The role of pipes in carbon export from peatlands

自上一个冰河时代结束以来，大量大气中的二氧化碳以部分分解的植物遗骸的形式被缓慢地锁在寒冷潮湿的世界北部地区的泥炭土中。如果这个巨大的碳库被释放回大气中，它将导致二氧化碳的显著增加，并释放甲烷，导致进一步的全球变暖。目前，科学家们正试图解开控制地球表面这一大片区域的碳损益的机制。泥炭土的厚度可达5米或以上，其中约90%是水，是英国家庭供水公司的重要资源。虽然人们已经知道泥炭土壤中含有大量的“管道”（自然存在的各种长度和大小的地下管道或空隙），但最近的研究表明，它们在许多英国泥炭地中大量存在。由于泥炭沼泽的排水以及象1976年和1995年在北欧发生的夏季干旱，也可能鼓励管道的发展。由于我们对泥炭中水运动的理解往往排除了管道的作用，因此研究管道在将水和碳（以各种溶解形式和气态形式以及小的水生颗粒）输送到溪流中所起的作用是很重要的。泥炭管道可以提供一条重要的途径，将储存在泥炭中的大量碳库与泥炭地池和溪流连接起来，并可能作为碳泄漏的途径。我们的目标是研究管道如何控制泥炭地的水和碳流失。大部分的研究工作需要三年的时间才能完成，涉及利兹、伦敦和爱丁堡的科学家之间的合作，将在英国北彭尼斯山脉的沼泽屋进行，该集水区已被生态和水文中心指定为碳研究集水区。我们的工作将包括测量管道和溪流中碳和水的浓度和数量。我们将使用技术来确定碳被释放的年龄，从而确定碳从泥炭的哪里来。我们工作的总体目标是帮助科学家更多地了解影响这一重要的全球碳储存的自然过程。

Since the end of the last ice age large amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide have been slowly locked up in peat soils in the cool, wet, northern regions of the world as partially decomposed plant remains. If this huge reservoir of carbon was to be released back in to the atmosphere it would cause a significant rise in carbon dioxide and release methane and result in further global warming. At the moment scientists are trying to unravel the mechanisms that control the losses and gains of carbon from this large area of the Earth's surface. Peat soils, which can be up to 5 m or more in thickness, consist of about 90 % water and are important resources for the companies that supply water to homes in the UK. Although it has been known that peat soils contain large numbers of 'pipes' (naturally occurring sub-surface tubes or voids of various lengths and sizes), it has recently been shown that they occur in extremely large numbers in many UK peatlands. Pipe development may also be encouraged by the drainage of peat bogs and also by periods of summer drought such as those which occurred in 1976 and 1995 in northern Europe. Since much of our understanding about water movement in peats tends to exclude the role of pipes, it is important to investigate the role that they play in delivering water and carbon (in various dissolved and gaseous forms and as small water-borne particles) to streams. Peat pipes could provide an important route to connect the large reservoir of carbon stored in peats to peatland pools and streams, and may act as pathways along which carbon can leak away. We aim to investigate how pipes control the loss of water and carbon from peatlands. Most of the research work, which will take three years to complete and involves collaboration between scientists in Leeds, London and Edinburgh, will be carried out at Moor House in the north Pennines, UK in a catchment that has been designated a carbon study catchment by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. Our work will involve measuring the concentrations and amounts of carbon and water flowing in pipes and streams. We will use techniques that allow us to determine the age of the carbon being released and therefore where in the peat the carbon is coming from. The overall aim of our work is to help scientists to understand more about the natural processes which affect this important global store of carbon.