Preservation and restoration of wetlands have the potential to help sequester large amounts of carbon due to the naturally high primary productivity and slow turnover of stored soil carbon. However, the anoxic environmental conditions present in wetland soils are also the largest natural contributor to global methane emissions. Therefore, uptake, storage, and loss of CO₂ and CH₄ need to be carefully considered when evaluating the climate effects of land-use change.

Here we present data using an automated chamber system coupled to a new low power and portable laser-based greenhouse gas analyzer (Picarro GasScouter, G4301). The focus of this presentation will be on the methodological and field deployment benefits of the automated system over a manual system including: improved ability to run on limited in-field power resources; reduced disturbance on the soil during chamber closure; good spatial coverage (30 meters radially); excellent temporal resolution; and, enhanced minimum detectable flux limits. These advantages will be demonstrated through the deployment of the instrumentation at a constructed wetland site in Nova Scotia, Canada, where the system monitored CO₂ and CH₄ fluxes continuously over a 10-day period in August.