Ecosystem scale evapotranspiration and net CO2 exchange from a restored peatland

Abstract An understanding of the symbiotic water and gas exchange processes at the ecosystem scale is essential to the development of appropriate restoration plans of extracted peatlands. This paper presents ecosystem scale measurements of the atmospheric exchange of water and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from a restored vacuum extracted peatland in eastern Québec, utilizing full‐scale micrometeorological measurements of both evaporation and CO 2 . The results indicate that the adopted restoration practices reduce the loss of water from the peat, but CO 2 emissions are ∼25% greater than an adjacent nonrestored comparison site. The blockage of drainage ditches and the existence of a mulch cover at the site keep the moisture conditions more or less constant. Consequently, the CO 2 flux, which is predominantly soil respiration, is strongly controlled by peat temperature fluctuations. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.