisor

Alexandra Contosta

Degree Name

Master of Science

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