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.