Decomposition of organic matter in peat soil in a minerotrophic mire

Decomposition of organic materials, oxygen consumption, and carbon dioxide emission were investigated in Masukata mire, a small minerotrophic mire in central Japan. We selected three dominant community types in the mire, a Sphagnum palustre community, a Phragmites australis community, and an Alnus japonica community, for the decomposition study sites. Decomposition rates were measured in the field by examining mass loss of peat and cellulose for 6 months. The oxygen consumption rate was measured in the field using a closed chamber equipped with an oxygen electrode. The carbon dioxide emission rate of the peat was measured by an infrared gas analyser in the laboratory under controlled conditions. Results of these measurements were tested by correlation analysis. The rate of mass loss of peat positively correlated with the CO₂ emission rate. The cellulose decomposition rate showed significant differences among community types, and it had significant positive correlation with the oxygen consumption rate. Although oxygen consumption measurement is not generally used to estimate peatland soil respiration, the oxygen consumption method can be used for predicting long-term decomposition rate according to different vegetation types within a short time.     

Hydrologic controls on water chemistry, vegetation and ecological patterns in two mires in the South-Eastern Alps (Italy)

We examined how hydrology influenced water chemistry, vegetation, nutrient status, aboveground net primary production (ANPP) and litter decomposition rates in two mires on the South-Eastern Alps of Italy. One of the mires had a modest hydraulic gradient and prevalently acted as a recharge system, although there were short phases of vertical flow reversal during dry periods. This mire was, therefore, prevalently fed by rainwater and was covered by bog-like vegetation, mainly hummocks and scrubs with a ground layer rich in Sphagnum mosses. The other mire presented a steeper hydraulic gradient, with the surface being fed by mineral water either by surface runoff or by vertical, upwards directed ground water flow. Compared to the bog-dominated mire, the pore water was less acidic and richer in telluric cations. This mire was covered by fen-like vegetation, prevalently fen meadows. Nitrogen (N) content in the vegetation was very similar in the two mire sites, while phosphorus (P) content was lower in the fen-dominated site. Contrary to our expectations, ANPP did not differ significantly between the two mire sites while litter decomposition rates were significantly lower in the fen-dominated mire, presumably because of P limitation of decomposers. This suggests that the development of ombrogenous mires in this region need not be due to increased accumulation of peat during succession from mineralwater-fed to rainwater-fed conditions.     

Factors causing temporal and spatial variation in heterotrophic and rhizospheric components of soil respiration in afforested organic soil croplands in Finland

Partitioning soil respiration (SR) into its components, heterotrophic and rhizospheric respiration, is an important step for understanding and modelling carbon (C) cycling in organic soils. However, no partitioning studies on afforested organic soil croplands exist. We separated soil respiration originating from the decomposition of peat (SR_P), and aboveground litter (SR_L) and root respiration (SR_R) in six afforested organic soil croplands in Finland with varying tree species and stand ages using the trenching method. Across the sites temporal variation in SR was primarily related to changes in soil surface temperature (?5 cm), which explained 71–96% of variation in SR rates. Decomposition of peat and litter was not related to changes in water table level, whereas a minor increase in root respiration was observed with the increase in water table depth. Temperature sensitivity of SR varied between the different respiration components: SR_P was less sensitive to changes in soil surface temperature than SR_L or SR_R. Factors explaining spatial variation in SR differed between different respiration components. Annual SR_P correlated positively with peat ash content while that of SR_L was found to correlate positively with the amount of litter on the forest floor, separately for each tree species. Root respiration correlated positively with the biomass of ground vegetation. From the total soil respiration peat decomposition comprised a major share of 42%; the proportion of autotrophic respiration being 41% and aboveground litter 17%. Afforestation lowered peat decomposition rates. Nevertheless the effect of agricultural history can be seen in peat properties for decades and due to high peat decomposition rates these soils still loose carbon to the atmosphere.     

Physical properties of peat soils under different land use options

Pristine peat soils are characterized by large porosity, low density and large water and organic matter contents. Drainage and management practices change peat properties by oxidation, compaction and mineral matter additions. This study examined differences in physical properties (hydraulic conductivity, water retention curve, bulk density, porosity, von Post degree of decomposition) in soil profiles of two peatland forests, a cultivated peatland, a peat extraction area and two pristine mires originally within the same peatland area. Soil hydraulic conductivity of the drained sites (median hydraulic conductivities: 3.3 × 10^?5 m/s, 2.9 × 10^?8 m/s and 8.5 × 10^?8 m/s for the forests, the cultivated site and the peat extraction area, respectively) was predicted better by land use option than by soil physical parameters. Detailed physical measurements were accompanied by monitoring of the water levels between drains. The model ‘DRAINMOD’ was used to assess the hydrology and the rapid fluctuations seen in groundwater depths. Hydraulic conductivity values needed to match the simulation of observed depth to groundwater data were an order of magnitude greater than those determined in field measurements, suggesting that macropore flow was an important pathway at the study sites. The rapid response of depth to groundwater during rainfall events indicated a small effective porosity and this was supported by the small measured values of drainable porosity. This study highlighted the potential role of land use and macropore flow in controlling water table fluctuation and related processes in peat soils.     

The influence of temperature and water table position on carbon dioxide and methane emissions from laboratory columns of peatland soils

Laboratory columns (80 cm long, 10 cm diameter) of peat were constructed from samples collected from a subarctic fen, a temperate bog and a temperate swamp. Temperature and water table position were manipulated to establish their influence on emissions of CO₂ and CH₄ from the columns. A factorial design experiment revealed significant (P < 0.05) differences in emission of these gases related to peat type, temperature and water table position, as well as an interaction between temperature and water table. Emissions of CO₂ and CH₄ at 23°C were an average of 2.4 and 6.6 times larger, respectively, than those at 10°C. Compared to emissions when the columns were saturated, water table at a depth of 40 cm increased CO₂ fluxes by an average of 4.3 times and decreased CH₄ emissions by an average of 5.0 times. There were significant temporal variations in gas emissions during the 6-week experiment, presumably related to variations in microbial populations and substrate availability. Using columns with static water table depths of 0, 10, 20, 40 and 60 cm, CO₂ emissions showed a positive, linear relation with depth, whereas CH₄ emissions revealed a negative, logarithmic relation with depth. Lowering and then raising the water table from the peat surface to a depth of 50 cm revealed weak evidence of hysteresis in CO₂ emissions between the falling and rising water table limbs. Hysteresis (falling > rising limb) was very pronounced for CH₄ emissions, attributed to a release of CH₄ stored in porewater and a lag in the development of anaerobic conditions and methanogenesis on the rising limb. Decreases in atmospheric pressure were correlated with abnormally large emissions of CO₂ and CH₄ on the falling limb. Peat slurries incubated in flasks revealed few differences between the three peat types in the rates of CO₂ production under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. There were, however, major differences between peat types in the rates of CH₄ consumption under aerobic incubation conditions and CH₄ production under anaerobic conditions (bog > fen > swamp), which explain the differences in response of the peat types in the column experiment.     

毛乌素沙区地下水对植被盖度空间格局影响分析

通过在榆溪河流域沿地下水埋深增大方向设置植被调查样带,基于植被盖度、地下水埋深及土壤含水量等数据,利用多元经验模态分解(MEMD)获取植被盖度及其影响因子所表征的空间尺度,结构方程解析植被盖度空间分布的驱动因素,并结合聚类分析划分了植被群落自然恢复演替空间格局状态变化特征。结果表明：(1)MEMD将空间多元数据分解为3个本征模态函数,经希尔伯特转换得到各模态函数相应的空间尺度分别为14,27,38 km;(2)结构方程模型和MEMD分解后的最大表征尺度相关分析表明,地下水埋深与植被盖度在整个样带尺度上呈显著负相关(R²=-0.95,p<0.001);土壤含水量与植被盖度以地下水埋深5 m空间尺度为分界点,<5 m的区域呈显著正相关(路径系数为0.68,p<0.001),>5 m的区域呈显著负相关(路径系数为-0.43,P<0.01);(3)在此基础上,结合系统聚类分类结果将植被盖度划分为核心区(地下水埋深0～3 m)、过渡区(地下水埋深3～4 m)、稳定区(地下水埋深4～5 m)、外围区(地下水埋深5～10 m)及边缘区(地下水埋深1...     

Torfeigenschaften und ungesättigte hydraulische Leitfähigkeit von Moorböden

Peat properties and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of peat soils . Drainage of organic soils is closely connected with water supply of plants by the capillary fringe of the groundwater. Unsaturated flow of water was measured by the double-membrane apparatus described by Vetterlein, which was modified for experiments with undisturbed peat samples. The influence of decomposition, nature of peat, ash content, bulk density (consolidation) and flux direction on unsaturated flow of water in peat soils was determined. The correlation to unsaturated water conductivity decreased in the sequence: decomposition, flux direction, ash content, bulk density. A dependence on bulk density exists only below pF 2.     

Methanogen activity in relation to water table level in two boreal fens

We studied methanogen activity—measured by in vitro methane production potential and by detection of the messenger RNA (mRNA) of a functional gene—in two boreal fens under high and deep water table (WT) level conditions resulting from a rainy growing season and a dry growing season. The depth of the highest CH₄-producing layers differed between the years. In the wet year, the highest CH₄ production rate was around 20 cm below the mean WT. In the dry year, the highest rates were measured close to the peat surface, well above the mean WT. The distribution of activity in the peat profiles of the two fens appeared to be site specific. Under deep-WT conditions, CH₄ production potential was generally lower than that under high-WT conditions. Detection of the mRNA of the methanogen-specific mcrA gene indicated in situ methanogenesis in both water-saturated peat (below the WT) and unsaturated peat (above the WT). Analyses of DNA-derived and mRNA-derived methanogen community structures showed greater similarity between those two in water-saturated peat than in unsaturated peat. This suggested that favorable conditions promoted the activity of most members in methanogen communities, but unfavorable conditions showed differences between distinct community members in adaptation to adverse conditions.     

Microbial Community and Rate of Cellulose Decomposition in Peat Soils in a Mire

A field survey was carried out from April to October, 1992 in the Miyatoko Mire in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, to determine the characteristics of the microbial community and cellulose decomposition rates in the peat soil. A total of 14 study sites were selected, including three types; hummocks (type I), hollows covered with Sphagnum (type II), hollows and streams without Sphagnum (type III). The numbers of fungi (2-1,000×10⁴ CFU g^-1) and bacteria (8.5-9,000 ×10⁵ CFU g^-1) varied with the sites and sampling dates: seasonal fluctuations were especially high in hummocks. The numbers of cellulolytic fungi (4.7-300×;10⁴ CFU g^-1) and cellulolytic bacteria (1.5-9.2×10⁵ CFU g^-1) also differed between sites. Cellulolytic fungi were predominant in the Sphagnum peat of type I, while cellulolytic bacteria were predominant in the peat soil of type III. Decomposition rates of cellulose filter paper for the 6 month period ranged from 0.01 to 0.83, and tended to be higher in the peat of type II than type I.     

Influence of water table level and soil properties on emissions of greenhouse gases from cultivated peat soil

A lysimeter method using undisturbed soil columns was used to investigate the effect of water table depth and soil properties on soil organic matter decomposition and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from cultivated peat soils. The study was carried out using cultivated organic soils from two locations in Sweden: Örke, a typical cultivated fen peat with low pH and high organic matter content and Majnegården, a more uncommon fen peat type with high pH and low organic matter content. Even though carbon and nitrogen contents differ greatly between the sites, carbon and nitrogen density are quite similar. A drilling method with minimal soil disturbance was used to collect 12 undisturbed soil monoliths (50 cm high, Ø29.5 cm) per site. They were sown with ryegrass (Lolium perenne) after the original vegetation was removed. The lysimeter design allowed the introduction of water at depth so as to maintain a constant water table at either 40 cm or 80 cm below the soil surface. CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O emissions from the lysimeters were measured weekly and complemented with incubation experiments with small undisturbed soil cores subjected to different tensions (5, 40, 80 and 600 cm water column). CO₂ emissions were greater from the treatment with the high water table level (40 cm) compared with the low level (80 cm). N₂O emissions peaked in springtime and CH₄ emissions were very low or negative. Estimated GHG emissions during one year were between 2.70 and 3.55 kg CO₂ equivalents m⁻². The results from the incubation experiment were in agreement with emissions results from the lysimeter experiments. We attribute the observed differences in GHG emissions between the soils to the contrasting dry matter liability and soil physical properties. The properties of the different soil layers will determine the effect of water table regulation. Lowering the water table without exposing new layers with easily decomposable material would have a limited effect on emission rates.     

Scots pine litter decomposition along drainage succession and soil nutrient gradients in peatland forests, and the effects of inter-annual weather variation

Peatlands form a large carbon (C) pool but their C sink is labile and susceptible to changes in climate and land-use. Some pristine peatlands are forested, and others have the potential: the amount of arboreal vegetation is likely to increase if soil water levels are lowered as a consequence of climate change. On those sites tree litter dynamics may be crucial for the C balance. We studied the decomposition of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) needle and root litter in boreal peatland sites representing gradients in drainage succession (succession following water level drawdown caused by forest drainage) and soil nutrient level during several years of varying weather conditions. Neither gradient had an unambiguous effect on litter mass loss. Mass loss over 2 years was faster in undrained versus drained sites for both needle litter, incubated in the moss layer, and fine root litter, incubated in 0-10 cm peat layer, suggesting moisture stress in the surface layers of the drained sites limited decomposition. Differences among the drained sites were not consistent. Among years, mass loss correlated positively with precipitation variables, and mostly negatively or not at all with temperature sum. We concluded that a long-term water level drawdown in peatlands does not necessarily enhance decay of fresh organic matter. Instead, the drained site may turn into a ‘large hummock-system’ where several factors, including litter quality, relative moisture deficiency, higher acidity, lower substrate temperature, and in deeper layers also oxygen deficiency, may interact to constrain organic matter decomposition. Further, the decomposition rates may not vary systematically among sites of different soil nutrient levels following water level drawdown. Our results emphasize the importance of annual weather variations on decomposition rates, and demonstrate that single-period incubation studies incorporate an indeterminable amount of temporal variation.     

Seasonal fluctuation in microbial biomass and activity along a natural nitrogen gradient in a drained peatland

The effects of peat total N on the dissolved N and C concentrations and microbial biomass and activity and their range of seasonal fluctuation were studied in a drained peatland forest in Finland. Seasonal fluctuations in the concentrations of extractable dissolved organic (DON) and inorganic nitrogen (DIN) compounds and extractable dissolved organic carbon (DOC), microbial C and N, ergosterol, net and gross N mineralisation rates were investigated during two growing seasons along a natural peat N gradient in a drained peatland. Significant seasonal fluctuations in NH₄⁺ and DOC concentrations, microbial C and N, but not in ergosterol or microbial C-to-N ratios in the peat, were observed during the 1999 and 2000 growing seasons. The peat total N concentration affected extractable DON and DOC, but not DIN concentrations in the peat. A negative correlation was found between total N concentration in peat and microbial N and C, and a positive correlation between total N and ergosterol, in peat with N concentrations of up to 2%. Gross mineralisation rates did not show any correlation, whereas net mineralisation rates showed a significant positive correlation with the total N concentration of the peat in both 1999 and 2000.     

西北地区植被覆盖变化及其与降水和气温的相关性

基于1982—2006年半月最大化合成GIMMS—NDVI、降水和气温数据,利用线性回归、Sen+Mann—Kendall和相关分析等方法分析了中国西北地区植被变化及其与降水和气温相关的时空特征。研究结果表明:(1)1982—2006年,西北植被变化总体呈改善趋势,增速约为3%/10a(p=0.19)。大部分地区植被变化呈增长态势,主要分布在地表水资源丰富地区;只有少数地区呈下降趋势,主要分布在一些荒漠干旱地区。(2)近25a西北的降水量变化波动性较大,总体变化呈较弱减少趋势;气温年际变化波动性相对较小,总体变化趋势为显著上升。(3)从9月到翌年2月,即秋季和冬季,植被变化与当月降水相关程度较强;从3—8月,即春季和夏季,植被对降水的响应存在一定的滞后。而植被与气温相关,只有1,3月和12月存在一个月滞后,其他月份都与当月气温相关程度较强。(4)在干旱地区,地表水资源缺乏,植被与降水呈正相关,与气温呈负相关;在地表水资源丰富地区,植被与降水呈负相关,与气温呈正相关。     

Carbon decomposition processes in a peat from the Australian Alps

Carbon dioxide emissions and the mass loss of peat incubated in situ were measured in peat soils in the Australian Alps. The carbon chemistry of incubated peats was characterized using ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). In situ decomposition decreased as a function of increasing alkyl carbon content of the initial organic matter, providing direct evidence of the oft‐cited link between substrate quality and decomposition rates. More mass loss occurred in the bog peat samples than in the dried peat samples. However, at the peat surface, the amount of CO₂ emitted was not significantly different between bog peat and dried peat. Carbon inputs, and therefore the sink or source status, of these peats are yet to be quantified.     

植被退化对尕海湿地枯落物分解的影响

[目的]分析植被退化对青藏高原东部尕海湿地枯落物分解的影响,为湿地生源要素生物地球化学循环过程研究提供基础依据。[方法]采用分解袋法,研究尕海泥炭沼泽和沼泽化草甸不同植被退化梯度湿地枯落物分解特征及其影响因素。[结果]各植被退化阶段湿地枯落物分解过程存在显著差异,植被退化总体抑制了枯落物分解,但不同湿地类型枯落物分解对植被退化响应有所不同;在生长季内(5—9月),沼泽泥炭植被未退化枯落物分解速率显著高于退化(p0.05);沼泽化草甸平均分解速率排序为:未退化(0.028 9g/d)中度退化(0.028 7g/d)轻度退化(0.028 0g/d);各植被退化阶段湿地的枯落物分解过程具有明显的年际变化特征,总体表现为2014年分解较快,2015,2016年相对较慢;温度和降雨对各退化阶段枯落物分解速率具有促进作用,但作用不显著。[结论]尕海湿地植被退化过程中枯落物分解动态受到枯落物自身性质、气候条件、土壤营养状况等自然环境条件的共同影响,相比而言,受枯落物性质的影响更大。     

Characteristics of humic substances in peat of selected peatlands from north-eastern Poland

Abstract

Peat samples collected in six peatlands located in north-eastern Poland were analysed. Two of the investigated psedands were fens, two were transitional bogs and two of them were raised bogs. All peat deposits were investigated in the whole stratigraphic profile, and peat samples were chosen according to the differentiation of peat genus in deposit. pH in water and KCl, degree of decomposition, ash content, carbon content as well as the ratio of humic to falvic acid were evaluated. The highest degree of peat decomposition was found in wood peat (Alneti), and the in moss peat (Bryaleti). The strongest humification was observed in low peat of genus Limno-Phragmitioni (hypnum-moss peat) and Magnocaricioni (sedgeous peat).     

Water-table management in lowland UK peat soils and its potential impact on CO2 emission

The rate of oxidation of peat soils is highly seasonal and varies with temperature and soil moisture content. Large variations in soil moisture content result in wet–dry cycles that can enhance peat degradation. Water‐table management plays a crucial role in controlling and damping the effect of these environmental factors. However, maintaining high ditch water levels in fields bounded by ditches does not guarantee a high field groundwater level. The effect of installing subsurface irrigation at different spacings on water table elevation was studied in a low‐lying peat grassland. The water table elevation data were compared against values predicted with a water balance model. In addition, greenhouse experiments were carried out on undisturbed soil core samples collected from the peat grassland as well as a low‐lying peatland under intensive arable faming to measure CO₂ evolution under different water regimes. The field data from the peat grassland suggest that sub‐irrigation spacing as low as 10 m is necessary during summer periods to maintain groundwater levels similar to those in the ditches. Over the same period of observation, the difference in water level between the ditches and the non‐irrigated fields is as high as 0.7 m. Modelled outputs are in good correlation with the field observations, and demonstrate that simple water balance models can provide an effective tool to study the effect of water management practices and potential changes in subsurface conditions, climate and land use on water‐table levels. The measurement of CO₂ emission from undisturbed peat soil columns shows that the rate of oxidation of soil organic matter from peat soils is highly seasonal and that drainage exacerbates the rate of peat mineralization.     

Changes in mass and chemistry of plant roots during long-term decomposition on a Chihuahuan Desert watershed

We studied the spatial and temporal patterns of decomposition of roots of a desert sub-shrub, a herbaceous annual, and four species of perennial grasses at several locations on nitrogen fertilized and unfertilized transects on a Chihuahuan Desert watershed for 3.5 years. There were few significant differences between the decomposition rates of roots on the NH₄NO₃ fertilized and unfertilized transects. Decomposition of all roots followed a two-phase pattern: early rapid mass loss followed by a long period of low mass loss. Rates of decomposition were negatively correlated with the initial lignin content of the roots (r=0.90). Mass loss rates of the roots of the herbaceous annual, Baileya multiradiata, were significantly higher than those of the grasses and the shrub, probably as a result of subterranean termites feeding on B. multiradiata root material. The only location where mass loss rates were significantly different was the dry lake bed, where mass loss rates were lower than those recorded on the upper watershed. The spatial differences in mass loss rates in the dry lake were attributable to the high clay content of the soils, which reduced water availability, and to the absence of termites. Non-polar substances in decomposing roots decreased rapidly during the first year, then decreased at a low but fairly constant rate. Water-soluble compounds decreased rapidly (50–60% of initial concentration) during the first 3–6 months. Lignin concentrations of roots of perennial grasses were higher than those of herbaceous annual plants and woody shrubs. Lignin concentrations increased in all species during decomposition. The chemical changes in decomposing roots followed the patterns described for decomposing litter in mesic environments. Received: 20 January 1997     

青海湖流域河流生态系统评价指标间的相关性

[目的]研究河岸草甸生态特征、河岸土壤性状及河流水质评价指标间的相关性,为评价青海湖流域河流生态系统提供科学依据。[方法]通过对青海湖流域内主要河流沿海拔梯度进行野外采集河流水样、河岸表层土壤和统计植被生长特征,并且结合室内试验分析。[结果]青海湖流域河流生态系统18个评价指标随着海拔梯度的变化均表现出一定规律性,河岸植被、表层土壤及河流水样各评价指标间具有明显的相关性。由相关分析和主成分分析可知,COD(化学需氧量)与Pb、盖度与有机质、生物量与丰富度间具有极显著正相关(p0.01),河岸土壤砂粒与河流水中全氮含量、全盐量与盖度、砂粒与丰富度间具有极显著负相关(p0.01);化学需氧量、有机质、盖度和砷元素可以作为评价河流生态系统优良状况的主要指标。[结论]人类活动对青海湖流域沿河草甸生态系统的负面影响已经显现,必须降低草场的载畜量和减少不必要的工程建设,以实现区域生态、社会和经济可持续发展。