Grazing in Arctic peatlands—an unknown agent in the global carbon budget

Abstract

Previous studies have offered strong evidence that grazers alter the vegetation composition and ecosystem carbon (C) balance in ecosystems. In Arctic peatlands, however, the role of grazing has remained largely uninvestigated. Falk et al (2015 Environ. Res. Lett. http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/10/4/045001 10 http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/10/4/045001 ) showed that grazing by muskoxen in a high Arctic mire significantly affected both the vegetation and release of greenhouse gases. This finding highlights the potential of grazers to alter ecosystem processes in Arctic peatlands and, thus, to act as a major player in the global C budget.

Keywords

• grazing
• global C cycling
• methane
• carbon dioxide