DOI: 10.5061/dryad.m6n56
title: Data from: Predicting peatland carbon fluxes from non-destructive plant traits

description: 1. Determining the plant traits that best predict carbon (C) storage is
 increasingly important as global change drivers will affect plant species
 composition and ecosystem C cycling. Despite the critical role of
 peatlands in the global C cycle, trait-flux relationships in peatlands are
 relatively unknown. 2. We assessed the ability of four non-destructive
 plant traits to predict carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) fluxes over
 two growing seasons in a temperate peatland in Ontario, Canada. We
 examined relationships between C-fluxes and leaf area, leaf persistence
 (deciduous, evergreen), growth form (woody, herbaceous), and aerenchyma
 tissue. To explore potential inconsistencies between different scales of
 data aggregation, traits were analysed at the level of plots, species and
 microsites. 3. CO2 fluxes showed a positive relationship with leaf area
 and leaf persistence, and a negative relationship with proportion of woody
 species. CH4 fluxes showed a positive relationship with aerenchyma and
 leaf area. The significance of trait-flux relationships differed based on
 whether data were averaged at the level of plot, species or microsite. 4.
 We recommend applying leaf area as a non-destructive trait to other
 systems where it is not ideal to measure traits destructively. A better
 understanding of the relationships between above and belowground traits is
 likely needed to further explain variation in ecosystem respiration and
 CH4 fluxes from plant traits.
description: Data from plots: gas
 fluxes, plant traits, vegetation coverAll data are growing
 season means (May - September) per plot. Description of column headings:
 Microsite = the four microsites (plant community) described in the text.
 Year = 2012 (1), 2013 (2). Msite.Year = to identify the microsites by year
 (1 or 2). Plot = gas sampling plots, sampling for gas fluxes,
 environmental variables, plant traits and vegetation percent cover. logCH4
 = log-transformed methane flux. NEE = net ecosystem CO2 exchange. GEP =
 gross photosynthesis. ER = dark respiration. WT = water table depth (m)
 below the peat surface. T_10 = peat temperature (degrees celsius) at 10 cm
 depth below the peat surface. woody(%) = proportion of woody species in
 the plot. evergreen(%) = proportion of evergreen species in the plot.
 aerenchyma(%) = proportion of species with aerenchyma tissue in the plot.
 LA = total leaf area of the plot (m2 per m2 of ground/plot area).
 Cham(m2m-2) = total leaf area of Chamaedaphne calyculata in the plot.
 Carex(m2m-2) = total leaf area of Carex oligosperma in the plot.
 Sfallax(m2m-2) = total leaf area of Sphagnum fallax in the plot.
 Smag(m2m-2) = total leaf area of Sphagnum magellanicum in the plot.
 Scusp(m2m-2) = total leaf area of Sphagnum cuspidatum in the plot.
 Scap(m2m-2) = total leaf area of Sphagnum capillifolium in the plot.
 Juncus (m2m-2) = total leaf area of Juncus effusus in the plot.
 Kalmia(m2m-2) = total leaf area of Kalmia angustifolia in the plot.
 Rhodo(m2m-2) = total leaf area of Rhododendron groenlandicum in the plot.
 Vacc(m2m-2) = total leaf area of Vaccinium corymbosum in the
 plot.Goud_Moore_Roulet_2017_Dryad_Data.csv