Warming effects on the early decomposition of three litter types,Eastern Tibetan Plateau,China

Temperature and litter quality are two of the key factors controlling litter decomposition. Predicted global warming and vegetation succession will therefore have profound impacts. This study was conducted to assess effects of experimental warming on litter decomposition and nutrient dynamics of two contrasting tree species (red birch, Betula albosinensis Burk., and dragon spruce, Picea asperata Mast.) and a mixture of the two with the heating cable method in the eastern Tibetan Plateau of China. This treatment raised surface soil temperature by 3.2°C and resulted in a 5.2% decline in soil moisture 10 cm below the soil surface. The water content of dragon spruce, red birch and mixed litter was decreased by 18, 11 and 13%, respectively. Marked differences between the two species in the decomposition rates and nutrient remaining percentages were detected. Moreover, we found positive, non‐additive effects of litter mixture. Experimental warming did not affect mass loss and nutrient release of dragon spruce litter but significantly increased mass loss and affected nutrient release of red birch and mixed litter during the early decomposition period. Overall, inter‐specific (red birch and dragon spruce) differences in decomposability were substantially larger than warming‐induced responses. Thus, a warming‐induced community succession towards dragon spruce forests in the Tibetan Plateau region could have a greater impact on early litter decomposition than warming itself.     

Litter type, but not plant cover, regulates initial litter decomposition and fungal community structure in a recolonising cutover peatland

Cutover peatlands are often rapidly colonised by pioneer plant species, which have the potential to affect key ecosystem processes such as carbon (C) turnover. The aim of this study was to investigate how plant cover and litter type affect fungal community structure and litter decomposition in a cutover peatland. Intact cores containing Eriophorum vaginatum, Eriophorum angustifolium, Calluna vulgaris and bare soil were removed and a mesh bag with litter from only one of each of these species or fragments of the moss Sphagnum auriculatum was added to each core in a factorial design. The presence or absence of live plants, regardless of the species, had no effect on mass loss, C, nitrogen (N) or phosphorus (P) concentrations of the litter following 12 months of incubation. However, there was a very strong effect of litter type on mass loss and concentrations of C, N and P between most combinations of litter. Similarly, plant species did not affect fungal community structure but litter type had a strong effect, with significant differences between most pairs of litter types. The data suggest that labile C inputs via rhizodeposition from a range of plant functional types that have colonised cutover bogs for 10-15 years have little direct effect on nutrient turnover from plant litter and in shaping litter fungal community structure. In contrast, the chemistry of the litter they produce has much stronger and varied effects on decomposition and fungal community composition. Thus it appears that there is distinct niche differentiation between the fungal communities involved in turnover of litter versus rhizodeposits in the early phases of plant succession on regenerating cutover peatlands.     

兼顾农业生产与环境保护的农田控制排水研究进展

农田控制排水(又称地下水位管理)是一种通过调控农田排水量以达到减少污染物输出并保证农业生产的环境友好型水管理措施。该措施的发展经历了不同的阶段,从最早的保墒增产到后来的污染物削减以及节约灌溉用水等功能,对其研究和应用的不断深入,对于变化环境下农田排水的设计和管理都具有重要意义。该文回顾了农田控制排水发展的历史,阐述了该措施的各项功能及其研究方法和应用特点。结果认为,农田控制排水是新形势下农田排水的必要手段,通过对排水出口水位的调控可以达到调节农田水分,减少营养物流失,节约灌溉用水,增加雨水资源利用等多重目的,是存在排水问题地区农业生产可持续发展的最佳水管理措施。目前各地对于控制排水研究的热点问题是寻求一种适合当地农业生产形式的排水水位调控方案,使其具有可操作性、易于推广。     

Differential responses of litter decomposition to nutrient addition and soil water availability with long-term vegetation recovery

The litter decomposition, nutrient patterns, as well as nutrient release and soil nutrient contents were determined in response to nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) addition and drought treatments following long-term vegetation recovery. The litter decomposition rate decreased with vegetation recovery, due to changes in litter quality, soil nutrient availability, and soil enzyme activity. Nitrogen addition promoted litter decomposition in the early recovery stages but inhibited decomposition in the later stages, indicating a shift in the nutrient limitations to litter decomposition with succession. Neither N nor P addition had any effect on the release of litter carbon (C), whereas N addition inhibited litter N release. In addition, drought decreased litter decomposition and nutrient release during the vegetation recovery process. Our findings suggest that litter quality, soil nutrient availability, and moisture at different vegetation recovery stages should be considered when modeling the C cycle and nutrient dynamics in these ecosystems.     

Fungal ingrowth on forest floor and decomposing needle litter of Chamaecyparis obtusa in relation to resource availability and moisture condition

Fungi play an important role in litter decomposition in forest ecosystems and studies are needed to follow the changes in hyphal abundance during litter decomposition and examine the factors regulating the ingrowth of hyphae in litter. The purposes of the present study are to demonstrate the patterns of needle decomposition of Chamaecyparis obtusa in terms of the vertical distribution of fungal biomass and chemical properties within litter horizons (L1, L2, F, and H layers) and fungal ingrowth and succession in relation to organic chemical and nitrogen dynamics during needle litter decomposition over a one-year period. A further aim is to assess the effect of moisture and availability of organic matter on live hyphal length, during 1 year of decomposition. Live hyphal length was correlated to holocellulose concentration in four litter horizons. In a litter bag experiment, total (live plus dead) hyphal length increased during decomposition which was correlated to the concentrations of nitrogen, lignin, holocellulose, and soluble carbohydrate in the litter. The 12-month period over which decomposition was measured was divided into four seasons and the correlation between the water content and live hyphal length was evaluated for each period. The length of live hyphae was correlated to the water content of litter in all four periods. The slopes of regression lines between the water content and live hyphal length were positively correlated to the mean concentrations of soluble carbohydrate of each period, suggesting that the growth of live hyphae was highly dependent on the moisture condition of litter, and under moist conditions on the availability of soluble carbohydrate in the litter. The decrease in the slopes during decomposition can be ascribed to ecophysiological traits of fungi responsible for decomposition in these periods.     

Increasing and Decreasing Nitrogen and Phosphorus Trends in Runoff from Drained Peatland Forests—Is There a Legacy Effect of Drainage or Not?

A recent study on nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) exports from drained peatland forests reported increasing concentrations over long time since their initial drainage. Concurrently, some other studies have suggested decreasing trends from drained peatland forests, particularly for P. To evaluate these contradictory findings, we re-analyzed past data and reviewed the literature related to temporal N and P concentration trends in runoff from drained peatland forests. Review of literature indicated that decreasing trends are found particularly in sites where initial P concentrations are high (>?50 μg P l^?1), plausibly because of relatively recent fertilization and drainage operations. Decreasing N trends have been found in sites where ditch cleaning temporarily decreased concentrations. Increasing N trends have occurred in sites, where initial concentrations have been low, close to the levels found in pristine peatlands. Complementing past published data with additional data from sites with no recent forestry operations indicated that N concentrations correlated positively with drainage age (years since initial drainage), percentage of drained peatlands in the catchment (drainage proportion), and southern location of the study site. P concentrations correlated most strongly with drainage age. Our study indicated that four factors, in particular, need to be considered when interpreting nutrient concentration trends in runoff from drained peatlands: 1) management history, 2) drainage age, 3) drainage proportion, and 4) site location. Our results supported earlier conclusions in that the estimates which ignore the legacy effect of drainage remarkably underestimate the true impact of forestry on water courses in intensively drained regions.     

Nutrient limitation of litter decomposition with long-term secondary succession: evidence from controlled laboratory experiments

Purpose

Understanding ecosystem processes such as litter decomposition in response to dramatic land-use change is critical for modeling and predicting carbon (C) cycles. However, the patterns of litter decomposition along with long-term secondary succession (over 100 years) are not well reported, especially concerning nutrient limitations on litter decomposition.

Materials and methods

To clarify the response of litter decomposition to changes in soil nutrient availability, we conducted four incubation experiments involving soil and litter and nutrient addition from different successional stages and investigated the changes in microbial respiration and litter mass loss.

Results and discussion

Our results revealed that microbial respiration increased with succession without any litter addition (1.19~1.73 mg C g^?1 soil), and litter addition significantly promoted microbial respiration (16.5~72.9%), especially in the early successional stage (grassland and shrubland). The decomposition rate of the same litter decreased with succession. In addition, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) addition showed significant effects on litter decomposition and microbial respiration; P addition promoted litter decomposition (2.4~15.3%) and microbial respiration (10.1~34.5%) in all successional stages, while N addition promoted litter decomposition (4.0~10.3%) and microbial respiration (5.4~27.2%) in all except the last stage of succession, which showed a negative effect on litter decomposition (??7.5%) and microbial respiration (??6.1%), indicating possible N saturation of litter decomposition and microbial respiration.

Conclusions

This work highlights that soil nutrient availability and successional stages need to be taken into account to predict the changes to litter decomposition in response to global changes.

     

Do plant species encourage soil biota that specialise in the rapid decomposition of their litter?

Plants are often nutrient limited and soil organisms are important in mediating nutrient availability to plants. Thus, there may be a selective advantage to plants that alter the soil community in ways that enhance the decomposition of their litter and, hence, their ability to access nutrients. We incubated litter from three tree species (Fagus sylvatica, Acer pseudoplatanus and Picea sitchensis) in the presence of biota extracted from soil beneath a stand of each species to test the hypothesis that litter decomposes fastest in the presence of biota derived from soil where that species is locally abundant. We found that respiration rate, a measure of decomposer activity and carbon mineralisation, was affected by litter type and source of soil biota, whereas, mass loss was only affected by litter type. However, litter from each tree species did not decompose faster in the presence of indigenous soil biota. These findings, therefore, provide no support for the notion that woodland plants encourage the development of soil communities that rapidly decompose their litter.     

Impacts of herbivorous insects on decomposer communities during the early stages of primary succession in a semi-arid woodland

Changes in nutrient inputs due to aboveground herbivory may influence the litter and soil microbial community responsible for processes such as decomposition. The mesophyll-feeding scale insect (Matsucoccus acalyptus) found near Sunset Crater National Monument in northern Arizona, USA significantly increases piñon (Pinus edulis) needle litter nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations by 50%, as well as litter inputs to soil by 21%. Because increases in needle litter quality and quantity of this magnitude should affect the microbial communities responsible for decomposition, we tested the hypothesis that insect herbivory causes a shift in soil microbial and litter microarthropod function. Four major findings result from this research: (1) Despite increases in needle inputs due to herbivory, soil carbon (C) was 56% lower beneath scale-susceptible trees than beneath resistant trees; however, soil moisture, N, and pH were similar among treatments. (2) Microbial biomass was 80% lower in soils beneath scale-susceptible trees when compared to resistant trees in the dry season, while microbial enzyme activities were lower beneath susceptible trees in the wet season. (3) Bacterial community-level physiological profiles differed significantly between susceptible and resistant trees during the dry season but not during the wet season. (4) There was a 40% increase in Oribatida and 23% increase in Prostigmata in susceptible needle litter relative to resistant litter. Despite these changes, the magnitude of microbial biomass, activity, and community structure response to herbivory was lower than expected and appears to take a long time to develop. These results suggest that herbivores impact soils in subtle, but important ways; we suggest that while litter chemistry may strongly mediate soil fertility and microbial communities in mesic ecosystems, the influence is lower than expected in this primary succession xeric ecosystem where season mediates differences in microbial populations. Understanding how insect herbivores alter the distribution of susceptible and resistant trees and their associated decomposer communities in arid environments may lead to better prediction of how these ecosystems respond to climatic change.     

百里杜鹃景区马缨杜鹃林凋落物对土壤蒸发的影响

[目的]探究百里杜鹃景区马缨杜鹃林下凋落物覆盖对土壤蒸发的影响,为其林下水源涵养功能的发挥提供科学依据。[方法]根据土壤蒸发理论,采用自制微型蒸渗装置进行模拟试验,参照百里杜鹃林下凋落物现存状况,研究不同质量相同比例及相同质量不同比例的凋落物覆盖对土壤蒸发抑制的影响。[结果]不同分解程度凋落覆盖比例相同质量不同时,土壤水分蒸发量随凋落物的质量增大而减小;土壤水分蒸发量随着土壤含水率的下降呈递减关系,当含水率每下降0.5%时,60,30和15 g凋落物覆盖的土壤水分蒸发量分别依次减少了0.11,0.49和1.23 g。凋落物覆盖质量相同时,不同分解程度的凋落物对土壤水分蒸发抑制作用不同,表现为:未分解半分解已分解。[结论]凋落物覆盖量越多,对土壤蒸发的抑制作用越大;凋落物分解程度越低,对土壤蒸发的抑制作用越好。     

Mass loss and nutrient release during litter decay in peatland: The role of microbial adaptability to litter chemistry

In peatlands the reduced decomposition rate of plant litter is the fundamental mechanism making these peat-accumulating ecosystems effective carbon sinks. A better knowledge of litter decomposition and nutrient cycling is thus crucial to improve our predictions of the effects of anthropogenic perturbation on the capacity of peatlands to continue to behave as carbon sinks. We investigated patterns of plant litter decomposition and nutrient release along a minerotrophic-ombrotrophic gradient in a bog on the south-eastern Alps of Italy. We determined mass loss as well as P, N, K, and C release of seven vascular plant species and four moss species after 1 year in both native and transplanted habitats. Hence, differences in litter decay were supposed to reflect the degree of adaptability of microbial communities to litter quality. Polyphenols/nutrient and C/nutrient quotients appeared as the main parameters accounting for decomposition rates of Sphagnum litter. In particular, litter of minerotrophic Sphagnum species decomposed always faster than litter of ombrotrophic Sphagnum species, both in native and transplanted habitats. Decomposition rates of vascular plant litter in native habitats were always higher than the corresponding mass loss rates of Sphagnum litter. Minerotrophic forbs showed the fastest decomposition both in native and transplanted habitats in accordance with low C/P and C/N litter quotients. On the other hand, C/P quotient seems to play a primary role also in controlling decomposition of graminoids. Decomposition of deciduous and evergreen shrubs was negatively related to their high lignin content. Nitrogen release from Sphagnum litter was primarily controlled by C/N quotient, so that minerotrophic Sphagnum litter released more N than ombrotrophic Sphagnum litter. Overall, we observed slower N release from litter of ombrotrophic vascular plant species compared to minerotrophic vascular plant species. No single chemical parameter could predict the variability associated with different functional groups. The release of K was very high compared to all the other nutrients and rather similar between ombrotrophic and minerotrophic litter types. In Sphagnum litter, a higher C/P quotient was associated with a slower P mineralisation, whereas a faster P release from vascular plant litter seems primarily associated with lower C/P and polyphenols/P quotients.     

Microbial activity and quality changes during decomposition of Quercus ilex leaf litter in three Mediterranean woods

Changes in enzyme activities during litter decomposition provide diagnostic information on the dynamics of decay and functional microbial succession. Here we report a comparative study of enzyme activities involved in the breakdown of major plant components and of other key parameters (microbial respiration, fungal biomass, N, lignin and cellulose contents) in homogeneous leaf litter of Quercus ilex L. incubated in three evergreen oak woods in Southern Italy (Campania), differing for chemical and physical soil characteristics and microclimatic conditions. The results showed that the litter mass loss rates were similar in the three wood sites. Independently of the incubation sites, cellulase, xylanase and peroxydase activities showed seasonal variations with maximum and minimum levels in wet and dry periods, respectively, and this pattern closely matched microbial respiration. Activities of α- and β-amylase, instead, were high at the beginning of incubation and quickly decreased with decomposition progress because their substrate was rapidly depleted. Laccase activity, in contrast, was low at the beginning of incubation but after 6 months it increased significantly. The increase of laccase activity was correlated to an increase in fungal biomass, probably reflecting a major shift in the litter microbial community. As concerns quality changes, N and lignin content did not significantly change during decay. The cellulosic component started being degraded after about 6 months in the litter incubated in two of the three wood sites and from the start of decomposition in the third site. Apart from minor differences in the levels of certain enzyme activities, the data showed that the functional microbial succession involved in the decomposition of Q. ilex leaf litter did not change appreciably in response to differences in soil and microclimatic conditions in the incubation sites.     

Interactions between litter quality, decomposition and soil fertility: a laboratory study

Leaf litters from beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and oak (Quercus robur L.) trees were collected from mixed, deciduous woodlands growing on three soil types that varied in mineral nutrient concentrations and N mineralisation potential. Litter quality, including %N, %Mn, %P, acid detergent fibre, cellulose, Klason lignin, phenylpropanoid constituents of lignin, hexose and pentose sugar (mainly from hemicelluloses) varied within species according to soil type. However, oak and beech showed the opposite responses to soil nutrient status for most of these variables. The litters were incubated in the laboratory for 12 months (at 18 °C and constant moisture) on beds of forest floor material from two soils of contrasting high nutrient material (HNM) or low nutrient material (LNM) nutrient status to investigate litter quality and substrate interactions. At 4, 8 and 12 months there were significant differences in mass losses from oak and beech litters from all sites, and for each litter type exposed to the HNM and LMN soils. At 12 months mean mass losses were higher for HNM treatment (38.7% oak, 27.8% beech) than for the LNM treatment (30.6% oak, 25.5% beech). However, the beech and oak litters from the different sites consistently responded in opposite ways on the same soil treatment reflecting site-related effects on litter quality. Initial concentration of Klason lignin was the best predictor for mass losses from litter species and litter types. Intra-specific variation in rates of litter decomposition of beech and oak litters from different sites, and differences in their interactions with the two forest floor materials, illustrate the complexities of proximate controls on decomposition that are often masked in system-level studies.     

Soil moisture and soil-litter mixing effects on surface litter decomposition: A controlled environment assessment

Recent studies suggest the long-standing discrepancy between measured and modeled leaf litter decomposition in drylands is, in part, the result of a unique combination of abiotic drivers that include high soil surface temperature and radiant energy levels and soil-litter mixing. Temperature and radiant energy effects on litter decomposition have been widely documented. However, under field conditions in drylands where soil-litter mixing occurs and accelerates decomposition, the mechanisms involved with soil-litter mixing effects are ambiguous. Potential mechanisms may include some combination of enhanced microbial colonization of litter, physical abrasion of litter surfaces, and buffering of litter and its associated decomposers from high temperatures and low moisture conditions. Here, we tested how soil-litter mixing and soil moisture interact to influence rates of litter decomposition in a controlled environment. Foliar litter of two plant species (a grass [Eragrostis lehmanniana] and a shrub [Prosopis velutina]) was incubated for 32 weeks in a factorial combination of soil-litter mixing (none, light, and complete) and soil water content (2, 4, 12% water-filled porosity) treatments. Phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) were quantified one week into the experiment to evaluate initial microbial colonization. A complementary incubation experiment with simulated rainfall pulses tested the buffering effects of soil-litter mixing on decomposition.Under the laboratory conditions of our experiments, the influence of soil-litter mixing was minimal and primarily confined to changes in PLFAs during the initial stages of decomposition in the constant soil moisture experiment and the oscillating soil moisture conditions of the rainfall pulse experiment. Soil-litter mixing effects on CO₂ production, total phospholipid concentrations, and bacterial to total PLFA ratios were observed within the first week, but responses were fairly weak and varied with litter type and soil moisture treatment. Across the entire 32-week incubation experiment, soil moisture had a significant positive effect on mass loss, but soil-litter mixing did not. The lack of strong soil-litter mixing effects on decomposition under the moderate and relatively constant environmental conditions of this study is in contrast to results from field studies and suggests the importance of soil-litter mixing may be magnified when the fluctuations and extremes in temperature, radiant energy and moisture regimes common dryland field settings are in play.     

Site of leaf origin affects how mixed litter decomposes

Recent studies have demonstrated that mass loss, nutrient dynamics, and decomposer associations in leaf litter from a given plant species can differ when leaves of that species decay alone compared to when they decay mixed with other species’ leaves. Results of litter-mix experiments have been variable, however, making predictions of decomposition in mixtures difficult. It is not known, for example, whether interactions among litter types in litter mixes are similar across sites, even for litter mixtures containing the same plant species. To address this issue, we used reciprocal transplants of litter in compartmentalized litterbags to study decomposition of equal-mass litter mixtures of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marshall) and red oak (Quercus rubra L.) at four forest sites in northwestern Connecticut. These species differ significantly in litter quality. Red oak always has higher lignin concentrations than maple, and here C:N is lower in oak leaves and litter, a pattern often observed when oak coexists with maple. Overall, we observed less mass loss and lower N accumulation in sugar maple and red oak litter mixtures than we predicted from observed dynamics in single-species litterbags. Whether these differences were significant or not depended on the site of origin of the leaves (P<0.02), but there was no significant interaction between sites of decay and the differences in observed and predicted decomposition (P>0.2) . Mixing of leaf litter types could have significant impacts on nutrient cycling in forests, but the extent of the impacts can vary among sites and depends on the origin of mixed leaves even when the species composition of mixes is constant.     

增温与干旱双重变化对若尔盖泥炭CH4排放的影响

若尔盖泥炭地经历了长期人为排水,未来又面临着强烈的变暖干旱,会对泥炭地CH₄排放产生复杂影响。在若尔盖选取了近自然和长期人为排水两种泥炭地类型,采集1 m深泥炭柱,采用室内环境控制试验,设定不同的氧气、水分和温度条件,探索这两种典型泥炭地的泥炭CH₄排放对增温与干旱双重变化的响应差异。结果表明:(1)由于水位降低和泥炭有机物质量下降,长期排水泥炭地的中下层泥炭(20—80 cm)CH₄累积排放量显著低于近自然泥炭地。(2)两种泥炭地的表层和深层泥炭CH₄排放都对升温不敏感,而中下层泥炭的CH₄累积排放量从5℃到15℃显著增加。(3)模拟增温10℃同时干旱水位降低20 cm条件下,中层泥炭受到了温度、水分和氧气变化的叠加影响,CH₄排放变化最剧烈。(4)最终整个1 m深泥炭近自然泥炭地高温低水位的CH₄总排放量为(204.29±15.13)μg/gC,比其低温高水位显著升高66.43 μg/gC(约48%); 排水泥炭地高温低水位的CH₄总排放量为(75.64±9.41)μg/gC,比其低温高水位升高11.95 μg/gC(约19%)。综上,升温干旱气候会对若尔盖泥炭地的有机碳稳定性造成破坏性影响,会集中导致中层泥炭CH₄排放的剧烈变化,可能最终使本区域CH₄排放量显著提高。     

Soil Fertility Improvement by Litter Decomposition and Inoculation with the Fungus Mortierella sp. in Avocado Plantations of Colombia

Litter decomposition is a major process in nutrient recycling, despite that few studies have considered this in soil fertility management. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of litter decomposition and its inoculation with the fungus Mortierella sp. on soil fertility parameters in Andisols cultivated with avocado cv. Hass. Litterbags containing avocado leaves either uninoculated or inoculated were distributed around the trees. As control litter was not allowed to accumulate on the soil surface. Eighteen months later soil samples were collected just below uninoculated and inoculated litterbags and control sites. Soil pH, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and boron significantly increased with litter and in some sites the increase was higher with inoculation. By contrast, soil aluminum, iron, and manganese were significantly lower in the presence of litter (uninoculated and inoculated), whereas zinc was significantly higher when litter was present.     

Long-term litter decay in Canadian forests and the influence of soil microbial community and soil chemistry

Long-term rates of litter decay have been shown to be primarily influenced by temperature, moisture and litter quality. However, while decomposition is a biological process, the relative importance of microbial communities and other soil chemistry factors is not well understood. Our analysis examined long-term litter decay parameters, microbial community composition via phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis, and soil organic horizon chemistry at 14 upland forested sites. Data were collected as part of the Canadian Intersite Decomposition Experiment (CIDET), a 12-year national litter decomposition experiment. Residual errors from a two-pool exponential decay model with decay rates modified by mean annual air temperature and moisture stress were compared to PLFA marker groups and chemistry variables. Residual errors were not well explained by soil PLFA marker group abundance or concentration, soil pH, nor soil C:N ratios. The best predictor of residual error was soil carbon percent (%C), with higher %C associated with slower than predicted decomposition.     

Using Thermal Sensitivity Analysis to Determine the Impact of Drainage on the Hydrochemistry of a Tropical Peat Soil from Malaysia

Peat from an area of pristine swamp in Malaysia and from an area of that swamp drained 10 years earlier for agriculture was incubated along a temperature gradient from 0 to 20 °C to simulate microbial activity through changes in temperature. With increasing temperature, nitrate availability decreased in the pristine peat but increased in the drained peat, suggesting that drainage has altered the principle nitrate transformation process from denitrification to nitrification. Sulfate concentrations in the pristine peat exhibited a greater proportional decrease with increasing temperature than in the drained peat, suggesting that drainage has decreased the influence of sulfate reduction over sulfate availability at this site. With the exception of phosphate, nutrient concentrations in the drained site were significantly greater (P < 0.05) than in the pristine site. Biogeochemical models should consider that drained peatlands may respond very differently to the temperature change predicted by current climate change models.