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instance, contain 20
30 % of the global carbon supplies. The intensity of CH
4
emissions from the marshes is, on the average, almost 2,000 times weaker than that
of CO
2
.35
-
50 % of all methane emitted from the territory of Russia fall on the
marshes. The West Siberian marshes emit
-
to the atmosphere not more than
10
6
tCH
4
year
−
1
, which does not exceed 1 % of the global CH
4
fl
1.7
×
ux. The
ux F
CH
4
is high, which is determined by diverse
characteristics of the marsh ecosystems. In particular,
spatial heterogeneity of the
fl
the upper oligotrophic
10 mg C m
−
2
h
−
1
(Dementjeva
2000). This estimate is rather approximate, since the scattering of such estimates by
various authors constitutes hundreds of percent. For instance, a drained sphagnous
swamp of the transitional type can emit 142
coniferous-shrubby sphagnous swamps emit 0.9
-
204 g C m
2
h
1
, and the rush-
-
sphagnous bogs
—
83.5
-
309 mg Cm
2
h
1
.
The main mechanism for the formation of methane in a marsh is connected with
the functioning of special groups of microorganisms. Part of methane due to dif-
fusion is emitted to the atmosphere, but most of methane remains in the peat layer
and is gradually emitted to the atmosphere.
Remaking the nature, humankind interferes into the natural biogeochemical
balance of greenhouse gases practically all over the world. One of the aspects of
this remaking is a reduction of the areas of marshes and their transformation into
agricultural
fields. Diverse human agricultural activity adds to the atmosphere 20 %
of all the anthropogenic
flux of greenhouse gases. For instance, in the USA it is
30 %. The stockbreeding contributes considerably to this
fl
flux. In California and
Wisconsin each hectare of pastures emits annually 502 kg CH
4
(or 10,511 kg CO
2
)
and 134 kg CH
4
(or 2,814 kg CO
2
), respectively. In New Zealand such emissions of
CH
4
are estimated at 291 kg CH
4
(or 6,110 kg CO
2
) (Johnson and Ulyatt 2000).
Among the Kyoto Protocol signatories, England takes the ninth place by the
volume of reduced emissions of greenhouse gases. The decreasing trend of methane
emissions is part of the general reduction of emissions of six greenhouse gases (CO
2
,
CH
4
,N
2
O, hydro
fl
uoride) from 1990.
In 2000 the greenhouse emissions decreased by 15 % compared to 1990. By 2010,
the CH
4
emissions will constitute 20,134 t year
−
1
. This reduction will be reached
mainly due to new technologies in processing the wastes and in the coal industry. On
the whole, in England, according to the developed scenario, emissions of methane by
2010 will decrease by 14 % in agriculture, by 82 % in the coal industry, by 29 % in
the oil and gas industry, and by 73 % in wastes processing. The possibility of
realization of this scenario is con
fl
uorocarbons, per
fl
uorocarbons, sulfur hexa
fl
rmed by the CH
4
decreasing trend in 1998
compared to 1990. For instance, during this period, emissions of methane in the coal
industry have decreased by 64 %, and in wastes processing by 29 %. In 1990, the
share of wastes processing in England constituted 32 % of all CH
4
emissions, only
3 % of these emissions being connected with sewage processing.
In agriculture, emissions of CH
4
in England constituted 1,037
10
3
×
t in 1990
10
3
ux F
CH
4
from the
territory of England due to improved technologies in agriculture foresees emissions
of 902
and 998
×
t in 1998. The scenario of reduction of the
fl
10
3
tCH
4
in 2010. The CH
4
emission from burning the agricultural
983
×
-
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