Ground-penetrating radar study of the Cena Bog, Latvia: linkage of reflections with peat moisture content

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Karušs, J.

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Present work illustrates results of the ground-penetrating radar (GPR study of the Cena Bog, Latvia. Six sub-horizontal reflections that most probably correspond to boundaries between sediments with different electromagnetic properties were identified. One of the reflections corresponds to bog peat mineral bottom interface but the rest are linked to boundaries within the peat body. The radar profiles are incorporated with sediment cores and studies of peat moisture and ash content, and degree of decomposition. Most of the electromagnetic wave reflections are related to changes in peat moisture content. The obtained data show that peat moisture content changes of at least 3 % are required to cause GPR signal reflection. However, there exist reflections that do not correlate with peat moisture content. As a result, authors disagree with a dominant opinion that all reflections in bogs are solely due to changes in volumetric peat moisture content.

Contribution to the development of peat-bog and history of landscape in the Havellaendische Luch

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mundel, G.; Trettin, R.; Hiller, A.

1983-01-01

By means of the 14 C method a low-bog profile of the Havellaendische Luch measuring 200 cm in depth was dated systematically. The peat formation had started as early as at the end of the late-glacial. Approximately 6000 years ago a stagnation of bog growth had occured and then about 3700 years ago a stronger bog growth had begun again. The change in peat components and thereby in the geological structure is largely attributed to different ground water levels. According to the relatively low total thickness the annual mean rates of accumulation are small. In muddy soils, values between 0.2 and 1.2 mm were ascertained. In peat soils these values are still smaller. But here it is a question of remainders of the protogenic peat formation. As a result of former or recent mineralization the original peat substance has been diminished. (author)

Radiocarbon dating of Sphagnum cellulose from Mohos peat bog, East Carpathians

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Hubay, Katalin; Braun, Mihály; Harangi, Sándor; Palcsu, László; Túri, Marianna; Rinyu, László; Molnár, Mihály

2015-04-01

This work focuses on building a high-resolution age-depth model for quantitative paleoclimate study from the Mohos peat bog, East Carpathians. Peats are important archives for Quaternary science, because they preserve environmental changes. To study the chronology of peat profiles the key is in the precise coring and reliable dating. However, many studies dealing with coring and radiocarbon dating of peat deposits they often shown problems with the proper methods and material. With our novel coring technique we reached undisturbed and uncompressed peat cores from the Mohos bog. A 10 meter deep peat profile was drilled in 2012 using a modified technique of a piston corer. The core presents a continuous peat profile from the last 11.500 cal. yr BP. The chronology was based on AMS radiocarbon analyses of the separated Sphagnum samples from different depths of the profile. The peat samples were wet sieved (40-280 μm) to avoid contamination by rootlets. Dry Sphagnum samples for AMS dating were prepared using the classical acid-base-acid (ABA) method completed with an oxidative bleaching step to get clean cellulose. Sphagnum cellulose samples were converted to CO2 and later graphite and measured by EnvironMICADAS accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) in Hertelendi Laboratory (Debrecen, Hungary). Fine peat accumulation rate changes (sections with lowest accumulation values) were observed along the profile. Based on the chronology in further studies we want to focus special intervals to investigate environmental changes in the Holocene. Key words: peat, radiocarbon, cellulose

DATING RECENT PEAT ACCUMULATION IN EUROPEAN OMBROTROPHIC BOGS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Plicht, Johannes; Yeloff, Dan; van der Linden, Marjolein; van Geel, Bas; Brain, Sally; Chambers, Frank M.; Webb, Julia; Toms, Phillip; Hatté, C.; Jull, A.J.T.

2013-01-01

This study compares age estimates of recent peat deposits in 10 European ombrotrophic (precipitation-fed) bogs produced using the C-14 bomb peak, Pb-210, Cs-137, spheroidal carbonaceous particles (SCPs), and pollen. At 3 sites, the results of the different dating methods agree well. In 5 cores,

Ecology of Coom Rigg Moss, Northumberland. II. The chemistry of peat profiles and the development of the bog system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chapman, S B

1964-01-01

Chemical analyses of peat profiles are described. They demonstrate changes in peat composition at the different stages in the bog's development from the minerotrophic conditions under which fen peat was formed to ombrotrophic conditions under which sphagnum-eriophorum peat was formed. The peats of the eastern sector of the bog are shown to have been minerotrophic until a comparatively late stage in the bog's development due to the surrounding topography allowing phragmites to persist even till the present day. Increased silica and aluminum in the upper peat layers are discussed in terms of increased deposition brought about by the activities of man through deforestation and the production of open habitats.

The new European Competence Centre for Moor and Climate - A European initiative for practical peat bog and climate protection

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Smidt, Geerd; Tänzer, Detlef

2013-04-01

The new European Competence Centre for Moor and Climate (EFMK) is an initiative by different local communities, environmental protection NGOs, agricultural services, and partners from the peat and other industries in Lower Saxony (Germany). The Centre aims to integrate practical peat bog conservation with a focus on green house gas emission after drainage and after water logging activities. Together with our partners we want to break new ground to protect the remaining bogs in the region. Sphagnum mosses will be produced in paludiculture on-site in cooperation with the local peat industry to provide economic and ecologic alternatives for peat products used in horticulture business. Land-use changes are needed in the region and will be stimulated in cooperation with agricultural services via compensation money transfers from environmental protection funds. On a global scale the ideas of Carbon Credit System have to be discussed to protect the peat bogs for climate protection issues. Environmental education is an important pillar of the EFMK. The local society is invited to explore the unique ecosystem and to participate in peat bog protection activities. Future generations will be taught to understand that the health of our peat bogs is interrelated with the health of the local and global climate. Besides extracurricular classes for schools the centre will provide infrastructure for Master and PhD students, as well for senior researchers for applied research in the surrounding moor. International partners in the scientific and practical fields of peat bog ecology, renaturation, green house gas emissions from peat bogs, and environmental policy are invited to participate in the European Competence Center for Moor and Climate.

Increased tree establishment in Lithuanian peat bogs--insights from field and remotely sensed approaches.

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Edvardsson, Johannes; Šimanauskienė, Rasa; Taminskas, Julius; Baužienė, Ieva; Stoffel, Markus

2015-02-01

Over the past century an ongoing establishment of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), sometimes at accelerating rates, is noted at three studied Lithuanian peat bogs, namely Kerėplis, Rėkyva and Aukštumala, all representing different degrees of tree coverage and geographic settings. Present establishment rates seem to depend on tree density on the bog surface and are most significant at sparsely covered sites where about three-fourth of the trees have established since the mid-1990s, whereas the initial establishment in general was during the early to mid-19th century. Three methods were used to detect, compare and describe tree establishment: (1) tree counts in small plots, (2) dendrochronological dating of bog pine trees, and (3) interpretation of aerial photographs and historical maps of the study areas. In combination, the different approaches provide complimentary information but also weigh up each other's drawbacks. Tree counts in plots provided a reasonable overview of age class distributions and enabled capturing of the most recently established trees with ages less than 50 years. The dendrochronological analysis yielded accurate tree ages and a good temporal resolution of long-term changes. Tree establishment and spread interpreted from aerial photographs and historical maps provided a good overview of tree spread and total affected area. It also helped to verify the results obtained with the other methods and an upscaling of findings to the entire peat bogs. The ongoing spread of trees in predominantly undisturbed peat bogs is related to warmer and/or drier climatic conditions, and to a minor degree to land-use changes. Our results therefore provide valuable insights into vegetation changes in peat bogs, also with respect to bog response to ongoing and future climatic changes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Interactions between Nitrogen Fixation and Methane Cycling in Northern Minnesota Peat Bogs

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Warren, M. J.; Gaby, J. C.; Lin, X.; Morton, P. L.; Kostka, J. E.; Glass, J. B.

2014-12-01

Peatlands cover only 3% of the Earth's surface, yet store a third of soil carbon. Increasing global temperatures have the potential to change peatlands from a net sink to a net source of atmospheric carbon. N is a limiting nutrient in oligotrophic Sphagnum-dominated peatlands and biological N2 fixation likely supplies a significant but unknown fraction of N inputs. Moreover, environmental controls on diazotrophic community composition in N-limited peatlands are poorly constrained. Thus, improved understanding of feedbacks between the CH4 and N cycles is critical for predicting future changes to CH4 flux from peat bogs. We coupled measurements of N2 fixation activity measured by the acetylene (C2H2) reduction assay (ARA) with molecular analyses of expression and diversity of nifH genes encoding the molybdenum (Mo)-containing nitrogenase from two peat bogs in the Marcell Experimental Forest, Minnesota, USA. The top 10 cm of peat was sampled from the high CH4 flux S1 bog and the low CH4 flux Zim bog in April and June 2014. Despite similar N concentrations in the top 10 cm of both bogs (0.5-1.0 μM NO2-+NO3- and 2-3 μM NH4+), the S1 bog displayed variable ARA activity (1-100 nmol C2H4 h-1 g-1) whereas the Zim bog had consistently low ARA activity (Methylocella was the dominant diazotroph in the S1 bog based on high throughput next generation sequencing of nifH cDNA amplicons. Given previous reports of C2H2 inhibition of methanotrophy, we measured CH4 consumption in the presence or absence of 1% C2H2. Preliminary results suggest minimal effect of C2H2 on CH4 oxidation. Future measurements of 15N2 incorporation coupled to molecular analysis will elucidate whether methanotroph diazotrophy was suppressed by C2H2 in ARA incubations.

High-resolution records of late-Holocene climate change and carbon accumulation in two north-west European ombrotrophic peat bogs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mauquoy, D; Engelkes, T; Groot, MHM; Markesteijn, F; Oudejans, MG; van der Plicht, J; van Geel, B

2002-01-01

The peat stratigraphy (plant macrofossils, colorimetric humification, pollen/non-pollen microfossils, carbon/nitrogen ratios) of three replicate cores from a raised peat bog in the UK (Walton Moss) and a single core from a raised peat bog in Denmark (Lille Vildmose) were examined in an attempt to

137Cs deposition in peat profiles on a raised bog in central Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosen, K.; Vinichuk, M.; Galan, P.R.; Johanson, K.J.

2009-01-01

Distribution of 137 Cs depositions within peat profiles in open bog and nearby (low pine) sites in raised bog are shown and discussed. A possible involvement of Sphagnum moss in radionuclide binding and retention in such nutrient poor ecosystem is suggested. (au)

Preliminary stable isotope results from the Mohos peat bog, East-Carpathians

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Túri, Marianna; Palcsu, László; Futó, István; Hubay, Katalin; Molnár, Mihály; Rinyu, László; Braun, Mihály

2016-04-01

This work provides preliminary results of an isotope investigation carried out on a peat core drilled in the ombrotrophic Mohos peat bog, Ciomadul Mountain, (46°8'3.60"N, 25°54'19.43"E, 1050 m.a.s.l.), East Carpathians, Romania. The Ciomadul is a single dacitic volcano with two craters: the younger Saint Ana and the older Mohos which is a peat bog, and surrounded by a number of individual lava domes as well as a narrow volcaniclastic ring plain volcano. A 10 m long peat core has been taken previously, and is available for stable oxygen and carbon isotope analysis. It is known from our previous work (Hubay et al., 2015) that it covers a period from 11.500 cal year B.P. to present. The peat bog is composed mainly of Sphagnum, which has a direct relationship with the environment, making it suitable for examine the changes in the surrounding circumstances. Isotopic analysis of the prepared cellulose from Sphagnum moss has the attribute to provide such high resolution quantitative estimates of the past climate and there is no such climate studies in this area where the past climate investigations based on oxygen isotope analysis of the Sphagnum. Oxygen and carbon stable isotope analysis were carried out on the hemicellulose samples, which were chemically prepared for 14C dating and taken from every 30 cm of the 10 m long peat core. The oxygen isotope composition of the precipitation can be revealed from the δ18O values of the prepared cellulose samples, since, while carbon isotope ratio tells more about the wet and dry periods of the past. Studying both oxygen and carbon isotope signatures, slight fluctuations can be seen during the Holocene like some of the six periods of significant climate changes can be seen in this resolution during the time periods of 9000-8000, 6000-5000, 4200-3800, 3500-2500, 1200-1000, and 600-150 cal yr B.P. Additionally, the late Pleistocene - early Holocene environmental changes can be clearly observed as Pleistocene peat samples have

Functioning of microbial complexes in aerated layers of a highmoor peat bog

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Golovchenko, A. V.; Bogdanova, O. Yu.; Stepanov, A. L.; Polyanskaya, L. M.; Zvyagintsev, D. G.

2010-09-01

Monitoring was carried out using the luminescent-microscopic method of the abundance parameters of different groups of microorganisms in a monolith and in the mixed layers of a highmoor peat bog (oligotrophic residual-eutrophic peat soil) in a year-long model experiment. The increase of the aeration as a result of mixing of the layers enhanced the activity of the soil fungi. This was attested to by the following changes: the increase of the fungal mycelium length by 6 times and of the fungal biomass by 4 times and the double decrease of the fraction of spores in the fungal complex. The response of the fungal complex to mixing was different in the different layers of the peat bog. The maximal effect was observed in the T1 layer and the minimal one in the T2 layer. The emission of CO2 in the mixed samples was 1.5-2 times higher than that from the undisturbed peat samples. In contrast with the fungi, the bacteria and actinomycetes were not affected by the aeration of the highmoor layers.

Effects of environmental and anthropogenic determinants on changes in groundwater levels in selected peat bogs of Slowinski National Park, northern Poland

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Chlost, Izabela; Cieśliński, Roman

2018-03-01

The present study focuses on two Baltic-type peat bogs in Slowinski National Park, namely that at Żarnowskie and at Kluki, located in the Lake Łebsko catchment and both characterised by a centrally located dome with a very marshy fringe area featuring an emerging marshy coniferous forest (Vaccinio uliginosi-Pinetum). The Żarnowskie bog is under active protection. A total of 24 flow barriers were installed in drainage ditches during the years 2006 and 2007. The purpose of these barriers was to put a halt to water outflow. In addition, 30 hectares of young pine forest were cleared in order to decrease loss of water via evapotranspiration. Kluki peat bog is only partially protected by Polish law. The lack of efforts to prevent outflow via the canal is due to the fact that the canal is utilised to drain meadows in the vicinity of the village of Łokciowe outside of the national park. Peat formation no longer occurs in this peat bog. The hydrological condition of the bog is catastrophic as a result of its main canal, referred to as Canal C9, which is 2.5 to 3.0 m deep and 10 m wide in places. Both peat bogs are monitored for fluctuations in groundwater. Research has shown that changes in water levels fluctuate based on season of the year and geographical location, which is illustrated quite well using the two studied peat bogs. The water retention rate of the Żarnowskie peat bog may be considered fairly high and is likely to improve due to protective measures enabled by Polish environmental laws. The water retention rate of the bog is consistently improving thanks to these measures, fluctuations in water level are small and the water level does not drop under 0.5 m below ground level even under extreme hydrometeorological conditions. This yields optimum conditions for renewed peat formation in this area. One potential threat is the Krakulice peat extraction facility, which is located in the southern part of the bog close to the boundary with the national park.

Distribution of 35 Elements in Peat Cores from Ombrotrophic Bogs Studied by Epithermal Neutron Activation Analysis

CERN Document Server

Frontasyeva, M V

2004-01-01

In ombrotrophic bogs the surface peat layer is supplied with chemical substances only from the atmosphere. Peat cores from these bogs therefore can be used to study temporal trends in atmospheric deposition of pollutants. In this work epithermal neutron activation analysis was applied for the first time to study the distribution of 35 elements in peat profiles from ombrotrophic bogs. The selected examples were from Finnmark county in northern Norway: one pristine site far from any local pollution source, and another strongly affected by long-term operation of Russian copper-nickel smelters located close to the border. The elements are classified with respect to their behavior in the uppermost 40 cm of the peat, and similarities and differences between the two profiles are discussed. As compared with other more commonly used analytical techniques based on acid decomposition of the sample ENAA has the advantage of providing the total concentrations of the elements.

Biogeochemistry of carbon and related major and trace elements in peat bog soils of the middle taiga of Western Siberia (Russia).

Science.gov (United States)

Stepanova, V. A.; Mironycheva-Tokareva, N. P.; Pokrovsky, O. S.

2012-04-01

Global climate changes impact the status of wetland ecosystems shifting the balances of the carbon, macro-, and microelements cycles. This study aims to establish the features of accumulation and distribution of major- and trace elements in the organic layer of peat bog soils, belonging to different ecosystems of the oligotrophic bog complex located in the middle taiga of Western Siberia (Khanty-Mansiysk region, Russia). Key areas which are selected for this study include the following bog conjugate elementary ecosystems: higher ryam, lower ryam, ridge-hollow complex, and oligotrophic poor fen as characterized previously [1]. We have sampled various peat types along the entire length of the soil column (every 10 cm down to 3 m). Peat samples were analyzed for a wide range of macro- and microelements using an ICP-MS technique following full acid digestion in a microwave oven. These measurements allowed quantitative estimates of major- and trace elements in the peat deposits within the whole bog complex and individual elementary landscapes. Based on the data obtained, the lateral and radial geochemical structures of the bog landscapes were determined and clarified for the first time for middle taiga of the West Siberian plain. The similar regime of mineral nutrition during the complete bog landscape formation was detected for the peat deposits based on the measurements of some major- and trace elements (Ca, Fe, Mg, etc.). The vertical distribution of some major and some trace elements along the profile of peat column is rather uniform with relatively strong increase in the bottom organic layers. This strongly suggests the similarity of the processes of element accumulation in the peat and relatively weak post depositional redistribution of elements within the peat soil profile. Overall, obtained corroborate the existing view on chemical composition of peats being determined by botanical peat's components (which forms this peat deposit), atmospheric precipitation

Peat bogs and their organic soils: Archives of atmospheric change and global environmentalsignificance (Philippe Duchaufour Medal Lecture)

Science.gov (United States)

Shotyk, William

2013-04-01

A bog is much more than a waterlogged ecosystem where organic matter accumulates as peat. Peatlands such as bogs represent a critical link between the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. Plants growing at the surface of ombrotrophic bogs receive nutrients exclusively from the atmosphere. Despite the variations in redox status caused by seasonal fluctuations in depth to water table, the low pHof the waters, and abundance of dissolved organic matter, bogs preserve a remarkably reproducible history of atmospheric pollution, climate change, landscape evolution and human history. For example, peat cores from bogs in Europe and North America have provided detailed reconstructions of the changing rates and sources of Ag, Cd, Hg, Pb, Sb, and Tl, providing new insights into the geochemical cycles of these elements, including the massive perturbations induced by human activities beginning many thousands of years ago. Despite the low pH, and perhaps because of the abundance of dissolved organic matter, bogs preserve many silicate and aluminosilicate minerals which renders them valuable archives of atmospheric dust deposition and the climate changes which drive them. In the deeper, basal peat layers of the bog, in the minerotrophic zone where pore waters are affected bymineral-water interactions in the underlying and surrounding soils and sediments, peat serves as animportant link to the hydrosphere, efficiently removing from the imbibed groundwaters such trace elements as As, Cu, Mo, Ni, Se, V, and U. These removal processes, while incompletely understood, are so effective that measuring the dissolved fraction of trace elements in the pore waters becomes a considerable challenge even for the most sophisticated analytical laboratories. While the trace elements listed above are removed from groundwaters (along with P and S), elements such as Fe and Mn are added to the waters because of reductive dissolution, an important first step in the formation of lacustrine Fe and Mn

Genesis of Spodic Material underneath Peat Bogs in a Danish Wetland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristiansen, Søren Munch; Dalsgaard, Kristian; Thomsen, Ingrid Kaag

2010-01-01

illuviation under a fluctuating water table, or (ii) degradation of a former Fe-rich, well-drained spodic horizon. Methods included soil surveys, wet chemical analyses, micromorphology, pollen analysis, and radiocarbon dating of soil organic matter (OM) fractions. Aquods, and soil material with spodic...... features, were exclusively found in sandy material at the margins of or underneath sphagnum peat bogs, whereas Inceptisols were found on well-drained sandy deposits only. Aluminum content was very high and Fe low in spodic materials with ortstein properties. Solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR....... Radiocarbon ages of bulk soil C in the spodic horizons had mean residence times of 4500 to 4400 yr. Accordingly, the spodic B horizon was probably formed by strong in situ illuviation of Al-OM complexes before the sphagnum peat bog formation. This suggests that spodic material formation and thus strong C...

Dicranochaete quadriseta (Korš. Nov. and Pop. from an oligominerotrophic peat bog in Lower Silesia (South-Western Poland

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Jan Matuła

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Dicranochaete quadriseta (Korš. Nov. and Pop. was collected during investigations of algae from mountain peat bogs of the Sudeten Mts (Poland. The paper describes the morphology, taxanomy, geographical distribution and ecological conditions of this species. This very rare species was found in an oligominerotrophic peat bog called "Topieliska-Zieleniec" near Duszniki (Orlickie Mts.

Distribution and speciation of mercury in the peat bog of Xiaoxing'an Mountain, northeastern China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Ruhai; Wang Qichao; Lu Xianguo; Fang Fengman; Wang Yan

2003-01-01

Peat bogs in northeastern China contain high levels of mercury from atmospheric deposition. - Most reports on mercury (Hg) in boreal ecosystems are from the Nordic countries and North America. Comparatively little information is available on Hg in wetlands in China. We present here a study on Hg in the Tangwang River forested catchment of the Xiaoxing'an Mountain in the northeast of China. The average total Hg (THg) in peat profile ranged from 65.8 to 186.6 ng g -1 dry wt with the highest at the depth of 5-10 cm. THg in the peat surface was higher than the background in Heilongjiang province, the Florida Everglades, and Birkeness in Sweden. MethylHg (MeHg) concentration ranged from 0.16 to 1.86 ng g -1 dry wt, with the highest amount at 10-15 cm depth. MeHg content was 0.2-1.2% of THg. THg and MeHg all decreased with the depth. THg in upland layer of soil (0-20 cm) was comparable to the peat surface, but in deeper layers THg concentration in peat was much higher than that in the forested mineral soil. THg in the peat bog increased, but MeHg decreased after it was drained. THg content in plant was different; THg contents in moss (119 ng g -1 dry wt, n=12) were much higher than in the herbage, the arbor, and the shrubs. The peat bog has mainly been contaminated by Hg deposition from the atmosphere

Geoinformatics meets education for a peat bog information system

Science.gov (United States)

Michel, Ulrich; Fiene, Christina; Plass, Christian

2010-10-01

Within the project "Expedition Bog: Young researchers are experimenting, exploring and discovering" a bog-information- system is developed by the Department of Geography (University of Education Heidelberg, Germany), the Institute for Geoinformatics and Remote Sensing (University of Osnabrueck, Germany; the NABU Umweltpyramide gGmbH. This information system will be available for schools and to the public. It is supplemented by teaching units on various topics around the bog via an online platform. The focus of the project, however, is the original encounter with the bog habitat. This is realized by a GPS scavenger hunt with small research tasks and observations, mapping and experiments. The project areas are the Huvenhoops bog and the Lauenbruecker bog in Rotenburg in Lower Saxony, Germany. Equipped with a researcher backpack, GPS device and a mobile bog book by means of a pocket PC, students can discover different learning stations in the project bogs. In our areas the students can learn more about different topics such as "the historical memory of the bog", "water", "peat moss and other plants" and "animals of the bog". Moreover small inquiry research projects can be executed. Experimenting on site helps students to develop important scientific findings and increases their curiosity and enthusiasm for nature. It also promotes a number of other basic skills such as literacy, language skills, social skills or fine motor skills. Moreover it also fosters the development of a positive attitude to science in general. The main objective of the project is to promote sustainable environmental education, as well as the development of environmental awareness. This will be accomplished through the imparting of knowledge but also through experiencing nature with all senses in the context of original encounters.

Modeling of the carbon dioxide fluxes in European Russia peat bogs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kurbatova, J; Tatarinov, F; Varlagin, A; Shalukhina, N; Olchev, A [A N Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of RAS, Leninsky Prospekt 33, Moscow 119071 (Russian Federation); Li, C, E-mail: kurbatova.j@gmail.co [Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824 (United States)

2009-10-15

A process-based model (Forest-DNDC) was applied to describe the possible impacts of climate change on carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) fluxes from a peat bog in European Russia. In the first step, Forest-DNDC was tested against CO{sub 2} fluxes measured by the eddy covariance method on an oligotrophic bog in a representative region of the southern taiga (56 deg. N 33 deg. E). The results of model validations show that Forest-DNDC is capable of quantifying the CO{sub 2} fluxes from the bog ecosystem. In the second step, the validated model was used to estimate how the expected future changes of the air temperature and water table depth could affect the C dynamics in the bogs. It was shown that a decrease in the water table and an increase in temperature influence significantly the CO{sub 2} exchange between our bog ecosystem and the atmosphere. Under elevated temperature and deepened water table the bog ecosystems could become a significant source of atmospheric CO{sub 2}.

Aged anthropogenic iodine in a boreal peat bog

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maillant, S.; Sheppard, M.I.; Denys, S.; Leclerc Cessac, E.

2004-01-01

Iodine-129 is a radionuclide of major concern in the international safety assessments for deep geological storage and disposal of nuclear waste because it migrates quickly through the geosphere to the biosphere and then from the soil to humans through the food-chain. However, in organic soils the 129 I may be immobilized over a long time period, and so these soils represent a potential accumulation point in the biosphere. Effects of long residence times of iodine in soils are scarce. The present paper gives some insight on the aging of stable iodine, under natural conditions. Stable iodine was introduced as KI in 1987 at the base of a small natural sphagnum bog to simulate arrival of iodine via a groundwater discharge from the geosphere. Previous data revealed the spread of the iodine outwards spatially from the basal spike and also recorded its rise towards the bog surface. Fifteen years later, the groundwater, the soil and the vegetation have been sampled and analyzed for iodine. The results we will present give insight on the mobility of 'aged' iodine with time, the retention properties of the peat, and provide iodine transfer factors for native boreal plant species. The data show iodine: - continues to slowly spread from the spike after 15 years, - is more strongly retained on the solid phase at the surface than at depth, - the chemical structure of the peat may influence the retention of iodine as shown by NMR analysis, - iodine retention has become greater with time, and - herbaceous species are the greatest accumulators. This study demonstrates bogs present good sinks for iodine and limit the transfer of iodine to some of the 'wildlife' food-chains. (author)

Behaviour of carbon dioxide and water vapour flux densities from a disturbed raised peat bog

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nieveen, J.P.; Jacobs, A.F.G.

2002-01-01

Measurements of carbon dioxide and water vapour flux densities were carried out for a disturbed raised peat bog in the north of the Netherlands during an 18 month continuous experiment. Tussock grass (sp. Molinea caerulae) mainly dominated the vegetation of the bog area. The maximum leaf area index

Anomalous concentrations of zinc and copper in highmoor peat bog, southeast coast of Lake Baikal

Science.gov (United States)

Bobrov, V. A.; Bogush, A. A.; Leonova, G. A.; Krasnobaev, V. A.; Anoshin, G. N.

2011-08-01

When examining the peat deposit discovered in Vydrinaya bog, South Baikal region, the authors encountered anomalous Zn and Cu concentrations for highmoors being up to 600-500 ppm on a dry matter basis in the Early Holocene beds (360-440 cm) formed 11 000-8500 years ago. It has been demonstrated that Zn and Cu are present inside the plant cells of peat moss in the form of authigenic sulfide minerals of micron size. Apart from Zn and Cu, native Ag particles (5-7 um) have been encountered in the peat of the Vydrinaya bog at a depth of 390-410 cm; these particles formed inside the organic matter of the plasma membrane of peat moss containing Ca, Al, S, and Cu. This study suggests probable patterns of the formation of zinc sulfides, copper sulfides, and native silver in peat moss. The results obtained indicate that biogenic mineral formation plays a significant role in this system, which is a very important argument in the discussion on the ore genesis, in which physicochemical processes are normally favored, while the role of living matter is quite frequently disregarded.

Towards the identification of dyestuffs in Early Iron Age Scandinavian peat bog textiles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mannering, Ulla; Gleba, Margarita; Vanden Berghe, Ina

2009-01-01

A large systematic dye investigation of prehistoric Danish and Norwegian bog textiles was carried out using high performance liquid chromatography with photo diode array detection. After the selection of the most suitable protocol for dye extraction and HPLC analysis for this specific group of ar...... of biological dye sources in Early Iron Age Scandinavia. The results clearly indicate that most Scandinavian peat bog textiles originally were dyed and that already during the 1st millennium BC, the populations in Scandinavia were familiar with the dyeing technology....

Unexpected differences in butterfly diversity between two peat bogs in the same area

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Klimczuk Przemysław

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Peat bogs are listed among the most threatened habitats in central Europe, a situation that is reflected by, for example, the conservational status of stenotopic butterflies. Even so, this group remains relatively little studied and most of the available data are limited to qualitative records. The present study enabled us to gain insight into the butterfly fauna of the two largest peat bogs in the Knyszyn Forest (NE Poland, i.e. Bagno Moskal and the one in the Jesionowe Góry nature reserve. The sites, only ca 10 km apart, are characterized by similar vegetation (mainly the Ledo-Sphagnetum association. The study was carried out in 2013-2015 using the transect method, i.e. regular counts along fixed routes. A total of 37 species, including three tyrphobionts (Colias palaeno, Plebejus optilete and Boloria eunomia and two tyrphophiles (Callophrys rubi and Boloria euphrosyne, were recorded. The greatest and unexpected differences between the sites were related to the complete absence of P. optilete at Bagno Moskal, the significantly higher abundance of B. eunomia at Jesionowe Góry and the greater abundance of B. euphrosyne at Bagno Moskal. In addition, C. palaeno was observed sporadically and only at Bagno Moskal. There was some heterogeneity in the distribution and density of particular species, however. Ledum palustre was found to be the most important nectar plant, its flowers also being frequently visited by tyrphoneutrals. The present study shows that isolated island-like habitats (e.g. peat bogs may possess specific features and be subject to specific independent changes. The results provide a good basis for further research into the habitat preferences of tyrphophilous and tyrphobiontic butterflies, which is important in the context of their conservation.

Why are there few gas bubbles in deep peat in British raised and blanket peat bogs?

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R.S. Clymo

2015-08-01

Full Text Available (1 There is evidence of gas-filled voids - ‘bubbles’ - in deep (> 50–100 cm peat in North America. (2 I used corers, designed to collect samples of accurately known volume, to sample peat profiles down to maximum depth 700 cm at five varied bog sites in northern England and southern Scotland, and measured the proportion of space apparently occupied by bubbles. (3 Of 126 samples in peat below 50 cm depth, three had bubbles occupying 12–15 % of the volume (and one of these was at only 55 cm depth. The other 123 had apparent bubbles distributed in Gaussian fashion, positively and negatively, about zero proportion of total volume and with standard deviation less than 2 %, consistent with these ‘bubbles’ being measurement error. (4 In northern England and southern Scotland, compared with North America, less variable temperature and cooler summers may lead to concentrations of dissolved gas that are generally too low to allow bubbles to form. Even where bubbles do form in summer, they may re-dissolve at winter temperatures.

Changes of plant cover of the raised peat-bog Baligówka under the influence of human activity

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Malec Magdalena

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The main purpose of the work was to determine the scope and degree of the influence of exploitation on changes of plant cover of the raised peat-bog Baligówka, located in the Orawsko- Nowotarska Valley. The analysis was carried out based on 47 phytosociological surveys using the Braun-Blanquet method. Results of investigations allow to state that excessive drying and fires that took place on the examined object caused wastage of many precious species of plants, especially from the Oxycocco- Sphagnetea class. Their place occupied species belonging to other classes, such as Nardo-Callunetea and Molinio-Arrhenatheretea. The basic cause of drying of the peat-bog and, in consequence, dying of peat formation species is intensified exploitation and connected with this drainage, carried out in the half of the 20th century. Unfortunately, local people up to now illegally have harvested the peat on the investigated object. Decrease in groundwater level leads to accelerated decay of peat, changes in physical and chemical properties of a substratum and, in consequence, changes in trophic values of habitat, what causes great changes in species composition of plant communities.

Halogens in pore water of peat bogs – the role of peat decomposition and dissolved organic matter

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H. Biester

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Halogens are strongly enriched in peat and peatlands and such they are one of their largest active terrestrial reservoir. The enrichment of halogens in peat is mainly attributed to the formation of organohalogens and climatically controlled humification processes. However, little is known about release of halogens from the peat substrate and the distribution of halogens in the peat pore water. In this study we have investigated the distribution of chlorine, bromine and iodine in pore water of three pristine peat bogs located in the Magellanic Moorlands, southern Chile. Peat pore waters were collected using a sipping technique, which allows in situ sampling down to a depth greater than 6m. Halogens and halogen species in pore water were determined by ion-chromatography (IC (chlorine and IC-ICP-MS (bromine and iodine. Results show that halogen concentrations in pore water are 15–30 times higher than in rainwater. Mean concentrations of chlorine, bromine and iodine in pore water were 7–15 mg l−1, 56–123 μg l−1, and 10–20 μg l−1, which correspond to mean proportions of 10–15%, 1–2.3% and 0.5–2.2% of total concentrations in peat, respectively. Organobromine and organoiodine were the predominant species in pore waters, whereas chlorine in pore water was mostly chloride. Advection and diffusion of halogens were found to be generally low and halogen concentrations appear to reflect release from the peat substrate. Release of bromine and iodine from peat depend on the degree of peat degradation, whereas this relationship is weak for chlorine. Relatively higher release of bromine and iodine was observed in less degraded peat sections, where the release of dissolved organic carbon (DOC was also the most intensive. It has been concluded that the release of halogenated dissolved organic matter (DOM is the predominant mechanism of iodine and bromine release from peat.

Iodine dispersion and effects on groundwater chemistry following a release to a peat bog, Manitoba, Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheppard, M.I.; Thibault, D.H.; Smith, P.A.

1989-01-01

The migration and behaviour of I was investigated in a sphagnum bog on the precambrian Shield in eastern Manitoba, Canada. A 6 M solution of K1 was released at the base of the bog to simulate a pulse discharge of contaminated groundwater from a fracture in the granitic rock. A network of piezometer tubes was used to monitor the dispersion of the I and the groundwater chemistry over 1 year. Cores of peat were also taken for analysis to supplement the groundwater data and to investigate the sorption of I. The introduced I dispersed 2 m horizontally and 1 m vertically within a month. After this, the system stabilized and further migration was insignificant. The pattern of I dispersion indicated that the bog hydrology was very complex with flow directions changing substantially with depth. The groundwater concentrations of the major cations rose in response to the mass action effect of K displacing them from reaction sites in the peat. Humic materials in the groundwater decreased in size after the KI release and returned to their pre-release conformation one month later. The geometric mean soil distribution coefficient value, K d , for I in the bog was 1.361/kg, but it was strongly related to pore water concentration. Thus, a single K d value was insufficient for describing the system. (author)

Pore-water indicators of rainwater-dominated versus groundwater-dominated peat bog profiles (Jura Mountains, Switzerland)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shotyk, W.; Steinmann, P.

1994-01-01

The dominant inorganic anions and cations, and dissolved organic carbon have been measured in the pore waters expressed from peat cores taken from two Sphagnum bogs in the Jura Mountains of Switzerland: Etang de la Gruyere (EGr) consists of > 6 m of peat representing more than 12,000 yr of peat formation while at La Tourbiere de Genevez (TGe) approximately 1.5 m of peat have accumulated over the past 5,000 yr. The pore-water analyses of the core taken at EGr show that the first 100 cm of the core are influenced only by atmospheric inputs. Relative to the average composition of rainwater in this area, Na + is enriched throughout the pore-water profiles, K 2+ is neither enriched nor depleted, Mg 2+ is significantly depleted in the deeper pore waters and Ca 2+ strongly depleted through the profile. The dominant process affecting the cations in these waters is ion exchange, with the peats behaving like a simple cation exchanger with ion preference decreasing in the order Ca 2+ >Mg 2+ >H + >K + much-greater than Na + . In contrast, at TGe the pH increases from pH approximately 4 at the surface to pH 5 at 80 cm. The Cl - and K + concentrations are up to 10 times higher than rainwater values because of mixing of the bog pore water with nearby groundwaters. The Mg 2+ and Ca 2+ concentrations increase with depth to concentrations up to 10 times higher than rainwater values, mainly because of the increasing importance of mineral dissolution within the profile

Mid- and late Holocene human impact recorded by the Coltrondo peat bog (NE Italian Alps)

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Segnana, Michela; Poto, Luisa; Gabrieli, Jacopo; Martino, Matteo; Oeggl, Klaus; Barbante, Carlo

2016-04-01

Peat bogs are ideal archives for the study of environmental changes, whether these are natural or human induced. Indeed, receiving water and nutrients exclusively from dry and wet atmospheric depositions, they are among the most suitable matrices for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. The present study is focused on the Eastern sector of the Italian Alps, where we sampled the Coltrondo peat bog, in the Comelico area (ca. 1800 m a.s.l.) The knowledge of the human history in this area is rather scarce: the only pieces of archaeological evidence found in this area dates back to the Mesolithic and the absence of later archaeological finds makes it difficult to reconstruct the human settlement in the valley. With the main aim to obtain information about the human settlement in that area we selected a multi-proxy approach, combining the study of biotic and abiotic sedimentary components archived in the 7900 years-peat bog record. Pollen analysis is performed along the core registering human impacts on the area from ca. 2500 cal BP, when land-use changes are well evidenced by the presence of human-related pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs), as well as by the increase in micro-charcoal particles. Periods of increased human impact are recorded at the end of the Middle Ages and later, at the end of the 19th century. The analysis of trace elements, such as lead, is performed by means of ICP-MS technique and its enrichment factor (EF) is calculated. A first slight increase of Pb EF during Roman Times is possibly related to mining activities carried out by the Romans. Mining activities carried out in the area are registered during the Middle Ages, while the advent of the industrialization in the 20th century is marked by the highest EF values registered on the top of the core. To help and support the interpretation of geochemical data, lead isotopes ratios are also measured using ICP-MS to discriminate between natural and anthropogenic sources of lead. The 206Pb/207Pb

Isolated peat bog habitats and their food connections: parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea) and their lepidopteran hosts

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lozan, Aurel; Spitzer, Karel; Jaroš, Josef

2012-01-01

Roč. 16, č. 3 (2012), s. 391-397 ISSN 1366-638X Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50070508 Keywords : Paleorefugia * relict peat bogs * specific Lepidoptera Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour Impact factor: 1.801, year: 2012 http://www.springerlink.com/content/78u173hn60701033/

Variations in the D/H and 18O/16O ratios in cellulose extracted from a peat bog core

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brenninkmeijer, C.A.M.; Mook, W.G.; Geel, B. van

1982-01-01

A peat core from a raised bog covering the period 3100 to 2400 14 C years B.P. has been analysed for D/H and 18 O/ 16 O ratios. These analyses were applied to cellulose, extracted from 56 successive layers of 1 cm thickness. D/H ratios were determined for the carbon bonded hydrogen; 18 O/ 16 O analyses were performed by applying a new method. For the interpretation of the results obtained on peat, the isotopic ratios of 11 living bog plant species were measured, showing a relatively large scatter. Most pronounced is a depletion in D of about 25per mille and in 18 O of about 5per mille of the Sphagnum mosses relative to the vascular bog plants. This different isotopic composition is reflected by the deltaD and delta 18 O records of the peat core, because the abundance of the remains of non-vascular plants is variable. If this effect is taken account of, the remaining deltaD variations appear to be too large to be attributed to variations in the isotopic compositions of precipitation. As palaeoclimatic indicators the D/H and 18 O/ 16 O ratio qualitatively agree with the pollen analytical evidence for the climatic deterioration of the Subboreal-Subatlantic transition. (orig.)

The occurence of rare and protected plant species on the peat bog near Lake Bikcze (Łęczyńsko-Włodawskie Lakeland

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Magdalena Pogorzelec

2012-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the results of a pilot field study, conducted in July 2007, designed to make floristic evaluation of the peat bog area adjacent to the western shore of Lake Bikcze (Łęczyńsko-Włodawskie Lakeland. The main aim of the study was to confirm the occurrence of populations of rare and legally protected plant species in this area and to identify, on a preliminary basis, habitat conditions in their stands. The occurrence of populations of the following strictly protected plant species: Betula humilis, Salix lapponum, Salix myrtilloides, Carex limosa, Drosera intermedia, Drosera rotundifolia, Dactylorhiza incarnata; and partially protected species: Menyanthes trifoliata, has been confirmed in the studied peat bog. Both an investigation of abiotic factors, conducted in situ, and an analysis of the species composition of the flora in terms of habitat preferences of particular groups of taxa have shown that the described rare plant species find suitable conditions for their growth and development in the studied peat bog.

Integrating the EMPD with an Alpine altitudinal training set to reconstruct climate variables in Holocene pollen records from high-altitude peat bogs

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Furlanetto, Giulia; Badino, Federica; Brunetti, Michele; Champvillair, Elena; De Amicis, Mattia; Maggi, Valter; Pini, Roberta; Ravazzi, Cesare; Vallé, Francesca

2016-04-01

Temperatures and precipitation are the main environmental factors influencing vegetation and pollen production. Knowing the modern climate optima and tolerances of those plants represented in fossil assemblages and assuming that the relationships between plants and climate in the past are not dissimilar from the modern ones, fossil pollen records offer many descriptors to reconstruct past climate variables. The aim of our work is to investigate the potential of high-altitude pollen records from an Alpine peat bog (TBValter, close to the Ruitor Glacier, Western Italian Alps) for quantitative paleoclimate estimates. The idea behind is that high-altitude ecosystems are more sensitive to climate changes, especially to changes in July temperatures that severely affect the timberline ecotone. Meantime, we met with difficulties when considering the factors involved in pollen dispersal over a complex altitudinal mountain pattern, such as the Alps. We used the EMPD-European Modern Pollen Database (Davis et al., 2013) as modern training set to be compared with our high-altitude fossil site. The EMPD dataset is valuable in that it provides a large geographic coverage of main ecological and climate gradients (at sub-continental scale) but lacks in sampling of altitudinal gradients and high-altitude sites in the Alps. We therefore designed an independent altitudinal training set for the alpine valley hosting our fossil site. 27 sampling plots were selected along a 1700m-elevational transect. In a first step, each plot was provided with (i) 3 moss polsters collected following the guidelines provided by Cañellas-Boltà et al. (2009) and analyzed separately to account for differences in pollen deposition at small scale, (ii) morphometrical parameters obtained through a high-resolution DEM, and (iii) temperature and precipitation were estimated by means of weighted linear regression of the meteorological variable versus elevation, locally evaluated for each site (Brunetti et al

Late Holocene palaeohydrological changes in a Sphagnum peat bog from NW Romania based on testate amoebae

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Andrei-Cosmin Diaconu

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the possibility of reconstructing the palaeohydrological changes in an active Sphagnum peat bog from north-western Romania using testate amoebae fauna and organic matter content determined by loss on ignition (LOI. In total 28 taxa of testate amoebae were identified of which 11 were frequent enough to present a remarkable ecological significance. Based on the relative abundance of these taxa nine zones were identified, crossing from very wet to dry climate conditions. The wet periods identified are characterized by taxa like Centropyxis cassis, Amphitrema flavum and Hyalosphenia papilio, while in the dry periods Difflugia pulex and Nebela militaris thrive. We showed that combining qualitative information regarding hydrological preferences with the quantitative percentage data from the fossil record it is possible to obtain information regarding major surface moisture changes from the peat bog surface. Furthermore we identified a link between distribution of testate amoebae assemblages, organic matter variation and minerogenic material.

Effect of nitrogen fertilization, grass species and cultivar on sod production on Valkeasuo peat bog - a case study

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Perttu Virkajärvi

1997-09-01

Full Text Available As part of a research project concerning the agricultural utilization of cut-away peat bogs, a sod production experiment was conducted at Valkeasuo, Tohmajärvi, in 1990-1993. The aim of the experiment was to study the effect of nitrogen and choice of cultivar on sod production and sod quality on peat bogs. The N fertilization rates were 50, 100 and 150kg ha-1. The Poa pratensis cultivars were ‘Conni’, ‘Cynthia’, ‘Haga’ and ‘Julia’, the Festuca rubra cultivars were ‘Center’, ‘Juliska’, ‘Koket’ and ‘Näpsä’ and the Agrostis capillaris cultivar was ‘Rasti’. Two mixtures of P. pratensis/F. rubra and one of A. capillaris/F. rubra imitated commercial sod products. Increasing of N fertilization from 50 kg up to 150 kg ha-1 a had positive effect on general the quality of sod as well as on the green cover before and after transplanting. It increased the thatch formation. The positive effect of N on the number of tillers and green cover in the year following transplanting was dependent on the species and the cultivar. Species and cultivar affected all measured variables excluding thatch formation. Generally, the P. pratensis cultivars tested suited better for sod production than cultivars of F. rubra, but there were clear differences between cultivars within species as well. Although the soil was infertile, the contents of Ca, K, Mg, P, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo and Zn in the herbage samples were within normal range. The botanical purity was high, which supports the hypothesis that the absence of seed bank of weeds on peat bogs immediately after harvesting the peat can be utilized.

Pedochronology and development of peat bog in the environmental protection area pau-de-fruta - Diamantina, Brazil

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José Ricardo da Rocha Campos

2010-12-01

Full Text Available In the region of the Serra do Espinhaço Meridional, peat bog is formed in hydromorphic environments developed in sunken areas on the plain surfaces with vegetation adapted to hydromorphic conditions, favoring the accumulation and preservation of organic matter. This pedoenvironment is developed on the regionally predominant quartzite rocks. Peat bog in the Environmental Protection Area - APA Pau-de-Fruta, located in the watershed of Córrego das Pedras, Diamantina,Brazil, was mapped and three representative profiles were morphologically characterized and sampled for physical, chemical and microbiological analyses. The organic matter was fractionated into fulvic acid (FA, humic acids (HA and humin (H. Two profiles were sampled to determine the radiocarbon age and δ13C. The structural organization of the three profiles is homogeneous. The first two layers consist of fibric, the two subsequent of hemic and the four deepest of sapric peat, showing that organic matter decomposition advances with depth and that the influence of mineral materials in deeper layers is greater. Physical properties were homogeneous in the profiles, but varied in the sampled layers. Chemical properties were similar in the layers, but the Ca content, sum of bases and base saturation differed between profiles. Contents of H predominated in the more soluble organic matter fractions and were accumulated at a higher rate in the surface and deeper layers, while HA levels were higher in the intermediate and FA in the deeper layers. Microbial activity did not vary among profiles and was highest in the surface layers, decreasing with depth. From the results of radiocarbon dating and isotope analysis, it was inferred that bog formation began about 20 thousand years ago and that the vegetation of the area had not changed significantly since then.

Regulation of nitrogen removal and retention in sphagnum bogs and other peatlands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Damman, A.W.H.

1988-01-01

Nitrogen concentrations range from 0.3-l.3% in ombrotrophic peat of raised bogs. Within ombrogenous bogs, the N concentration of the peat increases in oceanic regions, with the highest concentrations found in blanket bogs on Southern Hemisphere islands. In minerotrophic peat, N concentrations increase with age (depth) as in upland humus. In this paper, I propose that N immobilization is truncated at low levels in ombrotrophic peat because 1) microbial activity is reduced well below that determined by environmental conditions, and 2) N is not limiting decay, in spite of low N concentrations. Consequently, net mineralization of N occurs at C:N quotients 80 to over 100 in inland raised bogs. Nutrient deficiency, probably P deficiency, appears to limit microbial activity and N immobilization. The increased N immobilization in oceanic bogs is attributed to higher Mg inputs that stimulate the biochemical release of P by enzymatic catalysis, and hence increase microbial activity. In ombrotrophi bogs, peat formed during periods of slow accumulation and long residence in the acrotelm has the highest N concentrations but, paradoxically, has also lost more of its original N content than peat that accumulated rapidly. Irregular changes in the anaerobic peat reflect conditions of decay when the peat was in the acrotelm. In a dated profile, N losses were largest during the last 2000 yr. This indicates a change in environmental conditions in the surface peat. Presumably, during this period the bog reached its maximum elevation with respect to the water mound that can be maintained in the peat under the present climatic conditions, and N losses increased as peat accumulation decreased. (author)

Fine-root growth in a forested bog is seasonally dynamic, but shallowly distributed in nutrient-poor peat

Science.gov (United States)

Colleen M. Iversen; Joanne Childs; Richard J. Norby; Todd A. Ontl; Randall K. Kolka; Deanne J. Brice; Karis J. McFarlane; Paul J. Hanson

2017-01-01

Background and aims. Fine roots contribute to ecosystem carbon, water, and nutrient fluxes through resource acquisition, respiration, exudation, and turnover, but are understudied in peatlands. We aimed to determine how the amount and timing of fine-root growth in a forested, ombrotrophic bog varied across gradients of vegetation density, peat...

Microclimate of a peat bog and of the forest in different states of damage in the Šumava National Park

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hojdová, M.; Hais, M.; Pokorný, Jan

2005-01-01

Roč. 11, č. 1 (2005), s. 13-24 ISSN 1211-7420 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60870520 Keywords : dying forest * microclimate * peat bog * remote sensing * temperature amplitude Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour

Zavarzinella formosa gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel stalked, Gemmata-like planctomycete from a Siberian peat bog

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kulichevskaya, I.S.; Baulina, O.I.; Bodelier, P.L.E.; Rijpstra, W.I.C.; Sinninghe Damsté, J.S.; Dedysh, S.N.

2009-01-01

An aerobic, pink-pigmented, budding and rosette-forming bacterium was isolated from an acidic Sphagnum peat bog and designated strain A10T. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain A10T was a member of the order Planctomycetales and belonged to a phylogenetic lineage defined by the

Water and peat chemistry comparisons of natural and peat-harvested peatlands across Canada and their relevance to peatland restoration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Windmulder, H.L.; Rochefort, L.; Vitt, D.H.

1996-01-01

Water and peat chemistry comparisons of four post-harvested and neighbouring, undisturbed peatlands across Canada show that harvesting alters chemical conditions. Commercial harvesting removes the surface peat and exposes layers farther down the peat deposit. The newly exposed peat layers that were formed in earlier developmental stages of the peatland can be more minerotrophic and/or more variable in chemical composition than undisturbed bog peat. All the harvested sites were originally bogs. Only one site, which had minimal peat removed, presently has chemical conditions somewhat similar to the original surface, with low elemental levels typical of bogs. Two sites are now chemically similar to poor fens and one site is similar to a moderate-rich fen. Levels of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulphate and chloride in three of the harvested sites are higher than normal values found in natural, unharvested bogs, and result from the exposure of fen peat. Higher levels of ammonium-nitrogen and nitrate-nitrogen in the peat and water of all the harvested sites are present, with higher ammonium associated with wetter sites and higher nitrate levels associated with drier sites

Effect of fire on phosphorus forms in Sphagnum moss and peat soils of ombrotrophic bogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Guoping; Yu, Xiaofei; Bao, Kunshan; Xing, Wei; Gao, Chuanyu; Lin, Qianxin; Lu, Xianguo

2015-01-01

The effect of burning Sphagnum moss and peat on phosphorus forms was studied with controlled combustion in the laboratory. Two fire treatments, a light fire (250 °C) and a severe fire (600 °C), were performed in a muffle furnace with 1-h residence time to simulate the effects of different forest fire conditions. The results showed that fire burning Sphagnum moss and peat soils resulted in losses of organic phosphorus (Po), while inorganic phosphorus (Pi) concentrations increased. Burning significantly changed detailed phosphorus composition and availability, with severe fires destroying over 90% of organic phosphorus and increasing the availability of inorganic P by more than twofold. Our study suggest that, while decomposition processes in ombrotrophic bogs occur very slowly, rapid changes in the form and availability of phosphorus in vegetation and litter may occur as the result of forest fires on peat soils. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The genesis, stratigraphy and age of Finnish peat deposits. Soiden syntvy, rakenne ja ikae Suomessa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Glueckert, G [Turun yliopisto (Finland). Maaperaegeologian osasto

1986-01-01

The genesis, stratigraphy and age of Finnish peat deposits are briefly described. Finnish peats are classified according to their botanical composition to Sphagnum, sedge (Carex) and wood peats. They form complex types of peat land: the ombrotrophic raised bogs in southern Finland and the minerotrophic open sedge (aapa) bogs in northern Finland. The structural bog types in the geological classification are mainly composed of Sphagnum and Carex peats. The raised bogs are predominantly built up of Sphagnum peat, the aapa bogs of Carex peat. The bogs are formed by paludification of lakes, of rising coasts or of low-lying forests. The thickness of peat varies from 3 to 8 m in southern Finland and from 1 to 3 m in northern Finland. The age of the bogs varies according to the uplift of land and the altitude of the bog gasin above sea level. The oldest bogs are 9500-10000 years old and formed in southern and eastern Finland on high-lying upland tracts just after the retreat of the ice at the end of the last glaciation. The geological and palaeontological development of bogs and the history of climate and vegetation can be studied and dated pollenanalytically and with the radiocarbon method.

The Effect of Long-term Nutrient Addition on Peat Properties in an Ombrotrophic Bog

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, T. R.; Bubier, J. L.; Knorr, K. H.; Roy, C.

2017-12-01

Atmospheric inputs of nutrients, particularly N and P, to ecosystems have increased and may have a significant effect on nutrient-deficient peatlands such as bogs. At the Mer Bleue ombrotrophic bog near Ottawa, Canada, we have conducted an experiment over 10 to 20 years by adding 1.6 to 6.4 g N m-2 yr-1 (as NH4NO3), with/without 6 g P m-2 yr-1 (as K phosphate), to evaluate the effect of increased inputs on ecosystem functions. Increased N and P amendment has changed the vegetation from a mixed shrub-Sphagnum community into one dominated by shrubs with the disappearance of mosses, with changes in plant production and litter input. The largest N and P amendments have resulted in an increase in bulk density at 0-10 cm and a lowering of the peat surface by 10 to 20 cm, creating an effective rise in the water table and an increase in CH4 emission from 15 to 50 mg m-2 d-1. Peat cores to a depth of 40 cm were collected after 10 to 15 yr of amendment and showed little change in soil pH (range 4.1 to 4.5). There were substantial increases in the concentration of N and P in the peat (8 to 14 and 0.5 to 1.5 mg g-1, respectively) and general decreases in Ca and Mg concentration. The von Post humification index increased by about 1 unit in the heavily fertilized plots, with shrub leaves replacing Sphagnum as the primary litterfall. FTIR analysis of the 0-20 cm peat showed significant increases in abundance of phenolic+aliphatic, aromatic, and carboxylic relative to polysaccharide components, revealed by the following ratios of absorbance at the respective wavenumbers: 1420/1090 cm-1, 0.41 to 0.45; 1510/1090 cm-1, 0.23 to 0.30; 1630/1090 cm-1, 0.53 to 0.65; and 1720/1090 cm-1, 0.44 to 0.48, respectively. Laboratory incubations of peat samples showed that potential rates of aerobic CH4 consumption were unaffected by nutrient treatment, apart from position relative to the water table, whereas potential rates of anaerobic CH4 production near the water table increased under the P

Relationship between peat geochemistry and depositional environments, Cranberry Island, Maine

Science.gov (United States)

Raymond, R.; Cameron, C.C.; Cohen, A.D.

1987-01-01

The Heath, Great Cranberry Island, Maine, offers a unique locality for studying lateral and vertical relationships between radically different peat types within 1 km2. The majority of The Heath is a Sphagnum moss-dominated raised bog. Surrounding the raised bog is a swamp/marsh complex containing grass, sedge, Sphagnum moss, alder, tamarack, and skunk cabbage. Swamp/ marsh-deposited peat occurs both around the margins of The Heath and under Sphagnum-dominated peat, which was deposited within the raised bog. A third peat type, dominated by herbaceous aquatics, is present underlying the swamp/marsh-dominated peat but is not present as a dominant botanical community of The Heath. The three peat types have major differences in petrographic characteristics, ash contents, and associated minerals. Sulfur contents range from a low of 0.19 wt.% (dry) within the raised bog to a high of 4.44 wt% (dry) near the west end of The Heath, where swamp/marsh peat occurring directly behind a storm beach berm has been influenced by marine waters. The presence of major geochemical variations within a 1-km2 peat deposit suggests the need for in-depth characterization of potential peat resources prior to use. ?? 1987.

Understanding the mechanics of processes of recolonization of vegetation in mined peat bogs; Comprendre la mecanique du processus de recolonisation vegetale des tourbieres exploitees

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Campbell, D. [Laval University, Quebec, QC (Canada). Department of Biology

2002-07-01

The recolonization process in abandoned milled peat bogs was studied to determine why the recolonization of such sites is difficult. The process was considered as a series of environmental filters where only those species with suitable ecological characteristics survive. Several species of mosses, ericaceous shrubs, and trees were studied. The stability of milled peat surfaces was examined with regard to wind erosion potential as a function of decomposition, surface roughness of milled peats, and milled peat substrate stability in a second field study. The germination of and establishment potential of vascular plants was examined in a third study.

Seasonal methane dynamics in three temperate grasslands on peat

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schäfer, Carolyn; Elsgaard, Lars; Hoffmann, Carl Christian

2012-01-01

Background and Aims Drained peatlands are considered to be insignificant CH4 sources, but the effect of drainage on CH4 dynamics has not been extensively studied. We investigated seasonal dynamics of CH4 in two fen peat soils and one bog peat soil under permanent grassland in Denmark. Methods Soil......, even though soil CH4 concentrations of up to 155 and 1000 μmol CH4 dm−3 were measured in one of the fen peats and in the bog peat, respectively. Significant CH4 concentrations were observed above the water table. Methane production assays confirmed the presence of viable methanogens in the upper parts...... of the bog peat soil. The aerenchymous plant Juncus effusus L. liberated CH4 from the peat at rates of up to 3.3 mg CH4 m−2 h−1. No CH4 dynamics were observed in the second fen peat which, in contrast to the other two sites, had high sulfate concentrations. Conclusions Peat type and the distribution...

Holocene climate variability in the western Mediterranean through a multiproxy analysis from Padul peat bog (Sierra Nevada, Spain)

Science.gov (United States)

Ramos-Román, María J.; Jiménez-Moreno, Gonzalo; Camuera, Jon; García-Alix, Antonio; Anderson, R. Scott; Jiménez-Espejo, Francisco J.; Sachse, Dirk

2017-04-01

The Iberian Peninsula, located in the Mediterranean area, is an interesting location for paleoclimate studies due to its geographic situation between arid and humid climates. Sediments from peat bogs and lakes from Sierra Nevada, in southeastern Iberian Peninsula, have been very informative in terms of how vegetation and wetland environments were impacted by Holocene climate change. These studies are essential if we want to understand the past climate change in the area, which is the key to identify the possible environmental response of the Sierra Nevada ecosystems to future climate scenarios. Padul basin, located in the southwest of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, contains a ca. 100 m-thick peat bog sedimentary sequence that was deposited during the past 1 Ma making this area interesting for paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic reconstructions. A new 43 m-long sedimentary record has recently been retrieved from the Padul peat bog. In this study we have developed a multiproxy analysis of the Holocene part of the Padul-15-05 core including pollen analysis, XRF-core scanner, magnetic susceptibility and organic geochemistry, supported by an age control based on AMS radiocarbon dates, providing with information about vegetation and climate variability during the past 9.9 cal ka BP. This multiproxy reconstruction of the Padul-15-05 evidences the Mediterranean as a sensitive area with respect to global-scale climate system, showing relevant climate episodes such as the ca. 8, 7.5, 6.5 and 5.5 cal ka BP events during the early and middle Holocene. The trend to aridification to the late Holocene is interrupted by more arid and humid periods as the Iberian Roman Humid Period (from ca. 3 to 1.6 cal ka BP), the Dark Ages (from ca. 1.5 to 1.1 cal ka BP), the Medieval Climate Anomaly (from ca. 1.1 to 1.3 cal ka BP) and the Little Ice Age period (from ca. 500 to 100 cal yr BP).

Water exchange in raised bogs: revised views especially in relation to biogeochemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Sirin, Andrey; Kravchenko, Irina; Yurova, Alla; Markina, Anastasiya

2017-04-01

Raised bogs are one of the most common and exciting mire type within the boreal zone and appear in the other zones including mountain regions in the tropics. They receive water and nutrients from the atmosphere and pore water stored in their domes is spaced above the surrounding area (up to 10 m in height). Traditionally it is assumed that water flow occurs mainly in a peat layer near to the surface and water transport is negligible in deeper layers (lvanov, 1981; Ingram, 1982; etc.). The «acrotelm/catotelm» paradigm on active and inert horizons for the peat above and below the lowest water level is still widely spread in peatland hydrology. However, recent studies have shown that deep water movement is much more dynamic in raised bogs than was previously thought (Sirin et al., 1997, Reeve et al., 2000; etc.). Relying on isotope studies we conclude that all the mounded strata of the raised bogs have relatively active water exchange although water residence time changes with depth. The study included two raised bogs, representing different typical hydrological conditions (underlain by outwash sands and moraine clay) at the Zapadnaya Dvina Peatland Field Station of the Institute of Forest Science RAS located 400 km west of Moscow (56 N, 32 E). Peatlands, among which raised bogs dominate, constitute > 30% of the area, and maximum peat thickness exceeds 7 m. To evaluate water residence time in peat strata specially determined mathematical model which include the equations of water mass and tritium balance, imbedded in a conceptual framework of water dynamics within a raised bog peat body, have been developed and tested. The results from isotope studies (3H, 18O, 2H) were additionally supported by geochemical (pH, Eh, electrical conductivity) and temperature long term monitoring, as well as dissolved CO2 and CH4 monitoring within vertical profiles of the studied raised bogs (Sirin et al., 1998). Later it was also supported by microbiology data of methane cycle in the

Synanthropization of the Baltic-type raised bog “Roby” (NW Poland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sotek Zofia

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Raised and transitional peat bogs, despite their considerable resistance to synanthropization, as a result of anthropogenic transformations are exposed to the colonisation by alien species. One of them is the peatland “Roby”, where, in the years 2007-2009 and 2014, floristic, phytosociological and soil studies were carried out in order to record the signs of ongoing synanthropization. Conducted observations and analyses indicated that the expansion of willows has taken place and at present they occupy a large part of the bog, encroaching into bog birch forest and successfully competing with Myrica gale. Progressive peat mineralisation and constructed surfaced roads within the bog, contributed to the appearance and wide distribution of synanthropic species, such as: Urtica dioica, Impatiens parviflora and Spiraea salicifolia. Raised bog communities and their characteristic species occur on a few fragments of the bog, in north-western part, where water regime is shaped mainly by precipitation and peat deposit is fairly well-preserved. At the same time, in the patches of these communities, a distinct unfavourable increase in the share of Molinia caerulea is observed.

[Methanotrophic bacteria of acid sphagnum bogs].

Science.gov (United States)

Dedysh, S N

2002-01-01

Acid sphagnum bogs cover a considerable part of the territory of Russia and are an important natural source of biogenic methane, which is formed in their anaerobic layers. A considerable portion of this methane is consumed in the aerobic part of the bog profile by acidophilic methanotrophic bacteria, which comprise the methane filter of sphagnum bogs and decrease CH4 emission to the atmosphere. For a long time, these bacteria escaped isolation, which became possible only after the elucidation of the optimal conditions of their functioning in situ: pH 4.5 to 5.5; temperature, from 15 to 20 degrees C; and low salt concentration in the solution. Reproduction of these conditions and rejection of earlier used media with a high content of biogenic elements allowed methanotrophic bacteria of two new genera and species--Methylocella palustris and Methylocapsa acidophila--to be isolated from the peat of sphagnum bogs of the northern part of European Russia and West Siberia. These bacteria are well adapted to the conditions in cold, acid, oligotrophic sphagnum bogs. They grow in a pH range of 4.2-7.5 with an optimum at 5.0-5.5, prefer moderate temperatures (15-25 degrees C) and media with a low content of mineral salts (200-500 mg/l), and are capable of active nitrogen fixation. Design of fluorescently labeled 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes for the detection of Methylocella palustris and Methylocapsa acidophila and their application to the analysis of sphagnum peat samples showed that these bacteria represent dominant populations of methanotrophs with a density of 10(5)-10(6) cells/g peat. In addition to Methylocella and Methylocapsa populations, one more abundant population of methanotrophs was revealed (10(6) cells/g peat), which were phylogenetically close to the genus Methylocystis.

Global peat resources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lappalainen, E. [ed.] [Geological Survey of Finland (Finland)

1996-12-31

The book provides a detailed review of the world`s peat and peatland resources and their role in the biosphere. It was compiled by 68 peat experts. Reports present the valuable mire ecosystem, its characteristics, and the use of peatlands. Maps and photographs illustrate the distribution of mines and their special characteristics, including raised bogs, aapa mires, blanket bogs, mangrove swamps, swamp forests etc. The book contains a total of 57 chapters, the bulk of then giving surveys of peat resources and use in individual countries. They are grouped under the headings: peatlands in biosphere; general review; Europe; Asia; Africa; North America; Central and South America; Australia (and New Zealand); and use of peatlands. One chapter has been abstracted separately for the IEA Coal Research CD-ROM. 7 apps.

Field Simulation of Global Change: Transplanting Northern Bog Mesocosms Southward

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Breeuwer, A.J.G.; Heijmans, M.M.P.D.; Robroek, B.J.M.; Berendse, F.

2010-01-01

A large proportion of northern peatlands consists of Sphagnum-dominated ombrotrophic bogs. In these bogs, peat mosses (Sphagnum) and vascular plants occur in an apparent stable equilibrium, thereby sustaining the carbon sink function of the bog ecosystem. How global warming and increased nitrogen

Long-term recovery of peat bogs oiled by pipeline spills in northern Alberta

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blenkinsopp, S.; Sergy, G.

1996-01-01

Sites in northern Alberta, in which oil spills occurred more than 23 years ago, were revisited. The Nipisi spill occurred when a rupture in the underground oil pipeline leaked 60,000 barrels of crude into a 25 acre bog, with very little drainage. It was one of the largest spills in Canadian history. The Rainbow spill was into a fen that was draining by subsurface seepage. Treatments at the time included burning, tilling, and fertilizer addition. The sites were revisited in order to take samples and to evaluate both the natural and enhanced recovery and the effectiveness of the cleanup techniques. The long-term persistence of oil residues and changes in oil character resulting from weathering and biodegradation over time, were studied. Results showed that samples of oil residue and vegetation were still highly contaminated with oil which was heavily degraded. Subsurface samples were contaminated but the oil was only slightly degraded. The Nipisi site still had large areas devoid of vegetation. The unique drainage of peat bogs and the influence it has on rehabilitation was described. It was concluded that although the sites are recovering, they are doing so at a very slow pace and will require some more time to be complete. 12 refs., 4 tabs., 9 figs

Recent atmospheric lead deposition recorded in an ombrotrophic peat bog of Great Hinggan Mountains, Northeast China, from 210Pb and 137Cs dating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bao, K.; Xia, W.; Lu, X.; Wang, G.

2010-01-01

Radioactive markers are useful in dating lead deposition patterns from industrialization in peat archive. Peat cores were collected in an ombrotrophic peat bog in the Great Hinggan Mountains in Northeast China in September 2008 and dated using 210 Pb and 137 Cs radiometric techniques. The mosses in both cores were examined systematically for dry bulk density, water and ash content. Lead also was measured using atomic emission spectroscopy with inductively coupled plasma (ICP-AES). Both patterned peat profiles were preserved well without evident anthropogenic disturbance. Unsupported 210 Pb and 137 Cs decreased with the depth in both of the two sample cores. The 210 Pb chronologies were established using the constant rate of supply model (CRS) and are in good agreement with the 137 Cs time marker. Recent atmospheric 210 Pb flux in Great Hinggan Mountains peat bog was estimated to be 337 Bq m -2 y -1 , which is consistent with published data for the region. Lead deposition rate in this region was also derived from these two peat cores and ranged from 24.6 to 55.8 mg m -2 y -1 with a range of Pb concentration of 14-262 μg g -1 . The Pb deposition patterns were consistent with increasing industrialization over the last 135-170 y, with a peak of production and coal burning in the last 50 y in Northeast China. This work presents a first estimation of atmospheric Pb deposition rate in peatlands in China and suggests an increasing trend of environmental pollution due to anthropogenic contaminants in the atmosphere. More attention should be paid to current local pollution problems, and society should take actions to seek a balance between economic development and environmental protection.

Treatment of peat bogs harvested by deep digging technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoernsten, L.

1992-06-01

The aim of this study is to describe how peat bogs harvested by deep digging technique can be treated after harvesting has come to an end. The study points out treatment methods, how the treatments are carried out and to indicate the most appropriate method of harvest for optimum results. Costs and benefits are calculated for the methods involving cultivation. The knowledge gained from traditional peat harvesting technique indicate forestry, energy wood production and establishment of ponds as possible alternatives. Energy grass cultivation and establishments of game parks have not been tested. but are assumed to be viable on suitable sites. Establishment of duck ponds are also possible, even though conditions for these are better on firm ground. In this study spruce is estimated to produce 200 cubic meters during 105 year whilst pine produces 300 cubic meters. Calculations for pine and spruce estimate costs of respectively 17000 and 18000 SEK per hectare after 105 years. Energy wood production is estimated to be 11.6 tons dry matter per hectare and year which gives a net cost of 19000 SEK per hectare. Similarly energy grass cultivation results in an average annual harvest of 6.5 ton dry matter and a cost of 59000 SEK per hectare. If the results are applied to three specific cases, then forest cultivation and establishment of ponds are possible in all cases. Neither energy wood nor energy grass are appropriate in any of the three regions. At the particular site for this study all methods mentioned are possible. Depending on whether draining leads to a high or low water table, the most appropriate course would be the establishment of a pond respectively a game park of forest cultivation. (59 refs., 12 tabs., 4 figs.)

GPR attenuation analyses using spectral ratios of primary and multiple arrivals: examples from Welsh peat bogs

Science.gov (United States)

Booth, A.; Carless, D.; Kulessa, B.

2014-12-01

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is widely applied to qualitative and quantitative interpretation of near-surface targets. Surface deployments of GPR most widely characterise physical properties in terms of some measure of GPR wavelet velocity. Wavelet amplitude is less-often considered, potentially due to difficulties in measuring this quantity: amplitudes are distorted by the anisotropic radiation pattern of antennas, and the ringy GPR wavelet can make successive events difficult to isolate. However, amplitude loss attributes could provide a useful means of estimating the physical properties of a target. GPR energy loss is described by the bandwidth-limited quality factor Q* which, for low-loss media, is proportional to the ratio of dielectric permittivity, ɛ, and electrical conductivity, σ. Comparing the frequency content of two arrivals yields an estimate of interval Q*, but only if they are sufficiently distinct. There may be sufficient separation between a primary reflection and its long-path multiple (i.e. a 'repeat path' of the primary reflection) therefore a dataset that is rich in multiples may be suitable for robust Q* analysis. The Q* between a primary and multiple arrival describes all frequency-dependent loss mechanisms in the interval between the free-surface and the multiple-generating horizon: assuming that all reflectivity is frequency-independent, Q* can be used to estimate ɛ and/or σ. We measure Q* according to the spectral ratio method, for synthetic and real GPR datasets. Our simulations are performed using the finite-difference algorithm GprMax, and represent our example data of GPR acquisitions over peat bogs. These data are a series of 100 MHz GPR acquisitions over sites in the Brecon Beacons National Park of South Wales. The base of the bogs (the basal peat/mineral soil contact) is often a strong multiple-generating horizon. As an example, data from Waun Ddu bog show these events lagging by ~75 ns: GPR velocity is measured here at 0

Evaluation of ecological constraints on peat mining in New Brunswick

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gautreau-Daigle, H

1990-07-01

A study was undertaken to obtain baseline information on moose and waterfowl usage of peatlands in the Escuminac bog complex in New Brunswick, in order to determine the impact of existing peat mining activities and to assist in making decisions regarding future resource development. The bog complex comprises a relatively large number of freshwater ponds which support breeding populations for waterfowl and serve as staging areas during bird migrations. Aerial surveys were carried out to quantify the use of these ponds by waterfowl and to determine changes in their level of use as a result of peat extraction. Results indicate that usage of ponds by birds seems mostly limited to staging and migration, except for black and ring-necked ducks. Those species are the most significant users of bog ponds and have been found to breed and raise young in the ponds. Some areas were found to get more waterfowl than others, but this was not shown to be related to peat mining activity. Active mined areas were devoid of waterfowl, but this area was a relatively small portion of the total bog area. The moose survey examined moose activity in a control area (without peat mining) and a representative bog area where peat mining occurred. Results do not indicate a difference in the moose activity patterns between the two areas. 9 refs., 25 figs., 17 tabs.

Atmospheric lead and heavy metal pollution records from a Belgian peat bog spanning the last two millenia: Human impact on a regional to global scale

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vleeschouwer, Francois de [URAP, Departement de Geologie, Universite de Liege, Allee du 6 Aout B18 Sart Tilman B4000 - Liege (Belgium)]. E-mail: fdevleeschouwer@student.ulg.ac.be; Gerard, Laetitia [URAP, Departement de Geologie, Universite de Liege, Allee du 6 Aout B18 Sart Tilman B4000 - Liege (Belgium); Goormaghtigh, Catherine [Unite de recherche: ' Isotopes, Petrologie et Environnement' , Departement des Sciences de la Terre et de l' Environnement, CP 160/02 Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Avenue FD. Roosevelt, 50, B-1050 Bruxelles (Belgium); Mattielli, Nadine [Unite de recherche: ' Isotopes, Petrologie et Environnement' , Departement des Sciences de la Terre et de l' Environnement, CP 160/02 Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Avenue FD. Roosevelt, 50, B-1050 Bruxelles (Belgium); Le Roux, Gael [Institute of Environmental Geochemistry, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 236 B-69120 Heidelberg (Germany); Fagel, Nathalie [URAP, Departement de Geologie, Universite de Liege, Allee du 6 Aout B18 Sart Tilman B4000 - Liege (Belgium)

2007-05-15

Europe has been continuously polluted throughout the last two millennia. During the Roman Empire, these pollutions were mainly from ore extraction and smelting across Europe. Then, during the Middle Ages and the Early times of Industrial revolution (i.e. 1750), these pollutions extended to coal burning and combustion engine. Belgian ombrotrophic peat bogs have proved an effective archive of these pollutants and provide the opportunity to reconstruct the history of atmospheric deposition in NW Europe. The results of recent and past trace metal accumulation and Pb isotopes from a one-meter peat core (in the Misten peat bog) have been derived using XRF and Nu-plasma MC-ICP-MS. Combined with {sup 14}C and {sup 210}Pb dates these data have enabled us to trace fluxes in anthropogenic pollution back to original Roman times. Several periods of well-known Pb pollution events are clearly recorded including the Early and Late Roman Empire, the Middle Ages and the second industrial revolution. Also recorded is the introduction of leaded gasoline, and more recently the introduction of unleaded gasoline. Lead isotopes in this site have also enabled us to fingerprint several regional and global sources of anthropogenic particles.

Atmospheric lead and heavy metal pollution records from a Belgian peat bog spanning the last two millenia. Human impact on a regional to global scale

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De Vleeschouwer, Francois; Gerard, Laetitia; Fagel, Nathalie [URAP, Departement de Geologie, Universite de Liege, Allee du 6 Aout B18 Sart Tilman B4000 - Liege (Belgium); Goormaghtigh, Catherine; Mattielli, Nadine [Unite de recherche: ' ' Isotopes, Petrologie et Environnement' ' , Departement des Sciences de la Terre et de l' Environnement, CP 160/02 Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Avenue FD. Roosevelt, 50, B-1050 Bruxelles (Belgium); Le Roux, Gael [Institute of Environmental Geochemistry, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 236 B-69120 Heidelberg (Germany)

2007-05-15

Europe has been continuously polluted throughout the last two millennia. During the Roman Empire, these pollutions were mainly from ore extraction and smelting across Europe. Then, during the Middle Ages and the Early times of Industrial revolution (i.e. 1750), these pollutions extended to coal burning and combustion engine. Belgian ombrotrophic peat bogs have proved an effective archive of these pollutants and provide the opportunity to reconstruct the history of atmospheric deposition in NW Europe. The results of recent and past trace metal accumulation and Pb isotopes from a one-meter peat core (in the Misten peat bog) have been derived using XRF and Nu-plasma MC-ICP-MS. Combined with {sup 14}C and {sup 210}Pb dates these data have enabled us to trace fluxes in anthropogenic pollution back to original Roman times. Several periods of well-known Pb pollution events are clearly recorded including the Early and Late Roman Empire, the Middle Ages and the second industrial revolution. Also recorded is the introduction of leaded gasoline, and more recently the introduction of unleaded gasoline. Lead isotopes in this site have also enabled us to fingerprint several regional and global sources of anthropogenic particles. (author)

History of atmospheric deposition of Cd, Hg, and Pb in North America: Evidence from lake and peat bog sediments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norton, S.A.; Dillon, P.J.; Evans, R.D.; Mierle, G.; Kahl, J.S.

1990-01-01

The precipitation chemistry and lake and peat sediment chemistry of three metals emitted to the atmosphere in significant amounts as a result of anthropogenic activity are reviewed. The three metals, Cd, Hg, and Pb, have contrasting source terms, atmospheric residence times, and chemical mobility. Lake and ombrotrophic peat bog sediments record increases in the concentrations and accumulation rates of the metals for most of temperate North America for the last 100 years. These increases are largely related to the burning of coal, smelting of nonferrous metals, the transportation industry, and the industrial production of chlorine. Modern atmospheric fluxes of Cd in central North America are about 1,000 times background fluxes; accumulation rates for Cd in sediments have increased two to 3 times above background, beginning about 100 years ago. Global scale Hg pollution off the atmosphere is suggested by concentrations in northern hemisphere air that are double the Hg content of southern hemisphere air. Accumulation rates of Hg in sediment have approximately doubled in the last 100 years. However, these rates are approximately an order of magnitude less than those for Cd. Modern increases in Pb concentrations are ubiquitous for all lakes examines thus far in North America. Input is from multiple sources and thus the timing of increased accumulation rates in sediment varies across the continent. Typical modern accumulation rates reach maxima at 20 to 30 mg/sq-m/yr, or 100 times that of Cd and 1,000 times that off Hg. Recent decreases in atmospheric lead are reflected in decreases in the accumulation rate of Pb in both lake and peat bog sediment in eastern North America

RAISED BOGS ON THE NORTH-EAST OF EUROPE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. K. YURKOVSKAYA

2004-01-01

Full Text Available In the Northeastern Europe 2 types of raised bogs are distinguished: coastal (Southern White Sea raised hogs and continental (Pechora-Onega raised bogs. They have been compared as to their flora, prevailing syntaxa, characteristics of their complexes, structure of mire massifs and composition of peat deposits.

Greenhouse effects of the peat production and use as compared to coal, oil, natural gas and wood

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hillebrand, K.; Wihersaari, M.

1993-01-01

This report examines the greenhouse effects of greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide) arising from certain production and utilization chains of peat and compares them with the corresponding effects associated with the production and utilization chains of coal, oil, natural gas and wood. In order to estimate the greenhouse effects of the peat production and utilization chains, the initial state of the peat bog together with the instantaneous and cumulative greenhouse effects associated with the production and burning of peat as well as subsequent use of the production area were taken into account. The initial state of the peat bog was taken to be either a bog in its natural sale, a forest-drained bog or a cultivated peatland. As regards alternatives for subsequent use of the peat production area, afforestation, paludification and lake formation were all examined

Peat origin and land use effects on microbial activity, respiration dynamics and exo-enzyme activities in drained peat soils in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brouns, Karlijn; Keuskamp, Joost; Potkamp, Gerrit; Verhoeven, J.T.A.; Hefting, Mariet M.

2016-01-01

This study assessed the risk of decomposition-driven soil subsidence in drained peat soils in the Netherlands, contrasting in peat origin and current land use. In a full factorial design, fen peat and bog peat were sampled from sites in use for nature conservation and for dairy farming, which

Sphagnum farming on cut-over bog in NW Germany: Long-term studies on Sphagnum growth

OpenAIRE

G. Gaudig; M. Krebs; H. Joosten

2017-01-01

Sphagnum farming allows sustainable and climate-friendly land use on bogs while producing a renewable substitute for peat in horticultural growing media. We studied Sphagnum productivity on an experimental Sphagnum culture established on a cut-over bog in Germany with strongly humified peat at the surface. Preparation of the site included levelling of the peat surface, construction of an irrigation system, spreading of Sphagnum papillosum fragments, covering them with straw, and finally rewet...

Some results on the isotope studies of water exchange in boreal raised bogs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sirin, A.A.; Vlasova, L.S.; Polyakov, V.A.; Trofimova, A.E.

2002-01-01

Raised bogs are rather common and one of the most exciting mire types of the boreal zone. They receive water and nutrients from precipitation and pore water stored in their domes (up to 10 m in height) is spaced above levels of regional ground water or streams draining them. Peatland hydrologists have long assumed that fluid flow occurs mainly in a peat layer near to the surface and water transport is negligible in deeper layers. The 'acrotelm/catotelm' paradigm on active and inert horizons for the peat above and below the lowest water level is still widely spread in peatland hydrology. However, recent studies have shown that deep water movement is much more dynamic in raised bogs than was previously thought. Based on geochemical studies and numerical simulations even temporal reverse of the vertical direction of water fluid flow through the peat as connected to climate fluctuations was assumed. Relying on isotope studies we consider only the mounded strata of the raised bogs to have relatively active water exchange. The study included two raised bogs, representing different local hydrological conditions (underlain by outwash sands and moraine clay) at the Zapadnaya Dvina Peatland Field Station of the Forest Research Institute located 400 km west of Moscow. Peatlands, among which raised bogs dominate, constitute >30% of the area, and maximum peat thickness exceeds 7 m

Mycobacterium minnesotense sp. nov., a photochromogenic bacterium isolated from sphagnum peat bogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Hannigan, Geoffrey D; Krivogorsky, Bogdana; Fordice, Daniel; Welch, Jacqueline B; Dahl, John L

2013-01-01

Several intermediate-growing, photochromogenic bacteria were isolated from sphagnum peat bogs in northern Minnesota, USA. Acid-fast staining and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis placed these environmental isolates in the genus Mycobacterium, and colony morphologies and PCR restriction analysis patterns of the isolates were similar. Partial sequences of hsp65 and dnaJ1 from these isolates showed that Mycobacterium arupense ATCC BAA-1242(T) was the closest mycobacterial relative, and common biochemical characteristics and antibiotic susceptibilities existed between the isolates and M. arupense ATCC BAA-1242(T). However, compared to nonchromogenic M. arupense ATCC BAA-1242(T), the environmental isolates were photochromogenic, had a different mycolic acid profile and had reduced cell-surface hydrophobicity in liquid culture. The data reported here support the conclusion that the isolates are representatives of a novel mycobacterial species, for which the name Mycobacterium minnesotense sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is DL49(T) (=DSM 45633(T) = JCM 17932(T) = NCCB 100399(T)).

Factors affecting the sorption of cesium in a nutrient-poor boreal bog

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lusa, M.; Bomberg, M.; Virtanen, S.; Lempinen, J.; Aromaa, H.; Knuutinen, J.; Lehto, J.

2015-01-01

135 Cs is among the most important radionuclides in the long-term safety assessments of spent nuclear fuel, due to its long half-life of 2.3 My and large inventory in spent nuclear fuel. Batch sorption experiments were conducted to evaluate the sorption behavior of radiocesium ( 134 Cs) in the surface moss, peat, gyttja, and clay layers of 7-m-deep profiles taken from a nutrient-poor boreal bog. The batch distribution coefficient (K d ) values of radiocesium increased as a function of sampling depth. The highest K d values, with a geometric mean of 3200 L/kg dry weight (DW), were observed in the bottom clay layer and the lowest in the 0.5–1.0 m peat layer (50 L/kg DW). The maximum sorption in all studied layers was observed at a pH between 7 and 9.5. The in situ K d values of 133 Cs in surface Sphagnum moss, peat and gyttja samples were one order of magnitude higher than the K d values obtained using the batch method. The highest in situ K d values (9040 L/kg DW) were recorded for the surface moss layer. The sterilization of fresh surface moss, peat, gyttja and clay samples decreased the sorption of radiocesium by 38%, although the difference was not statistically significant. However, bacteria belonging to the genera Pseudomonas, Paenibacillus, Rhodococcus and Burkholderia isolated from the bog were found to remove radiocesium from the solution under laboratory conditions. The highest biosorption was observed for Paenibacillus sp. V0-1-LW and Pseudomonas sp. PS-0-L isolates. When isolated bacteria were added to sterilized bog samples, the removal of radiocesium from the solution increased by an average of 50% compared to the removal recorded for pure sterilized peat. Our results demonstrate that the sorption of radiocesium in the bog environment is dependent on pH and the type of the bog layer and that common environmental bacteria prevailing in the bog can remove cesium from the solution phase. - Highlights: • pH and the type of the bog layer affect

Testing of in situ and ex situ bioremediation approaches for an oil-contaminated peat bog following a pipeline break

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, J.J.; Lee, D.W.; Yeske, B.M.; Kuipers, F.

2000-01-01

The feasibility of treating a 1985 pipeline spill of light Pembina Cardium crude oil at a bog near Violet Grove, Alberta was discussed. Pembina Pipeline Corporation arranged for a treatability test to be conducted on oil-contaminated sphagnum peat moss from the site to determine effective in situ or ex situ remediation options for the site. The test was used to evaluate the biodegradation potential of contaminants. Four tests were designed to simulate field different field treatment approaches and to collect critical data on toxicity and leachability of the peat moss. The tests included a bioslurry test, a soil microcosm test, an aerated water saturated peat column test, and a standard toxicity characteristic leachate potential test. The first three tests gave similar results of at least 74 per cent biodegradation of the residual crude oil on the peat solids and no residual toxicity as measured by the Microtox Assay. It was determined that both in situ bioremediation using an aerated water injection system or an ex situ landfarming approach would achieve required criteria and no fertilizers would be necessary to maintain active bioremediation. The new gas-liquid reactor (GLR) aeration technology used in these tests creates a constant supply of hyperoxygenated water prior to column injection. The continuous release of tiny air bubbles maximizes air surface area and increases the gas transfer rates. 3 tabs., 3 figs

Relative importance of local habitat complexity and regional factors for assemblages of oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida) in Sphagnum peat bogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Minor, M A; Ermilov, S G; Philippov, D A; Prokin, A A

2016-11-01

We investigated communities of oribatid mites in five peat bogs in the north-west of the East European plain. We aimed to determine the extent to which geographic factors (latitude, separation distance), local environment (Sphagnum moss species, ground water level, biogeochemistry) and local habitat complexity (diversity of vascular plants and bryophytes in the surrounding plant community) influence diversity and community composition of Oribatida. There was a significant north-to-south increase in Oribatida abundance. In the variance partitioning, spatial factors explained 33.1 % of variability in abundance across samples; none of the environmental factors were significant. Across all bogs, Oribatida species richness and community composition were similar in Sphagnum rubellum and Sphagnum magellanicum, but significantly different and less diverse in Sphagnum cuspidatum. Sphagnum microhabitat explained 52.2 % of variability in Oribatida species richness, whereas spatial variables explained only 8.7 %. There was no distance decay in community similarity between bogs with increased geographical distance. The environmental variables explained 34.9 % of the variance in community structure, with vascular plants diversity, bryophytes diversity, and ground water level all contributing significantly; spatial variables explained 15.1 % of the total variance. Overall, only 50 % of the Oribatida community variance was explained by the spatial structure and environmental variables. We discuss relative importance of spatial and local environmental factors, and make general inferences about the formation of fauna in Sphagnum bogs.

Correlation between the morphogenetic types of litter and their properties in bog birch forests

Science.gov (United States)

Efremova, T. T.; Efremov, S. P.; Avrova, A. F.

2010-08-01

A formalized arrangement of morphogenetic types of litter according to the physicochemical parameters provided their significant grouping in three genetic associations. The litter group (highly decomposed + moderately decomposed) is confined to the tall-grass group of bog birch forests. The rhizomatous (roughly decomposed) litter is formed in the sedge-reed grass bog birch forests. The litter group (peaty + peatified + peat) is associated with the bog-herbaceous-moss group of forest types. The genetic associations of the litters (a) reliably characterize the edaphic conditions of bog birch forests and (b)correspond to formation of the peat of certain ecological groups. We found highly informative the acid-base parameters, the exchangeable cations (Ca2+ + Mg2+) and the total potential acidity, which differentiated the genetic associations of litter practically with 100% probability. The expediency of studying litters under groups of forest types rather than under separate types of bog birch forests was demonstrated.

Intercomparison of radiocarbon bomb pulse and 210Pb age models. A study in a peat bog core from North Poland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piotrowska, Natalia; Vleeschouwer, Francois De; Sikorski, Jaroslaw; Pawlyta, Jacek; Fagel, Nathalie; Roux, Gael Le; Pazdur, Anna

2010-01-01

Radiocarbon and 210 Pb were measured on the uppermost 40 cm of a Wardenaar peat core retrieved from a Baltic raised bog at Slowinskie Blota (Pomerania, North Poland). This site is the subject of ongoing multiproxy studies covering the last 1300 years. Radiocarbon age model was constructed on the basis of 14 AMS dates obtained on selected Sphagnum spp. fragments, with use of P S equence tool. We present here a comparison of this model with the age model obtained using CRS model classically applied to 210 Pb measurements.

Intercomparison of radiocarbon bomb pulse and 210Pb age models. A study in a peat bog core from North Poland

Science.gov (United States)

Piotrowska, Natalia; De Vleeschouwer, François; Sikorski, Jarosław; Pawlyta, Jacek; Fagel, Nathalie; Le Roux, Gaël; Pazdur, Anna

2010-04-01

Radiocarbon and 210Pb were measured on the uppermost 40 cm of a Wardenaar peat core retrieved from a Baltic raised bog at Słowińskie Błota (Pomerania, North Poland). This site is the subject of ongoing multiproxy studies covering the last 1300 years. Radiocarbon age model was constructed on the basis of 14 AMS dates obtained on selected Sphagnum spp. fragments, with use of P_Sequence tool. We present here a comparison of this model with the age model obtained using CRS model classically applied to 210Pb measurements.

Subfossil bog-pine horizons document climate and ecosystem changes during the Mid-Holocene

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Eckstein, J.; Leuschner, H.H.; Bauerochse, A.; Sass-Klaassen, U.

2009-01-01

Extended dendrochronological investigations were performed on subfossil pine entombed in peat layers of former raised bogs in Lower Saxony (NW Germany). The aim was to study of dynamics in bog development in response to local environmental conditions and regional changes in climate throughout the

Effects of elevated CO2 and vascular plants on evapotranspiration in bog vegetation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heijmans, M.M.P.D.; Arp, W.J.; Berendse, F.

2001-01-01

We determined evapotranspiration in three experiments designed to study the effects of elevated CO2 and increased N deposition on ombrotrophic bog vegetation. Two experiments used peat monoliths with intact bog vegetation in containers, with one experiment outdoors and the other in a greenhouse. A

Intercomparison of radiocarbon bomb pulse and {sup 210}Pb age models. A study in a peat bog core from North Poland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Piotrowska, Natalia, E-mail: natalia.piotrowska@polsl.p [Department of Radioisotopes, Institute of Physics, Silesian University of Technology, Krzywoustego, 2, Gliwice 44100 (Poland); Vleeschouwer, Francois De; Sikorski, Jaroslaw; Pawlyta, Jacek [Department of Radioisotopes, Institute of Physics, Silesian University of Technology, Krzywoustego, 2, Gliwice 44100 (Poland); Fagel, Nathalie; Roux, Gael Le [Clays and Palaeoclimate Unit, Department of Geology, University of Liege, Allee du 6 Aout, B18, Sart Tilman, Liege 4000 (Belgium); Pazdur, Anna [Department of Radioisotopes, Institute of Physics, Silesian University of Technology, Krzywoustego, 2, Gliwice 44100 (Poland)

2010-04-15

Radiocarbon and {sup 210}Pb were measured on the uppermost 40 cm of a Wardenaar peat core retrieved from a Baltic raised bog at Slowinskie Blota (Pomerania, North Poland). This site is the subject of ongoing multiproxy studies covering the last 1300 years. Radiocarbon age model was constructed on the basis of 14 AMS dates obtained on selected Sphagnum spp. fragments, with use of P{sub S}equence tool. We present here a comparison of this model with the age model obtained using CRS model classically applied to {sup 210}Pb measurements.

Boreal bog plants: nitrogen sources and uptake of recently deposited nitrogen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nordbakken, J.F.; Ohlson, M.; Hoegberg, P.

2003-01-01

The main goals of this study were to determine the δ 15 N signature of quantitatively important boreal bog plants as basis for discussing their N sources, and to assess the effects of five different 3 year N treatments (i.e. 0, 5, 10, 20 and 40 kg N ha -1 year -1 ) on the bog plants and surface peat at different depths (i.e. 0, 5, 10, 20 and 40 cm) by using 15 N as tracer. Plants and peat were analyzed for N concentration, 15 N natural abundance and 15 N at.%. From the results we draw three main conclusions: First, the relative importance of different N sources is species-specific among bog plants. Second, an annual addition of 5 kg N ha -1 year -1 was sufficient to significantly increase the N concentration in Sphagnum mosses, liverworts and shallow rooted vascular plants, and an annual addition of 40 kg N ha -1 year -1 during 3 years was not sufficient to increase the N concentration in deep rooted plants, although the 15 N content increased continuously, indicating a possible longer term effect. Third, an annual addition of 40 kg N ha -1 year -1 during 3 years increased the N content in surface peat at depths of 5 and 10 cm, but not at depths of 20 and 40 cm, indicating the capacity of the living Sphagnum mosses and the surface peat to take up deposited N, and thereby function as a filter. - Living Sphagnum mosses and surface peat function as a filter for added nitrogen

High nitrogen availability reduces polyphenol content in Sphagnum peat.

Science.gov (United States)

Bragazza, Luca; Freeman, Chris

2007-05-15

Peat mosses of the genus Sphagnum constitute the bulk of living and dead biomass in bogs. These plants contain peculiar polyphenols which hamper litter peat decomposition through their inhibitory activity on microbial breakdown. In the light of the increasing availability of biologically active nitrogen in natural ecosystems, litter derived from Sphagnum mosses is an ideal substrate to test the potential effects of increased atmospheric nitrogen deposition on polyphenol content in litter peat. To this aim, we measured total nitrogen and soluble polyphenol concentration in Sphagnum litter peat collected in 11 European bogs under a chronic gradient of atmospheric nitrogen deposition. Our results demonstrate that increasing nitrogen concentration in Sphagnum litter, as a consequence of increased exogenous nitrogen availability, is accompanied by a decreasing concentration of polyphenols. This inverse relationship is consistent with reports that in Sphagnum mosses, polyphenol and protein biosynthesis compete for the same precursor. Our observation of modified Sphagnum litter chemistry under chronic nitrogen eutrophication has implications in the context of the global carbon balance, because a lower content of decay-inhibiting polyphenols would accelerate litter peat decomposition.

Age estimation by 3D CT-scans of the Borremose Woman, a Danish bog body

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Villa, Chiara; Møller Rasmussen, Maria; Lynnerup, Niels

2011-01-01

Non-invasive estimation of age at death has been carried out by using 3D CT scanning of a bog body discovered in 1948 in a peat bog in Borremose (Denmark). The bog body has been dated to the 8th century BC, in the last part of the Bronze Age. The skeletal structures useful for age estimation have...

Bringing back the rare - biogeochemical constraints of peat moss establishment in restored cut-over bogs

Science.gov (United States)

Raabe, Peter; Blodau, Christian; Hölzel, Norbert; Kleinebecker, Till; Knorr, Klaus-Holger

2016-04-01

In rewetted cut-over bogs in north-western Germany and elsewhere almost no spontaneous recolonization of hummock peat mosses, such as Sphagnum magellanicum, S. papillosum or S. rubellum can be observed. However, to reach goals of climate protection every restoration of formerly mined peatlands should aim to enable the re-establishment of these rare but functionally important plant species. Besides aspects of biodiversity, peatlands dominated by mosses can be expected to emit less methane compared to sites dominated by graminoids. To assess the hydrological and biogeochemical factors constraining the successful establishment of hummock Sphagnum mosses we conducted a field experiment by actively transferring hummock species into six existing restoration sites in the Vechtaer Moor, a large peatland complex with active peat harvesting and parallel restoration efforts. The mosses were transferred as intact sods in triplicate at the beginning of June 2016. Six weeks (mid-July) and 18 weeks later (beginning of October) pore water was sampled in two depths (5 and 20 cm) directly beneath the inoculated Sphagnum sods as well as in untreated control plots and analysed for phosphate, ferrous iron, ammonia, nitrate and total organic carbon (TOC). On the same occasions and additionally in December, the vitality of mosses was estimated. Furthermore, the increment of moss height between July and December was measured by using cranked wires and peat cores were taken for lab analyses of nutrients and major element inventories at the depths of pore water sampling. Preliminary results indicate that vitality of mosses during the period of summer water level draw down was strongly negatively related to plant available phosphate in deeper layers of the residual peat. Furthermore, increment of moss height was strongly negatively related to TOC in the upper pore waters sampled in October. Concentration of ferrous iron in deeper pore waters was in general significantly higher beneath

Holocene monsoon variability inferred from Targo Xian peat bog in the Tangra Yumco basin, central Tibetan Plateau

Science.gov (United States)

Henkel, Karoline; Haberzettl, Torsten; Miehe, Sabine; Frenzel, Peter; Daut, Gerhard; Dietze, Elisabeth; Kasper, Thomas; Ahlborn, Marieke; Mäusbacher, Roland

2013-04-01

The Tibetan Plateau is the greatest plateau on Earth with an average altitude of 4,500 m asl. Due to its high elevation, large area and significant role in the formation of the Asian Monsoon Systems (e.g., Indian Ocean and East-Asian Summer Monsoon) it is considered to react very sensitive to climate variations. The numerous lake systems on the Tibetan Plateau represent excellent archives reflecting variations in the strength of the monsoon system in terms of hydrological changes expressed in lake level fluctuations. For example, terraces and lacustrine deposits around the saline lake Tangra Yumco indicate lake level highstands up to ~215 m higher than the present lake level. To study Holocene lake level variations we investigated a 3.6 m long sediment core recovered from a peat bog (near the Targo Xian settlement, 30°46'N, 86°40'E) on a recessional lake level terrace ~150 m above the present shoreline of Tangra Yumco. In particular, our analyses of sedimentological (grain size), geochemical (CNS and ICP-OES) and mineralogical (XRD) data allow a detailed and high-resolution interpretation of the hydrological conditions during the Holocene. The existence of two carbonate layers in the Targo Xian record, separated by a sand layer and intercalated in peat sequences at the bottom and top of the core, provide evidence for two stable lake stages at the coring position. Peat at the bottom of the core, which is radiocarbon-dated to 11,130 +130/-345 cal BP, indicates wetland conditions similar to the Recent situation (Miehe et al., submitted). After a transition zone, a layer of pure aragonitic lake marl gives evidence for a lake stage. During this stage, high values of the total inorganic carbon (TIC) and Ca/Ti ratios as well as low C/N ratios point to a stable lake due to wet climatic conditions. This carbonate layer can be correlated with a 2-3 m thick carbonate layer found in outcrops around the present lake Tangra Yumco presenting a high lake level until approx. 2

Effects of land use intensity on the full greenhouse gas balance in an Atlantic peat bog

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Beetz

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Wetlands can either be net sinks or net sources of greenhouse gases (GHGs, depending on the mean annual water level and other factors like average annual temperature, vegetation development, and land use. Whereas drained and agriculturally used peatlands tend to be carbon dioxide (CO₂ and nitrous oxide (N₂O sources but methane (CH₄ sinks, restored (i.e. rewetted peatlands rather incorporate CO₂, tend to be N₂O neutral and release CH₄. One of the aims of peatland restoration is to decrease their global warming potential (GWP by reducing GHG emissions.

We estimated the greenhouse gas exchange of a peat bog restoration sequence over a period of 2 yr (1 July 2007–30 June 2009 in an Atlantic raised bog in northwest Germany. We set up three study sites representing different land use intensities: intensive grassland (deeply drained, mineral fertilizer, cattle manure and 4–5 cuts per year; extensive grassland (rewetted, no fertilizer or manure, up to 1 cutting per year; near-natural peat bog (almost no anthropogenic influence. Daily and annual greenhouse gas exchange was estimated based on closed-chamber measurements. CH₄ and N₂O fluxes were recorded bi-weekly, and net ecosystem exchange (NEE measurements were carried out every 3–4 weeks. Annual sums of CH₄ and N₂O fluxes were estimated by linear interpolation while NEE was modelled.

Regarding GWP, the intensive grassland site emitted 564 ± 255 g CO₂–C equivalents m⁻² yr⁻¹ and 850 ± 238 g CO₂–C equivalents m⁻² yr⁻¹ in the first (2007/2008 and the second (2008/2009 measuring year, respectively. The GWP of the extensive grassland amounted to −129 ± 231 g CO₂–C equivalents m⁻² yr⁻¹ and 94 ± 200 g CO₂–C equivalents m⁻² yr

Regional patterns and controlling factors in plant species composition and diversity in Canadian lowland coastal bogs and laggs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S.A. Howie

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Inventories of natural assemblages of plant species are critical when planning ecological restoration of bogs. However, little is known about the regional variation in plant communities at the margins (laggs of bogs, even though they are an integral element of raised bog ecosystems. Therefore, we investigated the regional patterns in the plant communities of bogs and laggs, and the factors that control them, for thirteen bogs in coastal British Columbia, Canada. Species richness was significantly higher in the bogs and laggs of the cooler, wetter Pacific Oceanic wetland region. Beta Diversity analyses showed that bogs in the Pacific Oceanic wetland region often shared species with their respective laggs, whereas half of the laggs in the warmer, drier Pacific Temperate wetland region had no species in common with the adjacent bogs and were thus more ecologically distinct from the bog. Primary climatic variables, such as mean annual precipitation, mean annual temperature and latitude, as well as climate-influenced variables, such as pH, peat depth, and Na+ concentrations were the main correlates of plant species composition in the studied bogs. Site-specific factors, particularly depth to water table, and fraction of inorganic material in peat samples, were as strongly related to lagg plant communities as climate, while hydrochemistry appeared to have less influence.

Turfeiras da Serra do Espinhaço Meridional - MG: I - caracterização e classificação Peat bogs of the Serra do Espinhaço Meridional - Minas Gerais, Brazil: I - characterization and classification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandre Christófaro Silva

2009-10-01

Full Text Available As turfeiras são ambientes especiais para estudos relacionados com a dinâmica da matéria orgânica, evolução das paisagens, mudanças climáticas e ciclos de poluição atmosférica locais, regionais e globais. Elas contribuem para o sequestro global de carbono, funcionam como reservatórios de água e constituem o ambiente de uma biodiversidade endêmica. A Serra do Espinhaço Meridional (SdEM, "Reserva da Biosfera Terrestre", apresenta uma área significativa formada por diferentes tipos de turfeira, que foram descritas em três perfis, situados a 1.250 m (P1, 1.800 m (P2 e 1.350 m (P4 de altitude e classificados respectivamente como Organossolo Háplico Sáprico térrico (P1, Organossolo Háplico Fíbrico típico (P2 e Organossolo Háplico Hêmico típico (P4, de acordo com o Sistema Brasileiro de Classificação de Solos. Os três perfis foram caracterizados morfologicamente e, nas amostras coletadas, foram realizadas análises químicas, físicas e microbiológicas. Verificou-se que a localização, a altitude e a drenagem influenciaram os atributos morfológicos, físicos, químicos e microbiológicos das turfeiras da SdEM. O estádio de decomposição da matéria orgânica é mais avançado com a melhoria da drenagem nas turfeiras. O teor de metais pesados está relacionado com o teor e a composição granulométrica da fração mineral e com a localização das turfeiras. O perfil P1 apresentou os mais elevados teores médios de Ti, Zr e Pb; em P2 foram detectados os teores médios mais elevados de Mn, Zn e Cu; e o teor médio de Fe é mais elevado em P4. A intensidade da atividade microbiológica das turfeiras P2 e P4 relacionou-se com sua drenagem e com o teor de metais pesados de suas camadas.Peat bogs are a special environment for studies related with the dynamics of organic matter, landscape evolution and climatic changes and with local, regional and global cycles of atmospheric pollution. Peat bogs contribute to the global C

Diatoms from a peat bog on the Pešter plateau (southwestern Serbia: New records for diatom flora of Serbia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vidaković Danijela

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The distribution of diatoms was studied in three types of diatom communities (epiphytes, benthos and plankton of a peat bog on the Pešter plateau. The observed diatom flora inhabited all investigated communities, comprising in total 250 taxa in 53 genera. Among them, 45 taxa were new records for the Serbian diatom flora. Identified taxa belonged to different groups of algae, however alkaliphile diatoms were dominant. New ecological data for Encyonopsis minuta, Pinnularia isostauron and P. marchica are presented here. All the diatoms were documented by light micrographs, and brief notes on their morphology, distribution and ecology are provided. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. TR 037009

The geology of selected peat-forming environments in temperate and tropical latitudes

Science.gov (United States)

Cameron, C.C.; Palmer, C.A.; Esterle, J.S.

1990-01-01

We studied peat in several geologic and climatic settings: (1) a glaciated terrain in cold-temperate Maine and Minnesota, U.S.A.; (2) an island in a temperate maritime climate in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Maine, U.S.A., where sea level is rising rapidly and changing the environment of peat accumulation; (3) swamps along the warm-temperate U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains, where sea level has changed often, thus creating sites for accumulation; and (4) in a tropical climate along the coast of Sarawak, Malaysia, and the delta of the Batang Hari River, Sumatra, Indonesia (Figs. 1 and 2). With the exception of the deposits on the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains, most of the deposits described are domed bogs in which peat accumulation continued above the surface of the surrounding soil. The bogs of the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains have almost level surfaces. All domed bogs are not entirely ombrotrophic (watered only from precipitation); multidomed bogs that rise from irregular or hilly surfaces may be crossed by streams that supply water to the bogs. The geologic processes or organic sedimentation, namely terrestrialization and paludification, are similar in all peat deposits considered here. Differences in geomorphology affecting the quantity and that quality of peat that has ash contents of less than 25%, which are desirable for commercial purposes, depend chiefly on: (1) high humidity, which is favorable to luxuriant growth of peat-forming vegetation; (2) a depositional setting that permits extensive accumulation relatively free from inorganic contamination from sea water and streams and from dust and volcanic ash; and (3) a stable regional water table that controls the rate of decomposition under aerobic conditions and protects the deposit against the ravages of fire. Differences in peat textures are due to the type of vegetation and to the degree of decomposition. The rate of decomposition is largely the result of the amount of oxidation

137Cs in a raised bog in central Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosen, K.; Vinichuk, M.; Johanson, K.J.

2009-01-01

The vertical distribution of 137 Cs activity in peat soil profiles and 137 Cs activity concentration in plants of various species was studied in samples collected at two sites on a raised bog in central Sweden. One site (open bog) was in an area with no trees and only a few sparsely growing plant species, while the other (low pine) was less than 100 m from the open bog site and had slowly growing Scots pine, a field layer dominated by some ericaceous plants and ground well-covered by plants. The plant samples were collected in 2004-2007 and were compared with samples collected in 1989 from the same open bog and low pine sites. Ground deposition of 137 Cs in 2005 was similar at both sites, 23 000 Bq m -2 . In the open bog peat profile it seems to be an upward transport of caesium since a clear peak of 137 Cs activity was found in the uppermost 1-4 cm of Sphagnum layers, whereas at the low pine site 137 Cs was mainly found in deeper (10-12 cm) layers. The migration rate was 0.57 cm yr -1 at the open bog site and the migration centre of 137 Cs was at a depth of 10.7, while the rate at the low pine site was 0.78 cm yr -1 and the migration centre was at 14.9 cm. Heather (Calluna vulgaris) was the plant species with the highest 137 Cs activity concentrations at both sites, 43.5 k Bq -1 DM in 1989 decreasing to 20.4 in 2004-2007 on open bog and 22.3 k Bq kg -1 DM in 1989 decreasing to 11.2 k Bq -1 DM by the period 2004-2007 on the low pine site. 137 Cs transfer factors in plants varied between 0.88 and 1.35 on the open bog and between 0.48 and 0.69 m 2 kg -1 DM at the low pine site.

International trade with peat and peat products - a challenge to international standardization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schmilewski, G; Guenther, J [Institut fuer Torf- und Humusforschung GmbH (ITH), Bad Zwischenahn (Germany, F.R.)

1990-01-01

On a worldwide scale raised bog peat is the most important basic material for the production of growing media. Peat has greatly contributed to the realization of modern, standardized and even computer-controlled growing techniques in commercial horticulture. No other material can truly compete with the outstanding physical, chemical and biological properties of peat. All present and future substitutes will have to stand comparison with peat. Nonetheless, many other organic, mineral and synthetic materials are use in horticulture mainly to adjust the physical properties of growing media to new growing methods. As a direct or indirect consequence thereof, the spared raw material peat is a fact which is considered progressive in industrial countries strongly characterized by nature conservational ideas also. Some peat consuming countries do not have any indigenous peat resources and meet their demands with imports. Other countries, such as the Fed. Rep. of Germany, the Scandinavian countries and the USSR export considerable amounts of peat and peat products. International transactions have not only increased for big industries, but also for the peat industry. For the grower and for the producer of growing media alike, the knowledge of growing media properties are of fundamental importance. Various standard methods for the analysis of peat and growing media have been developed by national organizations and are being used just as manifold. In some cases national standards have derived from these.

Species identification of archaeological skin objects from Danish bogs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brandt, Luise Ørsted; Schmidt, Anne Lisbeth; Mannering, Ulla

2014-01-01

environment of peat bogs leading to morphological and molecular degradation within the samples. We compared species assignment results of twelve archaeological skin samples from Danish bogs using Mass Spectrometry (MS)-based peptide sequencing, against results obtained using light and scanning electron...... microscopy. While it was difficult to obtain reliable results using microscopy, MS enabled the identification of several species-diagnostic peptides, mostly from collagen and keratins, allowing confident species discrimination even among taxonomically close organisms, such as sheep and goat. Unlike previous...

Proceedings: 7th international peat congress. Vols. 1, 2, 3, and 4

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1984-01-01

Proceedings from a conference on peat published in four volumes. These comprise six different sections: survey, classification, ecology and conservation of peatlands; winning, harvesting, storage, transportation and processing of peat and sapropel for industrial, agricultural and horticultural purposes; bog cultivation and peatland forestry - the use of peat, peat products, and sapropel in agriculture and horticulture; chemistry, physics, biochemistry and microbiology of peat and sapropel - production and utilization of physiologically active substances, growth stimulators, medical preparations and related material; terminology, notation, and standardization of peat products; and peat balneology and therapeutics.

Holocene palaeohydrological history of the Tǎul Muced peat bog (Northern Carpathians, Romania) based on testate amoebae (Protozoa) and plant macrofossils

Science.gov (United States)

Cosmin Diaconu, Andrei; Feurdean, Angelica; Lamentowicz, Mariusz; Gałka, Mariusz; Tanţǎu, Ioan

2016-04-01

Knowledge of past local vs. regional hydro-climate variability is a priority in climate research. This is because ecosystems and human depend on local climatic conditions and the magnitude of these climate changes is more variable at local and regional rather than at global scales. Ombrotrophic bogs are highly suitable for hydro-climate reconstructions as they are entirely dependent on the water from precipitation. We used stratigraphy, radiocarbon dating, testate amoebae (TA) and plant macrofossils on a peat profile from an ombrotrophic bog (Tǎul Muced) located in the Biosphere Reserve of the Rodna National Park Romania. We performed quantitative reconstruction of the depth to water table (DWT) and pH over the last 8000 years in a continental area of CE Europe. We identified six main stages in the development of the bog based on changes in TA assemblages in time. Wet conditions and pH between 2 and 4.5 were recorded between 4600-2750 and 1300-400 cal. yr BP, by the occurrence of Archerella flavum, Amphitrema wrightianum and Hyalosphenia papilio. This was associated to a local vegetation primarily composed of Sphagnum magellanicum and S. angustifolium. Dry stages and pH of 2.5 to 5 were inferred between 7550-4600, 2750-1300 and -50 cal. yr BP, by the dominance of Nebela militaris, Difflugia pulex and Phryganella acropodia. These overall dry conditions were also connected with increased abundance of Eriophorum vaginatum. The period between 400 and -50 cal. yr BP was characterized by a rapid shift from dry to wet conditions on the surface of the bog. Vegetation shifted from Sphagnum magellanicum to Sphagnum russowii dominated community. Our reconstruction remains in relatively good agreement with other palaeohydrological records from Central Eastern Europe. However, it shows contrasting conditions to others particularly with records from NW Europe. The valuable information regarding bog hydrology offered by our record puts an accent on the need of more regional TA

Towards a conceptual model of hydrological change on an abandoned cutover bog, Quebec

Science.gov (United States)

van Seters, Tim E.; Price, Jonathan S.

2002-07-01

Cutover bogs do not return to functional peatland ecosystems after abandonment because re-establishment of peat-forming mosses is poor. This paper presents a conceptual model of bog disturbance caused by peat harvesting (1942-1972), and the hydrological evolution that occurred after abandonment (1973-1998). Two adjacent bogs of similar size and origin, one harvested and the other essentially undisturbed, provide the basis for understanding what changes occurred. The model is based on historical trends evident from previous surveys of land-use, bog ecology and resource mapping; and from recent hydrological and ecological data that characterize the current condition. Water balance data and historical information suggest that runoff increased and evapotranspiration decreased following drainage, but tended towards pre-disturbance levels following abandonment, as vegetation recolonized the surface and drainage became less efficient over time. Dewatering of soil pores after drainage caused shrinkage and oxidation of the peat and surface subsidence of approximately 80 cm over 57 years. Comparisons with a nearby natural bog suggest that bulk density in the upper 50 cm of cutover peat increased from 0·07 to 0·13 g cm-3, specific yield declined from 0·14 to 0·07, water table fluctuations were 67% greater, and mean saturated hydraulic conductivity declined from 4·1 × 10-5 to 1·3 × 10-5 cm s-1. More than 25 years after abandonment, Sphagnum mosses were distributed over broad areas but covered less than 15% of the surface. Areas with good Sphagnum regeneration (>10% cover) were strongly correlated with high water tables (mean -22 cm), especially in zones of seasonal groundwater discharge, artefacts of the extraction history. Forest cover expanded from 5 to 20% of the study area following abandonment. The effect of forest growth (transpiration and interception) and drainage on lowering water levels eventually will be countered by slower water movement through the

Do plant traits explain tree seedling survival in bogs?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Limpens, J.; van Egmond, E.; Li, Bingxi; Holmgren, M.

2014-01-01

Moss-dominated peat bogs store approximately 30% of global soil carbon. A climate induced-shift from current moss-dominated conditions to tree-dominated states is expected to strongly affect their functioning and carbon sequestration capacity. Consequently, unravelling the mechanisms that may

Tarkkaturve - Peat production on shallow fields; Tarkkaturve - mataloituvien soiden tuotantomenetelmien ja laitteiden kehittaeminen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nurminen, T; Honkanen, J; Jormalainen, R; Laaksoharju, T; Rytkoenen, P; Viitanen, J [Vapo Oy, Jyvaeskylae (Finland); Aho, V J; Aalto, J; Kallio, M; Leinonen, A.; Tiihonen, I [VTT Energy, Jyvaeskylae (Finland)

1997-12-01

It is important to produce the peat of the bogs under production as completely as possible when improving the efficiency and economy of milled peat production. Hence the service life of bog areas is being extended, and the investment costs per produced peat mass are decreased. Research, in which new planning, production and ditching methods, as well as production machines for production from shallowing fields, has been carried out in order to obtain the targets. Data obtained from charting of the bog, by which it is possible to take the regional differences of the production areas into account while planning and making of the production strips and ditching, is used in planning of the production fields. Stones are removed from the strips on the mineral soil areas during preparation of the fields, and peat is conveyed from the depletable areas into production strips, hence it is possible to make ditching with open ditches excavated into mineral soil. The new milled peat production machines are lighter than the older ones, and non-sparkling materials, e.g. plastics, are used in the construction of them in every phase of the production. The new machines are able to operate on strips of varying width and on the fields of poor load carrying capacity. Brushing technology is used in collection of peat. By this method it is possible to improve in addition to the fire safety, also the collecting accuracy, and hence the efficiency of the production. The new methods and equipment developed in the researches are now in wide utilisation in Finnish peat production. (orig.)

TARKKATURVE - Peat production on shallow fields; TARKKATURVE - mataloituvien soiden tuotantomenetelmien ja laitteiden kehittaeminen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nurminen, T. [Vapo Oy, Jyvaeskylae (Finland); Aho, V.J.; Tiihonen, I. [VTT Energy, Jyvaeskylae (Finland)

1996-12-31

It is important to produce the peat of the bogs under production as completely as possible when improving the efficiency and economy of milled peat production. Hence the service life of bog areas is being extended, and the investment costs per produced peat mass are decreased. Research, in which new planning, production and ditching methods, as well as production machines for production from shallowing fields, has been carried out in order to obtain the targets. Data obtained from charting of the bog, by which it is possible to take the regional differences of the production areas into account while planning and making of the production strips and ditching, is used in planning of the production fields. Stones are removed from the strips on the mineral soil areas during preparation of the fields, and peat is conveyed from the depleted areas into production strips, hence it is possible to make ditching with open ditches excavated into mineral soil. The new milled peat production machines are lighter than the older ones, and non-sparkling materials, e.g. plastics, are used in the construction of them in every phase of the production. The new machines are able to operate on strips of varying width and on the fields of poor load carrying capacity. Brushing technology is used in collection of peat. By this method it is possible to improve in addition to the fire safety, also the collecting accuracy, and hence the efficiency of the production. The new methods and equipment developed in the researches are now in wide utilization in Finnish peat production

The geology, botany and chemistry of selected peat-forming environments from temperate and tropical latitudes

Science.gov (United States)

Cameron, C.C.; Esterle, J.S.; Palmer, C.A.

1989-01-01

Peat has been studied in several geologic settings: (1) glaciated terrain in cold temperate Maine and Minnesota, U.S.A.; (2) an island in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Maine, where sea level is rising; (3) the warm temperate U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains, where sea level has changed often; and (4) the tropical coast of Sarawak, Malaysia, and the tropical delta of the Batang Hari River, Sumatra, Indonesia. Most of these deposits are domed (ombrotrophic or partly ombrotrophic) bogs in which peat accumulation continued above the surface of the surrounding soil. However, the bogs of the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains are comparatively not as domed, and many have almost level surfaces. In some bogs, aquatic or semi-aquatic plant materials accumulated, replaced water in the depressions, and formed a surface on which marsh or swamp vegetation could subsequently live, die, and accumulate. In others, the plant materials accumulated initially on level silt or sand surfaces supporting marshes or swamps. As the peat dome formed, plants growing on it changed from luxuriant ones near the base of the dome, where nutrients were brought into the bog by surface and ground water, to stunted ones at the top of the dome, where the raised bogs are fed by nutrient-poor precipitation. The physical and chemical changes that take place in the sequence of environments from the pond stage of deposit development, through the grassy marsh stage, through the forested swamp stage, and finally through the heath dome stage can be measured in terms of acidity and ash, volatile matter, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur and oxygen contents, as well as in the kind and distribution of trace elements. The organic and inorganic contents of the deposits relate to geomorphology, and geomorphology relates to their settings. As models of coal formation, some domed peat deposits may help in solving problems of distribution and character of ancient coal beds. But clearly not all peat

Lead-210 and heavy metal contents in dated ombrotrophic peat hummocks from Finland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Daoushy, F.; Tolonen, K.

1984-01-01

Two Sphagnum fuscum hummock cores, core 1, Kaerpaensuo bog and core F9, Kunonniemensuo bog. from Finland were used in this study. The peats are ombrotrophic and were dated using the moss-increment method. The mosses in both cores were carefully examined for their botanical composition, degree of humification, ash percentage and bulk density. The total accumulated dry peat-matter in the Kunonniemensuo core was almost double that in the Kaerpaensuo core. The total 210 Pb and the supported 210 Pb were measured by isotope dilution and the radon emanation technique. Materials in the same peat samples were analysed for their 210 Pb content at the Institute of Physics, Uppsala, Sweden and the Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo, Finland. The annual content of unsupported 210 Pb in the dated peat-layers shows that peat materials are effective traps which could yield information on atmospheric-fluxes both chronologically and regionally. Lead, copper, zinc, iron and manganese were also measured by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The total accumulated amounts over the past 150 y of the heavy metals investigated are almost identical for both cores apart from manganese which is considerably higher in the Kunonniemensuo core. However, the metal profiles studied exhibit discontinuity zones more pronounced in the Kunonniemensuo core. The 210 Pb data indicate that growth rate and bulk density variations in ombrotrophic peat bogs affects the accumulation of 210 Pb and similar trace metals. (orig.)

Spatial variation of peat soil properties in the oil-producing region of northeastern Sakhalin

Science.gov (United States)

Lipatov, D. N.; Shcheglov, A. I.; Manakhov, D. V.; Zavgorodnyaya, Yu. A.; Rozanova, M. S.; Brekhov, P. T.

2017-07-01

Morphology and properties of medium-deep oligotrophic peat, oligotrophic peat gley, pyrogenic oligotrophic peat gley, and peat gley soils on subshrub-cotton grass-sphagnum bogs and in swampy larch forests of northeastern Sakhalin have been studied. Variation in the thickness and reserves of litters in the studied bog and forest biogeocenoses has been analyzed. The profile distribution and spatial variability of moisture, density, ash, and pHKCl in separate groups of peat soils have been described. The content and spatial variability of petroleum hydrocarbons have been considered in relation to the accumulation of natural bitumoids by peat soils and the technogenic pressing in the oil-producing region. Variation of each parameter at different distances (10, 50, and 1000 m) has been estimated using a hierarchical sampling scheme. The spatial conjugation of soil parameters has been studied by factor analysis using the principal components method and Spearman correlation coefficients. Regression equations have been proposed to describe relationships of ash content with soil density and content of petroleum hydrocarbons in peat horizons.

Greenhouse gas exchange of rewetted bog peat extraction sites and a Sphagnum cultivation site in northwest Germany

Science.gov (United States)

Beyer, C.; Höper, H.

2015-04-01

During the last decades an increasing area of drained peatlands has been rewetted. Especially in Germany, rewetting is the principal treatment on cutover sites when peat extraction is finished. The objectives are bog restoration and the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The first sites were rewetted in the 1980s. Thus, there is a good opportunity to study long-term effects of rewetting on greenhouse gas exchange, which has not been done so far on temperate cutover peatlands. Moreover, Sphagnum cultivating may become a new way to use cutover peatlands and agriculturally used peatlands as it permits the economical use of bogs under wet conditions. The climate impact of such measures has not been studied yet. We conducted a field study on the exchange of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide at three rewetted sites with a gradient from dry to wet conditions and at a Sphagnum cultivation site in NW Germany over the course of more than 2 years. Gas fluxes were measured using transparent and opaque closed chambers. The ecosystem respiration (CO2) and the net ecosystem exchange (CO2) were modelled at a high temporal resolution. Measured and modelled values fit very well together. Annually cumulated gas flux rates, net ecosystem carbon balances (NECB) and global warming potential (GWP) balances were determined. The annual net ecosystem exchange (CO2) varied strongly at the rewetted sites (from -201.7 ± 126.8 to 29.7± 112.7g CO2-C m-2 a-1) due to differing weather conditions, water levels and vegetation. The Sphagnum cultivation site was a sink of CO2 (-118.8 ± 48.1 and -78.6 ± 39.8 g CO2-C m-2 a-1). The annual CH4 balances ranged between 16.2 ± 2.2 and 24.2 ± 5.0g CH4-C m-2 a-1 at two inundated sites, while one rewetted site with a comparatively low water level and the Sphagnum farming site show CH4 fluxes close to 0. The net N2O fluxes were low and not significantly different between the four sites. The annual NECB was between -185.5 ± 126.9 and 49

Effects of elevated CO2 and increased N deposition on bog vegetation in the Netherlands = [Gevolgen van een verhoogde atmosferische CO2-concentratie en N-depositie voor hoogveenvegetatie in Nederland

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heijmans, M.M.P.D.

2000-01-01

Ombrotrophic bogs are important long-term sinks for atmospheric carbon. Changes in species composition of the bog plant community may have important effects on carbon sequestration, because peat mosses ( Sphagnum ) contribute more to peat accumulation than vascular

Do plant traits explain tree seedling survival in bogs?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Limpens, J.; Egmond, van E.; Li, B.; Holmgren, M.

2014-01-01

1.Moss-dominated peat bogs store approximately 30% of global soil carbon. A climate induced shift from current moss-dominated conditions to tree-dominated states is expected to strongly affect their functioning and carbon sequestration capacity. Consequently, unraveling the mechanisms that may

Do plant traits explain tree seedling survival in bogs?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Limpens, J.; Egmond, van E.; Li, B.; Holmgren, M.

2013-01-01

Moss-dominated peat bogs store approximately 30% of global soil carbon. A climate induced shift from current moss-dominated conditions to tree-dominated states is expected to strongly affect their functioning and carbon sequestration capacity. Consequently, unraveling the mechanisms that may explain

Sorption of radioiodide in an acidic, nutrient-poor boreal bog: insights into the microbial impact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lusa, M.; Bomberg, M.; Aromaa, H.; Knuutinen, J.; Lehto, J.

2015-01-01

Batch sorption experiments were conducted to evaluate the sorption behaviour of iodide and the microbial impact on iodide sorption in the surface moss, subsurface peat, gyttja, and clay layers of a nutrient-poor boreal bog. The batch distribution coefficient (K d ) values of iodide decreased as a function of sampling depth. The highest K d values, 4800 L/Kg dry weight (DW) (geometric mean), were observed in the fresh surface moss and the lowest in the bottom clay (geometric mean 90 mL/g DW). In the surface moss, peat and gyttja layers, which have a high organic matter content (on average 97%), maximum sorption was observed at a pH between ∼4 and 5 and in the clay layer at pH 2. The K d values were significantly lower in sterilized samples, being 20-fold lower than the values found for the unsterilized samples. In addition, the recolonization of sterilized samples with a microbial population from the fresh samples restored the sorption capacity of surface moss, peat and gyttja samples, indicating that the decrease in the sorption was due to the destruction of microbes and supporting the hypothesis that microbes are necessary for the incorporation of iodide into the organic matter. Anoxic conditions reduced the sorption of iodide in fresh, untreated samples, similarly to the effect of sterilization, which supports the hypothesis that iodide is oxidized into I 2 /HIO before incorporation into the organic matter. Furthermore, the K d values positively correlated with peroxidase activity in surface moss, subsurface peat and gyttja layers at +20 °C, and with the bacterial cell counts obtained from plate count agar at +4 °C. Our results demonstrate the importance of viable microbes for the sorption of iodide in the bog environment, having a high organic matter content and a low pH. - Highlights: • Sorption of iodide is highest on the surface Sphagnum layer of the bog. • Sterilization of peat decreases the sorption of iodide. • Anoxic conditions decrease

Variation in the C/N-quotient of peat in relation to decomposition rate and age determination with 210Pb

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malmer, N.; Holm, E.

1984-01-01

Peat profiles ca. 0.5 m in depth through bog hummocks with Sphagnum spp. have been studied on a subarctic mire in northern Sweden and on some bogs in southern Sweden. The C/N-quotient in the peat decreases with depth due to losses in C during the decay processes. As a result of decay and compaction, the annual peat volume increment at the bottom of the profiles is 4-15% of the increment in the upper parts. On the central bog areas in southern Sweden the decay processes during periods are interrupted at earlier stages which gives rise to a more rapid volumetric peat increment than in the marginal bog areas and in the north. Datings from 210 Pb activity have proved to be reliable only in the lower parts of the profiles (age>50 yr) as lead might be mobile in the upper parts. At the deposition in the catotelm layer after a period of at least 150 yr the organic matter has lost up to 80% of its original carbon. The accumulation of 210 Pb and N shows that the supply of these elements is higher in southern Sweden than in the north. (author)

Excavating and loading equipment for peat mining

Science.gov (United States)

Mikhailov, A. V.; Zhigulskaya, A. I.; Yakonovskaya, T. B.

2017-10-01

Recently, the issues of sustainable development of Russian regions, related to ensuring energy security, are more urgent than ever. To achieve sustainable development, an integrated approach to the use of local natural resources is needed. Practically in all north regions of the Russian Federation, peat as a local natural resource is widespread, which has a practical application in the area of housing services. The paper presents the evaluation of technologies for open-pit peat mining, as well as analysis of technological equipment for peat production. Special attention is paid to a question of peat materials excavating and loading. The problem of equipment selection in a peat surface mine is complex. Many features, restrictions and criteria need to be considered. Use of low and ultra-low ground pressure excavators and low ground pressure front-end loaders with full-range tires to provide the necessary floatation in the peat bog environment is offered.

Life-cycle of fuel peat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leijting, J.; Silvo, K.

1998-01-01

The share of peat in the primary energy supply in Finland in 1996 was about 6.5 % and the area used for peat production was about 535 km 2 , corresponding to about 0.5 % of the original peatland area of Finland. Fuel peat production is hence a significant form of using natural resources. About 1.4 % of the total peatland area has been reserved for peat production. Approximately 95 % of the peat excavated in Finland is used as fuel peat, and 5 % as horticultural peat. As raw material and fuel peat can be considered to be slowly renewable material. The environmental impacts of fuel peat production, transportation and peat combustion were evaluated in this research by methods used in life-cycle assessment. Preparation and production phases of peat production areas, fuel peat transportation to power plants, combustion of peat in power plants, and disposal of the ashes formed the basis for the investigation. Data collected in 1994-1996 was used as the basic material in the research. Special attention was paid to the estimation of greenhouse gas balance when using a virgin bog and the forest drained peatland areas as starting points. Post-production use of peatlands were not inspected in the life-cycle assessment. The work was carried out in 1997 in cooperation with Vapo Oy. The regional environmental centers, VTT and Helsinki and Joensuu Universities assisted significantly in acquisition of the material and planning of the work 3 refs

{sup 137}Cs in a raised bog in central Sweden

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosen, K. [Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SLU, Ulls vag 17, Box 7014, SE-75007, Uppsala (Sweden)], E-mail: klas.rosen@mv.slu.se; Vinichuk, M. [Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SLU, Ulls vag 17, Box 7014, SE-75007, Uppsala (Sweden); Department of Ecology, Zhytomyr State Technological University, 103 Cherniakhovsky Str., 10005 Zhytomyr (Ukraine); Johanson, K.J. [Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SLU, Ulls vag 17, Box 7014, SE-75007, Uppsala (Sweden)

2009-07-15

The vertical distribution of {sup 137}Cs activity in peat soil profiles and {sup 137}Cs activity concentration in plants of various species was studied in samples collected at two sites on a raised bog in central Sweden. One site (open bog) was in an area with no trees and only a few sparsely growing plant species, while the other (low pine) was less than 100 m from the open bog site and had slowly growing Scots pine, a field layer dominated by some ericaceous plants and ground well-covered by plants. The plant samples were collected in 2004-2007 and were compared with samples collected in 1989 from the same open bog and low pine sites. Ground deposition of {sup 137}Cs in 2005 was similar at both sites, 23 000 Bq m{sup -2}. In the open bog peat profile it seems to be an upward transport of caesium since a clear peak of {sup 137}Cs activity was found in the uppermost 1-4 cm of Sphagnum layers, whereas at the low pine site {sup 137}Cs was mainly found in deeper (10-12 cm) layers. The migration rate was 0.57 cm yr{sup -1} at the open bog site and the migration centre of {sup 137}Cs was at a depth of 10.7, while the rate at the low pine site was 0.78 cm yr{sup -1} and the migration centre was at 14.9 cm. Heather (Calluna vulgaris) was the plant species with the highest {sup 137}Cs activity concentrations at both sites, 43.5 k Bq{sup -1} DM in 1989 decreasing to 20.4 in 2004-2007 on open bog and 22.3 k Bq kg{sup -1} DM in 1989 decreasing to 11.2 k Bq{sup -1} DM by the period 2004-2007 on the low pine site. {sup 137}Cs transfer factors in plants varied between 0.88 and 1.35 on the open bog and between 0.48 and 0.69 m{sup 2} kg{sup -1} DM at the low pine site.

Peat in horticulture and conservation: the UK response to a changing world

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P.D. Alexander

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Peat bogs are increasingly recognised as valuable habitats for wildlife and important stores of carbon. Yet the UK horticultural industry relies heavily on peat sourced from bogs in the UK and Republic of Ireland. Environmentalists, government and horticultural businesses in the UK now recognise the environmental consequences of using peat in horticulture, and the industry is turning increasingly to sustainable raw materials. In this paper, the strengths and weaknesses of campaigning since 1990 to implement this change are analysed, with the intention of providing useful information for other countries facing similar challenges. The campaign encountered deeply-ingrained practices so that the shift in behaviour has been slow and, although now widespread, still meets resistance in some quarters. The UK Government introduced targets for peat replacement which have helped stimulate the industry to develop suitable alternatives. The major gardening retailers have included peat replacement targets in their environmental codes of practice, and these are being met through incremental peat dilution with alternative materials such as green compost and processed timber by-products. Legislative requirements for European biodiversity conservation have led the UK government to terminate peat extraction on significant areas of former commercial extraction. The importance of peatlands for carbon sequestration and the major issue of climate change are increasingly focusing attention on peatland conservation, pointing towards the need for a more consistent approach to the use of peat across the European Community.

Effect of soil properties and hydrology on Archaeal community composition in three temperate grasslands on peat

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Görres, Carolyn-Monika; Conrad, Ralf; Petersen, Søren O

2013-01-01

Grasslands established on drained peat soils are regarded as negligible methane (CH4) sources; however, they can still exhibit considerable soil CH4 dynamics. We investigated archaeal community composition in two different fen peat soils and one bog peat soil under permanent grassland in Denmark........ Overall, there seemed to be a significant coupling between peat type and archaeal community composition, with local hydrology modifying the strength of this coupling....

Hounsfield Units ranges in CT-scans of bog bodies and mummies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Villa, Chiara; Lynnerup, Niels

2012-01-01

Mummification processes, either artificial or natural, preserve the tissues from postmortem decay, but change them from their original state. In this study we provided the first comprehensive set of Hounsfield Unit (HU) ranges specific for tissues mummified under different environmental conditions...... (peat bog, cold-dry and hot-dry environment). We also analyzed the impact of different museal preservation techniques on the HU ranges, as e.g. in the Tollund Man and Grauballe Man, two bog bodies from Denmark. The HU results for mummies were compared with HU results from forensic cases, cremated...

Approaches to estimating humification indicators for peat

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Klavins

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Degree of decomposition is an important property of the organic matter in soils and other deposits which contain fossil carbon. It describes the intensity of transformation, or the humification degree (HD, of the original living organic matter. In this article, approaches to the determination of HD are thoroughly described and 14C dated peat columns extracted from several bogs in Latvia are investigated and compared. A new humification indicator is suggested, namely the quantity of humic substances as a fraction of the total amount of organic matter in the peat.

Establishing Sphagnum cultures on bog grassland, cut-over bogs, and floating mats: procedures, costs and area potential in Germany

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Wichmann

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Sphagnum biomass is valued as a high-quality constituent of horticultural growing media. The cultivation of Sphagnum (peatmoss was tested successfully on peat soil and on artificial mats floating on acidic water bodies. But whether Sphagnum farming is economically feasible is unclear. Drawing on experience gained during four research projects in Germany we compared the procedures, costs and area potential for establishing large-scale Sphagnum cultures. Establishment costs were clearly lower for soil-based cultivation (€8.35 m-2 to €12.80 m 2 than for water-based cultivation (€17.34 m-2 to €21.43 m-2. Relating costs to the predicted dry mass yield over the total cultivation time resulted in values of €1,723 t-1 on cut-over bog, €2,646 t-1 on former bog grassland, €9,625 t -1 on floating mats without pre-cultivation and €11,833 t-1 on pre-cultivated Sphagnum mats. The high production costs of the mats (without pre-cultivation 54 % and with pre-cultivation 63 % of total costs resulted in the highest overall costs. In the case of soil-based Sphagnum cultures, the costs of purchasing Sphagnum diaspores were most influential (on bog grassland 46 % and on cut-over bog 71 % of total costs. The lowest costs relate to cut-over bog because of the smaller effort required for site preparation compared to taking off the topsoil of former bog grassland and the limited costs for the assumed irrigation system. In the case of former bog grassland, the high investment costs for the project-specific automatic water management boosted the establishment costs. Taking into account potential savings on the irrigation system and the high area potential, bog grassland emerges as the most promising land category for Sphagnum farming in Germany.

Holocene vegetation and climate change recorded in alpine bog sediments from the Borreguiles de la Virgen, Sierra Nevada, southern Spain

Science.gov (United States)

Jiménez-Moreno, Gonzalo; Anderson, R. Scott

2012-01-01

High-resolution pollen and magnetic susceptibility (MS) analyses have been carried out on a sediment core taken from a high-elevation alpine bog area located in Sierra Nevada, southern Spain. The earliest part of the record, from 8200 to about 7000 cal yr BP, is characterized by the highest abundance of arboreal pollen and Pediastrum, indicating the warmest and wettest conditions in the area at that time. The pollen record shows a progressive aridification since 7000 cal yr BP that occurred in two steps, first shown by a decrease in Pinus, replaced by Poaceae from 7000 to 4600 cal yr BP and then by Cyperaceae, Artemisia and Amaranthaceae from 4600 to 1200 cal yr BP. Pediastrum also decreased progressively and totally disappeared at ca. 3000 yr ago. The progressive aridification is punctuated by periodically enhanced drought at ca. 6500, 5200 and 4000 cal yr BP that coincide in timing and duration with well-known dry events in the Mediterranean and other areas. Since 1200 cal yr BP, several changes are observed in the vegetation that probably indicate the high-impact of humans in the Sierra Nevada, with pasturing leading to nutrient enrichment and eutrophication of the bog, Pinus reforestation and Olea cultivation at lower elevations.

Natural and artificial radionuclides in forest and bog soils: tracers for migration processes and soil development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schleich, N.; Degering, D.; Unterricker, S.

2000-01-01

Radionuclide distributions in undisturbed forest and bog soils, mostly situated in Saxony, Germany (Erzgebirge), were studied. Low concentrations of naturally-occurring U and Th decay series nuclides, including 210 Pb, and artificial radioisotopes ( 125 Sb, 134 Cs, 137 Cs, 241 Am) were determined using low-level γ-spectrometry. In addition, the activities of 238 Pu and 239,240 Pu were determined by radiochemical separation and α-spectrometry. 14 C and excess 210 Pb dating methods were used to date the sampled bog profiles. The different radionuclides show characteristic depth distributions in the forest and bog soil horizons, which were sub-sampled as thin slices. 125 Sb, 241 Am, 238 Pu and 239,240 Pu are strongly fixed in soil organic matter. In spruce forest soils, the influence of soil horizons with distinct properties dominates the vertical time-dependent distribution. In ombrotrophic bogs, the peak positions correlated with the year of maximum input of each nuclide. The Sb, Am and Pu ''time markers'' and the 14 C and 210 Pb dating results correspond very well. Although Cs seems to be relatively mobile in organic as well as mineral forest soil horizons, it is enriched in the organic material. In ombrotrophic bogs, Cs is very mobile in the peat deposit. In Sphagnum peat, Cs is translocated continuously towards the growing apices of the Sphagnum mosses, where it is accumulated. (orig.)

Aerial photography in peat production technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tervo, M.

1998-01-01

In this project, possibilities of using aerial photography in peat technology were studied experimentally, the frequency of self-heating in peat stockpiles was surveyed and the effect of compacting on the inner temperature in a self-heated milled peat stockpile was studied. Air photographs can be used in several sub-fields of the peat production. On the basis of these photos it is possible to draw conclusions from the environmental impacts of peat production, from conditions in the peat field, and from qualitative and moisture differences of surface peat. In addition, aerial photography can be utilised in updating bog maps. On the basis of aerial thermal photography in autumns 1987 - 1993, 29 % of milled peat stockpiles, and 4 % of sod peat stockpiles were found to be self-heated. The susceptibility to self-heating varied at different peatlands. The effect of compacting with a bulldozer was studied at three self-heated test stock-piles, two of which were compacted. The inner temperatures in the test stockpiles decreased significantly over the three-month monitoring period. The falls in the inner temperature of all three stockpiles were identical. Compacting did not have any significant effect on the temperature fall or on the rate of fall. The number of test stockpiles (3) is insufficient to give any statistical reliability. (orig.)

Peat in the mountains of New Guinea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G.S. Hope

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Peatlands are common in montane areas above 1,000 m in New Guinea and become extensive above 3,000 m in the subalpine zone. In the montane mires, swamp forests and grass or sedge fens predominate on swampy valley bottoms. These mires may be 4–8 m in depth and up to 30,000 years in age. In Papua New Guinea (PNG there is about 2,250 km2 of montane peatland, and Papua Province (the Indonesian western half of the island probably contains much more. Above 3,000 m, peat soils form under blanket bog on slopes as well as on valley floors. Vegetation types include cushion bog, grass bog and sedge fen. Typical peat depths are 0.5‒1 m on slopes, but valley floors and hollows contain up to 10 m of peat. The estimated total extent of mountain peatland is 14,800 km2 with 5,965 km2 in PNG and about 8,800 km2 in Papua Province. The stratigraphy, age structure and vegetation histories of 45 peatland or organic limnic sites above 750 m have been investigated since 1965. These record major vegetation shifts at 28,000, 17,000‒14,000 and 9,000 years ago and a variable history of human disturbance from 14,000 years ago with extensive clearance by the mid-Holocene at some sites. While montane peatlands were important agricultural centres in the Holocene, the introduction of new dryland crops has resulted in the abandonment of some peatlands in the last few centuries. Despite several decades of research, detailed knowledge of the mountain peatlands is poor and this is an obstacle to scientific management.

Effects of permafrost aggradation on peat properties as determined from a pan-Arctic synthesis of plant macrofossils

Science.gov (United States)

Treat, C.C.; Jones, Miriam C.; Camill, P.; Gallego-Sala, A.; Garneau, M.; Harden, Jennifer W.; Hugelius, G.; Klein, E.S.; Kokfelt, U.; Kuhry, P.; Loisel, Julie; Mathijssen, J.H.; O'Donnell, J.A.; Oksanen, P.O.; Ronkainen, T.M.; Sannel, A.B.K.; Talbot, J. J.; Tarnocal, C.M.; Valiranta, M.

2016-01-01

Permafrost dynamics play an important role in high-latitude peatland carbon balance and are key to understanding the future response of soil carbon stocks. Permafrost aggradation can control the magnitude of the carbon feedback in peatlands through effects on peat properties. We compiled peatland plant macrofossil records for the northern permafrost zone (515 cores from 280 sites) and classified samples by vegetation type and environmental class (fen, bog, tundra and boreal permafrost, and thawed permafrost). We examined differences in peat properties (bulk density, carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and organic matter content, and C/N ratio) and C accumulation rates among vegetation types and environmental classes. Consequences of permafrost aggradation differed between boreal and tundra biomes, including differences in vegetation composition, C/N ratios, and N content. The vegetation composition of tundra permafrost peatlands was similar to permafrost-free fens, while boreal permafrost peatlands more closely resembled permafrost-free bogs. Nitrogen content in boreal permafrost and thawed permafrost peatlands was significantly lower than in permafrost-free bogs despite similar vegetation types (0.9% versus 1.5% N). Median long-term C accumulation rates were higher in fens (23 g C m−2 yr−1) than in permafrost-free bogs (18 g C m−2 yr−1) and were lowest in boreal permafrost peatlands (14 g C m−2 yr−1). The plant macrofossil record demonstrated transitions from fens to bogs to permafrost peatlands, bogs to fens, permafrost aggradation within fens, and permafrost thaw and reaggradation. Using data synthesis, we have identified predominant peatland successional pathways, changes in vegetation type, peat properties, and C accumulation rates associated with permafrost aggradation.

Important physical properties of peat materials

Science.gov (United States)

D.H. Boelter

1968-01-01

Peat materials from 12 bogs in northern Minnesota, U.S.A., showed significant differences in physical properties. It is pointed out that 1) these properties can be related to the hydrology of organic soils only if the soils represent undisturbed field conditions, and 2) volumetric expressions of water content are necessary to correctly evaluate the amount of water in a...

Bacteriohopanepolyol signatures as markers for methanotrophic bacteria in peat moss

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Winden, J.F.; Talbot, H.M.; Kip, N.; Reichart, G.J.; Pol, A.; McNamara, N.P.; Jetten, M.S.M.; Op den Camp, H.J.M.; Sinninghe Damsté, J.S.

2012-01-01

Bacteriohopanepolyols (BHPs) are bacterial biomarkers with a likely potential to identify present and past methanotrophic communities. To unravel the methanotrophic community in peat bogs, we report the BHP signatures of type I and type II methanotrophs isolated from Sphagnum mosses and of an

Bacteriohopanepolyol signatures as markers for methanotrophic bacteria in peat moss

Science.gov (United States)

van Winden, Julia F.; Talbot, Helen M.; Kip, Nardy; Reichart, Gert-Jan; Pol, Arjan; McNamara, Niall P.; Jetten, Mike S. M.; Op den Camp, Huub J. M.; Sinninghe Damsté, Jaap S.

2012-01-01

Bacteriohopanepolyols (BHPs) are bacterial biomarkers with a likely potential to identify present and past methanotrophic communities. To unravel the methanotrophic community in peat bogs, we report the BHP signatures of type I and type II methanotrophs isolated from Sphagnum mosses and of an extreme acidophilic verrucomicrobial methanotroph. A type I Methylovulum-like strain (M200) contains a remarkable combination of BHPs, including a complete suite of mono-unsaturated aminobacteriohopanepentol, -tetrol and -triol. The Methylomonas-like strain (M5) mainly produces aminobacteriohopanepentol, characteristic for type I methanotrophs, and the Methylosinus-like strain (29) contains both aminobacteriohopanetetrol and aminobacteriohopanetriol, typical for a type II methanotroph. The type II methanotroph Methylocella palustris and the verrucomicrobial Methylacidiphilum fumariolicum strain SolV primarily produce aminotriol, which is also produced by many other bacteria. In Sphagnum mosses and underlying peat from a peat bog from Moorhouse, UK, the only detectable BHPs indicative of methanotrophs are aminobacteriohopanepentol (aminopentol) and aminobacteriohopanetetrol (aminotetrol), although both are relatively low in abundance compared to other BHPs. Aminopentol serves as a marker for type I methanotrophs, while aminotetrol may reflect the presence of both type I and type II methanotrophs. The similar quantities of aminotetrol and aminopentol indicate that the methanotrophic community in Sphagnum peat probably consist of a combination of both type I and type II methanotrophs, which is in line with previously published pmoA-based micro-array results.

Greenhouse gas emissions from rewetted bog peat extraction sites and a Sphagnum cultivation site in Northwest Germany

Science.gov (United States)

Beyer, C.; Höper, H.

2014-03-01

. The yearly GWP100 balances ranged from -280.5 ± 465.2 to 644.5 ± 413.6 g CO2-eq. m-2 a-1 at the rewetted sites. In contrast, the Sphagnum farming site had a cooling impact on the climate in both years (-356.8 ± 176.5 and -234.9 ± 145.9 g CO2-C m-2 a-1). If the exported carbon through the harvest of the Sphagnum biomass and the additional CO2 emission from the decay of the organic material is considered, the NECB and GWP100 balances are near neutral. Peat mining sites are likely to become net carbon sinks and a peat accumulating ("growing") peatland within 30 years after rewetting, but the GWP100 balance may still be positive. A recommended measure for rewetting is to achieve a water level of a few centimetres below ground surface. Sphagnum farming is a climate friendly alternative to conventional commercial use of bogs. A year round constant water level of a few centimetres below ground level should be maintained.

Greenhouse gas balance of an establishing Sphagnum culture on a former bog grassland in Germany

OpenAIRE

A. Günther; G. Jurasinski; K. Albrecht; G. Gaudig; M. Krebs; S. Glatzel

2017-01-01

The cultivation of Sphagnum mosses on re-wetted peat bogs for use in horticulture is a new land use strategy. We provide the first greenhouse gas balances for a field-scale Sphagnum farming experiment on former bog grassland, in its establishment phase. Over two years we used closed chambers to make measurements of GHG exchange on production strips of Sphagnum palustre L. and Sphagnum papillosum Lindb. and on irrigation ditches. Methane fluxes of both Sphagnum species showed a significant dec...

Mires in the western part of Kankaanpaeae and the potential use of their peat recources. Kankaanpaeaen laensiosan suot ja niiden turvevarojen kaettoekelpoisuus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sten, C -G; Svahnbaeck, L

1988-01-01

The Geological Survey of Finland has made peat investigations on the mires in the western part of the town Kankaanpaeae, western Finland in 1983-84. In all 18 mires covering a total of 1548 hectares were studied. Most of the mires are concentric raised bogs of the Satakunta-type with rather high peat hummocks often with an aboundance of lichens, water pools and bare-peat hollows are frequent. According to this investigation the most common site type is pine mires (76%). There are 19% of treeless mires, 3% of hardwood-spruce mires and 2% old peat land forests. Sixtyeight per cent of the peat is Sphangnum predominant, and 32% Carex predominant. The mires studied contain a total of 37.1 million m''3 of peat. The mean depth of the mires is 2.4 m including the slightly humitied surface layer, which averages 0.9 m in ticckness. The mean humification degree (H) of the peat is 5.1 (v. Post's scale). As much as 81% of the total peat or 30.7 million m''3, is at a depht of over 2 m in an area covering 885 ha. The average asidity (pH) of the peat is 3.9, the average ash content is 1.5% of dry weight, the water content 92.2% of weight and the dry density 79 kg per m''3. The effective caloric value of the dry peat is 20.4 MJ/kg. The sulphure content is o.21% of dry weight. The total area of six peatlands suitable for fuel peat production is 357 hectares, in average 2.4 meters deep and the available amount of peat is 8. 70 million cubic meters. The energy content of fuel peat at 50% moinsture is 12.7 mill. GJ or 3.5 mill MWh. Horticultural peat is to be found in three peat bogs at 76 hectares with an average thickness of 1.3 m. The available amount of horticultural peat is 1 mill. m''3. The Sphagnum peat samples has an asidity of 3.6 and the ash content is 1.0% of dry weight. Kahilakeidas, a typical concentric raised bog of which 149 ha are in natural conditions, is included in the National Mire Preservation Programme.

Dynamics of biochemical processes and redox conditions in geochemically linked landscapes of oligotrophic bogs

Science.gov (United States)

Inisheva, L. I.; Szajdak, L.; Sergeeva, M. A.

2016-04-01

The biological activity in oligotrophic peatlands at the margins of the Vasyugan Mire has been studied. It is shown found that differently directed biochemical processes manifest themselves in the entire peat profile down to the underlying mineral substrate. Their activity is highly variable. It is argued that the notion about active and inert layers in peat soils is only applicable for the description of their water regime. The degree of the biochemical activity is specified by the physical soil properties. As a result of the biochemical processes, a micromosaic aerobic-anaerobic medium is developed under the surface waterlogged layer of peat deposits. This layer contains the gas phase, including oxygen. It is concluded that the organic and mineral parts of peat bogs represent a single functional system of a genetic peat profile with a clear record of the history of its development.

Reintroduction of salt marsh vegetation and phosphorus fertilisation improve plant colonisation on seawater-contaminated cutover bogs

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C. Emond

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Coastal bogs that are used for peat extraction are prone to contamination by seawater during storm events. Once contaminated, they remain mostly bare because of the combination of high salinity, low pH, high water table and low nutrient availability. The goal of this research was to investigate how plant colonisation at salt-contaminated bogs can be accelerated, in order to prevent erosion and fluvial export of the peat. At two seawater-contaminated bogs, we tested the application of rock phosphate and dolomitic lime in combination with five plant introduction treatments: transplantation of Carex paleacea; transplantation of Spartina pectinata; transfer of salt marsh diaspores in July; transfer of salt marsh diaspores in August; and no treatment (control. The effects of different doses of lime on the growth of C. paleacea and S. pectinata were also investigated in a greenhouse experiment. In the field, phosphorus fertilisation improved plant growth. Transplantation of C. paleacea resulted in the highest plant colonisation, whereas salt marsh diaspore transfer led to the highest species diversity. Lime applications did not improve plant establishment in either the field or the greenhouse. To promote revegetation of seawater-contaminated cutover bogs, adding P is an asset, Carex paleacea is a good species to transplant, and the transfer of salt marsh diaspores improves plant diversity.

Turfeiras da Serra do Espinhaço Meridional - MG: II - influência da drenagem na composição elementar e substâncias húmicas Peat bogs in the Serra do Espinhaço Meridional - Minas Gerais, Brazil: II - influence of drainage on elemental humus composition and substances

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandre Christófaro Silva

2009-10-01

Full Text Available As turfeiras são Organossolos que resultam de condições ecológicas ideais ao acúmulo de material orgânico, controladas pelos sistemas geomorfológicos e processos geológicos e climáticos globais. Sua constituição física, química e biológica é pouco conhecida. No presente trabalho foi realizado um estudo sobre as turfeiras da Serra do Espinhaço Meridional (SdEM - MG, por meio da descrição e coleta de amostras em três perfis situados a 1.250 m (P1, 1.350 m (P4 e 1.800 m (P2 de altitude. Os três perfis foram caracterizados morfologicamente e, nas amostras coletadas, foram realizadas análises químicas e fracionamento da matéria orgânica em ácidos húmicos, ácidos fúlvicos e humina. A matéria orgânica dos perfis de Turfeiras da SdEM apresentou marcantes diferenças entre si em relação à sua composição química e ao teor das substâncias húmicas e à composição química dos ácidos húmicos. A variação das condições de drenagem foi preponderante para a diferenciação qualitativa e quantitativa da matéria orgânica. A turfeira P1, com moderadas condições de drenagem, apresentou matéria orgânica com maiores relações C/N e O/C, predomínio de ácidos fúlvicos entre as substâncias húmicas e ácidos húmicos e elevada relação C/N. Nas turfeiras P2 e P4, com muito más condições de drenagem, as relações C/N e O/C da matéria orgânica foram mais baixas, a humina predominou amplamente entre as substâncias húmicas e os ácidos húmicos apresentaram a mais baixa relação C/N.Peat bogs are Organosols formed under ideal ecological conditions in terms of the accumulation of organic material, controlled by geomorphological and geological processes and climate. The physical, chemistry and biological constitution of peat bogs is largely unknown. In this study the peat bogs of the Southern Serra do Espinhaço (Minas Gerais, Brazil were described and sampled from three profiles at 1,250 m (P1, 1,350 m (P4 and

Improving the {sup 210}Pb-chronology of Pb deposition in peat cores from Chao de Lamoso (NW Spain)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Olid, Carolina, E-mail: carolina.olid@emg.umu.se [Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå (Sweden); Departament de Física, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra (Spain); Garcia-Orellana, Jordi, E-mail: jordi.garcia@uab.cat [Departament de Física, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra (Spain); Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra (Spain); Masqué, Pere, E-mail: pere.masque@uab.cat [Departament de Física, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra (Spain); Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra (Spain); Cortizas, Antonio Martínez, E-mail: antonio.martinez.cortizas@usc.es [Departamento de Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, E-15782 Santiago de Compostela (Spain); and others

2013-01-15

The natural radionuclide {sup 210}Pb is commonly used to establish accurate and precise chronologies for the recent (past 100–150 years) layers of peat deposits. The most widely used {sup 210}Pb-dating model, Constant Rate of Supply (CRS), was applied using data from three peat cores from Chao de Lamoso, an ombrotrophic mire in Galicia (NW Spain). On the basis of the CRS-chronologies, maximum Pb concentrations and enrichment factors (EFs) occurred in the 1960s and late 1970s, consistent with the historical use of Pb. However, maximum Pb fluxes were dated in the 1940s and the late 1960s, 10 to 20 years earlier. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that, although the {sup 210}Pb distribution was mainly (74%) controlled by radioactive decay, about 20% of the {sup 210}Pb flux variability was associated with atmospheric metal pollution, suggesting an extra {sup 210}Pb supply source and thus invalidating the main assumption of the CRS model. When the CRS-ages were recalculated after correcting for the extra input from the {sup 210}Pb inventory of the uppermost peat layers of each core, Pb flux variations were consistent with the historical atmospheric Pb deposition. Our results not only show the robustness of the CRS model to establish accurate chronologies of recent peat deposits but also provide evidence that there are confounding factors that might influence the calculation of reliable peat accumulation rates (and thus also element accumulation rates/fluxes). This study emphasizes the need to verify the hypotheses of {sup 210}Pb-dating models and the usefulness of a full geochemical interpretation of peat bog records. - Highlights: ► Peat cores collected in NW Spain were used to reconstruct recent Pb deposition. ► Applicability of {sup 210}Pb-dating models (CRS) in bogs is discussed based on PCA results. ► Results showed that ∼ 20% of the {sup 210}Pb flux was related to anthropogenic metal pollution. ► Geochemical analysis of bogs is useful to

Historical accumulation rates of mercury in four Scottish ombrotrophic peat bogs over the past 2000 years

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Farmer, John G., E-mail: J.G.Farmer@ed.ac.uk [School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JN, Scotland (United Kingdom); Anderson, Peter [Contaminated Land Assessment and Remediation Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JL, Scotland (United Kingdom); Cloy, Joanna M.; Graham, Margaret C. [School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JN, Scotland (United Kingdom); MacKenzie, Angus B.; Cook, Gordon T. [Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, East Kilbride, G75 0QF, Scotland (United Kingdom)

2009-10-15

The historical accumulation rates of mercury resulting from atmospheric deposition to four Scottish ombrotrophic peat bogs, Turclossie Moss (northeast Scotland), Flanders Moss (west-central), Red Moss of Balerno (east-central) and Carsegowan Moss (southwest), were determined via analysis of {sup 210}Pb- and {sup 14}C-dated cores up to 2000 years old. Average pre-industrial rates of mercury accumulation of 4.5 and 3.7 {mu}g m{sup -2} y{sup -1} were obtained for Flanders Moss (A.D. 1-1800) and Red Moss of Balerno (A.D. 800-1800), respectively. Thereafter, mercury accumulation rates increased to typical maximum values of 51, 61, 77 and 85 {mu}g m{sup -2} y{sup -1}, recorded at different times possibly reflecting local/regional influences during the first 70 years of the 20th century, at the four sites (TM, FM, RM, CM), before declining to a mean value of 27 {+-} 15 {mu}g m{sup -2} y{sup -1} during the late 1990s/early 2000s. Comparison of such trends for mercury with those for lead and arsenic in the cores and also with direct data for the declining UK emissions of these three elements since 1970 suggested that a substantial proportion of the mercury deposited at these sites over the past few decades originated from outwith the UK, with contributions to wet and dry deposition arising from long-range transport of mercury released by sources such as combustion of coal. Confidence in the chronological reliability of these core-derived trends in absolute and relative accumulation of mercury, at least since the 19th century, was provided by the excellent agreement between the corresponding detailed and characteristic temporal trends in the {sup 206}Pb/{sup 207}Pb isotopic ratio of lead in the {sup 210}Pb-dated Turclossie Moss core and those in archival Scottish Sphagnum moss samples of known date of collection. The possibility of some longer-term loss of volatile mercury released from diagenetically altered older peat cannot, however, be excluded by the findings of this

Historical accumulation rates of mercury in four Scottish ombrotrophic peat bogs over the past 2000 years

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farmer, John G.; Anderson, Peter; Cloy, Joanna M.; Graham, Margaret C.; MacKenzie, Angus B.; Cook, Gordon T.

2009-01-01

The historical accumulation rates of mercury resulting from atmospheric deposition to four Scottish ombrotrophic peat bogs, Turclossie Moss (northeast Scotland), Flanders Moss (west-central), Red Moss of Balerno (east-central) and Carsegowan Moss (southwest), were determined via analysis of 210 Pb- and 14 C-dated cores up to 2000 years old. Average pre-industrial rates of mercury accumulation of 4.5 and 3.7 μg m -2 y -1 were obtained for Flanders Moss (A.D. 1-1800) and Red Moss of Balerno (A.D. 800-1800), respectively. Thereafter, mercury accumulation rates increased to typical maximum values of 51, 61, 77 and 85 μg m -2 y -1 , recorded at different times possibly reflecting local/regional influences during the first 70 years of the 20th century, at the four sites (TM, FM, RM, CM), before declining to a mean value of 27 ± 15 μg m -2 y -1 during the late 1990s/early 2000s. Comparison of such trends for mercury with those for lead and arsenic in the cores and also with direct data for the declining UK emissions of these three elements since 1970 suggested that a substantial proportion of the mercury deposited at these sites over the past few decades originated from outwith the UK, with contributions to wet and dry deposition arising from long-range transport of mercury released by sources such as combustion of coal. Confidence in the chronological reliability of these core-derived trends in absolute and relative accumulation of mercury, at least since the 19th century, was provided by the excellent agreement between the corresponding detailed and characteristic temporal trends in the 206 Pb/ 207 Pb isotopic ratio of lead in the 210 Pb-dated Turclossie Moss core and those in archival Scottish Sphagnum moss samples of known date of collection. The possibility of some longer-term loss of volatile mercury released from diagenetically altered older peat cannot, however, be excluded by the findings of this study.

Enhanced sensitivity of a mountain bog to climate change as a delayed effect of road construction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. von Sengbusch

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Trees of Pinus rotundata (bog pine characterise many bogs in the mid-altitude mountains of central Europe (Switzerland, East and South Germany, Czech Republic. The research described here focuses on recent changes in the growth of bog pine on the Ennersbacher Moor, a mountain mire in the Black Forest (south-west Germany. An increase in the cover of bog pine is usually caused by drainage and subsequent drawdown of the water table. However, this bog has not been drained or directly disturbed in any other way. One possible explanation is that a road constructed in 1983 along one margin of the bog has diverted part of its water supply. Even though the road was designed to conduct potentially salt-contaminated drainage water away from the bog, its construction did not cause an immediate vegetation response in the 1980s and 1990s. Therefore, I hypothesise that it enhanced the sensitivity of the bog to climatic stress, predisposing it to a succession that was eventually triggered by a series of drought years in 2009–2011. Data collected near the centre of the bog over the period 1998–2014 indicate not only a distinct change in the relationship between height and trunk circumference of the trees, but also an increase of dwarf shrub cover and changes in the composition of Sphagnum communities. Although the pH of near-surface water may have increased slightly over this period, pH and EC values remain within typical ranges for raised bogs in the Black Forest. Examination of peat profiles reveals that the peat is more highly humified now than it was in 2002, and water table records from 2012–2014 show a greater amplitude of fluctuation than water table data collected in 1998–2001. Even though its mean level is only 105 mm below the ground surface, the water table is now observed to fall rapidly to depths of at least 350 mm during both wet and dry summers. Mapping surface (mesotopography and flow lines from the adjacent slope shows that the

Order-of-magnitude increase of Hg in Norwegian peat profiles since the outset of industrial activity in Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steinnes, Eiliv; Sjobakk, Torill Eidhammer

2005-01-01

Peat cores from six ombrotrophic bogs at different latitudes in Norway (58 deg N-69 deg N) were analysed for Hg by atomic fluorescence spectrometry. In all cases a smooth decrease of Hg with depth was observed down to 15-20 cm. At greater depths Hg showed a relatively constant level of the order of 10% of that in the peat surface layer. In the surface peat Hg concentrations exhibit moderate variation with latitude. The pre-industrial levels of Hg in the peat correspond to a net annual Hg accumulation of 0.3-0.9 μg m -2 . The Hg accumulation over the last 100 years is about 15 times higher on average than the pre-industrial level. The present work supports the view that a major part of the present atmospheric Hg in the Northern Hemisphere is of anthropogenic origin. It is speculated that the comparatively high Hg contemporary accumulation rates observed at the Andoya bog on 69 deg N may be related to the Arctic springtime depletion of Hg. - Results from analyses of ombrotrophic peat cores support the view that the present level of Hg 0 in the atmosphere is mainly of anthropogenic origin

Dendrochronologically dated pine stumps document phase-wise bog expansion at a northwest German site between ca. 6700 and ca. 3400 BC

Science.gov (United States)

Maike Achterberg, Inke Elisabeth; Eckstein, Jan; Birkholz, Bernhard; Bauerochse, Andreas; Leuschner, Hanns Hubert

2018-01-01

The investigated northwest German mire site at Totes Moor is densely covered with subfossil pine stumps (Pinus sylvestris L.) from the fen-bog transition. This facilitates the spatio-temporal reconstruction of mire development, which is based on 212 in situ tree stumps in the case study presented here. Six dendrochronologically dated site chronologies together cover 2345 years between 6703 and 3403 BC. The gaps in between are 6 to 550 years long. Additionally, a floating chronology of 309 years, containing 30 trees, was radiocarbon-dated to the beginning of the 7th millennium cal BC. Peat-stratigraphical survey was carried out additionally, and elevations a.s.l. were determined at several locations. Tree dying-off phases, which indicate water level rise at the site, mostly in context of the local fen-bog transition, are evident for ca. 6600-6450, ca. 6350-5750, ca. 5300-4900, ca. 4700-4550, ca. 3900-3850, ca. 3700-3600, ca. 3500-3450 and ca. 3400 BC. The spatial distribution of the dated in situ trees illustrates the phase-wise expansion of raised bog over fen peat at the site. The documented bog expansion pulses likely correspond to climatic wet sifts.

Peat soil composition as indicator of plants growth environment

Science.gov (United States)

Noormets, M.; Tonutare, T.; Kauer, K.; Szajdak, L.; Kolli, R.

2009-04-01

Exhausted milled peat areas have been left behind as a result of decades-lasting intensive peat production in Estonia and Europe. According to different data there in Estonia is 10 000 - 15 000 ha of exhausted milled peat areas that should be vegetated. Restoration using Sphagnum species is most advantageous, as it creates ecological conditions closest to the natural succession towards a natural bog area. It is also thought that the large scale translocation of vegetation from intact bogs, as used in some Canadian restoration trials, is not applicable in most of European sites due to limited availability of suitable donor areas. Another possibility to reduce the CO2 emission in these areas is their use for cultivation of species that requires minimum agrotechnical measures exploitation. It is found by experiments that it is possible to establish on Vaccinium species for revegetation of exhausted milled peat areas. Several physiological activity of the plant is regulated by the number of phytohormones. These substances in low quantities move within the plant from a site of production to a site of action. Phytohormone, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) is formed in soils from tryptophane by enzymatic conversion. This compound seems to play an important function in nature as result to its influence in regulation of plant growth and development. A principal feature of IAA is its ability to affect growth, development and health of plants. This compound activates root morphology and metabolic changes in the host plant. The physiological impact of this substance is involved in cell elongation, apical dominance, root initiation, parthenocarpy, abscission, callus formation and the respiration. The investigation areas are located in the county of Tartu (58˚ 22' N, 26˚ 43' E), in the southern part of Estonia. The soil of the experimental fields belongs according to the WRB soil classification, to the soils subgroups of Fibri-Dystric Histosols. The investigation areas were

The history of the peat manufacturing industry in The Netherlands: Peat moss litter and active carbon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.A.W. Gerding

2015-11-01

Full Text Available This article describes the development of three major forms of peat processing by the manufacturing industry in The Netherlands since the last quarter of the 19th century. At a time when peat as a fuel was gradually being replaced by coal, the first form was the peat moss litter industry. Peat moss litter was made from white peat that was ground and sieved in factories which were located mainly in bog areas in the south-east of the province of Drenthe. It served as excellent bedding for horses and cattle. The second form of industrial peat processing was the manufacture, from 1921 onwards, of active carbon made from black peat. The Purit (Norit factory, now part of the Cabot Corporation, is still the only active carbon factory using peat as a raw material. The third form of peat processing was the production of garden peat and potting soil. This is still a widespread activity in peat areas all over the world. The peat moss litter industry thrived from the 1880s until shortly after the First World War. The arrival of the horse-drawn tram in all of the major cities of Europe created a great demand for animal bedding to be used in the vast stables of the tramway companies. Peat moss litter was cleaner, healthier and easier to handle than straw. There was similar demand from the armies, which used millions of horses during the First World War. Owing to the development of motorised vehicles, the peat market collapsed after the war and this plunged the industry into a prolonged crisis which was not overcome until peat was found to be a suitable growing medium for horticulture in the 1950s. Living and working conditions in peatlands were harsh, earnings irregular and labourers’ rights limited. The peat manufacturing industry was the first to introduce collective labour agreements, medical benefits and pension plans. Nonetheless massive unemployment, poverty and the necessity to migrate to other parts of the country were clear signs that the era of

Markers of Soil Organic Matter Transformation in Permafrost Peat Mounds of Northeastern Europe

Science.gov (United States)

Pastukhov, A. V.; Knoblauch, C.; Yakovleva, E. V.; Kaverin, D. A.

2018-01-01

For the paleoreconstruction of permafrost peat mounds and the identification of plant communities participating in the formation of peat, the contents of n-alkanes (C20-C33) have been determined, and relative changes in the stable isotope compositions of carbon and nitrogen and the C/N ratio have been analysed. Several indices ( CPI alkanes, P aq, P wax) have been calculated to assess the degree of decomposition of the peats studied and the contributions of different plant species to their formation. It has been found that shortand long-chain n-alkanes are concentrated in high-moor peat, while medium-chain alkanes are typical for transitional peat. Integrated analysis of the studied markers has shown that the botanical and material composition of peat, anaerobic conditions of bog formation, and permafrost play an important role in the preservation of organic carbon in permafrost peat mounds. Alternation of plant associations is the main reason for changes in n-alkane concentrations, C/N ratios, and δ13C values.

Canadian peat harvesting and the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keys, D.

1992-01-01

In 1990, ca 749,000 tonnes of peat were sold by Canadian producers, a small volume in comparison to the estimated 50 million tonnes or more that accumulate naturally each year in Canada. Most of the harvested peat was used for horticultural purposes. The relationship between peatlands and the peat industry is examined, and issues related to the environment and sustainable resource use are discussed. Case studies are used to examine several specific situations where peatland development proposals have undergone environmental assessments. The present status of peatland conservation in Canada is reviewed. To date, developed peatlands are primarily situated in the boreal wetland regions and consist mainly of the bog wetland class. Environmental issues related to peatland development include the need for conservation of flora, fauna, and other ecological values or functions. The potential for release of carbon gases due to Canadian peat harvesting is considered to be insignificant in relation to other uses of carbon sources such as the combustion of fossil fuel, and is unlikely to influence global warming at the present or projected levels of peatland development in Canada. The influence and mitigation of the effects of drainage of peatlands for peat production on water quality and flow regime are being addressed on a site-specific basis through existing regulatory procedures and research. Reclamation and restoration options are being incorporated during design and operational development of new peat harvesting areas. 39 refs., 15 figs., 3 tabs

Dating raised bogs : New aspects of AMS C-14 wiggle matching, a reservoir effect and climatic change

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kilian, MR; VanDerPlicht, J; VanGeel, B; Geel, B. van

1995-01-01

High resolution AMS dating of Holocene raised bog deposits (Engbertsdijksvenen, The Netherlands) shows natural C-14 variations (wiggles) which can be matched with the dendrochronological calibration curve. Comparison of our results with other, conventionally dated peat cores and the Delta(14)C

Grass species influence on plant N uptake - Determination of atmospheric N deposition to a semi-natural peat bog site using a 15N labelling approach

Science.gov (United States)

Hurkuck, Miriam; Brümmer, Christian; Spott, Oliver; Flessa, Heinz; Kutsch, Werner L.

2014-05-01

Large areas of natural peat bogs in Northwestern Germany have been converted to arable land and were subjected to draining and peat cutting in the past. The few protected peatland areas remaining are affected by high nitrogen (N) deposition. Our study site - a moderately drained raised bog - is surrounded by highly fertilized agricultural land and livestock production. In this study, we used a 15N pool dilution technique called 'Integrated Total Nitrogen Input' (ITNI) to quantify annual deposition of atmospheric N into biomonitoring pots over a two-year period. Since it considers direct N uptake by plants, it was expected to result in higher N input than conventional methods for determination of N deposition (e.g. micrometeorological approaches, bulk N samplers). Using Lolium multiflorum and Eriophorum vaginatum as monitor plants and low, medium and high levels of fertilization, we aimed to simulate increasing N deposition to planted pots and to allocate airborne N after its uptake by the soil-plant system in aboveground biomass, roots and soil. Increasing N fertilization was positively correlated with biomass production of Eriophorum vaginatum, whereas atmospheric plant N uptake decreased and highest airborne N input of 899.8 ± 67.4 µg N d-1 pot-1 was found for low N fertilization. In contrast, Lolium multiflorum showed a clear dependency of N supply on plant N uptake and was highest (688.7 ± 41.4 µg N d-1 pot-1) for highly fertilized vegetation pots. Our results suggest that grass species respond differently to increasing N input. While crop grasses such as Lolium multiflorum take up N according to N availability, species adopted to nutrient-limited conditions like Eriophorum vaginatum show N saturation effects with increasing N supply. Total airborne N input ranged from about 24 to 66 kg N ha-1 yr-1 dependent on the used indicator plant and the amount of added fertilizer. Parallel determination of atmospheric N deposition using a micrometeorological approach

High-resolution stratigraphy of the northernmost concentric raised bog in Europe : Sellevollmyra, Andoya, northern Norway

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vorren, Karl-Dag; Wastegard, Stefan; Van Der Plicht, Johannes; Jensen, Christin; Wastegård, Stefan; Blaauw, Maarten

2007-01-01

From the Sellevollmyra bog at Andoya, northern Norway, a 440-cm long peat core covering the last c. 7000 calendar years was examined for humification, loss-on-ignition, microfossils, macrofossils and tephra. The age model was based on a Bayesian wiggle-match of 35 C-14 dates and two historically

Changes in vegetation, peat properties and peat accumulation in Swedish peatlands as revealed by archive data.

Science.gov (United States)

Schoning, Kristian; Sohlenius, Gustav

2016-04-01

In this investigation we have studied patterns in peat accumulation and changes in mire status since the early 1900s for two areas in Sweden. In the early 1900s the Geological Survey of Sweden collected a vast amount of peat and peatland data, including information on vegetation and land-use. We have used this archive data to evaluate changes in mire vegetation, mire wetness and surface peat properties, rates of peat accumulation, succession in young wetlands and the effects of cultivation on peatlands. In total 156 mires in an uplift area of eastern middle Sweden were included in the data-set, including both pristine mires and peatlands used for agricultural purposes. In this area new peatlands have continuously been formed during the past 7 000 years making it possible to evaluate changes in peat accumulation over time. The other study area is situated in the south Swedish Uplands where we have revisited some larger bogs. The results from our investigation show that many of the peatlands have underwent major changes since the early 1900s. In most of the small peatlands we have found important changes in vegetation where mire vegetation has been replaced by nutrient demanding and/or dry species flora while the tree stand on large mires in south Sweden have increased. In some mires humification has increased in the uppermost peat-layers and the mire surface have become drier compared to the early 1900s. In eastern middle Sweden there are indications that the peat accumulation is lower 0,5 mm/year in older peatlands compared with younger ones 1,2 mm/year, although the mire vegetation in the older peatlands is dominated by sphagnum. The peat depth of the cultivated mires in this area shows a mean decrease of 40 cm since the early 1900s.

Peat development in Newfoundland: an historic overview. [Canada - Newfoundland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rayment, A.F. (Newfoundland and Labrador Peat Association, St. John' s, NF (Canada))

1994-02-01

The aboriginal people and early white settlers doubtless had many uses for peat, although we have few specifics. A concerted effort was made in the 1930s to drain and develop certain peat bogs for growing forages, but interest in the agricultural use of peat waned during World War II and did not return until after Confederation in 1949. The Royal Commission Report on Agriculture (1956) recommended investigation of the feasibility of peat moss for agricultural purposes. From this point, research was conducted chiefly by the federal Experimental Farm near St. John's and by the provincial government, with some input from Memorial University. All peat moss developments must be preceded by drainage, which in turn should be preceded by a contour and depth survey. Mechanical aspects for drainage have evolved considerably. About 1,300 acres were drained by the Cuthbertson plow up to 1960 and another 2500 acres drained by the Healy ditcher between then and 1967; no subsequent reports have been obtained. Research has been conducted into fertilizer requirements for forages. Experiments on the grazing of sheep and/or cattle were also conducted and some problems were encountered, particularly with the grazing of sheep. Also studied was the potential of peat moss production for poultry litter, and the use of peat, kelp and fish offal to produce a high value compost. 28 refs.

Rain increases methane production and methane oxidation in a boreal thermokarst bog

Science.gov (United States)

Neumann, R. B.; Moorberg, C.; Turner, J.; Wong, A.; Waldrop, M. P.; Euskirchen, E. S.; Edgar, C.; Turetsky, M. R.

2017-12-01

Bottom-up biogeochemical models of wetland methane emissions simulate the response of methane production, oxidation and transport to wetland conditions and environmental forcings. One reason for mismatches between bottom-up and top-down estimates of emissions is incomplete knowledge of factors and processes that control microbial rates and methane transport. To advance mechanistic understanding of wetland methane emissions, we conducted a multi-year field investigation and plant manipulation experiment in a thermokarst bog located near Fairbanks, Alaska. The edge of the bog is experiencing active permafrost thaw, while the center of the bog thawed 50 to 100 years ago. Our study, which captured both an average year and two of the wettest years on record, revealed how rain interacts with vascular vegetation and recently thawed permafrost to affect methane emissions. In the floating bog, rain water warmed and oxygenated the subsurface, but did not alter soil saturation. The warmer peat temperatures increased both microbial methane production and plant productivity at the edge of the bog near the actively thawing margin, but minimally altered microbial and plant activity in the center of the bog. These responses indicate processes at the edge of the bog were temperature limited while those in the center were not. The compounding effect of increased microbial activity and plant productivity at the edge of the bog doubled methane emissions from treatments with vascular vegetation during rainy years. In contrast, methane emissions from vegetated treatments in the center of the bog did not change with rain. The oxygenating influence of rain facilitated greater methane oxidation in treatments without vascular vegetation, which offset warming-induced increases in methane production at the edge of the bog and decreased methane emissions in the center of the bog. These results elucidate the complex and spatially variable response of methane production and oxidation in

Sphagnum restoration on degraded blanket and raised bogs in the UK using micropropagated source material: a review of progress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S.J.M Caporn

2018-05-01

Full Text Available There is a growing demand for a supply of Sphagnum to re-introduce to degraded peatlands. However, available supplies of Sphagnum of the desired species are often limited. We describe the propagation of Sphagnum from vegetative material in sterile tissue culture and the introduction of juvenile mosses into the field. Sphagnum produced in the laboratory in three different forms (beads, gel and plugs was introduced to different peatland surfaces on upland degraded blanket bog and lowland cut-over peatland in northern England. On degraded blanket bog, the establishment of mixed-species Sphagnum plugs was typically 99 % while the survival of beads was much lower, ranging from little above zero on bare eroding peat to a maximum of 12 % on stabilised peat surfaces. On lowland cut-over peatland, all trials took place on peat with an expanding cover of Eriophorum angustifolium and tested Sphagnum gel as well as beads and plugs. This work showed that survival and establishment of plugs was high (99 % and greater than for beads. Sphagnum gel reached a cover of 95 % in two years. The vegetative micropropagation of Sphagnum offers an effective source of Sphagnum for re-introduction to degraded peatlands.

Late-Holocene Climate Change and Human Impact; Palaeoecological Evidence From Peat Deposits in Sweden and Germany

Science.gov (United States)

van der Linden, M.; van Geel, B.

2006-12-01

With the aim of investigating the effects of climate change and human impact on vegetation and carbon accumulation, we took peat cores of ca. 1 meter depth from four raised bogs situated on a North-South transect, at intervals of c. 500 km, Umeå in Sweden to Angermünde in northern Germany. A number of analyses were conducted (plant macrofossils, pollen/non-pollen microfossils, colorimetric humification, carbon/nitrogen ratios, bulk densities, loss on ignition), and 14C wiggle-match dating was applied to obtain a fine-resolution chronology. The cores from the northern and southern site encompass ca. 1000 years of vegetation history, showing evidence for the end of the Medieval Warm Period (MWP), the Little Ice Age (LIA) and the twentieth century warming. The middle Swedish and German sites are high resolution records of the last 400 years. The end of the MWP and the cooling at the start of the LIA are reflected by a decline in thermophilous tree species. Changes in the macrofossil composition may also represent changes in climate. Shifts in Sphagnum composition, the dominant peat former, reflect changes in precipitation. Evidence for wet conditions and increased carbon accumulation is found during the Little Ice Age. Human activities affected the peat bog and the surrounding vegetation. Sweden suffered many wars during the 16^{th} and 17^{th} century, which caused a decline in population density. Diseases such as the plague and famines caused by crop failures fastened the population decrease. As a consequence, agricultural land was abandoned, resulting in reforestation by Betula. Later, in the modern part of the records, land-use change and planting of trees comprised the major regional vegetation changes. In the southern site, human activities (drainage to facilitate peat cutting) affected the raised bog itself. A part of the peat archive was lost owing to secondary decomposition which resulted in very low carbon accumulation.

Sphagnum farming on cut-over bog in NW Germany: Long-term studies on Sphagnum growth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Gaudig

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Sphagnum farming allows sustainable and climate-friendly land use on bogs while producing a renewable substitute for peat in horticultural growing media. We studied Sphagnum productivity on an experimental Sphagnum culture established on a cut-over bog in Germany with strongly humified peat at the surface. Preparation of the site included levelling of the peat surface, construction of an irrigation system, spreading of Sphagnum papillosum fragments, covering them with straw, and finally rewetting. Provided there was an adequate (95 % initial cover of Sphagnum fragments, the most relevant variables for Sphagnum productivity were found to be water supply and regular mowing of vascular plants. As long as sufficient water was supplied, the dry biomass accumulation of the established Sphagnum lawn remained high, reaching 3.7 t ha-1 yr-1 between 2007 and 2011. Annual dry Sphagnum biomass productivity over the period 2010–2011 was up to 6.9 t ha-1. During periods when high water table could not be maintained, substantial decomposition of the previously accumulated biomass occurred. After nine years the net accumulated dry mass per hectare was on average 19.5 t of pure Sphagnum and 0.7 t of subsurface vascular-plant biomass. Nitrogen deposition in the study region is apparently sufficient to support fast Sphagnum growth, whereas phosphorus and potassium may be limiting.

Biochemical processes of oligotrophic peat deposits of Vasyugan Mire

Science.gov (United States)

Inisheva, L. I.; Sergeeva, M. A.

2009-04-01

The problem of peat and mire ecosystems functioning and their rational use is the main problem of biosphere study. This problem also refers to forecasting of biosphere changes results which are global and anthropogenic. According to many scientists' research the portion of mires in earth carbon balance is about 15% of world's stock. The aim of this study is to investigate biochemical processes in oligotrophic deposits in North-eastern part of Vasyugan Mire. The investigations were made on the territory of scientific-research ground (56˚ 03´ and 56˚ 57´ NL, 82˚ 22´ and 82˚ 42´ EL). It is situated between two rivers Bakchar and Iksa (in outskirts of the village Polynyanka, Bakchar region, Tomsk oblast). Evolution of investigated mire massif began with the domination of eutrophic phytocenosis - Filicinae, then sedge. Later transfer into oligotrophic phase was accompanied by formation of meter high-moor peat deposit. The age of three-meter peat deposit reaches four thousand years. Biochemical processes of carbon cycle cover the whole peat deposit, but the process activity and its direction in different layers are defined by genesis and duration of peat formation. So, the number of cellulose-fermenting aerobes in researched peat deposits ranges from 16.8 to 75.5 million CFU/g, and anaerobic bacteria from 9.6 to 48.6 million CFU/g. The high number of aerobes is characteristic for high water levels, organizing by raised bog peats. Their number decreases along the profile in 1.7 - 2 times. The number of microflora in peat deposit is defined by the position in the landscape profile (different geneses), by the depth, by hydrothermic conditions of years and individual months. But microflora activity shows along all depth of peat deposit. We found the same in the process of studying of micromycete complex structure. There was revealed either active component micromycete complex - mycelium, or inert one - spores in a meter layer of peat deposit. If mushrooms

Treatment of peat bogs harvested by deep digging technique. A lterature study; Efterbehandling av torvtaekter utbrutna med djupbrytningsteknik; En litteraturstudie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoernsten, L [Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences, Umeaa (Sweden). Dept. of Forest Ecology

1992-06-01

The aim of this study is to describe how peat bogs harvested by deep digging technique can be treated after harvesting has come to an end. The study points out treatment methods, how the treatments are carried out and to indicate the most appropriate method of harvest for optimum results. Costs and benefits are calculated for the methods involving cultivation. The knowledge gained from traditional peat harvesting technique indicate forestry, energy wood production and establishment of ponds as possible alternatives. Energy grass cultivation and establishments of game parks have not been tested. but are assumed to be viable on suitable sites. Establishment of duck ponds are also possible, even though conditions for these are better on firm ground. In this study spruce is estimated to produce 200 cubic meters during 105 year whilst pine produces 300 cubic meters. Calculations for pine and spruce estimate costs of respectively 17000 and 18000 SEK per hectare after 105 years. Energy wood production is estimated to be 11.6 tons dry matter per hectare and year which gives a net cost of 19000 SEK per hectare. Similarly energy grass cultivation results in an average annual harvest of 6.5 ton dry matter and a cost of 59000 SEK per hectare. If the results are applied to three specific cases, then forest cultivation and establishment of ponds are possible in all cases. Neither energy wood nor energy grass are appropriate in any of the three regions. At the particular site for this study all methods mentioned are possible. Depending on whether draining leads to a high or low water table, the most appropriate course would be the establishment of a pond respectively a game park of forest cultivation. (59 refs., 12 tabs., 4 figs.).

Impact of a commercial peat moss operation on water quality and biota in a small tributary of the Richibucto River, Kent County, New Brunswick, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Surette, C; Brun, G L; Mallet, V N

2002-05-01

The St-Charles Plain (Kent County, New Brunswick, Canada) commercial peat moss operation has been ongoing since 1983. To process the peat, a dry extraction method is used that requires extensive drainage of the peat bog. The water is directed toward sedimentation ponds, where it drains into a small brook, which feeds into a river affected by tidal salt water. Water discharge from the bog contains large amounts of peat particles that deposit in the surrounding watershed. As a result, the pH of the freshwater sites that receive the drainage water from the commercial operation, is fairly acidic (pH 3.9-4.7). Water samples from or near the peat moss operation have a higher concentration of total phosphorous and total organic carbon. The peat particles contain relatively high levels of total mercury, as reflected by analysis of peat sediments. However, the water samples contained low levels of dissolved mercury. Indigenous samples of biota-namely, sand shrimps (Crangon septemspinosa) and mummichogs (Fundulus heteroclitus)-did not contain mercury levels higher in the impacted sites than in the reference sites. Introduced blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) did not accumulate significant amounts of mercury during a 62-day exposure in the study area. Overall, the data suggest that although relatively large amounts of mercury-containing peat particles are discharged into the ecosystem, bioaccumulation of mercury in the biota does not occur.

Dust is the dominant source of "heavy metals" to peat moss (Sphagnum fuscum) in the bogs of the Athabasca Bituminous Sands region of northern Alberta.

Science.gov (United States)

Shotyk, William; Bicalho, Beatriz; Cuss, Chad W; Duke, M John M; Noernberg, Tommy; Pelletier, Rick; Steinnes, Eiliv; Zaccone, Claudio

2016-01-01

Sphagnum fuscum was collected from twenty-five ombrotrophic (rain-fed) peat bogs surrounding open pit mines and upgrading facilities of Athabasca Bituminous Sands (ABS) in northern Alberta (AB) in order to assess the extent of atmospheric contamination by trace elements. As a control, this moss species was also collected at a bog near Utikuma (UTK) in an undeveloped part of AB and 264km SW of the ABS region. For comparison, this moss was also collected in central AB, in the vicinity of the City of Edmonton which is approximately 500km to the south of the ABS region, from the Wagner Wetland which is 22km W of the City, from Seba Beach (ca. 90km W) and from Elk Island National Park (ca. 45km E). All of the moss samples were digested and trace elements concentrations determined using ICP-SMS at a commercial laboratory, with selected samples also analyzed using instrumental neutron activation analysis at the University of Alberta. The mosses from the ABS region yielded lower concentrations of Ag, As, Bi, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sb, Tl, and Zn compared to the moss from the Edmonton area. Concentrations of Ni and Mo in the mosses were comparable in these two regions, but V was more abundant in the ABS samples. Compared with the surface vegetation of eight peat cores collected in recent years from British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, the mean concentrations of Ag, As, Bi, Cd, Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Tl and Zn in the mosses from the ABS region are generally much lower. In fact, the concentrations of these trace elements in the samples from the ABS region are comparable to the corresponding values in forest moss from remote regions of central and northern Norway. Lithophile element concentrations (Ba, Be, Ga, Ge, Li, Sc, Th, Ti, Zr) explain most of the variation in trace metal concentrations in the moss samples. The mean concentrations of Th and Zr are greatest in the moss samples from the ABS region, reflecting dust inputs to the bogs from open pit mines, aggregate

Carbon storage change in a partially forestry-drained boreal mire determined through peat column inventories

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pitkanen, A.; Tahvanainen, T.; Simola, H. [Univ. of Eastern Finland, Joensuu (Finland). Dept. pf Biology; Turunen, J. [Geological Survey of Finland, Kuopio (Finland)

2013-09-01

To study the impact of forestry drainage on peat carbon storage, we cored paired quantitative peat samples from undrained and drained sides of an eccentric bog. Five pairs of 0 to {<=} 100-cm-deep surface-peat cores, and a pair of profiles representing the full peat deposit provided stratigraphic evidence of marked loss of surface peat due to drainage. For the drained side cores, we found a relative subsidence of 25-37 cm of the surface, and a loss of about 10 kg{sub DW}{sup m-2}, corresponding to 131 {+-} 28 g C m{sup -2} a{sup -1} (mean {+-} SE) for the post-drainage period. Similar peat loss was also found in the full deposit profiles, thus lending credibility to the whole-column inventory approach, even though the decrease (9 kg{sub DW} m{sup -2}) was relatively small in comparison with the total carbon storage (233 and 224 kg{sub DW} m{sup -2} for the undrained and drained sides, respectively). (orig.)

Sphagnum mosses from 21 ombrotrophic bogs in the athabasca bituminous sands region show no significant atmospheric contamination of "heavy metals".

Science.gov (United States)

Shotyk, William; Belland, Rene; Duke, John; Kempter, Heike; Krachler, Michael; Noernberg, Tommy; Pelletier, Rick; Vile, Melanie A; Wieder, Kelman; Zaccone, Claudio; Zhang, Shuangquan

2014-11-04

Sphagnum moss was collected from 21 ombrotrophic (rain-fed) peat bogs surrounding open pit mines and upgrading facilities of Athabasca bituminous sands in Alberta (AB). In comparison to contemporary Sphagnum moss from four bogs in rural locations of southern Germany (DE), the AB mosses yielded lower concentrations of Ag, Cd, Ni, Pb, Sb, and Tl, similar concentrations of Mo, but greater concentrations of Ba, Th, and V. Except for V, in comparison to the "cleanest", ancient peat samples ever tested from the northern hemisphere (ca. 6000-9000 years old), the concentrations of each of these metals in the AB mosses are within a factor of 3 of "natural, background" values. The concentrations of "heavy metals" in the mosses, however, are proportional to the concentration of Th (a conservative, lithophile element) and, therefore, contributed to the plants primarily in the form of mineral dust particles. Vanadium, the single most abundant trace metal in bitumen, is the only anomaly: in the AB mosses, V exceeds that of ancient peat by a factor of 6; it is therefore enriched in the mosses, relative to Th, by a factor of 2. In comparison to the surface layer of peat cores collected in recent years from across Canada, from British Columbia to New Brunswick, the Pb concentrations in the mosses from AB are far lower.

Retention of atmospheric Cu, Ni, Cd and Zn in an ombrotrophic peat profile near the Outokumpu Cu-Ni mine, SE-Finland

Science.gov (United States)

Rausch, N.; Nieminen, T. M.; Ukonmaanaho, L.; Cheburkin, A.; Krachler, M.; Shotyk, W.

2003-05-01

Peat cores taken from ombrotrophic bogs are widely used to reconstruct historical records of atmospheric lead and mercury déposition[1, 2]. In this study, the retention of copper, nickel, cadmium and zinc in peat bogs are studied by comparing high resolution, age dated concentration profiles with emissions from the main local source, the Outokumpu copper-nickel mine. An ombrotrophic peat core was taken from the vicinity of Outokumpu, E Finland. Copper and zinc concentrations of dry peat were measured by XRF, cadmium and nickel by GF-AAS, and sample ages by 210Pb. Only copper and nickel show enhanced concentrations in layers covering the mining period, indicating a retention of these elements. However, the more detailed comparison of ore production rates and concentrations in age-dated samples show clearly that only copper is likely to be permanently fixed, while nickel doesn't reflect the mining activity. Even though copper is retained in the upper part of the profile, a possible redeposition of this element by secondary processes (e.g., water table fluctuations) can not be excluded. This question will be resolved by further investigations, e.g. by pore water profiles.

Exploring climatic controls on blanket bog litter decomposition across an altitudinal gradient

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, Michael; Ritson, Jonathan P.; Clark, Joanna M.; Verhoef, Anne; Brazier, Richard E.

2016-04-01

through measurements of N content in Sphagnum capitula), but this conclusion raises new questions over the reasons for, and the likely resilience of, the greater sink at the higher elevation sites relative to those at lower elevations. This talk disentangles the effects of temperature, moisture and N deposition on blanket bog litter decomposition, in order to make predictions about the future C balance of bogs in these areas that are climatically marginal in terms of peat bog formation.

Trophic interactions among the heterotrophic components of plankton in man-made peat pools

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Michał Niedźwiecki

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Man-made peat pools are permanent freshwater habitats developed due to non-commercial man-made peat extraction. Yet, they have not been widely surveyed in terms of ecosystem functioning, mainly regarding the complexity of heterotrophic components of the plankton. In this study we analysed distribution and trophic interrelations among heterotrophic plankton in man-made peat pools located in different types of peatbogs. We found that peat pools showed extreme differences in environmental conditions that occurred to be important drivers of distribution of microplankton and metazooplankton. Abundance of bacteria and protozoa showed significant differences, whereas metazooplankton was less differentiated in density among peat pools. In all peat pools stress-tolerant species of protozoa and metazoa were dominant. In each peat pool five trophic functional groups were distinguished. The abundance of lower functional trophic groups (bacteria, heterotrophic nanoflagellates (HNF and ciliates feeding on bacteria and HNF was weakly influenced by environmental drivers and was highly stable in all peat pool types. Higher functional trophic groups (naupli, omnivorous and carnivorous ciliates, cladocerans, adult copepods and copepodites were strongly influenced by environmental variables and exhibited lower stability. Our study contributes to comprehensive knowledge of the functioning of peat bogs, as our results have shown that peat pools are characterized by high stability of the lowest trophic levels, which can be crucial for energy transfer and carbon flux through food webs.

Relation of peat to oil shale

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Linker, S

1924-01-01

Samples of oil shale from the Green River formation and from Elko (Nev.), Brazil, Austria, and South Africa were examined, and several varieties of shale were found. Green River oil shale represents three of the more common types plus one less common type. These were: contorted shale with a velvety appearance, thin paper shale resembling the curled-up leaves of a book, massive black shale resembling a piece of rubber, and a less common type, which showed the bedding planes very clearly. The Elko (Nev.) shale was a light buff color; the shale from Brazil resembled a piece of petrified peat. When the shales were cut very thin, their colors ranged from yellow to reddish-brown. The composition, as seen under the microscope, was of well-preserved plant material such as spores, pollen grains, fragments of cell tissues, algae, fungi, bacteria, macerated organic residue, small pieces of resin, animal fossils, and translucent bodies. Oil shale was produced from organic material that accumulated in peat bogs, marshes, or swamps in fresh or salt waters. The organic matter was decomposed by bacterial action. Certain parts of the plants decayed more readily than others. Before lithification occurred, a chemical action took place that changed the softer tissues of the plant debris into a gel. This collodial matter penetrated and surrounded the more resistant fragments and preserved them from further decay. Certain bog waters contain a high percentage of humic acids in solution or collodial suspension and produce insoluble humates when neutralized. These humates are probably the so-called kerogen bodies.

Restoration ecology: aiding and abetting secondary succession on abandoned peat mines in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, Canada

OpenAIRE

P.J. Vander Kloet; T.S. Avery; S.P. Vander Kloet; G.R. Milton

2012-01-01

The efficacy of using vegetative clumps derived from seeds with a variety of origins to establish nuclei for regeneration of bog vegetation on abandoned peat mines in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick (Canada) was tested using seeds within scats (excrement) and seeds from berries, various techniques for creating clumps, and different clump sizes. Direct placement of scat pieces on peat in the field did not produce successful colonisation. Vegetative clumps begun in a greenhouse, whether from seed...

Investigating the internal structure of four Azorean Sphagnum bogs using ground-penetrating radar

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Pereira

2017-08-01

Full Text Available This study evaluates the applicability of ground penetrating radar (GPR as a technique for determining the thickness and internal structure of four peat deposits on Terceira Island (Azores archipelago, mid-Atlantic region. The peatlands studied are all Sphagnum mires located above 500 m a.s.l., but they differ hydrogenetically and in their degree of naturalness. Radargrams for all four bogs, obtained using both 100 MHz and 500 MHz GPR antennae, are presented and compared. The radargram data were validated against peat characteristics (bulk density, von Post H, US method obtained by direct sampling (‘open cores’ across the whole peat profile at each site. A scheme of ‘soft scoring’ for degree of naturalness (DN of the peatland was developed and used as an additional validation factor. The GPR data were positively correlated with DN, and relationships between GPR data, peat bulk density and degree of humification (H were also found. From the radargrams it was possible to distinguish the interface between the peat and the mineral substratum as well as some of the internal structure of the peat deposit, and thus to derive the total thickness of the peat deposit and (in some cases the thicknesses of its constituent layers. The first evaluation of the propagation velocity of electromagnetic waves in Azorean peat yielded a value of 0.04 m ns-1 for 100 MHz and 500 MHz radar antennae. For one of the study sites, the GPR data were analysed using GIS software to produce tridimensional models and thus to estimate the volumes of peat layers. This type of analysis has potential utility for quantifying some of the ecosystem services provided by peatlands.

Pattern of large raised bog formation in the South-Eastern Baltic Region during the Holocene: the case of Kaliningrad oblast

Science.gov (United States)

Napreenko-Dorokhova, T. V.; Napreenko, M. G.; Lisitzin, A. P.

2017-08-01

The results of complex investigations that have been carried out since 2007 in large bog ecosystems (Zehlau, Bolshoe Mokhovoe, and Koz'e) located in Kaliningrad oblast in two largest landscape areas, glaciolacustrine plains in the central part of the region and coastal lowlands of the southern coast of Curonian Lagoon and the delta of the Neman River, are presented. It is established that the intensive development of mires and their transition to the raised bog stage occurred in the territory of Kaliningrad oblast later than in most of the forest zone in European Russia, where this process was noted as early as during the Atlantic. On the glaciolacustrine flat plains in the central part of Kaliningrad oblast, where there were no deep depressions, the mire formation process was manifested weakly for a long time. A colder and more humid climate, which is a condition necessary for the raised bog peat accumulation and rapid expansion of bogs to the adjacent forest area, occurred only in the Subatlantic.

Singulisphaera rosea sp. nov., a planctomycete from acidic Sphagnum peat, and emended description of the genus Singulisphaera

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kulichevskaya, I.S.; Detkova, E.N.; Bodelier, P.L.E.; Rijpstra, W.I.C.; Sinninghe Damsté, J.S.; Dedysh, S.N.

2012-01-01

A novel species, Singulisphaera rosea sp. nov., is proposed for aerobic, pink-pigmented, budding bacterium isolated from an acidic Sphagnum peat bog of northwestern Russia. This bacterium, designated strain S26T, has non-motile, spherical cells that occur singly, in pairs or in short chains and

Chemicalization in water treatment in peat production areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madekivi, O.; Marja-Aho, J.; Selin, P.; Jokinen, S.

1995-01-01

Chemicalization of runoff waters of peat production has been studied since 1989, first in laboratory and since 1990 in practice. The methods have been developed as cooperation between Vapo Oy and Kemira Chemicals Oy. In chemicalization the dissolved substances are coagulated and they settle after that into sedimentation basins. Good purification results require rapid and effective mixing, so the formed particles are combined to larger particles, and they form settleable flock. The coagulation efficiency depends on the properties of the water to be purified, such as alkalinity and pH, the quality and the quantity of humic substances, and the quality and the quantity of the flocking chemicals. Chemicalization is at present the most effective, but also the most expensive method for purification of drying waters of peat production areas. The chemicalized water is on the basis of most quality factors cleaner than water running off a virgin bog. The most visible change is the clarification of the water which is due to the coagulation of the colouring humic substances and iron. The colorimetric value is decreased by over 70 %, the best results being over 90 %. The colorimetric value of the purified water (30-100 mg Pt/l) is below the values of the runoff water of a virgin bog (100-200 mg Pt/l). The chemicalization process and the results of the researches are presented in the article. (3 refs., 6 figs., 2 tabs.)

CO2 and CH4 fluxes of contrasting pristine bogs in southern Patagonia (Tierra del Fuego, Argentina)

Science.gov (United States)

Münchberger, Wiebke; Blodau, Christian; Kleinebecker, Till; Pancotto, Veronica

2015-04-01

South Patagonian peatlands cover a wide range of the southern terrestrial area and thus are an important component of the terrestrial global carbon cycle. These extremely southern ecosystems have been accumulating organic material since the last glaciation up to now and are - in contrast to northern hemisphere bogs - virtually unaffected by human activities. So far, little attention has been given to these pristine ecosystems and great carbon reservoirs which will potentially be affected by climate change. We aim to fill the knowledge gap in the quantity of carbon released from these bogs and in what controls their fluxes. We study the temporal and spatial variability of carbon fluxes in two contrasting bog ecosystems in southern Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego. Sphagnum-dominated bog ecosystems in Tierra del Fuego are similar to the ones on the northern hemisphere, while cushion plant-dominated bogs can almost exclusively be found in southern Patagonia. These unique cushion plant-dominated bogs are found close to the coast and their occurrence changes gradually to Sphagnum-dominated bogs with increasing distance from the coast. We conduct closed chamber measurements and record relevant environmental variables for CO2 and CH4 fluxes during two austral vegetation periods from December to April. Chamber measurements are performed on microforms representing the main vegetation units of the studied bogs. Gas concentrations are measured with a fast analyzer (Los Gatos Ultraportable Greenhouse Gas Analyzer) allowing to accurately record CH4 fluxes in the ppm range. We present preliminary results of the carbon flux variability from south Patagonian peat bogs and give insights into their environmental controls. Carbon fluxes of these two bog types appear to be highly different. In contrast to Sphagnum-dominated bogs, cushion plant-dominated bogs release almost no CH4 while their CO2 flux in both, photosynthesis and respiration, can be twice as high as for Sphagnum

Anthropogenic impacts in North Poland over the last 1300 years - A record of Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni and S in an ombrotrophic peat bog

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Vleeschouwer, Francois; Fagel, Nathalie; Cheburkin, Andriy; Pazdur, Anna; Sikorski, Jaroslaw; Mattielli, Nadine; Renson, Virginie; Fialkiewicz, Barbara; Piotrowska, Natalia; Le Roux, Gael

2009-01-01

Lead pollution history over Northern Poland was reconstructed for the last ca. 1300 years using the elemental and Pb isotope geochemistry of a dated Polish peat bog. The data show that Polish Pb-Zn ores and coal were the main sources of Pb, other heavy metals and S over Northern Poland up until the industrial revolution. After review of the potential mobility of each element, most of the historical interpretation was based on Pb and Pb isotopes, the other chemical elements (Zn, Cu, Ni, S) being considered secondary indicators of pollution. During the last century, leaded gasoline also contributed to anthropogenic Pb pollution over Poland. Coal and Pb-Zn ores, however, remained important sources of pollution in Eastern European countries during the last 50 years, as demonstrated by a high 206 Pb/ 207 Pb ratio (1.153) relative to that of Western Europe (ca. 1.10). The Pb data for the last century were also in good agreement with modelled Pb inventories over Poland and the Baltic region.

What rules GHG-(greenhouse gas)-fluxes in a prealpine bog - management or watertable?

Science.gov (United States)

Förster, Christoph; Drösler, Matthias

2010-05-01

Being an important sink of carbon, the small stripe of bogs in the foreland of the Alps plays an important role for the carbon balance of Germany. A big part was drained for peat-use and to get agricultural land in the last centuries. Restoration of these degraded bogs can help to rebuild this function, whereas the watertable is an important co-factor for the amount of mitigation of greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4 and N2O). To estimate GHG-balances gas-flux measurements, using the chamber method developed by Drösler (2005) were done in 2007 and 2008 on a degraded bog-meadow, which was partly rewetted in 1993 and which is still managed in large areas. This mosaic of restored, drained and managed areas showed big differences in their carbon-balances from a high source (~ 500 g CO2-C m-2 a-1) to a moderate sink (~ -200 g CO2-C m-2 a-1). Where the management was stopped in 1993, some Sphagnum-communities developed which helped to turn these areas from moderate sources (47 g CO2-C m-2 a-1) or sinks (-58 g CO2-C m-2 a-1) to permanent sinks with uptakes between (-150 and -250 g CO2-C m-2 a-1). Key words: bog, carbon-balance, greenhouse gases, restoration, watertable

Water Surface Overgrowing of the Tatra’s Lakes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kapusta Juraj

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Tatra’s lakes are vulnerable ecosystems and an important element of the alpine landscape. Mainly some shallow lake basins succumb to intense detritus sedimentation, fine fractions of material from the catchment area or to the overgrowing of water level by vegetation. In this paper, changes and dynamics of the 12 Tatra’s lake shorelines that were selected based on the detailed mapping of their extent are pointed out. Changes were assessed by accurate comparisons of historical and current orthophoto maps from the years 1949, 1955 and 2015 – and therefore, based on the oldest and the latest relevant materials. Due to the overgrowing of lakes caused by vegetation, their water surface decreased from −0.9% up to −47.9%, during the examined period. Losses were caused by the overgrowing of open water surface by the communities of sedges and peat bogs. The most significant dynamics of the shorelines during the last decades were reached by those lakes, into which fine sediments were simultaneously deposited by means of mountain water coarse. These sediments made the marginal parts of the lake basins shallower and accelerated rapid expansion of vegetation to the detriment of the open water surface. The overgrowing of shallow moraine lakes lying in the vegetation zone is a significant phenomenon of the High Tatras alpine landscape. It leads to their gradual extinction, turn into peat bogs and wet alpine meadows.

Restoration ecology: aiding and abetting secondary succession on abandoned peat mines in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, Canada

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P.J. Vander Kloet

2012-11-01

Full Text Available The efficacy of using vegetative clumps derived from seeds with a variety of origins to establish nuclei for regeneration of bog vegetation on abandoned peat mines in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick (Canada was tested using seeds within scats (excrement and seeds from berries, various techniques for creating clumps, and different clump sizes. Direct placement of scat pieces on peat in the field did not produce successful colonisation. Vegetative clumps begun in a greenhouse, whether from seeds extracted from scats or berries, were 60–100 % successful when transplanted into abandoned peat mines depending on the initial size of the transplant. Based on annual growth rate, Vaccinium oxycoccos has the greatest capacity to quickly colonise abandoned peat mines. Other promising taxa were Vaccinium vitis-ideae and the genus Empetrum.

Geochemical Prospecting of a Uraniferous Bog Deposit at Masugnsbyn, Northern Sweden

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Armands, Goesta

1961-01-15

In connection with prospecting for uranium ores in northern Sweden a peat bog, situated 4.5 km NW of Masugnsbyn, Norrbotten, Sweden and showing a remarkable content of uranium, was discovered. Closer investigation of several samples of the peat indicated that the comparatively high content of uranium and radon was connected with the occurrence of radioactive springs in the region. It was found that four different kinds of water were responsible for the supply of radioactive material to the peat, viz: ground water, surface water, spring water and ground water emanating from fractured rock. The spring water - probably a mixture of ground water and water from the fractured rock - contains uranium to the extent of micrograms per litre. The pH is about 7. The uranium content of the water system deriving from the fractured rock is about 200-300 micrograms per litre. The maximum radon content is about 3000 emans. The pH is >7 and the specific conductivity about 150 x 10{sup -6}/Ohm/cm The radioactive peat is characterised by extremely low gamma radioactivity which may be due to the recent emplacement of uranium by spring waters. It is suggested that the peat in question has served as a 'collector' for uranium, rare earth metals etc., since the pH condition - pH about 7 - was favourable to the settling of these elements. The uranium enrichment seems to be due to a transport of Na, Mg and Ca bicarbonates emanating from dolomite deposits or pegmatitic granite dikes in the vicinity of the peat, the bicarbonate waters serving as carriers of the uranium.

Geochemical Prospecting of a Uraniferous Bog Deposit at Masugnsbyn, Northern Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Armands, Goesta

1961-01-01

In connection with prospecting for uranium ores in northern Sweden a peat bog, situated 4.5 km NW of Masugnsbyn, Norrbotten, Sweden and showing a remarkable content of uranium, was discovered. Closer investigation of several samples of the peat indicated that the comparatively high content of uranium and radon was connected with the occurrence of radioactive springs in the region. It was found that four different kinds of water were responsible for the supply of radioactive material to the peat, viz: ground water, surface water, spring water and ground water emanating from fractured rock. The spring water - probably a mixture of ground water and water from the fractured rock - contains uranium to the extent of micrograms per litre. The pH is about 7. The uranium content of the water system deriving from the fractured rock is about 200-300 micrograms per litre. The maximum radon content is about 3000 emans. The pH is >7 and the specific conductivity about 150 x 10 -6 /Ohm/cm The radioactive peat is characterised by extremely low gamma radioactivity which may be due to the recent emplacement of uranium by spring waters. It is suggested that the peat in question has served as a 'collector' for uranium, rare earth metals etc., since the pH condition - pH about 7 - was favourable to the settling of these elements. The uranium enrichment seems to be due to a transport of Na, Mg and Ca bicarbonates emanating from dolomite deposits or pegmatitic granite dikes in the vicinity of the peat, the bicarbonate waters serving as carriers of the uranium

Simulation of peat accumulation: an aid in carbon cycling research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dierendonck, M.C. van

1992-01-01

Some preliminary results of a technique used to compare primary production and peat accumulation data mainly from published sources and the results of a peat accumulation simulation model are presented. Emphasis is on differences among micro-sites (hummock, lawn, hollow and pool) and among various Sphagnum species (S. fuscum, S. magellanicum, S. cuspidatum and S. balticum) associated with raised bogs. The primary production of lawns and pools were significantly greater than those of hummocks and hollows. Sphagnum balticum had the highest primary production (mean=339 g/m - 2a -1 ) Over 90 % of the primary production of Sphagnum fuscum is accumulated while for the other Sphagnum species, the value is <50 %. The data are used in a simulation model to show the influence of doubling of rainfall on primary production over a 50 year period

Radiation doses from the use of peat-fuel in heating power plants; Straaldoser vid anvaendning av torvbraensle i stora anlaeggningar

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moere, Hans; Hubbard, Lynn Marie

2003-02-01

The radiation doses and the need for radiological protection arising from the use of peat-fuel that contain naturally occurring radionuclides and 137 Cs are assessed. Dose calculations for the worst case are performed for two reference ashes, one containing normal concentrations of radionuclides and the other containing high concentrations. The concentrations of radionuclides in the normally active ash reflect the median value of U and Th in energy producing peat bogs. The concentrations in the highly active ash were chosen in such a way that not more than 5 percent of the peat bogs would exceed the values. The doses have been estimated for workers and the general public for different exposure pathways. These are 1) harvesting and handling of peat, 2) releases from heating plants, 3) land filling, 4) landscaping and 5) handling of ashes. Under normal circumstances the resulting doses from the normally active ash are insignificant (<0.01 mSv/year). For the highly active ash the doses are below 0.1 mSv/year under the assumptions made in the investigation. For the general public the doses are also insignificant for the highly active ash except for the influence of a landfill. The dose estimates of the influence from leached water from a landfill are very uncertain due to that too few measurements of environmental samples have been carried out. At today's production of 3.5 TWh per year the peat-ash can amount to between 30,000 and 60,000 tons per year. Today the Swedish Geological Survey limits the dose from peat-use informally. They advise against the harvesting of peat with a uranium content exceeding 200 ppm in an ashed peat sample, which corresponds to 2,470 Bq/kg of 238 U. The resulting doses are estimated to be about half of those estimated for the highly active ash. Thus 10 percent of otherwise suitable peat land is not harvested.

Studies on sphagnum peat. III. A quantitative study on the carbohydrate constituents of sphagnum mosses and sphagnum peat

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Theander, O

1954-01-01

A qualitative and a quantitative investigation of the carbohydrates in two sphagnum mosses and five samples of sphagnum peat of different age and degree of huminosity has been performed. The two mosses investigated showed no significant differences. Samples of very different age but with the same degree of physical huminosity were very similar, indicating that the chief changes occur at the top of the bog and/or are determined by the conditions at the start of the humification. The total amount of carbohydrates was about 90% of the organic material in the mosses and about 65% and 35% in peats with a degree of huminosity of 3-4 and 6-7 respectively. Of the constituent sugars, fructose which occurred in the mosses, was completely absent in the peat. Another sugar, which occurs in nature as a furanoside, arabinose, disappeared almost completely during the humification. The uronic acids and galactose decreased faster, while ylose and glucose decreased at about the same rate as the total carbohydrates. Mannose and probably also rhamnose are the most stable components and accumulate during the humification. The polysaccharides in mosses and peat seem to constitute a very complex mixture. The presence of a fructan in the living moss, of a polyuronide (pectin) and a large amount of more complex polysaccharides built up of galactose, xylose, rhamnose and uronic acids is indicated. The glucose, the most important constituent, probably occurs chiefly as cellulose, the presence of which has been demonstrated by other workers. Finally the behaviour of mannose during the humification indicates the presence of a stable mannan. There is no evidence of polysaccharides formed by microorganisms in the peat.

Utilization of peat procurement network for purchase of energy wood. Subproject

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiukaanniemi, E.; Tervo, M.

1998-01-01

The objective of the project is to investigate and develop the energy wood procurement to the mire-terminals for production of mixed fuels, carried out by the peat contractors and forest machine entrepreneurs. The investigation of the costs of the chips produced for mixed fuels, the deviation of them and the possibilities to reduce them form the main part of the project. The duration of the project is two years, and it started in the summer 1997. Procurement of energy wood, carried out by forest machine and peat entrepreneurs, to the bog terminals for production of mixed fuels by the side of peat, will be studied in the project both experimentally and calculationally. The utilization of peat procurement network for energy wood procurement will mainly be studied. Costs and the harvesting logistics will be estimated using the software developed in the research. The project is divided into five sub-tasks: (1) survey on the contractor and machine needs of the experimental work; (2) selection of entrepreneurs and the harvesting sites; (3) practical harvesting experiments; (4) development of the cost calculation software; (5) analysis and reporting of the results

Bog bodies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lynnerup, Niels

2015-01-01

In northern Europe during the Iron Age, many corpses were deposited in bogs. The cold, wet and anaerobic environment leads in many cases to the preservation of soft tissues, so that the bodies, when found and excavated several thousand years later, are remarkably intact. Since the 19th century...... the bog bodies have been studied using medical and natural scientific methods, and recently many bog bodies have been re-examined using especially modern, medical imaging techniques. Because of the preservation of soft tissue, especially the skin, it has been possible to determine lesions and trauma....... Conversely, the preservation of bones is less good, as the mineral component has been leached out by the acidic bog. Together with water-logging of collagenous tissue, this means that if the bog body is simply left to dry out when found, as was the case pre-19th century, the bones may literally warp...

Simulation of peat accumulation: an aid in carbon cycling research

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dierendonck, M.C. van (Amsterdam Univ. (Netherlands). Hugo de Vries Laboratory)

1992-01-01

Some preliminary results of a technique used to compare primary production and peat accumulation data mainly from published sources and the results of a peat accumulation simulation model are presented. Emphasis is on differences among micro-sites (hummock, lawn, hollow and pool) and among various Sphagnum species (S. fuscum, S. magellanicum, S. cuspidatum and S. balticum) associated with raised bogs. The primary production of lawns and pools were significantly greater than those of hummocks and hollows. Sphagnum balticum had the highest primary production (mean=339 g/m[sup -]2a[sup -1]) Over 90 % of the primary production of Sphagnum fuscum is accumulated while for the other Sphagnum species, the value is <50 %. The data are used in a simulation model to show the influence of doubling of rainfall on primary production over a 50 year period

Root growth of tomato seedlings intensified by humic substances from peat bogs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandre Christofaro Silva

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Peats are an important reserve of humified carbon in terrestrial ecosystems. The interest in the use of humic substances as plant growth promoters is continuously increasing. The objective of this study was to evaluate the bioactivity of alkaline soluble humic substances (HS, humic (HA and fulvic acids (FA isolated from peats with different decomposition stages of organic matter (sapric, fibric and hemic in the Serra do Espinhaço Meridional, state of Minas Gerais. Dose-response curves were established for the number of lateral roots growing from the main plant axis of tomato seedlings. The bioactivity of HA was greatest (highest response in lateral roots at lowest concentration while FA did not intensify root growth. Both HS and HA stimulated root hair formation. At low concentrations, HS and HA induced root hair formation near the root cap, a typical hormonal imbalance effect in plants. Transgenic tomato with reporter gene DR5::GUS allowed the observation that the auxin-related signalling pathway was involved in root growth promotion by HA.

Peat briquette as an alternative to cooking fuel: A techno-economic viability assessment in Rwanda

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hakizimana, Jean de Dieu K.; Kim, Hyung-Taek

2016-01-01

Commercialization of peat briquetting technology was analyzed to know whether the technology is economically viable or not compared to commercialization of charcoal. The investigation of economic viability was assessed from raw-peat production to briquetting technologies. The briquettes were made by naturally dried of peat from Bisika, Bahimba, Ndongozi and Nyirabirande bogs, through a rotary pulverizer and a briquette press; they were carbonized into furnace at 450 °C to reduce its health effects. The burning rate of peat briquettes made varied from 0.178 kg/hour to 0.222 kg/hour. Ash content varying between 3 and 7.2 percent was also observed. The results showed that peat briquettes can be sold at USD0.18 per unit, with a total NPV of USD17.2 million. However, as the NPV tends to be zero, the selling price would be approximately USD0.155 per briquette. Monthly charcoal expenses were about USD23.20/household compared to a per-household cost of USD16.20/month of peat briquettes consumption; the supplanting of charcoal by peat briquettes would help the average Rwandan household reduce its monthly expenses by 30 percent. Peat briquettes utilization as cooking fuel in Rwanda could save 0.05 percent of CO_2 and more than 99 percent of CH_4 emissions, compared to charcoal emissions. - Highlights: • A technical process for peat production and peat briquetting. • An efficiency test of carbonized briquettes. • Commercialization of peat briquettes is compared to commercialization of charcoal. • Opportunities for greenhouse gas emissions reduction.

Heavy metals, especially lead, deposition recorded in an ombrotrophic peat bog near Manchester, United Kingdom

Science.gov (United States)

Le Roux, G.; Weiss, D.; Cheburkin, A.; Rausch, N.; Grattant, J.; Krachler, M.; Shotyk, W.

2003-05-01

A peat monolith representing up to 4,000 years of peat accumulation near Manchester, England, was collected. Major and trace elements were analysed with XRF and for Cd and Pb in the deeper samples with GF-AAS following acid digestion. Pb isotopic composition was measured with TIMS and ICP-MS. The results show a pollution since the Roman Period due to local lead sources and an increase in lead pollution in the last century due to leaded gasoline as fingerprinted by Pb isotopic signatures.

An Antarctic hypotrichous ciliate, Parasterkiella thompsoni (Foissner) nov. gen., nov. comb., recorded in Argentinean peat-bogs: morphology, morphogenesis, and molecular phylogeny.

Science.gov (United States)

Küppers, Gabriela Cristina; Paiva, Thiago da Silva; Borges, Bárbara do Nascimento; Harada, Maria Lúcia; Garraza, Gabriela González; Mataloni, Gabriela

2011-05-01

The ciliate Parasterkiella thompsoni (Foissner, 1996) nov. gen., nov. comb. was originally described from Antarctica. In the present study, we report the morphology, morphogenesis during cell division, and molecular phylogeny inferred from the 18S-rDNA sequence of a population isolated from the Rancho Hambre peat bog, Tierra del Fuego Province (Argentina). The study is based on live and protargol-impregnated specimens. Molecular phylogeny was inferred from trees constructed by means of the maximum parsimony, neighbor joining, and Bayesian analyses. The interphase morphology matches the original description of the species. During the cell division, stomatogenesis begins with the de novo proliferation of two fields of basal bodies, each one left of the postoral ventral cirri and of transverse cirri, which later unify. Primordia IV-VI of the proter develop from disaggregation of cirrus IV/3, while primordium IV of the opisthe develops from cirrus IV/2 and primordia V and VI from cirrus V/4. Dorsal morphogenesis occurs in the Urosomoida pattern-that is, the fragmentation of kinety 3 is lacking. Three macronuclear nodules are generated before cytokinesis. Phylogenetic analyses consistently placed P. thompsoni within the stylonychines. New data on the morphogenesis of the dorsal ciliature justifies the transference of Sterkiella thompsoni to a new genus Parasterkiella. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Experimental burial inhibits methanogenesis and anaerobic decomposition in water-saturated peats.

Science.gov (United States)

Blodau, Christian; Siems, Melanie; Beer, Julia

2011-12-01

A mechanistic understanding of carbon (C) sequestration and methane (CH(4)) production is of great interest due to the importance of these processes for the global C budget. Here we demonstrate experimentally, by means of column experiments, that burial of water saturated, anoxic bog peat leads to inactivation of anaerobic respiration and methanogenesis. This effect can be related to the slowness of diffusive transport of solutes and evolving energetic constraints on anaerobic respiration. Burial lowered decomposition constants in homogenized peat sand mixtures from about 10(-5) to 10(-7) yr(-1), which is considerably slower than previously assumed, and methanogenesis slowed down in a similar manner. The latter effect could be related to acetoclastic methanogenesis approaching a minimum energy quantum of -25 kJ mol(-1) (CH(4)). Given the robustness of hydraulic properties that locate the oxic-anoxic boundary near the peatland surface and constrain solute transport deeper into the peat, this effect has likely been critical for building the peatland C store and will continue supporting long-term C sequestration in northern peatlands even under moderately changing climatic conditions.

The fungal consortium of Andromeda polifolia in bog habitats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N.V. Filippova

2015-09-01

Full Text Available (1 Andromeda polifolia (bog rosemary is a common plant species in northern circumboreal peatlands. While not a major peat-forming species in most peatlands, it is characterised by a substantial woody below-ground biomass component that contributes directly to the accumulation of organic matter below the moss surface, as well as sclerophyllous leaf litter that contributes to the accumulation of organic matter above the moss surface. Rather little is known about the fungal communities associated with this plant species. Hence, we investigated the fungal consortium of A. polifolia in three distinct vegetation communities of ombrotrophic bogs near Khanty-Mansiysk, West Siberia, Russia, in 2012 and 2013. These vegetation communities were forested bog (Tr = treed, Sphagnum-dominated lawn (Ln, and Eriophorum-Sphagnum-dominated hummock (Er. (2 In total, 37 fungal taxa, belonging to five classes and 16 families, were identified and described morphologically. Seven fungal species were previously known from Andromeda as host. Others are reported for the first time, thus considerably expanding the fungal consortium of this dwarf shrub. Most taxa were saprobic on fallen leaves of A. polifolia found amongst Sphagnum in the bog. Two taxa were parasitic on living plant tissues and one taxon was saprobic on dead twigs. Three taxa, recorded only on A. polifolia leaves and on no other plant species or materials, may be host-specific to this dwarf shrub. (3 A quantitative analysis of the frequency of occurrence of all taxa showed that one taxon (Coccomyces duplicarioides was very abundant, 64 % of the taxa occurred frequently, and 32 % of the taxa occurred infrequently. The mean Shannon diversity index of the community was 2.4. (4 There were no statistical differences in the fungal community composition of A. polifolia in the three vegetation communities investigated in this study. Redundancy analysis suggested that some fungal taxa were positively, and others

Sphagnum peatland development at their southern climatic range in West Siberia: trends and peat accumulation patterns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peregon, Anna; Uchida, Masao; Shibata, Yasuyuki

2007-01-01

A region of western Siberia is vulnerable to the predicted climatic change which may induce an important modification to the carbon balance in wetland ecosystems. This study focuses on the evaluation of both the long-term and contemporary trends of peat (carbon) accumulation and its patterns at the southern climatic range of Sphagnum peatlands in western Siberia. Visible and physical features of peat and detailed reconstructions of successional change (or sediment stratigraphies) were analysed at two types of forest-peatland ecotones, which are situated close to each other but differ by topography and composition of their plant communities. Our results suggest that Siberian peatlands exhibit a general trend towards being a carbon sink rather than a source even at or near the southern limit of their distribution. Furthermore, two types of peat accumulation were detected in the study area, namely persistent and intermittent. As opposed to persistent peat accumulation, the intermittent one is characterized by the recurrent degradation of the upper peat layers at the marginal parts of raised bogs. Persistent peat accumulation is the case for the majority of Sphagnum peatlands under current climatic conditions. It might be assumed that more peat will accumulate under the 'increased precipitation' scenarios of global warming, although intermittent peat accumulation could result in the eventual drying that may change peatlands from carbon sinks to carbon sources

The microbial impact on the sorption behaviour of selenite in an acidic, nutrient-poor boreal bog

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lusa, M.; Bomberg, M.; Aromaa, H.; Knuutinen, J.; Lehto, J.

2015-01-01

79 Se is among the most important long lived radionuclides in spent nuclear fuel and selenite, SeO 3 2− , is its typical form in intermediate redox potential. The sorption behaviour of selenite and the bacterial impact on the selenite sorption in a 7-m-deep profile of a nutrient-poor boreal bog was studied using batch sorption experiments. The batch distribution coefficient (K d ) values of selenite decreased as a function of sampling depth and highest K d values, 6600 L/kg dry weight (DW), were observed in the surface moss and the lowest in the bottom clay at 1700 L/kg DW. The overall maximum sorption was observed at pH between 3 and 4 and the K d values were significantly higher in unsterilized compared to sterilized samples. The removal of selenite from solution by Pseudomonas sp., Burkholderia sp., Rhodococcus sp. and Paenibacillus sp. strains isolated from the bog was affected by incubation temperature and time. In addition, the incubation of sterilized surface moss, subsurface peat and gyttja samples with added bacteria effectively removed selenite from the solution and on average 65% of selenite was removed when Pseudomonas sp. or Burkholderia sp. strains were used. Our results demonstrate the important role of bacteria for the removal of selenite from the solution phase in the bog environment, having a high organic matter content and a low pH. - Highlights: • Sterilization of bog samples inhibited the SeO 3 2− removal from simulated bog water. • Bacteria isolated from the bog samples removed selenite from the solution. • Bacteria affect the removal of SeO 3 2− from the solution in a nutrient-poor bog. • Selenite is reduced by the bacteria present in the bog both under oxic and anoxic conditions within the different microniches therein. • That is a prerequisite to read the record of the deformational history in metamorphic rocks

Impact of peat mining, and restoration on methane turnover potentials and methane-cycling microorganisms in a northern bog

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reumer, Max; Harnisz, M.; Lee, H.J.; Reim, A.; Grunert, O.; Putkinen, A.; Fritze, H.; Bodelier, P.L.E.; Ho, A.

2018-01-01

Ombrotrophic peatlands are a recognized global carbon reservoir. Without restoration and peat regrowth, harvested peatlands are dramatically altered, impairing its carbon sink function, with consequences for methane turnover. Previous studies determined the impact of commercial mining on the peat

Effects of rewetting on greenhouse gas emissions in different microtopes in a cut-over drained bog in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Science.gov (United States)

Vybornova, Olga; Pfeiffer, Eva-Maria; Kutzbach, Lars

2016-04-01

In peatlands, all biogeochemical processes and the amount of exported carbon and nitrogen compounds are strongly influenced by changes in the water table. Peatland drainage leads to increased peat oxidization and changes peatlands from carbon sinks to net carbon sources. Especially, the emissions of the important greenhouse gases (GHG) carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are increased due to drainage. The currently ongoing restoration in the bog Himmelmoor (N 53° 44'20", E 9° 51'00", Quickborn) with an extent of about 6 km2 one of the largest raised bogs in Schleswig-Holstein, offers the possibility to characterize and to document the development of the fluxes at different sites before, during and after rewetting, using a method of small-scale closed chambers. Six subsites with differing water level and land use were identified: an area that was rewetted 30 years ago with Sphagnum vegetation, an area rewetted in 2009, an area with on-going peat extraction, deep peat cutting ditches refilled with peat with and without Eriophorum angustifolium vegetation and a comparatively dry peat dam. We determined that in the course of years 2014-2015 the measured N2O and CO2 fluxes varied between -0,1 and 1,9 mg m-2 h-1 and between -0,12 and 1,09 g m-2 h-1, respectively, and the highest nitrous oxide as well as carbon dioxide fluxes are typical for the dry peat dam study site. The measured CH4 fluxes were between -1,8 and 22,7 mg m-2 h-1, where the highest rates were found on the area rewetted 30 years ago and on the peat cutting ditches with Eriophorum angustifolium. Accounting for the different global warming potentials (GWP) of the measured greenhouse gases, the annual GHG balance was calculated. Emissions from all study sites ranged between 5,2 and 36 t CO2-eq ha-1 year-1 and were dominated by high emissions of CO2 (2,5 up to 25,5 t CO2-eq ha-1 year-1). Highest emission rates were found at the dry peat dam site and at the area rewetted 30 years ago. The peat dams and

Impact of the Little Ice Age cooling and 20th century climate change on peatland vegetation dynamics in central and northern Alberta using a multi-proxy approach and high-resolution peat chronologies

Science.gov (United States)

Magnan, Gabriel; van Bellen, Simon; Davies, Lauren; Froese, Duane; Garneau, Michelle; Mullan-Boudreau, Gillian; Zaccone, Claudio; Shotyk, William

2018-04-01

Northern boreal peatlands are major terrestrial sinks of organic carbon and these ecosystems, which are highly sensitive to human activities and climate change, act as sensitive archives of past environmental change at various timescales. This study aims at understanding how the climate changes of the last 1000 years have affected peatland vegetation dynamics in the boreal region of Alberta in western Canada. Peat cores were collected from five bogs in the Fort McMurray region (56-57° N), at the southern limit of sporadic permafrost, and two in central Alberta (53° N and 55° N) outside the present-day limit of permafrost peatlands. The past changes in vegetation communities were reconstructed using detailed plant macrofossil analyses combined with high-resolution peat chronologies (14C, atmospheric bomb-pulse 14C, 210Pb and cryptotephras). Peat humification proxies (C/N, H/C, bulk density) and records of pH and ash content were also used to improve the interpretation of climate-related vegetation changes. Our study shows important changes in peatland vegetation and physical and chemical peat properties during the Little Ice Age (LIA) cooling period mainly from around 1700 CE and the subsequent climate warming of the 20th century. In some bogs, the plant macrofossils have recorded periods of permafrost aggradation during the LIA with drier surface conditions, increased peat humification and high abundance of ericaceous shrubs and black spruce (Picea mariana). The subsequent permafrost thaw was characterized by a short-term shift towards wetter conditions (Sphagnum sect. Cuspidata) and a decline in Picea mariana. Finally, a shift to a dominance of Sphagnum sect. Acutifolia (mainly Sphagnum fuscum) occurred in all the bogs during the second half of the 20th century, indicating the establishment of dry ombrotrophic conditions under the recent warmer and drier climate conditions.

How do peat type, sand addition and soil moisture influence the soil organic matter mineralization in anthropogenically disturbed organic soils?

Science.gov (United States)

Säurich, Annelie; Tiemeyer, Bärbel; Don, Axel; Burkart, Stefan

2017-04-01

Drained peatlands are hotspots of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from agriculture. As a consequence of both drainage induced mineralization and anthropogenic sand mixing, large areas of former peatlands under agricultural use contain soil organic carbon (SOC) at the boundary between mineral and organic soils. Studies on SOC dynamics of such "low carbon organic soils" are rare as the focus of previous studies was mainly either on mineral soils or "true" peat soil. However, the variability of CO2 emissions increases with disturbance and therefore, we have yet to understand the reasons behind the relatively high CO2 emissions of these soils. Peat properties, soil organic matter (SOM) quality and water content are obviously influencing the rate of CO2 emissions, but a systematic evaluation of the hydrological and biogeochemical drivers for mineralization of disturbed peatlands is missing. With this incubation experiment, we aim at assessing the drivers of the high variability of CO2 emissions from strongly anthropogenically disturbed organic soil by systematically comparing strongly degraded peat with and without addition of sand under different moisture conditions and for different peat types. The selection of samples was based on results of a previous incubation study, using disturbed samples from the German Agricultural Soil Inventory. We sampled undisturbed soil columns from topsoil and subsoil (three replicates of each) of ten peatland sites all used as grassland. Peat types comprise six fens (sedge, Phragmites and wood peat) and four bogs (Sphagnum peat). All sites have an intact peat horizon that is permanently below groundwater level and a strongly disturbed topsoil horizon. Three of the fen and two of the bog sites have a topsoil horizon altered by sand-mixing. In addition the soil profile was mapped and samples for the determination of soil hydraulic properties were collected. All 64 soil columns (including four additional reference samples) will be installed

Unveiling exceptional Baltic bog ecohydrology, autogenic succession and climate change during the last 2000 years in CE Europe using replicate cores, multi-proxy data and functional traits of testate amoebae

Science.gov (United States)

Gałka, Mariusz; Tobolski, Kazimierz; Lamentowicz, Łukasz; Ersek, Vasile; Jassey, Vincent E. J.; van der Knaap, Willem O.; Lamentowicz, Mariusz

2017-01-01

We present the results of high-resolution, multi-proxy palaeoecological investigations of two parallel peat cores from the Baltic raised bog Mechacz Wielki in NE Poland. We aim to evaluate the role of regional climate and autogenic processes of the raised bog itself in driving the vegetation and hydrology dynamics. Based on partly synchronous changes in Sphagnum communities in the two study cores we suggest that extrinsic factors (climate) played an important role as a driver in mire development during the bog stage (500-2012 CE). Using a testate amoebae transfer function, we found exceptionally stable hydrological conditions during the last 2000 years with a relatively high water table and lack of local fire events that allowed for rapid peat accumulation (2.75 mm/year) in the bog. Further, the strong correlation between pH and community-weighted mean of testate amoeba traits suggests that other variables than water-table depth play a role in driving microbial properties under stable hydrological conditions. There is a difference in hydrological dynamics in bogs between NW and NE Poland until ca 1500 CE, after which the water table reconstructions show more similarities. Our results illustrate how various functional traits relate to different environmental variables in a range of trophic and hydrological scenarios on long time scales. Moreover, our data suggest a common regional climatic forcing in Mechacz Wielki, Gązwa and Kontolanrahka. Though it may still be too early to attempt a regional summary of wetness change in the southern Baltic region, this study is a next step to better understand the long-term peatland palaeohydrology in NE Europe.

The contribution to the greenhouse effect from the use of peat and coal for energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zetterberg, L.; Klemedtsson, L.

1996-06-01

Emissions and uptake of greenhouse gases have been estimated for the production and combustion of peat in four Swedish regions. Net emissions have been defined as the sum of emissions and uptake from mining, loading, transportation, combustion and forestation of the peat land minus emissions from the virgin peat land. Cropping of the forested peat land is not considered. Net CO 2 -emissions from the production and combustion of peat is estimated to be 87 g/MJ in the regions Bergslagen and Smaaland, 99 g/MJ in Haerjedalen and 95 g/MJ in Vaesterbotten kustland. Net N 2 -emissions are estimated to be 66 mg/MJ for all regions. Due to the natural methane emissions from a virgin peat bog, the production and combustion of peat reduces net CH 4 -emissions by 0.9 g CH 4 /MJ peat. A hypothetical case has been studied where all the drained peat areas are forested (instead of about half of the area as it is today). According to this scenario the net CO 2 -emissions are reduced from 87 to 57 g CO 2 /MJ peat for Bergslagen. As a comparison, CO 2 -emissions from the combustion of coal are ca 92 g CO 2 /MJ. Based on the emissions inventory the contribution to the greenhouse effect has been calculated in terms of the contribution to atmospheric radiative forcing. In conclusion, the contribution to the greenhouse effect from the use of peat for energy from Southern Sweden (Smaaland and Bergslagen) is ca 20% lower than the contribution from coal, counted as an average over 100 years after the mining starts. Corresponding figures for Northern Sweden (Haerjedalen and Vaesterbotten kustland) is ca 15% lower than coal. 21 refs, 12 figs, 7 tabs

Diet of Tollund Man. Stable isotope analyses of an Iron Age bog body from Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Helt Nielsen, Nina; Philippsen, Bente; Jensen, L. V.

Tollund Man is one of the world’s most famous bog bodies due to his exceptionally well-preserved head. He was found in 1950 by peat cutters in a bog near Bjældskovdal, c. 10 km west of Silkeborg. During the years, several analyses have been performed on the body to shed light on the life and deat...... to dry out, and the bone sample could therefore be analysed without special pretreatment. The hair, on the other hand, had been treated with wax, which needed to be removed prior to analysis. The successful method of pre-treatment will be presented....... and hair of Tollund Man. The analysis of the isotopes of C, N and S reveals the diet on long and short time scales: The isotope signature in the bone sample reflects the average diet in the years prior to death; the isotope signature in the hair reflects the diet in the last months of his life. Any...

Greenhouse gas balance of an establishing Sphagnum culture on a former bog grassland in Germany

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Günther

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The cultivation of Sphagnum mosses on re-wetted peat bogs for use in horticulture is a new land use strategy. We provide the first greenhouse gas balances for a field-scale Sphagnum farming experiment on former bog grassland, in its establishment phase. Over two years we used closed chambers to make measurements of GHG exchange on production strips of Sphagnum palustre L. and Sphagnum papillosum Lindb. and on irrigation ditches. Methane fluxes of both Sphagnum species showed a significant decrease over the study period. This trend was stronger for S. papillosum. In contrast, the estimated CO2 fluxes did not show a significant temporal trend over the study period. The production strips of both Sphagnum species were net GHG sinks of 5–9 t ha 1 a 1 (in CO2-equivalents during the establishment phase of the moss carpets. In comparison, the ditches were a CO2 source instead of a CO2 sink and emitted larger amounts of CH4, resulting in net GHG release of ~11 t ha 1 a 1 CO2-equivalents. We conclude that Sphagnum farming fields should be designed to minimise the area covered by irrigation ditches. Overall, Sphagnum farming on bogs has lower on-field GHG emissions than low-intensity agriculture.

Annual greenhouse gas budget for a bog ecosystem undergoing restoration by rewetting

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sung-Ching; Christen, Andreas; Black, Andrew T.; Johnson, Mark S.; Jassal, Rachhpal S.; Ketler, Rick; Nesic, Zoran; Merkens, Markus

2017-06-01

Many peatlands have been drained and harvested for peat mining, agriculture, and other purposes, which has turned them from carbon (C) sinks into C emitters. Rewetting of disturbed peatlands facilitates their ecological recovery and may help them revert to carbon dioxide (CO2) sinks. However, rewetting may also cause substantial emissions of the more potent greenhouse gas (GHG) methane (CH4). Our knowledge of the exchange of CO2 and CH4 following rewetting during restoration of disturbed peatlands is currently limited. This study quantifies annual fluxes of CO2 and CH4 in a disturbed and rewetted area located in the Burns Bog Ecological Conservancy Area in Delta, BC, Canada. Burns Bog is recognized as the largest raised bog ecosystem on North America's west coast. Burns Bog was substantially reduced in size and degraded by peat mining and agriculture. Since 2005, the bog has been declared a conservancy area, with restoration efforts focusing on rewetting disturbed ecosystems to recover Sphagnum and suppress fires. Using the eddy covariance (EC) technique, we measured year-round (16 June 2015 to 15 June 2016) turbulent fluxes of CO2 and CH4 from a tower platform in an area rewetted for the last 8 years. The study area, dominated by sedges and Sphagnum, experienced a varying water table position that ranged between 7.7 (inundation) and -26.5 cm from the surface during the study year. The annual CO2 budget of the rewetted area was -179 ± 26.2 g CO2-C m-2 yr-1 (CO2 sink) and the annual CH4 budget was 17 ± 1.0 g CH4-C m-2 yr-1 (CH4 source). Gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) exceeded ecosystem respiration (Re) during summer months (June-August), causing a net CO2 uptake. In summer, high CH4 emissions (121 mg CH4-C m-2 day-1) were measured. In winter (December-February), while roughly equal magnitudes of GEP and Re made the study area CO2 neutral, very low CH4 emissions (9 mg CH4-C m-2 day-1) were observed. The key environmental factors controlling the seasonality of

Southern Hemisphere bog persists as a strong carbon sink during droughts

Science.gov (United States)

Goodrich, Jordan P.; Campbell, David I.; Schipper, Louis A.

2017-10-01

Peatland ecosystems have been important global carbon sinks throughout the Holocene. Most of the research on peatland carbon budgets and effects of variable weather conditions has been done in Northern Hemisphere Sphagnum-dominated systems. Given their importance in other geographic and climatic regions, a better understanding of peatland carbon dynamics is needed across the spectrum of global peatland types. In New Zealand, much of the historic peatland area has been drained for agriculture but little is known about rates of carbon exchange and storage in unaltered peatland remnants that are dominated by the jointed wire rush, Empodisma robustum. We used eddy covariance to measure ecosystem-scale CO2 and CH4 fluxes and a water balance approach to estimate the sub-surface flux of dissolved organic carbon from the largest remaining raised peat bog in New Zealand, Kopuatai bog. The net ecosystem carbon balance (NECB) was estimated over four years, which included two drought summers, a relatively wet summer, and a meteorologically average summer. In all measurement years, the bog was a substantial sink for carbon, ranging from 134.7 to 216.9 gC m-2 yr-1, owing to the large annual net ecosystem production (161.8 to 244.9 gCO2-C m-2 yr-1). Annual methane fluxes were large relative to most Northern Hemisphere peatlands (14.2 to 21.9 gCH4-C m-2 yr-1), although summer and autumn emissions were highly sensitive to dry conditions, leading to very predictable seasonality according to water table position. The annual flux of dissolved organic carbon was similar in magnitude to methane emissions but less variable, ranging from 11.7 to 12.8 gC m-2 yr-1. Dry conditions experienced during late summer droughts led to significant reductions in annual carbon storage, which resulted nearly equally from enhanced ecosystem respiration due to lowered water tables and increased temperatures, and from reduced gross primary production due to vapor pressure deficit-related stresses to the

AMS measurements of global fallout U-236 and Pu in an ombrotrophic peat profile: evidence for their post depositional migration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Quinto, Francesca; Hrnecek, Erich; Krachler, Michael [European Commission Joint Research Centre, Institute for Transuranium Elements, P.O. Box 2340, 76125 Karlsruhe (Germany); Shotyk, William [Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, 839 General Services Building, Edmonton, AB (Canada); Steier, Peter; Winkler, Stephan; Golser, Robin [VERA Laboratory, Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna, Waehringer Strasse 17, A-1090 Vienna (Austria)

2014-07-01

U-236, Pu-239, Pu-240, Pu-241 and Pu-242 were analysed in an ombrotrophic peat core representing the last 80 years of atmospheric deposition. The determination of these isotopes at femtogram and attogram levels was possible by using ultra-clean laboratory procedures and accelerator mass spectrometry. Since the Pu isotopic composition characteristic for global fallout, as well as anthropogenic U-236, were identified in peat samples pre-dating the period of atmospheric atom bomb testing, migration of Pu and U within the peat profile is clearly indicated. The vertical profile of the U-236/U-238 isotopic ratio represents the first observation of the U-236 bomb peak in a terrestrial environment. Comparing the abundances of the global fallout derived U-236 and Pu-239 along the peat core, the post depositional migration of plutonium exceeds that of uranium. These results highlight, for the first time, the mobility of Pu and U in a peat bog with implications for their migration in other acidic, organic rich environments.

Stratigraphy and chronology of a 15 ka sequence of multi-sourced silicic tephras in a montane peat bog, eastern North Island, New Zealand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lowe, D.J.; Newnham, R.M.; Ward, C.M.

1999-01-01

We document the stratigraphy, composition, and chronology of a succession of 16 distal, silicic tephra layers interbedded with lateglacial and Holocene peats and muds up to c. 15 000 radiocarbon years (c. 18 000 calendar years) old at a montane site (Kaipo Bog) in eastern North Island, New Zealand. Aged from 665 + or - 15 to 14 700 + or - 95 14 C yr BP, the tephras are derived from six volcanic centres in North Island, three of which are rhyolitic (Okataina, Taupo, Maroa), one peralkaline (Tuhua), and two andesitic (Tongariro, Egmont). Correlations are based on multiple criteria: field properties and stratigraphic interrelationships, ferromagnesian silicate mineral assemblages, glass-shard major element composition (from electron microprobe analysis), and radiocarbon dating. We extend the known distribution of tephras in eastern North Island and provide compositional data that add to their potential usefulness as isochronous markers. The chronostratigraphic framework established for the Kaipo sequence, based on both site-specific and independently derived tephra-based radiocarbon ages, provides the basis for fine-resolution paleoenvironmental studies at a climatically sensitive terrestrial site from the mid latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere. Tephras identified as especially useful paleoenvironmental markers include Rerewhakaaitu and Waiohau (lateglacial), Konini (late-glacial-early Holocene), Tuhua (middle Holocene), and Taupo and Kaharoa (late Holocene). (author). 102 refs., 3 tabs., 3 figs

Plant component features of forest-bog ecotones of eutrophic paludification in the south of boreal forest zone of West Siberia

Science.gov (United States)

Klimova, N. V.; Chernova, N. A.; Pologova, N. N.

2018-03-01

Paludified forests formed in transitional forest-bog zone aren’t studied enough, inspite of its high expected diversity and large areas in the south of boreal forest zone of West Siberia. In this article wet birch (Betula pubescens) forests of forest-bog ecotones of eutrophic paludification are investigated on Vasyugan plain with nutrient-rich calcareous clays as soil-forming rocks. Species diversity and ecocoenotic structure of these phytocoenoses are discussed. They correlated with wetness and nutrient-availability of habitats evaluated with indicator values of plants. The participation of hydrophylous species is increasing as wetness of habitats increasing in the forest-to-bog direction like in mesotrophic paludification series. However the number of species is higher in the phytocoenoses of eutrophic paludification. The share of species required to nutrient availability is also higher, both in number and in abundance. A lot of these species are usual for eutrophic boreal forested swamps with groundwater input and absent in forests of mesotrophic paludification. Accordingly the nutrient-availability of habitats is also higher. All these features we connect with birch to be a forest forming species instead of dark-coniferous and with the influence of nutrient-rich parent rocks, which is evident in forest-bog ecotones of Vasyugan plain gradually decreasing together with peat horizon thickening.

The changing landscape of Clara Bog: the history of an Irish raised bog

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Crushell, P.H.; Connolly, A.; Schouten, M.G.C.; Mitchell, F.J.G.

2008-01-01

Clara Bog is one of the few raised bogs that has not been fully exploited in the Irish midlands and is a reminder of how the landscape of this region once appeared. This paper describes how the Clara Bog landscape has been changing since the commencement of the Holocene 11,500 years ago. Initially

Ecology of Coom Rigg Moss, Northumberland. I. Stratigraphy and present vegetation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chapman, S B

1964-01-01

A description is given of Coom Rigg Moss, a bog in Northumberland. Evidence from peat stratigraphy and pollen analysis distinguishes two main types of peat profile, a raised bog type and a blanket bog type. It is shown that fen peat formation began in hollows (zone VI) then became covered with alder-birch carr in zone VIIa and that the whole area was covered with peat by the beginning of zone VIIb. These conditions have produced a bog system at the present time that can best be described as centres of raised bog development now united by blanket peat formation. The vegetation of the bog surface is described and it is shown that two types of vegetation occur, one containing more Sphagnum magnum magellanicum than S. papillosum, confined to areas where it is subjected to a flushing effect, and the other containing more S. papillosum than S. magellanicum, being more typical of the greater part of the bog surface. It is shown that plants of phragmites still growing on the bog surface are relics from previous vegetation and that they have gradually been restricted in their distribution. It suggested that relative isolation and freedom from damage by grazing, burning and drainage have allowed this site to continue in a state of active peat accumulation.

Behaviour of sulphur during diagenesis of a maritime ombrotrophic peat from Yell, Shetland Islands, UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartlett, Rebecca; Bottrell, Simon; Coulson, Jonathan

2005-01-01

Surface water, pore water, vegetation and peat cores were sampled from a waterlogged ombrotrophic peat bog on the Shetland Isles, UK and analysed for different S forms and their isotopic composition, in an attempt to elucidate the biogeochemical processes affecting S during peat diagenesis. Surface waters show that inputs of S to the peat have a maritime-dominated isotopic composition close to +20%% CDT . Uptake of S by vegetation introduces a -10%% shift in δ 34 S from these input values. Below the vegetation layer and down to 18cm depth, bacterial SO 4 2- reduction is the major control on S species distribution and isotopic composition within the solid peat and pore waters. In this part of the peat, preferential reduction of 32 SO 4 in pore water during metabolism produces isotopically light sulphide, which is incorporated into the solid phase in both inorganic and organic forms, while pore water SO 4 2- becomes enriched in 34 S. From 18 to 28cm, organic S content falls relative to C and residual organic S becomes 34 S-enriched, indicative of mineralization of organic S, a process which releases isotopically light S to the pore waters. Still deeper in the core (28 to ∼50cm), bacterial reduction of pore-water SO 4 2- , now enriched in 34 S, results in addition of isotopically heavy S to the solid phase. Limited pore water data suggest that below 50cm mineralization reactions again release S from the organic fraction of the peat

A comparison of lead pollution record in Sphagnum peat with known historical Pb emission rates in the British Isles and the Czech Republic

Science.gov (United States)

Novak, Martin; Erel, Yigal; Zemanova, Leona; Bottrell, Simon H.; Adamova, Marie

Vertical Pb concentration gradients and isotope ratios ( 206Pb/ 207Pb, 208Pb/ 207Pb) are reported for five 210Pb-dated Sphagnum peat profiles. The studied peat bogs are in the British Isles (Thorne Moors, England; Mull, Scotland; and Connemara, Eire) and central Europe (Ocean, northern Czech Republic; Rybarenska slat, southern Czech Republic). Both the U.K. and the Czech Republic experienced maximum Pb emissions from Ag-Pb smelting around 1880. Pb emissions from coal burning peaked in 1955 in the U.K. and in the 1980s in the Czech Republic. In both countries, use of alkyl-lead additives to gasoline resulted in large Pb emissions between 1950 and 2000. We hypothesized that peaks in Pb emissions from smelting, coal burning and gasoline burning, respectively, should be mirrored in the peat profiles. However, a more complicated pattern emerged. Maximum annual Pb accumulation rates occurred in 1870 at Ocean, 1940 at Thorne Moors, 1988 at Rybarenska slat, and 1990 at Mull and Connemara. Atmospheric Pb inputs decreased in the order Thorne Moors ≥ Ocean > Rybarenska slat > Mull > Connemara. The Ocean bog was unique in the central European region in that its maximum Pb pollution dated back to the 19th century and coincided with maximum Pb smelting at Freiberg and Pribram. In contrast, numerous previously studied sites showed no Pb accumulation maximum in the 19th century, but increasing pollution until the 1980s. It remains unclear why Ocean did not record the regional peak in Pb emissions caused by high coal and gasoline burning around 1980, while an array of nearby bogs studied previously did record the 1980 coal/gasoline peak, but no 1880 smelting peak. Mean 206Pb/ 207Pb ratios of potential pollution sources were 1.07 and 1.11 for gasoline, 1.17 and 1.17 for local ores, and 1.18 and 1.19 for coal in the U.K. and the Czech Republic, respectively. The calculated percentages of gasoline-derived Pb in peat (≤55% for the British Isles and ≤63% for the Czech Republic

A pore-size classification for peat bogs derived from unsaturated hydraulic properties

Science.gov (United States)

Weber, Tobias Karl David; Iden, Sascha Christian; Durner, Wolfgang

2017-12-01

In ombrotrophic peatlands, the moisture content of the acrotelm (vadoze zone) controls oxygen diffusion rates, redox state, and the turnover of organic matter. Thus, variably saturated flow processes determine whether peatlands act as sinks or sources of atmospheric carbon, and modelling these processes is crucial to assess effects of changed environmental conditions on the future development of these ecosystems. We show that the Richards equation can be used to accurately describe the moisture dynamics under evaporative conditions in variably saturated peat soil, encompassing the transition from the topmost living moss layer to the decomposed peat as part of the vadose zone. Soil hydraulic properties (SHP) were identified by inverse simulation of evaporation experiments on samples from the entire acrotelm. To obtain consistent descriptions of the observations, the traditional van Genuchten-Mualem model was extended to account for non-capillary water storage and flow. We found that the SHP of the uppermost moss layer reflect a pore-size distribution (PSD) that combines three distinct pore systems of the Sphagnum moss. For deeper samples, acrotelm pedogenesis changes the shape of the SHP due to the collapse of inter-plant pores and an infill with smaller particles. This leads to gradually more homogeneous and bi-modal PSDs with increasing depth, which in turn can serve as a proxy for increasing state of pedogenesis in peatlands. From this, we derive a nomenclature and size classification for the pore spaces of Sphagnum mosses and define inter-, intra-, and inner-plant pore spaces, with effective pore diameters of > 300, 300-30, and 30-10 µm, respectively.

Multivariate study of trace element distribution in the geological record of Roñanzas Peat Bog (Asturias, N. Spain). Paleoenvironmental evolution and human activities over the last 8000 calyr BP.

Science.gov (United States)

Gallego, José Luis R; Ortiz, José E; Sierra, Carlos; Torres, Trinidad; Llamas, J F

2013-06-01

Trace element concentrations in the Roñanzas peat bog record reveal a contribution of natural processes but the influence of anthropogenic factors predominates in the last two millenniums, particularly aerosol deposition linked to mining and industrial activities in northern Spain. We observed that the Roñanzas record can be considered a preserved environment, suitable to search for local (major elements. Our study design represents a novel approach to assign natural vs. human contributions in peatlands. Therefore, synergies obtained by the simultaneous study of multivariate statistics and enrichment factors allow robust conclusions about paleoenvironmental evolution and human activities. Anthropogenic influence has also been reported in similar records in other parts of Europe, thereby suggesting large-scale sources for atmospheric pollution. However, here we revealed remarkable particularities, such as the association of Cd, Zn and Pb, mainly linked to regional and local factors (mining and more recently the metallurgical industry), whereas we propose that the occurrence of Hg is associated with a combination of regional factors and global atmospheric pollution. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Alpine treeline and timberline dynamics during the Holocene in the Northern Romanian Carpathians

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anca GEANTĂ

2014-11-01

Full Text Available High altitude environments (treeline and alpine communities are particularly sensitive to climate changes, disturbances and land-use changes due to their limited tolerance and adaptability range, habitat fragmentation and habitat restriction. The current and future climate warming is anticipated to shift the tree- and timberlines upwards thus affecting alpine plant communities and causing land-cover change and fragmentation of alpine habitats. An upslope movement of some trees, shrubs and cold adapted alpine herbs as a response to the current climate warming has already been noted in many montane and subalpine regions.Four Holocene peat and lacustrine sediment sequences located between 1670 and 1918 m a.s.l. (Fig.1, in the Rodna Mountains (Northern Romania, Eastern Carpathians are used with the aim to determine: i the sensitivity of high mountain habitats to climate, fire and land use changes; ii tree- and timberline shifts: and iii the influence of landscape topography on trees and shrubs.

A pore-size classification for peat bogs derived from unsaturated hydraulic properties

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T. K. D. Weber

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In ombrotrophic peatlands, the moisture content of the acrotelm (vadoze zone controls oxygen diffusion rates, redox state, and the turnover of organic matter. Thus, variably saturated flow processes determine whether peatlands act as sinks or sources of atmospheric carbon, and modelling these processes is crucial to assess effects of changed environmental conditions on the future development of these ecosystems. We show that the Richards equation can be used to accurately describe the moisture dynamics under evaporative conditions in variably saturated peat soil, encompassing the transition from the topmost living moss layer to the decomposed peat as part of the vadose zone. Soil hydraulic properties (SHP were identified by inverse simulation of evaporation experiments on samples from the entire acrotelm. To obtain consistent descriptions of the observations, the traditional van Genuchten–Mualem model was extended to account for non-capillary water storage and flow. We found that the SHP of the uppermost moss layer reflect a pore-size distribution (PSD that combines three distinct pore systems of the Sphagnum moss. For deeper samples, acrotelm pedogenesis changes the shape of the SHP due to the collapse of inter-plant pores and an infill with smaller particles. This leads to gradually more homogeneous and bi-modal PSDs with increasing depth, which in turn can serve as a proxy for increasing state of pedogenesis in peatlands. From this, we derive a nomenclature and size classification for the pore spaces of Sphagnum mosses and define inter-, intra-, and inner-plant pore spaces, with effective pore diameters of >  300, 300–30, and 30–10 µm, respectively.

Sphagnum-dominated bog systems are highly effective yet variable sources of bio-available iron to marine waters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krachler, Regina; Krachler, Rudolf F.; Wallner, Gabriele; Steier, Peter; El Abiead, Yasin; Wiesinger, Hubert; Jirsa, Franz; Keppler, Bernhard K.

2016-01-01

Iron is a micronutrient of particular interest as low levels of iron limit primary production of phytoplankton and carbon fluxes in extended regions of the world's oceans. Sphagnum-peatland runoff is extraordinarily rich in dissolved humic-bound iron. Given that several of the world's largest wetlands are Sphagnum-dominated peatlands, this ecosystem type may serve as one of the major sources of iron to the ocean. Here, we studied five near-coastal creeks in North Scotland using freshwater/seawater mixing experiments of natural creek water and synthetic seawater based on a "5"9Fe radiotracer technique combined with isotopic characterization of dissolved organic carbon by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry. Three of the creeks meander through healthy Sphagnum-dominated peat bogs and the two others through modified peatlands which have been subject to artificial drainage for centuries. The results revealed that, at the time of sampling (August 16–24, 2014), the creeks that run through modified peatlands delivered 11–15 μg iron per liter creek water to seawater, whereas the creeks that run through intact peatlands delivered 350–470 μg iron per liter creek water to seawater. To find out whether this humic-bound iron is bio-available to marine algae, we performed algal growth tests using the unicellular flagellated marine prymnesiophyte Diacronema lutheri and the unicellular marine green alga Chlorella salina, respectively. In both cases, the riverine humic material provided a highly bio-available source of iron to the marine algae. These results add a new item to the list of ecosystem services of Sphagnum-peatlands. - Highlights: • We report that peat-bogs are sources of bio-available iron to marine algae. • This iron is effectively chelated with aquatic humic acids. • The radiocarbon age of the iron-carrying aquatic humic acids was up to 550 years. • Analysis was focused on mixing experiments of iron-rich creek water with seawater. • Drained peatlands with

Sphagnum-dominated bog systems are highly effective yet variable sources of bio-available iron to marine waters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krachler, Regina, E-mail: regina.krachler@univie.ac.at [Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währingerstraße 42, 1090 Vienna (Austria); Krachler, Rudolf F.; Wallner, Gabriele [Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währingerstraße 42, 1090 Vienna (Austria); Steier, Peter [Isotope Research and Nuclear Physics, University of Vienna, Währingerstraße 17, 1090 Vienna (Austria); El Abiead, Yasin; Wiesinger, Hubert [Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währingerstraße 42, 1090 Vienna (Austria); Jirsa, Franz [Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währingerstraße 42, 1090 Vienna (Austria); University of Johannesburg, Department of Zoology, P. O. Box 524, Auckland Park 2006 (South Africa); Keppler, Bernhard K. [Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währingerstraße 42, 1090 Vienna (Austria)

2016-06-15

Iron is a micronutrient of particular interest as low levels of iron limit primary production of phytoplankton and carbon fluxes in extended regions of the world's oceans. Sphagnum-peatland runoff is extraordinarily rich in dissolved humic-bound iron. Given that several of the world's largest wetlands are Sphagnum-dominated peatlands, this ecosystem type may serve as one of the major sources of iron to the ocean. Here, we studied five near-coastal creeks in North Scotland using freshwater/seawater mixing experiments of natural creek water and synthetic seawater based on a {sup 59}Fe radiotracer technique combined with isotopic characterization of dissolved organic carbon by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry. Three of the creeks meander through healthy Sphagnum-dominated peat bogs and the two others through modified peatlands which have been subject to artificial drainage for centuries. The results revealed that, at the time of sampling (August 16–24, 2014), the creeks that run through modified peatlands delivered 11–15 μg iron per liter creek water to seawater, whereas the creeks that run through intact peatlands delivered 350–470 μg iron per liter creek water to seawater. To find out whether this humic-bound iron is bio-available to marine algae, we performed algal growth tests using the unicellular flagellated marine prymnesiophyte Diacronema lutheri and the unicellular marine green alga Chlorella salina, respectively. In both cases, the riverine humic material provided a highly bio-available source of iron to the marine algae. These results add a new item to the list of ecosystem services of Sphagnum-peatlands. - Highlights: • We report that peat-bogs are sources of bio-available iron to marine algae. • This iron is effectively chelated with aquatic humic acids. • The radiocarbon age of the iron-carrying aquatic humic acids was up to 550 years. • Analysis was focused on mixing experiments of iron-rich creek water with seawater. • Drained

Sources and distribution of trace elements in Estonian peat

Science.gov (United States)

Orru, Hans; Orru, Mall

2006-10-01

This paper presents the results of the distribution of trace elements in Estonian mires. Sixty four mires, representative of the different landscape units, were analyzed for the content of 16 trace elements (Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb using AAS; Cd by GF-AAS; Hg by the cold vapour method; and V, Co, As, Sr, Mo, Th, and U by XRF) as well as other peat characteristics (peat type, degree of humification, pH and ash content). The results of the research show that concentrations of trace elements in peat are generally low: V 3.8 ± 0.6, Cr 3.1 ± 0.2, Mn 35.1 ± 2.7, Co 0.50 ± 0.05, Ni 3.7 ± 0.2, Cu 4.4 ± 0.3, Zn 10.0 ± 0.7, As 2.4 ± 0.3, Sr 21.9 ± 0.9, Mo 1.2 ± 0.2, Cd 0.12 ± 0.01, Hg 0.05 ± 0.01, Pb 3.3 ± 0.2, Th 0.47 ± 0.05, U 1.3 ± 0.2 μg g - 1 and S 0.25 ± 0.02%. Statistical analyses on these large database showed that Co has the highest positive correlations with many elements and ash content. As, Ni, Mo, ash content and pH are also significantly correlated. The lowest abundance of most trace elements was recorded in mires fed only by precipitation (ombrotrophic), and the highest in mires fed by groundwater and springs (minerotrophic), which are situated in the flood plains of river valleys. Concentrations usually differ between the superficial, middle and bottom peat layers, but the significance decreases depending on the type of mire in the following order: transitional mires - raised bogs - fens. Differences among mire types are highest for the superficial but not significant for the basal peat layers. The use of peat with high concentrations of trace elements in agriculture, horticulture, as fuel, for water purification etc., may pose a risk for humans: via the food chain, through inhalation, drinking water etc.

Annual greenhouse gas budget for a bog ecosystem undergoing restoration by rewetting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S.-C. Lee

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Many peatlands have been drained and harvested for peat mining, agriculture, and other purposes, which has turned them from carbon (C sinks into C emitters. Rewetting of disturbed peatlands facilitates their ecological recovery and may help them revert to carbon dioxide (CO2 sinks. However, rewetting may also cause substantial emissions of the more potent greenhouse gas (GHG methane (CH4. Our knowledge of the exchange of CO2 and CH4 following rewetting during restoration of disturbed peatlands is currently limited. This study quantifies annual fluxes of CO2 and CH4 in a disturbed and rewetted area located in the Burns Bog Ecological Conservancy Area in Delta, BC, Canada. Burns Bog is recognized as the largest raised bog ecosystem on North America's west coast. Burns Bog was substantially reduced in size and degraded by peat mining and agriculture. Since 2005, the bog has been declared a conservancy area, with restoration efforts focusing on rewetting disturbed ecosystems to recover Sphagnum and suppress fires. Using the eddy covariance (EC technique, we measured year-round (16 June 2015 to 15 June 2016 turbulent fluxes of CO2 and CH4 from a tower platform in an area rewetted for the last 8 years. The study area, dominated by sedges and Sphagnum, experienced a varying water table position that ranged between 7.7 (inundation and −26.5 cm from the surface during the study year. The annual CO2 budget of the rewetted area was −179 ± 26.2 g CO2–C m−2 yr−1 (CO2 sink and the annual CH4 budget was 17 ± 1.0 g CH4–C m−2 yr−1 (CH4 source. Gross ecosystem productivity (GEP exceeded ecosystem respiration (Re during summer months (June–August, causing a net CO2 uptake. In summer, high CH4 emissions (121 mg CH4–C m−2 day−1 were measured. In winter (December–February, while roughly equal magnitudes of GEP and Re made the study area CO2 neutral, very low CH4 emissions (9 mg CH4–C m−2�

The onset of alpine pastoral systems in the Eastern Alps

Science.gov (United States)

Oeggl, Klaus; Festi, Daniela; Putzer, Andreas

2015-04-01

Since the discovery of the Neolithic glacier mummy "Ötzi" in the nival belt of the main Alpine ridge, the onset of alpine pasture is matter of a highly controversial debate both in archaeology and in palaeo-ecology of the Eastern Alps. The implication is that his sojourn in the high-altitudes of the Alps is considered to be connected with pastoral nomadism. Regrettably any archaeological evidence for the existence of such Neolithic alpine pastoral systems is missing up to now and the assumption is based on palynological data only. However, also the palynological record is ambiguous, because pasture indicators in the alpine regions react positive on grazing as well as on fertilization induced by a higher runoff of precipitation. Thus alpine pasture indicators reflect both grazing pressure and climatic change. Anyhow, alpine pastoral systems are a common practice in Alpine animal husbandry, but from an economic point of view such a seasonal vertical transhumance is costly. There are three main reasons for its practice: i) climatic, ii) economic (mainly in connection with population pressure or mining activities), and iii) cultural ideology. In this study we tested the above mentioned reasons in an interdisciplinary study on the beginning of pastoral activities in high altitudes in the central part of the Eastern Alps. This is conducted by palynological analyses of peat deposits situated in the vicinity of the timberline (1600 - 2400 m a.s.l.) combined with archaeological surveys. The investigated sites are located in traditional Alpine transhumance regions and aligned on a transect through the central part of the Eastern Alps. The studies reveal that grazing pressure is reflected since the Bronze Age, which is corroborated by archaeological findings in the vicinity of the investigated sites.

A comparison of lead pollution record in Sphagnum peat with known historical Pb emission rates in the British isles and the Czech Republic

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Novak, M.; Erel, Y.; Zemanova, L.; Bottrell, S.H.; Adamova, M. [Czech Geological Survey, Prague (Czech Republic)

2008-12-15

Vertical Pb concentration gradients and isotope ratios (Pb-206/Pb-207, Pb-208/Pb-207) are reported for five Pb-210-dated Sphagnum peat profiles. The studied peat bogs are in the British Isles (Thorne Moors, England; Mull, Scotland; and Connemara, Eire) and central Europe (Ocean, northern Czech Republic: Rybarenska slat, southern Czech Republic). Both the U.K. and the Czech Republic experienced maximum Pb emissions from Ag-Pb smelting around 1880. Pb emissions from coal burning peaked in 1955 in the U.K, and in the 1980s in the Czech Republic. In both countries, use of alkyl-lead additives to gasoline resulted in large Pb emissions between 1950 and 2000. We hypothesized that peaks in Pb emissions from smelting, coal burning and gasoline burning, respectively, should be mirrored in the peat profiles. However, a more complicated pattern emerged. Maximum annual Pb accumulation rates occurred in 1870 at Ocean, 1940 at Thorne Moors, 1988 at Rybarenska slat, and 1990 at Mull and Connemara. Atmospheric Pb inputs decreased in the order Thorne Moors {ge} Ocean > Rybarenska slat > Mull > Connemara. The Ocean bog was unique in the central European region in that its maximum Pb pollution dated back to the 19th century and coincided with maximum Pb smelting at Freiberg and Pribram. In contrast, numerous previously studied sites showed no Pb accumulation maximum in the 19th century, but increasing pollution until the 1980s. It remains unclear why Ocean did not record the regional peak in Pb emissions caused by high coal and gasoline burning around 1980, while an array of nearby bogs studied previously did record the 1980 coal/gasoline peak, but no 1880 smelting peak. Mean Pb-206/Pb-207 ratios of potential pollution sources were 1.07 and 1.11 for gasoline, 1.17 and 1.17 for local ores, and 1.18 and 1.19 for coal in the U.K. and the Czech Republic, respectively.

AQUAPEAT 95. New methods for purifying the run-offs of peat production areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Selin, P.; Marja-aho, J.; Madekivi, O.

1994-01-01

The aim of Aqua Peat 95-project was to develop new methods for purifying the runoff coming from the peat production areas. The national water protection program for the year 1995 (Ympaeristoeministerioe 1988) as well as the level of the requirements and instructions from the authorities will obligate the peat producers to find new and practical methods for water purification. The chemical treatment reduced the load of peat production areas and the quality of treated water was almost equal to the runoffs coming from the natural bog area. The chemicals were the same as used in purifying drinking water. This purifying method is quite expensive and for this reason applicable only in special cases. The transpiration and evaporation and the soil filtering capacity of the forest area was also observed. The purifying capacity was very good, especially for the total nutrients and suspended solids. The changes of the ground water quality were insignificant but the level of the ground water in the field areas was higher than before. The long term changes of the vegetation and the trees could not be seen, yet. The most important water management practice is the detention of the discharge. The capacity of the sedimentation will increase by using the flow regulation in the sedimentation ponds and ditches. The changes in the water biology downstreams the Laeynioensuo peat production area were clearly seen near the main ditch. Because of the suspended solids the bottom sediment changed which lead to impacts to the bottom fauna. The colour of the runoffs as well as the changes in the sediment influenced on the macrophytes

Comparison of Atmospheric Travel Distances of Several PAHs Calculated by Two Fate and Transport Models (The Tool and ELPOS with Experimental Values Derived from a Peat Bog Transect

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Sabine Thuens

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Multimedia fate and transport models are used to evaluate the long range transport potential (LRTP of organic pollutants, often by calculating their characteristic travel distance (CTD. We calculated the CTD of several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs and metals using two models: the OECD POV& LRTP Screening Tool (The Tool, and ELPOS. The absolute CTDs of PAHs estimated with the two models agree reasonably well for predominantly particle-bound congeners, while discrepancies are observed for more volatile congeners. We test the performance of the models by comparing the relative ranking of CTDs with the one of experimentally determined travel distances (ETDs. ETDs were estimated from historical deposition rates of pollutants to peat bogs in Eastern Canada. CTDs and ETDs of PAHs indicate a low LRTP. To eliminate the high influence on specific model assumptions and to emphasize the difference between the travel distances of single PAHs, ETDs and CTDs were analyzed relative to the travel distances of particle-bound compounds. The ETDs determined for PAHs, Cu, and Zn ranged from 173 to 321 km with relative uncertainties between 26% and 46%. The ETDs of two metals were shorter than those of the PAHs. For particle-bound PAHs the relative ETDs and CTDs were similar, while they differed for Chrysene.

Restoration of pitcher plant bogs in eastern Texas, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Ronald Mize; Robert E. Evans; Barbara R. MacRoberts; Michael H. MacRoberts; D. Craig Rudolph

2005-01-01

Pitcher plant bogs, also referred to as hillside seepages bogs or hillside bogs, are extremely restricted on the West Gulf Coastal Plain. the number and extent of extant bogs is in the low hundreds, comprising no more than a few thousand hectares of habitat. These bogs support a large number of plant species of significant conservation concern. threats to existing bogs...

Nutrient Addition Leads to a Weaker CO2 Sink and Higher CH4 Emissions through Vegetation-Microclimate Feedbacks at Mer Bleue Bog, Canada

Science.gov (United States)

Bubier, J. L.; Arnkil, S.; Humphreys, E.; Juutinen, S.; Larmola, T.; Moore, T. R.

2015-12-01

Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition has led to nutrient enrichment in wetlands globally, affecting plant community composition, carbon (C) cycling, and microbial dynamics. Nutrient-limited boreal bogs are long-term sinks of carbon dioxide (CO2), but sources of methane (CH4), an important greenhouse gas. We fertilized Mer Bleue Bog, a Sphagnum moss and evergreen shrub-dominated ombrotrophic bog near Ottawa, Ontario, for 10-15 years with N as NO3 and NH4 at 5, 10 and 20 times ambient N deposition (0.6-0.8 g N m-2 y-1), with and without phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). Treatments were applied to triplicate plots (3 x 3 m) from May - August 2000-2015 and control plots received distilled water. We measured net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE), ecosystem photosynthesis and respiration, and CH4 flux with climate-controlled chambers; leaf-level CO2 exchange and biochemistry; substrate-induced respiration, CH4 production and consumption potentials with laboratory incubations; plant species composition and abundance; and microclimate (peat temperature, moisture, light interception). After 15 years, we have found that NEE has decreased, and CH4 emissions have increased, in the highest nutrient treatments owing to changes in vegetation, microtopography, and peat characteristics. Vegetation changes include a loss of Sphagnum moss and introduction of new deciduous species. Simulated atmospheric N deposition has not benefitted the photosynthetic apparatus of the dominant evergreen shrubs, but resulted in higher foliar respiration, contributing to a weaker ecosystem CO2 sink. Loss of moss has led to wetter near-surface substrate, higher rates of decomposition and CH4 emission, and a shift in microbial communities. Thus, elevated atmospheric deposition of nutrients may endanger C storage in peatlands through a complex suite of feedbacks and interactions among vegetation, microclimate, and microbial communities.

Climatic drivers for multidecadal shifts in solute transport and methane production zones within a large peat basin

Science.gov (United States)

Glaser, Paul H.; Siegel, Donald I.; Chanton, Jeffrey P.; Reeve, Andrew S.; Rosenberry, Donald O.; Corbett, J. Elizabeth; Dasgupta, Soumitri; Levy, Zeno

2016-01-01

Northern peatlands are an important source for greenhouse gases, but their capacity to produce methane remains uncertain under changing climatic conditions. We therefore analyzed a 43 year time series of the pore-water chemistry to determine if long-term shifts in precipitation altered the vertical transport of solutes within a large peat basin in northern Minnesota. These data suggest that rates of methane production can be finely tuned to multidecadal shifts in precipitation that drive the vertical penetration of labile carbon substrates within the Glacial Lake Agassiz Peatlands. Tritium and cation profiles demonstrate that only the upper meter of these peat deposits was flushed by downwardly moving recharge from 1965 to 1983 during a Transitional Dry-to-Moist Period. However, a shift to a moister climate after 1984 drove surface waters much deeper, largely flushing the pore waters of all bogs and fens to depths of 2 m. Labile carbon compounds were transported downward from the rhizosphere to the basal peat at this time producing a substantial enrichment of methane in Δ14C with respect to the solid-phase peat from 1991 to 2008. These data indicate that labile carbon substrates can fuel deep production zones of methanogenesis that more than doubled in thickness across this large peat basin after 1984. Moreover, the entire peat profile apparently has the capacity to produce methane from labile carbon substrates depending on climate-driven modes of solute transport. Future changes in precipitation may therefore play a central role in determining the source strength of peatlands in the global methane cycle.

The effects of permafrost thaw on soil hydrologic, thermal, and carbon dynamics in an Alaskan peatland

Science.gov (United States)

O'Donnell, Jonathan A.; Jorgenson, M. Torre; Harden, Jennifer W.; McGuire, A. David; Kanevskiy, Mikhail Z.; Wickland, Kimberly P.

2012-01-01

Recent warming at high-latitudes has accelerated permafrost thaw in northern peatlands, and thaw can have profound effects on local hydrology and ecosystem carbon balance. To assess the impact of permafrost thaw on soil organic carbon (OC) dynamics, we measured soil hydrologic and thermal dynamics and soil OC stocks across a collapse-scar bog chronosequence in interior Alaska. We observed dramatic changes in the distribution of soil water associated with thawing of ice-rich frozen peat. The impoundment of warm water in collapse-scar bogs initiated talik formation and the lateral expansion of bogs over time. On average, Permafrost Plateaus stored 137 ± 37 kg C m-2, whereas OC storage in Young Bogs and Old Bogs averaged 84 ± 13 kg C m-2. Based on our reconstructions, the accumulation of OC in near-surface bog peat continued for nearly 1,000 years following permafrost thaw, at which point accumulation rates slowed. Rapid decomposition of thawed forest peat reduced deep OC stocks by nearly half during the first 100 years following thaw. Using a simple mass-balance model, we show that accumulation rates at the bog surface were not sufficient to balance deep OC losses, resulting in a net loss of OC from the entire peat column. An uncertainty analysis also revealed that the magnitude and timing of soil OC loss from thawed forest peat depends substantially on variation in OC input rates to bog peat and variation in decay constants for shallow and deep OC stocks. These findings suggest that permafrost thaw and the subsequent release of OC from thawed peat will likely reduce the strength of northern permafrost-affected peatlands as a carbon dioxide sink, and consequently, will likely accelerate rates of atmospheric warming.

Physical parameters and accumulation rates in peat in relation to the climate during the last 150 years

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Borgmark, Anders [Dept. of Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology, Stockholm Univ. (Sweden)

2006-12-15

The safety assessment made by SKB (SR 97) states that radionuclides can be accumulated in higher amounts in peatlands than in other recipients. Therefore is knowledge about the nature and properties of peat very important. Here is the decay of peat and the accumulation rate of the most important elements of peat examined further. Two ombrotrophic peat bogs located in Uppland have been investigated in order to evaluate the influences of climate on the accumulation of carbon and nitrogen. Peat humification, content of carbon and nitrogen has been used for interpretation of peat forming processes. The long temperature and precipitation records from Uppsala have been used to compare the results to known climate variations. Various models and equations assess the contribution of peatlands to the global carbon economy and the role that peat accumulation plays in global climate due to global carbon cycling and the concern of increasing levels of greenhouse gases. The importance of peatlands in the global carbon economy is stressed by that it is approximately the same amount of carbon in peatlands as in the atmosphere. Estimations of the total amount of carbon stored in Boreal and Arctic peatlands are in the magnitude of 400-500 Pg. The peat accumulation rate varies by at least a magnitude in peatlands with different conditions in internal and external hydrology, length in growth season, effective precipitation, temperature etc. Accumulation rates have been reported from a variety of temperate and boreal bogs ranging between 0.2-2.0 mm/year and a Boreal and northern Sub-arctic region average of carbon accumulated in the catotelm has been calculated to ca 21 g C/m{sup 2}/year. The proportion of nitrogen in the dry mass is usually in the order of 0.5-5%. The mean accumulation rate of carbon and nitrogen during the last 157 years at Aeltabergsmossen are 7 g C/m{sup 2}/year and 1 g N/m{sup 2}/year, these levels are similar to the ones found in other investigations as well as

Physical parameters and accumulation rates in peat in relation to the climate during the last 150 years

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borgmark, Anders

2006-12-01

The safety assessment made by SKB (SR 97) states that radionuclides can be accumulated in higher amounts in peatlands than in other recipients. Therefore is knowledge about the nature and properties of peat very important. Here is the decay of peat and the accumulation rate of the most important elements of peat examined further. Two ombrotrophic peat bogs located in Uppland have been investigated in order to evaluate the influences of climate on the accumulation of carbon and nitrogen. Peat humification, content of carbon and nitrogen has been used for interpretation of peat forming processes. The long temperature and precipitation records from Uppsala have been used to compare the results to known climate variations. Various models and equations assess the contribution of peatlands to the global carbon economy and the role that peat accumulation plays in global climate due to global carbon cycling and the concern of increasing levels of greenhouse gases. The importance of peatlands in the global carbon economy is stressed by that it is approximately the same amount of carbon in peatlands as in the atmosphere. Estimations of the total amount of carbon stored in Boreal and Arctic peatlands are in the magnitude of 400-500 Pg. The peat accumulation rate varies by at least a magnitude in peatlands with different conditions in internal and external hydrology, length in growth season, effective precipitation, temperature etc. Accumulation rates have been reported from a variety of temperate and boreal bogs ranging between 0.2-2.0 mm/year and a Boreal and northern Sub-arctic region average of carbon accumulated in the catotelm has been calculated to ca 21 g C/m 2 /year. The proportion of nitrogen in the dry mass is usually in the order of 0.5-5%. The mean accumulation rate of carbon and nitrogen during the last 157 years at Aeltabergsmossen are 7 g C/m 2 /year and 1 g N/m 2 /year, these levels are similar to the ones found in other investigations as well as more

Increased aeolian activity during humidity shifts as recorded in a raised bog in south-west Sweden during the past 1700 years

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. de Jong

2007-07-01

Full Text Available Analyses of testate amoebae and aeolian sediment influx (ASI were used to reconstruct effective humidity changes and aeolian activity in the coastal zone of south-west Sweden. Cores were taken from an ombrotrophic peat sequence from the Undarsmosse bog. Since both types of analysis were carried out on the same core, a direct comparison between humidity fluctuations in the bog and aeolian activity was possible, potentially providing detailed information on atmospheric circulation changes in this region. Relatively wet bog surface conditions occurred from around 1500 to 1230 and 770 to 380 cal. yrs BP, whereas dry conditions dominated from ca. 1630 to 1530, 1160 to 830 and 300 to 50 cal. yrs BP. The transitions between these phases occurred within 60–100 years and are characterised by a major change in the testate amoebae assemblages. A watertable reconstruction was used to study the hydrological changes at the bog surface in more detail. ASI peak events were reconstructed around 1450, 1150, 850 and after 370 cal. yrs BP. Most interestingly, these aeolian activity peaks started during the recorded hydrological transitions, regardless of the direction of these shifts. Our results therefore suggest that humidity shifts in this region were associated with temporary intensifications of atmospheric circulation during the past 1700 years. Several ASI peaks apparently coincide with reduced solar activity, possibly suggesting a solar related cause for some of the observed events.

"Den lille havfrue" som digital pop op-bog

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mygind, Sarah

2017-01-01

Anmeldelse af: DIGITAL POP OP-BOG H. C. ANDERSEN OG BOOKS & MAGIC DEN LILLE HAVFRUE Bog og App til iOS & Android 5......Anmeldelse af: DIGITAL POP OP-BOG H. C. ANDERSEN OG BOOKS & MAGIC DEN LILLE HAVFRUE Bog og App til iOS & Android 5...

Summertime greenhouse gas fluxes from an urban bog undergoing restoration through rewetting

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A. Christen

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Rewetting can promote the ecological recovery of disturbed peatland ecosystems and may help to revert these ecosystems to carbon dioxide (CO2 sinks. However, rewetting of disturbed peatlands can also cause substantial emissions of methane (CH4 and possibly nitrous oxide (N2O. This study quantified summertime emissions of the three major long-lived greenhouse gases (GHGs CO2, CH4 and N2O; from undisturbed, disturbed and rewetted soils in the Burns Bog Ecological Conservancy Area (BBECA, a 20 km2 urban bog located in Delta, British Columbia, Canada. Four sites were chosen that represent different stages before or after ecological recovery in the BBECA: (i a relatively undisturbed scrub pine / Sphagnum / low shrub ecosystem; (ii a Rhynchospora alba / Sphagnum ecosystem that was disturbed by peat mining more than 65 years ago; (iii a R. alba / Dulichium arundinaceum ecosystem that was disturbed by peat mining 50 years ago and rewetted five years ago; and (iv a disturbed and rewetted surface with little vegetation cover that was cleared of vegetation 16 years ago and rewetted two years ago. The GHG fluxes from soils and ground vegetation were measured at all sites during June–August 2014, using a portable non-steady-state chamber system for CO2 and syringe sampling and laboratory analysis for CH4 and N2O fluxes. All four sites exhibited net GHG emissions into the atmosphere, dominated by CH4, which contributed 81–98 % of net CO2 equivalent (CO2e emissions. Overall, the median CH4 flux for all measurements and sites was ~74 mg m-2 day-1 (~30–410 mg m-2 day-1, 25th–75th percentiles. Fluxes in the rewetted (water-saturated sedge ecosystem were highest, with a quarter of the values higher than 3,000 mg m-2 day-1 (median 78 mg m-2 day-1. Exchange of CO2 due to photosynthesis and respiration was of secondary importance compared to soil CH4 emissions. Continuous CO2 flux measurements using the eddy covariance approach in the disturbed and rewetted R

Peat

Science.gov (United States)

Apodaca, Lori E.

2013-01-01

The article looks at the U.S. peat market as of July 2013. Peat is produced from deposits of plant organic materials in wetlands and includes varieties such as reed-sedge, sphagnum moss, and humus. Use for peat include horticultural soil additives, filtration, and adsorbents. Other topics include effects of environmental protection regulations on peat extraction, competition from products such as coir, composted organic waste, and wood products, and peatland carbon sinks.

Vyrmethane. Progress report stage 5. In situ production of methane gas from peat

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martinell, R

1982-12-01

The Vyrmethane process means that bog water containing methane gas is circulated in a closed system and degassed. By this procedure the microbiological activity in the bog stimulates and new methane is produced and dissolved in the water, which circulates to a degassing station. From the degassing station the methane gas can be used for different purposes and the degassed water is infiltrated back in the peat bog. The degradation process is described by McCarty (Stanford 1964). According to this description all COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) is supposed to be converted to methane. The Vyrmethane method does not reach this ideal result. Consequently the produced gas also includes carbon dioxide. The running cost for the process is mainly depending on the water circulation e.g. the demand of energy for the pumps. Consequently the result is propotional to the methane, which can be degassed from the circulated water. The results reached, so far, indicate that one added unit of mechanical energy is giving five units of heat energy in the form of methane gas. Better results are in prospect. This report, which is a following up of the pilot plants started up after 1978, is discussing the technical and economical conditions for the process. Consequently it is suggested that a number of full-scale prototype plants are built, studied further and that preparations are made for a demonstration stage including about 200 plants with geographical spreading out.

Climatic Drivers for Multi-Decadal Shifts in Solute Transport and Methane Production Zones within a Large Peat Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Glaser, Paul H.; Siegel, Donald I.; Chanton, Jeffrey P.; Reeve, Andrew S.; Rosenberry, Donald O.; Corbett, J. Elizabeth; Dasgupta, Soumitri; Levy, Zeno

2016-01-01

Northern peatlands are an important source for greenhouse gases but their capacity to produce methane remains uncertain under changing climatic conditions. We therefore analyzed a 43-year time series of pore-water chemistry to determine if long-term shifts in precipitation altered the vertical transport of solutes within a large peat basin in northern Minnesota. These data suggest that rates of methane production can be finely tuned to multi-decadal shifts in precipitation that drive the vertical penetration of labile carbon substrates within the Glacial Lake Agassiz Peatlands. Tritium and cation profiles demonstrate that only the upper meter of these peat deposits was flushed by downwardly moving recharge from 1965 through 1983 during a Transitional Dry-to-Moist Period. However, a shift to a moister climate after 1984 drove surface waters much deeper, largely flushing the pore waters of all bogs and fens to depths of 2 m. Labile carbon compounds were transported downward from the rhizosphere to the basal peat at this time producing a substantial enrichment of methane in Delta C-14 with respect to the solid-phase peat from 1991 to 2008. These data indicate that labile carbon substrates can fuel deep production zones of methanogenesis that more than doubled in thickness across this large peat basin after 1984. Moreover, the entire peat profile apparently has the capacity to produce methane from labile carbon substrates depending on climate-driven modes of solute transport. Future changes in precipitation may therefore play a central role in determining the source strength of peatlands in the global methane cycle.

Small spatial variability in methane emission measured from a wet patterned boreal bog

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Korrensalo

2018-03-01

Full Text Available We measured methane fluxes of a patterned bog situated in Siikaneva in southern Finland from six different plant community types in three growing seasons (2012–2014 using the static chamber method with chamber exposure of 35 min. A mixed-effects model was applied to quantify the effect of the controlling factors on the methane flux. The plant community types differed from each other in their water level, species composition, total leaf area (LAITOT and leaf area of aerenchymatous plant species (LAIAER. Methane emissions ranged from −309 to 1254 mg m−2 d−1. Although methane fluxes increased with increasing peat temperature, LAITOT and LAIAER, they had no correlation with water table or with plant community type. The only exception was higher fluxes from hummocks and high lawns than from high hummocks and bare peat surfaces in 2013 and from bare peat surfaces than from high hummocks in 2014. Chamber fluxes upscaled to ecosystem level for the peak season were of the same magnitude as the fluxes measured with the eddy covariance (EC technique. In 2012 and in August 2014 there was a good agreement between the two methods; in 2013 and in July 2014, the chamber fluxes were higher than the EC fluxes. Net fluxes to soil, indicating higher methane oxidation than production, were detected every year and in all community types. Our results underline the importance of both LAIAER and LAITOT in controlling methane fluxes and indicate the need for automatized chambers to reliably capture localized events to support the more robust EC method.

Small spatial variability in methane emission measured from a wet patterned boreal bog

Science.gov (United States)

Korrensalo, Aino; Männistö, Elisa; Alekseychik, Pavel; Mammarella, Ivan; Rinne, Janne; Vesala, Timo; Tuittila, Eeva-Stiina

2018-03-01

We measured methane fluxes of a patterned bog situated in Siikaneva in southern Finland from six different plant community types in three growing seasons (2012-2014) using the static chamber method with chamber exposure of 35 min. A mixed-effects model was applied to quantify the effect of the controlling factors on the methane flux. The plant community types differed from each other in their water level, species composition, total leaf area (LAITOT) and leaf area of aerenchymatous plant species (LAIAER). Methane emissions ranged from -309 to 1254 mg m-2 d-1. Although methane fluxes increased with increasing peat temperature, LAITOT and LAIAER, they had no correlation with water table or with plant community type. The only exception was higher fluxes from hummocks and high lawns than from high hummocks and bare peat surfaces in 2013 and from bare peat surfaces than from high hummocks in 2014. Chamber fluxes upscaled to ecosystem level for the peak season were of the same magnitude as the fluxes measured with the eddy covariance (EC) technique. In 2012 and in August 2014 there was a good agreement between the two methods; in 2013 and in July 2014, the chamber fluxes were higher than the EC fluxes. Net fluxes to soil, indicating higher methane oxidation than production, were detected every year and in all community types. Our results underline the importance of both LAIAER and LAITOT in controlling methane fluxes and indicate the need for automatized chambers to reliably capture localized events to support the more robust EC method.

Methane ebullition fluxes from northern peatlands: initial observations from four sites of contrasting vegetation type in Caribou Bog, ME

Science.gov (United States)

Slater, L. D.; Comas, X.; Mumford, K. G.; Reeve, A. S.; Varner, R. K.; Chen, X.; Wright, W.; Wright, J.; Molnar, I. L.; Krol, M.

2017-12-01

The contribution of peatlands to the atmospheric CH4 burden remains unclear in large part due to incomplete understanding of the ebullition pathway. Oxidation of dissolved methane reduces the release of methane by diffusion, but the transit time of bubbles released via ebullition is too short for extensive oxidation to occur, i.e. ebullition releases increase the greenhouse gas potential of peatlands. We are working to couple innovative strategies for ebullition monitoring with a physical model describing gas transport in terms of the mechanical properties of the peat. This integration of measurement and modeling will permit a fundamental step forward towards a more quantitative understanding of CH4 ebullition from peatlands. Sampling and sensor installation have been performed in Caribou Bog, a multi-unit peatland located in Maine (USA) where an extensive database accounting for a decade of research is already available from previous work examining methane dynamics. Multi-depth gas trap and moisture probe arrays have been installed at four sites selected based on contrasting vegetation type and peat basin depth determined from extensive ground penetrating radar surveys. Hydraulic head measurements have also been acquired on multi-level piezometers designed to capture transient signals associated with gas transport. Cores and initial field observations acquired in summer 2017 confirm that the physical properties of the peat vary markedly between the sites and influence gas storage and release. An existing ebullition model describing gas bubble expansion is being coupled with an invasion percolation approach to describe the transport of CH4 between multiple peat layers by both diffusion in the pore water and ebullition between layers. Although the proposed model does not explicitly incorporate the geomechanical properties of peat, model predictions for maximum gas contents are being compared with key measurable geomechanical properties (including measured capillary

Holocen history of vegetation at “Uroczysko Mokradła” (SW Poland – paleobotanical research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Klara Tomaszewska

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Two peat bogs were studied in the Bory Dolnośląskie, the forest complex in Lower Silesia (Poland. An Instorf drill was used to collect two peat profiles from the deepest places. The macroremains analysis showed that after the initiation of peat-forming processes phytocoenoses responsible for the deposition of transition sphagnum peat were developed at both locations. Later on, the development of both peat bogs differed. The smaller peat bog continued to develop, whereas the big bog was shifted to ombrotrophic water regime. Therefore, phytocoenoses accumulated 1.3 m of Sphagnum peat. The peat-forming process was initiated at different times in both sites. For the smaller peat bog, it took place during the Atlantic period, while in the case of the larger peat bog – several thousand years later. The first identified forest phytocoenoses in the Atlantic period are mesophilic multi-species deciduous forests. Dry coniferous forests and mixed birch-pine forests grew in dry habitats. Riparian forests occupied lower grounds. In the Subboreal period, the oak–hazel communities initially developed and mixed coniferous forests were partially replaced by light oak forests. The encroachment of spruce, fir, hornbeam, and beech resulted in the development of dry ground forests, including beech–fir woods. The importance of riparian forests increased, whereas in dry grounds pine and mixed coniferous forests continued to occur. In the Subatlantic period, the transformations in forest communities were associated with the spread of hornbeam, beech, and fir and thereby vast fertile habitats were colonized by dry ground communities and beech woods. Pine and mixed forests as well as riparian forests were of lesser importance. Pollen records from the last 500 years showed the clear presence of humans. It was evident from the presence of cereal and weed pollen and from the disturbances in the pollen records caused by peat extraction in the Middle Ages.

UAV based 3D digital surface model to estimate paleolandscape in high mountainous environment

Science.gov (United States)

Mészáros, János; Árvai, Mátyás; Kohán, Balázs; Deák, Márton; Nagy, Balázs

2016-04-01

Our method to present current state of a peat bog was focused on the possible use of a UAV-system and later Structure-from-motion algorithms as processing technique. The peat bog site is located on the Vinderel Plateau, Farcǎu Massif, Maramures Mountains (Romania). The peat bog (1530 m a.s.l., N47°54'11", E24°26'37") lies below Rugasu ridge (c. 1820 m a.s.l.) and the locality serves as a conservation area for fallen down coniferous trees. Peat deposits were formed in a landslide concavity on the western slope of Farcǎu Massif. Nowadays the site is surrounded by a completely deforested landscape, and Farcǎu Massif lies above the depressed treeline. The peat bog has an extraordinary geomorphological situation, because a gully reached the bog and drained the water. In the recent past sedimentological and dendrochronological researches have been initiated. However, an accurate 3D digital surface model also needed for a complex paleoenvironmental research. Last autumn the bog and its surroundings were finally surveyed by a multirotor UAV developed in-house based on an open-source flight management unit and its firmware. During this survey a lightweight action camera (mainly to decrease payload weight) was used to take aerial photographs. While our quadcopter is capable to fly automatically on a predefined flight route, several over- and sidelapping flight lines were generated prior to the actual survey on the ground using a control software running on a notebook. Despite those precautions, limited number of batteries and severe weather affected our final flights, resulting a reduced surveyed area around peat bog. Later, during the processing we looked for a reliable tool which powerful enough to process more than 500 photos taken during flights. After testing several software Agisoft PhotoScan was used to create 3D point cloud and mesh about bog and its environment. Due to large number of photographs PhotoScan had to be configured for network processing to get

Impact of Peat Mining and Restoration on Methane Turnover Potential and Methane-Cycling Microorganisms in a Northern Bog.

Science.gov (United States)

Reumer, Max; Harnisz, Monika; Lee, Hyo Jung; Reim, Andreas; Grunert, Oliver; Putkinen, Anuliina; Fritze, Hannu; Bodelier, Paul L E; Ho, Adrian

2018-02-01

Ombrotrophic peatlands are a recognized global carbon reservoir. Without restoration and peat regrowth, harvested peatlands are dramatically altered, impairing their carbon sink function, with consequences for methane turnover. Previous studies determined the impact of commercial mining on the physicochemical properties of peat and the effects on methane turnover. However, the response of the underlying microbial communities catalyzing methane production and oxidation have so far received little attention. We hypothesize that with the return of Sphagnum spp. postharvest, methane turnover potential and the corresponding microbial communities will converge in a natural and restored peatland. To address our hypothesis, we determined the potential methane production and oxidation rates in natural (as a reference), actively mined, abandoned, and restored peatlands over two consecutive years. In all sites, the methanogenic and methanotrophic population sizes were enumerated using quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays targeting the mcrA and pmoA genes, respectively. Shifts in the community composition were determined using Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the mcrA gene and a pmoA -based terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (t-RFLP) analysis, complemented by cloning and sequence analysis of the mmoX gene. Peat mining adversely affected methane turnover potential, but the rates recovered in the restored site. The recovery in potential activity was reflected in the methanogenic and methanotrophic abundances. However, the microbial community composition was altered, being more pronounced for the methanotrophs. Overall, we observed a lag between the recovery of the methanogenic/methanotrophic activity and the return of the corresponding microbial communities, suggesting that a longer duration (>15 years) is needed to reverse mining-induced effects on the methane-cycling microbial communities. IMPORTANCE Ombrotrophic peatlands are a crucial carbon sink, but this environment

The occurrence of an upper decomposed peat layer, or “kultureller Trockenhorizont”, in the Alps and Jura Mountains

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Sjögren

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Many European mires show a layer of increased decomposition and minerogenic content close to the mire surface. Although the phenomenon is widely recognised, there have been few investigations of its distribution, cause and effect. In this study, nine peat profiles from the Alps and Jura Mountains in central Europe were studied to assess general trends in the upper peat stratigraphy. Analyses of pollen and fungal spore content in two profiles indicates that near-surface changes in decomposition are related to recent historical changes in grazing intensity of the surrounding landscape. Reduced trampling pressure and/or decreased nutrient input allowed partial Sphagnum regeneration in the western Alps and Jura Mountains from AD 1940–60, and in the eastern Alps from AD 1820–60. The results are considered in the context of climate and land use, and future implications for mire development in a changing environment are discussed. Many high-altitude mires in the area are now in a Sphagnum peat re-growth state, but future land use and climatic change will determine whether they will develop towards raised bog or forest carr.

Fimbriiglobus ruber gen. nov., sp. nov., a Gemmata-like planctomycete from Sphagnum peat bog and the proposal of Gemmataceae fam. nov.

Science.gov (United States)

Kulichevskaya, Irina S; Ivanova, Anastasia A; Baulina, Olga I; Rijpstra, W Irene C; Sinninghe Damsté, Jaap S; Dedysh, Svetlana N

2017-02-01

An aerobic, budding, dark pink to red-pigmented bacterium was isolated from an acidic boreal Sphagnum peat bog and designated strain SP5T. Cells of this strain were non-motile spheres that were uniformly covered with crateriform pits and fimbria, and tended to form aggregates during growth in liquid media. Strain SP5T was capable of growth between pH 4.0 and pH 6.8 (optimum at pH 5.5-6.0) and at temperatures between 10 and 30 °C (optimum at 20-25 °C). The preferred growth substrates were sugars and some heteropolysaccharides. The major fatty acids were C20 : 1ω9c, C16 : 1ω9c and C16 : 0, and the major polar lipid was trimethylornithine. Cells contained also significant amounts of bound (ω-1)OH-C30 : 1 fatty acid. The quinone was menaquinone-6, and the G+C content of the DNA was 60.7 mol%. Strain SP5T was a member of the order Planctomycetales and belonged to the phylogenetic lineage defined by the genus Gemmata. It displayed 88 and 89 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Gemmata obscuriglobusUQM 2246T and 'Gemmata massiliana' IIL30, 89 % to Zavarzinella formosa A10T and 86 % to Telmatocola sphagniphila SP2T. However, strain SP5T differed from members of these genera by cell morphology, substrate utilization pattern and fatty acid composition. Based on these data, the novel isolate should be considered as representing a novel species of a new genus of planctomycetes, for which the name Fimbriiglobus ruber gen. nov., sp. nov, is proposed. The type strain is SP5T (=LMG 29572T=VKM B-3045T). We also suggest the establishment of a novel family, Gemmataceaefam. nov., which includes the phylogenetically related genera Gemmata, Zavarzinella, Telmatocola and Fimbriiglobus.

Peat Research Seminar

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

The VTT Seminar on Peat Research was held in Espoo, Finland, on April 14-15, 1993. The programme consisted of technical session on Peat in Energy Production, Peat Research Programs, Peat Production and Harvesting Technology

Experimental Nitrogen Deposition Alters Post-fire Carbon Balance Recovery in Alberta Bogs

Science.gov (United States)

Wieder, R. K.; Vile, M. A.; Scott, K. D.; Albright, C. M.; McMillen, K.

2016-12-01

Bogs and fens occupy about 30% of the landscape across northern Alberta, Canada and function regionally as a net sink for atmospheric CO2-C, the strength of which is strongly influenced by the frequency and extent of wildfires. Alberta peatlands have persisted at the low end of the global range of annual atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition (exchange, we experimentally applied N (as NH4NO3 solutions) to replicated plots at levels equivalent to controls (C: no water additions), 0 (water only), 10, and 20 kg/ha/yr at five bog sites, aged at 2, 12, 32, 73, and 113 years since fire in 2013 (hummocks and hollows in 6 plots per N treatment per site). Understory net ecosystem exchange of CO2 (NEE) was measured repeatedly throughout the 2013-2016 growing seasons using the closed chamber approach. Averaged across all years, sites, plots, and hummocks versus hollows, N addition stimulated NEE rates (C and 0 treatments: 0.46 µmol m-2 s-1; 10 and 20 treatments: 1.16 µmol m-2 s-1) and to a much lesser extent understory dark respiration (ER) rates (C and 0 treatments: -3.26 µmol m-2 s-1; 10 and 20 treatments: -3.43 µmol m-2 s-1). On an annual basis, averaged across all years, sites, and plots, N addition also stimulated NEE for hummocks (C and 0 treatments: -1.0 mol C m-2 yr-1; 10 and 20 treatments: 15.7 mol C m-2 yr-1), but not hollows. Experimental N addition had minimal effects on annual ER. The nature of the N response, however, differed between sites and years. Further, experimental N addition had no effect on the net primary production of Sphagnum fuscum, the dominant peat-forming moss. Thus, the enhancement of the net CO2-C sink through N addition occurs through stimulation of short-statured vascular shrub growth and biomass, with implications for the structure and function of bog understories as they recover after fire under different N deposition regimes.

Electro-chemistry of soil formation. VI. Atmospheric salts in relation to soil and peat formation and plant composition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mattson, S; Sandberg, G; Terning, P E

1944-01-01

The Ca/Mg ratios have been determined in the Ramna bog, in the Unden and Annerstad podzol profile series, and in the Dala brown earth series. A number of plant species from each locality have been included. The more ombrogenic the formation, the lower the Ca/Mg ratios. An application of the Donnan equilibrium leads to the conclusion that the saturation with bases may be considerable in ombrogenic peat, whereas the saturation of excessively leached mineral soils must be very small. The latter must, like all weak or unsaturated soil acidoids in general, contain a relatively high proportion of exchangeable alkali cations.

Small scale soil carbon and moisture gradients in a drained peat bog grassland and their influence on CO2, CH4 and N2O fluxes

Science.gov (United States)

Leiber-Sauheitl, K.; Fuß, R.; Freibauer, A.

2012-04-01

Due to the UNFCCC report requirements of each country on the emissions of greenhouse gases from key sources the joint research project "Organic Soils" was established in Germany. The project's objective is to improve the data set on greenhousegas emissions from organic soils in Germany. Within 12 German Project Catchments emissions from different types of organic soils, e.g. under different land uses and hydrological conditions, are measured. At the location "Großes Moor" near Gifhorn (Lower Saxony) the effects of small-scale soil organic carbon and groundwater level gradients on the GHG fluxes (CO2, CH4 and N2O) are quantified. The study area is located within a former peat bog altered by drainage and peat cutting, which is currently grassland under extensive agricultural use. The focus of the study is on the acquisition of CO2, CH4 and N2O fluxes on six sites via manual closed chambers. In order to calculate the annual CO2 exchange rate, values are interpolated on a 0.5 hour scale between measurement campaigns. In combination with continually logged meteorological parameters, such as the photosynthetic active radiation as well as air and soil temperatures, we calculate the daily CO2 ecosystem exchange of the different sites. During the 2011 campaign, CO2 was determined as the most important greenhouse gas. The groundwater table was the dominant variable influencing gas emissions. Another important factor was the vegetation composition. In detail, highest CO2 emissions occurred with a water table of 40-50 cm below ground level, temperatures above 10°C and low plant biomass amounts. Due to the more complex formation of N2O by a number of processes, each being promoted by different soil conditions, the measurement of N2O fluxes in the field was complemented by a laboratory experiment. In this, the use of stable isotope tracer techniques enabled us to quantify the contribution of single biochemical pathways to the overall formation of N2O under controlled

The effect of temperature on growth and competition between Sphagnum species

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Breeuwer, A.J.G.; Heijmans, M.M.P.D.; Robroek, B.J.M.; Berendse, F.

2008-01-01

Peat bogs play a large role in the global sequestration of C, and are often dominated by different Sphagnum species. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how Sphagnum vegetation in peat bogs will respond to global warming. We performed a greenhouse experiment to study the effect of four

Influence of the kind of peat and the depth of sampling on the biochemical properties of Tagan peatland

Science.gov (United States)

Wojciech Szajdak, Lech; Inisheva, Lydia I.

2010-05-01

The upper layer of a peat bog in which organic matter decomposes aerobically much more rapidly than in the underlying, anaerobic catotelm. As litter accumulates at the surface the size of the catotelm increases, because the thickness of the acrotelm is limited to depth at which aerobic respiration can occur. Although the rate of decomposition per unit volume of material is much greater in the acrotelm than in the catotelm, a point is reached at which the difference in volume between the two layers is such that the total rate of decomposition in the catotelm is equal to that in the acrotelm. This limits the thickness to which the bog can grow. Should there be a climate change (e.g. an increase in precipitation) growth can resume. Bogs therefore preserve a record of climatic conditions. Soils samples were taken from four places marked as No 1, 2, 3 and 4 each from two depth 0-25 and 50-75 cm of the peatland Tagan. Peatlands Tagan is located near Tomsk, West Siberia, Russia. Place No 1 in both layers represents grasses peat with the degree of the decomposition ranged from 25 to 35% (pH 6.31-7.95). Point 2 is characterized by wooden and wooden grasses peat with 35% degree of the decomposition (pH 5.16-9.31. There is buckbean peat in the points 3 and 4 (pH 6.4-6.49). However, 1.5 m depth of sapropel is located in point 4. The activity of the following enzymes: xanthine oxidase, phenolic oxidase, peroxidase, urease, nitrate reductase were measured and two forms of organic carbon (total organic carbon and dissolved organic carbon) and two form of iron Fe(II) and Fe(III) were determined in these samples. These enzymes participate in several biochemical pathways in soil connected with redox potential. The concentrations of indole-3-acetic acid, very famous fitohormone were also measured. It was observed in all places of sampling significant increase of the total organic carbon with an increase of the depth. However, the quantity of dissolved organic carbon closely decreased

Decomposition rate of peat-forming plants in the oligotrophic peatland at the first stages of destruction

Science.gov (United States)

Nikonova, L. G.; Golovatskaya, E. A.; Terechshenko, N. N.

2018-03-01

The research presents quantitative estimates of the decomposition rate of plant residues at the initial stages of the decay of two plant species (Eriophorum vaginatum and Sphagnum fuscum) in a peat deposit of the oligotrophic bog in the southern taiga subzone of Western Siberia. We also studied a change in the content of total carbon and nitrogen in plant residues and the activity of microflora in the initial stages of decomposition. At the initial stage of the transformation process of peat-forming plants the losses of mass of Sph. fuscum is 2.5 times lower then E. vaginatum. The most active mass losses, as well as a decrease in the total carbon content, is observed after four months of the experiment. The most active carbon removal is characteristic for E. vaginatum. During the decomposition of plant residues, the nitrogen content decreases, and the most intense nitrogen losses were characteristic for Sph. fuscum. The microorganisms assimilating organic and mineral nitrogen are more active in August, the oligotrophic and cellulolytic microorganisms – in July.

Ebullition, Plant-Mediated Transport, and Subsurface Horizontal Water Flow Dominate Methane Transport in an Arctic Sphagnum Bog

Science.gov (United States)

Wehr, R. A.; McCalley, C. K.; Logan, T. A.; Chanton, J.; Crill, P. M.; Rich, V. I.; Saleska, S. R.

2017-12-01

Emission of the greenhouse gas methane from wetlands is of prime concern in the prediction of climate change - especially emission associated with thawing permafrost, which may drive a positive feedback loop of emission and warming. In addition to the biochemistry of methane production and consumption, wetland methane emission depends critically on the transport mechanisms by which methane moves through and out of the ecosystem. We therefore developed a model of methane biochemistry and transport for a sphagnum bog representing an intermediate permafrost thaw stage in Stordalen Mire, Sweden. In order to simultaneously reproduce measured profiles of both the concentrations and isotopic compositions of both methane and carbon dioxide in the peat pore water (Fig. 1) - as well as the surface methane emission - it was necessary for the model to include ebullition, plant-mediated transport via aerenchyma, and subsurface horizontal water flow. Diffusion of gas through the pore water was relatively unimportant. As a result, 90% of the produced methane escaped the wetland rather than being consumed by methanotrophic organisms in the near-surface pore water. Our model provides a comprehensive picture of methane emission from this bog site by quantifying the vertical profiles of: acetoclastic methanogenesis, hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis, methane oxidation, aerobic respiration, ebullition, plant-mediated transport, subsurface horizontal water flow, and diffusion.

Peat in environmental management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rinttilae, R.

1998-01-01

Peat is the largest natural resource of Finland. The DS-reserves of peat are more than seven times larger than those of wood. Peat is known as a domestic source of energy. Peat is, however, more than an energy source. The most significant problem of water protection in Finland is the eutrophication of the water courses. The reduction of concentrated loads and large emissions sources has up to now been the target for the water protection. The control of diffuse loads has been more difficult. The environmental use of peat can reduce the loads on watercourses, and especially the diffuse emissions. The natural and unique properties of peat can be utilized in several targets: agriculture, pisciculture, fur farming, in small and medium sized industry, and in processing of waste waters of both municipalities and rural areas, as well as in different environmental hazards. The present use of environmental peat is just a small fragment of the annual growth of peat reserves in Finland. The amount of protected mires is about ten times larger than the amount of peatlands taken into peat production. The use of environmental peat makes it possible to reduce the diffuse loads significantly in the future. This, however, requires willingness of cooperation and development by the entrepreneurs, authorities, and peat producers. The present use of agricultural peat binds about three times more phosphor and nearly one and a half fold nitrogen fertilizers compare to the emissions caused by peat production. It has to be noticed that the utilization of peat in reduction of environmental loads does not cause any secondary waste problem. The final product formed can usually be composted and used e.g. in soil remediation or in construction of green areas. The tightening environmental regulations and international agreements increase the utilization of peat. As the demand of peat increased the quality requirements for peat will be increased. Certain grain size and the restoration of the

Wetland development, permafrost history and nutrient cycling inferred from late Holocene peat and lake sediment records in subarctic Sweden

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kokfelt, U.; Reuss, N.; Struyf, E.

2010-01-01

to re-deposition of peat into one of the lakes after ca. 2,100 cal BP, and stimulated primary productivity in the other lake at ca. 1,900-1,800 cal BP. Carbonate precipitation appears to have been suppressed when acidic poor fen and bog (palsa) communities dominated the catchment mire, and permafrost...... insight into nutrient and permafrost dynamics in a subarctic wetland and imply that continued permafrost decay and related vegetation changes towards minerotrophy may increase carbon and nutrient storage of mire deposits and reduce nutrient fluxes in runoff. Rapid permafrost degradation may on the other...

Iron from Zealandic bog iron ore -

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lyngstrøm, Henriette Syrach

2011-01-01

og geologiske materiale, metallurgiske analyser og eksperimentel arkæologiske forsøg - konturerne af en jernproduktion med udgangspunkt i den sjællandske myremalm. The frequent application by archaeologists of Werner Christensen’s distribution map for the occurrence of bog iron ore in Denmark (1966...... are sketched of iron production based on bog iron ore from Zealand....

Carbon balance of a boreal bog during a year with an exceptionally dry summer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alm, J.; Silvola, J. [Univ. of Joensuu (Finland). Dept. of Biology; Schulman, L. [Univ. of Helsinki (Finland). Dept. of Ecology and Systematics; Walden, J. [Finnish Meteorological Inst., Helsinki (Finland); Nykaenen, H.; Martikainen, P.J. [National Public Health Inst., Kuopio (Finland). Lab. of Environmental Microbiology

1999-01-01

Northern peatlands are important terrestrial carbon stores, and they show large spatial and temporal variation in the atmospheric exchange of CO{sub 2} and CH{sub 4}. Thus, annual carbon balance must be studied in detail in order to predict the climatic responses of these ecosystems. Closed-chamber methods were used to study CO{sub 2} and CH{sub 4} in hollow, Sphagnum angustifolium lawn. S. fuscum lawn, and hummock microsites within an ombrotrophic S. fuscum bog. Micrometeorological tower measurements were used as a reference for the CH{sub 3} efflux from the bog. Low precipitation during May--August in 1994 and a warm July--August period caused the water table to drop by more than 15 cm below the peat surface in the hollows and to 48 cm below the surface in high hummocks. Increased annual total respiration exceeded gross production and resulted in a net C loss of 4--157 g/m{sup 2} in the different microsites. Drought probably caused irreversible desiccation in some lawns of S. angustifolium and S. balticum and in S. fuscum in the hummocks, while S. balticum growing in hollows retained its moisture and even increased its photosynthetic capacity during the July--August period. Seasonal (12 May--4 October) CH{sub 4} emissions ranged from 2 g CH{sub 4}-C/m{sup 2} in drier S. fuscum hummocks and lawns to 7 and 14 g/m{sup 2} in wetter S. angustifolium-S. balticum lawns and hollows, respectively.

Natural bog pine ecosystem in southern Germany is a steady and robust sink of CO2 but a minor source of CH4

Science.gov (United States)

Hommeltenberg, Janina; Schmid, Hans Peter; Droesler, Matthias; Werle, Peter

2013-04-01

Natural peatland ecosystems sequester carbon dioxide. They do this slowly but steadily, but also emit methane in small rates. Thus peatlands have both positive and negative greenhouse gas balance impacts on the climate system due to their influence on atmospheric CO2 and CH4 concentration. We present data of net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) of almost three years (July 2010 to March 2013) and of methane fluxes over a period of nine months (July 2012 to March 2013), measured by eddy covariance technique in the bog forest "Schechenfilz". The site (47°48' N; 11°19' E, 590 m a.s.l.) is an ICOS-ecosystems associate site, located in the pre-alpine region of southern Germany, where a natural Pinus mugo rotundata forest grows on an undisturbed, almost 6 m thick peat layer. The slow growing bog pines and their low rates of carbon sequestration, in combination with high water table and thus low availability of oxygen, lead to low carbon dioxide fluxes. Photosynthesis as well as soil respiration are considerably attenuated compared to upland sites. Additionally, the high soil water content is damping the impact of dry and hot periods on CO2 exchange. Thus the CO2 balance is very robust to changing environmental parameters. While the CO2 exchange is clearly related to soil temperature and photosynthetic active radiation, we have not yet identified a parameter that governs variations in methane exchange. Various environmental parameters appear to be related to methane emissions (including soil moisture, soil and air temperature and wind direction), but the scatter with respect to half hourly methane fluxes is too large to be useful for gap modeling. Analysis of daily averages reduces the scatter, but since methane exchange exhibits considerable daily variation, daily averages are not useful to fill data gaps of half hourly fluxes. In consequence, as the daily course is the summary result of all environmental parameters having influence on the methane exchange at the half

Development of peat-oil (POM) and peat-alcohol (PAM) slurries as alternative fuels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clemens, D F

1983-11-01

The preparation and evaluation of peat/No. 2 fuel oil mixtures (POM) and peat/methanol mixtures (PAM) is described. POM and PAM prepared using North Carolina peat and having varied peat loadings, peat moisture contents and peat particle sizes have been studied by measuring slurry sedimentation ratios and drain times from sedimentation tubes. The peat moisture content was particularly crucial in forming stable slurries. The effect of a variety of additives at 0.5-1.0 wt% on sedimentation ratios, drain times and viscosities was studied. Calorimetric studies of several PAM and POM slurries as well as preliminary combustion tests of POM slurries in a salamander burner are also reported.

New record in peat utilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1992-01-01

Increment of peat utilization that started in 1990 continued also in 1991, due to which new record was achieved. Peat delivery increased 11.2 % from 16.1 million m 3 in 1990 to 17.9 million m 3 in 1991. The portion of energy peat was 16.4 million m 3 , and the portion of peat for other purposes 1.5 million m 3 . The energy content of fuel peat was 15.8 TWh, of which 13.8 TWh was milled peat and 2.0 TWh sod peat. The main portion of energy peat was used in communal back-pressure power plants for production of electricity and district heat. The second largest utilizer was industry. The rests 0.3 TWh (2 %) was delivered to private small scale utilization and export. About 88 000 MWh of sod peat was exported to Sweden. The portion of horticultural peat of the peat delivered for other purposes than energy production was 662 000 m 3 , of which only 260 000 m 3 was used in Finland and 408 000 m 3 was exported. Agriculture is the main user of peat outside the energy production. Weakly humified peat was used as litter and as absorber for slurrified manure about 286 000 m 3 . The value of the deliveries of peat industry exeeded 800 million FIM, of which the portion of milled peat was about 650 million FIM, the portion of sod peat about 95 million FIM, and the portion of domestic deliveries of horticultural peat 30 million FIM. The export of peat was 36 million FIM. Peat production in 1991 was 10.605 million m 3 , which is nearly a half of the production of 1990. The decrease was caused by both poor weather of may-june 1991 and the large peat supplies from the year 1990. About 60 % of the production target of 1991 was achieved. The production of sod peat increased by over 50 % from 736 000 m 3 in 1990 to 1 147 000 m 3 in 1991

Methylocella palustris gen. nov., sp. nov., a new methane-oxidizing acidophilic bacterium from peat bogs, representing a novel subtype of serine-pathway methanotrophs.

Science.gov (United States)

Dedysh, S N; Liesack, W; Khmelenina, V N; Suzina, N E; Trotsenko, Y A; Semrau, J D; Bares, A M; Panikov, N S; Tiedje, J M

2000-05-01

A new genus, Methylocella, and a new species, Methylocella palustris, are proposed for three strains of methane-oxidizing bacteria isolated from acidic Sphagnum peat bogs. These bacteria are aerobic, Gram-negative, colourless, non-motile, straight and curved rods that utilize the serine pathway for carbon assimilation, multiply by normal cell division and contain intracellular poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate granules (one at each pole). These strains use methane and methanol as sole sources of carbon and energy and are moderately acidophilic organisms with growth between pH 4.5 and pH 7.0, the optimum being at pH 5.0-5.5. The temperature range for growth is 10-28 degrees C with the optimum at 15-20 degrees C. The intracytoplasmic membrane system is different from those of type I and II methanotrophs. Cells contain an extensive periplasmic space and a vesicular membrane system connected to the cytoplasmic membrane. The strains grew only on media with a low salt content (0.2-0.5 g l(-1)). All three strains were found to possess soluble methane monooxygenase and are able to fix atmospheric nitrogen via an oxygen-sensitive nitrogenase. No products were observed in a PCR with particulate methane monooxygenase-targeted primers; hybridization with a pmoA probe was also negative. The major phospholipid fatty acids are 18:1 acids. The G+C content of the DNA is 61.2 mol%. The three strains share identical 16S rRNA gene sequences and represent a novel lineage of methane-oxidizing bacteria within the alpha-subclass of the class Proteobacteria and are only moderately related to type II methanotrophs of the Methylocystis-Methylosinus group. The three strains are most closely related to the acidophilic heterotrophic bacterium Beijerinckia indica subsp. indica (96.5% 16S rDNA sequence similarity). Collectively, these strains comprise a new species and genus Methylocella palustris gen. nov., sp. nov.; strain KT (= ATCC 700799T) is the type strain.

Lateral expansion and carbon exchange of a boreal peatland in Finland resulting in 7000 years of positive radiative forcing

Science.gov (United States)

Mathijssen, Paul J. H.; Kähkölä, Noora; Tuovinen, Juha-Pekka; Lohila, Annalea; Minkkinen, Kari; Laurila, Tuomas; Väliranta, Minna

2017-03-01

Data on past peatland growth patterns, vegetation development, and carbon (C) dynamics during the various Holocene climate phases may help us to understand possible future climate-peatland feedback mechanisms. In this study, we analyzed and radiocarbon dated several peat cores from Kalevansuo, a drained bog in southern Finland. We investigated peatland succession and C dynamics throughout the Holocene. These data were used to reconstruct the long-term atmospheric radiative forcing, i.e., climate impact of the peatland since initiation. Kalevansuo peat records revealed a general development from fen to bog, typical for the southern boreal zone, but the timing of ombrotrophication varied in different parts of the peatland. Peat accumulation patterns and lateral expansion through paludification were influenced by fires and climate conditions. Long-term C accumulation rates were overall lower than the average values found from literature. We suggest the low accumulation rates are due to repeated burning of the peat surface. Drainage for forestry resulted in a nearly complete replacement of typical bog mosses by forest species within 40 years after drainage. The radiative forcing reconstruction suggested positive values (warming) for the first 7000 years following initiation. The change from positive to negative forcing was triggered by an expansion of bog vegetation cover and later by drainage. The strong relationship between peatland area and peat type with radiative forcing suggests a possible feedback for future changing climate, as high-latitude peatlands may experience prominent regime shifts, such as fen to bog transitions.

Biological N2 fixation mainly controlled by Sphagnum tissue N:P ratio in ombrotrophic bogs

Science.gov (United States)

Zivkovic, Tatjana; Moore, Tim R.

2017-04-01

Most of the 18 Pg nitrogen (N) accumulated in northern nutrient-poor and Sphagnum-dominated peatlands (bogs and fens) can be attributed to N2-fixation by diazotrophs either associated with the live Sphagnum or non-symbiotically in the deeper peat such as through methane consumption close to the water table. Where atmospheric N deposition is low (Sphagnum, suggested by the increase in tissue N:P to >16. It is unclear how Sphagnum-hosted diazotrophic activity may be affected by N deposition and thus changes in N:P ratio. First, we investigated the effects of long-term addition of different sources of nitrogen (0, 1.6, 3.2 and 6.4 g N m-2 y-1as NH4Cl and NaNO3), and phosphorus (5 g P m-2 y-1as KH2PO4) on Sphagnum nutrient status (N, P and N:P ratio), net primary productivity (NPP) and Sphagnum-associated N2fixation at Mer Bleue, a temperate ombrotrophic bog. We show that N concentration in Sphagnum tissue increased with larger rates of N addition, with a stronger effect on Sphagnum from NH4 than NO3. The addition of P created a 3.5 fold increase in Sphagnum P content compared to controls. Sphagnum NPP decreased linearly with the rise in N:P ratio, while linear growth declined exponentially with increase in Sphagnum N content. Rates of N2-fixation determined in the laboratory significantly decreased in response to even the smallest addition of both N species. In contrast, the addition of P increased N2 fixation by up to 100 times compared to N treatments and up to 5-30 times compared to controls. The change in N2-fixation was best modeled by the N:P ratio, across all experimental treatments. Secondly, to test the role of N:P ratio on N2-fixation across a range of bogs, eight study sites along the latitudinal gradient from temperate, boreal to subarctic zone in eastern Canada were selected. From each bog, two predominant microptopographies, hummocks and hollows, were tested for both N2-fixation activity in the laboratory and Sphagnum tissue concentrations of N, P and N

The development of peat-oil (POM) and peat-alcohol (PAM) slurries as alternative fuels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clemens, D F; Evans, G O; Harrell, P A; Whitehurst, B M

1983-11-01

The preparation and evaluation of peat/No. 2 fuel oil mixtures (POM) and peat/methanol mixtures (PAM) is described. POM and PAM prepared using North Carolina peat and having varied peat loadings, peat moisture contents, and peat particle sizes have been studied by measuring slurry sedimentation ratios and drain times from sedimentation tubes. The peat moisture content was particularly crucial in forming stable slurries. The effect of a variety of additives at 0.5-1.0 wt.% on sedimentation ratios, drain times, and viscosities was studied. Calorimetric studies of several PAM and POM slurries as well as preliminary combustion tests of POM slurries in a salamander burner are also reported.

Late Holocene distribution of lake sediment and peat in NE Uppland, Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergstroem, Elisabeth

2001-02-01

This report is part of a larger project conducted by SKB. The aim is to carry out investigations of eight lakes and one bog, with respect to stratigraphic and geographic distribution of sediment and peat. More than 150 corings were made with a Russian peat sampler. The bog was investigated regarding its isolation from the Baltic basin. This site is included in the shore displacement model elaborated from other sites situated at the same isobase for the Litorina Sea. Northern Uppland is an area with a smooth topography, which also affects the lake basins. The water depth is generally shallow, 1-3 metres. The bedrock mainly consists of granitoids. A few areas consist of meta volcanics, younger granites and pegmatites. The Quaternary deposits in Uppland are more or less calcareous, which is reflected in the rich flora with e. g. orchids and saw grass. Till is the most common deposit in the area covering considerable areas but rarely forming geomorphological features. Glaciofluvial deposits i. e. eskers, stretches in more or less S-N direction, being generally small. In northern Uppland, large areas are covered by mires. Most of them are affected by human activities in the form of ditching; some are used for cultivation or as pasture land. One site, Vissomossen, with a levelled isolation threshold at 27. 4 m a. s. l. , is mainly a fen, with a bog developing in the central part. Diatom analyses and AMS dates show that the basin was earlier a bay of the Litorina Sea and isolated 3500-3600 14 C years BP. The former lake basin was as large as the present extension of the mire. Accumulated material reveals that the lake during time has been filled in with sediment, overgrown and finally forming a mire. The result of the present study is summarized as an extended shore displacement model for northern Uppland, and it reflects an ongoing regression in the area. A decline in regression can be compared with the Litorina transgression 3 (L3), which in the Stockholm area is dated

Abundance, diversity and depth distribution of Planctomycetes in northern Sphagnum-dominated wetlands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Svetlana N. Dedysh

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Members of the bacterial phylum Planctomycetes inhabit various aquatic and terrestrial environments. In this study, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH was applied to assess the abundance and depth distribution of these bacteria in nine different Sphagnum-dominated wetlands of Northern Russia. Planctomycetes were most abundant in the oxic part of peat bog profiles. The respective cell numbers were in the range 1.1-6.7×107 cells per gram of wet peat, comprising 2 to 14% of total bacterial cells and displaying linear correlation to the peat water pH. Most peatland sites showed a sharp decline of planctomycete abundance with depth, while in two particular sites this decline was followed by a second population maximum in an anoxic part of the bog profile. Oxic peat layers were dominated by representatives of the Isosphaera-Singulisphaera group, while anoxic part of the bog profile was inhabited mostly by Zavarzinella- and Pirellula-like planctomycetes. Phylogenetically related bacteria of the candidate division OP3 were detected in both oxic and anoxic peat with cell densities of 0.6-4.6×106 cells per gram of wet peat.

PDF -- new peat technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Myreen, P B

1982-12-01

The impact of a large-scale utilization of peat must be assessed in each region separately. As it is completely impractical to transport wet peat over long distances, a PDF plant must be built in the peatland region. Such regions often need economic stimulation. The PDF process can be run independent of season and weather, and thus offers permanent jobs. Dredging the peat layer all at once in a wet state is an operation concentrated on a very small land area. If this area can be drained, it can soon afterwards be forested or used for agricultural purposes. Even if the area from which the peat is removed is left as a wetland, when cleverly done, the ecological effects may be favourable. Peat is a significant energy source in many countries now looking for domestic alternatives to expensive imported fuels. The main constraint on large-scale utilization of peat is its ability to retain moisture. The wet-carbonization process, utilized in a PDF plant and yielding a high-quality peat-derived fuel, is believed to be a technically feasible and economically attractive industrial method of dewatering native peat.

Changes in vegetation since the late glacial on peat bog in the Small Carpathians

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ciernikova, M.

2014-01-01

Mires are ecosystems accumulating high amount of organic matter with preserved micro- and macro-fossils. Thus they can serve as natural archives allowing reconstruction of local vegetation and landscape development. Main aim of this study was to bring evidence of the whole Holocene history of mire birch woodland located on the ridge of the Male Karpaty Mts (SW Slovakia) using pollen analysis. One peat core was sampled from the middle part containing the whole Holocene sequence. The local development of study site started with small lake in a terrain depression, which arose at the end of the Late Glacial (Middle Dryas). The Late Glacial landscape was mosaic of birch-pine forests on suitable places and Artemisia steppes. Early Holocene is characterized by steep decline of pine and increase of Corylus and other mesophilous trees (Quercus, Tilia, Ulmus, Fraxinus). Fagus started dominate in middle Holocene (about 5000 cal BP). The recent vegetation established only several hundred years ago (ca 500 cal. BP), when birch started dominate. (author)

Alpine research today

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jean-Jacques Brun

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Alpine research benefits from several international coordination networks, only one of which – ISCAR (the International Scientific Committee on Research in the Alps – works solely in the Alpine arc. The creation of ISCAR is a consequence of the input and involvement of various Alpine partners around the Alpine Convention. Alpine research now aims to promote an integrated vision of Alpine territories focusing on creating and maintaining spatial and temporal networks of sustainable relationships between humans and the other components of the ecosphere. It combines resource usage with conservation of the biological and cultural diversity that makes up the Alpine identity. This article aims to show: (1 how international Alpine research coordination is organised; (2 the role played by the Alpine Convention as a framework of reference for specifically Alpine research; and (3 the role that the ISCAR international commit-tee and the Interreg “Alpine Space” programmes play in uniting research around territorial challenges relating to biodiversity conservation and territorial development.La recherche sur les Alpes bénéficie de plusieurs réseaux de coordination internationaux dont un seul, le comité international recherche alpine (ISCAR, se consacre exclusivement à l’arc alpin. La création de l’ISCAR est une retombée de la mobilisation des divers partenaires alpins autour de la mise en place de la Convention alpine. Aujourd’hui, la recherche alpine vise à promouvoir une vision intégrée des territoires centrée sur la création et le maintien d’un réseau spatial et temporel de relations durables entre les hommes et les autres composantes de l’écosphère. Elle associe étroitement la mise en valeur des ressources et la conservation des diversités biologiques et culturelles qui constituent l’identité alpine. Cet article a pour ambition de montrer : (1 comment s’organise la coordination internationale des recherches sur les

Revival of Dutch Sphagnum bogs: a reasonable perspective?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tomassen, H.B.M.

2004-01-01

In the Netherlands, the area of raised bogs has been virtually lost during two millennia of human impact. Much effort has been invested in rewetting these cut-over bogs, but the recovery of Sphagnum-dominated vegetation often failed. The work presented includes research on the role of hydrochemistry

Peat 2000. Resources, use, environmental impact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-01-01

This report discusses peat as a natural resource. It describes the peat land area, the peat harvest area, the use of peat for energy production and other purposes, laws and other regulations affecting peat production and use, environmental impact, market situation, trade, research and development, and the government grant to the peat industry. In Sweden, the extraction and use of peat for energy production is regulated by several laws. A company planning peat extraction must first apply for an examination concession. Then a harvesting concession must be approved by the county council. All combustion plants must be reported, or verified by regional or central authorities, depending on the size of the plant. Most important in this process is to verify the maximum emission levels permitted for sulphur, nitrogen oxides, particles, etc. Since 1991, a law on municipal energy planning requires descriptions of environmental consequences. Thus, environmental considerations must govern energy planning. Energy taxation in Sweden was changed in 1993. At present, the sulphur tax on fuel peat amounts to SEK 30 per kg of sulphur. Nitrogen oxides are also subject to a tax of SEK 40 per emitted kg. For peat, energy and environmental taxes total SEK 0.02 per kWh, excluding VAT. More than six millions hectares have been defined as peat land (with a peat layer of more than 30 cm) in Sweden, which means that about 15 per cent of the total land area consists of peat lands. Thinner peat layers (wet mineral soils) cover an additional 10 per cent of the land area. At the end of 1999 concessions for fuel peat harvesting had been granted for 45,000 hectares or 0.8 per cent of the total peat land area. Peat harvesting for the production of energy aroused interest in the early 1980s as a consequence of the energy crises. In 2000, about 1,372,000 cubic metres of fuel peat were harvested in Sweden. The fuel peat is used mainly for production of hot water in heating plants. In 2000, the total use

Surface mapping, organic matter and water stocks in peatlands of the Serra do Espinhaço meridional - Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Márcio Luiz da Silva

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Peatlands are soil environments that store carbon and large amounts of water, due to their composition (90 % water, low hydraulic conductivity and a sponge-like behavior. It is estimated that peat bogs cover approximately 4.2 % of the Earth's surface and stock 28.4 % of the soil carbon of the planet. Approximately 612 000 ha of peatlands have been mapped in Brazil, but the peat bogs in the Serra do Espinhaço Meridional (SdEM were not included. The objective of this study was to map the peat bogs of the northern part of the SdEM and estimate the organic matter pools and water volume they stock. The peat bogs were pre-identified and mapped by GIS and remote sensing techniques, using ArcGIS 9.3, ENVI 4.5 and GPS Track Maker Pro software and the maps validated in the field. Six peat bogs were mapped in detail (1:20,000 and 1:5,000 by transects spaced 100 m and each transect were determined every 20 m, the UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator coordinates, depth and samples collected for characterization and determination of organic matter, according to the Brazilian System of Soil Classification. In the northern part of SdEM, 14,287.55 ha of peatlands were mapped, distributed over 1,180,109 ha, representing 1.2 % of the total area. These peatlands have an average volume of 170,021,845.00 m³ and stock 6,120,167 t (428.36 t ha-1 of organic matter and 142,138,262 m³ (9,948 m³ ha-1 of water. In the peat bogs of the Serra do Espinhaço Meridional, advanced stages of decomposing (sapric organic matter predominate, followed by the intermediate stage (hemic. The vertical growth rate of the peatlands ranged between 0.04 and 0.43 mm year-1, while the carbon accumulation rate varied between 6.59 and 37.66 g m-2 year-1. The peat bogs of the SdEM contain the headwaters of important water bodies in the basins of the Jequitinhonha and San Francisco Rivers and store large amounts of organic carbon and water, which is the reason why the protection and preservation

Identification of runoff formation with two dyes in a mid-latitude mountain headwater

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Vlček

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Subsurface flow in peat bog areas and its role in the hydrologic cycle has garnered increased attention as water scarcity and floods have increased due to a changing climate. In order to further probe the mechanisms in peat bog areas and contextualize them at the catchment scale, this experimental study identifies runoff formation at two opposite hillslopes in a peaty mountain headwater; a slope with organic peat soils and a shallow phreatic zone (0.5 m below surface, and a slope with mineral Podzol soils and no detectable groundwater (> 2 m below surface. Similarities and differences in infiltration, percolation and preferential flow paths between both hillslopes could be identified by sprinkling experiments with Brilliant Blue and Fluorescein sodium. To our knowledge, this is the first time these two dyes have been compared in their ability to stain preferential flow paths in soils. Dye-stained soil profiles within and downstream of the sprinkling areas were excavated parallel (lateral profiles and perpendicular (frontal profiles to the slopes' gradients. That way preferential flow patterns in the soil could be clearly identified. The results show that biomat flow, shallow subsurface flow in the organic topsoil layer, occurred at both hillslopes; however, at the peat bog hillslope it was significantly more prominent. The dye solutions infiltrated into the soil and continued either as lateral subsurface pipe flow in the case of the peat bog, or percolated vertically towards the bedrock in the case of the Podzol. This study provides evidence that subsurface pipe flow, lateral preferential flow along decomposed tree roots or logs in the unsaturated zone, is a major runoff formation process at the peat bog hillslope and in the adjacent riparian zone.

Communities of larger fungi of ombrotrophic bogs in West Siberia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N.V. Filippova

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Bogs are common ecosystems in the Taiga of West Siberia. Little is known about mycological diversity in these important ecosystems. This article summarises the results of a two-year study of the macrofungi in two bogs near the town of Khanty-Mansiysk. Sporocarps were collected in 20 plots (about 300 m2 established in Mukhrino Bog as well as during random walks in Mukhrino Bog and Chistoe Bog in the late summer–autumn of 2012 and 2013. The plots were established in two common bog habitats representing the Ledo-Sphagnetum fusci (LS and Scheuchzerio palustris-Sphagnetum cuspidati (SS plant community associations. A total of 59 distinct fungal taxa were collected from the two bogs, with the LS association having a higher species richness and diversity than the SS association (50 taxa vs. 16 taxa and 30–40 taxa per 1000 m2 vs. 6–10 taxa per 1000 m2, respectively. Each of the two plant community associations has its own characteristic fungal taxa, with the LS association having 13 characteristic taxa and the SS association having five. Nearly two thirds of the fungal taxa are saprotrophic, mainly of Sphagnum spp., while others are mycorrhizal, mainly with Pinus spp. Most taxa were collected fewer than ten times during the study period and, hence, are considered rare and may need to be recognised for conservation programmes in this region.

Peat 2003. Production, use, environmental impact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

This report discusses the use of peat for energy production and other purposes, laws and other regulations affecting peat production and use, environmental impact, market situation and international statistics regarding peat production. In Sweden, the extraction and use of peat for energy production is regulated by several laws. Harvesting concessions must be approved by the county council. All combustion plants must be reported, or verified by regional or central authorities, depending on the size of the plant. Most important in this process is to verify the maximum emission levels permitted for sulphur, nitrogen oxides, particles, etc. Since 1991, a law on municipal energy planning requires descriptions of environmental consequences. Thus, environmental considerations must govern energy planning. Energy taxation in Sweden was changed in 1993. At present, the sulphur tax on fuel peat amounts to SEK 30 per kg of sulphur. Nitrogen oxides are also subject to a tax of SEK 40 per emitted kg. For peat, energy and environmental taxes total SEK 0.02 per kWh, excluding VAT. Peat harvesting for the production of energy aroused interest in the early 1980s as a consequence of the increased energy prices. In 2003, about 2,628,000 cubic metres of fuel peat were harvested in Sweden. The fuel peat is used mainly for production of hot water in district heating plants. In 2003, the total use of fuel peat amounted to 4,0 TWh. In addition to fuel peat, about 1,825,000 cubic metres of peat litter (mainly for horticultural use) was produced. In 2003, imports amounted to 382,3000 metric tons or 1.3 million cubic metres of peat. Exports amounted to 103,000 metric tons, consisting primarily of peat for horticultural use. The peat market in Sweden is divided into the energy market and the cultivation market. Political decisions regarding combustion taxes have a great impact on the competitive advantages of different fuels. The major competitors to peat are coal, oil, and renewable energy

Peat 1999. Resources, use, environmental impact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-01-01

This report discusses peat as a natural resource. It describes the peat land area, the peat harvest area, the use of peat for energy production and other purposes, laws and other regulations affecting peat production and use, environmental impact, market situation, trade, research and development, and the government grant to the peat industry. In Sweden, the extraction and use of peat for energy production is regulated by several laws. A company planning peat extraction must first apply for an examination concession. Then a harvesting concession must be approved by the county council. All combustion plants must be reported, or verified by regional or central authorities, depending on the size of the plant. Most important in this process is to verify the maximum emission levels permitted for sulphur, nitrogen oxides, particles, etc. Since 1991, a law on municipal energy planning requires descriptions of environmental consequences. Thus, environmental considerations must govern energy planning. Energy taxation in Sweden was changed in 1993. At present, the sulphur tax on fuel peat amounts to SEK 30 per kg of sulphur. Nitrogen oxides are also subject to a tax of SEK 40 per emitted kg. For peat, energy and environmental taxes total SEK 0.02 per kWh, excluding VAT. More than six millions hectares have been defined as peat land (with a peat layer of more than 30 cm) in Sweden, which means that about 15 per cent of the total land area consists of peat lands. Thinner peat layers (wet mineral soils) cover an additional 10 per cent of the land area. At the end of 1999 concessions for fuel peat harvesting had been granted for 45 900 hectares or 0.8 per cent of the total peat land area. Peat harvesting for the production of energy aroused interest in the early 1980s as a consequence of the energy crises. In 1999, about 2 650 000 cubic metres of fuel peat were harvested in Sweden. The fuel peat is used mainly for production of hot water in heating plants. In 1999, the total use

Contrasting species-environment relationships in communities of testate amoebae, bryophytes and vascular plants along the fen-bog gradient.

Science.gov (United States)

Lamentowicz, Mariusz; Lamentowicz, Lukasz; van der Knaap, Willem O; Gabka, Maciej; Mitchell, Edward A D

2010-04-01

We studied the vegetation, testate amoebae and abiotic variables (depth of the water table, pH, electrical conductivity, Ca and Mg concentrations of water extracted from mosses) along the bog to extremely rich fen gradient in sub-alpine peatlands of the Upper Engadine (Swiss Alps). Testate amoeba diversity was correlated to that of mosses but not of vascular plants. Diversity peaked in rich fen for testate amoebae and in extremely rich fen for mosses, while for testate amoebae and mosses it was lowest in bog but for vascular plants in extremely rich fen. Multiple factor and redundancy analyses (RDA) revealed a stronger correlation of testate amoebae than of vegetation to water table and hydrochemical variables and relatively strong correlation between testate amoeba and moss community data. In RDA, hydrochemical variables explained a higher proportion of the testate amoeba and moss data than water table depth. Abiotic variables explained a higher percentage of the species data for testate amoebae (30.3% or 19.5% for binary data) than for mosses (13.4%) and vascular plants (10%). These results show that (1) vascular plant, moss and testate amoeba communities respond differently to ecological gradients in peatlands and (2) testate amoebae are more strongly related than vascular plants to the abiotic factors at the mire surface. These differences are related to vertical trophic gradients and associated niche differentiation.

Peat 2002. Resources, use, environmental impact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

This report discusses the use of peat for energy production and other purposes, laws and other regulations affecting peat production and use, environmental impact, market situation and international statistics regarding peat production. In Sweden, the extraction and use of peat for energy production is regulated by several laws. A company planning peat extraction must first apply for an examination concession. Then a harvesting concession must be approved by the county council. All combustion plants must be reported, or verified by regional or central authorities, depending on the size of the plant. Most important in this process is to verify the maximum emission levels permitted for sulphur, nitrogen oxides, particles, etc. At present, the sulphur tax on fuel peat amounts to SEK 30 per kg of sulphur (1 USD approx. 7.8 SEK). Nitrogen oxides are also subject to a tax of SEK 40 per emitted kg. For peat, energy and environmental taxes total SEK 0.02 per kWh, excluding VAT. Peat harvesting for the production of energy aroused interest in the early 1980s as a consequence of the energy crises. In 2002, about 2,885,000 cubic metres of fuel peat were harvested in Sweden. The fuel peat is used mainly for production of hot water in heating plants. In 2001, the total use of fuel peat amounted to 4.1 TWh. In addition to fuel peat, about 1,800,000 cubic metres of peat litter (mainly for horticultural use) was produced. In 2001, imports amounted to 329,311 metric tons or 1.1 million cubic metres of peat. Exports amounted to 91,000 metric tons, consisting primarily of peat for horticultural use. Fuel peat is used at district heating power plants. Political decisions regarding combustion taxes have a great impact on the competitive advantages of different fuels. The major competitors to peat are coal, oil, and renewable energy sources. Some companies are privately owned, while others are owned by municipalities, which also manage district heating plants and thereby integrate

Growing peat

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Harpenslager, S.F.

2015-01-01

Peat formation is a slow process and the formation of thick peat layers in large parts of e.g. Russia, Canada and Indonesia has generally taken thousands of years. Due to degradation of peatlands throughout the world, as a result of changed land use and pollution, many ecosystem services provided by

Eddy covariance measurements of greenhouse gases from a restored and rewetted raised bog ecosystem.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, S. C.; Christen, A.; Black, T. A.; Johnson, M. S.; Ketler, R.; Nesic, Z.; Merkens, M.

2015-12-01

Wetland ecosystems play a significant role in the global carbon (C) cycle. Wetlands act as a major long-term storage of carbon by sequestrating carbon-dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. Meanwhile, they can emit significant amounts of methane (CH4) due to anaerobic microbial decomposition. The Burns Bog Ecological Conservancy Area (BBECA) is recognized as one of Canada's largest undeveloped natural areas retained within an urban area. Historically, it has been substantially reduced in size and degraded by peat mining and agriculture. Since 2005, the bog has been declared a conservancy area, and the restoration efforts in BBECA focus on rewetting the disturbed ecosystems to promote a transition back to a raised bog. A pilot study measured CH4, CO2 and N2O exchanges in 2014 and concluded to monitor CO2, CH4 fluxes continuously. From the perspective of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, CO2 sequestered in bog needs to be protected and additional CO2 and CH4 emissions due to land-cover change need to be reduced by wise management. In this study, we measured the growing-season (June-September) fluxes of CO2 and CH4 exchange using eddy covariance (EC). A floating platform with an EC system for both CO2 (closed-path) and CH4 (open-path) began operation in June 2015. During the growing-season, gross ecosystem photosynthesis (GEP) and ecosystem respiration (Re) averaged 5.87 g C m-2 day-1 and 2.02 g C m-2 day-1, respectively. The magnitude of GEP and Re were lower than in previous studies of pristine northern peatlands. The daily average CH4 emission was 0.99 (±1.14) g C m-2 day-1 and it was higher than in most previous studies. We also characterized how environmental factors affected the seasonal dynamics of these exchanges in this disturbed peatland. Our measurements showed that soil temperature and soil water content were major drivers of seasonal changes of GHG fluxes. The daily average GHG warming potential (GWP) of the emissions in the growing seasons (from CO2 and CH4

Bacterial populations and environmental factors controlling cellulose degradation in an acidic Sphagnum peat.

Science.gov (United States)

Pankratov, Timofey A; Ivanova, Anastasia O; Dedysh, Svetlana N; Liesack, Werner

2011-07-01

Northern peatlands represent a major global carbon store harbouring approximately one-third of the global reserves of soil organic carbon. A large proportion of these peatlands consists of acidic Sphagnum-dominated ombrotrophic bogs, which are characterized by extremely low rates of plant debris decomposition. The degradation of cellulose, the major component of Sphagnum-derived litter, was monitored in long-term incubation experiments with acidic (pH 4.0) peat extracts. This process was almost undetectable at 10°C and occurred at low rates at 20°C, while it was significantly accelerated at both temperature regimes by the addition of available nitrogen. Cellulose breakdown was only partially inhibited in the presence of cycloheximide, suggesting that bacteria participated in this process. We aimed to identify these bacteria by a combination of molecular and cultivation approaches and to determine the factors that limit their activity in situ. The indigenous bacterial community in peat was dominated by Alphaproteobacteria and Acidobacteria. The addition of cellulose induced a clear shift in the community structure towards an increase in the relative abundance of the Bacteroidetes. Increasing temperature and nitrogen availability resulted in a selective development of bacteria phylogenetically related to Cytophaga hutchinsonii (94-95% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity), which densely colonized microfibrils of cellulose. Among isolates obtained from this community only some subdivision 1 Acidobacteria were capable of degrading cellulose, albeit at a very slow rate. These Acidobacteria represent indigenous cellulolytic members of the microbial community in acidic peat and are easily out-competed by Cytophaga-like bacteria under conditions of increased nitrogen availability. Members of the phylum Firmicutes, known to be key players in cellulose degradation in neutral habitats, were not detected in the cellulolytic community enriched at low pH. © 2011 Society for

The sustainable use of peat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kallas, Rein

1997-01-01

The article gives information about the critical and usable reserves of peat, its annual consumption and production allowance, as well as the output in 1996. It is seen from the Table that no increase in peat production is possible in the counties of Paernu and Rapla, as well as in western Estonia unless the exhausted peat fields have been reclaimed, so, after the limit has been released. However, conditions for peat production in southern Estonia are favourable. The low peat production capacity, 1 million t, while the production quota is 2.78 million t, is indicative of the depression of Estonian peat industry. (author)

Microscopic charcoal and tar (CHAT particles in peat: a 6500-year record of palaeo-fires in southern Sweden

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B.A. Malmgren

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Peat stratigraphies of eleven raised bogs in southern Sweden were investigated. Measurements included the occurrence of charcoal and various tar particles. Most of the particles found were microscopic, i.e. 5–100 µm in diameter. Two distinctly different groups of particles were distinguished: (A charred fragments of plant tissue and (B objects formed from tar, which were classified into five sub-groups on the basis of morphology. Both charcoal and tar are indicative of mire and forest fires. We suggest that it is possible to use the different groups of particles as fire regime indicators. Hence, the high frequency of charcoal and tar (CHAT in the lower parts of the stratigraphies, i.e. in the lower strongly decomposed fen and carr peats that were formed before ca. 4000 cal 14C BP, could be indicative of intense and frequent local fires. The decreasing abundance of CHAT and the lower relative share of Type A particles within the lower strongly decomposed Sphagnum peat ca. 4000–2500 cal 14C BP signify a transition from local to regional fires. With a few exceptions, the uppermost weakly decomposed ombrotrophic peats formed after ca. 2500 cal 14C BP, in which both charcoal and tar are rare, indicate a period of low fire frequency at both local and regional scales. There is no regional variation in the lower material, and it seems that wildfires were common phenomena throughout southern Sweden during the first few thousand years after peat formation began 6–8000 years ago. From a climatological point of view, the mass occurrence of CHAT in the lower parts of the profiles indicates a warm and dry Mid Holocene with frequent and widespread wildfires, and a moist and cool Late Holocene with more sporadic fires. Spectral analysis of the entire dataset shows significant periodicities of 610, 70, 30, 21, 17 and 14 years, the two most significant being 14 and 70 years.

Prospects for Sphagnum bogs subject to high nitrogen deposition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Limpens, J.

2003-01-01

S phagnum bogs harbour a wealth of rare vascular plant and bryophyte species, preserve an amazing pollen record and are long-term sinks for atmospheric carbon. Unfortunately, the relatively low production and decomposition rates, that make these bogs such important environments,