Role of wetland plants in the diurnal control of CH4 and CO2 fluxes in peat

We demonstrate that a major portion of the microbial activities in peat monoliths are driven by photosynthetic processes and that effluxes of CH4 and CO2 are regulated by the surface vegetation. CH4 and CO2 monitored continuously at a depth of 15 cm and in the headspace above the peat showed oscillatory concentration changes over a 24-h cycle. Comparative anatomy of the vegetative organs of tracheophytes associated with the peat bog revealed the presence of an extensive lacunar system in the roots, rhizomes and leaves of several monocotyledonous species; this provides the path of minimal resistance for gas transport in waterlogged peat.