Data from: Predicting peatland carbon fluxes from non-destructive plant traits

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.

1. 随着全球变化驱动因子将影响植物物种组成与生态系统碳（C）循环，明确最能精准预测碳储量的植物性状的重要性日益凸显。尽管泥炭地（peatland）在全球碳循环中发挥着关键作用，但泥炭地内的性状-通量（trait-flux）关系仍相对不明晰。
2. 本研究在加拿大安大略省的一处温带泥炭地中，针对两个生长季内的二氧化碳（CO₂）与甲烷（CH₄）通量，评估了4种非破坏性植物性状的预测能力。我们分析了碳通量与叶面积、叶片持久性（落叶型、常绿型）、生长型（木本、草本）以及通气组织之间的关联。为探究不同数据聚合尺度间可能存在的不一致性，本研究分别从样地、物种、微生境三个尺度对性状展开分析。
3. 二氧化碳通量与叶面积、叶片持久性呈正相关关系，与木本物种占比呈负相关关系；甲烷通量则与通气组织、叶面积呈正相关关系。性状-通量关联的显著性会因数据在样地、物种还是微生境尺度下进行平均而有所差异。
4. 我们建议将叶面积作为非破坏性性状，推广至不适宜进行破坏性性状测量的其他生态系统中。未来或需进一步明晰地上与地下性状间的关联，以借助植物性状更好地解释生态系统呼吸与甲烷通量的变异规律。