Reduction of trichloroethylene and nitrate by zero-valent iron with peat.

PubMed

Min, Jee-Eun; Kim, Meejeong; Pardue, John H; Park, Jae-Woo

2008-02-01

The feasibility of using zero-valent iron (ZVI) and peat mixture as in situ barriers for contaminated sediments and groundwater was investigated. Trichloroethylene (TCE) and nitrate (NO(3)(-)), redox sensitive contaminants were reduced by ZVI and peat soil mixture under anaerobic condition. Peat was used to support the sorption of TCE, microbial activity for biodegradation of TCE and denitrification while TCE and nitrate were reduced by ZVI. Decreases in TCE concentrations were mainly due to ZVI, while peat supported denitrifying microbes and further affected the sorption of TCE. Due to the competition of electrons, nitrate reduction was inhibited by TCE, while TCE reduction was not affected by nitrate. From the results of peat and sterilized peat, it can be concluded that peat was involved in both dechlorination and denitrification but biological reduction of TCE was negligible compared to that of nitrate. The results from hydrogen and methane gas analyses confirmed that hydrogen utilization by microbes and methanogenic process had occurred in the ZVI-peat system. Even though effect of the peat on TCE reduction were quantitatively small, ZVI and peat contributed to the removal of TCE and nitrate independently. The 16S rRNA analysis revealed that viable bacterial diversity was narrow and the most frequently observed genera were Bacillus and Staphylococcus spp.

Microbial Activity in Peat Soil Treated With Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and Coal Ashes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahman, J. A.; Mohamed, R. M. S. R.; Al-Gheethi, A. A.

2018-04-01

Peat soil is a cumulative of decayed plant fragment which developed as a result of microbial activity. The microbes degrade the organic matter in the peat soils by the production of hydrolysis enzyme. The least decomposed peat, known as fibric peat has big particles and retain lots of water. This made peat having high moisture content, up to 1500 %. The most decomposed peat known as sapric peat having fines particles and less void ratio. The present study aimed to understand the effects of solidification process on the bacterial growth and cellulase (CMCase) enzyme activity. Two types of mixing were designed for fibric, hemic and sapric peats; (i) Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) at an equal amount of dry peat, with 25 % of fly ash (FA) and total of coarse particle, a combination of bottom ash and fibre of 22 – 34 %, (ii) fibric peat was using water-to-binder ratio (w/b) = 1, 50% OPC, 25 % bottom ash (BA) and 25 % FA. For hemic and sapric peat, w/b=3 with 50 % OPC and 50 % BA were used. All samples were prepared triplicates, and were cured for 7, 14, 28 and 56 days in a closed container at room temperature. The results revealed that the first mix design giving a continuous strength development. However, the second mix design shows a decreased in strength pattern after day 28. The influence of the environment factors such as alkaline pH, reduction of the water content and peat temperature has no significant on the reduction amount of native microbes in the peat. The microbes survived in the solidified peat but the amount of microbes were found reduced for all types of mixing Fibric Mixed 1 (FM1), Hemic Mixed 1(HM1) and Sapric Mixed 1 (SM1) were having good strength increment for about 330 – 1427 % with enzymatic activity recorded even after D56. Nevertheless, with increase in the strength development through curing days, the enzymatic activities were reduced. For the time being, it can be concluded that the microbes have the ability to adapt with new environment. The reactivity of the microbes relates with the strength of solidified peat.

Comparison of Shear Strength Properties for Undisturbed and Reconstituted Parit Nipah Peat, Johor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azhar, A. T. S.; Norhaliza, W.; Ismail, B.; Abdullah, M. E.; Zakaria, M. N.

2016-11-01

Shear strength of soil is required to determine the soil stability and design the foundations. Peat is known as a soil with complex natural formations which also contributes problems to the researchers, developers, engineers and contractors in constructions and infrastructures. Most researchers conducted experiment and investigation of shear strength on peat using shear box test and simple shear test, but only a few had discovered the behavior of peat using triaxial consolidated undrained test. The aim of this paper is to determine the undrained shear strength properties of reconstituted peat and undisturbed peat of Parit Nipah, Johor for comparison purposes. All the reconstituted peat samples were formed with the size that passed opening sieve 3.35 mm and preconsolidation pressure at 100 kPa. The result of undrained shear strength of reconstituted peat was 21kPa for cohesion with the angle of friction, 41° compare to the undisturbed peat with cohesion 10 kPa and angle of friction, 16°. The undrained shear strength properties result obtained shows that the reconstituted peat has higher strength than undisturbed peat. For relationship deviator stress-strain, σd max and excess pore pressure, Δu, it shows that both of undisturbed and reconstituted gradually increased when σ’ increased, but at the end of the test, the values are slightly dropped. The physical properties of undisturbed and reconstituted peat were also investigated to correlate with the undrained shear strength results.

Investigation of occupational radiation exposures to NORM at an Irish peat-fired power station and potential use of peat fly ash by the construction industry.

PubMed

Organo, C; Lee, E M; Menezes, G; Finch, E C

2005-12-01

Annually, approximately 15% of Ireland's electricity requirement is provided through the combustion of 3 x 10(6) tonnes of peat. While the literature on coal-fired power generation is quite abundant, studies on the peat-fired power generation industry from a radiological point of view are scarce. A study of the largest Irish peat-fired power plant was initiated to review the potential occupational radiation exposures arising from the occurrence of naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) at different stages of the industrial process and to investigate any radiological health consequences that may arise should peat fly ash be used as a component of building materials. Ambient gamma dose rate measurements, radon measurements, quantification of the occupational exposure from inhalation of airborne particles (personal air sampling) and gamma spectrometry analysis of peat, peat ash and effluent samples from the ash ponds were undertaken. The results indicate that the radiation dose received by any worker involved in the processing of the peat and the handling of the ash resulting from peat combustion does not exceed 150 microSv per annum. Regulatory control of the peat-fired power generation is therefore unnecessary according to the Irish legislation with regards to NORM. The potential use of peat fly ash as a by-product in the building industry was also found to have a negligible radiological impact for construction workers and for members of the public.

The legacy of wetland drainage on the remaining peat in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drexler, Judith Z.; Christian S. de Fontaine,; Steven J. Deverel,

2009-01-01

Throughout the world, many extensive wetlands, such as the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California (hereafter, the Delta), have been drained for agriculture, resulting in land-surface subsidence of peat soils. The purpose of this project was to study the in situ effects of wetland drainage on the remaining peat in the Delta. Peat cores were retrieved from four drained, farmed islands and four relatively undisturbed, marsh islands. Core samples were analyzed for bulk density and percent organic carbon. Macrofossils in the peat were dated using radiocarbon age determination. The peat from the farmed islands is highly distinct from marsh island peat. Bulk density of peat from the farmed islands is generally greater than that of the marsh islands at a given organic carbon content. On the farmed islands, increased bulk density, which is an indication of compaction, decreases with depth within the unoxidized peat zone, whereas, on the marsh islands, bulk density is generally constant with depth except near the surface. Approximately 55–80% of the original peat layer on the farmed islands has been lost due to landsurface subsidence. For the center regions of the farmed islands, this translates into an estimated loss of between 2900-5700 metric tons of organic carbon/hectare. Most of the intact peat just below the currently farmed soil layer is over 4000 years old. Peat loss will continue as long as the artificial water table on the farmed islands is held below the land surface.

Removal of metal(oid)s from contaminated water using iron-coated peat sorbent.

PubMed

Kasiuliene, Alfreda; Carabante, Ivan; Bhattacharya, Prosun; Caporale, Antonio Giandonato; Adamo, Paola; Kumpiene, Jurate

2018-05-01

This study aimed at combining iron and peat to produce a sorbent suitable for a simultaneous removal of cations and anions from a solution. Peat powder, an industrial residue, was coated with iron by immersing peat into iron salt solutions. The adsorption efficiency of the newly produced sorbent towards As, Cr, Cu and Zn was tested by means of batch adsorption experiments at a constant pH value of 5. Coating of Fe on peat significantly increased the adsorption of As (from <5% to 80%) and Cr (from <3% to 25%) in comparison to uncoated peat. Removal of cations on coated peat slightly decreased (by 10-15%), yet remained within acceptable range. Electron Microscopy combined with X-Ray Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy revealed that iron coating on the peat was rather homogenous and As and Cr were abundantly adsorbed on the surface. By contrast, Cu and Zn displayed a sparing distribution on the surface of the iron coated peat. These results indicate that iron-peat simultaneously target sufficient amounts of both cations and anions and can be used for a one-step treatment of contaminated groundwater. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

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

USGS Publications Warehouse

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.

Substrate quality and nutrient availability influence CO2 production from tropical peat decomposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swails, E.; Jaye, D.; Verchot, L. V.; Hergoualc'h, K.; Wahyuni, N. S.; Borchard, N.; Lawrence, D.

2015-12-01

In Indonesia, peatlands are a major and growing source of greenhouse gas emissions due to increasing pressure from oil palm and pulp wood plantations. We are using a combination of field measures, laboratory experiments, and remote sensing to investigate relationships among land use, climatic factors and biogeochemical controls, and their influence on trace gas fluxes from tropical peat soils. Analysis of soils collected from peat sites on two major islands indicated substantial variation in peat substrate quality and nutrient content among land uses and geographic location. We conducted laboratory incubations to test the influence of substrate quality and nutrient availability on CO2 production from peat decomposition. Differences in peat characteristics attributable to land use change were tested by comparison of forest and oil palm peat samples collected from the same peat dome in Kalimantan. Regional differences in peat characteristics were tested by comparison of samples from Sumatra with samples from Kalimantan. We conducted additional experiments to test the influence of N and P availability and labile carbon on CO2 production. Under moisture conditions typical of oil palm plantations, CO2 production was higher from peat forest samples than from oil palm samples. CO2 production from Sumatra and Kalimantan oil palm samples was not different, despite apparent differences in nutrient content of these soils. N and P treatments representative of fertilizer application rates raised CO2 production from forest samples but not oil palm samples. Labile carbon treatments raised CO2 production in all samples. Our results suggest that decomposition of peat forest soils is nutrient limited, while substrate quality controls decomposition of oil palm soils post-conversion. Though fertilizer application could accelerate peat decomposition initially, fertilizer application may not influence long-term CO2 emissions from oil palm on peat.

Biofiltration using peat and a nutritional synthetic packing material: influence of the packing configuration on H2S removal.

PubMed

Dumont, Eric; Cabral, Flavia Da Silva; Le Cloirec, Pierre; Andrès, Yves

2013-01-01

This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of using a nutritional synthetic material (UP20) combined with fibrous peat as a packing material in treating H2S (up to 280 ppmv). Three identical laboratory-scale biofilters with different packing material configurations (peat only; peat + UP20 in a mixture; peat + UP20 in two layers) were used to determine the biofilter performances. The superficial velocity of the polluted gas on each biofilter was 65 m/h (gas flow rate 0.5 Nm3 /h) corresponding to an empty bed residence time = 57 s. Variations in elimination capacity, removal efficiency, temperature and pH were tracked during 111 d. A removal efficiency of 100% was obtained for loading rates up to 6 g/m3/h for the biofilter filled with 100% peat, and up to 10 g/m3/h for both biofilters using peat complemented with UP20. For higher loading rates (up to 25.5 g/m3/h), the configuration ofpeat-UP20 in a mixture provided the best removal efficiencies (around 80% compared to 65% for the configuration of peat-UP20 in two layers and 60% for peat only). Microbial characterization highlighted that peat is able to provide sulfide-oxidizing bacteria. Through kinetic analysis (Ottengrafand Michaelis-Menten models were applied), it appeared that the configuration peat-UP20 in two layers (80/20 v/v) did not show significant improvement compared with peat alone. Although the configuration of peat-UP20 in a mixture (80/20 v/v) offered a real advantage in improving H2S treatment, it was shown that this benefit was related to the bed configuration rather than the nutritional properties of UP20.

A Study on Factors Affecting Strength of Solidified Peat through XRD and FESEM Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahman, J. A.; Napia, A. M. A.; Nazri, M. A. A.; Mohamed, R. M. S. R.; Al-Geethi, A. S.

2018-04-01

Peat is soft soil that often causes multiple problems to construction. Peat has low shear strength and high deformation characteristics. Thus, peat soil needs to be stabilized or treated. Study on peat stabilization has been conducted for decades with various admixtures and mixing formulations. This project intends to provide an overview of the solidification of peat soil and the factors that affecting the strength of solidified peat soil. Three types of peats which are fabric, hemic and sapric were used in this study to understand the differences on the effect. The understanding of the factors affecting strength of solidified peat in this study is limited to XRD and FESEM analysis only. Peat samples were collected at Pontian, Johor and Parit Raja, Johor. Peat soil was solidified using fly ash, bottom ash and Portland cement with two mixing formulation following literature review. The solidified peat were cured for 7 days, 14 days, 28 days and 56 days. All samples were tested using Unconfined Compressive Strength Test (UCS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM). The compressive strength test of solidified peat had shown consistently increase of sheer strength, qu for Mixing 1 while decrease of its compressive strength value for Mixing 2. All samples were tested and compared for each curing days. Through XRD, it is found that all solidified peat are dominated with pargasite and richterite. The highest qu is Fabric Mixing 1(FM1) with the value of 105.94 kPa. This sample were proven contain pargasite. Samples with high qu were observed to be having fly ash and bottom ash bound together with the help of pargasite. Sample with decreasing strength showed less amount of pargasite in it. In can be concluded that XRD and FESEM findings are in line with UCS values.

Preliminary investigation of the formation age and chemical characterization of the tropical peat in the middle Sepik Plain, northern Papua New Guinea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ono, Eisuke; Umemura, Mitsutoshi; Ishida, Takuya; Takenaka, Chisato

2015-12-01

Seven gouge cores in the middle Sepik Plain (northern Papua New Guinea) were bored to clarify the depositional age and the chemical characteristics of the tropical peat. The weakly-acidic peat layer (3-4 m thick) is distributed around the south bank of the Blackwater Lakes. The peat layer consists mainly of sago palm and grass remains within a mineral matrix of very fine sand and clay. Radiocarbon dating indicates that the peat's formation had commenced by 3,710-3,560 cal BP. Nitrogen and exchangeable potassium reach their highest values in the upper 60 cm of the peat column. Conversely, exchangeable sodium, calcium and magnesium, as well as carbon, increase their values with depth in the peat. These differences in the exchangeable cations' contribution suggest changes in the plant species, which were decomposed during the peat's formation.

Peat

USGS Publications Warehouse

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.

The legacy of wetland drainage on the remaining peat in the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta, California, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drexler, J.Z.; De Fontaine, C. S.; Deverel, S.J.

2009-01-01

Throughout the world, many extensive wetlands, such as the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California (hereafter, the Delta), have been drained for agriculture, resulting in land-surface subsidence of peat soils. The purpose of this project was to study the in situ effects of wetland drainage on the remaining peat in the Delta. Peat cores were retrieved from four drained, farmed islands and four relatively undisturbed, marsh islands. Core samples were analyzed for bulk density and percent organic carbon. Macrofossils in the peat were dated using radiocarbon age determination. The peat from the farmed islands is highly distinct from marsh island peat. Bulk density of peat from the farmed islands is generally greater than that of the marsh islands at a given organic carbon content. On the farmed islands, increased bulk density, which is an indication of compaction, decreases with depth within the unoxidized peat zone, whereas, on the marsh islands, bulk density is generally constant with depth except near the surface. Approximately 5580 of the original peat layer on the farmed islands has been lost due to land-surface subsidence. For the center regions of the farmed islands, this translates into an estimated loss of between 29005700 metric tons of organic carbon/hectare. Most of the intact peat just below the currently farmed soil layer is over 4000 years old. Peat loss will continue as long as the artificial water table on the farmed islands is held below the land surface. ?? 2009 The Society of Wetland Scientists.

Spatial-temporal controls on peatland carbon dynamics in the Hudson Bay Lowland, Canada: Reducing landscape-scale uncertainty in a changing climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Packalen, M. S.; Finkelstein, S. A.; McLaughlin, J.

2015-12-01

Global peatlands currently store more than 650 Pg of carbon (C) that has accumulated over millennia, and contributed to a net climatic cooling. However, controls on spatial-temporal C dynamics may differ regionally. With at least 30 Pg C sequestered in the Hudson Bay Lowlands Canada (HBL), the vulnerability of this globally significant peat C reservoir remains uncertain under conditions of a changing climate and enhanced anthropogenic pressure. Here, we synthesize our current understanding of controls on C dynamics in the HBL using detailed peat records. Our data reveal that widespread bog-fen patterning across the HBL is related to the distribution of peat C in space and time, indicating that topographic and ecohydroclimatic controls are potentially important determinants of C mass accretion. We find that while peat age is closely related to timing of land emergence and peat depth in the HBL, considerable variation in the total C mass among sites of similar peat age suggests that additional factors may further explain trends in peat C dynamics. Among these factors, we find that temperature, precipitation, and potential evapotranspiration in the HBL account for up to half of the variation in the distribution of the peat C mass, whereby regions with warmer and wetter conditions support larger peat C masses. Moreover, we find that the rate of C accumulation is greatest for young fen peatlands developing during warmer mid-Holocene climates; but that long-term C stores are greatest in association with bog peatlands. Although nearly two-thirds of HBL peat C is of late Holocene age, most of the reconstructed potential C losses also occurred during the late Holocene, as previously accrued peat decayed. Our findings support the hypothesis that both climate and ecohydrological factors are important drivers of peat C dynamics in the HBL, alongside geophysical controls on the timing of peat initiation. As the HBL peat complex continues to rapidly expand, it may remain a globally significant C reservoir. However, conservative climate scenarios predict warmer and wetter conditions in the next century, beyond the range of past climate variability. Ongoing elucidation of controls on peat C dynamics may further inform our understanding of the response of the HBL peat C reservoir to future climate and resource management scenarios.

The wettability of selected organic soils in Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Całka, A.; Hajnos, M.

2009-04-01

The wettability was measured in the laboratory by means of two methods: Water Drop Penetration Time (WDPT) test and Thin Column Wicking (TCW) method. WDPT is fast and simple method and was used to investigate potential water repellency of analyzed samples. TCW is an indirect method and was used to determine contact angles and surface free energy components. The measurement was performed in horizontal teflon chambers for thin-layer chromatography, adapted for tubes 10 cm long. The experiment was carried out on muck soils (samples were taken from two levels of soil profile: 0-20 cm and 20-40 cm) and peat soils. There were two types of peats: low-moor peats and high moor peats. Samples of low-moor peats were taken from level 25-75 cm (alder peat) and 75-125cm (sedge peat) and 25-75 cm (peloid peat). Samples of high moor peats from level 25-175 cm (sphagnum peat) and 175-225 cm (sphagnum peat with Eriophorum). There was found no variability in persistence of potential water repellency but there were differences in values of contact angles of individual soil samples. Both muck and peat samples are extremely water repellent soils. Water droplets persisted on the surface of soils for more than 24 hours. Contact angles and surface free energy components for all samples were differentiated. Ranges of water contact angles for organic soils are from 27,54o to 96,50o. The highest values of contact angles were for sphagnum peats, and the lowest for muck soil from 20-40 cm level. It means, that there are differences in wettability between these samples. Muck soil is the best wettable and sphagnum peats is the worst wettable soil. If the content of organic compounds in the soil exceeds 40% (like in peats), the tested material displays only dispersion-type interactions. Therefore for peat soils, the technique of thin column wicking could only be used to determine the dispersive component γiLW. For muck soils it was also determined electron-acceptor (Lewis acid) γ+ and electron-donor (Lewis base) γ- surface free energy components. The authors gratefully acknowledge the Ministry of Science and Higher Education for financial support of this work (grant No. N N310 149335).

Methodology for producing 100 tons of fuel peat for a cement plant test burn. Metodologia para producir 100 toneladas de turba combustible para una prueba de quema en uns planta de cemento (in English; Spanish)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Allen, A.B.; Malavassi, L.; Ramirez, O.

1989-05-01

As a part of the Agency for International Development-funded cooperative project between Los Alamos and Costa Rica, the burning characteristics of Costa Rican peat were to be tested in an application. The cement plant owned by Industria National de Cemento in Cartago has a capability to handle solid fuel and was chosen for the burn demonstration. The Jungle No. 1 Peat Deposit near El Cairo was chosen as the site of the peat excavation. This peat production methodology study covers project site selection, installation of an access road and clearing of the jungle vegetation, removal of an upper layer ofmore » organic peat, excavation of fuel-grade peat, transport of the peat to the drying site, and drying and stockpiling of the finished product. As of this date the peat removal for the demonstration project has been started, and a description of the operation is included as an appendix to this paper. 10 figs.« less

Investigation of bacterial communities in peat land of the Gahai Lake natural conservation area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Yani; Wang, Jinchang; Zhan, Zhigao; Guan, Limei; Jin, Liang; Zheng, Guohua

2017-10-01

Peat is involved in the global carbon cycle and water conservation; therefore, it is implicated in global environmental change. Microorganisms play an important role in the function of peat. To investigate the bacterial communities in peat of Gahai Lake, different locations and depths were sampled and Illumina Miseq sequencing was used to analyze the microbial community. Chemical properties of peat samples were analyzed by China state standard methods (GB methods). The results showed that bacterial communities were affected by depth, with bacterial diversity and community structure at 90 and 120 cm significantly different from that at 10, 30 and 50 cm depth from the peat surface. Chemical properties of peat land including organic matter, total nitrogen and humus content did not significantly influence bacterial community structure in peat, with only one group from genus Rhizomicrobium that was significantly correlated with total nitrogen. A substantial proportion of the bacterial sequences were unclassified (1.4%), which indicates the great application potential of peat in the Gahai Lake natural conservation area in the future.

Physical and chemical characteristics of fibrous peat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutejo, Yulindasari; Saggaff, Anis; Rahayu, Wiwik; Hanafiah

2017-11-01

Banyuasin is one of the regency in South Sumatera which has an area of 200.000 Ha of peat land. Peat soil are characterized by high compressibility parameters and low initial shear strength. Block sampling method was used to obtain undisturbed sample. The results of this paper describe the characteristics of peat soil from physical and chemical testing. The physical and chemical characteristics of peat include water content (ω), specific gravity (Gs), Acidity (pH), unit weight (γ), and ignition loss tests. SEM and EDS test was done to determine the differences in fiber content and to analyze chemical elements of the specimen. The average results ω, Gs, and pH are 263.538 %, 1.847, and 3.353. Peat is classified in H4 (by Von Post). The results of organic content (OC), ash content (AC), and fiber content (FC) are found 78.693 %, 21.310 %, and 73.703 %. From the results of physical and chemical tests, the peat in Banyuasin is classified as fibrous peat. All the results of the characteristics and classification of fibrous peat compared with published data were close.

Development and carbon sequestration of tropical peat domes in south-east Asia: links to post-glacial sea-level changes and Holocene climate variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dommain, René; Couwenberg, John; Joosten, Hans

2011-04-01

Tropical peatlands of SE-Asia represent a significant terrestrial carbon reservoir of an estimated 65 Gt C. In this paper we present a comprehensive data synthesis of radiocarbon dated peat profiles and 31 basal dates of ombrogenous peat domes from the lowlands of Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo and integrate our peatland data with records of past sea-level and climate change in the region. Based on their developmental features three peat dome regions were distinguished: inland Central Kalimantan (Borneo), Kutai basin (Borneo) and coastal areas across the entire region. With the onset of the Holocene the first peat domes developed in Central Kalimantan as a response to rapid post-glacial sea-level rise over the Sunda Shelf and intensification of the Asian monsoon. Peat accumulation rates in Central Kalimantan strongly declined after 8500 cal BP in close relation to the lowering rate of the sea-level rise and possibly influenced by the regional impact of the 8.2 ka event. Peat growth in Central Kalimantan apparently ceased during the Late Holocene in association with amplified El Niño activity as exemplified by several truncated peat profiles. Peat domes from the Kutai basin are all younger than ˜8300 cal BP. Peat formation and rates of peat accumulation were driven by accretion rates of the Mahakam River and seemingly independent of climate. Most coastal peat domes, the largest expanse of SE-Asian peatlands, initiated between 7000 and 4000 cal BP as a consequence of a Holocene maximum in regional rainfall and the stabilisation and subsequent regression of the sea-level. These boundary conditions induced the highest rates of peat accumulation of coastal peat domes. The Late Holocene sea-level regression led to extensive new land availability that allowed for continued coastal peat dome formation until the present. The time weighted mean Holocene peat accumulation rate is 0.54 mm yr -1 for Central Kalimantan, 1.89 mm yr -1 for Kutai and 1.77 mm yr -1 for coastal domes of Sumatra and Borneo. The mean Holocene carbon sequestration rates amount to 31.3 g C m -2 yr -1 for Central Kalimantan and 77.0 g C m -2 yr -1 for coastal sites, which makes coastal peat domes of south-east Asia the spatially most efficient terrestrial ecosystem in terms of long term carbon sequestration.

Peat

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jasinski, S.M.

2006-01-01

In 2005, peat was harvested in 15 US states. Florida, Michigan and Minnesota accounted for more than 80% of the US production. Reed-sedge was the dominant variety of peat harvested in the United States. More than 56% of all peat used in the US was imported from Canada. With the growing interest in gardening, landscaping related to home construction and golf courses, peat usage is expected to remain near current levels during the next several years.

Influence of peat formation conditions on the transformation of peat deposit organic matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serebrennikova, O. V.; Strelnikova, E. B.; Preis, Yu I.; Duchko, M. A.

2015-11-01

The paper studies the individual composition of n-alkanes, polycycloaromatic hydrocarbons, steroids, bi-, tri-, and pentacyclic terpenoids of two peat deposits of rich fen Kirek located in Western Siberia. Considering the individual n-alkanes concentrations, some indexes were calculated to estimate the humidity during peat formation. It was shown that the pH of peat medium primarily affects steroids, tri- and pentacyclic terpenoids transformations.

Content of radionuclides in the peat deposit of swamps

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nifontova, M.G.; Makovskii, V.I.

1995-11-01

The results are given of comparative analysis of the content and transformation of {sup 90}Sr and {sup 137}Cs over a peat deposit of swamps. During radioecological study, account was taken of the quantitative composition and physicochemical properties of the peat, as well as of the specific nature of the entry of radioactive products to peat deposits. Considering the increased capacity of peat for accumulating radionuclides and the specific features of sorption processes in a peat deposit, it is expedient to utilize swamps as a convenient natural object for continuous monitoring of radioactive contamination of the environment.

Micropetrographic characteristics of peats from modern coal-forming environments in Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia and Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsular Swamps, North Carolina

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Corvinus, D.A.

1982-01-01

The Okefenokee Swamp, over 400,000 acres, is a swamp-marsh complex dominated by Taxodium-swamp vegetaion on its west side and Nymphaea-marsh vegetation onits east side. The Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsular Swamps primarily support a pocosin-bay vegetation. The Taxodium-dominated peats of the Okefenokee are more similar botanically to the Albemarle-Pamlico bay peats than are the Okefenokee Nymphaea-dominated peats. Some petrographic characteristics are common to all three peat types. The majority of cell walls in the peat exhibit colors (yellow to orange to red) which they did not display in their living state. This is believed to be from impregnation by the various cell fillingsmore » present in the peats. Unoxidized fragmented (granular) material in all three peat types usually occurs in larger amounts than oxidized (darkened) material. In Taxodium-dominated and bay peats the fragmented matrix is also usually more prevalent than the preserved material (intact cell walls and cell fillings). On the other hand, preserved material is most common in Nymphaea-dominated peats. It is believed that the majority of fragmented material is derived from the surface litter and that swamp vegetation contributes more surface litter than does marsh vegetation.« less

Emissions of volatile organic compounds and particulate matter from small-scale peat fires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

George, I. J.; Black, R.; Walker, J. T.; Hays, M. D.; Tabor, D.; Gullett, B.

2013-12-01

Air pollution emitted from peat fires can negatively impact regional air quality, visibility, climate, and human health. Peat fires can smolder over long periods of time and, therefore, can release significantly greater amounts of carbon into the atmosphere per unit area compared to burning of other types of biomass. However, few studies have characterized the gas and particulate emissions from peat burning. To assess the atmospheric impact of peat fires, particulate matter (PM) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were quantified from controlled small-scale peat fire experiments. Major carbon emissions (i.e. CO2, CO, methane and total hydrocarbons) were measured during the peat burn experiments. Speciated PM mass was also determined from the peat burns from filter and polyurethane foam samples. Whole air samples were taken in SUMMA canisters and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to measure 82 trace VOCs. Additional gaseous carbonyl species were measured by sampling with dinitrophenylhydrazine-coated cartridges and analyzed with high performance liquid chromatography. VOCs with highest observed concentrations measured from the peat burns were propylene, benzene, chloromethane and toluene. Gas-phase carbonyls with highest observed concentrations included acetaldehyde, formaldehyde and acetone. Emission factors of major pollutants will be compared with recommended values for peat and other biomass burning.

The peats of Costa Rica (in English; Spanish)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thayer, G.R.

Peat has been identified in Cost Rica, and an economic analysis of energy applications for peat has been done. About 1000 km{sup 2} of Cost Rica has the potential of being covered by peat. The Talamanca Mountains and the northeastern plains contain most of the Costa Rican peat. Specific bogs have been identified by the Medio Queso River in north-central Costa Rica and near El Cairo, Moin, and the Limon airport in northeastern Costa Rica. The Medio Queso bog, which is supplying peat for use as a carrier for nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and the El Cairo bog, which has been identifiedmore » as a source of horticultural peat for nearby ornamental plant farms, are of special interest. The economics of three energy applications of peat were examined -- as a fuel in large boilers, as a fuel in small boilers, and as an oil substitute in a cement plant. A facility using coal would have the same total costs as one using peat if coal prices were $45 and $30 per metric ton (used for large boilers and a cement plant, respectively). A facility using Bunker C or diesel would have the same total cost as one using peat if oil prices were $0.11, $0.08, and $0.06 per liter (used for large boilers, small boilers, and a cement plant, respectively). In all three cases, the costs for peat were comparable or less than the costs for coal and oil at 1987 prices. 6 refs., 8 figs.« less

Degradation of Malaysian peatlands decreases levels of phenolics in soil and in leaves of Macaranga pruinosa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yule, Catherine; Lim, Yau; Lim, Tse

2016-04-01

Indo-Malaysian tropical peat swamp forests (PSF) sequester enormous stores of carbon in the form of phenolic compounds, particularly lignin as well as tannins. These phenolic compounds are crucial for ecosystem functioning in PSF through their inter-related roles in peat formation and plant defenses. Disturbance of PSF causes destruction of the peat substrate, but the specific impact of disturbance on phenolic compounds in peat and its associated vegetation has not previously been examined. A scale was developed to score peatland degradation based on the three major human impacts that affect tropical PSF - logging, drainage and fire. The objectives of this study were to compare the amount of phenolic compounds in Macaranga pruinosa, a common PSF tree, and in the peat substrate along a gradient of peatland degradation from pristine peat swamp forest to cleared, drained and burnt peatlands. We examined phenolic compounds in M. pruinosa and in peat and found that levels of total phenolic compounds and total tannins decrease in the leaves of M.pruinosa and also in the surface peat layers with an increase in peatland degradation. We conclude that waterlogged conditions preserve the concentration of phenolic compounds in peat, and that even PSF that has been previously logged but which has recovered a full canopy cover will have high levels of total phenolic content (TPC) in peat. High levels of TPC in peat and in the flora are vital for the inhibition of decomposition of organic matter and this is crucial for the accretion of peat and the sequestration of carbon. Thus regional PSF flourish despite the phenolic rich, toxic, waterlogged, nutrient poor, conditions, and reversal of such conditions is a sign of degradation.

Landscape-scale changes in forest canopy structure across a partially logged tropical peat swamp

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wedeux, B. M. M.; Coomes, D. A.

2015-07-01

Forest canopy structure is strongly influenced by environmental factors and disturbance, and in turn influences key ecosystem processes including productivity, evapotranspiration and habitat availability. In tropical forests increasingly modified by human activities, the interplaying effects of environmental factors and disturbance legacies on forest canopy structure across landscapes are practically unexplored. We used high-fidelity airborne laser scanning (ALS) data to measure the canopy of old-growth and selectively logged peat swamp forest across a peat dome in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, and quantified how canopy structure metrics varied with peat depth and under logging. Several million canopy gaps in different height cross-sections of the canopy were measured in 100 plots of 1 km2 spanning the peat dome, allowing us to describe canopy structure with seven metrics. Old-growth forest became shorter and had simpler vertical canopy profiles on deeper peat, consistently with previous work linking deep peat to stunted tree growth. Gap Size Frequency Distributions (GSFDs) indicated fewer and smaller canopy gaps on the deeper peat (i.e. the scaling exponent of pareto functions increased from 1.76 to 3.76 with peat depth). Areas subjected to concessionary logging until 2000, and informal logging since then, had the same canopy top height as old-growth forest, indicating the persistence of some large trees, but mean canopy height was significantly reduced; the total area of canopy gaps increased and the GSFD scaling exponent was reduced. Logging effects were most evident on the deepest peat, where nutrient depletion and waterlogged conditions restrain tree growth and recovery. A tight relationship exists between canopy structure and the peat deph gradient within the old-growth tropical peat swamp. This relationship breaks down after selective logging, with canopy structural recovery being modulated by environmental conditions.

The Impact of Tropical Peat Fire on Termite Assemblage in Sumatra, Indonesia: Reduced Complexity of Community Structure and Survival Strategies.

PubMed

Neoh, Kok-Boon; Bong, Lee-Jin; Muhammad, Ahmad; Itoh, Masayuki; Kozan, Osamu; Takematsu, Yoko; Yoshimura, Tsuyoshi

2016-10-01

Tropical peat swamp forests in Southeast Asia account for approximately 72% of global peatland. However, extensive forest exploitation following peat drainage for agricultural expansion has been leading to catastrophic peat fires. In this study, we compared the termite assemblage in burnt and unburnt peats in Sumatra, Indonesia. We also identified which taxonomic group is particularly resistant to fire disturbance and the traits that correlate with its persistence in fire-impacted peatlands. Overall, the termite species richness in fire-impacted peats was up to 40% lower than that of the total species found in peat swamp forests. Although the estimated species richness values in fire-impacted peats and peat swamp forests were not significantly different, fire changed termite community structure significantly. Only termites of the family Rhinotermitidae survived in the fire event, whereas members of the Termitidae that were reportedly resilient to fire and open habitats elsewhere disappeared during the fire events. The rhinotermitids found in the burnt sites were exclusively wood nesters. This suggests that the desiccation tolerance of termites in open habitat is not the simple underlying survival strategy, but tree branches and barks might have provided a refuge from heat during fire. The result also suggests that the high similarity in species composition in recently burnt peats and long burnt peats implies low species turnover. Thus, regardless of how much time had passed since the fire-impacted peats were abandoned or cultivated, the increase in habitat complexity did not favor colonization by the forest-dependent group. © The Authors 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Landscape-scale changes in forest canopy structure across a partially logged tropical peat swamp

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wedeux, B. M. M.; Coomes, D. A.

2015-11-01

Forest canopy structure is strongly influenced by environmental factors and disturbance, and in turn influences key ecosystem processes including productivity, evapotranspiration and habitat availability. In tropical forests increasingly modified by human activities, the interplay between environmental factors and disturbance legacies on forest canopy structure across landscapes is practically unexplored. We used airborne laser scanning (ALS) data to measure the canopy of old-growth and selectively logged peat swamp forest across a peat dome in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, and quantified how canopy structure metrics varied with peat depth and under logging. Several million canopy gaps in different height cross-sections of the canopy were measured in 100 plots of 1 km2 spanning the peat dome, allowing us to describe canopy structure with seven metrics. Old-growth forest became shorter and had simpler vertical canopy profiles on deeper peat, consistent with previous work linking deep peat to stunted tree growth. Gap size frequency distributions (GSFDs) indicated fewer and smaller canopy gaps on the deeper peat (i.e. the scaling exponent of Pareto functions increased from 1.76 to 3.76 with peat depth). Areas subjected to concessionary logging until 2000, and illegal logging since then, had the same canopy top height as old-growth forest, indicating the persistence of some large trees, but mean canopy height was significantly reduced. With logging, the total area of canopy gaps increased and the GSFD scaling exponent was reduced. Logging effects were most evident on the deepest peat, where nutrient depletion and waterlogged conditions restrain tree growth and recovery. A tight relationship exists between canopy structure and peat depth gradient within the old-growth tropical peat swamp forest. This relationship breaks down after selective logging, with canopy structural recovery, as observed by ALS, modulated by environmental conditions. These findings improve our understanding of tropical peat swamp ecology and provide important insights for managers aiming to restore degraded forests.

The paleoecology, peat chemistry and carbon storage of a discontinuous permafrost peatland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talbot, Julie; Pelletier, Nicolas; Olefeldt, David; Turetsky, Merritt; Blodau, Christian; Sonnentag, Oliver; Quinton, William

2017-04-01

Permafrost in peatlands strongly influences ecosystem biogeochemical functioning, vegetation composition and hydrological functions. Permafrost peatlands of northwestern Canada store large amounts of carbon but the peatlands located at the southern margin of the permafrost zone are thawing rapidly. This thaw triggers changes in vegetation, hydrology and peat characteristics, and may affect carbon stocks. We present data from a permafrost plateau to thermokarst bog chronosequence located in the southern portion of the Scotty Creek watershed near Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories, Canada. We assessed changes in plant communities, hydrology, biogeochemistry and permafrost status over 9000 years of peatland development using plant macrofossil, testate amoeba and peat chemical characteristics. Peat accumulation started after the infilling of a lake 8500 cal. yr BP. Minerotrophic peat prevailed at the site until permafrost formed around 5000 cal. yr BP. Permafrost apparently formed three times, although there is spatial variability in the permafrost aggradation - degradation cycles. Permafrost thawed 550 cal. yr BP in the center of the thermokarst bog. Ombrotrophic peat is a fairly recent feature of the peat profiles, only appearing after the most recent permafrost thaw event. Both allogenic (temperature/precipitation/snow cover changes and wildfire) and autogenic (peat accumulation, Sphagnum growth) processes likely influenced permafrost aggradation and thaw. While apparent carbon accumulation rates were lower during present and past permafrost periods than during non-permafrost periods, long term carbon accumulation remained similar between cores with different permafrost period lengths. Deep peat was more decomposed in the thermokarst bog peat profile than in the permafrost plateau profile, highlighting the importance of considering potential deep peat carbon losses to project the fate of thawing permafrost peat carbon stores. Average long-term carbon accumulation derived from the peat cores (n=3, 20.6 ± 1.9 g C m-2 a-1) is in the same range than the contemporary landscape-scale carbon balance measured from eddy covariance at the site ( 15 g C m-2 a-1). While the carbon to nitrogen ratio tends to decrease with peat depth, the carbon to phosphorus ratio tends to increase, perhaps indicating a preferential uptake of phosphorus over nitrogen by plants.

Influence of peat on Fenton oxidation.

PubMed

Huling, S G; Arnold, R G; Sierka, R A; Miller, M R

2001-05-01

A diagnostic probe was used to estimate the activity of Fenton-derived hydroxyl radicals (.OH), reaction kinetics, and oxidation efficiency in batch suspensions comprised of silica sand, crushed goethite (alpha-FeOOH) ore, peat, and H2O2 (0.13 mM). A simple method of kinetic analysis is presented and used to estimate the rate of .OH production (POH) and scavenging term (ks), which were used to establish the influence of organic matter (Pahokee peat) in Fenton systems. POH was greater in the peat-amended systems than in the unamended control, and ks was approximately the same. Any increase in scavenging of .OH that resulted from the addition of peat was insignificant in comparison to radical scavenging by reaction with H2O2. Also, treatment efficiency, defined as the ratio of probe conversion to H2O2 consumption over the same period was greater in the peat-amended system. Results suggest that .OH production is enhanced in the presence of peat by one or more peat-dependent mechanisms. Fe concentration and availability in the peat, reduction of Fe(III) to Fe(II) by the organic matter, and reduction of organic-complexed Fe(III) to Fe(II) are discussed in the context of the Fenton mechanism.

Isotopic evidence for nitrogen mobility in peat bogs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novak, Martin; Stepanova, Marketa; Jackova, Ivana; Vile, Melanie A.; Wieder, R. Kelman; Buzek, Frantisek; Adamova, Marie; Erbanova, Lucie; Fottova, Daniela; Komarek, Arnost

2014-05-01

Elevated nitrogen (N) input may reduce carbon (C) storage in peat. Under low atmospheric deposition, most N is bound in the moss layer. Under high N inputs, Sphagnum is not able to prevent penetration of dissolved N to deeper peat. Nitrogen may become available to the roots of invading vascular plants. The concurrent oxygenation of deeper peat layers, along with higher supply of labile organic C, may enhance microbial decomposition and lead to peat thinning. The resulting higher emissions of greenhouse gases may accelerate global warming. Seepage of N to deeper peat has never been quantified. Here we present evidence for post-depositional mobility of atmogenic N in peat, based on natural-abundance N isotope ratios. We conducted a reciprocal peat transplant experiment between two Sphagnum-dominated peat bogs in the Czech Republic (Central Europe), differing in anthropogenic N inputs. The northern site VJ received as much as 33 kg N ha-1 yr-1 via spruce canopy throughfall. The southern site was less polluted (17.6 kg N ha-1 yr-1). Isotope signatures of living moss differed between the two sites (δ15N of -3‰ and -7‰ at VJ and CB, respectively). After 18 months, an isotope mass balance was constructed. In the CB-to-VJ transplant, a significant portion of original CB nitrogen (98-31%) was removed and replaced by nitrogen of the host site throughout the top 10 cm of the profile. Nitrogen, deposited at VJ, was immobilized in imported CB peat that was up to 20 years old. Additionally, we compared N concentration and N accumulation rates in 210Pb-dated peat profiles with well-constrained data on historical atmospheric N pollution. Nationwide N emissions peaked in 1990, while VJ exhibited the highest N content in peat that formed in 1930. This de-coupling of N inputs and N retention in peat might be interpreted as a result of translocation of dissolved pollutant N downcore, corroborating our δ15N results at VJ and CB. Data from a variety of peat bogs along pollution and climatic gradients would be needed to test to what extent the record of atmospheric N inputs in peat is overprinted by variable, locally-controlled decomposition rates.

Facies development in the Lower Freeport coal bed, west-central Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pierce, B.S.; Stanton, R.W.; Eble, C.F.

1991-01-01

The Lower Freeport coal bed in west-central Pennsylvania is interpreted to have formed within a lacustrine-mire environment. Conditions of peat formation, caused by the changing chemical and physical environments, produced five coal facies and two mineral-rich parting facies within the coal bed. The coal bed facies are compositionally unique, having developed under varying conditions, and are manifested by megascopic, petrographic, palynologic and quality characteristics. The initial environment of the Lower Freeport peat resulted in a coal facies that is relatively high in ash yield and contains large amounts of lycopod miospores and moderate abundances of cryptotelinite, crypto-gelocollinite, inertinite and tree fern miospores. This initial Lower Freeport peat is interpreted to have been a topogenous body that was low lying, relatively nutrient rich (mesotrophic to eutrophic), and susceptible to ground water and to sediment influx from surface water. The next facies to form was a ubiquitous, clay-rich durain parting which is attributed to a general rise in the water table accompanied by widespread flooding. Following formation of the parting, peat accumulation resumed within an environment that inhibited clastic input. Development of doming in this facies restricted deposition of the upper shale parting to the margins of the mire and allowed low-ash peat to form in the interior of the mire. Because this environment was conducive to preservation of cellular tissue, this coal facies also contains large amounts of crypto-telinite. This facies development is interpreted to have been a transitional phase from topogenous, planar peat formation to slightly domed, oligotrophic (nutrient-poor) peat formation. As domed peat formation continued, fluctuations in the water table enabled oxidation of the peat surface and produced high inertinite concentrations toward the top of the coal bed. Tree ferns became an increasingly important peat contributor in the e upper facies, based on the palynoflora. This floral change is interpreted to have resulted from the peat surface becoming less wet or better drained, a condition that inhibited proliferation of lycopod trees. Accumulation of the peat continued until rising water levels formed a freshwater lake within which clays and silts were deposited. The development of the Lower Freeport peat from a planar mire through transitional phases toward domed peat formation may be an example of the type of peat formation of other upper Middle and Upper Pennsylvanian coal beds. ?? 1991.

Factors controlling peat chemistry and vegetation composition in Sudbury peatlands after 30 years of pollution emission reductions.

PubMed

Barrett, Sophie E; Watmough, Shaun A

2015-11-01

The objective of this research was to assess factors controlling peat and plant chemistry, and vegetation composition in 18 peatlands surrounding Sudbury after more than 30 years of large (>95%) pollution emission reductions. Sites closer to the main Copper Cliff smelter had more humified peat and the surface horizons were greatly enriched in copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni). Copper and Ni concentrations in peat were significantly correlated with that in the plant tissue of Chamaedaphne calyculata. The pH of peat was the strongest determining factor for species richness, diversity, and community composition, although percent vascular plant cover was strongly negatively correlated with surface Cu and Ni concentrations in peat. Sphagnum frequency was also negatively related to peat Cu and Ni concentrations indicating sites close to Copper Cliff smelter remain adversely impacted by industrial activities. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Excavating and loading equipment for peat mining

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Peat Processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

Humics, Inc. already had patented their process for separating wet peat into components and processing it when they consulted NERAC regarding possible applications. The NERAC search revealed numerous uses for humic acid extracted from peat. The product improves seed germination, stimulates root development, and improves crop yields. There are also potential applications in sewage disposal and horticultural peat, etc.

Growing reforestation conifer stock: Utilizing peat/sawdust medium

Treesearch

Janice K. Schaefer

2009-01-01

Western Forest Systems, Incorporated (WFS) (Lewiston, ID) has been utilizing a peat/sawdust blended mix as our growing medium for the past 10 years. Our decision to change from a peat/vermiculite blend to a peat/Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) sawdust blend involved worker health and safety issues, seedling culture, seedling production, and...

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Peat resources of Maine. Volume 2. Penobscot County

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cameron, C.C.; Mullen, M.K.; Lepage, C.A.

1984-01-01

In July 1979, the Maine Office of Energy Resources, in conjunction with the Maine Geological Survey, began the Maine Peat Resource Evaluation Program. The Program, which was funded by the US Department of Energy (DOE), was undertaken to determine the amount and location of fuel-grade peat in Maine. Two hundred thirty-three areas containing peat deposits were evaluated under the Program. A total of 47 deposits covering 21,666 acres and containing 40,923,000 short tons (dry weight) of peat in Penobscot County have been evaluated under the Maine Peat Resource Evaluation Program. These deposits range in size from 35 to 3301 acresmore » and in estimated resources from 45,000 to 6,994,000 short tons. Maps of individual deposits showing the distribution and depth of peat, core sites, and the surficial geology of the area adjacent to the deposits are shown in Figures 4 to 46. Cores showing the vertical distribution of peat and sediment as well as sample locations, and the results of laboratory analyses are also included. 22 references, 46 figures, 3 tables.« less

Investigation of smoldering combustion propagation of dried peat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palamba, Pither; Ramadhan, M. L.; Imran, F. A.; Kosasih, E. A.; Nugroho, Y. S.

2017-03-01

Smoldering is a form of combustion characterised by flameless burning of porous materials. Smoldering combustion of porous and organic soil such as peat, is considered as a major contributor to haze problem during wildland fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan, Indonesia. With almost half of tropical peatland worldwide, and vast area that resulted in its rich agricultural diversity, Indonesia possessed many variants of peat throughout the region. Thus, further highlighting the importance of characterizing the thermal properties of different varieties of peats for further analysis. An experimental test method was built to analyse the differences of varying peats from different parts of Indonesia, regarding its smoldering combustion propagation. In this case, peat from Papua and South Sumatera were analysed. A cylindrical wire meshed container of 190 cm3 in volume, was filled with dried peat. The temperature data and mass loss during the smoldering combustion was gathered using thermocouples and a DAQ system. After the experimental apparatus was set, a smoldering combustion of the dried peats was initiated at the top of the container using an electric heater. The results of the experiment showed a smoldering temperature of about 600°C and with a smoldering propagation rate of about 4.50 to 4.75 cm/h for both peat samples.

A Database and Synthesis of Northern Peatland Soil Properties and Holocene Carbon and Nitrogen Accumulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Loisel, Julie; Yu, Zicheng; Beilman, David W.; Camill, Philip; Alm, Jukka; Amesbury, Matthew J.; Anderson, David; Andersson, Sofia; Bochicchio, Christopher; Barber, Keith;

Physicochemical properties of hydrothermally treated peat fuel obtained from Mempawah-West Kalimantan: influence of hydrophilicity index on carbon aromaticity and combustibility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mursito, Anggoro Tri; Hirajima, T.; Listiyowati, L. N.

2018-02-01

Mempawah peat of West Kalimantan was selected as raw material for studying the physicochemical properties of peat fuel products and their characteristic in the hydrothermal upgrading process at a temperature range of 150°C to 380°C at an average heating rate of 6.6°C/min for 30 minutes. The 13C NMR spectra revealed changes in the effect of temperature on carbon aromaticity of raw peat and peat fuel products which were in 0.39 to 0.63 as the temperature increased. Other phenomenon occurring during the experiment was hydrophilicity index of peat fuel surface decreases of about 1.7 and 1.4 with increased treatment temperature. We also found that hydrothermal upgrading also affected the combustion properties of peat fuel products. Ignition temperature of raw peat and solid products were at 175°C and between 188°C to 285°C respectively. Temperature at the maximum combustion rate of raw peat and solid products was at 460°C, and between 477°C to 509°C were suggested to the increasing of reactivity of solid products respectively. Here, we discussed several phenomenon of the peat fuel product during hydrothermal process with a respect to the change in the physicochemical properties as determined by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Thermogravimetric and Differential Thermal Analysis (TG-DTA) analyses, 13C NMR and also other supporting analytical equipment.

Age Determination of the Remaining Peat in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drexler, Judith Z.; de Fontaine, Christian S.; Knifong, Donna L.

2007-01-01

Introduction The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California was once a 1,400 square kilometer (km2) tidal marsh, which contained a vast layer of peat ranging up to 15 meters (m) thick (Atwater and Belknap, 1980). Because of its favorable climate and highly fertile peat soils, the majority of the Delta was drained and reclaimed for agriculture during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Drainage of the peat soils changed the conditions in the surface layers of peat from anaerobic (having no free oxygen present) to aerobic (exposed to the atmosphere). This change in conditions greatly increased the decomposition rate of the peat, which consists largely of organic (plant) matter. Thus began the process of land-surface subsidence, which initially was a result of peat shrinkage and compaction, and later largely was a result of oxidation by which organic carbon in the peat essentially vaporized to carbon dioxide (Deverel and others, 1998; Ingebritsen and Ikehara, 1999). Because of subsidence, the land-surface elevation on farmed islands in the Delta has decreased from a few meters to as much as 8 m below local mean sea level (California Department of Water Resources, 1995; Steve Deverel, Hydrofocus, Inc., written commun., 2007). The USGS, in collaboration with the University of California at Davis, and Hydrofocus Inc. of Davis, California, has been studying the formation of the Delta and the impact of wetland reclamation on the peat column as part of a project called Rates and Evolution of Peat Accretion through Time (REPEAT). The purpose of this report is to provide results on the age of the remaining peat soils on four farmed islands in the Delta.

The thin brown line: The crucial role of peat in protecting permafrost in Arctic Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaglioti, B.; Mann, D. H.; Farquharson, L. M.; Baughman, C. A.; Jones, B. M.; Romanovsky, V. E.; Williams, A. P.; Andreu-Hayles, L.

2017-12-01

Ongoing warming threatens to thaw Arctic permafrost and release its stored carbon, which could trigger a permafrost-carbon feedback capable of augmenting global warming. The effects of warming air temperatures on permafrost are complicated by the fact that across much of the Arctic and Subarctic a mat of living plants and decaying litter cover the ground and buffer underlying permafrost from air temperatures. For simplicity here, we refer to this organic mat as "peat". Because this peat modifies heat flow between ground and air, the rate and magnitude of permafrost responses to changing climate - and hence the permafrost-carbon feedback - are partly slaved to the peat layer's slower dynamics. To explore this relationship, we used 14C-age offsets within lake sediments in Alaskan watersheds underlain by yedoma deposits to track the changing responses of permafrost thaw to fluctuating climate as peat accumulated over the last 14,000 years. As the peat layer built up, warming events became less effective at thawing permafrost and releasing ancient carbon. Consistent with this age-offset record, the geological record shows that early in post-glacial times when the peat cover was still thin and limited in extent, warm intervals triggered extensive thermokarst that resulted in rapid aggradation of floodplains. Today in contrast, hillslopes and floodplains remain stable despite rapid warming, probably because of the buffering effects of the extensive peat cover. Another natural experiment is provided by tundra fires like the 2007 Anaktuvuk River fire that removed the peat cover from tundra underlain by continuous permafrost and resulted in widespread thermkarsting. Further support for peat's critical role in protecting permafrost comes from the results of modeling how permafrost temperatures under different peat thicknesses respond to warming air temperature. Although post-industrial warming has not yet surpassed the buffering capacity of 14,000 years of peat buildup in Arctic Alaska, modeling suggests that a threshold is imminent.

Revegetation processes and environmental conditions in abandoned peat production fields in Estonia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orru, M.; Orru, H.

2009-04-01

As a result of peat extraction, peat production has been finished in Estonia at different times in 154 peat production areas and 9,500 ha (~1% of peatlands) are abandoned, although the peat reserves are not exhausted yet; besides, several areas are not properly recultivated. In addition 12,000 ha of fens (oligotrophic peat layers) are drained and used as grasslands. If the abandoned and non-recultivated peat production areas are not vegetated, their CO2 emission is considerable and peat mineralises in such areas. The aim of the study was to find out specific ecological and geological factors, which affect recovering of peatlands and influence the recultivation. During the revision the amount and quality of the remained reserves, as well as the state of water regime, drainage network and revegetation was assessed in all 154 abandoned peat production areas. The study showed that the state of them is very variable. Some of them are covered with forest, prevailingly with birches at former drainage ditches, later supplemented by pine trees. In the others predominate grasses among plants, and various species of moss (Cladonia rei, Bryum caespiticum, Sphagnum ripariuma, Sphagnum squarrosum) occur as well. Besides, some abandoned areas are completely overgrown with cotton grass. Open abandoned peat areas, which are not covered by vegetation, are much rarer. We found out, that water regime among the factors plays most important role. Moreover abandoned peat production fields, where the environmental conditions have changed - are appropriate for growth of several moss species, which cannot inhabit the areas already occupied by other species. The most interesting discovers were: second growing site of Polia elongata in West-Estonia and Ephemerum serratum, last found in Estonia in the middle of the 19th century, was identified in central Estonia. Also Campylopus introflexus, what was unknown in Estonia. However, the changes in environmental conditions influence the peat layers structure and technical characteristics of organic soils that affect the vegetation of peatlands.

Can we Ecohydrologically Rehabilitate Disturbed Peatlands? From "Wetlands of Mass Decomposition" to "Yes We Can"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waddington, J. M.; Cagampan, J.; Lucchese, M.; Thompson, D. K.; Duval, T. P.

2009-05-01

The natural carbon storage function of peatland ecosystems can be severely affected by human and natural disturbances such as drainage, peat extraction, drought and wildfire. Cutover peatands, for example, become a large and persistent source of atmospheric CO2 following peat extraction. The recovery (rehabilitation, re- establishment, restoration) of disturbed peatlands to a net carbon sink depends to a large extent on the rate of recovery of the surface peat layer referred to as the acrotelm. The acrotelm serves to stabilize water table variation providing ideal conditions for vegetation re-establishment, particularly peat forming Sphagnum moss. Here we present results from several ecosystem-scale field experiments where we examined the change in hydrophysical properties of peat following peat extraction and subsequent restoration and discuss how this affects peatland-atmosphere CO2. We found that moisture retention properties of a new peat layer at a restored peatland were distinct from near- by natural and naturally regenerated sites. Despite considerable biomass accumulation and increase in peat thickness, the new peat layer differed with respect to its moisture retention properties, an indication that factors other than growth have an impact on the restoration of the returning moss layer. Similarly in an acrotelm transplant experiment we determined that the restored peatland experienced high variability in volumetric moisture content (VMC) in the capitula zone (upper 2 cm) where large diurnal changes in VMC (~30%) were observed, suggesting possible disturbance to the peat matrix structure during the extraction-restoration process. However, soil - water retention analysis and physical peat properties (porosity and bulk density) suggest that no significant differences existed between the natural and restored sites. A simple hydrologic model demonstrated that the new peat layer will become an acrotelm in ~20 years when ~20 cm of peat has accumulated, an approach which may aid in designing a long-term sampling strategy for assessing the long- term effects of restoration of disturbed peatlands on peatland hydrology and ecology. Applications of these findings to a new research collaboration on the effects of wildfire on peatland ecohydrology will be discussed.

Electron transfer properties of peat organic matter: from electrochemical analysis to redox processes in peatlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sander, Michael; Getzinger, Gordon; Walpen, Nicolas

2017-04-01

Peat organic matter contains redox-active functional groups that can accept and/or donate electrons from and to biotic and abiotic reaction partners present in peatlands. Several studies have provided evidence that electron accepting quinone moieties in the peat organic matter may act as terminal electron acceptors for anaerobic microbial respiration. This respiration pathway may competitively suppress methanogenesis and thereby lead to excess carbon dioxide to methane formation in peatlands. Electron donating phenolic moieties in peat organic matter have long been considered to inhibit microbial and enzymatic activities in peatlands, thereby contributing to carbon stabilization and accumulation in these systems. Phenols are expected to be comparatively stable in anoxic parts of the peats as phenoloxidases, a class of enzymes capable of oxidatively degrading phenols, require molecular oxygen as co-substrate. Despite the general recognition of the importance of redox-active moieties in peat organic matter, the abundance, redox properties and reactivities of these moieties remain poorly studied and understood, in large part due to analytical challenges. This contribution will, in a first part, summarize recent advances in our research group on the analytical chemistry of redox-active moieties in peat organic matter. We will show how mediated electrochemical analysis can be used to quantify the capacities of electron accepting and donating moieties in both dissolved and particulate peat organic matter. We will link these capacities to the physicochemical properties of peat organic matter and provide evidence for quinones and phenols as major electron accepting and donating moieties, respectively. The second part of this contribution will highlight how these electroanalytical techniques can be utilized to advance a more fundamental understanding of electron transfer processes involving peat organic matter. These processes include the redox cycling (i.e., repeated reduction and re-oxidation) of peat organic matter under alternating anoxic-oxic conditions as well as the oxidation of phenolic moieties in peat organic matter by phenol oxidases in the presence of molecular oxygen. Overall, this contribution will attempt to link molecular-level insights into the redox properties of peat organic matter to larger scale redox processes that are important to carbon cycling in peatlands.

Mechanisms controlling Cu, Fe, Mn, and Co profiles in peat of the Filson Creek Fen, northeastern Minnesota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walton-Day, K.; Filipek, L.H.; Papp, C.S.E.

1990-01-01

Filson Creek Fen, located in northeastern Minnesota, overlies a Cu-Ni sulfide deposit. A site in the fen was studied to evaluate the hydrogeochemical mechanisms governing the development of Fe, Mn, Co, and Cu profiles in the peat. At the study site, surface peat approximately 1 m thick is separated from the underlying mineralized bedrock by a 6-12 m thickness of lake and glaciofluvial sediments and till. Concentrations of Fe, Mn, Co, and Cu in peat and major elements in pore water delineate a shallow, relatively oxidized, Cu-rich zone overlying a deeper, reduced, Fe-, Mn-, and Co-rich zone within the peat. Sequential metal extractions from peat samples reveal that 40-55% of the Cu in the shallow zone is associated with organic material, whereas the remaining Cu is distributed between iron-oxide, sulfide, and residual fractions. Sixty to seventy percent of the Fe, Mn, and Co concentrated in the deeper zone occur in the residual phase. The metal profiles and associations probably result from non-steady-state input of metals and detritus into the fen during formation of the peat column. The enrichment of organic-associated Cu in the upper, oxidized zone represents a combination of Cu transported into the fen with detrital plant fragments and soluble Cu, derived from weathering of outcrop and subcrop of the mineral deposit, transported into the fen, and fixed onto organic matter in the peat. The variable stratigraphy of the peat indicates that weathering processes and surface vegetation have changed through time in the fen. The Fe, Mn, and Co maxima at the base of the peat are associated with a maximum in detrital matter content of the peat resulting from a transition between the underlying inorganic sedimentary environment to an organic sedimentary environment. The chemistry of sediments and ground water collected beneath the peat indicate that mobilization of metals from sulfide minerals in the buried mineral deposit or glacial deposits is minimal. Therefore, the primary source of Cu to the peat at the study site is outcrops and shallow subcrops of the mineral deposit adjacent to the fen. ?? 1990.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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, position of ecosystems in the landscape (lateral migration) and types of bedrocks [2]. The results allow better understanding of the coupling between biogeochemical cycles of carbon and major and trace elements in peat soils in order to predict the future changes in both concentrations and stocks of chemical elements in the Western Siberia peat bog systems under climate warming.

Evaluating the hydraulic and transport properties of peat soil using pore network modeling and X-ray micro computed tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gharedaghloo, Behrad; Price, Jonathan S.; Rezanezhad, Fereidoun; Quinton, William L.

2018-06-01

Micro-scale properties of peat pore space and their influence on hydraulic and transport properties of peat soils have been given little attention so far. Characterizing the variation of these properties in a peat profile can increase our knowledge on the processes controlling contaminant transport through peatlands. As opposed to the common macro-scale (or bulk) representation of groundwater flow and transport processes, a pore network model (PNM) simulates flow and transport processes within individual pores. Here, a pore network modeling code capable of simulating advective and diffusive transport processes through a 3D unstructured pore network was developed; its predictive performance was evaluated by comparing its results to empirical values and to the results of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. This is the first time that peat pore networks have been extracted from X-ray micro-computed tomography (μCT) images of peat deposits and peat pore characteristics evaluated in a 3D approach. Water flow and solute transport were modeled in the unstructured pore networks mapped directly from μCT images. The modeling results were processed to determine the bulk properties of peat deposits. Results portray the commonly observed decrease in hydraulic conductivity with depth, which was attributed to the reduction of pore radius and increase in pore tortuosity. The increase in pore tortuosity with depth was associated with more decomposed peat soil and decreasing pore coordination number with depth, which extended the flow path of fluid particles. Results also revealed that hydraulic conductivity is isotropic locally, but becomes anisotropic after upscaling to core-scale; this suggests the anisotropy of peat hydraulic conductivity observed in core-scale and field-scale is due to the strong heterogeneity in the vertical dimension that is imposed by the layered structure of peat soils. Transport simulations revealed that for a given solute, the effective diffusion coefficient decreases with depth due to the corresponding increase of diffusional tortuosity. Longitudinal dispersivity of peat also was computed by analyzing advective-dominant transport simulations that showed peat dispersivity is similar to the empirical values reported in the same peat soil; it is not sensitive to soil depth and does not vary much along the soil profile.

Tangled history of the European uses of Sphagnum moss and sphagnol.

PubMed

Drobnik, Jacek; Stebel, Adam

2017-09-14

Sphagnum mosses and peat could have been utilized as wound dressings for centuries, however reliable data on this subject are ambiguous; sometimes even no distinction between peat moss (Sphagnum spp.) and peat is made or these terms become confused. The first scientific account on surgical use of peat comes from 1882: a peat digger who successfully, by himself and in the way unknown to the then medicine, cured an open fracture of his forearm with peat. The peat, and very soon the peat moss itself (which is the major constituent of peat) drew attention of the 19th-century surgeons. We search for reliable information on: (1) inspirations for Sphagnum usage for medical purposes and its beginnings in the 19th century, (2) substances or products named sphagnol and their connections with (1); (3) on the origin of this name, (4) and on the occurrence of this name in medical sources. We have identified and studied published sources on the uses of peat-based and Sphagnum-based preparations and products of any processing level (including herbal stock, distillate, isolated pure or impure active principle, or a mixture of such) in surgery, pharmacy or cosmetics. A special attention was paid to the name sphagnol, which appeared many a time, in more than one context since 1899. Source publications were critically analysed from the taxonomical, pharmacognostical and ethnopharmacological points of view. Gathered data were cross-checked with the modern knowledge of the biologically active principles of Sphagnum and the prospects of their medical use. The application of peat in surgery started 1882. The use of peat moss as dressings was developed in the 1880's. It returned to surgical practice during WW1. The name sphagnol has two meanings: (1) A chemical substance isolated from the cell walls of Sphagnum mosses in 1899. A post-1950 research showed it to be a mixture of phenols dominated by sphagnum acid. (2) A product of dry distillation of peat contains solid and liquid fractions and was applied in skin diseases due to antiseptic properties. It was added to ointments and medicated soaps manufactured up to the late 1960's. Today none of these two sphagnols is in use. Surgical application of peat had an ethnopharmacological origin: a case of wound treatment with peat as a remedy rather than a dressing (1880, published 1882) shortly shifted the surgeons' attention to peat moss as an absorptive dressing. The 1880's tests of antiseptic properties of peat and peat moss failed, the sterilization methods overrode the physiological effects of Sphagnum dressings. Sphagnan, a polysaccharide from Sphagnum cell walls, discovered 1983, inhibits microbial growth, tans the collagen and removes ammonia from microbial environments. Portions of raw peat could be sterile. The isolation of sphagnol (1899) from Sphagnum cell walls was not inspired by old surgery. Main component of sphagnol, the sphagnic acid, was used clinically during WW2, but was proved a weak antimicrobial agent. A homonymous name sphagnol appeared independently for a product of dry distillation of peat, introduced commercially probably about 1899, too, which gave rise to confusions: a) the commercial, "distilled" sphagnol was not the crystalline principle of Sphagnum cell walls. 2) the "distilled" sphagnol was hardly defined technologically or pharmacologically, never standardized in terms of the substrate (a variety of peat rather than Sphagnum herb) and the production process. This sphagnol, resembling pitch or tar, was an additive to medicated soaps and ointments for skin treatment and care. It must have been a low-scale product although advertised worldwide. Neither sphagnum acid nor sphagnan are used medicinally today. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Few Issues on the Peat Research in the Altai Mountains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inisheva, Lydia I.; Larina, Galina; Shurova, Maya

2010-05-01

At the present time we carry out complex research of marsh ecosystems in various areas of Gorny Altai to reveal the perspective deposits of peat in the Altai Mountains with the purpose of its use in the medical and recreational spheres. The peat deposits of the Northeastern Altai, Central Altai, and Southeastern Altai are surveyed; the selective chemical analysis of peat and marsh waters is carried out. The group structure of organic substance of various samples of peat is investigated by the method of Institutes of Peat. The toxic metals of Cd, Pb, Hg, Cu, Zn, and As were defined by the method of stripping voltammetry. The region of the Altai Mountains is characterized by the contrastive distribution of some heavy metals and arsenic in a soil cover. This is caused by a variety of petrography and granulometry of soil forming material, and also by a landscape and geochemical situation in the system of vertical zoning. The sources of natural accumulation of heavy metals in the ground might be the deposits of polymetals. In this connection the content of the specified toxic elements in the peat under research has been identified. The peat of the Turochak deposit is characterized by a significant ash content - up to 41,9%; the increased ash content is typical of the Kutyush deposit: from 6,1% up to 19, %. The peat of the Northeastern Altai is referred to non-bitumunous: the content of bitumen makes up less than 5%. In comparison with the European peat the peat under study of the transitive and lowland type is characterized by the significant content of easy hydrolysable substances in the amount of 24,8-41,1%. The amount of the non-hydrolysable rest makes up around 4,3 - 7,4 %. The total content of fulvic acids is less than the content of humic acids by 2,9 - 5,8 times. The high content of humic acids which can reach up to 58 % is characteristic of certain deposits. Humic acids extracted from the peat are characterized, as a rule, by similar IR-spectra. The distinctions are shown in an unequal intensity of characteristic absorption bands, in their spreading and some shifts. It is revealed that humic acids of peat with the increase in a degree of decomposition are exposed to transformation; therefore the increase in their structure of functional groups is observed. As a result of the research which was carried out the following elements among heavy metals in the lowland peat of the Altai Mountains are revealed: Cd (2,7 - 30)> Hg (0,67)> Zn (0,22) ~Pb (0,21)> Cu (0,13)> As (0,03). The degree of mobility of chemical elements in the peat varies within the limits of 1,3 - 36%. According to the degree of their mobility these elements form the following line: Zn (36 %)> Pb (18,1 %)> Cd (9,6 %)> Cu (1,3 %). The content and the character of distribution of the heavy metals under study and arsenic in the peat of the Altai Mountains have their unique features in comparison with the same valley analogues. The mountain peat of the Central Altai contains much less Hg than the West Siberian one: 0,078 mg/g and 0,69 mg/g accordingly. Cd represents itself as the concentrator in the lowland peat of the Northeastern and Central Altai, its content is actually the same and makes up approximately 0,3 mg/kg. The lowland Altai and West Siberian peat has the same amount of Pb: 4-5 mg/kg; they have smaller amounts of Zn and Cu in comparison with the European and West Siberian peat. The revealed features of distribution of some toxic metals are the display of specificity of peat genesis in the conditions of a mountain relief. The complex of the data received by us allows to consider the peat of the Altai Mountains as a non-polluting raw source concerning the amount of some natural toxic substances. The possible perspective directions of practical application of the mountain peat can be medicine, veterinary science, and agriculture.

Low-rank coal study: national needs for resource development. Volume 6. Peat

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1980-11-01

The requirements and potential for development of US peat resources for energy use are reviewed. Factors analyzed include the occurrence and properties of major peat deposits; technologies for extraction, dewatering, preparation, combustion, and conversion of peat to solid, liquid, or gaseous fuels; environmental, regulatory, and market constraints; and research, development, and demonstration (RD and D) needs. Based on a review of existing research efforts, recommendations are made for a comprehensive national RD and D program to enhance the use of peat as an energy source.

SPRUCE Deep Peat Heating (DPH) Peat Water Content and Temperature Profiles for Experimental Plot Cores, June 2014 through June 2015

DOE Data Explorer

Kluber, Lauren A. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.; Phillips, Jana R. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.; Hanson, Paul J. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.; Schadt, Christopher W. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.

2016-01-01

This data set provides the peat water content and peat temperature at time of sampling for peat cores collected before and during the SPRUCE Deep Peat Heating (DPH) study. Cores were collected during three sampling events: 03 June 2014, 09 September 2014, and 16 June 2015. Two cores were extracted from hollow locations in each of the 10 experimental plots (4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 16, 17, 19, and 20). Cores were partitioned into samples at 11 depth increments: 0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-40, 40-50, 50-75, 75-100, 100-125, 125-150, 150-175, and 175-200 cm below surface of the hollow.

Effectiveness of lime and peat applications on cadmium availability in a paddy soil under various moisture regimes.

PubMed

Chen, Yanhui; Xie, Tuanhui; Liang, Qiaofeng; Liu, Mengjiao; Zhao, Mingliu; Wang, Mingkuang; Wang, Guo

2016-04-01

In paddy soils, amendments and moisture play important role in the immobilization of cadmium (Cd). The effects of applying lime, peat, and a combination of both on soil Eh, pH, and Cd availability in contaminated soils were investigated under wetted (80 ± 5 % of water holding capacity) and flooded (completely submerged) conditions. In wetted soils, there was little change in Eh, compared to flooded soils where Eh reduced rapidly. Amendments of lime only or in a mixture with peat increased soil pH to different degrees, depending on the lime application rate. However, peat addition only slightly affected soil pH. The decreased Cd availability in flooded soils was related to submergence duration and was significantly lower than that in wetted soils after 14 days. Liming wetted and flooded soils decreased exchangeable Cd and increased carbonates or Fe-Mn oxides bound fractions, while peat addition transformed Cd from carbonates to organic matter bound fractions. The combined application of peat and lime generally showed better inhibitory effects on the availability of Cd than separately application of lime or peat. Higher application rates of lime, peat, or their mixture were more effective at reducing Cd contamination in flooded soil. This indicates that application of peat and lime mixture under flooded conditions was most effective for in situ remediation of Cd-contaminated soils. Further studies are required to assess the long-term effectiveness of the peat and lime mixture on Cd availability in paddy soils.

Influence of a step-change increase of peat moisture content on the horizontal propagation of smouldering fires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prat-Guitart, Nuria; Belcher, Claire M.; Hadden, Rory M.; Rein, Guillermo; Yearsley, Jon M.

2015-04-01

In shallow layers of peat, the transition between moss species causes a step-change of the horizontal distribution of peat moisture content. Post-fire studies in peatlands have reported shallow layers being consumed in irregular distributions. The unburned areas were found to be patches of wet Sphagnum moss. Our laboratory scale study analyses the effect of a horizontal step-change in moisture content on the spread of smouldering. We designed a laboratory-scale experiment (20×18×5 cm) within an insulated box filled with milled peat. Peat was ignited on one side of the box from which the smouldering fire horizontally self-propagates through a region of dry peat (MC1) and then through a wetter region of peat (MC2). An infrared camera, a webcam and thermocouples monitor the position of the smouldering fire spreading horizontally. The experiment was repeated with peats at different moisture content combinations to analyse the smouldering behaviour on a range of moisture content step-change conditions. The data analysis estimates the burned area and examines smouldering fire behaviour across a wide range of moisture content combinations reproducing realistic scenarios. We found that the area burned depends on peat moisture content before the step-change (MC1) as well as the increase in moisture of the step-change itself (difference between MC1 and MC2). Our study assists in researching the influence of peat moisture content on the spread of smouldering in peatland fire and contributes to a better understanding of the post-fire peatland landscape, helping to reconstruct smouldering fire events.

Peat accumulation in drained thermokarst lake basins in continuous, ice-rich permafrost, northern Seward Peninsula, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jones, Miriam C.; Grosse, Guido; Jones, Benjamin M.; Anthony, Katey Walter

2012-01-01

Thermokarst lakes and peat-accumulating drained lake basins cover a substantial portion of Arctic lowland landscapes, yet the role of thermokarst lake drainage and ensuing peat formation in landscape-scale carbon (C) budgets remains understudied. Here we use measurements of terrestrial peat thickness, bulk density, organic matter content, and basal radiocarbon age from permafrost cores, soil pits, and exposures in vegetated, drained lake basins to characterize regional lake drainage chronology, C accumulation rates, and the role of thermokarst-lake cycling in carbon dynamics throughout the Holocene on the northern Seward Peninsula, Alaska. Most detectable lake drainage events occurred within the last 4,000 years with the highest drainage frequency during the medieval climate anomaly. Peat accumulation rates were highest in young (50–500 years) drained lake basins (35.2 g C m−2 yr−1) and decreased exponentially with time since drainage to 9 g C m−2 yr−1 in the oldest basins. Spatial analyses of terrestrial peat depth, basal peat radiocarbon ages, basin geomorphology, and satellite-derived land surface properties (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI); Minimum Noise Fraction (MNF)) from Landsat satellite data revealed significant relationships between peat thickness and mean basin NDVI or MNF. By upscaling observed relationships, we infer that drained thermokarst lake basins, covering 391 km2 (76%) of the 515 km2 study region, store 6.4–6.6 Tg organic C in drained lake basin terrestrial peat. Peat accumulation in drained lake basins likely serves to offset greenhouse gas release from thermokarst-impacted landscapes and should be incorporated in landscape-scale C budgets.

Uncertainty in peat volume and soil carbon estimated using ground-penetrating radar and probing

Treesearch

Andrew D. Parsekian; Lee Slater; Dimitrios Ntarlagiannis; James Nolan; Stephen D. Sebestyen; Randall K. Kolka; Paul J. Hanson

2012-01-01

Estimating soil C stock in a peatland is highly dependent on accurate measurement of the peat volume. In this study, we evaluated the uncertainty in calculations of peat volume using high-resolution data to resolve the three-dimensional structure of a peat basin based on both direct (push probes) and indirect geophysical (ground-penetrating radar) measurements. We...

Economics of selected energy applications of peat in Panama and Costa Rica

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thayer, G.R.; Ramirez E., O.; Ramirez, A.

Studies were performed to determine the economic competitiveness of peat in Costa Rica and Panama. The cases examined were (1) electrical production in Panama, and (2) industrial boilers and cement plants in Costa Rica. Based on estimates of peat mining costs and the end-use costs we calculated for each application, the price of coal and oil at which the levelized life cycle cost of energy using peat was the same as that when coal or oil was used. We found that a peat-fueled power plant in Panama would be economic if the price of fuel oil was above $0.10 permore » liter and the cost of coal was above $40.00 per metric ton delivered. In Costa Rica, peat was competitive with fuel oil for large boilers (34,000 kg of steam per hour) when the cost of oil was above $0.10 per liter. For smaller boilers (5,000 kg of steam per hour) peat was cheaper than fuel oil when oil was above $0.08 per liter. Peat would be competitive in a cement plant when fuel oil prices were above $0.075 per liter. 5 figs.« less

Comparative study of the thermal properties of mud and peat solutions applied in clinical practice.

PubMed

Beer, A M; Grozeva, A; Sagorchev, P; Lukanov, J

2003-11-01

Different peloids as e.g. mud and peat have been traditionally used for therapeutic purposes successfully, especially of there thermal actions. It was the aim of the experimental study to compare the thermal properties of two peloids, mud and peat, with a view to assessing their thermal effects when they are applied in clinical practice. The studies were carried out using peat of the marsh type of peats (Hochmoor), and curative Pomorie (Bulgaria) mud. As important parameters were determined the specific thermal capacity at constant pressure (Cp), the density of solutions (rho), the cooling rate (m), the coefficient of temperature transfer (a) of solutions and the coefficient of thermal conductivity (lambda) of solutions of peat and curative mud, compared to water bath. The comparative studies of the thermal properties of water and water solutions of peat and curative mud show that the thermal effect of the water bath is substantially smaller than that of the peat and mud applications. This difference is due to a greater extent to the high values of the dynamic viscosity, not allowing cooling by convection and protecting the surface of the skin upon applications of peloid solutions with a higher temperature.

Radiocarbon ages of different fractions of peat on coastal lowland of Bohai Bay: marine influence?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shang, Zhiwen; Wang, Fu; Fang, Jing; Li, Jianfen; Chen, Yongsheng; Jiang, Xingyu; Tian, Lizhu; Wang, Hong

2018-05-01

Peat in boreholes is the most important 14C dating material used for constructing age framework. 20 bulk peat samples were collected from five boreholes, the 14C ages of two fractions (organic sediment fraction and peat fraction) of the bulk peat samples were investigated by AMS-dating and which fraction is better to help construct an age framework for the boreholes were compared and discussed. The results indicated that the peat fraction give a good dating results sequence in the boreholes, compared with the corresponding organic sediment fraction. And the dating results of organic sediment fraction show 161-6 702 years older than corresponding peat fraction, which was caused by marine influence. Then, we suggest an experience formula as y=0.99x-466.5 by the correlation analysis for correcting the marine influenced organic sediment ages within the conventional ages between 4 000 to 9 000 yrs BP, and more study should be carried out for the AMS 14C dating of the bulk organic sediments.

Biochemical processes of oligotrophic peat deposits of Vasyugan Mire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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 spores are observed in all deposit layers, mycelium of mushrooms deepens into the peat deposit (to 2 meters) within the limits of aerobic (meter) zone and only in particular months of dry years. The existence of seasonal dynamics of eukaryotic cells, and also capability of yeast and other groups of micromycetes for growth, testifies about vital activity of a number of eukaryotic cells at a depth of 2 meters. Researched peat deposits are biochemically active along the whole profile. But they are different in a microflora number of individual physiological groups either in items of the landscape, or in deposit depth. The largest quantity of aerobic cellulose-fermenting microorganisms is marked during dry years. Anaerobic cellulose-fermenting microorganisms dominate during wet years. The quantity of microbe biomass increases in bottom lifts of peat deposits. This fact testifies about viable condition of microbe complex at depth. The formation process of carbon dioxide in peat deposits of Vasyugan Mire actively occurs during dry years and is defined by hydrothermic conditions of a meter layer of peat deposit. The intensity of CO2 isolation for certain correlates with the temperature in horizon of 0 - 50 sm. and with bog waters level. The study of gas composition for the three years showed that the largest concentration of carbon dioxide in peat soils is marked along the whole profile during a dryer year (0.08 - 2.65 millimole/l), increasing other years' level in about 1.5 0 2 times. Emission of carbon dioxide in peat

Changes in the geodiversity of Dutch peatlands inferred from 19th and 20th century landscape paintings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jungerius, Pieter Dirk; van den Ancker, Hanneke; Wevers, Nina

2013-04-01

Geodiversity is the natural and cultural range of geological, geomorphological and soil features. We analysed the large database of 19th and early 20th century paintings of Simonis and Buunk (www.Simonis-Buunk.com) to track changes in the geodiversity of Dutch peatlands since pre-photographic times. Peat dominated in two of the eight main landscapes of the Netherlands: the Lowland peats in the Holocene west and the Highland peats in the sandy Pleistocene eastern parts. Painters were mainly attracted by the lowland peats. Since more than thousand years, peat plays a major role in Dutch military security, economy, ecology and cultural life. Natural variety and cultural use resulted in a geodiversity that is unique in Europe. There are more than 100 place names with 'veen' (= peat), and surnames with 'veen' are common. Proof of the exploitation of peat for salt and fuel exists from the Roman times onwards. In the 9th century, peatlands were drained and reclaimed for growing wheat. Already in the 11th century, it was necessary to build dikes to prevent flooding, to control waterlevels to avoid further oxidation, and to convert landuse to grassland. But subsidence continued, and in the 14th century windmills were needed to drain the lands and pump the water out. In the 16th century industrial peat exploitation fuelled the rise of industries and cities. All this draining and digging caused the peat surface to shrink. The few remaining living peats are conserved by nature organisations. Geodiversity and landscape paintings In the peat landscapes, popular painting motives were high water levels, the grasslands of the 'Green Heart', the winding streams and remaining lakes. The paintings of landscapes where peat had been removed, show watermanagement adaptations: wind mills, different water levels, canals made for the transport of fuel, bridges, tow paths and the 'plassen', i.e. the lakes left after peat exploitation. The droogmakerijen (reclaimed lakes), now 2 to 5 m below sealevel, were less inspiring. Examples of geodiversity changes illustrated by the landscape paintings • Peat extraction stopped • Land use changed e.g. the deforestation of the 'Bovenlanden' • Erosion by waves and boats caused the collapse of peat islands in the artificial lakes • Peat polders of the Green Heart were sacrificed for building projects • 90% of the original wind mills were replaced by electrical and motor pumps • Horse traction was replaced by motor vehicles, which made tow paths and high wooden bridges redundant. • Dam burst risk increased and skating scenes disappeared with climate change, References Jungerius, P.D., 2010. Sea level rise and the response of the Dutch people - Adaptive strategies based on geomorphologic principles give sustainable solutions. In: Martini I.P.& Chesworth, W.(eds.) Landscapes and Societies. Springer Verlag.

Stocks and fluxes of carbon associated with land use change in Southeast Asian tropical peatlands: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hergoualc'h, Kristell; Verchot, Louis V.

2011-06-01

The increasing and alarming trend of degradation and deforestation of tropical peat swamp forests may contribute greatly to climate change. Estimates of carbon (C) losses associated with land use change in tropical peatlands are needed. To assess these losses we examined C stocks and peat C fluxes in virgin peat swamp forests and tropical peatlands affected by six common types of land use. Phytomass C loss from the conversion of virgin peat swamp forest to logged forest, fire-damaged forest, mixed croplands and shrublands, rice field, oil palm plantation, and Acacia plantation were calculated using the stock difference method and estimated at 116.9 ± 39.8, 151.6 ± 36.0, 204.1 ± 28.6, 214.9 ± 28.4, 188.1 ± 29.8, and 191.7 ± 28.5 Mg C ha-1, respectively. Total C loss from uncontrolled fires ranged from 289.5 ± 68.1 Mg C ha-1 in rice fields to 436.2 ± 77.0 Mg C ha-1 in virgin peat swamp forest. We assessed the effects of land use change on C stocks in the peat by looking at how the change in vegetation cover altered the main C inputs (litterfall and root mortality) and outputs (heterotrophic respiration, CH4 flux, fires, and soluble and physical removal) before and after conversion. The difference between the soil input-output balances in the virgin peat swamp forest and in the oil palm plantation gave an estimate of peat C loss of 10.8 ± 3.5 Mg C ha-1 yr-1. Peat C loss from other land use conversions could not be assessed due to lack of data, principally on soil heterotrophic respiration rates. Over 25 years, the conversion of tropical virgin peat swamp forest into oil palm plantation represents a total C loss from both biomass and peat of 427.2 ± 90.7 Mg C ha-1 or 17.1 ± 3.6 Mg C ha-1 yr-1. In all situations, peat C loss contributed more than 63% to total C loss, demonstrating the urgent need in terms of the atmospheric greenhouse gas burden to protect tropical virgin peat swamp forests from land use change and fires.

Genesis of peat-bog soils in the northern taiga spruce forests of the Kola Peninsula

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nikonov, V.V.

1981-01-01

The characteristics of soil formation processes in the Peat-Bog soils of waterlogged spruce phytocenoses on the Kola Peninsula are investigated. It is found that the ash composition of the peat layer is determined primarily by the composition of the buried plant residues. The effect of the chemical composition of water feeding the peat bogs is determined. (Refs. 7).

Soil carbon dioxide emissions from a rubber plantation on tropical peat.

PubMed

Wakhid, Nur; Hirano, Takashi; Okimoto, Yosuke; Nurzakiah, Siti; Nursyamsi, Dedi

2017-03-01

Land-use change in tropical peatland potentially results in a large amount of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions owing to drainage, which lowers groundwater level (GWL) and consequently enhances oxidative peat decomposition. However, field information on carbon balance is lacking for rubber plantations, which are expanding into Indonesia's peatlands. To assess soil CO 2 emissions from an eight-year-old rubber plantation established on peat after compaction, soil CO 2 efflux was measured monthly using a closed chamber system from December 2014 to December 2015, in which a strong El Niño event occurred, and consequently GWL lowered deeply. Total soil respiration (SR) and oxidative peat decomposition (PD) were separately quantified by trenching. In addition, peat surface elevation was measured to determine annual subsidence along with GWL. With GWL, SR showed a negative logarithmic relationship (p<0.01), whereas PD showed a strong negative linearity (p<0.001). Using the significant relationships, annual SR and PD were calculated from hourly GWL data to be 3293±1039 and 1408±214gCm -2 yr -1 (mean±1 standard deviation), respectively. PD accounted for 43% of SR on an annual basis. SR showed no significant difference between near and far positions from rubber trees (p>0.05). Peat surface elevation varied seasonally in almost parallel with GWL. After correcting for GWL difference, annual total subsidence was determined at 5.64±3.20 and 5.96±0.43cmyr -1 outside and inside the trenching, respectively. Annual subsidence only through peat oxidation that was calculated from the annual PD, peat bulk density and peat carbon content was 1.50cmyr -1 . As a result, oxidative peat decomposition accounted for 25% of total subsidence (5.96cmyr -1 ) on average on an annual basis. The contribution of peat oxidation was lower than those of previous studies probably because of compaction through land preparation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Phosphorus mobilization in rewetted fens: the effect of altered peat properties and implications for their restoration.

PubMed

Zak, Dominik; Wagner, Carola; Payer, Brian; Augustin, Jürgen; Gelbrecht, Jörg

2010-07-01

Rewetting of drained fens is necessary to stop further soil degradation and to reestablish important ecological functions. However, substantial changes of peat characteristics in the upper soil layers, due to drainage and land use, could counteract their recovery as nutrient-poor systems for an unknown period. We assessed the importance of altered peat properties, such as the degree of peat decomposition and the amount of redox-sensitive phosphorus (P) compounds, for P mobilization in different degraded fens. An experimental design involving 63 intact peat cores from fens with varying drainage and land-use histories was developed to quantify the mobilization of P, as well as that of iron (Fe), ammonium, carbon dioxide, and methane, all indicators of organic-matter decomposition and/or P-releasing processes. We found that net P release rates in peat cores with highly decomposed peat (range: 0.1-52.3 mg P x m(-2) x d(-1)) were significantly correlated to the amount of P bound to redox-sensitive compounds and the molar Fe:P as well as Al:P ratios of peat. We conclude that the following general rules apply for P mobilization in rewetted fens: (1) elevated levels of P release rates and P concentrations in pore water up to three orders of magnitude larger than under natural reference conditions can only be expected for rewetted fens whose surface soil layers consist of highly decomposed peat; (2) peat characteristics, such as the amount of P bound to redox-sensitive Fe(III) compounds (positive correlation) and molar ratios of Fe:P or Al:P (negative correlations), explain the high range of P release rates; and (3) a critical P export to adjacent lakes or rivers can only be expected if molar Fe:P ratios of highly decomposed peat are less than 10.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Early age compressive strength, porosity, and sorptivity of concrete using peat water to produce and cure concrete

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olivia, Monita; Ismeddiyanto, Wibisono, Gunawan; Sitompul, Iskandar R.

2017-09-01

Construction in peatland has faced scarce water sources for mixing and curing concrete. It is known that peat water has high organic content and low pH that can be harmful to concrete in the environment. In some remote areas in Riau Province, contractors used peat water directly without sufficient treatments to comply with SKSNI requirements of concrete mixing water. This paper presents a study of compressive strength, porosity and sorptivity of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and blended OPC-Palm Oil Fuel Ash (OPC-POFA) concrete. The specimens were mixed using natural water and peat water, then some of them were cured in fresh water and peat water. Six mixtures were investigated using a variation of cement, mixing water and curing water. Tap water is used as control mixing and curing water for all specimens. The compressive strength, porosity and sorptivity were calculated at seven and 28 days. Results indicate that the use of peat water will cause low compressive strength, high porosity and sorptivity for both OPC and OPC-POFA concrete. Using peat water and curing the specimens in tap water could improve the early strength, porosity and sorptivity of OPC concrete; however, it has an adverse effect on OPC-POFA specimens. The properties of early age concrete of both types (OPC and OPC-POFA) using peat water were as good as those with tap water. Therefore, it is suggested that peat water should be considered as mixing and curing water for concrete where tap water resources are scarce. Investigation of its long-term properties, as well as extending the observed age of concrete is recommended before any use of peat water.

Long-term purification efficiency of a wetland constructed to treat runoff from peat extraction.

PubMed

Karjalainen, Satu M; Heikkinen, Kaisa; Ihme, Raimo; Kløve, Bjørn

2016-01-01

Peat extraction increases the phosphorus, nitrogen, organic matter, suspended solids, and iron concentrations in runoff, resulting in negative effects on downstream water bodies. Wetlands are commonly used as natural cost-effective solutions to mitigate these negative effects. This study analyzed changes in the quality of runoff water from peat extraction areas and the long-term efficiency of constructed wetlands. The results indicate that the quality of runoff water changed after the initial drainage and during peat extraction. Nitrogen leached at high concentrations in the early stages of peat extraction following drainage, whereas the leaching of iron and phosphorus increased after peat extraction from deeper layers. Comparison of water quality and impurities retained immediately after treatment wetland construction and 14 years later showed that the treatment wetland remained functional, with good retention capacity, over a long period.

Investigation of metal ions sorption of brown peat moss powder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelus, Nadezhda; Blokhina, Elena; Novikov, Dmitry; Novikova, Yaroslavna; Chuchalin, Vladimir

2017-11-01

For regularities research of sorptive extraction of heavy metal ions by cellulose and its derivates from aquatic solution of electrolytes it is necessary to find possible mechanism of sorption process and to choice a model describing this process. The present article investigates the regularities of aliovalent metals sorption on brown peat moss powder. The results show that sorption isotherm of Al3+ ions is described by Freundlich isotherm and sorption isotherms of Na+ i Ni2+ are described by Langmuir isotherm. To identify the mechanisms of brown peat moss powder sorption the IR-spectra of the initial brown peat moss powder samples and brown peat moss powder samples after Ni (II) sorption were studied. Metal ion binding mechanisms by brown peat moss powder points to ion exchange, physical adsorption, and complex formation with hydroxyl and carboxyl groups.

In situ fluidization for peat bed rupture, and preliminary economic analysis.

PubMed

Niven, R K; Khalili, N

2002-11-01

This study concerns in situ fluidization (ISF), a new remediation method with potential application to the remediation of NAPL and heavy metal contaminants, by their release from the fluidized zone generated by a water jet. The present study examines the effect of ISF on layers of peat, of significance owing to its role as an important NAPL and metal contaminant trap. Once trapped, such contaminants are not readily accessible by most remedial methods, due to the low permeability and diffusivity of the peat. A simple tank experiment is used to demonstrate rupture of a peat layer by ISF, with removal of the peat as elutriated fines and segregated peat chunks. The application of ISF in the field is then examined by three field trials in uncontaminated sands, in both saturated and unsaturated conditions. Fluidized depths of up to 1.9 m in the saturated zone (with refusal on a peat layer) and 2.5 m in the unsaturated zone (no refusal) were attained, using a 1.9-m-long, 50 mm diameter jet operated at 5-13 1 s(-1). Pulses of dark turbidity and shell fragments in the effluent indicated the rupture of peat and shelly layers. The experiments demonstrate the hydraulic viability of ISF in the field, and its ability to remove peat-based contaminants. The issues of appropriate jet design and water generation during ISF are discussed, followed by a preliminary economic analysis of ISF relative to existing remediation methods.

Scheduling Accessory Assists Patients with Cognitive Disorders

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

Recom Technologies Inc. received initial funding from NASA to research the commercial potential of an artificially intelligent planning reaction model to serve as a tool to help individuals suffering from various forms and levels of brain impairment. In 1993, the chief of the Artificial Intelligence Research Branch at Ames Research Center suggested collaborative research with Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. This partnership led to further development of the technology and funding to support clinical research from the U.S. Department of Education's National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. In 1996, Attention Control Systems Inc. was founded to market the finished device, called the Planning and Execution Assistant and Trainer (PEAT). PEAT is a pocket-sized PDA-like device with a graphical display, touchscreen controls, an electronic calendar, an address book, and a built-in phone, that cues users to start or stop scheduled activities, monitors their progress, and adjusts schedules as necessary in response to delays or calendar changes. It uses an automatic planning model developed for NASA to adjust daily plans when a situation changes. PEAT is sold as a complete system that includes software, hardware, documentation, and technical support. In addition to the flagship Pocket PEAT device, there is PEAT Phone, PC PEAT, and PEAT Link. Clinical studies of PEAT continue at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center

Heat transport in the Red Lake Bog, Glacial Lake Agassiz Peatlands

USGS Publications Warehouse

McKenzie, J.M.; Siegel, D.I.; Rosenberry, D.O.; Glaser, P.H.; Voss, C.I.

2007-01-01

We report the results of an investigation on the processes controlling heat transport in peat under a large bog in the Glacial Lake Agassiz Peatlands. For 2 years, starting in July 1998, we recorded temperature at 12 depth intervals from 0 to 400 cm within a vertical peat profile at the crest of the bog at sub-daily intervals. We also recorded air temperature 1 m above the peat surface. We calculate a peat thermal conductivity of 0.5 W m-1 ??C-1 and model vertical heat transport through the peat using the SUTRA model. The model was calibrated to the first year of data, and then evaluated against the second year of collected heat data. The model results suggest that advective pore-water flow is not necessary to transport heat within the peat profile and most of the heat is transferred by thermal conduction alone in these waterlogged soils. In the spring season, a zero-curtain effect controls the transport of heat through shallow depths of the peat. Changes in local climate and the resulting changes in thermal transport still may cause non-linear feedbacks in methane emissions related to the generation of methane deeper within the peat profile as regional temperatures increase. Copyright ?? 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Logged peat swamp forest supports greater macrofungal biodiversity than large-scale oil palm plantations and smallholdings.

PubMed

Shuhada, Siti Noor; Salim, Sabiha; Nobilly, Frisco; Zubaid, Akbar; Azhar, Badrul

2017-09-01

Intensive land expansion of commercial oil palm agricultural lands results in reducing the size of peat swamp forests, particularly in Southeast Asia. The effect of this land conversion on macrofungal biodiversity is, however, understudied. We quantified macrofungal biodiversity by identifying mushroom sporocarps throughout four different habitats; logged peat swamp forest, large-scale oil palm plantation, monoculture, and polyculture smallholdings. We recorded a total of 757 clusters of macrofungi belonging to 127 morphospecies and found that substrates for growing macrofungi were abundant in peat swamp forest; hence, morphospecies richness and macrofungal clusters were significantly greater in logged peat swamp forest than converted oil palm agriculture lands. Environmental factors that influence macrofungi in logged peat swamp forests such as air temperature, humidity, wind speed, soil pH, and soil moisture were different from those in oil palm plantations and smallholdings. We conclude that peat swamp forests are irreplaceable with respect to macrofungal biodiversity. They host much greater macrofungal biodiversity than any of the oil palm agricultural lands. It is imperative that further expansion of oil palm plantation into remaining peat swamp forests should be prohibited in palm oil producing countries. These results imply that macrofungal distribution reflects changes in microclimate between habitats and reduced macrofungal biodiversity may adversely affect decomposition in human-modified landscapes.

The Characteristics of Electrical and Physical Properties of Peat Soil in Rasau Village, West Kalimantan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aminudin, A.; Hasanah, T. R.; Iryati, M.

2018-05-01

The Electrical and physical properties can be used as indicators for measuring soil conditions. One of the methods developed in agricultural systems to obtain information on soil conditions is through measuring of electrical conductivity. Peat soil is one of the natural resources that exist in Indonesia. This study aims to determine the characteristics of peat soil in Rasau village, West Kalimantan. This research was conducted by the properties of electrical conductivity and water content using 5TE Water Contents and EC Sensor equipment, but also to know the change of physical nature of peat soil covering peat soil and peat type. The results showed that the electrical conductivity value of 1-4 samples was 0.02 -0.29 dS/m and the volume water content value (VWC) was 0.255-0.548 m3/m3 and the physical characteristics obtained were peat colour brown to dark brown that allegedly the soil still has a very high content of organic material derived from weathering plants and there are discovery of wood chips, wood powder and leaf powder on the ground. Knowing the information is expected to identify the land needs to be developed to be considered for future peat soil utilization.

Influence of Biodegradation on the Organic Compounds Composition of Peat.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serebrennikova, Olga; Svarovskaya, Lidiya; Duchko, Maria; Strelnikova, Evgeniya; Russkikh, Irina

2016-06-01

Largest wetland systems are situated on the territory of the Tomsk region. They are characterized by the high content of organic matter (OM), which undergoes transformation as a result of physical, chemical and biological processes. The composition of peat OM is determined by the nature of initial peat-forming plants, their transformation products and bacteria. An experiment in stimulated microbial impact was carried out for estimating the influence of biodegradation on the composition of peat lipids. The composition of the functional groups in the bacterial biomass, initial peat and peat after biodegradation was determined by IR-spectroscopy using the spectrometer NICOLET 5700. The IR spectra of peat and bacteria organic matter are characterized by the presence of absorption bands in ranges: 3400-3200 cm-1, which refers to the stretching vibrations of OH-group of carboxylic acids and various types of hydrogen bonds; 1738-1671 cm-1 - characteristic stretching vibrations of the C = O group of carboxylic acids and ketones; 1262 cm-1 - stretching vibrations of C-O of carboxylic acids. Group and individual composition of organic compounds in studied samples was determined by gas chromatography-mass-spectrometry.

The peats of Costa Rica

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thayer, G.R.; Williamson, K.D. Jr.; Ramirez, O.

The authors compare the competitive position of peat for energy with coal, oil, and cogenerative systems in gasifiers and solid-fuel boilers. They also explore the possibility for peat use in industry. To identify the major factors, they analyze costs using a Los Alamos levelized cost code, and they study parametric costs, comparing peat production in constant dollars with interest rates and return on investment. They consider costs of processing plant construction, sizes and kinds of boilers, retrofitting, peat drying, and mining methods. They examine mining requirements for Moin, Changuinola, and El Cairo and review wet mining and dewatering methods. Peatmore » can, indeed, be competitive with other energy sources, but this depends on the ratio of fuel costs to boiler costs. This ratio is nearly constant in comparison with cogeneration in a steam-only production system. For grate boilers using Costa Rican high-ash peat, and for small nonautomatic boilers now used in Costa Rica, the authors recommend combustion tests. An appendix contains a preliminary mining plan and cost estimate for the El Cairo peat deposit. 8 refs., 43 figs., 19 tabs.« less

Flow path oscillations in transient ground-water simulations of large peatland systems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reeve, A.S.; Evensen, R.; Glaser, P.H.; Siegel, D.I.; Rosenberry, D.

2006-01-01

Transient numerical simulations of the Glacial Lake Agassiz Peatland near the Red Lakes in Northern Minnesota were constructed to evaluate observed reversals in vertical ground-water flow. Seasonal weather changes were introduced to a ground-water flow model by varying evapotranspiration and recharge over time. Vertical hydraulic reversals, driven by changes in recharge and evapotranspiration were produced in the simulated peat layer. These simulations indicate that the high specific storage associated with the peat is an important control on hydraulic reversals. Seasonally driven vertical flow is on the order of centimeters in the deep peat, suggesting that seasonal vertical advective fluxes are not significant and that ground-water flow into the deep peat likely occurs on decadal or longer time scales. Particles tracked within the ground-water flow model oscillate over time, suggesting that seasonal flow reversals will enhance vertical mixing in the peat column. The amplitude of flow path oscillations increased with increasing peat storativity, with amplitudes of about 5 cm occurring when peat specific storativity was set to about 0.05 m-1. ?? 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Colloid-facilitated metal transport in peat filters.

PubMed

Kalmykova, Yuliya; Rauch, Sebastien; Strömvall, Ann-Margret; Morrison, Greg; Stolpe, Björn; Hasselliöv, Martin

2010-06-01

The effect of colloids on metal retention in peat columns was studied, with the focus on colloids from two sources-organic matter leached from peat, and introduced organic and hydrous ferric oxide (HFO) colloids. A significant fraction of metals was found to be associated with peat-produced organic colloids; however the concentrations of organic colloids leached are low (trace concentrations) and temporal and have a limited effect on the efficiency of peat filters. In contrast, the presence of organic and HFO colloids in the input water causes a significant decrease in the performance of peat filters. Organic colloids were identified as the main vector of cadmium, copper, nickel, and zinc, while lead is transported by both organic and HFO colloids. The colloidal distribution of metals obtained in this study has important implications for the mobility of trace metals in porous media. The occurrence of colloids in the input waters and their characteristics must be considered when designing water treatment facilities.

The impact of 90 years of drainage works on some chemical properties of raised peat bog organic soils - case study from valley of the Upper San river in Polish Bieszczady Mts. (Eastern Carpathians).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stolarczyk, Mateusz

2016-04-01

Wetland ecosystems, including raised peat bogs are characterized by a specific water conditions and unique vegetation, which makes peatland highly important habitats due to protection of biodiversity. Transformation of peat bog areas is particularly related to changes in the environment e.g. according to reclamation works. Drainage of peatlands is directly associated to the decrease of groundwater levels and lead to a number of changes in the chemical and physical properties of peat material, included contents of exchangeable cations in the surface layers of peat soils in the decession phase of peat development and release above compounds from the soil to ground or surface waters. The aim of the research was to determine the impact of extended drainage works on chemical composition of sorption complex of raised peat bog organic soils and identification the potential environmental effects of alkaline cations leaching to the surface waters. Research was carried out on the peat bogs located in the Upper San valley in Polish Bieszczady Mts. (Eastern Carpathians). Soil samples used in this study were collected from 3 soil profiles in 10 or 20 cm intervals to the approximately 130 cm depth. Laboratory analyses included determination of basic properties of organic material such as the degree of peat decomposition, ash content, soil pH and carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen concentrations. Additionally the amount of alkaline cations, exchangeable and extractable acidity was determined. Furthermore, the degree of saturation of the sorption complex with alkaline cations (V) and cation exchange capacity (CEC) are calculated. In order to evaluate the impact of the examined peat bog to the environment, also water samples were collected and ions composition was measured. The obtained results show that studied organic soils are oligotrophic and strongly acidic. In the case of organic material related to decession phase of peat development, as a result of the lengthy drainage works, increased pH values, changes in the morphology of the peat, high nitrogen contents and lower values of C/N ratios are noticed. The increased contents of calcium, occurred in soil layers comprised of moorsh forming process are probably the effect of peat mineralization process or changes in the chemistry and fluctuations of groundwater levels. As a result of above factors, increased calcium and magnesium concentrations in surface waters in the immediate vicinity of investigated bogs are observed.

Polyphenols as enzyme inhibitors in different degraded peat soils: Implication for microbial metabolism in rewetted peatlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zak, Dominik; Roth, Cyril; Gelbrecht, Jörg; Fenner, Nathalie; Reuter, Hendrik

2015-04-01

Recently, more than 30,000 ha of drained minerotrophic peatlands (= fens) in NE Germany were rewetted to restore their ecological functions. Due to an extended drainage history, a re-establishment of their original state is not expected in the short-term. Elevated concentrations of dissolved organic carbon, ammonium and phosphate have been measured in the soil porewater of the upper degraded peat layers of rewetted fens at levels of one to three orders higher than the values in pristine systems; an indicator of increased microbial activity in the upper degraded soil layers. On the other hand there is evidence that the substrate availability within the degraded peat layer is lowered since the organic matter has formerly been subject to intense decomposition over the decades of drainage and intense agricultural use of the areas. Previously however, it was suggested that inhibition of hydrolytic enzymes by polyphenolic substances is suspended during aeration of peat soils mainly due to the decomposition of the inhibiting polyphenols by oxidising enzymes such as phenol oxidase. Accordingly we hypothesised a lack of enzyme inhibiting polyphenols in degraded peat soils of rewetted fens compared to less decomposed peat of more natural fens. We collected both peat samples at the soil surface (0-20 cm) and fresh roots of dominating vascular plants and mosses (as peat parent material) from five formerly drained rewetted sites and five more natural sites of NE Germany and NW Poland. Less decomposed peat and living roots were used to obtain an internal standard for polyphenol analysis and to run enzyme inhibition tests. For all samples we determined the total phenolic contents and in addition we distinguished between the contents of hydrolysable and condensed tannic substances. From a methodical perspective the advantage of internal standards compared to the commercially available standards cyanidin chloride and tannic acid became apparent. Quantification with cyanidin or tannic acid led to a considerable underestimation (up to 90%) of polyphenolic concentrations in peat soils. As hypothesised we found that highly degraded peat contains far lower levels of total polyphenolics (factor 8) and condensed tannins (factor 50) than less decomposed peat. In addition we detected large differences between different plant species with highest polyphenolic contents for the roots of Carex appropinquata that were more than 10-fold higher than Sphagnum spp. (450 mg/g dry mass vs. 39 mg/g dry mass). Despite these differences, we did not find a significant correlation between enzyme activities and peat degradation state, indicating that there is no simple linear relationship between polyphenolic contents and microbial activity.

Decoding the Secrets of Carbon Preservation and GHG Flux in Lower-Latitude Peatlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richardson, C. J.; Flanagan, N. E.; Wang, H.; Ho, M.; Hodgkins, S. B.; Cooper, W. T.; Chanton, J.; Winton, S.

2017-12-01

The mechanisms regulating peat decomposition and C carbon storage in peatlands are poorly understood, particularly with regard to the importance of the biochemical compounds produced by different plant species and in turn peat quality controls on C storage and GHG flux. To examine the role of carbon quality in C accretion in northern compared to tropical peatlands we completed field and lab studies on bog peats collected in Minnesota, North Carolina, Florida and Peru to answer three fundamental questions; 1) is tropical peat more recalcitrant than northern peat 2) does the addition of aromatic and phenolic C compounds increase towards the tropics 3) do differences in the chemical structure of organic matter explain variances in carbon storage and GHG flux in tropical versus northern peatlands? Our main hypothesize is that high concentrations of phenolics and aromatic C compounds produced in shrub and tree plant communities in peatlands coupled with the fire production of biochar aromatics in peatlands may provide a dual biogeochemical latch mechanism controlling microbial decomposition of peat even under higher temperatures and seasonal drought. By comparing the peat bog soil cores collected from the MN peat bogs, NC Pocosins, FL Everglades and Peru palm swamps we find that the soils in the shrub-dominant Pocosin contain the highest phenolics, which microbial studies indicate have the strongest resistance to microbial decomposition. A chemical comparison of plant driven peat carbon quality along a north to south latitudinal gradient indicates that tropical peatlands have higher aromatic compounds, and enhanced phenolics, especially after light fires, which enhances C storage and affect GHG flux across the latitudinal gradient.

Insights and issues with estimating Holocene peatland carbon stocks: a synthesis and review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loisel, Julie; Yu, Zicheng

2014-05-01

Of all terrestrial ecosystems, peatlands are arguably the most efficient at sequestering carbon (C) over long time scales. However, ongoing and projected climate change could shift the balance between peat production and organic matter decomposition, potentially impacting the peat C sink capacity and modifying peat C fluxes to the atmosphere. Yet, the sign and magnitude of the peatland - C - climate feedback remain uncertain and difficult to assess because of large uncertainties in regional peat C stocks and limited understanding of peatland responses to climate change. Here we present results from the most comprehensive compilation of Holocene peat soil properties with associated carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) accumulation rates for northern peatlands. Our database consists of 268 peat cores from 215 sites located north of 45N. It encompasses regions within which peat C data have only recently become available, such as the West Siberia Lowlands, the Hudson Bay Lowlands, Kamchatka in Far East Russia, and the Tibetan Plateau. The database is publicly available at https://peatlands.lehigh.edu. Several scaling-up methods for estimating present-day peatland C stocks are presented, and uncertainties associated with each one of them are addressed. Likewise, the assumptions for calculating peat C volumes are discussed in light of conceptual models of spatial heterogeneity in peatland structure and function. We also examine the theoretical basis and underlying assumptions for the models of peatland lateral expansion and peat vertical growth used in estimating paleo peatland C stocks. Finally, we explore the importance of the fen-to-bog transition and of permafrost aggradation on C sequestration.

Controls on Methanogenesis in Organic-Rich Anaerobic Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, R.; Tfaily, M.; Chanton, J.; Rich, V. I.; Saleska, S. R.; Holmes, B.; Langford, L.; Hanson, P. J.; Bridgham, S. D.; Hopple, A.; Keller, J.; Cory, A.; Kostka, J. E.

2017-12-01

Peatlands contain an amount of C equal to half the CO2 in the atmosphere. That C is stored as organic C (OC) in peat deposits which form when plant productivity exceeds heterotrophic respiration. This balance has been attributed to cold, anaerobic, low pH conditions which slow microbial respiration rates, high aromatic content which may inhibit microbial decomposition, and recalcitrance of OC under terminal electron-acceptor (TEA) depleted conditions. Peat has been described as a potential C bomb which could release Gt of C into the atmosphere if rising global temperatures shifted this balance in favor of increased microbial respiration. At the Spruce and Peatlands Responses Under Changing Environments (SPRUCE) experimental site in Minnesota, U.S.A., peat up to 2 m deep was heated (+2.25°C to +9°C above ambient) both in situ and in laboratory incubations to test the response of microbial respiration to increasing temperatures. Our results demonstrated (1) that temperature did not influence CO2 or CH4 production rates in deep anaerobic peat, (2) that microbial decomposition was dominated by dissolved OC rather than the solid phase peat, and (3) that microbial decomposition in surface peat may become more methanogenic with warming. This shift towards higher CH4 production relative to CO2 has significant climate change implications since CH4 is a much stronger greenhouse gas than CO2. Under TEA-poor, anaerobic conditions, such as peat deposits, thermodynamic principles dictate that cellulose, the dominant OC form in Sphagnum peat, should be mineralized into equimolar CO2 and CH­4. However, deviations from this predicted ratio abound. The literature of rumen, a system similar to peat in many ways, revealed a potential mechanism for sustaining elevated CO2 production without accumulating inhibitory H2. Using FTICRMS, we found ubiquitous hydrogenation of unsaturated OC which could be acting as TEAs in peat deposits. This mechanism has the further advantages of alleviating the toxicity of aromatic compounds and potentially making otherwise recalcitrant aromatic molecules susceptible to anaerobic decomposition thereby providing a critical step in the diagenesis of peat. Incubation experiments adding H2 support these findings and incubations of irradiated peat suggest an abiotic contribution to CO2 production.

Characterization and source apportionment of particulate matter < or = 2.5 micrometer in Sumatra, Indonesia, during a recent peat fire episode.

PubMed

See, Siao Wei; Balasubramanian, Rajasekhar; Rianawati, Elisabeth; Karthikeyan, Sathrugnan; Streets, David G

2007-05-15

An intensive field study was conducted in Sumatra, Indonesia, during a peat fire episode to investigate the physical and chemical characteristics of particulate emissions in peat smoke and to provide necessary data for source-receptor analyses. Ambient air sampling was carried out at three different sites located at varying distances from the peatfires to determine changes in mass and number concentrations of PM2.5 and its chemical composition (carbonaceous and nitrogenous materials, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, water-soluble inorganic and organic ions, and total and water-soluble metals). The three sites represent a rural site directly affected by the local peat combustion, a semirural site, and an urban site situated downwind of the peat fires. The mass concentration of PM2.5 and the number concentration of airborne particles were as high as 1600 microg/m3 and 1.7 x 10(5) cm(-3), respectively, in the vicinity of peat fires. The major components of PM2.5 in peat smoke haze were carbonaceous particles, particularly organic carbon, NO3-, and SO4(2-), while the less abundant constituents included ions such as NH4+, NO2-, Na+, K+, organic acids, and metals such as Al, Fe, and Ti. Source apportionment by chemical mass balance receptor modeling indicates that peat smoke can travel long distances and significantly affect the air quality at locations downwind.

Biochar as a Substitute for Peat in Greenhouse Growing Media: Soil Water Characteristics and Carbon Leaching Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, M. S.; Hilbert, I.; Jollymore, A. J.

2012-12-01

Biochar (charcoal derived from waste biomass via pyrolysis) has the potential to be used as part of regional scale carbon sequestration strategies. By providing a stable form of carbon that is resistant to decay in soils, biochar can be utilized in a wide range of applications to improve the sustainability of land use management practices. Due to its high water holding capacity, surface area and charge density, it could provide a substitute for peat that is widely used in horticultural activities. Globally, peat production in 2010 amounted to 23.4 Mt, with more than a third of this used for horticulture. In Canada, essentially all peat produced is used for horticulture, with each ton of peat extracted also contributing about 0.7 t CO2e in combined greenhouse gas emissions related to production, transportation and use of peat. We evaluated biochar produced on farm from red alder as a peat substitute in terms of soil water characteristics and carbon leaching in greenhouse growing media (e.g. potting mix). Biochar mixing ratios of 10% (v/v) and greater provided water holding capacity equivalent to peat-based potting mixes. We also present results from a laboratory wetting experiment in which we characterized leachate for dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration and DOC characteristics using spectral methods (uV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy).

Measuring Outcomes for Dysphagia: Validity and Reliability of the European Portuguese Eating Assessment Tool (P-EAT-10).

PubMed

Nogueira, Dália Santos; Ferreira, Pedro Lopes; Reis, Elizabeth Azevedo; Lopes, Inês Sousa

2015-10-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity and the reliability of the European Portuguese version of the EAT-10 (P-EAT-10). This research was conducted in three phases: (i) cultural and linguistic adaptation; (ii) feasibility and reliability test; and (iii) validity tests. The final sample was formed by a cohort of 520 subjects. The P-EAT-10 index was compared for socio-demographic and clinic variables. It was also compared for both dysphagic and non-dysphagic groups as well as for the results of the 3Oz wst. Lastly, the P-EAT-10 scores were correlated with the EuroQol Group Portuguese EQ-5D index. The Cronbach's α obtained for the P-EAT-10 scale was 0.952 and it remained excellent even if any item was deleted. The item-total and the intraclass correlation coefficients were very good. The P-EAT-10 mean of the non-dysphagic cohort was 0.56 and that of the dysphagic cohort was 14.26, the mean comparison between the 3Oz wst groups and the P-EAT-10 scores were significant. A significant higher perception of QoL was also found among the non-dysphagic subjects. P-EAT-10 is a valid and reliable measure that may be used to document dysphagia which makes it useful both for screening in clinical practice and in research.

Thermomagnetic properties of peat-soil layers from Sag pond near Lembang Fault, West Java, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iryanti, Mimin; Wibowo, Dimas Maulana; Bijaksana, Satria

2015-09-01

Sag pond is a body of water near fault system as water flows blocked by the fault. Sag pond is a special type of environment for peat formation as peat layers in were deposited as the fault moves in episodic fashion. Depending on the history of the fault, peat layers are often interrupted by soil layers. In this study, core of peat-soil layers from a Sag pond in Karyawangi Village near Lembang Fault was obtained and analyzed for its magnetic properties. The 5 m core was obtained using a hand auger. Individual samples were obtained every cm and measured for their magnetic susceptibility. In general, there are three distinct magnetic susceptibility layers that were associated with peat and soil layers. The upper first 1 m is unconsolidated mud layer with its relatively high magnetic susceptibility. Between 1-2.81 m, there is consolidated mud layer and the lowest part (2.82-5) m is basically peat layer. Six samples were then measured for their thermomagnetic properties by measuring their susceptibility during heating and cooling from room temperature to 700°C. The thermomagnetic profiles provide Curie temperatures for various magnetic minerals in the cores. It was found that the upper part (unconsolidated mud) contains predominantly iron-oxides, such as magnetite while the lowest part (peat layer) contains significant amount of iron-sulphides, presumably greigite.

Agricultural management impact on physical and chemical functions of European peat soils.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piayda, Arndt; Tiemeyer, Bärbel; Dettmann, Ullrich; Bechtold, Michel; Buschmann, Christoph

2017-04-01

Peat soils offer numerous functions from the global to the local scale: they constitute the biggest terrestrial carbon storage on the globe, form important nutrient filters for catchments and provide hydrological buffer capacities for local ecosystems. Peat soils represent a large share of soils suitable for agriculture in temperate and boreal Europe, pressurized by increasing demands for production. Cultivated peat soils, however, show extreme mineralization rates of the organic substance and turn into hotspots for green house gas emissions, are highly vulnerable to land surface subsidence, soil and water quality deterioration and thus crop failure. The aim of this study is to analyse the impact of past agricultural management on soil physical and chemical functions of peat soils in six European countries. We conducted standardized soil mapping, soil physical/chemical analysis, ground water table monitoring and farm business surveys across 7 to 10 sites in Germany, The Netherlands, Denmark, Estonia, Finland and Sweden. The results show a strong impact of past agricultural management on peat soil functions across Europe. Peat soil under intensive arable land use consistently offer lowest bearing capacities in the upper 10 cm compared to extensive and intensive grassland use, which is a major limiting factor for successful agricultural practice on peat soils. The difference can be explained by root mat stabilization solely, since soil compaction in the upper 25cm is highest under arable land use. A strong decrease of available water capacity and saturated hydraulic conductivity is consequently observed under arable land use, further intensifying hydrological problems like ponding, drought stress and reductions of hydrological buffer capacities frequently present on cultivated peat soils. Soil carbon stocks clearly decrease with increasing land use intensity, showing highest carbon stocks on extensive grassland. This is supported by the degree of decomposition, which is lowest for extensive grass land. Both findings indicate a strong impact of land use intensity and management on soil carbon losses and peat conservation on the European scale. This study provides evidence how functions of peat soils, valuable for successful agricultural production and relevant for climate change mitigation, are impacted by agricultural management.

Organic matter loss from cultivated peat soils in Sweden

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berglund, Örjan; Berglund, Kerstin

2015-04-01

The degradation of drained peat soils in agricultural use is an underestimated source of loss of organic matter. Oxidation (biological degradation) of agricultural peat soils causes a loss of organic matter (OM) of 11 - 22 t ha-1 y-1 causing a CO2 emission of 20 - 40 t ha-1 y-1. Together with the associated N2O emissions from mineralized N this totals in the EU to about 98.5 Mton CO2 eq per year. Peat soils are very prone to climate change and it is expected that at the end of this century these values are doubled. The degradation products pollute surface waters. Wind erosion of peat soils in arable agriculture can cause losses of 3 - 30 t ha-1 y-1 peat also causing air pollution (fine organic particles). Subsidence rates are 1 - 2 cm per year which leads to deteriorating drainage effect and make peat soils below sea or inland water levels prone to flooding. Flooding agricultural peat soils is in many cases not possible without high costs, high GHG emissions and severe water pollution. Moreover sometimes cultural and historic landscapes are lost and meadow birds areas are lost. In areas where the possibility to regulate the water table is limited the mitigation options are either to increase biomass production that can be used as bioenergy to substitute some fossil fuel, try to slow down the break-down of the peat by different amendments that inhibit microbial activity, or permanent flooding. The negative effects of wind erosion can be mitigated by reducing wind speed or different ways to protect the soil by crops or fiber sheets. In a newly started project in Sweden a typical peat soil with and without amendment of foundry sand is cropped with reed canary grass, tall fescue and timothy to investigate the yield and greenhouse gas emissions from the different crops and how the sand effect the trafficability and GHG emissions.

3D modelling of mechanical peat properties in the Holocene coastal-deltaic sequence of the Netherlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koster, Kay; Stouthamer, Esther; Cohen, Kim; Stafleu, Jan; Busschers, Freek; Middelkoop, Hans

2016-04-01

Peat is abundantly present within the Holocene coastal-deltaic sequence of the Netherlands, where it is alternating with clastic fluvial, estuarine and lagoonal deposits. The areas that are rich in peat are vulnerable to land subsidence, resulting from consolidation and oxidation, due to loading by overlying deposits, infrastructure and buildings, as well as excessive artificial drainage. The physical properties of the peat are very heterogeneous, with variable clastic admixture up to 80% of its mass and rapid decrease in porosity with increasing effective stress. Mapping the spatial distribution of the peat properties is essential for identifying areas most susceptible to future land subsidence, as mineral content determines volume loss by oxidation, and porosity influences the rate of consolidation. Here we present the outline of a study focusing on mapping mechanical peat properties in relation to density and amount of admixed clastic constituents of Holocene peat layers (in 3D). In this study we use a staged approach: 1) Identifying soil mechanical properties in two large datasets that are managed by Utrecht University and the Geological Survey. 2) Determining relations between these properties and palaeogeographical development of the area by evaluating these properties against known geological concepts such as distance to clastic source (river, estuary etc.). 3) Implementing the obtained relations in GeoTOP, which is a 3D geological subsurface model of the Netherlands developed by the Geological Survey. The model will be used, among others, to assess the susceptibility of different areas to peat related land subsidence and load bearing capacity of the subsurface. So far, our analysis has focused stage 1, by establishing empirical relations between mechanical peat properties in ~70 paired (piezometer) cone penetration tests and continuously cored boreholes with LOI measurements. Results show strong correlations between net cone resistance (qn), excess pore water (u1-u0), and total vertical stress (σvo), suggesting that the overburden strongly controls the vertical differential susceptibility of peat layers to consolidation.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Contrasting denitrifier communities relate to contrasting N2O emission patterns from acidic peat soils in arctic tundra

PubMed Central

Palmer, Katharina; Biasi, Christina; Horn, Marcus A

2012-01-01

Cryoturbated peat circles (that is, bare surface soil mixed by frost action; pH 3–4) in the Russian discontinuous permafrost tundra are nitrate-rich ‘hotspots' of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions in arctic ecosystems, whereas adjacent unturbated peat areas are not. N2O was produced and subsequently consumed at pH 4 in unsupplemented anoxic microcosms with cryoturbated but not in those with unturbated peat soil. Nitrate, nitrite and acetylene stimulated net N2O production of both soils in anoxic microcosms, indicating denitrification as the source of N2O. Up to 500 and 10 μ nitrate stimulated denitrification in cryoturbated and unturbated peat soils, respectively. Apparent maximal reaction velocities of nitrite-dependent denitrification were 28 and 18 nmol N2O gDW−1 h−1, for cryoturbated and unturbated peat soils, respectively. Barcoded amplicon pyrosequencing of narG, nirK/nirS and nosZ (encoding nitrate, nitrite and N2O reductases, respectively) yielded ≈49 000 quality-filtered sequences with an average sequence length of 444 bp. Up to 19 species-level operational taxonomic units were detected per soil and gene, many of which were distantly related to cultured denitrifiers or environmental sequences. Denitrification-associated gene diversity in cryoturbated and in unturbated peat soils differed. Quantitative PCR (inhibition-corrected per DNA extract) revealed higher copy numbers of narG in cryoturbated than in unturbated peat soil. Copy numbers of nirS were up to 1000 × higher than those of nirK in both soils, and nirS nirK−1 copy number ratios in cryoturbated and unturbated peat soils differed. The collective data indicate that the contrasting N2O emission patterns of cryoturbated and unturbated peat soils are associated with contrasting denitrifier communities. PMID:22134649

Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis infection in swine associated with peat used for bedding.

PubMed

Johansen, Tone Bjordal; Agdestein, Angelika; Lium, Bjørn; Jørgensen, Anne; Djønne, Berit

2014-01-01

Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis is an environmental bacterium causing opportunistic infections in swine, resulting in economic losses. Additionally, the zoonotic aspect of such infections is of concern. In the southeastern region of Norway in 2009 and 2010, an increase in condemnation of pig carcasses with tuberculous lesions was seen at the meat inspection. The use of peat as bedding in the herds was suspected to be a common factor, and a project examining pigs and environmental samples from the herds was initiated. Lesions detected at meat inspection in pigs originating from 15 herds were sampled. Environmental samples including peat from six of the herds and from three peat production facilities were additionally collected. Samples were analysed by culture and isolates genotyped by MLVA analysis. Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis was detected in 35 out of 46 pigs, in 16 out of 20 samples of peat, and in one sample of sawdust. MLVA analysis demonstrated identical isolates from peat and pigs within the same farms. Polyclonal infection was demonstrated by analysis of multiple isolates from the same pig. To conclude, the increase in condemnation of porcine carcasses at slaughter due to mycobacteriosis seemed to be related to untreated peat used as bedding.

Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis Infection in Swine Associated with Peat Used for Bedding

PubMed Central

Johansen, Tone Bjordal; Lium, Bjørn; Jørgensen, Anne; Djønne, Berit

2014-01-01

Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis is an environmental bacterium causing opportunistic infections in swine, resulting in economic losses. Additionally, the zoonotic aspect of such infections is of concern. In the southeastern region of Norway in 2009 and 2010, an increase in condemnation of pig carcasses with tuberculous lesions was seen at the meat inspection. The use of peat as bedding in the herds was suspected to be a common factor, and a project examining pigs and environmental samples from the herds was initiated. Lesions detected at meat inspection in pigs originating from 15 herds were sampled. Environmental samples including peat from six of the herds and from three peat production facilities were additionally collected. Samples were analysed by culture and isolates genotyped by MLVA analysis. Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis was detected in 35 out of 46 pigs, in 16 out of 20 samples of peat, and in one sample of sawdust. MLVA analysis demonstrated identical isolates from peat and pigs within the same farms. Polyclonal infection was demonstrated by analysis of multiple isolates from the same pig. To conclude, the increase in condemnation of porcine carcasses at slaughter due to mycobacteriosis seemed to be related to untreated peat used as bedding. PMID:25431762

Distributions of Heavy Metals and Benzo[ a]pyrene in Oligotrophic Peat Soils and Peat Gleyzems of Northeastern Sakhalin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lipatov, D. N.; Shcheglov, A. I.; Manakhov, D. V.; Karpukhin, M. M.; Zavgorodnyaya, Yu. A.; Tsvetnova, O. B.

2018-05-01

The contents and profile distributions of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg, Pb, and benzo[a]pyrene in oligotrophic peat soils, oligotrophic peat gley soils (Dystric Fibric Histosols), humus-impregnated peat gleyzems (Dystric Histic Gleysols), and mucky gleyzems (Dystric Gleysols) have been analyzed with consideration for their degree of oligotrophicity and anthropogenic loads. Horizons with the accumulation (O, Tpyr, TT) and removal (Ghi,e) of heavy metals have been revealed. The increase in the content of heavy metals and benzo[ a]pyrene in the upper layer of oligotrophic peat soils under technogenic fallouts in the impact zone of flare and motor transport has been considered. Statistical parameters of the spatial variation of parameters in organic and gley horizons have been calculated. The variation coefficients of pollutant elements (Pb and Zn) in the surface horizons of soils increase to 100-125%. Positive correlations revealed between the content of some heavy metals in litter indicate their bioaccumulation and possible joint input with aerotechnogenic fallouts. No correlations are found between the contents of benzo[ a]pyrene and heavy metals, but a reliable negative correlation with the ash content is noted in the peat horizon.

Rice husk ash (RHA) as a partial cement replacement in modifying peat soil properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daud, Nik Norsyahariati Nik; Daud, Mohd Nazrin Mohd; Muhammed, Abubakar Sadiq

2018-02-01

This paper describes the effect of rice husk ash (RHA) and ordinary Portland cement (OPC) as a potential binder for modifying the properties of peat soil. The amounts RHA and OPC added to the peat soil sample, as percentage of the dry soil mass were in the range of 10-15% and 15%, respectively. Observations were made for the changes in the properties of the soil such as maximum dry density (MDD), optimum moisture content (OMC) and shear strength. Scanning Electron Micrograph-Energy Dispersive X-Ray (SEM-EDX) test were also conducted to observe the microstructure of treated and untreated peat soil. The results show that the modified soil of MDD and OMC values are increased due to the increment amount of binder material. Shear strength values of modified peat showing a good result by assuming that it is relative to the formation of major reaction products such as calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H). The presence of C-S-H formation is indicated by the results produced from microstructural analysis of peat before and after modification process. This depicts the potential usage of RHA as a partial cement replacement in peat soil which is also improving its engineering properties.

Effect of Peat on Physicomechanical Properties of Cemented Brick

PubMed Central

Hashim, Roslan; Kurnia, Ryan

2014-01-01

The popularity of low cost, lightweight, and environmentally affable masonry unit in building industry carries the need to investigate more flexible and adaptable brick component as well as to retain the requirements confirmed in building standards. In this study, potential use of local materials used as lightweight building materials in solving the economic problems of housing has been investigated. Experimental studies on peat added bricks have been carried out. It demonstrates the physicomechanical properties of bricks and investigates the influence of peat, sand, and cement solid bricks to the role of various types of constructional applications. The achieved compressive strength, spitting strength, flexural strength, unit weight, and ultrasonic pulse velocity are significantly reduced and the water absorption is increased with percentage wise replacement of peat as aggregate in the samples. The maximum 20% of (% mass) peat content meets the requirements of relevant well-known international standards. The experimental values illustrate that, the 44% volumetric replacement with peat did not exhibit any sudden brittle fracture even beyond the ultimate loads and a comparatively smooth surface is found. The application of peat as efficient brick substance shows a potential to be used for wall and a viable solution in the economic buildings design. PMID:24982941

The influence of aeration and temperature on the structure of bacterial complexes in high-moor peat soil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kukharenko, O. S.; Pavlova, N. S.; Dobrovol'Skaya, T. G.; Golovchenko, A. V.; Pochatkova, T. N.; Zenova, G. M.; Zvyagintsev, D. G.

2010-05-01

The number and taxonomic structure of the heterotrophic block of aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria were studied in monoliths from a high-moor peat (stored at room temperature and in a refrigerator) and in the peat horizons mixed in laboratory vessels. The monitoring lasted for a year. In the T0 horizon, spirilla predominated at room and low temperatures; in the T1 and T2 horizons, bacilli were the dominants. The continuous mixing of the peat layers increased the oxygen concentration and the peat decomposition; hence, the shares of actinomycetes and bacilli (bacteria of the hydrolytic complex) increased. In the peat studied, the bacilli were in the active state; i.e., vegetative cells predominated, whose amount ranged from 65 to 90%. The representatives of the main species of bacilli (the facultative anaerobic forms prevailed) hydrolyzed starch, pectin, and carboxymethylcellulose. Thus, precisely sporiferous bacteria can actively participate in the decomposition of plant polysaccharides in high-moor peat soils that are characterized by low temperatures and an oxygen deficit. The development of actinomycetes is inhibited by low temperatures; they can develop only under elevated temperature and better aeration.

Testing the potential of bacterial branched tetraether membrane lipids as temperature proxy in peat and immature coal deposits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weijers, J. W. H.; Steinmann, P.; Hopmans, E. C.; Basiliko, N.; Finkelstein, S. A.; Johnson, K. R.; Schouten, S.; Sinninghe Damsté, J. S.

2012-04-01

Branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (brGDGT) membrane lipids occur ubiquitously in peat and soil. In soil, the degree of methylation and cyclisation of branched tetraethers (MBT index and CBT ratio, respectively) has shown to relate to both soil pH and annual mean air temperature (MAT). Using this relation, past annual MATs can be reconstructed by analysing brGDGTs in marine sediment records near large river outflows. More recently, the potential of this MBT/CBT proxy is also being explored in lakes. Despite being more abundant in peat than soils, however, the utility of the proxy has not yet been fully explored in peat records. Present day peat records generally extent back to the early Holocene, but if the MBT/CBT proxy were shown to be applicable in peat deposits, there is also potential to apply it to immature coal deposits like lignites, which could provide valuable snapshots of continental climate back to the early Cenozoic. Here results are presented of analyses of different peats in south eastern Canada, showing that the pH of peat along a nutrient gradient is rather well reflected by the CBT. Annual MAT reconstructions based on the MBT/CBT soil calibration, however, tend to overestimate measured MAT. This is also the case for peat analysed from the surface of Etang de la Gruère peat bog in the Swiss Jura Mountains. Along the 6m depth profile of this bog (~13ka), CBT-reconstructed pH is compared with in-situ measured pore water pH showing that the brGDGT composition does not reflect present-day in-situ conditions. Instead, it reflects a stratigraphic boundary between Carex and Sphagnum dominated peat at 4 m depth that is not present in the pore water profile, testifying to a 'fossil' nature of the brGDGTs down the peat bog. Analyses of three immature coals of the Argonne Premium Coal Series reveal that branched GDGTs are present in the most immature coal, the Beulah Zap lignite (Ro = 0.25%), and only just above detection limit in the Wyodak Anderson coal (Ro = 0.32%), both of about the same age (Late Palaeocene). In the more mature Illinois #6 coal (Ro = 0.46%), brGDGTs are completely absent. In the Denver Basin, a comparison is made between outcrop and drilled core samples of Palaeocene lignites. BrGDGTs are preserved in the core samples, although in low quantities compared to peat. Outcrop samples are clearly overprinted by modern soil derived brGDGTs, despite digging a meters deep trench, which shows the need to obtain fresh non-weathered samples by coring. Reconstructed annual MAT for both the Beulah Zap and the Denver Basin lignites are several degrees higher than estimates based on leaf margin and oxygen isotope analyses from the same sites. Both reconstructions do testify, nevertheless, to the warm continental conditions during the early Cenozoic of the central U.S.A.. Although further validation is required, potentially in the form of a specific peat calibration, these results do show potential for application of the MBT/CBT temperature proxy in peat and lignite deposits.

Production of fuel ethanol from cellulosic peat for future transportation systems.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2007-12-01

The production of bioethanol from peat is proposed. A search of the available : literature yields no prior information on the use of peat as a carbon source for : bioethanol. This proposal addresses the production in the most cost-effective manner : ...

SPRUCE S1 Bog Vegetation Survey and Peat Depth Data: 2009

DOE Data Explorer

Hanson, P. J. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A

2009-12-31

This data set reports the results of a field survey of the S1 Bog to characterize the vegetation and to determine peat depth. The survey was conducted on September 21 and 22, 2009. The initial survey of vegetation and peat depth characteristics of the target bog was conducted to evaluate the logical locations for installing replicated experimental blocks for SPRUCE. The goal was to identify multiple locations of uniform aboveground vegetation and belowground peat depth for positioning experimental units within the bog.

Impact of water conditions on land surface subsidance and the decline of organic soils in Kuwasy peatland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chrzanowski, S.; Szajdak, L.

2009-04-01

Organic soils as result of drainage undergo consolidation, mineralization, and subsidence of surface layer, and decline of organic matter. The rate of the subsidence of surface layer depends on a number of factors, such as ground water level, kind of peat, density of thickness of peat layer, drainage depth, climate, land use and drainage duration. These processes are connected with the changes of physical properties and lead to the conversion of organic soils into mineral-organic and mineral. The phenomena are observed in Biebrza, Notec Valley, and Kurpiowska Basin and Wieprz-Krzna channel. During last 42 years, in Kuwasy peatland from 10-13 ton per year was declined and the area of peatland decreased from 53 to 57 cm. It was observed that, peat moorsh soil of the first stadium of moorshification located on a middle decomposed peat transformed into peat-moorh soil of the second stadium of moorshification located on a high decomposed peat. However shallow peat soils were converted into mineral-moorsh and moorsh. Kuwasy peatland was meliorated twice in XX century, first one in the middle of 30 and second one in 50. It led to the farther land surface subsidence and decline of organic matter. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the rate of land surface subsidence, decline of the area and the transformation of physic-water properties in peat-moorsh soil of different water conditions. The investigations were carried out in Kuwasy peatland, located in Biebrza Basin North-East Poland. In peat soil samples ash contents, porosity, pF curves and bulk density were determined. The analysis of these results allowed to evaluate long-term soil subsidence and to relate it to soil water conditions.

Altered peat hydrophysical properties following drainage and wildfire increases peatland vulnerability to ecosystem regime shift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waddington, James; Kettridge, Nick; Sherwood, James; Granath, Gustaf

2015-04-01

Northern peatlands represent a globally significant carbon reservoir, composed largely of legacy carbon which is no longer part of the active carbon cycle. However, it is unclear whether this legacy carbon is vulnerable as a result of enhanced peat smouldering and combustion under the moderate drying conditions predicted for northern peatlands as a result of climate change and/or disturbance from forestry, mining, and associated transport development. A significant loss in legacy carbon as a result of wildfire has already been observed in smaller tropical peatlands where deep peat soils have been destabilized due to severe drainage and a shift in vegetation. Capitalizing on a unique long-term experiment, we quantify the post-wildfire recovery of a northern peatland several decades post drainage. We show that the moderate drop in water table position predicted for most northern regions triggers a shift in vegetation composition, previously observed within only severely disturbed tropical peatlands, when accompanied by wildfire. The combined impact of moderate drainage followed by wildfire resulted in a shift of the peat surface down the peat profile, exposing denser peat at the surface. In undisturbed northern peatlands where depth of burn is typically low, low-density near-surface peats help regulate water-table position and near-surface moisture availability post-fire, both of which are favourable to Sphagnum recolonization. As a result of drainage and fire at the study site, the self-regulating properties of the low-density Sphagnum surface were lost. We demonstrate that changes in peat hydrophysical properties increased hydrological limitations to Sphagnum recovery leading to the conversion to a non-carbon accumulating shrub-grass ecosystem. This new ecosystem is likely to experience a low intensity, high frequency wildfire regime, which will further deplete the legacy carbon stored in the peat.

Inorganic geochemistry of domed peat in Indonesia and its implication for the origin of mineral matter in coal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Neuzil, Sandra G.; Supardi,; Cecil, C. Blaine; Kane, Jean S.; Soedjono, Kadar

1993-01-01

The inorganic geochemistry of three domed ombrogenous peat deposits in Riau and West Kalimantan provinces, Indonesia, was investigated as a possible modern analogue for certain types of low-ash, low-sulfur coal. Mineral matter entering the deposits is apparently limited to small amounts from the allogenic sources of dryfall, rainfall, and diffusion from substrate pore water. In the low-ash peat in the interior of the deposits, a large portion of the mineral matter is authigenic and has been mobilized and stabilized by hydrological, chemical, and biological processes and conditions.Ash yield and sulfur content are low through most of the peat deposits and average 1.1% and 0.14%, respectively, on a moisture-free basis. Ash and sulfur contents only exceed 5% and 0.3%, respectively, near the base of the deposits, with maximum concentrations of 19.9% ash and 0.56% sulfur. Peat water in all three deposits has a low pH, about 4 units, and low dissolved cation concentration, averaging 14 ppm. Near the base, in the geographic interior of each peat deposit, pH is about two units higher and dissolved cation concentration averages 110 ppm. Relative concentrations of the inorganic constituents vary, resulting in chemical facies in the peat. In general, Si, Al, and Fe are the abundant inorganic constituents, although Mg, Ca, and Na dominate in the middle horizon in the geographic interior of coastal peat deposits.The composition of the three deposits reported in this paper indicates that domed ombrogenous peat deposits will result in low ash and sulfur coal, probably less than 10% ash and 1% sulfur, even if marine rocks are laterally and vertically adjacent to the coal.

Economic characteristics of the peat deposits of Costa Rica: preliminary study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cohen, A.D. Malavassi, L.; Raymond, R. Jr.; Mora, S.

1985-01-01

Recent field and laboratory studies have established the presence of numerous extensive peat deposits in Costa Rica. Three of these were selected for initial investigation: (1) the cloud-forest histosols of the Talamanca Mountain Range; (2) the Rio Medio Queso flood plain deposits near the northern Costa Rican border; and (3) a tropical jungle swamp deposit on the northeastern coastal plain. In the Talamanca area, 29 samples were collected from eight sites. Due to the high moisture and cool temperatures of the cloud forest, the peats in this area form blanket-like deposits (generally <1 meter thick) over a wide area (>150more » km/sup 2/). These peats are all highly decomposed (avg. 28% fiber), high in ash (avg. 21%), and extensively bioturbated. Relative to all other sites visited, these peats are lowest in moisture (avg. 84%), pH (avg. 4.4), fixed carbon (avg. 23%), and sulfur (avg. 0.2%). However, they have the highest bulk densities (avg. 0.22 g/cc), volatile matter contents (avg. 55%), and nitrogen. Their heating value averaged 7700 BTUs/lb., dry. In the Rio Medio Queso area, 28 samples were collected, representing one transect of the 70 km/sup 2/ flood plain. The peats here occurred in several layers (each <1-1/2 meters thick), interfingering with river flood plain sediments. These peats have the highest calorific values (avg. 8000 BTUs/lb., dry), fixed carbon (avg. 30%), and ash (avg. 22%) and have an average pH of 5.4 and a bulk density of 0.20 g/cc. These results represent only the first part of a long-term, extensive survey of Costa Rica's peat resources. However, they suggest that large, economically-significant peat deposits may be present in this country. 5 refs., 8 figs., 4 tabs.« less

Heterotrophic respiration in drained tropical peat temperatures influenced by shading gradient

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jauhiainen, Jyrki; Kerojoki, Otto; Silvennoinen, Hanna; Limin, Suwido; Vasander, Harri

2015-04-01

Lowland peatlands in Southeast Asia constitute a highly concentrated carbon (C) pool of global significance. These peatlands have formed over periods of several millennia by forest vegetation tolerant to flooding and poor substrates. Uncontrollable drainage and reoccurring wild fires in lack of management after removal of forest cover has impaired the C-storing functions in large reclaimed areas. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reporting sees drained tropical organic soils as one of the largest greenhouse gas emissions releasing terrestrial systems. Vast areas of deforested tropical peatlands do not receive noteworthy shading by vegetation, which increases the amount of solar radiation reaching the peat surface. We studied heterotrophic carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) fluxes in tropical peat in conditions, where; (i) peat temperatures were modified by artificial shading (no shade, 28%, 51% and 90% from the full sun exposure), (ii) root respiration was minimized, (iii) nutrient availability for peat decomposer community was changed (NPK fertilization of 0 and 313 kg ha-1). The experiment was repeated at two over 20 years ago drained fallow agricultural- and degraded sites in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Enhanced shading created a lasting decrease in peat temperatures, and decreased diurnal temperature fluctuations, in comparison to less shaded plots. The largest peat temperature difference was between the unshaded and 90% shaded peat surface, where the average temperatures within the topmost 50-cm peat profile differed 3 °C, and diurnal temperatures at 5 cm depth varied up to 4.2 °C in the unshaded and 0.4 °C in the 90% shaded conditions. Highest impacts on the heterotrophic CO2 fluxes caused by the treatments were on agricultural land, where 90% shading from the full exposure resulted in a 33% lower CO2 emission average on the unfertilised plots and a 66% lower emission average on the fertilised plots. Correlation between peat temperature and CO2 flux suggested an approximately 8% (unfertilised) and 25% (fertilised) emissions change for each 1 °C temperature change at 5 cm depth on the agricultural land. CO2 flux responses to the treatments remained low or were inconsistent over the peat temperature range.. Fertilised conditions negatively correlated with N2O efflux with increases in temperature, suggesting a 12-36% lower efflux for each 1 °C increase in peat temperature (at 5 cm depth) at the sites. Despite the apparently similar landscapes of fallow agricultural land and degraded peatland sites, the differences in greenhouse gas dynamics are expected to be an outcome of the long-term management differences. Based on the results it is possible to seek management practices that prolong timespan for using drained tropical peat for cultivation, simultaneously reduce negative climate impacts created from peat substrate carbon loss, and also improve greenhouse gas monitoring techniques at field.

Foam concrete of increased strength with the thermomodified peat additives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kudyakov, A. I.; Kopanitsa, N. O.; Sarkisov, Ju S.; Kasatkina, A. V.; Prischepa, I. A.

2015-01-01

The paper presents the results of research of foam concrete with thermomodified peat additives. The aim of the research was to study the effect of modifying additives on cement stone and foam concrete properties. Peat additives are prepared by heat treatment of peat at 600 °C. Two approaches of obtaining additives are examined: in condition of open air access (TMT-600) and in condition of limited air access (TMT-600-k). Compressive strength of a cement stone with modifiers found to be increased by 28.9 - 65.2%. Introducing peat modifiers into foam concrete mix leads to increase of compressive strength by 44-57% at 28- day age and heat conductivity of foam concrete decreases by 0.089 W/(m·°C).

Alfred P. Dachnowski and the scientific study of peats

USGS Publications Warehouse

Landa, E.R.; Cohen, K.M.

2011-01-01

Botanist Alfred Paul Dachnowski (1875–1949) was a major contributor to efforts at mapping organic soils in the United States during the early 20th century. He began his career at The Ohio State University, and spent most of his professional life at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, DC. His work spanned a diversity of topics, including bog ecology and the ecosystem services provided by wetlands, the mapping and chemical characterization of peat, and the commercial applications of peat. We present a biography and overview of his work. Dachnowski is best known today for the peat sampler that bears his name. The details of its operation are described here, and its place in modern peat studies is discussed.

Volatile and semivolatile organic compounds in laboratory peat fire emissions

EPA Science Inventory

Speciated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and organic fine particulate matter (PM2.5) mass emission factors were determined from laboratory peat fire experiments. Peat samples originated from two wildlife reserves located near the coast of North Carolina, U.S. Gas and particula...

The Challenge of Peat Substitution in Organic Seedling Production: Optimization of Growing Media Formulation through Mixture Design and Response Surface Analysis

PubMed Central

Ceglie, Francesco Giovanni; Bustamante, Maria Angeles; Ben Amara, Mouna; Tittarelli, Fabio

2015-01-01

Peat replacement is an increasing demand in containerized and transplant production, due to the environmental constraints associated to peat use. However, despite the wide information concerning the use of alternative materials as substrates, it is very complex to establish the best materials and mixtures. This work evaluates the use of mixture design and surface response methodology in a peat substitution experiment using two alternative materials (green compost and palm fibre trunk waste) for transplant production of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.); melon, (Cucumis melo L.); and lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) in organic farming conditions. In general, the substrates showed suitable properties for their use in seedling production, showing the best plant response the mixture of 20% green compost, 39% palm fibre and 31% peat. The mixture design and applied response surface methodology has shown to be an useful approach to optimize substrate formulations in peat substitution experiments to standardize plant responses. PMID:26070163

Degradation potentials of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from thawed permafrost peat

PubMed Central

Panneer Selvam, Balathandayuthabani; Lapierre, Jean-François; Guillemette, Francois; Voigt, Carolina; Lamprecht, Richard E.; Biasi, Christina; Christensen, Torben R.; Martikainen, Pertti J.; Berggren, Martin

2017-01-01

Global warming can substantially affect the export of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from peat-permafrost to aquatic systems. The direct degradability of such peat-derived DOC, however, is poorly constrained because previous permafrost thaw studies have mainly addressed mineral soil catchments or DOC pools that have already been processed in surface waters. We incubated peat cores from a palsa mire to compare an active layer and an experimentally thawed permafrost layer with regard to DOC composition and degradation potentials of pore water DOC. Our results show that DOC from the thawed permafrost layer had high initial degradation potentials compared with DOC from the active layer. In fact, the DOC that showed the highest bio- and photo-degradability, respectively, originated in the thawed permafrost layer. Our study sheds new light on the DOC composition of peat-permafrost directly upon thaw and suggests that past estimates of carbon-dioxide emissions from thawed peat permafrost may be biased as they have overlooked the initial mineralization potential of the exported DOC. PMID:28378792

Predicting organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus concentrations in runoff from peat extraction sites using partial least squares regression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuukkanen, T.; Marttila, H.; Kløve, B.

2017-07-01

Organic matter and nutrient export from drained peatlands is affected by complex hydrological and biogeochemical interactions. Here partial least squares regression (PLSR) was used to relate various soil and catchment characteristics to variations in chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations in runoff. Peat core samples and water quality data were collected from 15 peat extraction sites in Finland. PLSR models constructed by cross-validation and variable selection routines predicted 92, 88, and 95% of the variation in mean COD, TN, and TP concentration in runoff, respectively. The results showed that variations in COD were mainly related to net production (temperature and water-extractable dissolved organic carbon (DOC)), hydrology (topographical relief), and solubility of dissolved organic matter (peat sulfur (S) and calcium (Ca) concentrations). Negative correlations for peat S and runoff COD indicated that acidity from oxidation of organic S stored in peat may be an important mechanism suppressing organic matter leaching. Moreover, runoff COD was associated with peat aluminum (Al), P, and sodium (Na) concentrations. Hydrological controls on TN and COD were similar (i.e., related to topography), whereas degree of humification, bulk density, and water-extractable COD and Al provided additional explanations for TN concentration. Variations in runoff TP concentration were attributed to erosion of particulate P, as indicated by a positive correlation with suspended sediment concentration (SSC), and factors associated with metal-humic complexation and P adsorption (peat Al, water-extractable P, and water-extractable iron (Fe)).

Seasonal changes in peatland surface elevation recorded at GPS stations in the Red Lake Peatlands, northern Minnesota, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reeve, A.S.; Glaser, P.H.; Rosenberry, Donald O.

2013-01-01

Northern peatlands appear to hold large volumes of free-phase gas (e.g., CH4 and CO2), which has been detected by surface deformations, pore pressure profiles, and electromagnetic surveys. Determining the gas content and its impact in peat is challenging because gas storage depends on both the elastic properties of the peat matrix and the buoyant forces exerted by pore fluids. We therefore used a viscoelastic deformation model to estimate these variables by adjusting model runs to reproduce observed changes in peat surface elevation within a 1300 km2 peatland. A local GPS network documented significant changes in surface elevations throughout the year with the greatest vertical displacements associated with rapid changes in peat water content and unloadings due to melting of the winter snowpack. These changes were coherent with changes in water table elevation and also abnormal pore pressure changes measured by nests of instrumented piezometers. The deformation model reproduced these changes when the gas content was adjusted to 10% of peat volume, and Young's modulus was varied between 5 and 100 kPa as the peat profile shifted from tension to compression. In contrast, the model predicted little peat deformation when the gas content was 3% or lower. These model simulations are consistent with previous estimates of gas volume in northern peatlands and suggest an upper limit of gas storage controlled by the elastic moduli of the peat fabric.

Net ecosystem CO2 exchange of a primary tropical peat swamp forest in Sarawak, Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang Che Ing, A.; Stoy, P. C.; Melling, L.

2014-12-01

Tropical peat swamp forests are widely recognized as one of the world's most efficient ecosystems for the sequestration and storage of carbon through both their aboveground biomass and underlying thick deposits of peat. As the peat characteristics exhibit high spatial and temporal variability as well as the structural and functional complexity of forests, tropical peat ecosystems can act naturally as both carbon sinks and sources over their life cycles. Nonetheless, few reports of studies on the ecosystem-scale CO2 exchange of tropical peat swamp forests are available to-date and their present roles in the global carbon cycle remain uncertain. To quantify CO2 exchange and unravel the prevailing factors and potential underlying mechanism regulating net CO2 fluxes, an eddy covariance tower was erected in a tropical peat swamp forest in Sarawak, Malaysia. We observed that the diurnal and seasonal patterns of net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) and its components (gross primary productivity (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (RE)) varied between seasons and years. Rates of NEE declined in the wet season relative to the dry season. Conversely, both the gross primary productivity (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (RE) were found to be higher during the wet season than the dry season, in which GPP was strongly negatively correlated with NEE. The average annual NEE was 385 ± 74 g C m-2 yr-1, indicating the primary peat swamp forest functioned as net source of CO2 to the atmosphere over the observation period.

Emissions of volatile organic compounds and particulate matter from small-scale peat fire

EPA Science Inventory

Air pollution emitted from peat fires can negatively impact regional air quality, visibility, climate, and human health. Peat fires can smolder over long periods of time and, therefore, can release significantly greater amounts of carbon into the atmosphere per unit area compared...

Emissions of volatile organic compounds and particulate matter from small-scale peat fires

EPA Science Inventory

Air pollution emitted from peat fires can negatively impact regional air quality, visibility, climate, and human health. Peat fires can smolder over long periods of time and, therefore, can release significantly greater amounts of carbon into the atmosphere per unit area compared...

Peat Depth Assessment Using Airborne Geophysical Data for Carbon Stock Modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keaney, Antoinette; McKinley, Jennifer; Ruffell, Alastair; Robinson, Martin; Graham, Conor; Hodgson, Jim; Desissa, Mohammednur

2013-04-01

The Kyoto Agreement demands that all signatory countries have an inventory of their carbon stock, plus possible future changes to this store. This is particularly important for Ireland, where some 16% of the surface is covered by peat bog. Estimates of soil carbon stores are a key component of the required annual returns made by the Irish and UK governments to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Saturated peat attenuates gamma-radiation from underlying rocks. This effect can be used to estimate the thickness of peat, within certain limits. This project examines this relationship between peat depth and gamma-radiation using airborne geophysical data generated by the Tellus Survey and newly acquired data collected as part of the EU-funded Tellus Border project, together encompassing Northern Ireland and the border area of the Republic of Ireland. Selected peat bog sites are used to ground truth and evaluate the use of airborne geophysical (radiometric and electromagnetic) data and validate modelled estimates of soil carbon, peat volume and depth to bedrock. Data from two test line sites are presented: one in Bundoran, County Donegal and a second line in Sliabh Beagh, County Monaghan. The plane flew over these areas at different times of the year and at a series of different elevations allowing the data to be assessed temporally with different soil/peat saturation levels. On the ground these flight test lines cover varying surface land use zones allowing future extrapolation of data from the sites. This research applies spatial statistical techniques, including uncertainty estimation in geostatistical prediction and simulation, to investigate and model the use of airborne geophysical data to examine the relationship between reduced radioactivity and peat depth. Ground truthing at test line locations and selected peat bog sites involves use of ground penetrating radar, terrestrial LiDAR, peat depth probing, magnetometry, resistivity, handheld gamma-ray spectrometry, moisture content and rainfall monitoring combined with a real-time Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) to monitor temporal and spatial variability of bog elevations. This research will assist in determining the accuracy and limitations of modelling soil carbon and changes in peat stocks by investigating the attenuation of gamma-radiation from underlying rocks. Tellus Border is supported by the EU INTERREG IVA programme, which is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body in Northern Ireland, the border Region of Ireland and western Scotland. The Tellus project was funded by the Northern Ireland Development of Enterprise Trade and Investment and by the Rural Development Programme through the Northern Ireland Programme for Building Sustainable Prosperity.

Comparison of pelletized biochar derived from two source materials as replacements for peat in potting substrates

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soilless substrates are primarily used in the production of containerized greenhouse and nursery crops, with sphagnum peat moss being a primary constituent of most substrates. We are examining biochars for several horticultural applications, including as peat moss replacements. Biochar was prepared ...

Characterisation of VOC, SVOC, and PM emissions from peat burnt in laboratory simulations

EPA Science Inventory

Peat, or organic soil, is a vast store of organic carbon, widely distributed from polar temperate to equatorial regions. Drainage for agriculture and drought are drying vast areas of peat, exposing it to increasing fire risk, which may be exacerbated by climate change. This has ...

Development of a Palliative Education Assessment Tool for Medical Student Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meekin, Sharon Abele; Klein, Jason E.; Fleischman, Alan R.; Fins, Joseph J.

2000-01-01

Describes the Palliative Education Assessment Tool (PEAT), an innovative assessment to facilitate curricular mapping of palliative care education. The PEAT comprises seven palliative care domains, each of which details specific objectives of knowledge, skills, and attitudes. PEAT enables educators to describe a specific multidimensional aspect of…

Posidonia oceanica (L.) based compost as substrate for potted basil production.

PubMed

Mininni, Carlo; Grassi, Francesco; Traversa, Andreina; Cocozza, Claudio; Parente, Angelo; Miano, Teodoro; Santamaria, Pietro

2015-08-15

Peat is the main component of growing media but is also a non-renewable resource; therefore European policy strongly encourages the use of peat alternatives such as compost. Posidonia is a Mediterranean seagrass that produces very conspicuous onshore deposits that can be composted. In this study, a commercial green compost and a Posidonia residue-based compost were tested in order to assess their potential use as substitutes or complements to peat. All macro and micro-element concentrations of the substrates were positively and significantly related to the percentage of composts in the growing media. Plant grown on peat showed higher content of P, Ca, K, Na, Cu, Mn, Zn and Fe, and a slightly higher biomass production in comparison to compost-based growing media. In contrast, plants grown on compost-based substrates showed lower uptake of Cd and Cr than peat. The results indicate that both composts can be used as a complement to the peat for substrate preparation, especially at a rate of 30%. The Posidonia-based compost showed better productive results in comparison to the green one. Basil grown on the two compost-based media showed reduced absorption level of potentially toxic metals in comparison to peat. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in vertical peat profiles of natural and drained boreal peatlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nykänen, Hannu; Mpamah, Promise; Rissanen, Antti; Pitkänen, Aki; Turunen, Jukka; Simola, Heikki

2015-04-01

Peatlands form a significant carbon pool in the global carbon cycle. Change in peat hydrology, due to global warming is projected to change microbiological processes and peat carbon pool. We tested if bulk stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes serve as indicators of severe long term drying in peatlands drained for forestry. Depth profile analysis of peat, for their carbon and nitrogen content as well as their carbon and nitrogen stable isotopic signatures, were conducted for peatlands in southern and eastern Finland, having ombrotrophic and minerotrophic natural and corresponding drained pairs or separate drained sites. The selection of sites allowed us to compare changes due to different fertility and changes due to long term artificial drying. Drainage lasting over 40 years has led to changes in hydrology, vegetation, nutrient mineralization and respiration. Furthermore, increased nutrient uptake and possible recycling of peat nitrogen and carbon trough vegetation back to the peat surface, also possibly has an effect on the stable isotopic composition of peat carbon and nitrogen. We think that drainage induced changes somehow correspond to those caused by changed hydrology due to climate change. We will present data from these measurements and discuss their implications for carbon and nitrogen flows in peatlands.

Saprophytic and Potentially Pathogenic Fusarium Species from Peat Soil in Perak and Pahang

PubMed Central

Karim, Nurul Farah Abdul; Mohd, Masratulhawa; Nor, Nik Mohd Izham Mohd; Zakaria, Latiffah

2016-01-01

Isolates of Fusarium were discovered in peat soil samples collected from peat swamp forest, waterlogged peat soil, and peat soil from oil palm plantations. Morphological characteristics were used to tentatively identify the isolates, and species confirmation was based on the sequence of translation elongation factor-1α (TEF-1α) and phylogenetic analysis. Based on the closest match of Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) searches against the GenBank and Fusarium-ID databases, five Fusarium species were identified, namely F. oxysporum (60%), F. solani (23%), F. proliferatum (14%), F. semitectum (1%), and F. verticillioides (1%). From a neighbour-joining tree of combined TEF-1α and β-tubulin sequences, isolates from the same species were clustered in the same clade, though intraspecies variations were observed from the phylogenetic analysis. The Fusarium species isolated in the present study are soil inhabitants and are widely distributed worldwide. These species can act as saprophytes and decomposers as well as plant pathogens. The presence of Fusarium species in peat soils suggested that peat soils could be a reservoir of plant pathogens, as well-known plant pathogenic species such F. oxysporum, F. solani, F. proliferatum, and F. verticillioides were identified. The results of the present study provide knowledge on the survival and distribution of Fusarium species. PMID:27019679

Sequestration of arsenic in ombrotrophic peatlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rothwell, James; Hudson-Edwards, Karen; Taylor, Kevin; Polya, David; Evans, Martin; Allott, Tim

2014-05-01

Peatlands can be important stores of arsenic but we are lacking spectroscopic evidence of the sequestration pathways of this toxic metalloid in peatland environments. This study reports on the solid-phase speciation of anthropogenically-derived arsenic in atmospherically contaminated peat from the Peak District National Park (UK). Surface and sub-surface peat samples were analysed by synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy on B18 beamline at Diamond Light Source (UK). The results suggest that there are contrasting arsenic sequestration mechanisms in the peat. The bulk arsenic speciation results, in combination with strong arsenic-iron correlations at the surface, suggest that iron (hydr)oxides are key phases for the immobilisation of arsenic at the peat surface. In contrast, the deeper peat samples are dominated by arsenic sulphides (arsenopyrite, realgar and orpiment). Given that these peats receive inputs solely from the atmosphere, the presence of these sulphide phases suggests an in-situ authigenic formation. Redox oscillations in the peat due to a fluctuating water table and an abundant store of legacy sulphur from historic acid rain inputs may favour the precipitation of arsenic sequestering sulphides in sub-surface horizons. Oxidation-induced loss of these arsenic sequestering sulphur species by water table drawdown has important implications for the mobility of arsenic and the quality of waters draining peatlands.

Resilient modulus characteristics of soil subgrade with geopolymer additive in peat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zain, Nasuhi; Hadiwardoyo, Sigit Pranowo; Rahayu, Wiwik

2017-06-01

Resilient modulus characteristics of peat soil are generally very low with high potential of deformation and low bearing capacity. The efforts to improve the peat subgrade resilient modulus characteristics is required, one among them is by adding the geopolymer additive. Geopolymer was made as an alternative to replace portland cement binder in the concrete mix in order to promote environmentally friendly, low shrinkage value, low creep value, and fire resistant material. The use of geopolymer to improve the mechanical properties of peat as a road construction subgrade, hence it becomes important to identify the effect of geopolymer addition on the resilient modulus characteristics of peat soil. This study investigated the addition of 0% - 20% geopolymer content on peat soil derived from Ogan Komering Ilir, South Sumatera Province. Resilient modulus measurement was performed by using cyclic triaxial test to determine the resilience modulus model as a function of deviator stresses and radial stresses. The test results showed that an increase in radial stresses did not necessarily lead to an increase in modulus resilient, and on the contrary, an increase in deviator stresses led to a decrease in modulus resilient. The addition of geopolymer in peat soil provided an insignificant effect on the increase of resilient modulus value.

How does whole ecosystem warming of a peatland affect methane production and consumption?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hopple, A.; Brunik, K.; Keller, J.; Pfeifer-Meister, L.; Woerndle, G.; Zalman, C.; Hanson, P.; Bridgham, S. D.

2017-12-01

Peatlands are among Earth's most important terrestrial ecosystems due to their massive soil carbon (C) stores and significant release of methane (CH4) into the atmosphere. Methane has a sustained-flux global warming potential 45-times greater than carbon dioxide (CO2), and the accuracy of Earth system model projections relies on our mechanistic understanding of peatland CH4 cycling in the context of environmental change. The objective of this study was to determine, under in situ conditions, how heating of the peat profile affects ecosystem-level anaerobic C cycling. We assessed the response of CO2 and CH4 production, as well as the anaerobic oxidation of CH4 (AOM), in a boreal peatland following 13 months of deep peat heating (DPH) and 16 months of subsequent whole-ecosystem warming (surface and deep heating; WEW) as part of the Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Changing Environments (SPRUCE) project in northern Minnesota, USA. The study uses a regression-based experimental design including 5 temperature treatments that warmed the entire 2 m peat profile from 0 to +9 °C above ambient temperature. Soil cores were collected at multiple depths (25-200 cm) from each experimental chamber at the SPRUCE site and anaerobically incubated at in situ temperatures for 1-2 weeks. Methane and CO2 production in surface peat were positively correlated with elevated temperature, but no consistent temperature response was found at depth (75-200 cm) following DPH. However, during WEW, we observed significant increases in both surface and deep peat methanogenesis with increasing temperature. Surface peat had greater CH4 production rates than deeper peat, implying that the increased CH4 emissions observed in the field were largely driven by surface peat warming. The CO2:CH4 ratio was inversely correlated with temperature across all depths following 16 months of WEW, indicating that the entire peat profile is becoming more methanogenic with warming. We also observed AOM throughout the whole peat profile, with the highest rates observed at the surface and initial data suggesting a positive correlation with increasing temperature. While SPRUCE will continue for many years, our initial results suggest that the vast C stores at depth in peatlands are minimally responsive to warming and any response will be driven largely by surface peat.

Effect of Different Peat Size and Pre-Consolidation Pressure of Reconstituted Peat on Effective Undrained Shear Strength Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azhar, ATS; Norhaliza, W.; Ismail, B.; Ezree, AM; Nizam, ZM

2017-08-01

Shear strength of the soil is one of the most important parameters in engineering design, especially during the pre- or post-construction periods, since it is mainly used to measure and evaluate the foundation or slope stability of soil. Peat normally known as a soil that has a very low value of shear strength, and in order to determine and understand the shear strength of the peat, it is a difficult task in geotechnical engineering due to several factors such as types of fabrics, the origin of the soil, water content, organic matter and the degree of humification. The aim of this study is to determine the effective undrained shear strength properties of reconstituted peat of different sizes. All the reconstituted peat samples were formed with the size that passed the opening sieve of 0.425 mm (

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

USGS Publications Warehouse

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 and aerobic microbial activity. Stratigraphic distribution of various textures and amounts of inorganic components within a peat deposit is largely determined by the vertical positions occupied by peat-forming environments, such as pond, marsh, swamp and heath where vegetation accumulated, and the depth to zones of unoxygenated water. Peat also differs in the rate of accumulation. On the basis of carbon-14 dating, an estimated 8 m of peat in the tropical Batang Hari River deposit in Sumatra has been accumulating at the rate of about 1.5 m/1,000 yr, whereas peat in the cold-temperate deposit in Maine has been accumulating at the rate of 0.66 m/1,000 yr. Accumulation rates in domed deposits such as these are affected not only by factors controlling volume of biomass and aerobic decay but also by stream erosion and fires that remove peat. Such disconformities (see Fig. 2) within the deposit may be recognized by sudden vertical changes in degree of decomposition and/or the presence of charcoal. The trace-element content of peat deposits is affected by the environments of their settings. Samples of peat that have an ash content of less than 25% dry weight and that are from small, almost level swamp deposits along the Atlantic Coastal Plain of North Carolina were compared with similar samples from small domed bogs in Maine, a glaciated area. Samples from Nort Carolina, which are from deposits in thick fluvial and nearshore marine sediments far from the bedrock source, are generally higher in Ti, Cr and Pb. The Maine samples from deposits in glacial drift close to the bedrock source contain more Zn, Mn, P, Ca, Na and Fe. The kind and amount of trace elements within the deposits appear to relate largely to depositional setting, to kinds of bedrock source, and to the modes of transportation from source to peat swamp. Trace-element concentrations in the extensive Sumatra peat deposit, which represents a potentially commercial coal bed, are similar to those found in Appalachian c

Chemical properties of peat used in balneology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szajdak, L.; Hładoń, T.

2009-04-01

The physiological activity of peats is observed in human peat-bath therapy and in the promotion of growth in some plants. Balneological peat as an ecologically clean and natural substance is perceived as being more 'human friendly' than synthetic compounds. Poland has a long tradition of using balneological peat for therapeutic purposes. Balneological peat reveals a physical effect by altering temperature and biochemical effects through biologically active substances. It is mainly used for the treatment of rheumatic diseases that are quite common in Poland. Peat represents natural product. Physico-chemical properties of peat in particular surface-active, sorption and ion exchanges, defining their biological function, depend mainly on the chemical composition and molecular structure of humic substances representing the major constituent of organic soil (peat). The carbon of organic matter of peats is composed of 10 to 20% carbohydrates, primarily of microbial origin; 20% nitrogen-containing constituents, such as amino acids and amino sugars; 10 to 20% aliphatic fatty acids, alkanes, etc.; with the rest of carbon being aromatic. For balneology peat should be highly decomposed (preferably H8), natural and clean. The content of humic acids should exceed 20% of dry weight, ash content will be less than 15 15% of dry weight, sulphur content less than 0.3% of dry weight and the amount of water more than 85%. It will not contain harmful bacteria and heavy metals. Humic substances (HS) of peat are known to be macromolecular polydisperse biphyllic systems including both hydrophobic domains (saturated hydrocarbon chains, aromatic structural units) and hydrophilic functional groups, i. e having amphiphilic character. Amphiphilic properties of FA are responsible for their solubility, viscosity, conformation, surfactant-like character and a variety of physicochemical properties of considerable biologically practical significance. The chemical composition of peats depends significantly on the genesis of peatlands and the depth of sampling. The chemical properties of peat fulvic acids (FA) have some genetic peculiarities due to the specific conditions of the process of humification of peat-forming plants in mires. The process of humification in mires takes place in the top-forming layer under amphibious moisture conditions. Substances of microbial origin are water-soluble and can participate in the formation of peat FA to a little extent. So a main source of structural units for the peat HA and FA is suggested to be organic constituents of peat forming plants of various botanical composition. The content of aromatic units in peat FA was shown to depend on the content of lignin in peat-forming plants and also of the aromatization of polysaccharides mainly due to the transformation of cellulose. FA characterized lower than humic acids molecular weight (1000-30,000). FA's are composed of a series of highly oxidized aromatic rings with a large number of side chains. Building blocks are benzene carboxylic acids and phenolic acids. These are held together by hydrogen bonding van der Waals' forces and ionic bonding. FA contains larger concentrations of nitrogen. This fraction also contains a great deal of polysaccharide materials, as well as low molecular fatty acids and cytoplasmic constituents of microorganisms. These compounds are linear, flexible colloids at low concentrations, and spherical colloids at high solution concentrations and low pH values. A more adequate knowledge of the chemical structure of humic materials will assist us in better understanding the physiological effects and also the function of these macromolecules on the health that these materials are know to exert. This improved knowledge provides us better information on chemical structure of humic substances from peats, which are responsible for pharmacotherapeutic, pharmacokinetic and biopharmaceutical effect. This structure of FA creates proper conditions for uptake of nutrient as well as bioavailability of biologically active substances. The solubilization in water by humic materials of organic substances which are otherwise water-insoluble is a matter of considerable interest to chemist deals with the problem of the function of organic matter. There has been considerable evidence that humic substances can "complex" with several biologically active substances and so modify their physiological activity. It has been noteworthy that FA can "fix" high-molecular weight water-insoluble organic compounds and make them water-soluble. FA may so act as a vehicle for the mobilization, transport and immobilization of such substances in physiological conditions. Analysis of HA and FA carried out by several analytical methods revealed that there were no chemical interaction among biologically active substances but that latter was firmly adsorbed, possible by hydrogen-bonding, on the FA surfaces. Amino acids account for the majority of organic N fraction in humic substances. Most of the amino acids in organic matter occur in bound form in the humino-peptides fraction. These amino acids are commonly bound to the central core of FA. These humino-peptides fraction of FA mediate in respiration and act as hydrogen acceptors, thus affecting oxidation-reaction reactions. Thus, what is needed at this time is more fundamental research in order to solve practical pharmacological, pharmacokinetic and biopharmaceutical problem of great significance for human health.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Effect of mixing geopolymer and peat on bearing capacity in Ogan Komering Ilir (OKI) by California bearing ratio (CBR) test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raharja, Danang S.; Hadiwardoyo, Sigit P.; Rahayu, Wiwik; Zain, Nasuhi

2017-06-01

Geopolymer is binder material that consists of solid material and the activator solution. Geopolymer material has successfully replaced cement in the manufacture of concrete with aluminosilicate bonding system. Geopolymer concrete has properties similar to cement concrete with high compressive strength, low shrinkage value, relatively low creep value, as well as acid-resistant. Based on these, the addition of polymers in peat soils is expected to improve the bearing capacity of peat soils. A study on the influence of geopolymer addition in peat soils was done by comparing before and after the peat soil was mixed with geopolymer using CBR (California Bearing Ratio) test in unsoaked and soaked conditions. 10% mixture content of the peat dry was used, weighted with a variety of curing time 4 hours, 5 days, and 10 days. There were two methods of mixing: first, peat was mixed with fly ash geopolymer activators and mixed solution (waterglass, NaOH, water), and second, peat was mixed with fly ash and mixed geopolymer (waterglass, NaOH, water, fly ash). Changes were observed in specific gravity, dry density, acidity (pH), and the microscopic structure with Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Curing time did not significantly affect the CBR value. It even shows a tendency to decline with longer curing time. The first type mixture obtained CBR value of: 5.4% for 4 hours curing, 4.6% for 5 days curing and 3.6% for 10 days curing. The second type mixture obtained CBR value of: 6.1% for 4 hours curing, 5.2% for 5 days curing and 5.2% for 10 days curing. Furthermore, the specific gravity value, dry density, pH near neutral and swelling percentage increased. From both variants, the second type mixture shows better results than the first type mixture. The results of SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) show the structure of the peat which became denser with the fly ash particles filling the peat microporous. Also, the reaction of fly ash with geopolymer is indicated by the solid agglomerates that are larger than normal fly ash particle size.

Temperature-driven adaptation of the bacterial community in peat measured by using thymidine and leucine incorporation.

PubMed

Ranneklev, S B; Bååth, E

2001-03-01

The temperature-driven adaptation of the bacterial community in peat was studied, by altering temperature to simulate self-heating and a subsequent return to mesophilic conditions. The technique used consisted of extracting the bacterial community from peat using homogenization-centrifugation and measuring the rates of thymidine (TdR) or leucine (Leu) incorporation by the extracted bacterial community at different temperatures. Increasing the peat incubation temperature from 25 degrees C to 35, 45, or 55 degrees C resulted in a selection of bacterial communities whose optimum temperatures for activity correlated to the peat incubation temperatures. Although TdR and Leu incorporations were significantly correlated, the Leu/TdR incorporation ratios were affected by temperature. Higher Leu/TdR incorporation ratios were found at higher temperatures of incubation of the extracted bacterial community. Higher Leu/TdR incorporation ratios were also found for bacteria in peat samples incubated at higher temperatures. The reappearance of the mesophilic community and disappearance of the thermophilic community when the incubation temperature of the peat was shifted down were monitored by measuring TdR incorporation at 55 degrees C (thermophilic activity) and 25 degrees C (mesophilic activity). Shifting the peat incubation temperature from 55 to 25 degrees C resulted in a recovery of the mesophilic activity, with a subsequent disappearance of the thermophilic activity. The availability of substrate for bacterial growth varied over time and among different peat samples. To avoid confounding effects of substrate availability, a temperature adaptation index was calculated. This index consisted of the log(10) ratio of TdR incorporation at 55 and 25 degrees C. The temperature index decreased linearly with time, indicating that no thermophilic activity would be detected by the TdR technique 1 month after the temperature downshift. There were no differences between the slopes of the temperature adaptation indices over time for peat samples incubated at 55 degrees C 3 or 11 days before incubation at 25 degrees C. Thus, different levels of bacterial activity did not affect the temperature-driven adaptation of the bacterial community.

Temperature-Driven Adaptation of the Bacterial Community in Peat Measured by Using Thymidine and Leucine Incorporation

PubMed Central

Ranneklev, Sissel Brit; Bååth, Erland

2001-01-01

The temperature-driven adaptation of the bacterial community in peat was studied, by altering temperature to simulate self-heating and a subsequent return to mesophilic conditions. The technique used consisted of extracting the bacterial community from peat using homogenization-centrifugation and measuring the rates of thymidine (TdR) or leucine (Leu) incorporation by the extracted bacterial community at different temperatures. Increasing the peat incubation temperature from 25°C to 35, 45, or 55°C resulted in a selection of bacterial communities whose optimum temperatures for activity correlated to the peat incubation temperatures. Although TdR and Leu incorporations were significantly correlated, the Leu/TdR incorporation ratios were affected by temperature. Higher Leu/TdR incorporation ratios were found at higher temperatures of incubation of the extracted bacterial community. Higher Leu/TdR incorporation ratios were also found for bacteria in peat samples incubated at higher temperatures. The reappearance of the mesophilic community and disappearance of the thermophilic community when the incubation temperature of the peat was shifted down were monitored by measuring TdR incorporation at 55°C (thermophilic activity) and 25°C (mesophilic activity). Shifting the peat incubation temperature from 55 to 25°C resulted in a recovery of the mesophilic activity, with a subsequent disappearance of the thermophilic activity. The availability of substrate for bacterial growth varied over time and among different peat samples. To avoid confounding effects of substrate availability, a temperature adaptation index was calculated. This index consisted of the log10 ratio of TdR incorporation at 55 and 25°C. The temperature index decreased linearly with time, indicating that no thermophilic activity would be detected by the TdR technique 1 month after the temperature downshift. There were no differences between the slopes of the temperature adaptation indices over time for peat samples incubated at 55°C 3 or 11 days before incubation at 25°C. Thus, different levels of bacterial activity did not affect the temperature-driven adaptation of the bacterial community. PMID:11229900

Layered storage of biogenic methane-enriched gas bubbles in peat: A lumped capacitance model controlled by soil structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, X.; Comas, X.; Binley, A. M.; Slater, L. D.

2017-12-01

Methane can accumulate in the gaseous phase in peats, and enter the atmosphere as gas bubbles with a mass flux higher than that via diffusion and plant-mediated pathways. A complete understanding of the mechanisms regulating bubble storage in peats remains incomplete. We developed a layered model to quantify the storage of gas bubbles over a peat column based on a general lumped capacitance model. This conceptual model was applied to explain the effects of peat structure on bubble storage at different depths observed in a laboratory experiment. A peat monolith was collected from the Everglades, a subtropical wetland located in Florida (USA), and kept submerged in a cuboid chamber over 102 days until gas bubble saturation was achieved. Time-lapse ground-penetrating radar (GPR) was used to estimate changes in gas content of each layer and the corresponding average dimensions of stored gas bubbles. The results highlight a hotspot layer of bubble accumulation at depths between 5 and 10 cm below the monolith surface. Bubbles in this shallow hotspot layer were larger relative to those in deeper layers, whilst the degree of decomposition of the upper layers was generally smaller than that of the lower layers based on von Post humification tests. X-ray Computer tomography (CT) was applied to resin-impregnated peat sections from different depths and the results showed that a higher porosity promotes bubbles storage. The stored gas bubbles were released by changing water levels and the air CH4 concentrations above the peat monolith were measured using a flow-through chamber system to confirm the high CH4 concentration in the stored bubbles. Our findings suggest that bubble capacitance is related to the difference in size between gas bubbles and peat pores. This work has implications for better understanding how changes in water table elevation associated with climate change and sea level rise (particularly for freshwater wetlands near coastal areas like the Everglades) may potentially alter bubble sizes, thus bubble storage in peats.

Specific features of the development of soils of hydromorphic ecosystems in the northern taiga of Western Siberia under conditions of cryogenesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matyshak, G. V.; Bogatyrev, L. G.; Goncharova, O. Yu.; Bobrik, A. A.

2017-10-01

Differently directed and heterochronous cryogenic processes have contributed to the contrasting soil cover patterns and spatial heterogeneity of the properties of soils in hydromorphic ecosystems of the discontinuous permafrost zone of the northern taiga in Western Siberia. Frost heave and permafrost thawing within ecosystems of highmoor bogs have led to the development of specific cryogenic landforms, such as flat-topped and large peat mounds. A set of cryogenic soils is developed in these ecosystems; it includes different variants of cryozems, gleyzems (Cryosols), and peat soils (Histosols). The distribution of these soil types is controlled by the local topography and thawing depth, other factors being insignificant. Alternation of peat horizons of different types and ages, whirl-like patterns of horizon boundaries, considerable variations in the thickness of soil horizons, and inversions of soil horizons under the impact of frost cracking, frost heave, and cryoturbation are typical of the considered soils. Thawing depth is the most significant factor affecting the thickness of organic horizons, the soil pH, and the degree of decomposition of peat. As a result of the upward movement of bog ecosystems under the impact of frost heave, peat soils are subjected to considerable transformation: peat horizons undergo mineralization, and the thickness of organic horizons decreases; in some cases, eluvial-illuvial differentiation of the mineral horizons takes place, and peat podzols are developed. However, the opposite process of the return of the soils to the bog stage of pedogenesis with peat accumulation may take place in any time in the case of activation of thermokarst processes.

The Use of Hotspot Spatial Clustering and Multitemporal Satellite Imagery to Facilitate Peat Land Degradation in West Kalimantan, Indonesia (Case Study in Mensiku Miniwatershed of Kapuas River)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yanuarsyah, I.; Suwarno, Y.; Hudjimartsu, S.

2016-11-01

Peat land in Indonesia is currently a matter of interest to economic activity. In addition to having the uniqueness of the ecosystem which is reserve a huge of biodiversity and carbon storage, peat land is grow an alternative expansion of agriculture and plantation. Mensiku miniwatershed is a subset of Kapuas Watershed with the domination of the peat soil type. It located in the upstream from the Kapuas River and supporting for the continuation of the river ecosystem. The research objective is to facilitate peat land degradation by using hotspot spatial clustering and multitemporal satellite imagery. There have three main processes which are image processing, geoprocessing and statistical process using DBSCAN to determine hotspot clustering. The trend of LUC changes for 14 years (2002 to 2016) shows that the downward occurred in secondary peat forest (0.9% per year) and swampy shrub (0.6% per year). The upward occurred in mixed farms (0.6% per year) and plantations (0.8% per year). degradation rate of peat land over 14 years about 4.6 km2 per year. Hotspot predominantly occurrence in secondary peat forest with 200-250 centimeter depth and Saprists type. DBSCAN clustering obtain 2 clusters in 2002, obtain 4 clusters in 2009 and obtain 1 clusters in 2016. Regarding LUC platform, average density value over 14 years about 0.063 hotspot per km2. DBSCAN is common used to examine the cluster and perform the distribution and density with spatial analysis

Impact of the water salinity on the hydraulic conductivity of fen peat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gosch, Lennart; Janssen, Manon; Lennartz, Bernd

2017-04-01

Coastal peatlands represent an interface between marine and terrestrial ecosystems; their hydrology is affected by salt and fresh water inflow alike. Previous studies on bog peat have shown that pore water salinity can have an impact on the saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) of peat because of chemical pore dilation effects. In this ongoing study, we are aiming at quantifying the impact of higher salinities (up to 3.5 %) on Ks of fen peat to get a better understanding of the water and solute exchange between coastal peatlands and the adjacent sea. Two approaches differing in measurement duration employing a constant-head upward-flow permeameter were conducted. At first, Ks was measured at an initial salinity for several hours before the salinity was abruptly increased and the measurement continued. In the second approach, Ks was measured for 15 min at the salt content observed during sampling. Then, samples were completely (de)salinized via diffusion for several days/weeks before a comparison measurement was carried out. The results for degraded fen peats show a decrease of Ks during long-term measurements which does not depend on the water salinity. A slow, diffusion-controlled change in salinity does not modify the overall outcome that the duration of measurements has a stronger impact on Ks than the salinity. Further experiments will show if fen peat soils differing in their state of degradation exhibit a different behavior. A preliminary conclusion is that salinity might have a less important effect on hydraulic properties of fen peat than it was observed for bog peat.

Cardiopulmonary toxicity of peat wildfire particulate matter and the predictive utility of precision cut lung slices

EPA Science Inventory

Background: Emissions from a large peat fire in North Carolina were associated with increased hospital admissions for asthma and the rate of heart failure in the exposed population. Peat fires often produce larger amounts of smoke and last longer than forest fires, however few st...

Food waste composting: its use as a peat replacement.

PubMed

Farrell, M; Jones, D L

2010-01-01

We successfully co-composted catering waste with green waste and shredded paper to yield two high-nitrogen composts for use in horticulture. Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus L.) were grown in various mixtures of the compost and a commercially available peat-based compost to assess the efficacy of catering waste-based composts for peat replacement. Height, head diameter, seed mass and above-ground biomass were measured, with all mixtures giving a significant increase in yield or size over the commercially available peat-free control compost. We conclude that differences in physical structure governed sunflower growth over substrate chemistry, and none of the compost mixtures were nutrient deficient. We recommend that catering waste co-compost can be substituted to at least 75% within Sphagnum-based traditional growing media, providing a viable replacement for a large proportion of peat used as a growth medium in the horticulture industry. Our catering waste compost yielded similar seed head, seed mass and above-ground biomass values to 100% peat-based compost in all food waste compost blends tested in this study. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High nitrogen availability reduces polyphenol content in Sphagnum peat.

PubMed

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.

Solute movement in drained fen peat: a field tracer study in a Somerset (UK) wetland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baird, Andrew J.; Gaffney, Simon W.

2000-10-01

Little is known about solute transport in peats, despite the obvious importance of solute transport on eco-hydrological processes in both managed and natural peatlands. To address this lack of knowledge, we investigated solute transport processes in an agricultural fen peat using a conservative KBr tracer. The main aim of the study was to elucidate solute transport behaviour in general in this peat, with a more specific aim of investigating whether preferential or bypassing flow occurred. The tracer moved through the peat more rapidly than expected, and the pattern of movement showed clear evidence of plot-scale bypassing flow. The data also provide evidence that bypassing flow occurs in pores at smaller scales. The implications of this study for management of wetland pastures in the Somerset Moors in south-west England are discussed.

Influence of Humic Acids Extracted from Peat by Different Methods on Functional Activity of Macrophages in Vitro.

PubMed

Trofimova, E S; Zykova, M V; Ligacheva, A A; Sherstoboev, E Y; Zhdanov, V V; Belousov, M V; Yusubov, M S; Krivoshchekov, S V; Danilets, M G; Dygai, A M

2017-04-01

We studied activation of macrophages with humic acids extracted from peat of large deposits in the Tomsk region by two extraction methods: by hydroxide or sodium pyrophosphate. Humic acid of lowland peat types containing large amounts of aromatic carbon, phenolic and alcohol groups, carbohydrate residues and ethers, irrespectively of the extraction methods contained LPS admixture that probably determines their activating properties. Humic acid of upland peat types characterized by high content of carbonyl, carboxyl, and ester groups enhance NO production and reduce arginase expression, but these effects were minimized when sodium hydroxide was used as an extraction solvent. Pyrophosphate samples of the upland peat types were characterized by aromaticity and diversity of functional groups and have a significant advantage because of they induce specific endotoxin-independent stimulating action on antigen presenting cells.

Bacterial and Fungal Communities in a Degraded Ombrotrophic Peatland Undergoing Natural and Managed Re-Vegetation

PubMed Central

Elliott, David R.; Caporn, Simon J. M.; Nwaishi, Felix; Nilsson, R. Henrik; Sen, Robin

2015-01-01

The UK hosts 15–19% of global upland ombrotrophic (rain fed) peatlands that are estimated to store 3.2 billion tonnes of carbon and represent a critical upland habitat with regard to biodiversity and ecosystem services provision. Net production is dependent on an imbalance between growth of peat-forming Sphagnum mosses and microbial decomposition by microorganisms that are limited by cold, acidic, and anaerobic conditions. In the Southern Pennines, land-use change, drainage, and over 200 years of anthropogenic N and heavy metal deposition have contributed to severe peatland degradation manifested as a loss of vegetation leaving bare peat susceptible to erosion and deep gullying. A restoration programme designed to regain peat hydrology, stability and functionality has involved re-vegetation through nurse grass, dwarf shrub and Sphagnum re-introduction. Our aim was to characterise bacterial and fungal communities, via high-throughput rRNA gene sequencing, in the surface acrotelm/mesotelm of degraded bare peat, long-term stable vegetated peat, and natural and managed restorations. Compared to long-term vegetated areas the bare peat microbiome had significantly higher levels of oligotrophic marker phyla (Acidobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, TM6) and lower Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria, together with much higher ligninolytic Basidiomycota. Fewer distinct microbial sequences and significantly fewer cultivable microbes were detected in bare peat compared to other areas. Microbial community structure was linked to restoration activity and correlated with soil edaphic variables (e.g. moisture and heavy metals). Although rapid community changes were evident following restoration activity, restored bare peat did not approach a similar microbial community structure to non-eroded areas even after 25 years, which may be related to the stabilisation of historic deposited heavy metals pollution in long-term stable areas. These primary findings are discussed in relation to bare peat oligotrophy, re-vegetation recalcitrance, rhizosphere-microbe-soil interactions, C, N and P cycling, trajectory of restoration, and ecosystem service implications for peatland restoration. PMID:25969988

Bacterial and fungal communities in a degraded ombrotrophic peatland undergoing natural and managed re-vegetation.

PubMed

Elliott, David R; Caporn, Simon J M; Nwaishi, Felix; Nilsson, R Henrik; Sen, Robin

2015-01-01

The UK hosts 15-19% of global upland ombrotrophic (rain fed) peatlands that are estimated to store 3.2 billion tonnes of carbon and represent a critical upland habitat with regard to biodiversity and ecosystem services provision. Net production is dependent on an imbalance between growth of peat-forming Sphagnum mosses and microbial decomposition by microorganisms that are limited by cold, acidic, and anaerobic conditions. In the Southern Pennines, land-use change, drainage, and over 200 years of anthropogenic N and heavy metal deposition have contributed to severe peatland degradation manifested as a loss of vegetation leaving bare peat susceptible to erosion and deep gullying. A restoration programme designed to regain peat hydrology, stability and functionality has involved re-vegetation through nurse grass, dwarf shrub and Sphagnum re-introduction. Our aim was to characterise bacterial and fungal communities, via high-throughput rRNA gene sequencing, in the surface acrotelm/mesotelm of degraded bare peat, long-term stable vegetated peat, and natural and managed restorations. Compared to long-term vegetated areas the bare peat microbiome had significantly higher levels of oligotrophic marker phyla (Acidobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, TM6) and lower Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria, together with much higher ligninolytic Basidiomycota. Fewer distinct microbial sequences and significantly fewer cultivable microbes were detected in bare peat compared to other areas. Microbial community structure was linked to restoration activity and correlated with soil edaphic variables (e.g. moisture and heavy metals). Although rapid community changes were evident following restoration activity, restored bare peat did not approach a similar microbial community structure to non-eroded areas even after 25 years, which may be related to the stabilisation of historic deposited heavy metals pollution in long-term stable areas. These primary findings are discussed in relation to bare peat oligotrophy, re-vegetation recalcitrance, rhizosphere-microbe-soil interactions, C, N and P cycling, trajectory of restoration, and ecosystem service implications for peatland restoration.

Chemical characterization of biochar and assessment of the nutrient dynamics by means of preliminary plant growth tests.

PubMed

Prasad, Munoo; Tzortzakis, Nikos; McDaniel, Nicola

2018-06-15

Biochar can be produced from several organic sources with varying nutrients and metal concentrations. Four commercial grade biochars were evaluated as peat substitute. Biochars were characterised for plant nutrients and for biological stability. The results showed that there were negligible quantities of N and P and generally high levels of K and high biological stability. When these materials were mixed with peat at 10, 25 and 50% and nutrients were added to bring them to the same level of nutrients as in fertilized peat, it was found that biochar mixtures considerably reduced the levels of calcium chloride/DTPA (CAT) extractable N (including nitrate), P, and electrical conductivity- greater extent with higher rates of biochar addition except for K. The pH and K levels were increased with biochar addition. The drop in EC has important implications regarding the use of other materials used to dilute peat, for example, composted green waste, the rate of dilution is limited due to high EC and biochar addition gives the potential for higher peat dilution of these materials. Nitrate and phosphorus are very vulnerable to leaching of these nutrients in the environment in peat substrates and the binding of these by biochar has implication for leaching and nutrient application strategy. Root development using Cress test and tomato plant height and biomass using containers, were in some cases better than peat indicating that biochar could be used to dilute peat e.g. for seedling production where root development and rapid growth are very important. Application of biochars resulted in a marked reduction of N (and P) in the plant. There were significant correlation between CAT extractable N and P and corresponding plant concentration, indicating the standard growing media test, CAT, would be suitable for assessing the nutrient status of peat biochar mixes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of Organic Material on Mechanical, Hydrological, and Microstructural Properties of Mudstones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Altobelli, M. A.; Reece, J. S.

2016-12-01

In this research we analyze the influence of organic material on the mechanical and flow properties of mudstones. We uniformly mix peat, milled and harvested by Bord na Móna from the surface of bogs in Ireland, with natural mudstone from Site C0011 in the Nankai Trough, offshore Japan, obtained during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 322. The mudstone had previously been disaggregated into a homogeneous dry powder of clay- and silt-sized particles. The peat is ground and dry-sieved to achieve a similar particle size distribution as the mudstone (< 63 micrometers). In order to understand the mechanical and hydrological processes affected by peat, we prepare dry peat-mudstone mixtures with three different peat concentrations: 0 wt%, 5 wt%, and 10 wt%. Then, these peat - mudstone mixtures are saturated with deionized water at a water content of 109%, formed into stable slurries, and uniaxially compressed to an axial stress of 100 kPa using resedimentation, a method that simulates the natural behavior of deposition and burial in the laboratory under controlled conditions. How the organic material interacts with the mudstone matrix and pore fluid under compression influences the physical properties of the mudstones such as porosity, compressibility, and permeability; all of which are measured in the resedimentation experiments. We will also analyze the microstructural changes as a function of peat concentration using a petrographic microscope and scanning electron microscope. Due to the fibrous and absorbent nature of peat, we anticipate the peat to force tightly packed clay particles in the mudstone apart resulting in a looser microstructure and increased porosity, and thus, a higher compressibility and permeability. Understanding the controls on the mechanical and flow properties of hydrocarbon-bearing, fine-grained formations is crucial for exploration and successful production from hydrocarbon reservoirs. Additionally, this study has large implications for soil water storage and soil amendment to improve plant growth and health in clayey soils.

The importance of pH and sand substrate in the revegetation of saline non-waterlogged peat fields.

PubMed

Montemayor, Marilou B; Price, Jonathan; Rochefort, Line

2015-11-01

A partially peat-extracted coastal bog contaminated by seawater was barren and required revegetation as a wetland. Peat fields were rectangular in shape, cambered in cross-section profile, and separated by drainage ditches. Common to all peat fields were symmetrical patterns in micro-topography with slopes between differences in elevation. Saline non-waterlogged slopes of ∼5% occurred as a symmetrical pair on each side of the crest of the cambered profile, at one end of each peat field. Three rows were laid across this slope (Top, Middle, and Bottom rows) and transplanted with naturally-growing plant species with their sand substrate, in three experiments, and grown for a year. In the Spartina pectinata experiment, bare root stem sections were also planted. Another experiment was conducted to determine changes in the characteristics of a volume of sand when incubated in saline peat fields. We found the salinity of peat increased with moisture downslope, and pH decreased with increase in salinity. S. pectinata grew best when planted with its sand substrate compared with bare root stem section, and when planted in Bottom rows. Juncus balticus had excellent growth in all rows. Unexpectedly, Festuca rubra that was inconspicuous beneath the J. balticus canopy in the natural donor site grew densely within the J. balticus sods. Agrostis stolonifera grew well but seemed to show intolerance to the surrounding acidic peat by curling up its stolons. The pH of the incubated sand volume was much higher than the surrounding peat. These studies suggest that recognition of plant niches and pH manipulation are important in the revegetation of disturbed Sphagnum peatlands that are found abundantly in the northern hemisphere. Results are also relevant to the reclamation of other disturbed lands. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ecosystem state shifts during long-term development of an Amazonian peatland.

PubMed

Swindles, Graeme T; Morris, Paul J; Whitney, Bronwen; Galloway, Jennifer M; Gałka, Mariusz; Gallego-Sala, Angela; Macumber, Andrew L; Mullan, Donal; Smith, Mark W; Amesbury, Matthew J; Roland, Thomas P; Sanei, Hamed; Patterson, R Timothy; Sanderson, Nicole; Parry, Lauren; Charman, Dan J; Lopez, Omar; Valderamma, Elvis; Watson, Elizabeth J; Ivanovic, Ruza F; Valdes, Paul J; Turner, T Edward; Lähteenoja, Outi

2018-02-01

The most carbon (C)-dense ecosystems of Amazonia are areas characterized by the presence of peatlands. However, Amazonian peatland ecosystems are poorly understood and are threatened by human activities. Here, we present an investigation into long-term ecohydrological controls on C accumulation in an Amazonian peat dome. This site is the oldest peatland yet discovered in Amazonia (peat initiation ca. 8.9 ka BP), and developed in three stages: (i) peat initiated in an abandoned river channel with open water and aquatic plants; (ii) inundated forest swamp; and (iii) raised peat dome (since ca. 3.9 ka BP). Local burning occurred at least three times in the past 4,500 years. Two phases of particularly rapid C accumulation (ca. 6.6-6.1 and ca. 4.9-3.9 ka BP), potentially resulting from increased net primary productivity, were seemingly driven by drier conditions associated with widespread drought events. The association of drought phases with major ecosystem state shifts (open water wetland-forest swamp-peat dome) suggests a potential climatic control on the developmental trajectory of this tropical peatland. A third drought phase centred on ca. 1.8-1.1 ka BP led to markedly reduced C accumulation and potentially a hiatus during the peat dome stage. Our results suggest that future droughts may lead to phases of rapid C accumulation in some inundated tropical peat swamps, although this can lead ultimately to a shift to ombrotrophy and a subsequent return to slower C accumulation. Conversely, in ombrotrophic peat domes, droughts may lead to reduced C accumulation or even net loss of peat. Increased surface wetness at our site in recent decades may reflect a shift towards a wetter climate in western Amazonia. Amazonian peatlands represent important carbon stores and habitats, and are important archives of past climatic and ecological information. They should form key foci for conservation efforts. © 2017 The Authors. Global Change Biology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Peat hybrid sorbents for treatment of wastewaters and remediation of polluted environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klavins, Maris; Burlakovs, Juris; Robalds, Artis; Ansone-Bertina, Linda

2015-04-01

For remediation of soils and purification of polluted waters, wastewaters, sorbents might be considered as an prospective group of materials and amongst them peat have a special role due to low cost, biodegradability, high number of functional groups, well developed surface area and combination of hydrophilic/hydrophobic structural elements. Peat as sorbent have good application potential for removal of trace metals, and we have demonstrated peat sorption capacities, sorption kinetics, thermodynamics in respect to metals with different valencies - Tl(I), Cu(II), Cr(III). However peat sorption capacity in respect to nonmetallic (anionic species) elements is low. Also peat mechanical properties do not support application in large scale column processes. To expand peat application possibilities the approach of biomass based hybrid sorbents has been elaborated. The concept "hybrid sorbent" in our understanding means natural, biomass based sorbent modified, covered with another sorbent material, thus combining two types of sorbent properties, sorbent functionalities, surface properties etc. As the "covering layer" both inorganic substances, mineral phases (iron oxohydroxides, oxyapatite) both organic polymers (using graft polymerization) were used. The obtained sorbents were characterised by their spectral properties, surface area, elemental composition. The obtained hybrid sorbents were tested for sorption of compounds in anionic speciation forms, for example of arsenic, antimony, tellurium and phosphorous compounds in comparison with weakly basic anionites. The highest sorption capacity was observed when peat sorbents modified with iron compounds were used. Sorption of different arsenic speciation forms onto iron-modified peat sorbents was investigated as a function of pH and temperature. It was established that sorption capacity increases with a rise in temperature, and the calculation of sorption process thermodynamic parameters indicates the spontaneity of sorption process and its endothermic nature. The recycling options of obtained compounds after their saturation with metal or non-metallic species are suggested. Acknowledgement: Support from a project 2014/0009/1DP/1.1.1.2.0/13/APIA/VIAA/044

Some peat deposits in Penobscot County, Maine

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cameron, Cornelia Clermont; Anderson, Walter A.

1979-01-01

Twenty of the peat deposits in Penobscot County, Maine contain an estimated 29,282,000 short tons air-dried peat. The peat is chiefly sphagnum moss and reed-sedge of high quality according to ASTM standards for agricultural and horticultural use. Analyses show that this same volume has high fuel value, low sulfur and high hydrogen contents compared with lignite and sub-bituminous coal, which may indicate that it also has potential for fuel use. On the basis of the metallic trace element content, one area within the region containing the 20 deposits has been delineated for further bedrock studies.

Coal and peat in the sub-Saharan region of Africa: alternative energy options?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Weaver, J.N.; Landis, E.R.

1990-01-01

Coal and peat are essentially unused and in some cases unknown in sub-Saharan Africa. However, they might comprise valuable alternative energy sources in some or all of the developing nations of the region. The 11 countries considered in this appraisal reportedly contain coal and peat. On the basis of regional geology, another five countries might also contain coal-bearing rocks. If the resource potential is adequate, coal and peat might be utilized in a variety of ways including substituting for fuelwood, generating electricity, supplying process heat for local industry and increasing agricultural productivity. -from Author

Geochemical characteristics of peat from two raised bogs of Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mezhibor, A. M.

2016-11-01

Peat has a wide range of applications in different spheres of human activity, and this is a reason for a comprehensive study. This research represents the results of an ICP-MS study of moss and peat samples from two raised bogs of Germany. Because of the wide use of sphagnum moss and peat, determining their geochemical characteristics is an important issue. According to the results obtained, we can resume that the moss samples from Germany are rich in Cu, As, Y, Zr, Nb, and REE. The geochemical composition of the bogs reflects the regional environmental features and anthropogenic influence.

Organic Geochemical Characteristics and Depositional Environment of Aǧaçbaşi Plateau Peat, Köprübaşi/Trabzon, NE Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoş Çebi, Fatma; Korkmaz, Sadettin

2013-04-01

Young peat deposits crop out in the southern part of the Aǧaçbaşı region of Trabzon city, Northern Turkey. In this study, chemical, organic geochemical, petrographic and palynological features of the peat occurrences are investigated and results obtained evaluated. According to palynological investigations, it is determined that peats were occured in terrestrial or lacustrine environments, which is containing average of 80% woody, 15% herbaceous and 5% amorphous organic matter. Age of peats has been determined as Miocene or younger, by the palynological age determinations. It is understood from the obtained SCI (Sport Color Index) analysis results that constituting organic material of peat is immature. Total organic carbon content of the peat is average 41.69% by pyrolysis analysis. HI values were calculated as average 315.46 mgHC/gTOC, which is very high for the coal occurrences. The high OI values (avg. 134 mgCO2/gTOC) show that the environments of peat deposits were oxic or suboxic. TAR (Terrigenous/Aquatic Ratio) and CPI (Carbon Preference Index) index value, is found to be 2.4 and 3.4 respectively. These values that resulted from dominance of high-numbered n-alkanes, indicate terrestrial organic matter input. According to the m/z 191 and m/z 217 mass peaks of GC chromatogram data which is obtained by biomarker analysis, sterane/hopane ratio suggests algal organic matter. Moreover, the lack of C34 and C35 homohopans show that organic matter deposited under oxic or suboxic conditions. Moretane/hopane, Tm/Ts and Tm/C30 hopane ratios were calculated in order of 0.15, 3.25 and 0.33, respectively. These values imply acidic and oxic conditions during the formation of peat. Due to the absence of 17α(H)-28.30-bisnorhopan in the m/z 191 chromatograms, it is concluded that Aǧaçbaşı plateau peat might be deposited in a terrestrial or lacustrine environments under oxic or suboxic conditions. Dominant sterane content of C29 suggests terrestrial organic matter input. In the sterane triangle diagram, the extract of the peat sample was plotted in the area of high plant and brown and green alga inputs. Also C30 sterane, which is implication of marine environment, has not been recorded on chromatogram. 22S/(22S+22R) homohopan index, Ts/(Ts+Tm), moretan/hopane, 20S/(20S+20R) sterane and ββ/(ββ+αα) sterane ratios suggest immature level of the organic matter. Key Words: peat, biomarker, sterane, terpane

Volatile and semivolatile organic compounds in laboratory peat fire emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

George, Ingrid J.; Black, Robert R.; Geron, Chris D.; Aurell, Johanna; Hays, Michael D.; Preston, William T.; Gullett, Brian K.

2016-05-01

In this study, volatile and semi-volatile organic compound (VOCs and SVOCs) mass emission factors were determined from laboratory peat fire experiments. The peat samples originated from two National Wildlife Refuges on the coastal plain of North Carolina, U.S.A. Gas- and particle-phase organic compounds were quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and by high pressure liquid chromatography. Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) accounted for a large fraction (∼60%) of the speciated VOC emissions from peat burning, including large contributions of acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, and chloromethane. In the fine particle mass (PM2.5), the following organic compound classes were dominant: organic acids, levoglucosan, n-alkanes, and n-alkenes. Emission factors for the organic acids in PM2.5 including n-alkanoic acids, n-alkenoic acids, n-alkanedioic acids, and aromatic acids were reported for the first time for peat burning, representing the largest fraction of organic carbon (OC) mass (11-12%) of all speciated compound classes measured in this work. Levoglucosan contributed to 2-3% of the OC mass, while methoxyphenols represented 0.2-0.3% of the OC mass on a carbon mass basis. Retene was the most abundant particulate phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH). Total HAP VOC and particulate PAH emissions from a 2008 peat wildfire in North Carolina were estimated, suggesting that peat fires can contribute a large fraction of state-wide HAP emissions.

Effectiveness of inorganic membrane mixture of natural zeolite and portland white cement in purifying of peat water based on turbidity parameter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elfiana; Fuadi, A.; Diana, S.

2018-04-01

Peat water is water surface that brownish red colour caused by the contained constituents. Solving the peat watercolor problem requires special attention considering the quantity of peat water and suitable to be used to meet the daily needs. This study aims to know the inorganic membrane capability of mix nature zeolite and white Portland cement to purifying the peat water based on turbidity parameter. The study was conducted by varying the composition of nature zeolite (Za) and white Portland cement (Sp) in the ratio of Za: Sp is (25%:75%; 50%:50%; 75%:25%) with zeolite condition activated using HCl 2M and nonactivated zeolite treatments. The result of the characteristic test on membrane morphology using SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) showed that the pore surface size of the membrane is 2 μm that could classified in microfiltration membrane an organic type. The characteristic test showed also resulted in the density of 0.77 to 0.86 gr/cm3, porosity 26.22% to 35.93%, and permeability 2736.19 to 8428.15. While the water retention capacity is in range of 30.64% to 46.46%, The result of inorganic membrane application on peat water showed turbidity of peat water decreased 94.17%, from 10.3 NTU to 0.6 NTU.

Structure of peat soils and implications for biogeochemical processes and hydrological flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rezanezhad, F.; McCarter, C. P. R.; Gharedaghloo, B.; Kleimeier, C.; Milojevic, T.; Liu, H.; Weber, T. K. D.; Price, J. S.; Quinton, W. L.; Lenartz, B.; Van Cappellen, P.

2017-12-01

Permafrost peatlands contain globally important amounts of soil organic carbon and play major roles in global water, nutrient and biogeochemical cycles. The structure of peatland soils (i.e., peat) are highly complex with unique physical and hydraulic properties; where significant, and only partially reversible, shrinkage occurs during dewatering (including water table fluctuations), compression and/or decomposition. These distinct physical and hydraulic properties controls water flow, which in turn affect reactive and non-reactive solute transport (such as, sorption or degradation) and biogeochemical functions. Additionally, peat further attenuates solute migration through molecular diffusion into the inactive pores of Sphagnum dominated peat. These slow, diffusion-limited solute exchanges between the pore regions may give rise to pore-scale chemical gradients and heterogeneous distributions of microbial habitats and activity in peat soils. Permafrost peat plateaus have the same essential subsurface characteristics as other widely organic soil-covered peatlands, where the hydraulic conductivity is related to the degree of decomposition and soil compression. Increasing levels of decomposition correspond with a reduction of effective pore diameter and consequently restrict water and solute flow (by several orders of magnitude in hydraulic conductivity between the ground surface and a depth of 50 cm). In this presentation, we present the current knowledge of key physical and hydraulic properties related to the structure of globally available peat soils and discuss their implications for water storage, flow and the migration of solutes.

Effect of Peat Moss and Pumice on Douglas Fir Bark based Soilless Substrate Physical and Hydraulic Properties

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Douglas fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii Mirb.(Franco)] bark (DFB), sphagnum peat moss, and pumice are the most common substrate components used in the Oregon nursery industry. The objective of this study was to document the effect of peat and pumice addition on the physical and hydrological properties o...

Predicting Calcite (CaCO3) Requirements of Sphagnum Peat Moss from pH Titration Curves

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Liming materials are required to neutralize acidity in peat moss to make it a suitable substrate for growing container crops. A series of time-consuming incubations of peat:lime mixtures are typically used to determine the liming rate to achieve a desired pH. Our objective was to evaluate the util...

Comparisons of soil nitrogen mass balances for an ombrotrophic bog and a minerotrophic fen in northern Minnesota

EPA Science Inventory

We compared the N budgets of an ombrotrophic bog and a minerotrophic fen to quantify the importance of denitrification in peatlands and their watersheds. We also compared the watershed upland mineral soils to bog/fen peat; lagg and transition zone peat to central bog/fen peat; an...

Spatial variation in below ground carbon cycling in a pristine peatland, driven by present and past vegetation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathijssen, Paul; Knorr, Klaus-Holger; Gałka, Mariusz; Borken, Werner

2017-04-01

Peat carbon cycling is controlled by both large scale factors, such as climate and hydrological setting, and small scale factors, such as microtopography, vegetation, litter quality, and rooting depth. These small scale factors commonly vary within peatlands, causing variation in the carbon balance at different locations within the same site. Understanding the relationship between small scale carbon cycling and vegetation helps us to assess the variation of carbon dynamics of peatlands, because vegetation composition acts as an integrator of factors such as microtopography, hydrology, and nutrient level. Variation in vegetation illustrates spatial variation of these underlying factors. Furthermore, the presence of certain plant species affects carbon cycling directly through litter quality or aeration through root tissues. In order to understand these within-site variations in terms of carbon cycling, we investigated carbon accumulation, decomposition, and biogeochemistry of pore waters along a transect of peat cores with changing vegetation and water levels in an ombrotrophic peatland in southern Patagonia. The transect ran from a Sphagnum magellanicum dominated spot with relatively high water table, to intermediately wet spots with mixed Sphagnum/shrubs vegetation, or dominated by Cyperaceae, eventually to a more elevated and drier spot dominated by cushion plants (mainly Astelia pumila). There were large differences in peat accumulation rates and peat densities, with faster peat growth and lower densities under Sphagnum, but overall carbon accumulation rates were quite similar in the various microenvironments. At most plots C/N ratios decreased with depth, concurrent with increasing humification index derived from FT-IR spectra. But under cushion plants this relation was opposite: more humification with depth, but also C/N ratios increases. This reflected the differing source material at depth under the cushion plants, and that the cushion plant peat layers were formed on top of Sphagnum peat. The divergent source material throughout a peat core makes it difficult to use C/N ratios to indicate peat decomposition rates. Although the low peat density and higher C/N ratios indicate that overall carbon turnover is slow at Sphagnum plots, pore water methane concentrations were elevated. At cushion plant plots, however, higher redox potentials exist until greater depths due to aerenchymous roots, inhibiting methane production and release. Our results demonstrate that large variation exists within pristine bogs, in terms of decomposition patterns, organic matter quality, and carbon turnover pathways, corresponding to variation in surface moisture levels and vegetation. Furthermore, variation in carbon cycling properties are maintained in buried peat layers and reflect more the organic material of that layer, than the current surface carbon dynamics.

Reconstructing paleosalinity in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California using major elements in peat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drexler, J. Z.; Alpers, C. N.; Taylor, H. E.; Windham-Myers, L.; Neymark, L. A.; Paces, J. B.

2010-12-01

Marshes in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the most landward extent of the San Francisco Estuary, started forming around ~6,700 years ago. Currently, Delta marshes are classified as tidal freshwater, however it is unknown to what degree the salinity regime has varied between brackish and fresh conditions since marsh development. This information is important to managers considering major changes to the flow regime in the Delta, because such changes could impact the future sustainability of endangered species such as the Delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus), which live in or just upstream of the mixing zone between fresh and brackish water. The main goal of the Rates and Evolution of PEat Accretion through Time project (REPEAT II) is to reconstruct paleosalinity regimes in the Delta. We are using elemental concentrations of Na, Ca, K, and Mg (the major cations in ocean water) in peat profiles to develop a quantitative index of salinity for the past 6000+ years. We are normalizing the elemental concentrations to Ti (a proxy for inorganic sediment content because it is inversely correlated with loss on ignition, a measure of peat organic content) to correct for bias in elemental concentrations caused by variations in the inorganic sediment content of peat through time. Plots of Ti-normalized element concentration vs. peat depth (or age) indicate that Browns Island, a brackish marsh on the western edge of the Delta, has experienced significant variations in salinity through the millennia. Vertical peat profiles show a spatial trend of decreasing salinity from west (bay-side) to east (landward) (i.e., Browns Island > Sherman Island > Franks Wetland ≧ Bacon Channel Island). During the period from 2300 to 500 calibrated years before present, Na concentrations in peat at Browns Island indicate a particularly saline period, with peat containing up to 3 wt. % Na. In the last 100 years or so, salinity at Browns Island has apparently decreased and the Na content of peat has stabilized at between 0.6 and 1 wt. % Na. We are currently analyzing the roots of live plants collected along a salinity gradient (range of means from ~0.2 to 20 ppt) in the San Francisco Estuary to determine concentrations of Na, Ca, K, and Mg in root material and the empirical relationships between root chemistry and ambient salinity levels. Because the organic component of peat is largely made up of roots that have decomposed in situ, we anticipate using these empirical relationships to quantify salinity regimes in the Delta through time.

Monitoring the effects of manure policy in the Peat region, Netherlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hooijboer, Arno; Buis, Eke; Fraters, Dico; Boumans, Leo; Lukacs, Saskia; Vrijhoef, Astrid

2014-05-01

Total N concentrations in farm ditches in the Peat region of the Netherlands are on the average twice as high as the Good Ecological Potential value of the Water Framework Directive. Since ditches are connected to regional surface water, they may contribute to eutrophication. The minerals policy aims to improve the water quality. In the Netherlands, the effectiveness of the minerals policy on water quality is evaluated with data from the National Minerals Policy Monitoring Programme (LMM). This regards farm data on the quality of water leaching from the root zone and on farm practices. The soil balance nitrogen surpluses decreased between 1996 and 2003 on dairy farms in the Peat region. However, no effect on root zone leaching was found. This study aims to show how monitoring in the Peat region can be improved in order to link water quality to agricultural practice. Contrary to the other Dutch regions, nitrate concentrations in root zone leaching on farms in the Peat region are often very low (90% of the farms below 25 mg/l) due to the reduction of nitrate (denitrification). The main nitrogen (N) components in the peat region waters are ammonium and organic N. Total N is therefore a better measure for N concentrations in the Peat region. The ammonium concentration in groundwater in Dutch peat soils increases with depth. It is assumed that the deeper ammonia-rich water is older and relates to anaerobic peat decomposition instead of agricultural practice. Recent infiltrated low-ammonium water, lies like a thin freshwater lens on the older water. In the Peat region, root zone leaching is monitored by taking samples from the upper meter of groundwater. Unintended, often both lens water and older water are sampled and this distorts the relation between agricultural practice and water quality. In the Peat region, the N surplus is transported with the precipitation surplus to ditches. The relation between the N surplus and the total N in ditch water is therefore better than between N surplus and total N in root zone leaching. The precipitation surplus flows to ditches directly or via open field drains. However, the ditches may be fed partly with older water (seepage of groundwater). In the open field drain only recent water will occur. We expect that monitoring the water quality of the open field drains may even better reflect changes in agricultural practices. These data may also improve the understanding of contribution of agricultural nitrogen and natural nitrogen, necessary to develop measures to decrease the total-N concentration in ditch water.

Reducing Respiratory Health Risks to Horses and Workers: A Comparison of Two Stall Bedding Materials

PubMed Central

Saastamoinen, Markku; Särkijärvi, Susanna; Hyyppä, Seppo

2015-01-01

Simple Summary In this study, the effect of wood shavings and peat was examined on stable air quality and health of horses and stable workers. The ammonia level in the boxes in which peat was used as bedding was non-existent or very low. The respiratory symptoms in horses increased regardless of the bedding material at the beginning of the study. The health status of the horses on peat bedding returned to the initial level in the end of the trial but horses in stalls bedded with wood shavings continued to be symptomatic. The hooves of the horses in stalls with peat bedding had a better moisture content. The results suggest that peat is a better bedding material for horses and people working or visiting horse stables than wood shavings. Abstract Stable air quality and the choice of bedding material are an important health issue both in horses and people working or visiting horse stables. Risks of impaired respiratory health are those that can especially be avoided by improving air quality in the stable. The choice of bedding material is particularly important in cold climate conditions; where horses are kept most of the day and year indoors throughout their life. This study examined the effect of two bedding materials; wood shavings and peat; on stable air quality and health of horses. Ammonia and dust levels were also measured to assess conditions in the stable. Ammonia was not detected or was at very low levels (<0.25 ppm) in the boxes in which peat was used as bedding; but its concentration was clearly higher (1.5–7.0 ppm) in stalls with wood shavings as bedding. Personal measurements of workers revealed quite high ammonia exposure (5.9 ppm8h) in the boxes in which wood shavings were used; but no exposure was observed in stalls bedded with peat. The respiratory symptoms in horses increased regardless of the bedding material at the beginning of the study. The health status of the horses in the peat bedding group returned to the initial level in the end of the trial but horses bedded with wood shavings continued to be symptomatic. The hooves of the horses with peat bedding had a better moisture content than those of the horses bedded with wood shavings. The results suggest that peat is a better bedding material for horses than wood shavings regarding the health of both horses and stable workers. PMID:26479479

Mercury(II) sorption to two Florida Everglades peat--Evidence for strong and weak binding and competition by dissolved organic matter released from the peat

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drexel, R. Todd; Haitzer, Markus; Ryan, Joseph N.; Aiken, George R.; Nagy, Kathryn L.

2002-01-01

The binding of mercury(II) to two peats from Florida Everglades sites with different rates of mercury methylation was measured at pH 6.0 and 0.01 M ionic strength. The mercury(II) sorption isotherms, measured over a total mercury(II) range of 10-7.4 to 10-3.7 M, showed the competition for mercury(II) between the peat and dissolved organic matter released from the peat and the existence of strong and weak binding sites for mercury(II). Binding was portrayed by a model accounting for strong and weak sites on both the peat and the released DOM. The conditional binding constants (for which the ligand concentration was set as the concentration of reduced sulfur in the organic matter as measured by X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy) determined for the strong sites on the two peats were similar (Kpeat,s = 1021.8±0.1and 1022.0±0.1 M-1), but less than those determined for the DOM strong sites (Kdom,s = 1022.8±0.1and 1023.2±0.1 M-1), resulting in mercury(II) binding by the DOM at low mercury(II) concentrations. The magnitude of the strong site binding constant is indicative of mercury(II) interaction with organic thiol functional groups. The conditional binding constants determined for the weak peat sites (Kpeat,w = 1011.5±0.1 and 1011.8±0.1 M-1) and weak DOM sites (Kdom,w = 108.7±3.0 and 107.3±4.5 M-1) were indicative of mercury(II) interaction with carboxyl and phenol functional groups.

The initiation and development of small peat-forming ecosystems adjacent to lakes in the north central Canadian low arctic during the Holocene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Camill, Philip; Umbanhowar, Charles E.; Geiss, Christoph; Edlund, Mark B.; Hobbs, Will O.; Dupont, Allison; Doyle-Capitman, Catherine; Ramos, Matthew

2017-07-01

Small peat-forming ecosystems in arctic landscapes may play a significant role in the regional biogeochemistry of high-latitude systems, yet they are understudied compared to arctic uplands and other major peat-forming regions of the North. We present a new data set of 25 radiocarbon-dated permafrost peat cores sampled around eight low arctic lake sites in northern Manitoba (Canada) to examine the timing of peat initiation and controls on peat accumulation throughout the Holocene. We used macrofossils and charcoal to characterize changes in the plant community and fire, and we explored potential impacts of these local factors, as well as regional climatic change, on rates of C accumulation and C stocks. Peat initiation was variable across and within sites, suggesting the influence of local topography, but 56% of the cores initiated after 3000 B.P. Most cores initiated and remained as drier bog hummock communities, with few vegetation transitions in this landscape. C accumulation was relatively slow and did not appear to be correlated with Holocene-scale climatic variability, but C stocks in this landscape were substantial (mean = 45.4 kg C m-2), potentially accounting for 13.2 Pg C in the Taiga Shield ecozone. To the extent that small peat-forming systems are underrepresented in peatland mapping, soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks may be underestimated in arctic regions. Mean fire severity appeared to be negatively correlated with C accumulation rates. Initiation and accumulation of soil C may respond to both regional and local factors, and substantial lowland soil C stocks have the potential for biogeochemical impacts on adjacent aquatic ecosystems.

Controls on boreal peat combustion and resulting emissions of carbon and mercury

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohlenberg, Andrew J.; Turetsky, Merritt R.; Thompson, Dan K.; Branfireun, Brian A.; Mitchell, Carl P. J.

2018-03-01

Warming in the boreal forest region has already led to changes in the fire regime. This may result in increasing fire frequency or severity in peatlands, which could cause these ecosystems to shift from a net sink of carbon (C) to a net source of C to the atmosphere. Similar to C cycling, peatlands serve as a net sink for mercury (Hg), which binds strongly to organic matter and accumulates in peat over time. This stored Hg is also susceptible to re-release to the atmosphere during peat fires. Here we investigate the physical properties that influence depth of burn in experimental peat columns and the resulting emissions of CO, CO2, CH4, and gaseous and particulate Hg. As expected, bulk density and soil moisture content were important controls on depth of burn, CO2 emissions, and CO emissions. However, our results show that CH4 and Hg emissions are insensitive to combustion temperature or fuel moisture content. Emissions during the burning of peat, across a wide range of moisture conditions, were associated with low particulate Hg and high gaseous Hg release. Due to strong correlations between total Hg and CO emissions and because high Hg emissions occurred despite incomplete combustion of total C, our results suggest that Hg release during peat burning is governed by the thermodynamics of Hg reduction more so than by the release of Hg associated with peat combustion. Our measured emissions ratios, particularly for CH4:CO2, are higher than values typically used in the upscaling of boreal forest or peatland fire emissions. These emission ratios have important implications not only for our understanding of smouldering chemistry, but also for potential influences of peat fires on the Earth’s climate system.

Stable Carbon and Nitrogen Isotopes in a Peat Profile Are Influenced by Early Stage Diagenesis and Changes in Atmospheric CO(2) and N Deposition.

PubMed

Esmeijer-Liu, Alice J; Kürschner, Wolfram M; Lotter, André F; Verhoeven, Jos T A; Goslar, Tomasz

2012-06-01

In this study, we test whether the δ(13)C and δ(15)N in a peat profile are, respectively, linked to the recent dilution of atmospheric δ(13)CO(2) caused by increased fossil fuel combustion and changes in atmospheric δ(15)N deposition. We analysed bulk peat and Sphagnum fuscum branch C and N concentrations and bulk peat, S. fuscum branch and Andromeda polifolia leaf δ(13)C and δ(15)N from a 30-cm hummock-like peat profile from an Aapa mire in northern Finland. Statistically significant correlations were found between the dilution of atmospheric δ(13)CO(2) and bulk peat δ(13)C, as well as between historically increasing wet N deposition and bulk peat δ(15)N. However, these correlations may be affected by early stage kinetic fractionation during decomposition and possibly other processes. We conclude that bulk peat stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios may reflect the dilution of atmospheric δ(13)CO(2) and the changes in δ(15)N deposition, but probably also reflect the effects of early stage kinetic fractionation during diagenesis. This needs to be taken into account when interpreting palaeodata. There is a need for further studies of δ(15)N profiles in sufficiently old dated cores from sites with different rates of decomposition: These would facilitate more reliable separation of depositional δ(15)N from patterns caused by other processes. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11270-011-1001-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Elucidating effects of atmospheric deposition and peat decomposition processes on mercury accumulation rates in a northern Minnesota peatland over last 10,000 cal years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nater, E. A.; Furman, O.; Toner, B. M.; Sebestyen, S. D.; Tfaily, M. M.; Chanton, J.; Fissore, C.; McFarlane, K. J.; Hanson, P. J.; Iversen, C. M.; Kolka, R. K.

2014-12-01

Climate change has the potential to affect mercury (Hg), sulfur (S) and carbon (C) stores and cycling in northern peatland ecosystems (NPEs). SPRUCE (Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Climate and Environmental change) is an interdisciplinary study of the effects of elevated temperature and CO2 enrichment on NPEs. Peat cores (0-3.0 m) were collected from 16 large plots located on the S1 peatland (an ombrotrophic bog treed with Picea mariana and Larix laricina) in August, 2012 for baseline characterization before the experiment begins. Peat samples were analyzed at depth increments for total Hg, bulk density, humification indices, and elemental composition. Net Hg accumulation rates over the last 10,000 years were derived from Hg concentrations and peat accumulation rates based on peat depth chronology established using 14C and 13C dating of peat cores. Historic Hg deposition rates are being modeled from pre-industrial deposition rates in S1 scaled by regional lake sediment records. Effects of peatland processes and factors (hydrology, decomposition, redox chemistry, vegetative changes, microtopography) on the biogeochemistry of Hg, S, and other elements are being assessed by comparing observed elemental depth profiles with accumulation profiles predicted solely from atmospheric deposition. We are using principal component analyses and cluster analyses to elucidate relationships between humification indices, peat physical properties, and inorganic and organic geochemistry data to interpret the main processes controlling net Hg accumulation and elemental concentrations in surface and subsurface peat layers. These findings are critical to predicting how climate change will affect future accumulation of Hg as well as existing Hg stores in NPE, and for providing reference baselines for SPRUCE future investigations.

Lateral carbon fluxes and CO2 outgassing from a tropical peat-draining river

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Müller, D.; Warneke, T.; Rixen, T.; Müller, M.; Jamahari, S.; Denis, N.; Mujahid, A.; Notholt, J.

2015-07-01

Tropical peatlands play an important role in the global carbon cycle due to their immense carbon storage capacity. However, pristine peat swamp forests are vanishing due to deforestation and peatland degradation, especially in Southeast Asia. CO2 emissions associated with this land use change might not only come from the peat soil directly, but also from peat-draining rivers. So far, though, this has been mere speculation, since there was no data from undisturbed reference sites. We present the first combined assessment of lateral organic carbon fluxes and CO2 outgassing from an undisturbed tropical peat-draining river. Two sampling campaigns were undertaken on the Maludam river in Sarawak, Malaysia. The river catchment is covered by protected peat swamp forest, offering a unique opportunity to study a peat-draining river in its natural state, without any influence from tributaries with different characteristics. The two campaigns yielded consistent results. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations ranged between 3222 and 6218 μmol L-1 and accounted for more than 99 % of the total organic carbon (TOC). Radiocarbon dating revealed that the riverine DOC was of recent origin, suggesting that it derives from the top soil layers and surface runoff. We observed strong oxygen depletion, implying high rates of organic matter decomposition and consequently CO2 production. The measured median pCO2 was 7795 and 8400 μatm during the two campaigns, respectively. Overall, we found that only 26 ± 15 % of the carbon was exported by CO2 evasion, while the rest was exported by discharge. CO2 outgassing seemed to be moderated by the short water residence time. Since most Southeast Asian peatlands are located at the coast, this is probably an important limiting factor for CO2 outgassing from most of its peat-draining rivers.

Hybrid biosorbents for removal of pollutants and remediation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burlakovs, Juris; Klavins, Maris; Robalds, Artis; Ansone, Linda

2014-05-01

For remediation of soils and purification of polluted waters, wastewaters, biosorbents might be considered as prospective groups of materials. Amongst them peat have a special role due to low cost, biodegradability, high number of functional groups, well developed surface area and combination of hydrophilic/hydrophobic structural elements. Peat as sorbent have good application potential for removal of trace metals, and we have demonstrated peat sorption capacities, sorption kinetics, thermodynamics in respect to metals with different valencies - Tl(I), Cu(II), Cr(III). However, peat sorption capacity in respect to nonmetallic (anionic species) elements is low. Also peat mechanical properties do not support application in large scale column processes thereby, to expand peat application sphere, the approach of biomass based hybrid sorbents has been elaborated. The concept "hybrid sorbent" in understanding of biosorbent means natural, biomass based modified material, covered with another sorbent material, thus combining properties of both such as sorbent functionalities, surface properties etc. As the "covering layer" both inorganic substances, mineral phases (iron oxohydroxides, oxyappatite) and organic polymers (using graft polymerization) were used. The obtained sorbents were characterised by their spectral properties, surface area and elemental composition. The obtained hybrid sorbents were tested for sorption of compounds in anionic speciation forms, for example of arsenic, antimony, tellurium and phosphorous compounds in comparison with weakly basic anionites. The highest sorption capacity was observed when peat sorbents modified with iron compounds were used. Sorption of different arsenic speciation forms onto iron-modified peat sorbents was investigated as a function of pH and temperature. It was established that sorption capacity increases with a rise in temperature as the calculation of sorption process thermodynamic parameters indicates the spontaneity of sorption process and its endothermic nature. The recycling options of obtained compounds after their saturation with metal or non-metallic species are suggested.

Radioactivity of peat mud used in therapy.

PubMed

Karpińska, Maria; Mnich, Krystian; Kapała, Jacek; Bielawska, Agnieszka; Kulesza, Grzegorz; Mnich, Stanisław

2016-02-01

The aim of the study was to determine the contents of natural and artificial isotopes in peat mud and to estimate the radiation dose absorbed via skin in patients during standard peat mud treatment. The analysis included 37 samples collected from 8 spas in Poland. The measurements of isotope concentration activity were conducted with the use of gamma spectrometry methods. The skin dose in a standard peat mud bath therapy is approximately 300 nSv. The effective dose of such therapy is considered to be 22 nSv. The doses absorbed during peat mud therapy are 5 orders of magnitude lower than effective annual dose absorbed from the natural radiation background by a statistical Pole (3.5 mSv). Neither therapeutic nor harmful effect is probable in case of such a small dose of ionising radiation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigating variability of biogenic gas dynamics in peat soils using high temporal frequency hydrogeophysical methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, William J.

Peat soils are known to be a significant source of atmospheric greenhouse gasses. However, the releases of methane and carbon dioxide gasses from peat soils are currently not well understood, particularly since the timing of the releases are poorly constrained. Furthermore, most research work performed on peatlands has been focused on temperate to sub-arctic peatlands, while recent works have suggested that gas production rates from low-latitude peat soils are higher than those from colder climates. The purpose of the work proposed here is to introduce an autonomous Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) method for investigating the timing of gas releases from peat soils at the lab scale utilizing samples originating from Maine and the Florida Everglades, and at the field scale in a Maine peatland. Geophysical data are supported by direct gas flux measurements using the flux chamber method enhanced by timelapse photography, and terrestrial LiDAR (TLS) monitoring surface deformation.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Untangling climate signals from autogenic changes in long-term peatland development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morris, Paul J.; Baird, Andy J.; Young, Dylan M.; Swindles, Graeme T.

2015-12-01

Peatlands represent important archives of Holocene paleoclimatic information. However, autogenic processes may disconnect peatland hydrological behavior from climate and overwrite climatic signals in peat records. We use a simulation model of peatland development driven by a range of Holocene climate reconstructions to investigate climate signal preservation in peat records. Simulated water-table depths and peat decomposition profiles exhibit homeostatic recovery from prescribed changes in rainfall, whereas changes in temperature cause lasting alterations to peatland structure and function. Autogenic ecohydrological feedbacks provide both high- and low-pass filters for climatic information, particularly rainfall. Large-magnitude climatic changes of an intermediate temporal scale (i.e., multidecadal to centennial) are most readily preserved in our simulated peat records. Simulated decomposition signals are offset from the climatic changes that generate them due to a phenomenon known as secondary decomposition. Our study provides the mechanistic foundations for a framework to separate climatic and autogenic signals in peat records.

An appraisal of Indonesia's immense peat carbon stock using national peatland maps: uncertainties and potential losses from conversion

Treesearch

Matthew Warren; Kristell Hergoualc' h; J. Boone Kauffman; Daniel Murdiyarso; Randall Kolka

2017-01-01

Background: A large proportion of the world's tropical peatlands occur in Indonesia where rapid conversion and associated losses of carbon, biodiversity and ecosystem services have brought peatland management to the forefront of Indonesia's climate mitigation efforts. We evaluated peat volume from two commonly referenced maps of peat distribution and depth...

Influence of north climatic conditions on the peat lipids composition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serebrennikova, O. V.; Strelnikova, E. B.; Duchko, M. A.; Preis, Yu I.

2018-03-01

The paper studies the composition of lipid organic compounds of peat from the northern regions of the Russian Federation. Peat was sampled in the northern taiga, forest-tundra and tundra zones, characterized by various hydrothermal conditions and vegetation cover. n-Alkanes, fatty acids and their ethers, aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, tocopherols, squalene, bi-, tri- and pentacyclic terpenoids, as well as steroids were identified in peat lipids by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The dependences of the total content of lipids and the majority of the investigated compounds classes on the ambient temperature and vegetation, as well as the correlation between the composition of n-alkanes and humidity were revealed.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Composted green waste as a substitute for peat in growth media: effects on growth and nutrition of Calathea insignis.

PubMed

Zhang, Lu; Sun, Xiangyang; Tian, Yun; Gong, Xiaoqiang

2013-01-01

Peat mined from endangered wetland ecosystems is generally used as a component in soilless potting media in horticulture but is a costly and non-renewable natural resource. The objective of this work was to study the feasibility of replacing peat with different percentages (0, 10, 30, 50, 70, 90, and 100%) of composted green waste (CGW) as growth media for the production of the ornamental plant Calathea insignis. Compared with 100% peat media, media containing CGW had improved physical and chemical characteristics to achieve the acceptable ranges. Moreover, CGW addition had increased the stability (i.e., reduced the decomposition rates) of growth media mixtures, as indicated by comparison of particle-size distribution at the start and end of a 7-month greenhouse experiment. Addition of CGW also supported increased plant growth (biomass production, root morphology, nutrient contents, and photosynthetic pigment contents). The physical and chemical characteristics of growth media and plant growth were best with a medium containing 70% CGW and were better in a medium with 100% CGW than in one with 100% peat media. These results indicate that CGW is a viable alternative to peat for the cultivation of Calathea insignis.

Composted Green Waste as a Substitute for Peat in Growth Media: Effects on Growth and Nutrition of Calathea insignis

PubMed Central

Zhang, Lu; Sun, Xiangyang; Tian, Yun; Gong, Xiaoqiang

2013-01-01

Peat mined from endangered wetland ecosystems is generally used as a component in soilless potting media in horticulture but is a costly and non-renewable natural resource. The objective of this work was to study the feasibility of replacing peat with different percentages (0, 10, 30, 50, 70, 90, and 100%) of composted green waste (CGW) as growth media for the production of the ornamental plant Calathea insignis. Compared with 100% peat media, media containing CGW had improved physical and chemical characteristics to achieve the acceptable ranges. Moreover, CGW addition had increased the stability (i.e., reduced the decomposition rates) of growth media mixtures, as indicated by comparison of particle-size distribution at the start and end of a 7-month greenhouse experiment. Addition of CGW also supported increased plant growth (biomass production, root morphology, nutrient contents, and photosynthetic pigment contents). The physical and chemical characteristics of growth media and plant growth were best with a medium containing 70% CGW and were better in a medium with 100% CGW than in one with 100% peat media. These results indicate that CGW is a viable alternative to peat for the cultivation of Calathea insignis. PMID:24205121

Determining critical groundwater level to prevent degraded peatland from severe peat fire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Putra, E. I.; Cochrane, M. A.; Vetrita, Y.; Graham, L.; Saharjo, B. H.

2018-05-01

Peat fires have been a severe recurrent problem for Indonesia, but droughts due to prolonged dry season aggravate burning conditions. To get a better understanding of this issue, we studied fire conditions in a portion of the ex-Mega Rice Project (MRP) area, Central Kalimantan. To examine fire season and hydrology factors affecting peat fires we analyzed daily TRMM data, Nino 3.4 SST Anomalies, and changing groundwater levels (GWL) from 300 dipwells. Our results quantify time-lags between the period of lowest precipitation and the lowest GWL; providing some ability to predict fire risk in advance of the lowest GWL. The rise of Nino 3.4 SST anomalies is significant risk factors for peat fire as they signify dry months which may yield large fire occurrences. GWL in 2011 was lower than in 2012, but fires were more frequent in 2012, indicating that low precipitation amounts in the wet season of 2011/2012 left the peat in a dry condition early in 2012. Most of the fires occurred in areas with GWL less than -30 cm, powerfully illustrating the importance of maintaining GWL at more than -10 cm, to prevent degraded peatlands from experiencing surface and deep peat fires.

Biogenic Gas Dynamics in Peat Soil Blocks using Ground Penetrating Radar: a Comparative Study in the Laboratory between Peat Soils from the Everglades and from two Northern Peatlands in Minnesota and Maine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cabolova, Anastasija

Peatlands cover a total area of approximately 3 million square kilometers and are one of the largest natural sources of atmospheric methane ( CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO 2). Most traditional methods used to estimate biogenic gas dynamics are invasive and provide little or no information about lateral distribution of gas. In contrast, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is an emerging technique for non-invasive investigation of gas dynamics in peat soils. This thesis establishes a direct comparison between gas dynamics (i.e. build-up and release) of four different types of peat soil using GPR. Peat soil blocks were collected at peatlands with contrasting latitudes, including the Everglades, Maine and Minnesota. A unique two-antenna GPR setup was used to monitor biogenic gas buildup and ebullition events over a period of 4.5 months, constraining GPR data with surface deformation measurements and direct CH 4 and CO2 concentration measurements. The effect of atmospheric pressure was also investigated. This study has implications for better understanding global gas dynamics and carbon cycling in peat soils and its role in climate change.

New approaches to estimation of peat deposits for production of biologically active compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stepchenko, L. M.; Yurchenko, V. I.; Krasnik, V. G.; Syedykh, N. J.

2009-04-01

It is known, that biologically active preparations from peat increase animals productivity as well as resistance against stress-factors and have adaptogeneous, antioxidant, immunomodulative properties. Optymal choice of peat deposits for the production of biologically active preparations supposes the detailed comparative analysis of peat properties from different deposits. For this the cadastre of peat of Ukraine is developed in the humic substances laboratory named after prof. Khristeva L.A. (Dnipropetrovsk Agrarian University, Ukraine). It based on the research of its physical and chemical properties, toxicity and biological activity, and called Biocadastre. The Biocadastre is based on the set of parameters, including the descriptions of physical and chemical properties (active acidity, degree of decomposition, botanical composition etc.), toxicity estimation (by parabyotyc, infusorial, inhibitor and other tests), biological activity indexes (growth-promoting, antioxidative, adaptogeneous, immunomodulative antistress and other actions). The blocks of Biocadastre indexes are differentiated, taking into account their use for creation the preparations for vegetable, animals and microorganisms. The Biocadastre will allow to choose the peat deposits, most suitable for the production of different biologically active preparations, both wide directed and narrow spectrum of action, depending on application fields (medicine, agriculture, veterinary medicine, microbiological industry, balneology, cosmetology).

Development of new peat based growing media by addition of pruning waste and biochars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nieto, Aurora; Gascó, Gabriel; Paz-Ferreiro, Jorge; Plaza, César; Fernández, José Manuel; Méndez, Ana

2015-04-01

In the last years, several researches have been performed to find high quality and low cost substrates from different organic wastes in order to decrease peat consumption since the indiscriminate exploitation of peat lands is exhausting this non-renewable useful resource and destroying endangered wetland ecosystems worldwide. The use of organic wastes as soil amendments or possible peat substitute could be improved by pyrolysis treatment, leading to biochar, a carbon-rich material that has attached important attention. Our research group has been worked in the formulation of new based-growing media by peat substitution in 50 and 75 vol% of pruning waste (PW), commercial charcoal (CC), biochar from PW at 300°C (B300) and 500°C (B500). Growing media show adequate physicochemical and hydrophysical properties. Experiments performed with lettuce germination show that PW addition in a 75vol% reduces germination index probably due to their high content on phenolic compounds. Lettuce growing experiments were performed during 5 weeks and show that addition of PW and CC to peat decreases biomass production whereas; B300 and specially, B500 addition significantly increases the lettuce biomass.

Brown coal maceral distributions in a modern domed tropical Indonesian peat and a comparison with maceral distributions in Middle Pennsylvanian–age Appalachian bituminous coal beds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grady, William C.; Eble, Cortland F.; Neuzil, Sandra G.

1993-01-01

Analyses of modern Indonesian peat samples reveal that the optical characteristics of peat constituents are consistent with the characteristics of macerals observed in brown coal and, as found by previous workers, brown-coal maceral terminology can be used in the analysis of modern peat. A core from the margin and one from near the center of a domed peat deposit in Riau Province, Sumatra, reveal that the volume of huminite macerals representing well-preserved cell structures (red, red-gray, and gray textinite; ulminite; and corpo/textinite) decreases upward. Huminite macerals representing severely degraded (<20 microns) cellular debris (degraded textinite, attrinite, and densinite) increase uniformly from the base to the surface. Greater degradation of the huminite macerals in the upper peat layers in the interior of the deposit is interpreted to be the result of fungal activity that increased in response to increasingly aerobic conditions associated with the doming of the peat deposit. Aerobic conditions concurrent with the activities of fungi may result in incipient oxidation of the severely degraded huminite macerals. This oxidation could lead to the formation of degradosemifusinite, micrinite, and macrinite maceral precursors in the peat, which may become evident only upon coalification. The core at the margin was petrographically more homogeneous than the core from the center and was dominated by well-preserved huminite macerals except in the upper 1 m, which showed signs of aerobic degradation and was similar to the upper 1 m of the peat in the interior of the deposit.The Stockton and other Middle Pennsylvanian Appalachian coal beds show analogous vertical trends in vitrinite maceral composition. The succession from telocollinite-rich, bright coal lithotypes in the lower benches upward to thin-banded/matrix collinite and desmocollinite in higher splint coal benches is believed to reflect a progression similar to that from the well-preserved textinite macerals in the lower portions of the peat cores to severely fragmented and degraded cellular materials (degraded textinite, attrinite, and densinite) in the upper portions of the cores. This petrographic sequence from bright to splint coal in the Stockton and other Middle Pennsylvanian coal beds supports previous interpretations of an upward transition from planar to domed swamp accumulations.

Post-fire fluxes and sources of carbon in previously burnt tropical swamp peatlands, Brunei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lupascu, M.; Akhtar, H.; Smith, T. E. L.; Sukmaria binti Hj Sukri, R.

2017-12-01

Tropical peatlands hold about 15-19% of the global organic carbon (C) pool of which 77% in Southeast Asia. Nonetheless Southeast Asian peatlands have been exploited for timber and land for agriculture leading to rapid deforestation, extensive drainage and frequent fires. Direct C-emissions through peat combustion must be quantified to examine the impact of peat fires on global and regional C-budgets, however it is also essential to evaluate oxidative decomposition of peat after fires for a complete understanding of ecosystem-scale fire impact. This kind of investigation is necessary also to understand the effect of peat burning on peat decomposition, because burning effects on the belowground environment are variable, depending on burnt frequency and fire severity. After a fire, ecosystems act as a C-source for months-to-years as ecosystem-respiration (Reco) exceeds photosynthesis. Furthermore during fires, the surface peat with a higher proportion of the more modern rapidly-cycled C burns preferentially. The loss of the surface peat possibly can reduce oxidative soil CO2 emissions, as the deeper, older peat, has more recalcitrant compounds. However, CO2emissions from this old C pool are a net flux to the atmosphere compared to the modern C. Within this context, we are quantifying the magnitudes and patterns of ecosystem-atmosphere fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) through cavity-ring spectroscopy in different transects of an intact tropical peat swamp forest and in two degraded forest areas affected by two and six fires over the last 40 years in Brunei, on the island of Borneo. We are using natural tracers such as δ13C and 14C to investigate the age and sources (auto- and heterotrophic) of C contributing to Reco and we are continuously monitoring soil temperature and water table level. Preliminary data show a similar magnitude of CO2 efflux between the intact (5.3 µmol CO2 m-2 s-1) and burnt areas (6.4 µmol CO2 m-2 s-1), with higher soil temperature in the latter. Our results will give a deeper insight into the vulnerability of the C pool in tropical peat swamp forest after fire events and aim at improving terrestrial soil C budget.

Dynamics of organic carbon stock of Estonian arable and grassland peat soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kauer, Karin; Tammik, Kerttu; Penu, Priit

2016-04-01

Peat soils represent globally a major reserve of soil organic carbon (SOC). Estimation of changes in SOC stocks is important for understanding soil carbon sequestration and dynamics of greenhouse gas emissions. The aim of this study was to estimate the SOC stock of Estonian agricultural peat soils and SOC stock change depending on land use type (arable land and long-term grasslands (over 5 years)). The soils were classified as Histosols according to WRB classification. Generally the arable land was used for growing cereals, oilseed rape, legumes and used as ley in crop rotation. The main technique of soil cultivation was ploughing. During 2002-2015 the soil samples of 0-20 cm soil layer (one average soil sample per 1-5 ha) were collected. The SOC content was measured by NIRS method. The SOC stock was calculated by assuming that soil mean bulk density is 0.3 g cm-3. The SOC stock change in arable land was estimated during 3-13 years (N=91) and in grassland 4-13 year (N=163). The average SOC content of peat soils varied from 150.6 to 549.0 mg g-1. The initial SOC stock of arable land was 271.3 t ha-1 and of grassland 269.3 t ha-1. The SOC stock declined in arable peat soils faster (-2.57 t ha-1 y-1) compared to the changes in grassland peat soils (-0.67 t ha-1 y-1). According to the length of the study period the SOC stock change per year varied from -5.14 to 6.64 t ha-1 y-1 in grasslands and from -14.78 to 0.83 t ha-1 y-1 in arable land, although there was no clear relationship between the SOC stock change and the length of the study period. More detailed information about the properties of agricultural land and land use history is needed to analyse the causes of the SOC stock changes in agricultural peat soils. However, from the current research we can conclude that the SOC stock of arable and grassland peat soils is declining during the cultivation. These decreases are important to specify when considering the role of peat soils in atmospheric greenhouse gas balances considering peat soils spatial variability related to regional and local differences in ecology, hydrology and climate.

Greenhouse gas efflux from an impacted Malaysian tropical peat swamp (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waldron, S.; Vihermaa, L. E.; Evers, S.; Garnett, M.; Newton, J.; Padfield, R.

2013-12-01

Tropical peatlands constitute ~11% of global peatland area and ~12% of the global peat C pool. Malaysia alone contains 10% of tropical peats. Due to rising global demands for food and biofuels, SE-Asia peat swamp forest ecosystems are threatened by increasing amounts of drainage, fire and conversion to plantation. These processes can change the GHG emissions and thus net ecosystem C balance. However, in comparison to temperate and boreal peatlands, there is a lack of data on terrestrial-aquatic-atmospheric carbon transfer from tropical peatlands, both those that are little disturbed and those facing anthropogenic pressures. Lateral transport of soil-respired carbon, and fluvial respiration or UV-oxidation of terrestrial DOC primes atmospheric carbon dioxide efflux. We now know that DOC lost from disturbed tropical peat swamp forests can be centuries to millennia old and originates deep within the peat column - this carbon may fuel efflux of old carbon dioxide and so anthropogenic land-use change renders the older, slower carbon cycles shorter and faster. Currently we have no knowledge of how significant ';older-slower' terrestrial-aquatic-atmospheric cycles are in disturbed tropical peatlands. Further, in some areas for commercial reasons, or by conservation bodies trying to minimise peat habitat loss, logged peats have been left to regenerate. Consequently, unpicking the legacy of multiple land uses on magnitude, age and source of GHG emissions is challenging but required to support land management decisions and projections of response to a changing climate. Here, we present the results of our first field campaign in July 2013 to the Raja Musa and Sungai Karang Peat Swamp Forest Reserves in North Selangor, Malaysia. This is one of Malaysia's largest oceanic peat swamps, and has been selectively logged and drained for 80 years, but is now subject to a 30 year logging ban to aid forest regeneration and build up wood stocks. From sites subject to different land use, we will present measurements of i) spatial variation in fluvial carbon dioxide and methane concentrations and associated efflux rates, and ii) the stable carbon isotopic composition of DIC and novel determination of the age of the effluxed carbon dioxide. From this we can consider if younger-faster or older-slower carbon cycling dominates the terrestrial-aquatic-atmospheric C transfer during this dry period sampling.

Geophysical surveying in the Sacramento Delta for earthquake hazard assessment and measurement of peat thickness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Craig, M. S.; Kundariya, N.; Hayashi, K.; Srinivas, A.; Burnham, M.; Oikawa, P.

2017-12-01

Near surface geophysical surveys were conducted in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta for earthquake hazard assessment and to provide estimates of peat thickness for use in carbon models. Delta islands have experienced 3-8 meters of subsidence during the past century due to oxidation and compaction of peat. Projected sea level rise over the next century will contribute to an ongoing landward shift of the freshwater-saltwater interface, and increase the risk of flooding due to levee failure or overtopping. Seismic shear wave velocity (VS) was measured in the upper 30 meters to determine Uniform Building Code (UBC)/ National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program (NEHRP) site class. Both seismic and ground penetrating radar (GPR) methods were employed to estimate peat thickness. Seismic surface wave surveys were conducted at eight sites on three islands and GPR surveys were conducted at two of the sites. Combined with sites surveyed in 2015, the new work brings the total number of sites surveyed in the Delta to twenty.Soil boreholes were made at several locations using a hand auger, and peat thickness ranged from 2.1 to 5.5 meters. Seismic surveys were conducted using the multichannel analysis of surface wave (MASW) method and the microtremor array method (MAM). On Bouldin Island, VS of the surficial peat layer was 32 m/s at a site with pure peat and 63 m/s at a site peat with higher clay and silt content. Velocities at these sites reached a similar value, about 125 m/s, at a depth of 10 m. GPR surveys were performed at two sites on Sherman Island using 100 MHz antennas, and indicated the base of the peat layer at a depth of about 4 meters, consistent with nearby auger holes.The results of this work include VS depth profiles and UBC/NEHRP site classifications. Seismic and GPR methods may be used in a complementary fashion to estimate peat thickness. The seismic surface wave method is a relatively robust method and more effective than GPR in many areas with high clay content or where surface sediments have been disturbed by human activities. GPR does however provide significantly higher resolution and better depth control in areas with suitable recording conditions.

An appraisal of Indonesia's immense peat carbon stock using national peatland maps: uncertainties and potential losses from conversion.

PubMed

Warren, Matthew; Hergoualc'h, Kristell; Kauffman, J Boone; Murdiyarso, Daniel; Kolka, Randall

2017-12-01

A large proportion of the world's tropical peatlands occur in Indonesia where rapid conversion and associated losses of carbon, biodiversity and ecosystem services have brought peatland management to the forefront of Indonesia's climate mitigation efforts. We evaluated peat volume from two commonly referenced maps of peat distribution and depth published by Wetlands International (WI) and the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), and used regionally specific values of carbon density to calculate carbon stocks. Peatland extent and volume published in the MoA maps are lower than those in the WI maps, resulting in lower estimates of carbon storage. We estimate Indonesia's total peat carbon store to be within 13.6 GtC (the low MoA map estimate) and 40.5 GtC (the high WI map estimate) with a best estimate of 28.1 GtC: the midpoint of medium carbon stock estimates derived from WI (30.8 GtC) and MoA (25.3 GtC) maps. This estimate is about half of previous assessments which used an assumed average value of peat thickness for all Indonesian peatlands, and revises the current global tropical peat carbon pool to 75 GtC. Yet, these results do not diminish the significance of Indonesia's peatlands, which store an estimated 30% more carbon than the biomass of all Indonesian forests. The largest discrepancy between maps is for the Papua province, which accounts for 62-71% of the overall differences in peat area, volume and carbon storage. According to the MoA map, 80% of Indonesian peatlands are <300 cm thick and thus vulnerable to conversion outside of protected areas according to environmental regulations. The carbon contained in these shallower peatlands is conservatively estimated to be 10.6 GtC, equivalent to 42% of Indonesia's total peat carbon and about 12 years of global emissions from land use change at current rates. Considering the high uncertainties in peatland extent, volume and carbon storage revealed in this assessment of current maps, a systematic revision of Indonesia's peat maps to produce a single geospatial reference that is universally accepted would improve national peat carbon storage estimates and greatly benefit carbon cycle research, land use management and spatial planning.

Peatlands and potatoes; organic wetland soils in Uganda

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farmer, Jenny; Langan, Charlie; Gimona, Alessandro; Poggio, Laura; Smith, Jo

2017-04-01

Land use change in Uganda's wetlands has received very little research attention. Peat soils dominate the papyrus wetlands of the south west of the country, but the areas they are found in have been increasingly converted to potato cultivation. Our research in Uganda set out to (a) document both the annual use of and changes to these soils under potato cultivation, and (b) the extent and condition of these soils across wetland systems. During our research we found it was necessary to develop locally appropriate protocols for sampling and analysis of soil characteristics, based on field conditions and locally available resources. Over the period of one year we studied the use of the peat soil for potato cultivation by smallholder farmers in Ruhuma wetland and measured changes to surface peat properties and soil nutrients in fields over that time. Farmer's use of the fields changed over the year, with cultivation, harvesting and fallow periods, which impacted on soil micro-topography. Measured soil properties changed over the course of the year as a result of the land use, with bulk density, nitrogen content, potassium and magnesium all reducing. Comparison of changes in soil carbon stocks over the study period were difficult to make as it was not possible to reach the bottom of the peat layer. However, a layer of fallow weeds discarded onto the soil prior to preparation of the raised potato beds provided a time marker which gave insight into carbon losses over the year. To determine the peatland extent, a spatial survey was conducted in the Kanyabaha-Rushebeya wetland system, capturing peat depths and key soil properties (bulk density, organic matter and carbon contents). Generalised additive models were used to map peat depth and soil characteristics across the system, and maps were developed for these as well as drainage and land use classes. Comparison of peat cores between the two study areas indicates spatial variability in peat depths and the influence of neighbouring mineral soil hillslopes. Our work provides valuable insight into the condition and use of these tropical peat soils, which are under-researched yet highly depended upon by local communities, with wider climate impacts. Cultivation of these peat soils has implications for their future sustainability and use, and having insight into the impacts of land management on these soils improves local and national level capacity for better soil management.

Estimation of the Role of Natural Climatic Trends and Local Depositional Conditions on Peat Formation in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, Based on Palynological and Paleomagnetic Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delusina, I.; Verosub, K. L.

2014-12-01

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California is a critical ecosystem for reconstructing natural and anthropogenic impacts on environmental conditions, understanding stream development, and assessing the fate of artificial levees. Peat formation is influenced by all these processes and represents the combined effects of climatic and hydrographic evolution. In the framework of Project REPEAT, we studied three peat cores using palynological and paleomagnetic methods, focusing on the influence of the general climatic setting and postglacial sea-level changes during the last 6500 years on the process of peat formation and the interplay of local environmental and hydrological conditions. In this report we consider the hypothesis that peat accretion was closely related to general climatic trends, as reflected in atmospheric carbon storage in the Delta sediments, and to general sea-level fluctuation. Based on the fact that the bulk density of the peat is closely correlated with organic carbon content, we examine: 1) whether the pollen concentration is highest when the organic carbon content in the cores is a maximum and corresponds to the warmest episodes; 2) whether organic content is inversely related to the lithic content as determined by paleomagnetic measurements; 3) whether a salinity index based on pollen criteria is highest during the highest stands of sea level; 4) and whether the C3/C4 plant index is a good measure of the carbon content of the peat.

Comparisons of soil nitrogen mass balances for an ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

We compared the N budgets of an ombrotrophic bog and a minerotrophic fen to quantify the importance of denitrification in peatlands and their watersheds. We also compared the watershed upland mineral soils to bog/fen peat; lagg and transition zone peat to central bog/fen peat; and surface, mid-layer and deep soil and peat horizons. Bog and fen area were derived from a wetland boundary GIS data layer, and bog and fen volumes were calculated as the interpolated product of area and depth of peat. Atmospheric N deposition to the bog and fen were based on measurements from a station located 2km north of the bog watershed and 0.5km from the fen watershed. Precipitation was analyzed for nitrate (NO3-), ammonium (NH4+), and total N (TN), and aggregated to annual values. Outflow water samples from the bog and fen were collected as surface grab samples on each of the May-October sampling dates over the 2010-2013 study, and were analyzed and aggregated annually as for atmospheric N. Soil and peat samples were analyzed for N content, and for net ammonification (AM), nitrification (NT), and ambient (DN) and potential (DEA) denitrification rates. Nitrogen mass balances are based on mean annual atmospheric deposition and outflow; soil and peat standing stocks of N, and mean annual estimates of DN, weighted for contributions of the uplands, lagg or transition zone, and bog or fen hollows and hummocks, and accounting for soil depth effects. Annual deposition of N species was: N

Long-Term Climate Implications of Persistent Loss of Tropical Peat Carbon Following Land Use Conversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frolking, S. E.; Dommain, R.; Glaser, P. H.; Joos, F.; Jeltsch-Thommes, A.

2016-12-01

The climate mitigation potential of tropical peatlands has gained increased attention as Southeast Asian tropical peat swamp forests are being deforested, drained and burned at very high rates, causing globally significant carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to the atmosphere. We used a simple force-restore model to represent the perturbation to the atmospheric CO2 and CH4 burdens, and net radiative forcing, resulting from long-term conversion of tropical peat swamp forests to oil palm or acacia plantations. Drainage ditches are installed in land-use conversion to both oil palm and acacia, leading to a persistent change in the system greenhouse gas balance with the atmosphere. Drainage causes the net CO2 exchange to switch from a weak sink (removal from the atmosphere) in the accumulating peat of a swamp forest to a relatively strong source as the peat is oxidized. CH4 emissions increase due to relatively high emissions from the ditches themselves. For these systems, persistent CO2 fluxes have a much stronger impact on atmospheric radiative forcing than do the CH4 fluxes. Prior to conversion, slow peat accumulation (net CO2 uptake) over millennia establishes a slowly increasing net radiative cooling perturbation to the atmosphere. Upon conversion, CO2 loss rates are 16-32 times higher than pre-conversion CO2 uptake rates. Rapid loss rates cause the net radiative forcing perturbation to quickly (decades) become a net warming, which can persist for many centuries after the peat has all been oxidized.

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

PubMed

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

2003-01-01

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.

Peat soils stabilization using Effective Microorganisms (EM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yusof, N. Z.; Samsuddin, N. S.; Hanif, M. F.; Syed Osman, S. B.

2018-04-01

Peat soil is known as geotechnical problematic soil since it is the softest soil having highly organic and moisture content which led to high compressibility, low shear strength and long-term settlement. The aim of this study was to obtain the stabilized peat soils using the Effective Microorganisms (EM). The volume of EM added and mixed with peat soils varied with 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10% and then were cured for 7, 14 and 21 days. The experiment was done for uncontrolled and controlled moisture content. Prior conducting the main experiments, the physical properties such as moisture content, liquid limit, specific gravity, and plastic limit etc. were measure for raw peat samples. The Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) test was performed followed by regression analysis to check the effect of EM on the soil strength. Obtained results have shown that the mix design for controlled moisture contents showed the promising improvement in their compressive strength. The peat soil samples with 10% of EM shows the highest increment in UCS value and the percentage of increments are in the range of 44% to 65% after curing for 21 days. The regression analysis of the EM with the soil compressive strength showed that in controlled moisture conditions, EM significantly improved the soil stability as the value of R2 ranged between 0.97 – 0.78. The results have indicated that the addition of EM in peat soils provides significant improving in the strength of the soil as well as the other engineering properties.

Peat porewater chloride concentration profiles in the Everglades during wet/dry cycles from January 1996 to June 1998: Field measurements and theoretical analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reddy, M.M.; Reddy, M.B.; Kipp, K.L.; Burman, A.; Schuster, P.; Rawlik, P.S.

2008-01-01

Water quality is a key aspect of the Everglades Restoration Project, the largest water reclamation and ecosystem management project proposed in the United States. Movement of nutrients and contaminants to and from Everglades peat porewater could have important consequences for Everglades water quality and ecosystem restoration activities. In a study of Everglades porewater, we observed complex, seasonally variable peat porewater chloride concentration profiles at several locations. Analyses and interpretation of these changing peat porewater chloride concentration profiles identifies processes controlling conservative solute movement at the peat-surface water interface, that is, solutes whose transport is minimally affected by chemical and biological reactions. We examine, with an advection-diffusion model, how alternating wet and dry climatic conditions in the Florida Everglades mediate movement of chloride between peat porewater and marsh surface water. Changing surface water-chloride concentrations alter gradients at the interface between peat and overlying water and hence alter chloride flux across that interface. Surface water chloride concentrations at two frequently monitored sites vary with marsh water depth, and a transfer function was developed to describe daily marsh surface water chloride concentration as a function of marsh water depth. Model results demonstrate that porewater chloride concentrations are driven by changing surface water chloride concentrations, and a sensitivity analysis suggests that inclusion of advective transport in the model improves the agreement between the calculated and the observed chloride concentration profiles. Copyright ?? 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Estimating methane gas production in peat soils of the Florida Everglades using hydrogeophysical methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, William; Comas, Xavier

2016-04-01

The spatial and temporal variability in production and release of greenhouse gases (such as methane) in peat soils remains uncertain, particularly for low-latitude peatlands like the Everglades. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is a hydrogeophysical tool that has been successfully used in the last decade to noninvasively investigate carbon dynamics in peat soils; however, application in subtropical systems is almost non-existent. This study is based on four field sites in the Florida Everglades, where changes in gas content within the soil are monitored using time-lapse GPR measurements and gas releases are monitored using gas traps. A weekly methane gas production rate is estimated using a mass balance approach, considering gas content estimated from GPR, gas release from gas traps and incorporating rates of diffusion, and methanotrophic consumption from previous studies. Resulting production rates range between 0.02 and 0.47 g CH4 m-2 d-1, falling within the range reported in literature. This study shows the potential of combining GPR with gas traps to monitor gas dynamics in peat soils of the Everglades and estimate methane gas production. We also show the enhanced ability of certain peat soils to store gas when compared to others, suggesting that physical properties control biogenic gas storage in the Everglades peat soils. Better understanding biogenic methane gas dynamics in peat soils has implications regarding the role of wetlands in the global carbon cycle, particularly under a climate change scenario.

Experimental early-stage coalification of a peat sample and a peatified wood sample from Indonesia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Orem, W.H.; Neuzil, S.G.; Lerch, H.E.; Cecil, C.B.

1996-01-01

Experimental coalification of a peat sample and a buried wood sample from domed peat deposits in Indonesia was carried out to examine chemical structural changes in organic matter during early-stage coalification. The experiment (125 C, 408 atm lithostatic pressure, and 177 atm fluid pressure for 75 days) was designed to maintain both lithostatic and fluid pressure on the sample, but allow by-products that may retard coalification to escape. We refer to this design as a geologically open system. Changes in the elemental composition, and 13C NMR and FTIR spectra of the peat and wood after experimental coalification suggest preferential thermal decomposition of O-containing aliphatic organic compounds (probably cellulose) during early-stage coalification. The elemental compositions and 13C NMR spectra of the experimentally coalified peat and wood were generally similar to those of Miocene coal and coalified wood samples from Indonesia. Yields of lignin phenols in the peat and wood samples decreased following experimental coalification; the wood sample exhibited a larger change. Lignin phenol yields from the experimentally coalified peat and wood were comparable to yields of lignin phenols from Miocene Indonesian lignite and coalified wood. Changes in syringyl/vanillyl and p-hydroxy/vanillyl ratios suggest direct demethoxylation as a secondary process to demethylation of methoxyl groups during early coalification, and changes in lignin phenol yields and acid/aldehyde ratios point to a coupling between demethoxylation processes and reactions in the alkyl side chain bonds of the ??-carbon in lignin phenols.

Pediatric Eating Assessment Tool-10 as an indicator to predict aspiration in children with esophageal atresia.

PubMed

Soyer, Tutku; Yalcin, Sule; Arslan, Selen Serel; Demir, Numan; Tanyel, Feridun Cahit

2017-10-01

Airway aspiration is a common problem in children with esophageal atresia (EA). Pediatric Eating Assessment Tool-10 (pEAT-10) is a self-administered questionnaire to evaluate dysphagia symptoms in children. A prospective study was performed to evaluate the validity of pEAT-10 to predict aspiration in children with EA. Patients with EA were evaluated for age, sex, type of atresia, presence of associated anomalies, type of esophageal repair, time of definitive treatment, and the beginning of oral feeding. Penetration-aspiration score (PAS) was evaluated with videofluoroscopy (VFS) and parents were surveyed for pEAT-10, dysphagia score (DS) and functional oral intake scale (FOIS). PAS scores greater than 7 were considered as risk of aspiration. EAT-10 values greater than 3 were assessed as abnormal. Higher DS scores shows dysphagia whereas higher FOIS shows better feeding abilities. Forty patients were included. Children with PAS greater than 7 were assessed as PAS+ group, and scores less than 7 were constituted as PAS- group. Demographic features and results of surgical treatments showed no difference between groups (p>0.05). The median values of PAS, pEAT-10 and DS scores were significantly higher in PAS+ group when compared to PAS- group (p<0.05). The sensitivity and specificity of pEAT-10 to predict aspiration were 88% and 77%, and the positive and negative predictive values were 22% and 11%, respectively. Type-C cases had better pEAT-10 and FOIS scores with respect to type-A cases, and both scores were statistically more reliable in primary repair than delayed repair (p<0.05). Among the postoperative complications, only leakage had impact on DS, pEAT-10, PAS and FOIS scores (p<0.05). The pEAT-10 is a valid, simple and reliable tool to predict aspiration in children. Patients with higher pEAT-10 scores should undergo detailed evaluation of deglutitive functions and assessment of risks of aspiration to improve safer feeding strategies. Level II (Development of diagnostic criteria in a consecutive series of patients and a universally applied "gold standard"). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Long-term disturbance dynamics and resilience of tropical peat swamp forests

PubMed Central

Cole, Lydia E S; Bhagwat, Shonil A; Willis, Katherine J

2015-01-01

1. The coastal peat swamp forests of Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo, are undergoing rapid conversion, predominantly into oil palm plantations. This wetland ecosystem is assumed to have experienced insignificant disturbance in the past, persisting under a single ecologically-stable regime. However, there is limited knowledge of the past disturbance regime, long-term functioning and fundamentally the resilience of this ecosystem to changing natural and anthropogenic perturbations through time. 2. In this study, long-term ecological data sets from three degraded peatlands in Sarawak were collected to shed light on peat swamp forest dynamics. Fossil pollen and charcoal were counted in each sedimentary sequence to reconstruct vegetation and investigate responses to past environmental disturbance, both natural and anthropogenic. 3. Results demonstrate that peat swamp forest taxa have dominated these vegetation profiles throughout the last c. 2000-year period despite the presence of various drivers of disturbance. Evidence for episodes of climatic variability, predominantly linked to ENSO events, and wildfires is present throughout. However, in the last c. 500 years, burning and indicators of human disturbance have elevated beyond past levels at these sites, concurrent with a reduction in peat swamp forest pollen. 4. Two key insights have been gained through this palaeoecological analysis: (i) peat swamp forest vegetation has demonstrated resilience to disturbance caused by burning and climatic variability in Sarawak in the late Holocene, however (ii) coincident with increased fire combined with human impact c. 500 years ago, these communities started to decline. 5. Synthesis. Sarawak's coastal peat swamps have demonstrated resilience to past natural disturbances, with forest vegetation persisting through episodes of fire and climatic variability. However, palaeoecological data presented here suggest that recent, anthropogenic disturbances are of a greater magnitude, causing the observed decline in the peat swamp forest communities in the last c. 500 years and challenging the ecosystem's persistence. This study greatly extends our knowledge of the ecological functioning of these understudied ecosystems, providing baseline information on the past vegetation and its response to disturbance. This understanding is central to developing management strategies that foster resilience in the remaining peat swamp forests and ensure continued provision of services, namely carbon storage, from this globally important ecosystem. PMID:26120202

Past and Future Stability of Deep Peatland Carbon Stocks: Assessing the Nature and Fate of Carbon in a Northern Minnesota Ombrotrophic Peatland (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanson, P. J.; Chanton, J.; Iversen, C. M.; McFarlane, K. J.; Tfaily, M. M.; Xu, X.

2013-12-01

An ombrotrophic Picea-Sphagnum peatland located on the Marcell Experimental Forest in northern Minnesota is being prepared for experimental manipulations to evaluate carbon cycle responses to warming and elevated CO2. Pretreatment characterization of the peatland, which has a mean peat depth of ~3 meters, showed that belowground carbon (C) stocks were greater than 2200 MgC ha-1. This is easily 10× greater than the combined above- and belowground C stocks found in typical eastern deciduous forests. Carbon has accumulated under saturated, cool to cold conditions since the last glaciers receded some 10,000 years ago. Mean bulk-14C assessments show a modern C signature and decadal turnover time for peat in the raised hummock topography, as well as in the oxic acrotelm layer which extends to a depth of 30-cm below hollow microtopography. Deeper peat layers (below 30-cm depth) have C ages ranging from 1000- to 2000 years for relatively shallow layers, to between 7000 and 8000 years at 2.5 m depth. In contrast, the 14C signatures of dissolved inorganic C (DIC) and dissolved organic C (DOC), which reflect the substrates consumed by microbes, were relatively modern, even at depths of up to 2 meters. The modern 14C signatures indicate that microbial respiration at depth is fueled by surface inputs of DOC. Furthermore, the contrast in δ14C between solid-phase peat and DOC at deeper peat depths will allow researchers to quantify the effects of warming and elevated CO2 on the fate of peat stored in this ombrotrophic peatland for millennia. It is unclear whether C accumulation in peatlands will continue under warmer conditions associated with atmospheric and climatic change. Modeled projections for net peat C turnover throughout the peat profile will be discussed in the context of the planned warming manipulations. Initial hypotheses suggest that peat accumulation may be sustained for low levels of warming, but shift to a pattern of net carbon release as both CO2 and CH4 for warmer future climates.

SPRUCE Deep Peat Heating Manipulations: in situ Methods to Characterize the Response of Deep Peat to Warming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanson, P. J.; Riggs, J. S.; Barbier, C. N.; Nettles, W. R., IV; Phillips, J. R.; Hook, L.

2014-12-01

Deep soil heating infrastructure was completed in 2014 for a peatland whole-ecosystem warming study that will include air warming starting in 2015 (SPRUCE; http://mnspruce.ornl.gov). In June 2014, we initiated deep soil heating to test the responsiveness of deep peat carbon stocks, microbial communities and biogeochemical cycling processes to heating at 4 warming levels (+2.25, +4.5, +6.75 and +9 °C; 2 replicate plots) compared to fully-constructed control plots (+0 °C; 2 replicate plots). The warming treatments were deployed over eight 113 m2 areas using circular arrays of low-wattage (W) electrical resistance heaters. Perimeter heating was achieved by an exterior circle of 48 100W heaters that apply heat from the surface to a depth of 3 meters. Heating within the study area was accomplished utilizing three zones of 100W "deep only" heaters: an intermediate circle of 12 units, an interior circle of 6 units and one unit placed at the plot center. Heating elements inside the study area apply heat only from -2 to -3 m to keep active heater surfaces away from measured peat volumes. With an average peat depth of 2.5 meters this system was able to warm approximately 113 of the 282 m3 of peat within each target plot. In the absence of the air warming cap, in situ deep peat heating is only effective at sustaining warming in the deep peat layers. Warming levels at depth were achieved over a 25-day (+ 2.25 °C) to a 60-day (+9 °C) period depending on the target treatment temperatures in agreement with a priori energy balance model simulations. Homogeneous temperature distributions between heaters at a given depth interval continued to develop after these targets were reached. Biological and biogeochemical responses to these manipulations are being actively assessed. After one month of transient heating, data for ground-level surface flux of CO2 and CH4 had not shown changes from deep peat heating, but they continue to be tracked and will be summarized in this and related talks.

The role of priming effects on the conversion of blue carbon to CO2 in the coastal zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morrison, E.; Ward, N. D.; Arellano, A. R.; Liu, Y.; Rivas-Ubach, A.; Ogram, A.; Osborne, T.; Vaughn, D.; Bianchi, T. S.

2017-12-01

Coastal ecosystems are recognized as valuable but vulnerable carbon (C) sinks, and the C stored in these systems is often referred to as blue C. These systems face many threats, particularly along low-relief coastlines such as Florida, which are susceptible to erosion and C loss as sea levels rise. Peat-derived organic matter (OM) may be degraded within downstream estuarine systems, and its degradation may be enhanced in the presence of labile algal-derived OM via microbial priming effects. To investigate the role of microbial priming effects on the degradation of peat-derived blue C, incubations were established and a suite of analyses were conducted to evaluate changes in peat-derived OM, CO2 production, metabolites, and microbial community structure (via metagenomic sequencing) over the course of the experiment. Four treatments were established: seawater with peat and algal leachate (SWPA), seawater and peat leachate (SWP), seawater and algal leachate (SWA), and seawater alone (SW). Treatments containing peat leachate (SWPA and SWP) harbored greater total DOC concentrations compared to SWA and SW treatments. Over the course of the incubation, CO2 concentrations increased in all treatments, with the highest CO2 levels in treatments with algal-derived DOM (SWA and SWPA). Both treatments with algal-derived DOM (SWA and SWPA) showed an increase in 13C-labeled CO2 over the course of the incubation, and stable isotope mass balance indicated that the conversion of peat-derived OC to CO2 occurred approximately 30% faster with the presence of algal-derived DOC. Aromaticity indices from absorption spectra were significantly lower in the SWP treatment when compared to the SWPA treatment. Dissolved organic matter molecular formulae detected by Fourier-transformed ion cyclotron resonance spectrometry indicated an increase in the degradation of peat-derived compounds when algal material was present. Overall, these findings suggest that there is an increase in microbial degradation of peat when in the presence of algal-derived DOM, which may drive the conversion of blue carbon stocks to CO2 when exported to estuarine systems.

Introducing global peat-specific temperature and pH calibrations based on brGDGT bacterial lipids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naafs, B. D. A.; Inglis, G. N.; Zheng, Y.; Amesbury, M. J.; Biester, H.; Bindler, R.; Blewett, J.; Burrows, M. A.; del Castillo Torres, D.; Chambers, F. M.; Cohen, A. D.; Evershed, R. P.; Feakins, S. J.; Gałka, M.; Gallego-Sala, A.; Gandois, L.; Gray, D. M.; Hatcher, P. G.; Honorio Coronado, E. N.; Hughes, P. D. M.; Huguet, A.; Könönen, M.; Laggoun-Défarge, F.; Lähteenoja, O.; Lamentowicz, M.; Marchant, R.; McClymont, E.; Pontevedra-Pombal, X.; Ponton, C.; Pourmand, A.; Rizzuti, A. M.; Rochefort, L.; Schellekens, J.; De Vleeschouwer, F.; Pancost, R. D.

2017-07-01

Glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) are membrane-spanning lipids from Bacteria and Archaea that are ubiquitous in a range of natural archives and especially abundant in peat. Previous work demonstrated that the distribution of bacterial branched GDGTs (brGDGTs) in mineral soils is correlated to environmental factors such as mean annual air temperature (MAAT) and soil pH. However, the influence of these parameters on brGDGT distributions in peat is largely unknown. Here we investigate the distribution of brGDGTs in 470 samples from 96 peatlands around the world with a broad mean annual air temperature (-8 to 27 °C) and pH (3-8) range and present the first peat-specific brGDGT-based temperature and pH calibrations. Our results demonstrate that the degree of cyclisation of brGDGTs in peat is positively correlated with pH, pH = 2.49 × CBTpeat + 8.07 (n = 51, R2 = 0.58, RMSE = 0.8) and the degree of methylation of brGDGTs is positively correlated with MAAT, MAATpeat (°C) = 52.18 × MBT5me‧ - 23.05 (n = 96, R2 = 0.76, RMSE = 4.7 °C). These peat-specific calibrations are distinct from the available mineral soil calibrations. In light of the error in the temperature calibration (∼4.7 °C), we urge caution in any application to reconstruct late Holocene climate variability, where the climatic signals are relatively small, and the duration of excursions could be brief. Instead, these proxies are well-suited to reconstruct large amplitude, longer-term shifts in climate such as deglacial transitions. Indeed, when applied to a peat deposit spanning the late glacial period (∼15.2 kyr), we demonstrate that MAATpeat yields absolute temperatures and relative temperature changes that are consistent with those from other proxies. In addition, the application of MAATpeat to fossil peat (i.e. lignites) has the potential to reconstruct terrestrial climate during the Cenozoic. We conclude that there is clear potential to use brGDGTs in peats and lignites to reconstruct past terrestrial climate.

Long-term disturbance dynamics and resilience of tropical peat swamp forests.

PubMed

Cole, Lydia E S; Bhagwat, Shonil A; Willis, Katherine J

2015-01-01

1. The coastal peat swamp forests of Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo, are undergoing rapid conversion, predominantly into oil palm plantations. This wetland ecosystem is assumed to have experienced insignificant disturbance in the past, persisting under a single ecologically-stable regime. However, there is limited knowledge of the past disturbance regime, long-term functioning and fundamentally the resilience of this ecosystem to changing natural and anthropogenic perturbations through time. 2. In this study, long-term ecological data sets from three degraded peatlands in Sarawak were collected to shed light on peat swamp forest dynamics. Fossil pollen and charcoal were counted in each sedimentary sequence to reconstruct vegetation and investigate responses to past environmental disturbance, both natural and anthropogenic. 3. Results demonstrate that peat swamp forest taxa have dominated these vegetation profiles throughout the last c . 2000-year period despite the presence of various drivers of disturbance. Evidence for episodes of climatic variability, predominantly linked to ENSO events, and wildfires is present throughout. However, in the last c . 500 years, burning and indicators of human disturbance have elevated beyond past levels at these sites, concurrent with a reduction in peat swamp forest pollen. 4. Two key insights have been gained through this palaeoecological analysis: (i) peat swamp forest vegetation has demonstrated resilience to disturbance caused by burning and climatic variability in Sarawak in the late Holocene, however (ii) coincident with increased fire combined with human impact c . 500 years ago, these communities started to decline. 5. Synthesis . Sarawak's coastal peat swamps have demonstrated resilience to past natural disturbances, with forest vegetation persisting through episodes of fire and climatic variability. However, palaeoecological data presented here suggest that recent, anthropogenic disturbances are of a greater magnitude, causing the observed decline in the peat swamp forest communities in the last c . 500 years and challenging the ecosystem's persistence. This study greatly extends our knowledge of the ecological functioning of these understudied ecosystems, providing baseline information on the past vegetation and its response to disturbance. This understanding is central to developing management strategies that foster resilience in the remaining peat swamp forests and ensure continued provision of services, namely carbon storage, from this globally important ecosystem.

Decadal changes in peat carbon accrual rates in bogs in Northern Minnesota

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fissore, C.; Nater, E. A.; McFarlane, K. J.

2017-12-01

Throughout the Holocene, peatland ecosystems have accumulated substantial amounts of carbon (C) and currently store about one third of all soil organic carbon (SOC) worldwide. Large uncertainty still persists on whether peatland ecosystems located in northern latitudes will continue to act as C sinks, or if the effects of global warming will have greater effects on decomposition processes than on net ecosystem production. We investigated decadal C accrual rates of the top 25 cm of peats in three Sphagnum-rich peatlands located in Northern Minnesota (two ombrotrophic bogs and one fen). We used radiocarbon analysis of Sphagnum cellulose and model fitting to determine peat ages, and peat FTIR spectroscopy to determine humification indices and relative decomposition of peat samples with depth. We had the scope to detect whether recent warming has had an effect on peat decomposition and C accumulation rates. Modeled C accumulation rates in the three peatlands during the past five decades ranged between 78 and 107 g C m-2 yr-1 in the top 25 cm analyzed in this study, values that are higher than the 22 to 29 g C m-2 yr-1 obtained for long-term (millennial) accumulations for the entire bog profiles. Peat IR spectra and C:N ratios confirm low levels of decomposition across the bog sites, especially in the uppermost parts of the peat. The fen site showed very limited decomposition across the entire sampled profile. Higher rates of C accumulation, combined with low decomposition rates close to the surface provide a good estimate of net primary productivity. As substrate decomposition progresses over time, net rates of accumulation decrease. Peat decomposition was more pronounced in the lower depths of the sampled cores in the two ombrotrophic bogs than in the fen, likely an effect of larger temporal variation in water table depth in the bogs than in the fen. Some of the variation in C accumulation and decomposition observed in our bogs and fen suggests that future C accumulation rates will also largely depend on the effect of warming on hydrology, rather than temperature alone.

Impact of drainage on wettability of fen peat-moorsh soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szajdak, L.; Szatyłowicz, J.; Brandyk, T.

2009-04-01

High water retention in peat is attributed to structural voids (macro-pores) due to the partial degradation of the structure of peat-forming plants, and molecular absorption sites (micro-pores) associated with the formation of humic substances. Water retention by the heterogeneously-structured system in peat organic matter depends on the chemical structure of solid surfaces. These naturally wet solids, if dried sufficiently, lose the ability to rewet quickly when immersed in water. The ability of peat surfaces to attract and hold water is attributed to hydrophilic functional groups which characterize the organic substances of peat. The investigations of chemical and physical properties were performed for three different peat-moorsh soils located in the Biebrza River Valley in Poland. All examined soils were used as meadow. Soil samples were taken from two depths: 5-10 cm (moorsh) and 50-80 cm (peat). Total organic carbon (TOC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and humic acids (HA) extracted from these samples were analysed. Also basic physical properties such as ash content and bulk density were measured. Wetting behavior of soils was quantified using water drop penetration time test (WDPT) and measured values of the soil-water contact angle using sessile drop method. The measurements were conducted on air-dry soil samples which volumetric moisture content was not exceeding 7%. The significant differences in the concentrations of TOC, DOC and properties of HA between two investigated depth of among peat and moorsh samples were observed. The measured concentrations of total organic carbon in the considered soils ranged from 37.2 to 45.6%. Generally, the decrease of total organic carbon concentration with depth of profiles was observed. The contents of dissolved organic carbon in the soils ranged from 5.3 to 19.4%. The quantities of dissolved organic carbon decreased simultaneously with E4/E6 values and with the depth of the soil profiles. For the investigated peat's, an increase of the depth is accompanied by the decrease in the degree of humification or an increase in chemical maturity of HA. The measured values of the contact angle for investigated soils were in the range from 81.4˚ to 114.3˚ what indicates their high water repellency. The WDPT was positively correlated with total organic carbon, organic matter and humic acids content while ash content, soil bulk density, pH and absorbance were correlated negatively. The highest value of correlation coefficient (statistically significant) was obtained for relation between WDPT and ash content. The soil water contact angle was less correlated with peat-moorsh soil properties in comparison with WDPT with one exception pH. The pH against the contact angle indicates tendency of increasing the contact angle with decreasing pH.

Cone Penetration Testing, a new approach to quantify coastal-deltaic land subsidence by peat consolidation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koster, Kay; Erkens, Gilles; Zwanenburg, Cor

2016-04-01

It is undisputed that land subsidence threatens coastal-deltaic lowlands all over the world. Any loss of elevation (on top of sea level rise) increases flood risk in these lowlands, and differential subsidence may cause damage to infrastructure and constructions. Many of these settings embed substantial amounts of peat, which is, due to its mechanically weak organic composition, one of the main drivers of subsidence. Peat is very susceptible to volume reduction by loading and drainage induced consolidation, which dissipates pore water, resulting in a tighter packing of the organic components. Often, the current state of consolidation of peat embedded within coastal-deltaic subsidence hotspots (e.g. Venice lagoon, Mississippi delta, San Joaquin delta, Kalimantan peatlands), is somewhere between its initial (natural) and maximum compressed stage. Quantifying the current state regarding peat volume loss, is of utmost importance to predict potential (near) future subsidence when draining or loading an area. The processes of subsidence often afflict large areas (>103 km2), thus demanding large datasets to assess the current state of the subsurface. In contrast to data describing the vertical motions of the actual surface (geodesy, satellite imagery), subsurface information applicable for subsidence analysis are often lacking in subsiding deltas. This calls for new initiatives to bridge that gap. Here we introduce Cone Penetration Testing (CPT) to quantify the amount of volume loss peat layers embedded within the Holland coastal plain (the Netherlands) experienced. CPT measures soil mechanical strength, and hundreds of thousands of CPTs are conducted each year on all continents. We analyzed 28 coupled CPT-borehole observations, and found strong empirical relations between volume loss and increased peat mechanical strength. The peat lost between ~20 - 95% of its initial thickness by dissipation of excess pore water. An increase in 0.1 - 0.4 MPa of peat strength is accountable for 20 - 75 % of the volume loss, and 0.4 - 0.7 MPa for 75 - 95 % volume loss. This indicates that large amounts of volume by water dissipation has to be lost, before peat experiences a serious increase in strength, which subsequently continuous to increase with only small amount of volume loss. To demonstrate the robustness of our approach to the international field of land subsidence, we applied the obtained empirical relations to previously published CPT logs deriving from the peat-rich San Joaquin-Sacramento delta and the Kalimantan peatlands, and found volume losses that correspond with previously published results. Furthermore, we used the obtained results to predict maximum surface lowering for these areas by consolidation. In conclusion, these promising results and its worldwide popularity yielding large datasets, open the door for CPT as a generic method to contribute to quantifying the imminent threat of coastal-deltaic land subsidence.

Isotopic anomalies of H2 and C in the peat from the Tunguska meteorite impact area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolesnikov, E. M.

Core samples of peat collected at the site of the Tunguska meteorite impact were mixed with CuO and burned inside evacuated and sealed quartz ampules. As a result, the organic components of peat were transformed to H2O and CO2 which were then separated and analyzed using a mass spectrometer. Results show that layers located above the level dated by 1908 are characterized by lighter H2 isotopes and heavier C isotopes, compared with lower layers. These effects are ascribed to the conservation and gradual redistribution of cosmic matter (e.g., regular chondrites, achondrites, and C4-type carbon chondrites) in the upper peat layers.

Development of a multidisciplinary method for mapping spatial extent and C-content of tropical ombrotrophic peatlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Illés, Gábor; Kristijono, Agus; Pfeifer, Norbert; Pásztor, László; Shandhyavitri, Ari; Szatmári, Gábor; Sutikno, Sigit; Molnár, Gábor; László, Péter; Árvai, Mátyás; Mészáros, János; Koós, Sándor; Bakacsi, Zsófia; Takács, Katalin; Király, Géza; Székely, Balázs

2017-04-01

One of the world's most worrying environmental problems is the peat land CO2 emission problem of Indonesia: peat lands developed during the Quaternary are now under strong human influence; the artificial lowering of the natural water table leads to rapid drying and compaction of the peat layer, which then becomes vulnerable to subsurface fire. The emitted CO2 of this process is assessed to be 0.5 billion tonnes from Indonesia that is slightly higher than total emission of e.g. United Kingdom in 2014 (0.42 billion tonnes). To cope with the problem it is inevitable to assess the extents of peat lands and volumetric estimation of the potentially affected layers. Methods suitable for mapping of the peat lands (current situation and as far as possible retrospectively), thickness determination and partly thickness estimation of the peat layer are integrated in an advanced geostatistical approach building upon geomorphic, ecological, remote sensing, and geophysical methods to provide information on peat matrix attributes such as peat thickness of organo-mineral horizons between peat and underlying substrate, the presence of buried wood, buttressed trees or tip-up pools and soil type. In order to cope with the problem, our research group is developing a multidisciplinary methodology making use of our experience in soil science, GIS, remote sensing for forestry and ecology, geomorphometry, geophysics, LiDAR remote sensing, parameter estimation and geostatistical methods. The methodology is based largely on GIS data integration, but also applies technologies of 'big data' processing. Our integrative attitude ensures the holistic consideration of the problem, analyzing its origins, temporal development and varying spatial extent, its subprocesses in a multi-scale, inter- and transdisciplinary approach. At the same time practical problems, feasibility, costs, and human resource need consideration in order to design a viable solution. In the development of the solution, elements of gathered experience is integrated acquired in previous similar projects in Hungary, in the Pannonian Basin and in Indonesia, in southern Kalimantan and Indragiri Hilir, Sumatra. The pointwise and profilewise data acquisition of peat forms is converted to mapping methods augmented with a sophisticated sampling strategy. Besides the similarities - freshwater, ombrotrophic peatlands - we also have to focus on remarkable dissimilarities - e.g., herbaceous vs. woody peat material. In the case of the Pannonian Basin the peat occurrences have been developed as the filling up of the floodplains. In the Indonesian case, however, only the basin flanks are partly comparable to that generation mechanism, whereas see level changes play an important role in the development of the vast Indonesian peat occurrences. Geomorphometric approach helps in designing the sample strategy, remote sensing tools are responsible to deliver high-resolution topographic data as input. The varying thickness is assessed with geophysical measurements and shallow boreholes deployed at sampling points and profiles dictated by the sophisticated sampling strategy. During the measurement and sampling the experience gathered is fed back to the sampling strategy giving a dynamic plan for the continuation of the sampling. The advanced evaluation and visualization techniques applied result in a digital map system that also contains estimates on its quality and accuracy in the spatial context. This new approach brings us closer to the understanding of Indonesian peatland development that may also be used elsewhere in similar environmental contexts.

Radioactivity of natural medicinal preparations contained extracts from peat mud available in retail trade used externally.

PubMed

Karpińska, Maria; Kapała, Jacek; Raciborska, Agnieszka; Kulesza, Grzegorz; Milewska, Anna; Mnich, Stanisław

2017-08-01

In this work were identified and measured the activity of radioactive isotopes present in medicinal preparations from peat mud and estimated the doses obtained from them during therapy. Radioactivity of 22 preparations from peat mud and 20 water samples from water of the North-East region of Poland was studied. The median of the total activity was 24.8 Bq kg -1 . Total maximal isotope activity was observed in the Iwonicka Cube 146 Bq kg -1 while considerable amounts of isotopes were found in the Kolobrzeska Peat Mud Paste 112 Bq kg -1 . The doses obtained during therapy were within the range of 11 nSv-13 μSv depending on extracts of medicinal preparations from peat mud. The probability that such a small dose would stimulate biological effects is low. However, some clinicians believe that one of the possible therapeutic mechanisms in the treatment of rheumatoid disorders is the induction of immune response by ionising radiation.

Stability of peatland carbon to rising temperatures

DOE PAGES

Wilson, R. M.; Hopple, A. M.; Tfaily, M. M.; ...

2016-12-13

Peatlands contain one-third of soil carbon (C), mostly buried in deep, saturated anoxic zones (catotelm). The response of catotelm C to climate forcing is uncertain, because prior experiments have focused on surface warming. Here, we show that deep peat heating of a 2 m-thick peat column results in an exponential increase in CH 4 emissions. But, this response is due solely to surface processes and not degradation of catotelm peat. Incubations show that only the top 20–30 cm of peat from experimental plots have higher CH 4 production rates at elevated temperatures. Radiocarbon analyses demonstrate that CH 4 and COmore » 2 are produced primarily from decomposition of surface-derived modern photosynthate, not catotelm C. Furthermore, there are no differences in microbial abundances, dissolved organic matter concentrations or degradative enzyme activities among treatments. Our results suggest that although surface peat will respond to increasing temperature, the large reservoir of catotelm C is stable under current anoxic conditions.« less

Stability of peatland carbon to rising temperatures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wilson, R. M.; Hopple, A. M.; Tfaily, M. M.

Peatlands contain one-third of soil carbon (C), mostly buried in deep, saturated anoxic zones (catotelm). The response of catotelm C to climate forcing is uncertain, because prior experiments have focused on surface warming. Here, we show that deep peat heating of a 2 m-thick peat column results in an exponential increase in CH 4 emissions. But, this response is due solely to surface processes and not degradation of catotelm peat. Incubations show that only the top 20–30 cm of peat from experimental plots have higher CH 4 production rates at elevated temperatures. Radiocarbon analyses demonstrate that CH 4 and COmore » 2 are produced primarily from decomposition of surface-derived modern photosynthate, not catotelm C. Furthermore, there are no differences in microbial abundances, dissolved organic matter concentrations or degradative enzyme activities among treatments. Our results suggest that although surface peat will respond to increasing temperature, the large reservoir of catotelm C is stable under current anoxic conditions.« less

Arsenic removal using natural biomaterial-based sorbents.

PubMed

Ansone, Linda; Klavins, Maris; Viksna, Arturs

2013-10-01

Arsenic contamination of water is a major problem worldwide. A possible solution can be approached through developing new sorbents based on cost-effective and environmentally friendly natural biomaterials. We have developed new sorbents based on biomaterial impregnation with iron oxyhydroxide. In this study, raw peat material, iron-modified peat, iron-modified biomass (shingles, straw, sands, cane and moss) as well as iron humate were used for the removal of arsenate from contaminated water. The highest sorption capacity was observed in iron-modified peat, and kinetic studies indicated that the amount of arsenic sorbed on this material exceeds 90 % in 5 h. Arsenate sorption on iron-modified peat is characterised by the pseudo-second-order mechanism. The results of arsenic sorption in the presence of competing substances indicated that sulphate, nitrate, chloride and tartrate anions have practically no influence on As(V) sorption onto Fe-modified peat, whereas the presence of phosphate ions and humic acid significantly lowers the arsenic removal efficiency.

137Cs in the fungal compartment of Swedish forest soils.

PubMed

Vinichuk, Mykhaylo M; Johanson, Karl J; Taylor, Andy F S

2004-05-05

The (137)Cs activities in soil profiles and in the mycelia of four ectomycorrhizal fungi were studied in a Swedish forest in an attempt to understand the mechanisms governing the transfer and retention of (137)Cs in forest soil. The biomass of four species of fungi was determined and estimated to be 16 g m(-2) in a peat soil and 47-189 g m(-2) in non-peat soil to the depth of 10 cm. The vertical distribution was rather homogeneous for two species (Tylospora spp. and Piloderma fallax) and very superficial for Hydnellum peckii. Most of the (137)Cs activity in mycelium of non-peat soils was found in the upper 5 cm. Transfer factors were quite high even for those species producing resupinate sporocarps. In the peat soil only approximately 0.3% of the total (137)Cs inventory in soil was found in the fungal mycelium. The corresponding values for non-peat soil were 1.3, 1.8 and 1.9%.

Imaging tropical peatlands in Indonesia using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity imaging (ERI): implications for carbon stock estimates and peat soil characterization

Treesearch

X. Comas; N. Terry; M. Warren; R. Kolka; A. Kristiyono; N. Sudiana; D. Nurjaman; T. Darusman

2015-01-01

Current estimates of carbon (C) storage in peatland systems worldwide indicate that tropical peatlands comprise about 15% of the global peat carbon pool. Such estimates are uncertain due to data gaps regarding organic peat soil thickness, volume and C content. We combined a set of indirect geophysical methods (ground-penetrating radar, GPR, and electrical resistivity...

SPRUCE Deep Peat Heat (DPH) Metagenomes for Peat Samples Collected June 2015

DOE Data Explorer

Klumber, Laurel A. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.; Yang, Zamin K. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.; Schadt, Christopher W. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.

2015-01-01

This data set provides links to the results of metagenomic analyses of 38 peat core samples collected on 16 June 2015 from SPRUCE experiment treatment plots after approximately one year of belowground heating. These metagenomes are archived in the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) Integrated Microbial Genomes (IMG) system and are available at the accession numbers provided in the accompanying inventory file.

Biochar as a substitute for vermiculite in potting mix for hybrid poplar

Treesearch

William L. Headlee; Catherine E. Brewer; Richard B. Hall

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate biochar as a substitute for vermiculite in potting mixes for unrooted vegetative cuttings of hybrid poplar as represented by the clone ‘NM6’ (Populus nigra L. × Populus suaveolens Fischer subsp. maximowiczii A. Henry). We compared three treatments (peat moss (control), peat moss mixed with vermiculite, and peat moss mixed with...

Climate changes, lead pollution and soil erosion in south Greenland over the past 700 years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva-Sánchez, Noemí; Schofield, J. Edward; Mighall, Tim M.; Martínez Cortizas, Antonio; Edwards, Kevin J.; Foster, Ian

2015-09-01

A peat core from southern Greenland provided a rare opportunity to investigate human-environment interactions, climate change and atmospheric pollution over the last ~ 700 years. X-ray fluorescence, gas chromatography-combustion, isotope ratio mass spectrometry, peat humification and fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy were applied and combined with palynological and archaeological evidence. Variations in peat mineral content seem to be related to soil erosion linked with human activity during the late Norse period (13th-14th centuries AD) and the modern era (20th century). Cooler conditions during the Little Ice Age (LIA) are reflected by both slow rates of peat growth and carbon accumulation, and by low bromine (Br) concentrations. Spörer and Maunder minima in solar activity may be indicated by further declines in Br and enrichment in easily degradable compounds such as polysaccharides. Peat organic matter composition was also influenced by vegetation changes at the end of the LIA when the expansion of oceanic heath was associated with polysaccharide enrichment. Atmospheric lead pollution was recorded in the peat after ~ AD 1845, and peak values occurred in the 1970s. There is indirect support for a predominantly North American lead source, but further Pb isotopic analysis would be needed to confirm this hypothesis.

Volatile and semivolatile organic compounds in laboratory ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Speciated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and organic fine particulate matter (PM2.5) mass emission factors were determined from laboratory peat fire experiments. Peat samples originated from two wildlife reserves located near the coast of North Carolina, U.S. Gas and particulate organics were quantified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and by high pressure liquid chromatography. Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) accounted for a large fraction (~60 %) of the speciated VOC emissions from peat burning, including large contributions of acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, and chloromethane. Speciated organic PM2.5 mass was dominated by the following compound classes: organic acids, levoglucosan, n-alkanes, and n-alkenes. Emission factors for PM2.5 organic acids including n-alkanoic acids, n-alkenoic acids, n-alkanedioic acids, and aromatic acids were reported for the first time for peat burning, representing the largest fraction of organic carbon (OC) mass (11-12 %) of all speciated compound classes measured in this work. Levoglucosan contributed 2-3 % of the OC mass, while methoxyphenols represented 0.2-0.3 % of the OC mass on a carbon mass basis. Retene was the most abundant particulate phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon. Total HAP VOC and particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emissions from a 2008 peat wildfire in North Carolina were estimated, suggesting that peat fires can contribute a large fraction of state-wide HAP emissions. This p

Spatial Heterogeneity in the Properties of High-Moor Peat Soils under Local Pyrogenesis in Northeastern Sakhalin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lipatov, D. N.; Shcheglov, A. I.; Manakhov, D. V.; Brekhov, P. T.

2016-02-01

The structure and properties of oligotrophic peat, oligotrophic peat gley, and pyrogenic oligotrophic peat soils identified on a plot 0.5 km2 in area in the northeast of Sakhalin Island have been studied. The vertical distributions of physicochemical, chemical, and ecotoxicological parameters in the profiles of some bog soil groups have been considered. An increase in ash content, a less acid reaction, and a deficit of available nitrogen and potassium have been revealed in the upper horizons of pyrogenic soils. No accumulation of mobile heavy metals is manifested in the pyrogenic horizons of peat soils. Statistical parameters of the spatial variation in pHKCl and total acidity, as well as the contents of ash, available phosphorus, exchangeable potassium, ammonium and nitrate nitrogen, mobile heavy metals (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb), and benzo[ a]pyrene, have been calculated for the moss and sublitter horizons. The variation coefficients are 30-100% for most of the studied parameters and reach 100-200% for available phosphorus; ammonium nitrogen; and mobile Ni, Cu, Zn, and Cd. An increase in the content of benzo[ a]pyrene, although without MPC exceedance, is noted in the moss of pyrogenic soils and the peat horizons untouched by fires.

Finnish bioenergy research

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Malinen, H.

1993-12-31

Finland is one of the leading countries in the use of biofuels. The share of wood derived fuels of the total primary energy requirement was about 14% (ca. 4 million toe) and peat about 5% (1.4 million toe). The possibilities for increasing the use of biofuels in Finland are significant. There is theoretically about 10 million m{sup 3}/a (about 2 million toe/a) of harvestable wood. Areas suitable for fuel peat production (0.5 million ha) could produce ca. 420 million toe of peat. At present rates of use, the peat reserves are adequate for centuries. During the next few years 0.5--1more » million hectares of fields withdrawn from farming could be used for biofuel production. The production potential of this field area is estimated to be about 0.2--0.5 million toe. In addition, the use of wastes in energy production could be increased. The aim of the new Bioenergy Research Programme is to increase the use of economically profitable and environmentally sound bioenergy by improving the competitiveness of present peat and wood fuels. New economically competitive biofuels, new equipment and methods for production, handling and use of biofuels will also be developed. The main research areas are production of wood fuels, peat production, use of bioenergy and conversion of biomass.« less

Fractionation of (137)Cs and Pu in natural peatland.

PubMed

Mihalík, Ján; Bartusková, Miluše; Hölgye, Zoltán; Ježková, Tereza; Henych, Ondřej

2014-08-01

High Cs-137 concentrations in plants growing on peatland inspired us to investigate the quantity of its bioavailable fraction in natural peat. Our investigation aims to: a) estimate the quantity of bioavailable Cs-137 and Pu present in peat, b) verify the similarity of Cs-137 and K-40 behaviours, and c) perform a quantification of Cs-137 and Pu transfer from peat to plants. We analysed the vertical distribution of Cs-137 and Pu isotopes in the peat and their concentrations in plants growing on these places. Bioavailability of radionuclides was investigated by sequential extraction. Sequential analyses revealed that it was the upper layer which contained the majority of Cs-137 in an available form while deeper layers retained Cs-137 in immobile fractions. We can conclude that 18% of all Cs-137 in the peat is still bioavailable. Despite of the low quantity of bioavailable fraction of Cs-137 its transfer factor reached extremely high values. In the case of Pu, 64% of its total amount was associated with fulvic/humic acids which resulted in the high transfer factor from peat to plants. 27 years after the Chernobyl nuclear accident, the significant part of radionuclides deposited in peatland is still bioavailable. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of peat fires on the characteristics of humic acid extracted from peat soil in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia.

PubMed

Yustiawati; Kihara, Yusuke; Sazawa, Kazuto; Kuramitz, Hideki; Kurasaki, Masaaki; Saito, Takeshi; Hosokawa, Toshiyuki; Syawal, M Suhaemi; Wulandari, Linda; Hendri I; Tanaka, Shunitz

2015-02-01

When peat forest fires happen, it leads to burn soil and also humic acids as a dominant organic matter contained in peat soil as well as the forest. The structure and properties of humic acids vary depending on their origin and environment, therefore the transformation of humic acid is also diverse. The impacts of the peat fires on peat soil from Central Kalimantan, Indonesia were investigated through the characterization of humic acids, extracted from soil in burnt and unburnt sites. The characterization of humic acids was performed by elemental composition, functional groups, molecular weight by HPSEC, pyrolysate compounds by pyrolysis-GC/MS, fluorescence spectrum by 3DEEM spectrofluorometer, and thermogravimetry. The elemental composition of each humic substance indicated that the value of H/C and O/C of humic acids from burnt sites were lower than that from unburnt sites. The molecular weight of humic acids from burnt sites was also lower than that from unburnt sites. Pyrolysate compounds of humic acids from unburnt sites differed from those of humic acids from burnt soil. The heating experiment showed that burning process caused the significant change in the properties of humic acids such as increasing the aromaticity and decreasing the molecular weight.

Early diagenesis of organic matter in a Sawgrass peat from the Everglades, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Orem, W.H.; Hatcher, P.G.

1987-01-01

The transformation of plant biopolymers to humic substances in peats during early diagenesis is a critical but poorly understood step in the formation of coal. This paper presents results concerning the structural interrelationships among various fractions of the organic matter in peat and the dissolved organic matter in the pore water from a site in The Everglades, relying primarily on elemental analysis and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance for structural elucidation. Our goal was to obtaine some insight into the sequence of steps involved in the formation of humic substances. Results show that the major change occurring in the whole peat during diagenesis is loss of carbohydrates. The components of the peat which are more resistant to microbial degradation become concentrated in the humin fraction. This resistant fraction of the organic matter includes aliphatic and aromatic components. The aromatic components are thought to be derived from lignin while the aliphatic moieties may represent decomposed algal remains. The carbohydrates lost from the whole peat appear to be concentrated in the fulvic acids and the dissolved organic matter in the pore water. The humic acids consist predominantly of aromatic and aliphatic structures, and may represent partially degraded lignin-like structures and aliphatic compounds from algae. The data presented here suggest that humic and fulvic acids are the partially degraded fractions of the peat while the humin contains the resistant or preserved portion of the organic matter. The proposition that humic substances are formed by the condensation of amino acids and sugars is not supported by the results of this study. ?? 1987.

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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.

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

USGS Publications Warehouse

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.

Evaluating the effects of bedding materials and elevated platforms on contact dermatitis and plumage cleanliness of commercial broilers and on litter condition in broiler houses.

PubMed

Kaukonen, E; Norring, M; Valros, A

2017-10-01

1. Experiment 1, comparing wood shavings and ground straw bedding with peat, was performed on 7 broiler farms over two consecutive batches during the winter season. Experiment 2, assessing the effect of elevated (30 cm) platforms, was conducted in three farms replicated with 6 consecutive batches. 2. Footpad lesions were inspected at slaughter following the Welfare Quality® (WQ) assessment and official programme. Hock lesions, plumage cleanliness and litter condition were assessed using the WQ assessment. Litter height, pH, moisture and ammonia were determined. 3. Footpad condition on wood shavings appeared to be worse compared with peat using both methods of assessment and was accompanied by inferior hock skin health. WQ assessment resulted in poorer footpad and hock skin condition on ground straw compared with peat. Farms differed in footpad and hock skin condition. Footpad and hock lesions were not affected by platform treatment. Peat appeared more friable than ground straw. The initial pH of wood shavings was higher and moisture was lower than in peat, but at the end of production period there were no differences. Ground straw exhibited higher initial and lower end pH, and was drier in the beginning than peat. Litter condition and quality were not affected by platform treatment. 4. This study provides new knowledge about the applicability of peat as broiler bedding and shows no negative effects of elevated platforms on litter condition or the occurrence of contact dermatitis in commercial environments. The results suggest a complicated relationship between litter condition, moisture and contact dermatitis. Furthermore, it is concluded that the farmer's ability to manage litter conditions is important, regardless of the chosen litter material. Peat bedding was beneficial for footpad and hock skin health compared with wood shavings and ground straw.

Effect of past peat cultivation practices on present dynamics of dissolved organic carbon.

PubMed

Frank, S; Tiemeyer, B; Bechtold, M; Lücke, A; Bol, R

2017-01-01

Peatlands are a major source of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) for aquatic ecosystems. Naturally high DOC concentrations in peatlands may be increased further by drainage. For agricultural purposes, peat has frequently been mixed with sand, but the effect of this measure on the release and cycling of DOC has rarely been investigated. This study examined the effects of (i) mixing peat with sand and (ii) water table depth (WTD) on DOC concentrations at three grassland sites on shallow organic soils. The soil solution was sampled bi-weekly for two years with suction plates at 15, 30 and 60cm depth. Selected samples were analysed for dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), δ 13 C DOM and δ 15 N DOM . Average DOC concentrations were surprisingly high, ranging from 161 to 192mgl -1 . There was no significant impact of soil organic carbon (SOC) content or WTD on mean DOC concentrations. At all sites, DOC concentrations were highest at the boundary between the SOC-rich horizon and the mineral subsoil. In contrast to the mean concentrations, the temporal patterns of DOC concentrations, their drivers and the properties of dissolved organic matter (DOM) differed between peat-sand mixtures and peat. DOC concentrations responded to changes in environmental conditions, but only after a lag period of a few weeks. At the sites with a peat-sand mixture, temperature and therefore probably biological activity determined the DOC concentrations. At the peat site, the contribution of vegetation-derived DOM was higher. The highest concentrations occurred during long, cool periods of waterlogging, suggesting a stronger physicochemical-based DOC mobilisation. Overall, these results indicate that mixing peat with sand does not improve water quality and may result in DOC losses of around 200kg DOCha -1 a -1 . Copyright © 2016 Office national des forêts. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prospects for using peat and products of its processing in municipal power engineering in rural and remote areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medvedeva, E. A.; Zhenikhov, Yu. N.; Urvantsev, I. V.; Tsyba, V. E.

2017-06-01

This article presents a detailed analysis of the economic efficiency of peat utilization for generating electricity and heat in Russian rural areas and decentralized power consumption areas on the basis of the comparison of power tariffs (prices) and full costs of peat-based electricity and heat production. The research was performed using the model-information complex detailed with respect to municipal areas and major peat deposits that was developed at the Energy Institute, National Research University Higher School of Economics. It is shown that the firing of lignin helium fuel (LHF) granules that are made from peat extracted by the excavating method according to the new, patented technology is considered most efficient. In nongasified areas, the total cost of heat power that is generated in new boiler houses on the basis of LHF granules is often lower than the total heat cost for the gasification of the area and construction of gas boiler houses. In some cases, the heat cost in gasified areas is lower when using a boiler house based on LHF granules than that provided by the conversion of a boiler house to gas fuel. It is also shown that the construction of peat-based heat sources with the overall power of up to 27600 GJ/h that generate a heat power of up to 167.5 million GJ/year will be economically efficient in the coming years, provided that the tariffs for energy sources remain the same. Taking into account the supportive measures that were accepted on a legislative basis in July 2016, sources with the total power of up to 70 GW may be effective for peat-based plants with combined heat-andpower generation. To stimulate the utilization of peat in decentralized power consumption areas and rural areas located in the vicinity of deposits of this fuel type, it is also suggested to make amendments in the normative legal base.

Substitution of peat, fertiliser and manure by compost in hobby gardening: user surveys and case studies.

PubMed

Andersen, Jacob K; Christensen, Thomas H; Scheutz, Charlotte

2010-12-01

Four user surveys were performed at recycle centres (RCs) in the Municipalities of Aarhus and Copenhagen, Denmark, to get general information on compost use and to examine the substitution of peat, fertiliser and manure by compost in hobby gardening. The average driving distance between the users' households and the RCs was found to be 4.3 km and the average amount of compost picked up was estimated at 800 kg per compost user per year. The application layer of the compost varied (between 1 and 50 cm) depending on the type of use. The estimated substitution (given as a fraction of the compost users that substitute peat, fertiliser and manure with compost) was 22% for peat, 12% for fertiliser and 7% for manure (41% in total) from the survey in Aarhus (n=74). The estimate from the survey in Copenhagen (n=1832) was 19% for peat, 24% for fertiliser and 15% for manure (58% in total). This is the first time, to the authors' knowledge, that the substitution of peat, fertiliser and manure with compost has been assessed for application in hobby gardening. Six case studies were performed as home visits in addition to the Aarhus surveys. From the user surveys and the case studies it was obvious that the total substitution of peat, fertiliser and manure was not 100%, as is often assumed when assigning environmental credits to compost. It was more likely around 50% and thus there is great potential for improvement. It was indicated that compost was used for a lot of purposes in hobby gardening. Apart from substitution of peat, fertiliser and manure, compost was used to improve soil quality and as a filling material (as a substitute for soil). Benefits from these types of application are, however, difficult to assess and thereby quantify. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

From carbon sink to carbon source: extensive peat oxidation in insular Southeast Asia since 1990

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miettinen, Jukka; Hooijer, Aljosja; Vernimmen, Ronald; Liew, Soo Chin; Page, Susan E.

2017-02-01

Tropical peatlands of the western part of insular Southeast Asia have experienced extensive land cover changes since 1990. Typically involving drainage, these land cover changes have resulted in increased peat oxidation in the upper peat profile. In this paper we provide current (2015) and cumulative carbon emissions estimates since 1990 from peat oxidation in Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo, utilizing newly published peatland land cover information and the recently agreed Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) peat oxidation emission values for tropical peatland areas. Our results highlight the change of one of the Earth’s most efficient long-term carbon sinks to a short-term emission source, with cumulative carbon emissions since 1990 estimated to have been in the order of 2.5 Gt C. Current (2015) levels of emissions are estimated at around 146 Mt C yr-1, with a range of 132-159 Mt C yr-1 depending on the selection of emissions factors for different land cover types. 44% (or 64 Mt C yr-1) of the emissions come from industrial plantations (mainly oil palm and Acacia pulpwood), followed by 34% (49 Mt C yr-1) of emissions from small-holder areas. Thus, altogether 78% of current peat oxidation emissions come from managed land cover types. Although based on the latest information, these estimates may still include considerable, yet currently unquantifiable, uncertainties (e.g. due to uncertainties in the extent of peatlands and drainage networks) which need to be focused on in future research. In comparison, fire induced carbon dioxide emissions over the past ten years for the entire equatorial Southeast Asia region have been estimated to average 122 Mt C yr-1 (www.globalfiredata.org/_index.html). The results emphasise that whilst reducing emissions from peat fires is important, urgent efforts are also needed to mitigate the constantly high level of emissions arising from peat drainage, regardless of fire occurrence.

Untangling climatic and autogenic signals in peat records

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morris, Paul J.; Baird, Andrew J.; Young, Dylan M.; Swindles, Graeme T.

2016-04-01

Raised bogs contain potentially valuable information about Holocene climate change. However, autogenic processes may disconnect peatland hydrological behaviour from climate, and overwrite and degrade climatic signals in peat records. How can genuine climate signals be separated from autogenic changes? What level of detail of climatic information should we expect to be able to recover from peat-based reconstructions? We used an updated version of the DigiBog model to simulate peatland development and response to reconstructed Holocene rainfall and temperature reconstructions. The model represents key processes that are influential in peatland development and climate signal preservation, and includes a network of feedbacks between peat accumulation, decomposition, hydraulic structure and hydrological processes. It also incorporates the effects of temperature upon evapotranspiration, plant (litter) productivity and peat decomposition. Negative feedbacks in the model cause simulated water-table depths and peat humification records to exhibit homeostatic recovery from prescribed changes in rainfall, chiefly through changes in drainage. However, the simulated bogs show less resilience to changes in temperature, which cause lasting alterations to peatland structure and function and may therefore be more readily detectable in peat records. The network of feedbacks represented in DigiBog also provide both high- and low-pass filters for climatic information, meaning that the fidelity with which climate signals are preserved in simulated peatlands is determined by both the magnitude and the rate of climate change. Large-magnitude climatic events of an intermediate frequency (i.e., multi-decadal to centennial) are best preserved in the simulated bogs. We found that simulated humification records are further degraded by a phenomenon known as secondary decomposition. Decomposition signals are consistently offset from the climatic events that generate them, and decomposition records of dry-wet-dry climate sequences appear to be particularly vulnerable to overwriting. Our findings have direct implications not only for the interpretation of peat-based records of past climates, but also for understanding the likely vulnerability of peatland ecosystems and carbon stocks to future climate change.

The effect of a reciprocal peat transplant between two contrasting Central European sites on C cycling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novak, M.; Zemanova, L.; Buzek, F.; Jackova, I.; Adamova, M.; Komarek, A.; Vile, M. A.; Wieder, R. K.; Stepanova, M.

2009-10-01

An 18-month reciprocal peat transplant experiment was conducted between two peatlands in the Czech Republic. Both sites were 100% Sphagnum-covered, with no vascular plants, and no hummocks and hollows. Atmospheric depositions of sulfur were up to 10 times higher at the northern site Velke jerabi jezero (VJJ), compared to the southern site Cervene blato (CB). Forty-cm deep peat cores, 10 cm in diameter, were used as transplants and controls in five replicates. Our objective was to evaluate whether CO2 and CH4 production potentials in Sphagnum peat bogs are governed mainly by organic matter quality, or by environmental conditions. Production rates and δ13C values of CO2 and CH4 were measured in the laboratory at time t=18 months. All measured parameters converged to those of the host site, indicating that, at least in the short-term perspective, environmental conditions were a more important control of greenhouse gas emissions than organic carbon quality. Since sulfate reducers outcompete methanogens, we hypothesized that the S-polluted site VJJ should have lower methane emissions than CB. In fact, the opposite was true, with higher methane emissions from VJJ. As a first step in an effort to link C isotope composition of emitted gases and residual peat substrate, we determined whether multiple vertical δ13C profiles in peat agree. A high degree of within-site homogeneity in δ13C was found. The δ13C value increased downcore at both CB and VJJ. However, 20 cm below surface, a reversal to lower δ13C downcore was seen at VJJ. Based on 210Pb dating, peat at 20 cm depth at VJJ was only 15 years old. Increasing δ13C values in VJJ peat accumulated between 1880-1990 could not be caused by assimilation of atmospheric CO2 gradually enriched in the light isotope 12C due to fossil fuel burning.

Lateral carbon fluxes and CO2 outgassing from a tropical peat-draining river

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Müller, D.; Warneke, T.; Rixen, T.; Müller, M.; Jamahari, S.; Denis, N.; Mujahid, A.; Notholt, J.

2015-10-01

Tropical peatlands play an important role in the global carbon cycle due to their immense carbon storage capacity. However, pristine peat swamp forests are vanishing due to deforestation and peatland degradation, especially in Southeast Asia. CO2 emissions associated with this land use change might not only come from the peat soil directly but also from peat-draining rivers. So far, though, this has been mere speculation, since there has been no data from undisturbed reference sites. We present the first combined assessment of lateral organic carbon fluxes and CO2 outgassing from an undisturbed tropical peat-draining river. Two sampling campaigns were undertaken on the Maludam River in Sarawak, Malaysia. The river catchment is covered by protected peat swamp forest, offering a unique opportunity to study a peat-draining river in its natural state, without any influence from tributaries with different characteristics. The two campaigns yielded consistent results. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations ranged between 3222 and 6218 μmol L-1 and accounted for more than 99 % of the total organic carbon (TOC). Radiocarbon dating revealed that the riverine DOC was of recent origin, suggesting that it derives from the top soil layers and surface runoff. We observed strong oxygen depletion, implying high rates of organic matter decomposition and consequently CO2 production. The measured median pCO2 was 7795 and 8400 μatm during the first and second campaign, respectively. Overall, we found that only 32 ± 19 % of the carbon was exported by CO2 evasion, while the rest was exported by discharge. CO2 outgassing seemed to be moderated by the short water residence time. Since most Southeast Asian peatlands are located at the coast, this is probably an important limiting factor for CO2 outgassing from most of its peat-draining rivers.

A deglacial and Holocene record of climate variability in south-central Alaska from stable oxygen isotopes and plant macrofossils in peat

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jones, Miriam C.; Wooller, Matthew J.; Peteet, Dorothy M.

2014-01-01

We used stable oxygen isotopes derived from bulk peat (δ18OTOM), in conjunction with plant macrofossils and previously published carbon accumulation records, in a ∼14,500 cal yr BP peat core (HT Fen) from the Kenai lowlands in south-central Alaska to reconstruct the climate history of the area. We find that patterns are broadly consistent with those from lacustrine records across the region, and agree with the interpretation that major shifts in δ18OTOM values indicate changes in strength and position of the Aleutian Low (AL), a semi-permanent low-pressure cell that delivers winter moisture to the region. We find decreased strength or a more westerly position of the AL (relatively higher δ18OTOM values) during the Bølling-Allerød, Holocene Thermal Maximum (HTM), and late Holocene, which also correspond to warmer climate regimes. These intervals coincide with greater peat preservation and enhanced carbon (C) accumulation rates at the HT Fen and with peatland expansion across Alaska. The HTM in particular may have experienced greater summer precipitation as a result of an enhanced Pacific subtropical high, a pattern consistent with modern δ18O values for summer precipitation. The combined warm summer temperatures and greater summer precipitation helped promote the observed rapid peat accumulation. A strengthened AL (relatively lower δ18OTOM values) is most evident during the Younger Dryas, Neoglaciation, and the Little Ice Age, consistent with lower peat preservation and C accumulation at the HT Fen, suggesting less precipitation reaches the leeward side of the Kenai Mountains during periods of enhanced AL strength. The peatlands on the Kenai Peninsula thrive when the AL is weak and the contribution of summer precipitation is higher, highlighting the importance of precipitation seasonality in promoting peat accumulation. This study demonstrates that δ18OTOM values in peat can be applied toward understand large-scale shifts in atmospheric circulation over millennial timescales.

A deglacial and Holocene record of climate variability in south-central Alaska from stable oxygen isotopes and plant macrofossils in peat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Miriam C.; Wooller, Matthew; Peteet, Dorothy M.

2014-03-01

We used stable oxygen isotopes derived from bulk peat (δ18OTOM), in conjunction with plant macrofossils and previously published carbon accumulation records, in a ˜14,500 cal yr BP peat core (HT Fen) from the Kenai lowlands in south-central Alaska to reconstruct the climate history of the area. We find that patterns are broadly consistent with those from lacustrine records across the region, and agree with the interpretation that major shifts in δ18OTOM values indicate changes in strength and position of the Aleutian Low (AL), a semi-permanent low-pressure cell that delivers winter moisture to the region. We find decreased strength or a more westerly position of the AL (relatively higher δ18OTOM values) during the Bølling-Allerød, Holocene Thermal Maximum (HTM), and late Holocene, which also correspond to warmer climate regimes. These intervals coincide with greater peat preservation and enhanced carbon (C) accumulation rates at the HT Fen and with peatland expansion across Alaska. The HTM in particular may have experienced greater summer precipitation as a result of an enhanced Pacific subtropical high, a pattern consistent with modern δ18O values for summer precipitation. The combined warm summer temperatures and greater summer precipitation helped promote the observed rapid peat accumulation. A strengthened AL (relatively lower δ18OTOM values) is most evident during the Younger Dryas, Neoglaciation, and the Little Ice Age, consistent with lower peat preservation and C accumulation at the HT Fen, suggesting less precipitation reaches the leeward side of the Kenai Mountains during periods of enhanced AL strength. The peatlands on the Kenai Peninsula thrive when the AL is weak and the contribution of summer precipitation is higher, highlighting the importance of precipitation seasonality in promoting peat accumulation. This study demonstrates that δ18OTOM values in peat can be applied toward understand large-scale shifts in atmospheric circulation over millennial timescales.

Effectiveness of submerged drains in reducing subsidence of peat soils in agricultural use, and their effects on water management and nutrient loading of surface water: modelling of a case study in the western peat soil area of The Netherlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hendriks, Rob F. A.; van den Akker, Jan J. A.

2017-04-01

Effectiveness of submerged drains in reducing subsidence of peat soils in agricultural use, and their effects on water management and nutrient loading of surface water: modelling of a case study in the western peat soil area of The Netherlands In the Netherlands, about 8% of the area is covered by peat soils. Most of these soils are in use for dairy farming and, consequently, are drained. Drainage causes decomposition of peat by oxidation and accordingly leads to surface subsidence and greenhouse gas emission. Submerged drains that enhance submerged infiltration of water from ditches during the dry and warm summer half year were, and are still, studied in The Netherlands as a promising tool for reducing peat decomposition by raising groundwater levels. For this purpose, several pilot field studies in the Western part of the Dutch peat area were conducted. Besides the effectiveness of submerged drains in reducing peat decomposition and subsidence by raising groundwater tables, some other relevant or expected effects of these drains were studied. Most important of these are water management and loading of surface water with nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphate. Because most of these parameters are not easy to assess and all of them are strongly depending on the meteorological conditions during the field studies some of these studies were modelled. The SWAP model was used for evaluating the hydrological results on groundwater table and water discharge and recharge. Effects of submerged drains were assessed by comparing the results of fields with and without drains. An empirical relation between deepest groundwater table and subsidence was used to convert effects on groundwater table to effects on subsidence. With the SWAP-ANIMO model nutrient loading of surface water was modelled on the basis of field results on nutrient concentrations . Calibrated models were used to assess effects in the present situation, as thirty-year averages, under extreme weather conditions and for two extreme climate scenarios of the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute. In this study the model results of one of the pilot studies are presented. The case study 'de Krimpenerwaard' is situated in the peat area in the "Green Heart" between the major cities of Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht. Model results show a halving of soil subsidence, a strong increase of water recharge but a lower increase of water discharge, and generally small to moderate effects on nutrient loading , all depending (strongly) on meteorological conditions.

The effect of a reciprocal peat transplant between two contrasting Central European sites on C cycling and C isotope ratios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novak, M.; Zemanova, L.; Buzek, F.; Jackova, I.; Adamova, M.; Komarek, A.; Vile, M. A.; Kelman Wieder, R.; Stepanova, M.

2010-03-01

An 18-month reciprocal peat transplant experiment was conducted between two peatlands in the Czech Republic. Both sites were 100% Sphagnum-covered, with no vascular plants, and no hummocks and hollows. Atmospheric depositions of sulfur were up to 10 times higher at the northern site Velke jerabi jezero (VJJ), compared to the southern site Cervene blato (CB). Forty-cm deep peat cores, 10-cm in diameter, were used as transplants and controls in five replicates. Our objective was to evaluate whether CO2 and CH4 emissions from Sphagnum peat bogs are governed mainly by organic matter quality in the substrate, or by environmental conditions. Emission rates and δ13C values of CO2 and CH4 were measured in the laboratory at time t=18 months. All measured parameters converged to those of the host site, indicating that, at least in the short-term perspective, environmental conditions were a more important control of greenhouse gas emissions than organic carbon quality in the substrate. Since sulfate reducers outcompete methanogens, we hypothesized that the S-polluted site VJJ should have lower methane emissions than CB. In fact, the opposite was true, with significantly (p<0.01) higher methane emissions from VJJ. Additionally, as a first step in an effort to link C isotope composition of emitted gases and residual peat substrate, we determined whether multiple vertical δ13C profiles in peat agree. A high degree of within-site homogeneity in δ13C was found. When a specific vertical δ13C trend was seen in one peat core, the same trend was also seen in all the remaining peat cores from the wetland. The δ13C value increased downcore at both CB and VJJ. At VJJ, however, 20 cm below surface, a reversal to lower δ13C downcore was seen. Based on 210Pb dating, peat at 20-cm depth at VJJ was only 15 years old. Increasing δ13C values in VJJ peat accumulated between 1880-1990 could not be caused by assimilation of atmospheric CO2 gradually enriched in the light isotope 12C due to fossil fuel burning. Rather they were a result of a combination of isotope fractionations accompanying assimilation and mineralization of Sphagnum C. These isotope fractionations may record information about past changes in C storage in wetlands.

Evaluation of three growing media substrates for western larch seedling production at the USDA Forest Service Coeur d'Alene Nursery

Treesearch

Anthony S. Davis; Kent Eggleston; Jeremy R. Pinto; R. Kasten Dumroese

2009-01-01

In response to concerns regarding growing media substrate costs, and the impact of growing media on seedling quality, we evaluated three peat-based growing media substrates at the USDA Forest Service Coeur d'Alene Nursery in Idaho. Current medium consists of 80:20 peat:fresh Douglas-fir sawdust (v:v). Two other substrates, 75:25 peat:fine screened Douglas-fir bark...

Conservation of peat soils in agricultural use by infiltration of ditch water via submerged drains: results of a case study in the western peat soil area of The Netherlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van den Akker, Jan J. H.; Hendriks, Rob F. A.

2017-04-01

About 8% of all soils in The Netherlands are peat soils which almost all drained with ditches and mainly in agricultural use as permanent pasture for dairy farming. The largest part of the peat meadow area is situated in the densely populated western provinces South- and North-Holland and Utrecht and is called the Green Heart and is valued as a historic open landscape. Conservation of these peats soil by raising water levels and converting the peat meadow areas mainly in very extensive grasslands or wet nature proved to be a very costly and slow process due to the strong opposition of farmers and many others who value the open cultural historic landscape and meadow birds. The use of submerged drains seems to be a promising solution acceptable for dairy farmers and effective in diminishing peat oxidation and so the associated subsidence and CO2 emissions. Oxidation of peat soils strongly depends on the depth of groundwater levels in dry periods. In dry periods the groundwater level can be 30 to 50 cm lower than the ditchwater level, which is 30 - 60 cm below soil surface. Infiltration of ditchwater via submerged drain can raise the groundwater level up to the ditchwater level and diminish the oxidation and associated subsidence and CO2 emissions with at least 50%. Since 2003 several pilots with submerged drains are started to check this theoretical reduction and to answer questions raised about water usage and water quality and grass yields and trafficability etcetera. In our presentation we focus on the results of a pilot in South-Holland concerning the hydrological aspects, however, include results from the other pilots to consider the long term aspects such as the reduction of subsidence. The use of submerged drains proves to be promising to reduce peat oxidation and so subsidence and CO2 emissions with at least 50%. Grass yields are more or less equal in parcels with versus parcels without submerged drains. Trafficability in wet periods is better and trampling less by the draining effect of submerged drains. This reduces losses of grass yield by trampling and increases the length of the grazing season. The use of submerged drains causes a higher water usage, however, raising ditchwater levels to derive the same peat soil conservation would require a higher amount of inlet water. The impact on ditchwater quality is in most cases positive, however, sometimes slightly negative. For the dairy farmer submerged drains are economically in the short term not effective, however in the longer term increasingly positive. For the society as a whole the use of submerged drains is a very cost effective way to reduce CO2 emissions and subsidence of peat soils in agricultural use.

Influence of different kind of peats on some physic-chemical properties, biochemical activity, the content of different forms of nitrogen and fractions of humic substances of The Great Vasyugan Mire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inisheva, L. I.; Szajdak, L.

2009-04-01

Mires, or peatlands belong to the wetlands ecosystems where carbon is bounded in primary production and deposited as peat in water saturated, anoxic conditions. In those conditions, the rate of the supply of new organic matter has exceeded that the decomposition, resulting in carbon accumulation. Place of sampling belongs to an oligotrophic landscapes of the river Klyuch basin in spurs of Vasyugan mire. The catchment represents reference system for Bokchar swampy area (political district of Tomsk region). Landscape profile crosses main kinds of swampy biogeocoenosis (BGC) toward the mire center: paludal tall mixed forest, pine undershrub Sphagnum (high riam, trans-accumulative part of a profile, P2), pine-undershrub Sphagnum (low riam, transit part, P3), sedge-moss swamp (eluvial part, P5). The latter represents an eluvial part of a slope of watershed massif where it is accomplished discharge of excess, surface, soil-mire waters. The depth of peat deposit of sedge-moss swamp reaches 2,5m. To the depth of 0,6m there is a layer of Sphagnum raised bog peat, then it is a mesotrophic Scheuchzeria Sphagnum layer and at the bottom there is a thick layer of low-mire horsetail peat. The samples of peats were taken from two places (P2 and P3), both from the depth 0-75 cm of the great Vasyugan Mire. These materials represent (P2) Sphagnum fuscum peat (ash content ranged from 10.8 to 15.1%), but samples P3 belong to low-moor sedge peat (ash content ranged from 4.5-4.8%). The differences in water level, redox potential, pH, degree of degradation, bulk density, number of microorganisms, activity of enzymes, different kinds of nitrogen and humic substances were studied in two different peat soils characterized by different type of peat. In general in P2 the redox potential changed from 858 to /-140/ mV, higher activity of xanthine oxidase and peroxidase, different kinds of microorganisms (ammonifing bacteria and cellulose decomposing microorganisms) and different kinds of nitrogen (mineral, easily hydrolysable, hardly hydrolysable and non-hydrolyzable), bitumines, 3 fractions of humic acids and 3 fractions of fulvic acids were determined in the deep 0-25 cm than in 50-75 cm. The ratio HA/FA in the depth 0-25 cm was equal to from 1.87, but in the depth 50-75 cm was equal to 7.66. Contrary was observed for P3. For this peat with the increase of the deep of sampling the decrease of total nitrogen, activity of enzymes (xanthine oxidase and peroxidase) is connected with the changes of Fe+2/Fe+3 and lower difference of redox potential than in P2. The ratio HA/FA in the depth 0-25 cm was equal to 0.56, but in the depth 50-70 cm was equal to 0.84.

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

USGS Publications Warehouse

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 deposits are precursors of coal. Most Holocene peat deposits are subject to destruction by erosion, fire and decomposition through microbial and chemical oxidation before burial. The best environments for coal precursors have biomass accumulation, a continuously rising water table within the mass, and minimum influx of clay and silt until preservation by burial. The most suitable settings for future economic coal deposits are domed bogs that accumulate thick, widespread peat having low ash and low sulfur contents. The ombrotrophic peat deposits of tropical Sarawak and Sumatra are thick and extensive, contain low-ash and low-sulfur peat, and have high heating values. They are considered to be the best tropical coal analogs because of their extent and chances of preservation; the base of the peat is below adjacent river levels, and chemical and structural conditions are favorable for accumulation. ?? 1989.

Effect of water-table fluctuations on the degradation of Sphagnum phenols in surficial peats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbott, Geoffrey D.; Swain, Eleanor Y.; Muhammad, Aminu B.; Allton, Kathryn; Belyea, Lisa R.; Laing, Christopher G.; Cowie, Greg L.

2013-04-01

A much improved understanding of how water-table fluctuations near the surface affect decomposition and preservation of peat-forming plant litter and surficial peats is needed in order to predict possible feedbacks between the peatland carbon cycle and the global climate system. In this study peatland plants (bryophytes and vascular plants), their litter and peat cores were collected from the Ryggmossen peatland in the boreonemoral zone of central Sweden. The extracted insoluble residues from whole plant tissues were depolymerized using thermally assisted hydrolysis and methylation (THM) in the presence of both unlabelled and 13C-labelled tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) which yielded both vascular plant- and Sphagnum-derived phenols. Methylated 4-isopropenylphenol (IUPAC: 1-methoxy-4-(prop-1-en-2-yl)benzene), methylated cis- and trans-3-(4'-hydroxyphen-1-yl)but-2-enoic acid (IUPAC: (E/Z)-methyl 3-(4-methoxyphenyl)but-2-enoate), and methylated 3-(4'-hydroxyphen-1-yl)but-3-enoic acid (IUPAC: methyl 3-(4-methoxyphenyl)but-3-enoate) (van der Heijden et al., 1997) are confirmed as TMAH thermochemolysis products of "bound" sphagnum acid and also as being specific to Sphagnum mosses. These putative biomarkers were also significant components in the unlabelled TMAH thermochemolysis products from the depolymerization of ultrasonically extracted samples from eight peat cores, one from a hummock and one from a hollow at each of the four stages along the bog plateau-to-swamp forest gradient. We have proposed and measured two parameters namely (i) σ which is defined as the total amount of these four molecules normalised to 100 mg of OC; and (ii) an index (SR%) which is the ratio of σ to the Λ parameter giving a measure of the relative amounts of "bound" sphagnum acid to the "bound" vascular plant phenols in peat moss and the surficial peat layers. Changes in σ and SR% down the bog plateau (BP), bog margin (BM) and fen lagg (FL) cores in the Ryggmossen mire indicates that the sphagnum acid bound into the peat is being degraded in the unsaturated and seasonally-saturated layers. There is then a stabilisation of Sphagnum-derived phenols in the deepest horizons of the seasonally-saturated layer and into the permanently-saturated layer. These results suggest that "bound" sphagnum acid will be stabilised in peatlands shifting to a wetter and more variable precipitation regime whereas it will be gradually stripped away (e.g. by hydrolysis/enzymatic activity) in surficial peats shifting to a drier climate, such that any subsequent rewetting of the peat could lead to anaerobic hydrolysis and fermentation of the newly exposed carbohydrates. This highlights the sensitivity of Sphagnum surficial peats to climate-induced changes in water levels albeit there may be differences in the extent of degradation along the bog-fen gradient.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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 in a microcosm system under a constant temperature of 10°C. The water-saturated soil columns will be drained via suction plates at the bottom of the columns by stepwise increase of the suction. The head space of the soil columns will be permanently flushed with moistened synthetic air and CO2 concentrations will be measured via online gas chromatography. First results will be presented.

Sorption and degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, alkylphenols, bisphenol A and phthalates in landfill leachate using sand, activated carbon and peat filters.

PubMed

Kalmykova, Yuliya; Moona, Nashita; Strömvall, Ann-Margret; Björklund, Karin

2014-06-01

Landfill leachates are repeatedly found contaminated with organic pollutants, such as alkylphenols (APs), phthalates and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at levels exceeding water quality standards. It has been shown that these pollutants may be present in the colloidal and truly dissolved phase in contaminated water, making particle separation an inefficient removal method. The aim of this study was to investigate sorption and degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs), selected APs, bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates and PAHs from landfill leachate using sand, granulated activated carbon (GAC) and peat moss filters. A pilot plant was installed at an inactive landfill with mixed industrial and household waste and samples were collected before and after each filter during two years. Leachate pre-treated in oil separator and sedimentation pond failed to meet water quality standards in most samples and little improvement was seen after the sand filter. These techniques are based on particle removal, whereas the analysed pollutants are found, to varying degrees, bound to colloids or dissolved. However, even highly hydrophobic compounds expected to be particle-bound, such as the PHCs and high-molecular weight PAHs, were poorly removed in the sand filter. The APs and BPA were completely removed by the GAC filter, while mass balance calculations indicate that 50-80% of the investigated phenols were removed in the peat filter. Results suggest possible AP degradation in peat filters. No evidence of phthalate degradation in the landfill, pond or the filters was found. The PHCs were completely removed in 50% and 35% of the measured occasions in the GAC and peat filters, respectively. The opposite trend was seen for removal of PAHs in GAC (50%) and peat (63%). Oxygenated PAHs with high toxicity were found in the leachates but not in the pond sediment. These compounds are likely formed in the pond water, which is alarming because sedimentation ponds are commonly used treatment techniques. The oxy-PAHs were effectively removed in the GAC, and especially the peat filter. It was hypothesized that dissolved compounds would adsorb equally well to the peat and GAC filters. This was not completely supported as the GAC filter was in general more efficient than peat. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Performance assessment and parameterization of the SWAP-WOFOST model for peat soil under agricultural use in northern Europe.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertram, Sascha; Bechtold, Michel; Hendriks, Rob; Piayda, Arndt; Regina, Kristiina; Myllys, Merja; Tiemeyer, Bärbel

2017-04-01

Peat soils form a major share of soil suitable for agriculture in northern Europe. Successful agricultural production depends on hydrological and pedological conditions, local climate and agricultural management. Climate change impact assessment on food production and development of mitigation and adaptation strategies require reliable yield forecasts under given emission scenarios. Coupled soil hydrology - crop growth models, driven by regionalized future climate scenarios are a valuable tool and widely used for this purpose. Parameterization on local peat soil conditions and crop breed or grassland specie performance, however, remains a major challenge. The subject of this study is to evaluate the performance and sensitivity of the SWAP-WOFOST coupled soil hydrology and plant growth model with respect to the application on peat soils under different regional conditions across northern Europe. Further, the parameterization of region-specific crop and grass species is discussed. First results of the model application and parameterization at deep peat sites in southern Finland are presented. The model performed very well in reproducing two years of observed, daily ground water level data on four hydrologically contrasting sites. Naturally dry and wet sites could be modelled with the same performance as sites with active water table management by regulated drains in order to improve peat conservation. A simultaneous multi-site calibration scheme was used to estimate plant growth parameters of the local oat breed. Cross-site validation of the modelled yields against two years of observations proved the robustness of the chosen parameter set and gave no indication of possible overparameterization. This study proves the suitability of the coupled SWAP-WOFOST model for the prediction of crop yields and water table dynamics of peat soils in agricultural use under given climate conditions.

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

USGS Publications Warehouse

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.

Local Spatial Heterogeneity of Holocene Carbon Accumulation throughout the Peat Profile of an Ombrotrophic Northern Minnesota Bog

DOE PAGES

McFarlane, Karis J.; Hanson, Paul J.; Iversen, Colleen M.; ...

2018-05-30

Here, we evaluated the spatial heterogeneity of historical carbon accumulation rates in a forested, ombrotrophic bog in Minnesota to aid understanding of responses to an ongoing decade-long warming manipulation. Eighteen peat cores indicated that the bog has been accumulating carbon for over 11,000 years, to yield 176±40 kg C m –2 to 225±58 cm of peat depth. Estimated peat basal ages ranged from 5100 to 11,100 cal BP. The long-term apparent rate of carbon accumulation over the entire peat profile was 22±2 kg C m –2yr –1. Plot location within the study area did not affect carbon accumulation rates, butmore » estimated basal ages were younger in profiles from plots closer to the bog lagg and farther from the bog outlet. In addition, carbon accumulation varied considerably over time. Early Holocene net carbon accumulation rates were 30±6 g C m –2yr –1. Around 3300 calendar BP, net carbon accumulation rates dropped to 15±8 g C m –2yr –1until the last century when net accumulation rates increased again to 74±57 g C m –2yr –1. During this period of low accumulation, regional droughts may have lowered the water table, allowing for enhanced aerobic decomposition and making the bog more susceptible to fire. These results suggest that experimental warming treatments, as well as a future warmer climate may reduce net carbon accumulation in peat in this and other southern boreal peatlands. Furthermore, our we caution against historical interpretations extrapolated from one or a few peat cores.« less

Nitrosation and nitration of fulvic acid, peat and coal with nitric acid

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thorn, Kevin A.; Cox, Larry G.

2016-01-01

Nitrohumic acids, produced from base extraction of coals and peats oxidized with nitric acid, have received considerable attention as soil ammendments in agriculture. The nitration chemistry however is incompletely understood. Moreover, there is a need to understand the reaction of nitric acid with natural organic matter (NOM) in general, in the context of a variety of environmental and biogeochemical processes. Suwannee River NOM, Suwannee River fulvic acid, and Pahokee Peat fulvic acid were treated with 15N-labeled nitric acid at concentrations ranging from 15% to 22% and analyzed by liquid and solid state 15N NMR spectroscopy. Bulk Pahokee peat and Illinois #6 coal were also treated with nitric acid, at 29% and 40% respectively, and analyzed by solid state 15N NMR spectroscopy. In addition to nitro groups from nitration of aromatic carbon, the 15N NMR spectra of all five samples exhibited peaks attributable to nitrosation reactions. These include nitrosophenol peaks in the peat fulvic acid and Suwannee River samples, from nitrosation of phenolic rings, and N-nitroso groups in the peat samples, from nitrosation of secondary amides or amines, the latter consistent with the peat samples having the highest naturally abundant nitrogen contents. Peaks attributable to Beckmann and secondary reactions of the initially formed oximes were present in all spectra, including primary amide, secondary amide, lactam, and nitrile nitrogens. The degree of secondary reaction product formation resulting from nitrosation reactions appeared to correlate inversely with the 13C aromaticities of the samples. The nitrosation reactions are most plausibly effected by nitrous acid formed from the reduction of nitric acid by oxidizable substrates in the NOM and coal samples.

Persistent high temperature and low precipitation reduce peat carbon accumulation.

PubMed

Bragazza, Luca; Buttler, Alexandre; Robroek, Bjorn J M; Albrecht, Remy; Zaccone, Claudio; Jassey, Vincent E J; Signarbieux, Constant

2016-12-01

Extreme climate events are predicted to become more frequent and intense. Their ecological impacts, particularly on carbon cycling, can differ in relation to ecosystem sensitivity. Peatlands, being characterized by peat accumulation under waterlogged conditions, can be particularly sensitive to climate extremes if the climate event increases soil oxygenation. However, a mechanistic understanding of peatland responses to persistent climate extremes is still lacking, particularly in terms of aboveground-belowground feedback. Here, we present the results of a transplantation experiment of peat mesocosms from high to low altitude in order to simulate, during 3 years, a mean annual temperature c. 5 °C higher and a mean annual precipitation c. 60% lower. Specifically, we aim at understanding the intensity of changes for a set of biogeochemical processes and their feedback on carbon accumulation. In the transplanted mesocosms, plant productivity showed a species-specific response depending on plant growth forms, with a significant decrease (c. 60%) in peat moss productivity. Soil respiration almost doubled and Q 10 halved in the transplanted mesocosms in combination with an increase in activity of soil enzymes. Spectroscopic characterization of peat chemistry in the transplanted mesocosms confirmed the deepening of soil oxygenation which, in turn, stimulated microbial decomposition. After 3 years, soil carbon stock increased only in the control mesocosms whereas a reduction in mean annual carbon accumulation of c. 30% was observed in the transplanted mesocosms. Based on the above information, a structural equation model was built to provide a mechanistic understanding of the causal connections between peat moisture, vegetation response, soil respiration and carbon accumulation. This study identifies, in the feedback between plant and microbial responses, the primary pathways explaining the reduction in carbon accumulation in response to recurring climate extremes in peat soils. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Global trends in peatland methane production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoyt, A.; Corbett, J. E.; Gandois, L.; Cobb, A.; Pangala, S. R.; Gauci, V.; Harvey, C. F.

2017-12-01

Peatland methane production rates and fluxes to the atmosphere vary globally. Here we present a systematic comparison of peatland CH4 production across latitudes. We developed and applied an isotope-based mass transport model to characterize rates of methanogenesis and recharge rates across ten ombrotrophic peatlands from around the world. We validated our model against peat incubations and surface fluxes where data was available. We found striking similarities in the DIC and CH4 concentrations and δ13C isotope profiles across northern bogs, despite highly variable precipitation, recharge rates, and peat characteristics. Profiles from northern sites were similar because increased recharge rates were always compensated by increased CH4 production rates. This could represent a feedback mechanism between recharge rates and methanogenesis in northern bogs or could represent a shared dependence of these two properties on the degree of peat decomposition. We also found strong differences between northern and tropical sites, both in the rate of CH4 production, the recharge rate, and in the transport pathways and fluxes to the atmosphere. Our findings have important implications for methane transport and release to the atmosphere. In northern bogs, low flow rates allow CH4 concentrations to build up, and CH4 escapes by surface diffusion, ebullition, and plant-mediated transport. Thus, the majority of CH4 produced escapes through the peat surface. In tropical peatlands, high flow rates suppress CH4 concentrations, which do not build up above the threshold for ebullition. Instead, CH4 leaves the peat by lateral transport and surface fluxes are small. This work provides evidence that peat properties and hydrology are fundamental controls on decomposition, CH4 production, and peat formation across latitudes.

Nitrosation and Nitration of Fulvic Acid, Peat and Coal with Nitric Acid

PubMed Central

Thorn, Kevin A.; Cox, Larry G.

2016-01-01

Nitrohumic acids, produced from base extraction of coals and peats oxidized with nitric acid, have received considerable attention as soil ammendments in agriculture. The nitration chemistry however is incompletely understood. Moreover, there is a need to understand the reaction of nitric acid with natural organic matter (NOM) in general, in the context of a variety of environmental and biogeochemical processes. Suwannee River NOM, Suwannee River fulvic acid, and Pahokee Peat fulvic acid were treated with 15N-labeled nitric acid at concentrations ranging from 15% to 22% and analyzed by liquid and solid state 15N NMR spectroscopy. Bulk Pahokee peat and Illinois #6 coal were also treated with nitric acid, at 29% and 40% respectively, and analyzed by solid state 15N NMR spectroscopy. In addition to nitro groups from nitration of aromatic carbon, the 15N NMR spectra of all five samples exhibited peaks attributable to nitrosation reactions. These include nitrosophenol peaks in the peat fulvic acid and Suwannee River samples, from nitrosation of phenolic rings, and N-nitroso groups in the peat samples, from nitrosation of secondary amides or amines, the latter consistent with the peat samples having the highest naturally abundant nitrogen contents. Peaks attributable to Beckmann and secondary reactions of the initially formed oximes were present in all spectra, including primary amide, secondary amide, lactam, and nitrile nitrogens. The degree of secondary reaction product formation resulting from nitrosation reactions appeared to correlate inversely with the 13C aromaticities of the samples. The nitrosation reactions are most plausibly effected by nitrous acid formed from the reduction of nitric acid by oxidizable substrates in the NOM and coal samples. PMID:27175784

Deep instability of deforested tropical peatlands revealed by fluvial organic carbon fluxes.

PubMed

Moore, Sam; Evans, Chris D; Page, Susan E; Garnett, Mark H; Jones, Tim G; Freeman, Chris; Hooijer, Aljosja; Wiltshire, Andrew J; Limin, Suwido H; Gauci, Vincent

2013-01-31

Tropical peatlands contain one of the largest pools of terrestrial organic carbon, amounting to about 89,000 teragrams (1 Tg is a billion kilograms). Approximately 65 per cent of this carbon store is in Indonesia, where extensive anthropogenic degradation in the form of deforestation, drainage and fire are converting it into a globally significant source of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Here we quantify the annual export of fluvial organic carbon from both intact peat swamp forest and peat swamp forest subject to past anthropogenic disturbance. We find that the total fluvial organic carbon flux from disturbed peat swamp forest is about 50 per cent larger than that from intact peat swamp forest. By carbon-14 dating of dissolved organic carbon (which makes up over 91 per cent of total organic carbon), we find that leaching of dissolved organic carbon from intact peat swamp forest is derived mainly from recent primary production (plant growth). In contrast, dissolved organic carbon from disturbed peat swamp forest consists mostly of much older (centuries to millennia) carbon from deep within the peat column. When we include the fluvial carbon loss term, which is often ignored, in the peatland carbon budget, we find that it increases the estimate of total carbon lost from the disturbed peatlands in our study by 22 per cent. We further estimate that since 1990 peatland disturbance has resulted in a 32 per cent increase in fluvial organic carbon flux from southeast Asia--an increase that is more than half of the entire annual fluvial organic carbon flux from all European peatlands. Our findings emphasize the need to quantify fluvial carbon losses in order to improve estimates of the impact of deforestation and drainage on tropical peatland carbon balances.

Physicochemical, agronomical and microbiological evaluation of alternative growing media for the production of rapini (Brassica rapa L.) microgreens.

PubMed

Di Gioia, Francesco; De Bellis, Palmira; Mininni, Carlo; Santamaria, Pietro; Serio, Francesco

2017-03-01

Peat-based mixes and synthetic mats are the main substrates used for microgreens production. However, both are expensive and non-renewable. Recycled fibrous materials may represent low-cost and renewable alternative substrates. Recycled textile-fiber (TF; polyester, cotton and polyurethane traces) and jute-kenaf-fiber (JKF; 85% jute, 15% kenaf-fibers) mats were characterized and compared with peat and Sure to Grow® (Sure to Grow, Beachwood, OH, USA; http://suretogrow.com) (STG; 100% polyethylene-terephthalate) for the production of rapini (Brassica rapa L.; Broccoletto group) microgreens. All substrates had suitable physicochemical properties for the production of microgreens. On average, microgreens fresh yield was 1502 g m -2 in peat, TF and JKF, and was 13.1% lower with STG. Peat-grown microgreen shoots had a higher concentration of K + and SO 4 2 - and a two-fold higher NO 3 - concentration [1959 versus 940 mg kg -1 fresh weight (FW)] than those grown on STG, TF and JKF. At harvest, substrates did not influence microgreens aerobic bacterial populations (log 6.48 CFU g -1 FW). Peat- and JKF-grown microgreens had higher yeast-mould counts than TF- and STG microgreens (log 2.64 versus 1.80 CFU g -1 FW). Peat-grown microgreens had the highest population of Enterobacteriaceae (log 5.46 ± 0.82 CFU g -1 ) and Escherichia coli (log 1.46 ± 0.15 CFU g -1 ). Escherichia coli was not detected in microgreens grown on other media. TF and JKF may be valid alternatives to peat and STG because both ensured a competitive yield, low nitrate content and a similar or higher microbiological quality. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Hydrological controls on rate of organic matter mineralization in peats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghezzehei, Teamrat; Arnold, Chelsea; Asefaw Berhe, Asmeret

2016-04-01

The predominant factor that ties together the formation and persistence of peat soils across regions is their dependence on localized hydrology. Hydrology also plays a dominant role in the relative strength of peatlands as sinks for atmospheric carbon dioxide and sources of methane, and thus on peatland net climate impact. Drying of peat soils by climate change and/or drainage is typically followed by reduction in methane emissions. However, this may easily be offset by the increase in carbon dioxide production. Therefore, mechanistic understanding of peatland hydrology and its association with carbon cycling is a prerequisite for assessing vulnerability of peats to disturbances and for incorporating the associated feedbacks in carbon-climate models. We will present physically based model that ties together the structure of peat soils (mainly pore size distribution and mechanical stability) to rates of aerobic and anaerobic decomposition over a wide range of soil water potentials. Peats consist of hierarchical structure with clear separation of the pores into a population of micropores within clumps of organic matter and/or soil aggregates and a group of macropores between clumps and/or aggregates. This essentially partitions the carbon stock in peat soils in to multiple pools that become mineralizable at disparate water potential ranges. While the carbon in macropores can readily be decomposed by aerobic microorganisms when the soil is only slightly drained, the carbon in fine pores remains largely protected from aerobic microbes until the water potential exceeds a threshold that lets in oxygen. In this presentation we will show the mathematical development of the model and illustrative examples that compare projections with data derived from the literature.

Investigating carbon dynamics in Siberian peat bogs using molecular-level analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaiser, K.; Benner, R. H.

2013-12-01

Total hydrolysable carbohydrates, and lignin and cutin acid compounds were analyzed in peat cores collected 56.8 N (SIB04), 58.4 N (SIB06), 63.8 N (G137) and 66.5 N (E113) in the Western Siberian Lowland to investigate vegetation, chemical compositions and the stage of decomposition. Sphagnum mosses dominated peatland vegetation in all four cores. High-resolution molecular analyses revealed rapid vegetation changes on timescales of 50-200 years in the southern cores Sib4 and Sib6. Syringyl and vanillyl (S/V) ratios and cutin acids indicated these vegetation changes were due to varying inputs of angiosperm and gymnosperm and root material. In the G137 and E113 cores lichens briefly replaced sphagnum mosses and vascular plants. Molecular decomposition indicators used in this study tracked the decomposition of different organic constituents of peat organic matter. The carbohydrate decomposition index was sensitive to the polysaccharide component of all peat-forming plants, whereas acid/aldehyde ratios of S and V phenols (Ac/AlS,V) followed the lignin component of vascular plants. Low carbohydrate decomposition indices in peat layers corresponded well with elevated (Ad/Al)S,V ratios. This suggested both classes of biochemicals were simultaneously decomposed, and decomposition processes were associated with extensive total mass loss in these ombrotrophic systems. Selective decomposition or transformation of lignin was observed in the permafrost-influenced northern cores G137 and E113. Both cores exhibited the highest (Ad/Al)S,V ratios, almost four-fold higher than measured in peat-forming plants. The extent of decomposition in the four peat cores did not uniformly increase with age, but showed episodic extensive decomposition events. Variable decomposition events independent of climatic conditions and vegetation shifts highlight the complexity of peatland dynamics.

Development of low-ash, planar peat swamps in an alluvial-plain setting: The no. 5 Block beds (westphalian D) of southern West Virginia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Staub, J.R.; Richards, B.K.

1993-07-01

Coals from the No. 5 Block coal beds (Westphalian D) of the central Appalachian basin are noted for their blocky, dull character and their low ash and low sulfur content. The beds are multiple benched, with rock partings separating benches. Individual benches have limited lateral extent and, where thick, are dominated by bright, high-ash coal at the base and dull, low-ash coal in the upper parts. The duller coals contain more exinite-group and inertinite-group macerals than the brighter coals. These coal beds are encased in sandstone units dominated by fining-upward sequences. The overall depositional setting is an alluvial-plain environment withmore » northwest-flowing channels spaced approximately 20 km apart. The channels were flanked by clastic swamps about 7 km wide. Low-ash peat accumulated in areas of the flood plain most distant from the channels. These peat-accumulating swamps were about 8 km across. In a few instances low-frequency flood events introduced fine siliciclastic sediment into the peat swamps, depositing a thin layer of sediment on top of the peat. This sediment layer is thicker where the underlying coal is the thickest. These thick coal areas are topographically lower than surrounding coal areas. This relationship between coal thickness, parting thickness, and topography indicates that these peat swamps were planar at the time of deposition. Individual coal benches contain abundant preserved cellular tissue (telocollinite, semifusinite, and fusinite) at most locations, suggesting that robust vegetation was widespread in the swamps and that the morphology was planar. The high concentrations of exinite-group an inertinite-group macerals in the upper parts of benches resulted from selective decomposition and oxidation of the peat in subaerial and aquatic planar-swamp environments.« less

Local Spatial Heterogeneity of Holocene Carbon Accumulation throughout the Peat Profile of an Ombrotrophic Northern Minnesota Bog

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McFarlane, Karis J.; Hanson, Paul J.; Iversen, Colleen M.

Here, we evaluated the spatial heterogeneity of historical carbon accumulation rates in a forested, ombrotrophic bog in Minnesota to aid understanding of responses to an ongoing decade-long warming manipulation. Eighteen peat cores indicated that the bog has been accumulating carbon for over 11,000 years, to yield 176±40 kg C m –2 to 225±58 cm of peat depth. Estimated peat basal ages ranged from 5100 to 11,100 cal BP. The long-term apparent rate of carbon accumulation over the entire peat profile was 22±2 kg C m –2yr –1. Plot location within the study area did not affect carbon accumulation rates, butmore » estimated basal ages were younger in profiles from plots closer to the bog lagg and farther from the bog outlet. In addition, carbon accumulation varied considerably over time. Early Holocene net carbon accumulation rates were 30±6 g C m –2yr –1. Around 3300 calendar BP, net carbon accumulation rates dropped to 15±8 g C m –2yr –1until the last century when net accumulation rates increased again to 74±57 g C m –2yr –1. During this period of low accumulation, regional droughts may have lowered the water table, allowing for enhanced aerobic decomposition and making the bog more susceptible to fire. These results suggest that experimental warming treatments, as well as a future warmer climate may reduce net carbon accumulation in peat in this and other southern boreal peatlands. Furthermore, our we caution against historical interpretations extrapolated from one or a few peat cores.« less

Sorption of selected organic compounds from water to a peat soil and its humic-acid and humin fractions: Potential sources of the sorption nonlinearity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chiou, C.T.; Kile, D.E.; Rutherford, D.W.; Sheng, G.; Boyd, S.A.

2000-01-01

The sorption isotherms of ethylene dibromide (EDB), diuron (DUN), and 3,5-dichlorophenol (DCP) from water on the humic acid and humin fractions of a peat soil and on the humic-acid of a muck soil have been measured. The data were compared with those of the solutes with the whole peat from which the humic-acid (HA) and humin (HM) fractions were derived and on which the sorption of the solutes exhibited varying extents of nonlinear capacities at low relative concentrations (C(e)/S(w)). The HA fraction as prepared by the density-fractionated method is relatively pure and presumably free of high- surface-area carbonaceous material (HSACM) that is considered to be responsible for the observed nonlinear sorption for nonpolar solutes (e.g., EDB) on the peat; conversely, the base-insoluble HM fraction as prepared is presumed to be enriched with HSACM, as manifested by the greatly higher BET- (N2) surface area than that of the whole peat. The sorption of EDB on HA exhibits no visible nonlinear effect, whereas the sorption on HM shows an enhanced nonlinearity over that on the whole peat. The sorption of polar DUN and DCP on HA and HM display nonlinear effects comparable with those on the whole peat; the effects are much more significant than those with nonpolar EDB. These results conform to the hypothesis that adsorption onto a small amount of strongly adsorbing HSACM is largely responsible for the nonlinear sorption of nonpolar solutes on soils and that additional specific interactions with the active groups of soil organic matter are responsible for the generally higher nonlinear sorption of the polar solutes.

Analysis of actinides in an ombrotrophic peat core - evidence of post-depositional migration of fallout radionuclides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quinto, Francesca; Hrnecek, Erich; Krachler, Michael; Shotyk, William; Steier, Peter; Winkler, Stephan R.

2013-04-01

Plutonium (239Pu, 240Pu, 241Pu, 242Pu) and uranium (236U, 238U) isotopes were analyzed in an ombrotrophic peat core from the Black Forest, Germany, representing the last 80 years of atmospheric deposition. The reliable determination of these isotopes at ultra-trace levels was possible using ultra-clean laboratory procedures and accelerator mass spectrometry. The 240Pu/239Pu isotopic ratios are constant along the core with a mean value of 0.19 ±0.02 (N = 32). This result is consistent with the acknowledged average 240Pu/239Pu isotopic ratio from global fallout in the Northern Hemisphere. The global fallout origin of Pu is confirmed by the corresponding 241Pu/239Pu (0.0012 ±0.0005) and 242Pu/239Pu (0.004 ± 0.001) isotopic ratios. The identification of the Pu isotopic composition characteristic for global fallout in peat layers pre-dating the period of atmospheric atom bomb testing (AD 1956 - AD 1980) is a clear evidence of the migration of Pu downwards the peat profile. The maximum of global fallout derived 236U is detected in correspondence to the age/depth layer of maximum stratospheric fallout (AD 1963). This finding demonstrates that the 236U bomb peak can be successfully used as an independent chronological marker complementing the 210Pb dating of peat cores. The profiles of the global fallout derived 236U and 239Pu are compared with those of 137Cs and 241Am. As typical of ombrothrophic peat, the temporal fallout pattern of 137Cs is poorly retained. Similarly like for Pu, post-depositional migration of 241Am in peat layers preceding the era of atmospheric nuclear tests is observed.

Late Holocene palaeoclimate variability: The significance of bog pine dendrochronology related to peat stratigraphy. The Puścizna Wielka raised bog case study (Orawa - Nowy Targ Basin, Polish Inner Carpathians)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krąpiec, Marek; Margielewski, Włodzimierz; Korzeń, Katarzyna; Szychowska-Krąpiec, Elżbieta; Nalepka, Dorota; Łajczak, Adam

2016-09-01

The results of dendrochronological and palynological analyses of subfossil pine trees occurring in the peat deposits of the Puścizna Wielka raised bog (Polish Carpathians, Southern Poland) - the only site with numerous subfossil pine trees in the mountainous regions of Central Europe presently known - indicate that the majority of the tree populations grew in the peat bog during the periods ca 5415-3940 cal BP and 3050-2560 cal BP. Several forestless episodes, dated to 5245-5155 cal BP, 4525-4395 cal BP and 3940-3050 cal BP, were preceded by tree dying-off phases caused by an extreme periodical increase in humidity and general climate cooling trends. These events are documented based on analyses of pollen and non-pollen palynomorph assemblages, dendrochronological analyses of the trees, as well as numerous radiocarbon datings of the sediment horizons occurring within the peat bog profile. The phases of germinations, and, in turn, of tree and shrub invasions of the peat bog areas have been closely connected to drying and occasional warming of the regional climate. The last of the forestless periods began about 2600 years ago and continued up to the very recent times. Currently, as a result of desiccation of the peat bog and the lowering of the groundwater level (due to improved water drainage system), pine trees have returned the peat bog again. These results demonstrate that studies of subfossil bog-pine trees are quite effective in documenting and reconstructing periods of humidity fluctuation that occurred within the Carpathian region over the last several millennia.

SPRUCE S1 Bog Peat Depth Determined by Push Probe and GPR: 2009-2010

DOE Data Explorer

Slater, L. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.; Hanson, P. J. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.; Hook, L. A. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.

2012-01-01

This data set reports the thickness of peat for the S1 Bog measured directly with manual push probes on September 21 and 22, 2009, and measured by ground penetrating radar (GPR) across transects from January 26 to February 2, 2010 and June 2 to June 9, 2010. Also included are interpolated values of peat depth from both probe and GPR data for the S1 Bog at 1 meter square horizontal resolution.

Aquatic export of young dissolved and gaseous carbon from a pristine boreal fen: Implications for peat carbon stock stability.

PubMed

Campeau, Audrey; Bishop, Kevin H; Billett, Michael F; Garnett, Mark H; Laudon, Hjalmar; Leach, Jason A; Nilsson, Mats B; Öquist, Mats G; Wallin, Marcus B

2017-12-01

The stability of northern peatland's carbon (C) store under changing climate is of major concern for the global C cycle. The aquatic export of C from boreal peatlands is recognized as both a critical pathway for the remobilization of peat C stocks as well as a major component of the net ecosystem C balance (NECB). Here, we present a full year characterization of radiocarbon content ( 14 C) of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), and methane (CH 4 ) exported from a boreal peatland catchment coupled with 14 C characterization of the catchment's peat profile of the same C species. The age of aquatic C in runoff varied little throughout the year and appeared to be sustained by recently fixed C from the atmosphere (<60 years), despite stream DOC, CO 2 , and CH 4 primarily being sourced from deep peat horizons (2-4 m) near the mire's outlet. In fact, the 14 C content of DOC, CO 2 , and CH 4 across the entire peat profile was considerably enriched with postbomb C compared with the solid peat material. Overall, our results demonstrate little to no mobilization of ancient C stocks from this boreal peatland and a relatively large resilience of the source of aquatic C export to forecasted hydroclimatic changes. © 2017 The Authors Global Change Biology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effect of peat on the accumulation and translocation of heavy metals by maize grown in contaminated soils.

PubMed

Stanislawska-Glubiak, Ewa; Korzeniowska, Jolanta; Kocon, Anna

2015-03-01

Incorporation of organic materials into soil improves the soil sorption capacity, while limiting the mobility of metals in soil and their availability to plants. These effects can be taken advantage for remediation of soils polluted with heavy metals. The objective of this study is to assess the remediatory potential of peat applied to soils with concomitant pollution with Cd, Pb, and Zn. Two 1-year experiments were run in microplots in which maize was grown as the test plant. The following treatments were compared on two soils (sandy soil and loess): (1) control, (2) heavy metals (HM), (3) HM + peat in a single dose, and (4) HM + peat in a double dose. Maize was harvested in the maturity stage; the biomass of roots and aerial parts, including grain and cobs, was measured. Besides, concentration of metals in all those plant parts and the net photosynthetic rate and transpiration rate were determined. The approach of using peat in soil remediation led to satisfactory results on sandy soil only. The application of peat to sandy soil caused significant changes in the accumulation of the metals and their translocation from roots to other parts of plants, which resulted in a higher intensity of photosynthesis and an increase in the maize biomass compared to the HM treatment.

Subsidence in tropical peatlands: Estimating CO2 fluxes from peatlands in Southeast Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoyt, A.; Harvey, C. F.; Seppalainen, S. S.; Chaussard, E.

2017-12-01

Tropical peatlands of Southeast Asia are an important global carbon stock. However, they are being rapidly deforested and drained. Peatland drainage facilitates peat decomposition, releases sequestered peat carbon to the atmosphere as CO2, and leads to subsidence of the peat surface. As a result, subsidence measurements can be used to monitor peatland carbon loss over time. Until now, subsidence measurements have been primarily limited to ground-based point measurements using subsidence poles. Here we demonstrate a powerful method to measure peatland subsidence rates across much larger areas than ever before. Using remotely sensed InSAR data, we map subsidence rates across thousands of square kilometers in Southeast Asia and validate our results against ground-based subsidence measurements. The method allows us to monitor subsidence in remote locations, providing unprecedented spatial information, and the first comprehensive survey of land uses such as degraded peatlands, burnt and open areas, shrub lands, and smallholder farmlands. Strong spatial patterns emerged, with the highest subsidence rates occurring at the centers of peat domes, where the peat is thickest and drainage depths are likely to be largest. Peatland subsidence rates were also strongly dependent on current and historical land use, with typical subsidence rates ranging from 2-4 cm/yr. Finally, we scaled up our results to calculate total annual emissions from peat decomposition in degraded peatlands.

Temperature and burning history affect emissions of greenhouse gases and aerosol particles from tropical peatland fire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuwata, Mikinori; Kai, Fuu Ming; Yang, Liudongqing; Itoh, Masayuki; Gunawan, Haris; Harvey, Charles F.

2017-01-01

Tropical peatland burning in Asia has been intensifying over the last decades, emitting huge amounts of gas species and aerosol particles. Both laboratory and field studies have been conducted to investigate emission from peat burning, yet a significant variability in data still exists. We conducted a series of experiments to characterize the gas and particulate matter emitted during burning of a peat sample from Sumatra in Indonesia. Heating temperature of peat was found to regulate the ratio of CH4 to CO2 in emissions (ΔCH4/ΔCO2) as well as the chemical composition of particulate matter. The ΔCH4/ΔCO2 ratio was larger for higher temperatures, meaning that CH4 emission is more pronounced at these conditions. Mass spectrometric analysis of organic components indicated that aerosol particles emitted at higher temperatures had more unsaturated bonds and ring structures than that emitted from cooler fires. The result was consistently confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance analysis. In addition, CH4 emitted by burning charcoal, which is derived from previously burned peat, was lower by at least an order of magnitude than that from fresh peat. These results highlight the importance of both fire history and heating temperature for the composition of tropical peat-fire emissions. They suggest that remote sensing technologies that map fire histories and temperatures could provide improved estimates of emissions.

Microbial Response in Peat Overlying Kimberlite Pipes in The Attawapiskat Area, Northern Ontario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donkervoort, L. J.; Southam, G.

2009-05-01

Exploration for ore deposits occurring under thick, post-mineralized cover requires innovative methods and instrumentation [1]. Buried kimberlite pipes 'produce' geochemical conditions such as increased pH and decreased Eh in overlying peat [2] that intuitively select for bacterial populations that are best able to grow and, which in turn affect the geochemistry producing a linked signal. A microbiological study of peat was conducted over the Zulu kimberlite in the Attawapiskat area of the James Bay Lowlands to determine if the type of underlying rock influences the diversity and populations of microorganisms living in the overlying peat. Peat was sampled along an 800 m transect across the Zulu kimberlite, including samples underlain by limestone. Microbial populations and carbon source utilization patterns of peat samples were compared between the two underlying rock types. Results demonstrate an inverse relationship of increased anaerobic populations and lower biodiversity directly above the kimberlite pipe. These results support a reduced 'column' consistent with the model presented by Hamilton [3]. The combination of traditional bacterial enumeration and community- level profiling represents a cost-effective and efficient exploration technique that can serve to compliment both geophysical and geochemical surveys. [1] Goldberg (1998) J. Geochem. Explor. 61, 191-202 [2] Hattori and Hamilton (2008) Appl. Geochem. 23, 3767-3782 [3] Hamilton (1998) J. Geochem. Explor. 63, 155-172

Smouldering peat fires in polluted landscapes and their impact on heavy metal mobilisation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clay, Gareth; Rothwell, James; Shuttleworth, Emma

2016-04-01

Whilst wildfires are commonly viewed as a threat confined to Southern Europe, Australia, and North America, recognition of wildfire hazard in the UK has been growing in recent years. UK wildfires often occur on heathland vegetation underlain by peat. These areas can contain industrially-derived legacy pollutants, such as mercury, lead, and arsenic. Ignition of the peat can lead to long-term smouldering fires that are difficult to extinguish, leading to large-scale damage. While work on assessing post-fire damage of peatlands has focussed on carbon and nutrient dynamics, there has been little attention on the release of heavy metals following wildfires. This paper presents initial data from a preliminary study to assess heavy metal release from smouldering peat fires. A homogenised sample of peat from the Peak District National Park, UK was ignited, monitored using thermocouples and an IR camera, and left to smoulder until self-extinguished (~9 hours). Total mass loss was 61%. Samples of pre- and post-burn peat were analysed for their heavy metal concentrations using XRF, ICP-MS, and CVAFS. Sample analysis is ongoing, but initial data shows that there is a substantial (3x) relative enrichment in heavy metal concentrations in post-fire ash. This has important implications for subsequent mobilisation in the aquatic and terrestrial environments, as well as consequences for human health risk through atmospheric redistribution.

Evaluation of dispersion methods for enumeration of microorganisms from peat and activated carbon biofilters treating volatile organic compounds.

PubMed

Khammar, Nadia; Malhautier, Luc; Degrange, Valérie; Lensi, Robert; Fanlo, Jean-Louis

2004-01-01

To enumerate microorganisms having colonized biofilters treating volatile organic compounds, it is necessary firstly to evaluate dispersion methods. Crushing, shaking and sonication were then tested for the removal of microflora from biofilters packing materials (peat and activated carbon). Continuous or discontinuous procedures, and addition of glass beads had no effect on the number of microorganisms removed from peat particles. The duration of treatment also had no effect for shaking and crushing, but the number of microorganisms after 60 min of treatment with ultrasound was significantly higher than that obtained after 0.5 min. The comparison between these methods showed that crushing was the most efficient for the removal of microorganisms from both peat and activated carbon. The comparison between three chemical dispersion agents showed that 1% Na-pyrophosphate was less efficient, compared with 200 mM phosphate buffer or 1% Na-hexametaphosphate. To optimize the cultivation of microorganisms, three different agar media were compared. Tryptic soy agar tenfold diluted (TSA 1/10) was the most suitable medium for the culture of microflora from a peat biofilter. For the activated carbon biofilter, there was no significant difference between Luria Bertoni, TSA 1/10, and plate count agar. The optimized extraction and enumeration protocols were used to perform a quantitative characterization of microbial populations in an operating laboratory activated carbon biofilter and in two parallel peat biofilters.

Microbial communities and transformation of carbon compounds in bog soils of the taiga zone (Tomsk oblast)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grodnitskaya, I. D.; Trusova, M. Yu.

2009-09-01

Two types of bogs were studied in Tomsk oblast—Maloe Zhukovskoe (an eutrophic peat low-moor bog) and Ozernoe (an oligotrophic peat high-moor bog). The gram-negative forms of Proteobacteria were found to be dominant and amounted to more than 40% of the total population of the microorganisms investigated. In the peat bogs, the population and diversity of the hydrolytic microbial complex, especially of the number of micromycetes, were lower than those in the mineral soils. The changes in the quantitative indices of the total microbiological activity of the bogs were established. The microbial biomass and the intensity of its respiration differed and were also related to the depth of the sampling. In the Zhukovskoe peat low-moor bog, the maximal biomass of heterotrophic microorganisms (154 μg of C/g of peat) was found in the aerobic zone at a depth of 0 to 10 cm. In the Ozernoe bog, the maximal biomass was determined in the zone of anaerobiosis at a depth of 300 cm (1947 μ g of C/g of peat). The molecular-genetic method was used for the determination of the spectrum of the methanogens. Seven unidentified dominant forms were revealed. The species diversity of the methanogens was higher in the oligotrophic high-moor bog than in the eutrophic low-moor bog.

Effect of light Sphagnum peat on odour formation in the early stages of biowaste composting.

PubMed

Kurola, Jukka M; Arnold, Mona; Kontro, Merja H; Talves, Matti; Romantschuk, Martin

2010-05-01

In the present study, we investigated the effects of two bulking materials, Sphagnum peat and pine wood chips, on the early stages of biowaste composting in two pilot-scale processes. Emphasis was placed on studying the formation conditions of malodorous compost gases in the initial phases of the processes. The results showed that gas emission leaving an open windrow and a closed drum composting system contained elevated concentrations of fermentative microbial metabolites when acid Sphagnum peat (pH 3.2) was used as a bulking material. Moreover, the gas emission of the peat amended drum composter contained a high concentration of odour (up to 450,000oum(-3) of air). The highest odour values in the outlet gas of peat amended composts coincided with the elevated concentrations of volatile organic compounds such as acetoin and buthanedion. We conclude that the acidifying qualities of composting substrates or bulking material may intensify odour emission from biowaste composts and prolong the early stages of the composting process. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Long-Term Arctic Peatland Dynamics, Vegetation and Climate History of the Pur-Taz Region, Western Siberia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peteet, Dorothy; Andreev, Andrei; Bardeen, William; Mistretta, Francesca

1998-01-01

Stratigraphic analyses of peat composition, LOI, pollen, spores, macrofossils, charcoal, and AMS ages are used to reconstruct the peatland, vegetation and climatic dynamics in the Pur-Taz region of western Siberia over 5000 years (9300 - 4500 BP). Section stratigraphy shows many changes from shallow lake sediment to different combinations of forested or open sedge, moss, and Equisetum fen and peatland environments. Macrofossil and pollen data indicate that Larix sibirica and Betula pubescens trees were first to arrive, followed by Picea obovata. The dominance of Picea macrofossils 6000-5000 BP in the Pur-Taz peatland along with regional Picea pollen maxima indicate warmer conditions and movement of the spruce treeline northward at this time. The decline of pollen and macrofossils from all of these tree species in uppermost peats suggests a change in the environment less favorable for their growth, perhaps cooler temperatures and/or less moisture. Of major significance is the evidence for old ages of the uppermost peats in this area of Siberia, suggesting a real lack of peat accumulation in recent millennia or recent oxidation of uppermost peat.

Feasibility of a peat biogasification process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buivid, M. G.; Wise, D. L.; Rader, A. M.; McCarty, P. L.; Owen, W. F.

1980-07-01

The feasibility of a two-stage biogasification process for the conversion of peat reserves, the energy content of which in the United States is greater than that of uranium, shale oil or petroleum and natural gas combined, into pipeline-quality methane is investigated. Samples of wet-harvested reed-sedge peat were pretreated in alkaline and nonalkaline conditions in the presence and absence of oxidation in order to determine the most favorable conditions for the conversion of cellulosic and lignaceous fractions to water-soluble, fermentable compounds, and the resulting products were subjected to anaerobic fermentation to methane. Conversion efficiencies obtained reveal that up to 26% of the initial heat content of peat was converted to methane when alkaline heat pretreatment was employed. Analysis of the process parameters by a computer model to determine equipment sizes, mass and energy balances and costs indicates that for a 79,200 GJ/day plant the total capital requirement would be $323,000,000, annual operating costs would be $44,000,000 and average SNG cost would be $3.16/GJ, assuming a 90% stream factor with a delivered peat slurry costing $0.0033/kg.

Examination of soil contaminated by coal-liquids by size exclusion chromatography in 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone solution to evaluate interference from humic and fulvic acids and extracts from peat.

PubMed

Morgan, T J; Herod, A A; Brain, S A; Chambers, F M; Kandiyoti, R

2005-11-18

Soil from a redundant coke oven site has been examined by extraction of soluble materials using 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP) followed by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) of the extracted material. The extracted material was found to closely resemble a high temperature coal tar pitch. Standard humic and fulvic acids were also examined since these materials are very soluble in NMP and would be extracted with pitch if present in the soil. Humic substances derived from peat samples and NMP-extracts of peats were also examined. The results show that the humic and fulvic substances were not extracted directly by NMP from peats. They were extracted using caustic soda solution and were different from the peat extracts in NMP. These results indicate that humic and fulvic acids were soluble in NMP in the protonated polyelectrolyte form but not in the original native polyelectrolyte form. The extraction of soil using NMP followed by SEC appears to be a promising method for identifying contamination by coal-based industries.

CO2 Efflux from Cleared Mangrove Peat

PubMed Central

Lovelock, Catherine E.; Ruess, Roger W.; Feller, Ilka C.

2011-01-01

Background CO2 emissions from cleared mangrove areas may be substantial, increasing the costs of continued losses of these ecosystems, particularly in mangroves that have highly organic soils. Methodology/Principal Findings We measured CO2 efflux from mangrove soils that had been cleared for up to 20 years on the islands of Twin Cays, Belize. We also disturbed these cleared peat soils to assess what disturbance of soils after clearing may have on CO2 efflux. CO2 efflux from soils declines from time of clearing from ∼10 600 tonnes km−2 year−1 in the first year to 3000 tonnes km2 year−1 after 20 years since clearing. Disturbing peat leads to short term increases in CO2 efflux (27 umol m−2 s−1), but this had returned to baseline levels within 2 days. Conclusions/Significance Deforesting mangroves that grow on peat soils results in CO2 emissions that are comparable to rates estimated for peat collapse in other tropical ecosystems. Preventing deforestation presents an opportunity for countries to benefit from carbon payments for preservation of threatened carbon stocks. PMID:21738628

CO2 efflux from cleared mangrove peat.

PubMed

Lovelock, Catherine E; Ruess, Roger W; Feller, Ilka C

2011-01-01

CO(2) emissions from cleared mangrove areas may be substantial, increasing the costs of continued losses of these ecosystems, particularly in mangroves that have highly organic soils. We measured CO(2) efflux from mangrove soils that had been cleared for up to 20 years on the islands of Twin Cays, Belize. We also disturbed these cleared peat soils to assess what disturbance of soils after clearing may have on CO(2) efflux. CO(2) efflux from soils declines from time of clearing from ∼10,600 tonnes km(-2) year(-1) in the first year to 3000 tonnes km(2) year(-1) after 20 years since clearing. Disturbing peat leads to short term increases in CO(2) efflux (27 umol m(-2) s(-1)), but this had returned to baseline levels within 2 days. Deforesting mangroves that grow on peat soils results in CO(2) emissions that are comparable to rates estimated for peat collapse in other tropical ecosystems. Preventing deforestation presents an opportunity for countries to benefit from carbon payments for preservation of threatened carbon stocks.

Mangrove peat analysis and reconstruction of vegetation history at the Pelican Cays, Belize

USGS Publications Warehouse

McKee, K.L.; Faulkner, P.L.

2000-01-01

The substrate beneath mangrove forests in the Pelican Cays complex is predominately peat composed mainly of mangrove roots. Leaves and wood account for less than 20% of the peat mass. At Cat Cay, the depth of the peat ranges from 0.2 m along the shoreline to 1.65 m in the island center, indicating that the island has expanded horizontally as well as vertically through below-ground, biogenic processes. Mangrove roots thus play a critical role in the soil formation, vertical accretion, and stability of these mangrove cays. The species composition of fossil roots changes markedly with depth: Rhizophora mangle (red mangrove) was the initial colonizer on a coral base, followed by Avicennia germinans (black mangrove), which increased in abundance and expanded radially from the center of the island. The center of the Avicennia stand ultimately died, leaving an unvegetated, shallow pond. The peat thus retains a record of mangrove development, succession, and deterioration in response to sea-level change and concomitant hydroedaphic conditions controlling dispersal, establishment, growth, and mortality of mangroves on oceanic islands in Belize.

Effect of climate changes in the holocene on the distribution of humic substances in the profile of forest-tundra peat mounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasilevich, R. S.; Beznosikov, V. A.

2017-11-01

The molecular composition of humic substances in permafrost peatlands of the forest-tundra zone in northeastern European Russia has been characterized for the first time on the basis of systematic studies. Changes in the molar x(H): x(C) ratio along the peat profiles have been revealed, which is due to the activation of cryogenic processes in the upper part of the seasonally thawing layer, the natural selection of condensed humic molecules, and the botanical composition and degree of degradation of peat, which reflect the climatic features of the area in the Holocene. Dry-peat soils of mounds are worse heated during the summer period because of the buffering effect of moss litter, which results in a lower degree of condensation of humic and fulvic acid molecules in the peat horizons down to the permafrost table. Transformation of quantitative and qualitative parameters of specific organic compounds occurs at the permafrost boundary of peatlands, which can serve as an indicator of recent climate changes in high latitudes.

Analysis of ecological factors limiting the destruction of high-moor peat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobrovol'skaya, T. G.; Golovchenko, A. V.; Zvyagintsev, D. G.

2014-03-01

This review presents an analysis of literature data and original studies by the authors aimed at revealing the factors inhibiting the destruction of high-moor (oligotrophic) peat. Each of the ecological factors that prevent the decomposition of the high-moor peat by different groups of microorganisms is considered. The acid reaction, low temperatures, and lack of nutrients were found not to be the primary factors inhibiting the destruction of the peat. The limited content of oxygen in the peatbogs leads to a drastic decrease in the number of mycelial microorganisms and a reduction of the activity of hydrolytic and oxidizing enzymes. The main factor inhibiting the decomposition of sphagnum is its mechanical and chemical stability, since animals crushing sphagnum are absent in the soil, and this moss has polysaccharides of special composition. The toxicity of phenol compounds, which is manifested under the aerobic conditions, prevents the activity of all the hydrolytic enzymes. This is the main reason for the slow decomposition of sphagnum peat and the long-term preservation of the residues of bodies and food in high-moor peatlands.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

ROUND LAKE WILDERNESS STUDY AREA, WISCONSIN.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cannon, W.F.; Williams, Bradford B.

1984-01-01

The Round Lake Wilderness study area in Wisconsin was studied using geophysical and geochemical surveys, examination of a few bedrock exposures near the area (none are known within the area) and augering and testing of peat deposits. The only direct indication of potential mineral resource is about 760,000 tons of commercial quality peat contained in several bogs. Larger deposits of similar material are abundant closer to markets and although the peat in this area is classified as a demonstrated resource within an area of substantiated peat resource potential, it is considered to be of little importance. The study area lies within a belt of ancient volcanic rocks extending across northern Wisconsin in which several important copper, zinc, and lead deposits were discovered but no indication of such deposits was found within the area.

RAINBOW LAKE WILDERNESS AND FLYNN LAKE WILDERNESS STUDY AREA, WISCONSIN.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cannon, W.F.; Dunn, Maynard L.

1984-01-01

The Rainbow Lake Wilderness and Flynn Lake Wilderness study area in Wisconsin are contiguous and were studied as a unit. The rainbow Lake Wilderness contains a demonstrated resource of about 210,000 tons of commercial-quality peat in an area of substantiated peat resource potential. The Flynn Lake Wilderness study area contains a demonstrated resource of about 300,000 tons of commercial-quality peat in an area of substantiated peat resource potential. These deposits, however, are of limited importance because larger deposits of similar material are abundant outside the areas, closer to present markets. Rocks in the subsurface contain a low-grade copper resource identified by mining company exploration drilling. Although this is an area of substantiated copper resource potential, it is a low-grade resource, thin and generally at great depth.

Drained peatlands used for extraction and agriculture: biogeochemical status with special attention to greenhouse gas fluxes and rewetting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sirin, Andrey; Chistotin, Maxim; Suvorov, Gennady; Glagolev, Mikhail; Kravchenko, Irina; Minaeva, Tatiana

2010-05-01

Many peatlands previously drained for peat extraction or utilized for agriculture (directly or after partial cutoff) are left abandoned during last decades in Europe, and especially in its eastern part. In the European part of Russia alone, several million hectares of peatlands have been modified for peat extraction and agriculture by direct water level draw-down and nowadays are not under use by economic reasons. This makes up one of the most serious and urgent problems of wise use and management of peatlands in these regions with serious feedback to people, environment and economy (Quick Scan of Peatlands in Central and Eastern Europe, 2009). Drainage for agriculture leads to peat oxidation resulting in substantial emissions of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide and sometimes nitrous oxide) to the atmosphere. Together with peat fires this is the most significant negative input of peatland degradation to climate change (Assessment on Peatlands Biodiversity and Climate Change, 2008; Peatlands and Climate Change, 2008). Besides that, dehydrated peatlands often release methane. Starting from 2003, the effect of drainage and subsequent utilization of peatlands on the emissions of carbon dioxide and methane was studied in Tomsk region (West Siberia) during the summer-fall periods (Glagolev et al. 2008). The measurements were conducted by chamber method at peatlands drained for use as croplands (now partly being fallows) and peat cutting (currently abandoned or reclaimed for forest planting, haying, or pasturing), as well as at a wide range of undrained oligotrophic, mesotrophic, and eutrophic mires and burnt mire areas of different regeneration stages. The statistical analysis of data from a large number of study sites indicated a higher release of carbon dioxide from disturbed peatlands compared to undrained ones. At the same time some drained peatlands had considerable methane emission rates, additionally enhanced by the intensive efflux from the surface of drainage ditches. The findings were supported by the studies conducted from 2005 at drained peatland sites in Moscow region (European part of Russia) which are used for peat extraction or as hayfield (Chistotin et al., 2006). Unexpected transient methane fluxes were observed at the inter-ditch surfaces in two types of sites: milled peat extraction area and used as a hay field after partial peat extraction. Under warm and wet conditions methane was released even from peat stockpiles. Microbiological studies showed not lower and near to twice higher genomic diversity of methanogens in extracted sites and in a hayfield as compared to virgin mire. We suppose that well-developed plant roots at the grassland provide a source of fresh organic material used for CH4 production. To test this hypothesis, a pot experiment with mesocosms which model three succession stages (bare peat, grass sowing, and developed grassland) under permanently high or fluctuating wetness was conducted. Methane efflux from peat under developed grassland was higher as compared to the other treatments. Under permanently high water supply the methane emission was 1 to 2 orders of magnitude higher. The obtained results clearly showed that plant organic matter can be an additional source of methane after rewetting which is obviously needed for abandoned peatland sites not used for agriculture any more. To mitigate the emissions, such management options as removal of the surface peat layer before rewetting could be applied. This practice could have additional benefits achieved by bringing day surface closer to ground water table level and forming more favorable soil conditions for mire species.

Nitrite fixation by humic substances: Nitrogen-15 nuclear magnetic resonance evidence for potential intermediates in chemodenitrification

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thorn, K.A.; Mikita, M.A.

2000-01-01

Studies have suggested that NO2/-, produced during nitrification and denitrification, can become incorporated into soil organic matter and, in one of the processes associated with chemodenitrification, react with organic matter to form trace N gases, including N2O. To gain an understanding of the nitrosation chemistry on a molecular level, soil and aquatic humic substances were reacted with 15N-labeled NaNO2, and analyzed by liquid phase 15N and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The International Humic Substances Society (IHSS) Pahokee peat and peat humic acid were also reacted with Na15NO2 and analyzed by solid-state 15N NMR. In Suwannee River, Armadale, and Laurentian fulvic acids, phenolic rings and activated methylene groups underwent nitrosation to form nitrosophenols (quinone monoximes) and ketoximes, respectively. The oximes underwent Beckmann rearrangements to 2??amides, and Beckmann fragmentations to nitriles. The nitriles in turn underwent hydrolysis to 1??amides. Peaks tentatively identified as imine, indophenol, or azoxybenzene nitrogens were clearly present in spectra of samples nitrosated at pH 6 but diminished at pH 3. The 15N NMR spectrum of the peat humic acid exhibited peaks corresponding with N-nitroso groups in addition to nitrosophenols, ketoximes, and secondary Beckmann reaction products. Formation of N-nitroso groups was more significant in the whole peat compared with the peat humic acid. Carbon-13 NMR analyses also indicated the occurrence of nitrosative demethoxylation in peat and soil humic acids. Reaction of 15N-NH3 fixated fulvic acid with unlabeled NO2/- resulted in nitrosative deamination of aminohydroquinone N, suggesting a previously unrecognized pathway for production of N2 gas in soils fertilized with NH3.Studies have suggested that NO2-, produced during nitrification and denitrification, can become incorporated into soil organic matter and, in one of the processes associated with chemodenitrification, react with organic matter to form trace N gases, including N2O. To gain an understanding of the nitrosation chemistry on a molecular level, soil and aquatic humic substances were reacted with 15N-labeled NaNO2, and analyzed by liquid phase 15N and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The International Humic Substances Society (IHSS) Pahokee peat and peat humic acid were also reacted with Na15NO2 and analyzed by solid-state 15N NMR. In Suwannee River, Armadale, and Laurentian fulvic acids, phenolic rings and activated methylene groups underwent nitrosation to form nitrosophenols (quinone monoximes) and ketoximes, respectively. The oximes underwent Beckmann rearrangements to 2?? amides, and Beckmann fragmentations to nitriles. The nitriles in turn underwent hydrolysis to 1?? amides. Peaks tentatively identified as imine, indophenol, or azoxybenzene nitrogens were dearly present in spectra of samples nitrosated at pH 6 but diminished at pH 3. The 15N NMR spectrum of the peat humic acid exhibited peaks corresponding with N-nitroso groups in addition to nitrosophenols, ketoximes, and secondary Beckmann reaction products. Formation of N-nitroso groups was more significant in the whole peat compared with the peat humic acid. Carbon-13 NMR analyses also indicated the occurrence of nitrosative demethoxylation in peat and soil humic acids. Reaction of 15N-NH3 fixated fulvic acids with unlabeled NO2- resulted in nitrosative deamination of aminohydroquinone N, suggesting a previously unrecognized pathway for production of N2 gas in soils fertilized with NH3.

Effects of a raised water table on greenhouse gas emissions and celery yield from agricultural peat under climate warming conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matysek, Magdalena; Zona, Donatella; Leake, Jonathan; Banwart, Steven

2017-04-01

Peatlands are globally important areas for carbon preservation: covering only 3% of world's land, they store 30% of total soil carbon. At the same time, peat soils are widely utilised in agriculture: in Europe 14% of peatland area is under cultivation, 40% of UK peatlands have been drained for agricultural use and 24% of deep peat area in England is being farmed. One of the most important regions for crop production on lowland peats in the UK are the East Anglian Fenlands (the Fens): an area of drained peatlands in East England. 88% of the Fenland area is cultivated, sustaining around 4000 farms and supplying 37% of total vegetable production in England. The soils of the area are fertile (89% of agricultural land being classified as grade 1 or 2) and so crops with high nutritional demands tend to dominate. It is estimated that Fenland peats store 41 Tg of Carbon, which is lost from the ecosystem at a rate of 0.4 Tg C/yr. The Fens are at risk due to continued drainage-induced volume loss of the peat layer via shrinkage, compaction and oxidation, which are estimated to result in wastage rate of 2.1 cm/yr. Cultivation of peat soil requires drainage as most crops are intolerant of root-zone anoxia: this leads to creation of oxic conditions in which organic matter becomes vulnerable to mineralisation by aerobic microorganisms. It is, therefore, crucial to find a water table level which would minimise peat loss and at the same time allow for economically viable crop growth. Despite the importance of preservation of agricultural peats, there is a lack of studies which attempt to find water table level that strikes a balance between crop yield and greenhouse gas production. The future of the Fens is overshadowed by another uncertainty: increases in temperature brought by the climate change. It is estimated that average global temperature increase expected by the end of this century (relative to 1986-2005) would be within the range of 0.3-4.8°C, depending on the scenario. Rising temperatures should accelerate the rate of organic matter mineralisation, which will lead to higher emissions of greenhouse gases as well as enhanced plant growth due to better availability of nutrients. The effects of higher temperatures on crop growth and greenhouse gas emission have not been properly investigated in the context of agriculturally-utilised peatlands. This study was conducted on peat cores excavated from a field in the Fens and focused on the following objectives: 1. To examine effects of climate change-induced temperature rises on celery productivity and peat CO2 and CH4 emissions. 2. To find the field water table level that reduces peat emissions of CO2 and CH4 while maintaining celery productivity. The research found higher CO2 emissions from the elevated (+5°C) temperature treatment and lower CO2 emissions from the higher (-30cm) water table level, however, noted no effect on CH4 emissions of any of the treatments. The higher water table decreased aboveground celery biomass. There was no effect of increased temperature on aboveground celery yield.

Hydrology and hydraulics of treatment wetlands constructed on drained peatlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Postila, Heini; Ronkanen, Anna-Kaisa; Kløve, Bjørn

2013-04-01

Treatment wetlands are globally used for wastewater purification purposes. In Finland, these wetlands are commonly peatland-based and are used to treat runoff from peat extraction sites and peatland forestry. Wetlands are also used for polishing municipal wastewaters and mining waters. In peat extraction the structures are usually called overland flow areas (OFAs), which are traditionally established on pristine peatlands. However, nowadays establishing of new peat extraction sites is guided to drained peatland areas due to the Finnish Peat Use Strategy, which leads difficulties to find undisturbed peatland area for OFA. Therefore treatment wetlands have had to construct also on drained peatland areas. In drained areas peat physical properties have changed due to oxidation and subsidence and the water flow pathways differs from OFAs flow patterns, which maybe have effect on purification results. Thus in the present study we aim to clarify the hydrology and hydraulic properties of treatment wetlands constructed on drained peatland areas. For this purposes, 20 treatment wetlands on drained peatland areas across Finland were detailed measured for peat hydraulic conductivity. In selected areas, runoff was continuously monitored, flow distribution at treatment areas was studied and water residence times measured with tracer tests using potassium iodide (KI). Generally, in the study areas, the ditches had been completely blocked, partly blocked e.g with peat dams or not blocked at all. The ditches were located partly parallel to the flow direction and partly perpendicular to it. The distribution of water to the wetlands has been implemented in many different ways e.g. by distribution ditch or by perforated pipes. Based on the results, in majority of the wetlands, the peat drainage has clearly affected the hydraulic properties of wetlands, but not on all sites. In more than half of the wetlands (12), the median hydraulic conductivity of peat drastically decreased at the depth below 20 cm (or 10 cm). Two site it decreased at the depth of 40 cm, and at five sites, it was high at all depth investigated (down to 60-70 cm). The outflow proportion to inflow varied from 20 % to 97 %, which means that the part of the water infiltrated into the groundwater. Evaporation can explain part of the observed reduced water flow especially in dense tree stands. More than half of the wetlands contained also dry areas, meaning that treatment wetlands constructed on drained area have problems with even water distribution to the wetland. Ditches are also potential preferential flow paths and the shortest observed residence time was less than one day, but a much longer residence time was also recorded. The water flow in these treatment wetlands consequently occur only at the surface layer (0-20 cm) of peat, not deeper, or in the ditches, which may have impact on water purification results.

Peat in modern swamps mimics coal origins 300 M years ago

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Given, P.H.; Ryan, N.J.; Rhoads, C.A.

1985-07-01

Peat swamps can provide excellent models of ancient coal-forming processes. Peats of differing salinity and vegetational cover exhibit different trends of chemistry with depth, which have been studied in order to clarify ideas of coal origins. Thus changes with depth of phenolic structures determined by pyrolysis/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry reflect changes in plant source and partial microbial degradation of lignin, which will be reflected in the structure of coals that may form later. 12 refs., 3 figs.

A Deglacial and Holocene Record of Climate Variability in South-Central Alaska from Stable Oxygen Isotopes and Plant Macrofossils in Peat

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Miriam C.; Wooller, Matthew; Peteet, Dorothy M.

2014-01-01

We used stable oxygen isotopes derived from bulk peat (delta-O-18(sub TOM) in conjunction with plant macrofossils and previously published carbon accumulation records, in a approximately14,500 cal yr BP peat core (HT Fen) from the Kenai lowlands in south-central Alaska to reconstruct the climate history of the area. We find that patterns are broadly consistent with those from lacustrine records across the region, and agree with the interpretation that major shifts in delta-O-18(sub TOM) values indicate changes in strength and position of the Aleutian Low (AL), a semi-permanent low-pressure cell that delivers winter moisture to the region. We find decreased strength or a more westerly position of the AL (relatively higher delta-O-18(sub TOM) values) during the Bolling-Allerod, Holocene Thermal Maximum (HTM), and late Holocene, which also correspond to warmer climate regimes. These intervals coincide with greater peat preservation and enhanced carbon (C) accumulation rates at the HT Fen and with peatland expansion across Alaska. The HTM in particular may have experienced greater summer precipitation as a result of an enhanced Pacific subtropical high, a pattern consistent with modern delta-O-18 values for summer precipitation. The combined warm summer temperatures and greater summer precipitation helped promote the observed rapid peat accumulation. A strengthened AL (relatively lower delta-O-18(sub TOM) values) is most evident during the Younger Dryas, Neoglaciation, and the Little Ice Age, consistent with lower peat preservation and C accumulation at the HT Fen, suggesting less precipitation reaches the leeward side of the Kenai Mountains during periods of enhanced AL strength. The peatlands on the Kenai Peninsula thrive when the AL is weak and the contribution of summer precipitation is higher, highlighting the importance of precipitation seasonality in promoting peat accumulation. This study demonstrates that delta-O-18(sub TOM) values in peat can be applied toward understand large-scale shifts in atmospheric circulation over millennial timescales.

Is it clean or contaminated soil? Using petrogenic versus biogenic GC-FID chromatogram patterns to mathematically resolve false petroleum hydrocarbon detections in clean organic soils: a crude oil-spiked peat microcosm experiment.

PubMed

Kelly-Hooper, Francine; Farwell, Andrea J; Pike, Glenna; Kennedy, Jocelyn; Wang, Zhendi; Grunsky, Eric C; Dixon, D George

2013-10-01

The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) reference method for the Canada-wide standard (CWS) for petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC) in soil provides chemistry analysis standards and guidelines for the management of contaminated sites. However, these methods can coextract natural biogenic organic compounds (BOCs) from organic soils, causing false exceedences of toxicity guidelines. The present 300-d microcosm experiment used CWS PHC tier 1 soil extraction and gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) analysis to develop a new tier 2 mathematical approach to resolving this problem. Carbon fractions F2 (C10-C16), F3 (C16-C34), and F4 (>C34) as well as subfractions F3a (C16-C22) and F3b (C22-C34) were studied in peat and sand spiked once with Federated crude oil. These carbon ranges were also studied in 14 light to heavy crude oils. The F3 range in the clean peat was dominated by F3b, whereas the crude oils had approximately equal F3a and F3b distributions. The F2 was nondetectable in the clean peat but was a significant component in crude oil. The crude oil–spiked peat had elevated F2 and F3a distributions. The BOC-adjusted PHC F3 calculation estimated the true PHC concentrations in the spiked peat. The F2:F3b ratio of less than 0.10 indicated PHC absence in the clean peat, and the ratio of greater than or equal to 0.10 indicated PHC presence in the spiked peat and sand. Validation studies are required to confirm whether this new tier 2 approach is applicable to real-case scenarios. Potential adoption of this approach could minimize unnecessary ecological disruptions of thousands of peatlands throughout Canada while also saving millions of dollars in management costs. © 2013 SETAC.

Capabilities of Multispectral Satellite Data in an Assessment of the Status of Abandoned Fire Hazardous and Rewetting Peat Extraction Lands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medvedeva, M. A.; Vozbrannaya, A. E.; Sirin, A. A.; Maslov, A. A.

2017-12-01

The capabilities of several multispectral satellite data types to identify the status of peatlands affected by peat extraction and abandoned deposits are examined to assess potential fire dangers and rewetting effectiveness. The available level of detail of describing land/vegetation cover for monitoring abandoned peat extraction sites using Spot-5 HRG, Spot-6 HRG, and Landsat-7 ETM+ satellite images has been demonstrated using the example of peatlands in the Meschera National Park (Vladimir oblast). The results reflect the pros and cons of using different data types to analyze the status of abandoned peat-extraction lands for purposes of peatland inventory, land-cover monitoring, and the prioritization of sites subject to rewetting and mire restoration, as well as for an evaluation of the effectiveness of these measures.

SPRUCE Peat Physical and Chemical Characteristics from Experimental Plot Cores, 2012

DOE Data Explorer

Iversen, C. M. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.; Hanson, P. J. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.; Brice, D. J. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.; Phillips, J. R. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.; McFarlane, K. J. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.; Hobbie, E. A. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.; Kolka, R. K. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.

2012-01-01

This data set reports the results of physical and chemical analyses of peat core samples from the SPRUCE experimental study plots located in the S1-Bog. On August 13-15, 2012, a team of SPRUCE investigators and collaborators collected core samples of peat in the SPRUCE experimental plots. The goal was to characterize the biological, physical, and chemical characteristics of peat, and how those characteristics changed throughout the depth profile of the bog, prior to the initialization of the SPRUCE experimental warming and CO2 treatments. Cores were collected from 16 experimental plots; samples were collected from the hummock and hollow surfaces to depths of 200-300 cm in defined increments. Three replicate cores were collected from both hummock and hollow locations in each plot. The coring locations within each plot were mapped

Estimating Carbon Stocks Along Depressional Wetlands Using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) in the Disney Wilderness Preserve (Orlando, Florida)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McClellan, M. D.; Comas, X.; Wright, W. J.; Mount, G. J.

2014-12-01

Peat soils store a large fraction of the global carbon (C) in soil. It is estimated that 95% of carbon in peatlands is stored in the peat soil, while less than 5% occurs in the vegetation. The majority of studies related to C stocks in peatlands have taken place in northern latitudes leaving the tropical and subtropical latitudes clearly understudied. In this study we use a combination of indirect non-invasive geophysical methods (mainly ground penetrating radar, GPR) as well as direct measurements (direct coring) to calculate total C stocks within subtropical depressional wetlands in the Disney Wilderness Preserve (DWP, Orlando, FL). A set of three-dimensional (3D) GPR surveys were used to detect variability of the peat layer thickness and the underlying peat-sand mix layer across several depressional wetlands. Direct samples collected at selected locations were used to confirm depth of each interface and to estimate C content in the laboratory. Layer thickness estimated from GPR and direct C content were used to estimate total peat volume and C content for the entire depressional wetland. Through the use of aerial photos a relationship between surface area along the depressional wetlands and total peat thickness (and thus C content) was established for the depressions surveyed and applied throughout the entire preserve. This work shows the importance of depressional wetlands as critical contributors of the C budget at the DWP.

High Throughput Sequencing to Detect Differences in Methanotrophic Methylococcaceae and Methylocystaceae in Surface Peat, Forest Soil, and Sphagnum Moss in Cranesville Swamp Preserve, West Virginia, USA

PubMed Central

Lau, Evan; Nolan, Edward J.; Dillard, Zachary W.; Dague, Ryan D.; Semple, Amanda L.; Wentzell, Wendi L.

2015-01-01

Northern temperate forest soils and Sphagnum-dominated peatlands are a major source and sink of methane. In these ecosystems, methane is mainly oxidized by aerobic methanotrophic bacteria, which are typically found in aerated forest soils, surface peat, and Sphagnum moss. We contrasted methanotrophic bacterial diversity and abundances from the (i) organic horizon of forest soil; (ii) surface peat; and (iii) submerged Sphagnum moss from Cranesville Swamp Preserve, West Virginia, using multiplex sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA (V3 region) gene amplicons. From ~1 million reads, >50,000 unique OTUs (Operational Taxonomic Units), 29 and 34 unique sequences were detected in the Methylococcaceae and Methylocystaceae, respectively, and 24 potential methanotrophs in the Beijerinckiaceae were also identified. Methylacidiphilum-like methanotrophs were not detected. Proteobacterial methanotrophic bacteria constitute <2% of microbiota in these environments, with the Methylocystaceae one to two orders of magnitude more abundant than the Methylococcaceae in all environments sampled. The Methylococcaceae are also less diverse in forest soil compared to the other two habitats. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling analyses indicated that the majority of methanotrophs from the Methylococcaceae and Methylocystaceae tend to occur in one habitat only (peat or Sphagnum moss) or co-occurred in both Sphagnum moss and peat. This study provides insights into the structure of methanotrophic communities in relationship to habitat type, and suggests that peat and Sphagnum moss can influence methanotroph community structure and biogeography. PMID:27682082

Field Measurements of Trace Gases and Aerosols Emitted by Undersampled Combustion Sources Including Wood and Dung Cooking Fires, Garbage and Crop Residue Burning, and Indonesian Peat Fires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stockwell, C.; Jayarathne, T. S.; Goetz, D.; Simpson, I. J.; Selimovic, V.; Bhave, P.; Blake, D. R.; Cochrane, M. A.; Ryan, K. C.; Putra, E. I.; Saharjo, B.; Stone, E. A.; DeCarlo, P. F.; Yokelson, R. J.

2017-12-01

Field measurements were conducted in Nepal and in the Indonesian province of Central Kalimantan to improve characterization of trace gases and aerosols emitted by undersampled combustion sources. The sources targeted included cooking with a variety of stoves, garbage burning, crop residue burning, and authentic peat fires. Trace gas and aerosol emissions were studied using a land-based Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, whole air sampling, photoacoustic extinctiometers (405 and 870nm), and filter samples that were analyzed off-line. These measurements were used to calculate fuel-based emission factors (EFs) for up to 90 gases, PM2.5, and PM2.5 constituents. The aerosol optical data measured included EFs for the scattering and absorption coefficients, the single scattering albedo (at 870 and 405 nm), as well as the absorption Ångström exponent. The emissions varied significantly by source, although light absorption by both brown and black carbon (BrC and BC, respectively) was important for all non-peat sources. For authentic peat combustion, the emissions of BC were negligible and absorption was dominated by organic aerosol. The field results from peat burning were in reasonable agreement with recent lab measurements of smoldering Kalimantan peat and compare well to the limited data available from other field studies. The EFs can be used with estimates of fuel consumption to improve regional emissions inventories and assessments of the climate and health impacts of these undersampled sources.

Heterogeneity of carbon loss and its temperature sensitivity in East-European subarctic tundra soils.

PubMed

Diáková, Kateřina; Čapek, Petr; Kohoutová, Iva; Mpamah, Promise A; Bárta, Jiří; Biasi, Christina; Martikainen, Pertti J; Šantrůčková, Hana

2016-09-01

Arctic peatlands store large stocks of organic carbon which are vulnerable to the climate change but their fate is uncertain. There is increasing evidence that a part of it will be lost as a result of faster microbial mineralization. We studied the vulnerability of 3500-5900 years old bare peat uplifted from permafrost layers by cryogenic processes to the surface of an arctic peat plateau. We aimed to find biotic and abiotic drivers of CLOSS from old peat and compare them with those of adjacent, young vegetated soils of the peat plateau and mineral tundra. The soils were incubated in laboratory at three temperatures (4°C, 12°C and 20°C) and two oxygen levels (aerobic, anaerobic). CLOSS was monitored and soil parameters (organic carbon quality, nutrient availability, microbial activity, biomass and stoichiometry, and extracellular oxidative and hydrolytic enzyme pools) were determined. We found that CLOSS from the old peat was constrained by low microbial biomass representing only 0.22% of organic carbon. CLOSS was only slightly reduced by the absence of oxygen and exponentially increased with temperature, showing the same temperature sensitivity under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. We conclude that carbon in the old bare peat is stabilized by a combination of physical, chemical and biological controls including soil compaction, organic carbon quality, low microbial biomass and the absence of plants. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

What controls the oxidative ratio of UK peats? A multi-site study of elemental CHNO concentrations in peat cores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clay, Gareth; Worrall, Fred; Masiello, Carrie

2013-04-01

The oxidative ratio (OR) is the amount of CO2 sequestered in the terrestrial biosphere for each mol of O2 produced. The OR governs the effectiveness of a terrestrial biome to mitigate the impact of anthropogenic CO2 emissions and it has been used to calculate the balance of terrestrial and oceanic carbon sinks across the globe. However, few studies have investigated the controls of the variability in OR. What factors affect OR - climate? Soil type? Vegetation type? N deposition? Land use? Land use change? Small shifts in OR could have important implications in the global partitioning of CO2 between the atmosphere, biosphere, and oceans. This study looks at peat soils from a series of sites representing a climatic transect across the UK. Duplicate peat cores were taken, along with samples of above-ground vegetation and litter, from sites in northern Scotland (Forsinard), southern Scotland (Auchencorth), northern England (Moor House; Thorne Moor) through the Welsh borders (Whixhall Moss) and Somerset levels (Westhay Moor) to Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor in the south west of England. Sub-samples of the cores were analysed for their CHNO concentrations using a Costech ECS 4010 Elemental combustion system. Using the method of Masiello et al. (2008), OR values could be calculated from these elemental concentrations. Results show that OR values of UK peats varied between 0.82 and 1.27 with a median value of 1.08 which is within the range of world soils. There were significant differences in OR of the peat between sites with the data falling into two broad groupings - Group 1: Forsinard, Auchencorth, Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor; Group 2: Moor House, Thorne Moor, Westhay Moor, Whixhall Moss. Whilst there were significant changes (p < 0.05) in elemental ratios with increasing peat depth (increasing C:N ratio and decreasing O:C ratio) there was no significant difference overall in OR with depth. This paper will explore some of the possible controlling factors on these ratios. Local vegetation was also sampled along with agricultural soils from the local area of the peat cores to compare the relative differences in different mediums. Significant differences (p < 0.01) between vegetation, agricultural soils and surface peat layers were found where vegetation had OR values of 1.03 ± 0.04 and agricultural soils had OR values of 1.15 ± 0.04. Further discussion of these results from these comparisons is also presented in this study.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Peat resource definition and utilization in Massachusetts. Final report, Phase One

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brenninkmeyer, B.M.; Russo, J.S.

1984-10-01

To data less than five percent of Massachusetts peatlands have been developed. Ninety percent of the developed peatlands are located in the southeastern section of Massachusetts. Seventy-five percent of the developed peatlands are used for cranberry bogs. The remainder is used for horticultural peak extraction. At the present time peatland uses can be grouped into two types, consumptive and nonconsumptive. The primary consumptive uses are: (1) extraction of peat for use as or with industrial chemicals, (2) use by the horticultural industry and (3) most important under the DOE/MEOER Program, the use of peak as a fuel. The three usesmore » of peat under consumptive usage will require extraction or harvesting of peatlands. The main nonconsumptive uses are: (1) preservation of peatlands for conservation lands, (2) biomass production, (3) timber production and (4) the most important under the title of nonconsumptive uses is peatlands for agricultural crop production. These four uses require little or no peat extraction, harvesting or alteration of the wetlands. The selection and feasibility of one particular use over another is influenced by the significance of the economics and environmental concerns as well as the types and volumes of peat. 55 figures, 12 tables.« less

Contemporary Mobilization of Legacy Pb Stores by DOM in a Boreal Peatland.

PubMed

Jeremiason, Jeff D; Baumann, Erin I; Sebestyen, Stephen D; Agather, Alison M; Seelen, Emily A; Carlson-Stehlin, Benjamin J; Funke, Meghan M; Cotner, James B

2018-03-20

We examined how different landscape areas in a catchment containing a northern ombrotrophic peatland and upland mineral soils responded to dramatic decreases in atmospheric deposition of lead (Pb). Pb concentrations in the outflow stream from the peatland measured from 2009-2015 indicated continued mobilization and export of Pb derived from historic inputs to the bog. In contrast, Pb concentrations in surface peat and runoff from upland mineral soils have declined in response to reductions in atmospheric deposition. Relative to the early 1980s, Pb concentrations in the streamflow decreased only ∼50%, while Pb in surface peat and upland subsurface runoff decreased by more than 90%. Water level fluctuations in the slow-accumulating peat have allowed dissolved organic matter (DOM) to continue mobilizing Pb deposited in the peatland decades earlier. Strong correlations between dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and Pb concentrations in outflow from the peatland and in bog porewaters demonstrate Pb mobility related to DOM production. Peat stores of Pb in 2016 were less than or equal to those reported in the early 1980s despite the dry mass inventory increasing by 60-80%. Much of the loss in Pb stored in peat can be accounted for by stream runoff from the peatland.

Selected Trace Element Concentrations in Peat Used for Cosmetic Production - A Case Study from Southern Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glina, Bartłomiej

2016-12-01

The aim of the study was to assess the concentration of selected trace elements in organic soils used as a source to obtain a unique peat extract for cosmetics production. Peat material for laboratory analysis were collected from fen peatland located in the Prosna River Valley (Borek village). Studied peatland is managed by "Torf Corporation" company as a source of material to obtain peat extract for cosmetics production. In the collected soil samples (four soil profiles) Zn, Cu and Pb concentrations were determined by using atomic absorption spectrometer SpectraAA 220 (Varian), after acid digestion. Obtained results showed that the highest concentrations of selected trace elements were recorded in the surface horizons of organic soils. This fact might be the results of Prosna river flooding or air deposition. Howevere, according to the new Polish regulations (Ordinance of the Minister for Environment 01.09.2016 - the way of conducting contamination assessment of the earth surface), the content of trace elements in the examined soils was greatly belowe the permissible limit for areas from group IV (mine lands). Thus, described soils are proper to obtain peat extract used as a component in cosmetic production.

Peat

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jasinski, S.M.

1998-01-01

The United States continued as a significant producer and consumer of peat for horticultural, agricultural and industrial applications in 1997. Several operations in the Great Lakes and the Southeast regions dominated US production. Florida, Michigan and Minnesota were the largest producing states.

Function of peatland located on secondary transformed peat-moorsh soils on groundwater purification processes and the elution of soil organic matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szczepański, M.; Szajdak, L.; Bogacz, A.

2009-04-01

The investigation of peatland is used to show the water quality functioning with respect to different forms of nitrogen and carbon. The purification of ground water by the transect of 4.5 km long consisting organic soils (peat-moorsh soils) was estimated. This transect is located in the Agroecological Landscape Park in Turew, 40 km South-West of Poznan, West Polish Lowland. There is this transect along Wyskoć ditch. pH, the contents of total and dissolved organic carbon, total nitrogen, N-NO3-, N-NH4+ was measured. Additionally C/N factors of peats were estimated. The investigation has shown the impact of the peatland located on the secondary transformed peat - moorsh soils on the lowering of total nitrogen, ammonium, and nitrates as well as total and dissolved organic carbon in ground water. Peat-moorsh soils were described and classified according to Polish hydrogenic soil classification and World Reference Base Soil Notation. There are these investigated points along to Wyskoc ditch. Two times a month during entire vegetation season the following material was taken from four chosen sites marked as Zbechy, Bridge, Shelterbelt and Hirudo: samples of peat, from the depth of 0-20 cm, samples of water from the ditch, samples of ground water from wells established for this investigation. Samples of peat-moorsh soils were collected at the depth 0-20 cm. Soils were sampled two times a month from 10 sites of each site. Samples were air dried and crushed to pass a 1 mm-mesh sieve. These 10 sub-samples were mixed for the reason of preparing a "mean sample", which used for the determination of pH (in 1M KCl), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (Ntotal), and N-NO3- as well as N-NH4+. In water from Wyskoć ditch pH, Ntotal, N-NO3-, N-NH4+, DTC (dissolved total carbon) and DOC (dissolved organic carbon) was measured. Ground water samples were collected from four wells established for this investigation. The water was filtered by the middle velocity separation and pH, N-total, N-NO3-, N-NH4+, DTC (dissolved total carbon) and DOC (dissolved organic carbon) ware measured. Peatland located on the secondary transformed peat - moorsh soils has revealed the lowering in ground water: nitrates 38.5%, N-organic 10%, N-total 24.5%, ammonium 38.7%, dissolved total carbon 33.1%, dissolved total inorganic carbon 10%, and dissolved organic carbon 57.5%. The dissolution of soil organic matter from peat-moorsh soils in broad range of pH and ionic strength was investigated. The rates of the reaction were calculated from the kinetics of first order reaction model. The investigations have shown the impact of the properties of secondary transformed peat-moorsh soils on the rates of the dissolution of organic matter.

Regional Haze Evolved from Peat Fires - an Overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Yuqi; Rein, Guillermo

2016-04-01

This work provides an overview of haze episodes, their cause, emissions and health effects found in the scientific literature. Peatlands, the terrestrial ecosystems resulting from the accumulation of partially decayed vegetation, become susceptible to smouldering fires because of natural droughts or anthropogenic-induced drainages. Once ignited, smouldering peat fires persistently consume large amounts of soil carbon in a flameless form. It is estimated that the average annual carbon gas emissions (mainly CO2 and CO) from peat fires are equivalent to 15% of manmade emissions, representing influential perturbation of global carbon circle. In addition to carbon emissions, smouldering peat fires emit substantial quantities of heterogeneous smoke, which is responsible for haze phenomena, has not yet been fully studied. Peat-fire-derived smoke is characterized by high concentration of particulate matter (PM), ranging from nano-scale ultrafine fraction (PM1, particle diameter < 1 μm) to micro-scale fine (PM2.5, particle diameter < 2.5 μm) and coarse fraction (PM10, particle diameter < 10 μm). The dispersal of the smoke could be blocked due to the stagnant weather condition, and then low buoyant smoke plume could accumulate and migrate long distances, leading to regional haze. Apart from air quality deterioration, haze leads to severe reduction in visibility, which strongly affects local transportation, construction, tourism and agriculture-based industries. For example, an unprecedented peatland mega-fire burst on the Indonesian islands Kalimantan and Sumatra during the 1997 El-Niño event, resulting in transboundary smoke-haze disaster. Severe haze events continue to appear in Southeast Asia every few years due to periodical peat fires in this region. In addition, smouldering peat fires have been frequently reported in tropical, temperate and boreal regions (Botswana in 2000, North America in 2004, Scotland in 2006 and Central Russia in 2010 et al.), peat-fire-induced haze has become a regional seasonal phenomenon. Exposure to smoky haze results in deleterious physiologic responses, predominantly to the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. In 1997, an estimation of 100 million people in 5 countries in Southeast Asia were affected by Indonesia haze episode while 20 million people suffered from respiratory problems in Indonesia alone. Fine PM fraction generated from peat fires could penetrate into lower respiratory tracks and exacerbate respiratory diseases including chronic bronchitis, emphysema and asthma. Epidemiological studies show that direct exposure to haze pollution is associated with decreased pulmonary function and increased morbidity and mortality among individuals with pre-existent cardiovascular diseases. Reported cases of acute respiratory infection increased 3.8 times during the 1997 Indonesia haze episode (1,446,120 cases in total with 527 haze-related deaths). Collectively, peat fire and the resultant haze considerably affect the local society in many aspects, and more thorough research need to be carried out for further haze mitigation and governance. Corresponding author: Dr. Guillermo Rein: g.rein@imperial.ac.uk

South Florida wetlands ecosystem; biogeochemical processes in peat

USGS Publications Warehouse

Orem, William; ,

1996-01-01

The South Florida wetlands ecosystem is an environment of great size and ecological diversity (figs. 1 and 2). The landscape diversity and subtropical setting of this ecosystem provide a habitat for an abundance of plants and wildlife, some of which are unique to South Florida. South Florida wetlands are currently in crisis, however, due to the combined effects of agriculture, urbanization, and nearly 100 years of water management. Serious problems facing this ecosystem include (1) phosphorus contamination producing nutrient enrichment, which is causing changes in the native vegetation, (2) methylmercury contamination of fish and other wildlife, which poses a potential threat to human health, (3) changes in the natural flow of water in the region, resulting in more frequent drying of wetlands, loss of organic soils, and a reduction in freshwater flow to Florida Bay, (4) hypersalinity, massive algal blooms, and seagrass loss in parts of Florida Bay, and (5) a decrease in wildlife populations, especially those of wading birds. This U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) project focuses on the role of organic-rich sediments (peat) of South Florida wetlands in regulating the concentrations and impact of important chemical species in the environment. The cycling of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur in peat is an important factor in the regulation of water quality in the South Florida wetlands ecosystem. These elements are central to many of the contamination issues facing South Florida wetlands, such as nutrient enrichment, mercury toxicity, and loss of peat. Many important chemical and biological reactions occur in peat and control the fate of chemical species in wetlands. Wetland scientists often refer to these reactions as biogeochemical processes, because they are chemical reactions usually mediated by microorganisms in a geological environment. An understanding of the biogeochemical processes in peat of South Florida wetlands will provide a basis for evaluating the effects on water quality of (1) constructing buffer wetlands to alleviate nutrient contamination and (2) replumbing the ecosystem to restore natural water flow. The results may also suggest new approaches for solving problems of contamination and water quality in these wetlands. A second focus of this project will be on the geochemical history of the South Florida ecosystem. Peat is a repository of the history of past environmental conditions in the wetland. Before effective action can be taken to correct many of the problems facing these wetlands, we must first study the biogeochemistry of the peat at depth in order to understand whether current problems are the result of recent human activity or are part of a long-term natural cycle. Coordination with other (USGS) projects for South Florida is ongoing. These projects are studying the biological history of the ecosystem by using pollen and shells buried in the peat, together with procedures for dating the peat at various depths, to develop an overall ecosystem history model, with emphasis on the last 100 years.

Drain blocking: an effective treatment for reducing dissolved organic carbon loss and water discolouration in a drained peatland.

PubMed

Wallage, Zoe E; Holden, Joseph; McDonald, Adrian T

2006-08-31

Peatlands are an important terrestrial carbon store. However, heightened levels of degradation in response to environmental change have resulted in an increased loss of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and an associated rise in the level of discolouration in catchment waters. A significant threat to peatland sustainability has been the installation of artificial drainage ditches. However, recent restoration schemes have pursued drain blocking as a possible strategy for reducing degradation, fluvial carbon loss and water discolouration. This paper investigates the effect of open cut drainage and the impact of drain blocking on DOC and colour dynamics in blanket peat soil-water solutions. Three treatments (intact peat, drained peat and drain-blocked peat) were monitored in an upland blanket peat catchment in the UK. DOC and colour values were significantly higher on the drained slopes compared with those of the intact peat, which in turn had greater DOC and colour values than the drain-blocked slopes. Consequently, drain blocking is shown to be a highly successful technique in reducing both the DOC concentration and level of discolouration in soil waters, even to values lower than those observed for the intact site, which suggests a process of store exhaustion and flushing may operate. The colour per carbon unit (C/C) ratio was significantly higher at the drain-blocked site than either the intact or the drained treatments, while the E4/E6 ratio (fulvic acid/humic acid) was significantly lower at the blocked site compared to the two other treatments. The high C/C and low E4/E6 ratios indicate that drain blocking also modifies the composition of DOC, such that darker-coloured humic substances become more dominant compared to the intact site. This implies disturbance to DOC production and/or transportation processes operating within the peat.

Recent Measurements of Groundwater Recharge and Discharge Through Everglades' Peat Sediments Using Short-Lived Radium Isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krest, J. M.; Harvey, J. W.

2002-05-01

Peat sediments are present as a nearly continuous surface layer across large areas of the Everglades. These sediments have relatively low hydraulic conductivity, impeding water exchange between surface water and the underlying surficial aquifer. Although vertical water transport does occur across the peat layer, rates are slow enough that they are difficult to quantify. Even modest rates of vertical transport, however, become significant to water budgets and nutrient cycles when they occur over a large area. In the Everglades, common methods for measuring exchange across the peat layer are prone to complications: small hydraulic gradients are difficult to measure; seepage meters tend to be imprecise at slow rates; radon profiles or emanation rates are complicated by methane bubble ebullition; chloride profiles often exhibit a strong gradient only at the surface of the peat. We are employing a method that takes advantage of the different production rates of short-lived radium isotopes (Ra-223 and Ra-224) in the peat sediments and in the underlying sand or carbonate aquifer. Pore water radium concentrations are balanced by radioactive decay and production in the surrounding sediments. As the pore water is carried across the sediment interface a temporary excess or deficit of dissolved radium exists until decay is again balanced by the new production rate. We have derived steady-state, one-dimensional models to determine flow rates on the basis of this disequilibrium. This method has the advantage of being most sensitive at the base of the peat, away from transient perturbations occurring at the surface. In addition, Ra-223 and Ra-224 are collected simultaneously, providing two independent measurements. At present we have tested the method in Water Conservation Area-1 and WCA-2A, quantifying recharge and discharge on opposite sides of Levee 39, and also in more central sites in WCA-2A. Additional work is underway in Taylor Slough and Shark Slough.

Effect of freeze-thaw cycles on greenhouse gas fluxes from peat soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, H. D.; Rezanezhad, F.; Markelov, I.; McCarter, C. P. R.; Van Cappellen, P.

2017-12-01

The ongoing displacement of climate zones by global warming is increasing the frequency and intensity of freeze-thaw cycles in middle and high latitude regions, many of which are dominated by organic soils such as peat. Repeated freezing and thawing of soils changes their physical properties, geochemistry, and microbial community structure, which together govern the biogeochemical cycling of carbon and nutrients. In this presentation, we focus on how freeze-thaw cycles influence greenhouse gas fluxes from peat using a newly developed experimental soil column system that simulates realistic soil temperature profiles during freeze-thaw cycles. We measured the surface and subsurface changes to gas and aqueous phase chemistry to delineate the diffusion pathways and quantify soil greenhouse gas fluxes during freeze-thaw cycles using sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) as a conservative tracer. Three peat columns were assembled inside a temperature controlled chamber with different soil structures. All three columns were packed with 40 cm of undisturbed, slightly decomposed peat, where the soil of two columns had an additional 10 cm layer on top (one with loose Sphagnum moss and one with an impermeable plug). The results indicate that the release of SF6 and CO2 gas from the soil surface was influenced by the recurrent development of a physical ice barrier, which prevented gas exchange between the soil and atmosphere during freezing conditions. With the onset of thawing a pulse of SF6 and CO2 occurred, resulting in a flux of 3.24 and 2095.52 µmol/m2h, respectively, due to the build-up of gases in the liquid-phase pore space during freezing. Additionally, we developed a model to determine the specific diffusion coefficients for each peat column. These data allow us to better predict how increased frequency and intensity of freeze-thaw cycles will affect greenhouse gas emissions in northern peat soils.

The composition and character of DOM from an upland peat catchment - sources, roles and fate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Worrall, F.; Moody, C.; Clay, G.; Boothroyd, I.; Burt, T. P.

2017-12-01

The fluvial fluxes of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from peatlands form an important part of that ecosystem's carbon cycle, contributing approximately 35% of the overall peatland carbon budget. The source, role and fate of this component of the carbon cycle was explored for a peat covered catchment in the north east of England with dissolved organic matter (DOM) being sampled from both a first-order peat-hosted stream and soil water at two depths within the peat profile. All DOM samples were analysed within the context of analysing the particulate organic matter (POM) from the catchment; the peat profile; and biomass. All samples were analysed using: elemental analysis (C, H, N, O, P and S); bomb calorimetry; thermogravimetric analysis (TGA); 13C solid state NMR; and S isotopes. Furthermore, the degradation of fresh DOC was examined over periods of 70 hours every month for 23 months. The analysis has shown that: DOM is highly oxidised compared to all other organic in the ecosystem and DOM did not exist until [C]/[O] < 1.44. The DOM was dominantly the product of lignin breakdown and not the processing of proteins or carbohydrates, i.e. it was not an intermediate of oxidation to CO2. DOM could only be sourced from high in the peat profile at most above 41 cm depth. Thermodynamic inhibition shows that only DOM from the surface layers could be reactive in the catotelmic layers of the peat. There was a significant role for the composition of the DOM in controlling degradation with degradation rates significantly increasing with the proportion of aldehyde and carboxylic acid functional groups but decreasing with the proportion of N-alkyl functional groups. The study meant that is was possible to consider the behaviour of DOM in terms of its thermodynamic properties (DH, DS & DG) for both formation and reaction.

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

PubMed

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

2010-09-01

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 microg 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. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of experimental warming and elevated CO2 on surface methane and CO­2 fluxes from a boreal black spruce peatland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gill, A. L.; Finzi, A.; Hsieh, I. F.; Giasson, M. A.

2016-12-01

High latitude peatlands represent a major terrestrial carbon store sensitive to climate change, as well as a globally significant methane source. While elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and warming temperatures may increase peat respiration and C losses to the atmosphere, reductions in peatland water tables associated with increased growing season evapotranspiration may alter the nature of trace gas emission and increase peat C losses as CO2 relative to methane (CH4). As CH4 is a greenhouse gas with twenty times the warming potential of CO2, it is critical to understand how surface fluxes of CO2 and CH4 will be influenced by factors associated with global climate change. We used automated soil respiration chambers to assess the influence of elevated atmospheric CO2 and whole ecosystem warming on peatland CH4 and CO2 fluxes at the SPRUCE (Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Climatic and Environmental Change) Experiment in northern Minnesota. Here we report soil iCO2 and iCH4 flux responses to the first year of belowground warming and the first season of whole ecosystem warming and elevated CO2 treatments. We find that peat methane fluxes are more sensitive to warming treatments than peat CO2 fluxes, particularly in hollow peat microforms. Surface CO2:CH4 flux ratios decreased across warming treatments, suggesting that the temperature sensitivity of methane production overshadows the effect of peat drying and surface aeration in the short term. δ13C of the emitted methane was more depleted in the early and late growing season, indicating a transition from hydrogenotrophic to acetoclastic methanogenesis during periods of high photosynthetic input. The measurement record demonstrates that belowground warming has measureable impacts on the nature of peat greenhouse gas emission within one year of treatment.

Northern Peatland Shifts Under Changing Climate and Their Impact on Permafrost

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shur, Y.; Jorgenson, T.; Kanevskiy, M. Z.

2014-12-01

Formation of peatlands depends primarily on climate and its interactions with hydrology, soil thermal regimes, plant composition, and nutrients. A water balance with precipitation exceeding evaporation is necessary for their formation. The rate of peat accumulation also greatly depends on thermal resources. The prominent impact of the water balance and temperature on peatland formation is evident in the West Siberia Lowland. The rate of peat accumulation steadily increases from arctic tundra to moss tundra, to forest tundra, to northern taiga, and to southern taiga. This increase is a result in increase in air temperature and length of the growing season because all of these zones have water balance favorable for peat formation. Further to south, evaporation prevails over precipitation and peat formation occurs only in isolated areas. Climate change will redefine geographical distribution of climatic and vegetation zones. It is predicted that in arctic and subarctic regions the difference between precipitation and evaporation will increase and as a result these regions will remain favorable to peat accumulation. With increase of thermal resources, the rate of peat accumulation will also increase. The Alaska Arctic Coastal Plain is of a special interest because it has thousands of shallow lakes, which due to warming climate would shift from open waterbodies to peatlands through shoreline paludification and infilling. The accumulation of organic matter will likely turn open water into shore fens and bogs, and eventually to peat plateaus, as is occurring in many boreal landscapes. Expected impact on permafrost in arctic and subarctic regions will include rise of the permafrost table, thickening of the ice-rich intermediate layer with ataxitic (suspended) cryostructure, and replacement of frost boils with earth hummocks. In the contemporary continuous permafrost zone, permafrost formed as climate-driven will be transformed into climate-driven ecosystem protected. Sphagnum mosses, which grow better under warm climates, is a dominant factor in this transformation. Terrestrialization of numerous shallow lakes on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska will lower permafrost temperatures beneath them and in surrounding areas.

Vertical Stratification of Peat Pore Water Dissolved Organic Matter Composition in a Peat Bog in Northern Minnesota: Pore Water DOM composition in a peat bog

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tfaily, Malak M.; Wilson, Rachel M.; Cooper, William T.

We characterized dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition throughout the peat column at the Marcell S1 forested bog in northern Minnesota and tested the hypothesis that redox oscillations associated with cycles of wetting and drying at the surface of the fluctuating water table correlate with increased carbon, sulfur and nitrogen turn over. We found significant vertical stratification of DOM molecular composition and EEM-PARAFAC components within the peat column. In particular the intermediate depth zone (~ 50 cm) was identified as a zone where maximum decomposition and turnover is taking place. Surface DOM was dominated by inputs from surface vegetation. The intermediate-depthmore » zone was an area of high organic matter reactivity and increased microbial activity with diagenetic formation of many unique compounds, among them polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAC) that contain both nitrogen and sulfur heteroatoms. These compounds have been previously observed in coal-derived compounds and were assumed to be responsible for coal's biological activity. Biological processes triggered by redox oscillations taking place at the intermediate depth zone of the peat profile at the S1 bog are assumed to be responsible for the formation of these heteroatomic PACs in this system. Alternatively these compounds could stem from black carbon and nitrogen derived from fires that have occurred at the site in the past. Surface and deep DOM exhibited more similar characteristics, compared to the intermediate-depth zone, with the deep layer exhibiting greater input of microbially degraded organic matter than the surface suggesting that the entire peat profile consists of similar parent material at different degrees of decomposition and that lateral and vertical advection of pore water from the surface to the deeper horizons is responsible for such similarities. Our findings suggest that molecular composition of DOM in peatland pore water is dynamic and is a function of ecosystem activity, water table and redox oscillation and porewater advection.« less

Influence of ground tire rubber on the transient loading response of a peat biofilter.

PubMed

Alvarez-Hornos, F J; Izquierdo, M; Martínez-Soria, V; Penya-Roja, J M; Sempere, F; Gabaldón, C

2011-08-01

The effect of using ground tire rubber (GTR) as an adsorptive material in the removal of a 2:1:1 weight mixture of n-butyl acetate, toluene and m-xylene by using a peat biofilter under different intermittent conditions was investigated. The performance of two identical size biofilters, one packed with fibrous peat alone and the other with a 3:1 (vol) fibrous peat and GTR mixture, was examined for a period of four months. Partition coefficients of both materials were measured. Values of 53, 118 and 402 L kg(-1) were determined for n-butyl acetate, toluene and m-xylene in peat, respectively; and values of 40, 609 and 3035 L kg(-1) were measured for the same compounds in GTR. Intermittent load feeding of 16 h per day, 5 days per week working at an EBRT of 60 s and an inlet VOC concentration of 0.3 g C m(-1), resulted in removal efficiencies higher than 90% for both biofilters, indicating that the addition of GTR did not adversely affect the behavior of the bioreactor. Full removal of n-butyl acetate was obtained for both biofilters. GTR improved the removal of the aromatics in the first part of the biofilter, facilitating lower penetration of the toluene and m-xylene into the bed. A 31-day starvation period was applied and intermittent operation subsequently restarted. In both biofilters, high removal efficiencies after a re-acclimation period of two days were achieved. A shock loading test related to 1-h peaks of three- and four-fold increases in its baseline concentration (0.30 g C m(-3)) was applied in both biofilters. For the biofilter packed with the peat and GTR mixture, attenuation greater than 60% was observed in the maximum outlet concentration when compared to the biofilter packed with peat alone. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Immunomodulative properties of humic peat preparations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stepchenko, L. M.; Syedykh, N. J.

2010-05-01

It is proved, that the humic peat preparations promote the resistance of plants, animals and poultry to the influence of both abyotyc and byotyc extreme factors of external environment, to action. It was shown by us before, that biologically active compounds from peat promote stability against different diseases of agricultural animals and poultry. We conducted researches of humic preparations influence (hydrohumate and oxyhumate) on several indexes of immunoreactivity of the organisms of chickens broilers, ostriches, cows and laboratory rats. It is found out, that adding of humic preparations to forage or drinking water results in the normalization of immunity indexes; in particular, leucocytes level, in the increase of the level of some classes of immunoglobuline in blood, of haemoglobin level, T- and B-lymphocytes level, as well as common unspecific resistance - lyzocymic, phagocytic and bactericidic activity. These results allow to suggest that the peat humic preparations show immunomodulative activity, influencing both on humoral and cel immunity links.

[Peloid therapy. An overview of the empirical status and evidence of mud therapy].

PubMed

Beer, A-M; Fetaj, S; Lange, U

2013-08-01

Numerous peloids for balneotherapy are currently available but in terms of effects and efficacy therapeutic peat has been studied best. Recent studies revealed that both thermal and physical effects of therapeutic peat are comparable and synergistic. The thermal effects of all types of peat used are approximately the same but chemical effects differ. These results have to been taken into account in future peloid analyses and indications and contraindications of mud therapy have to be reviewed in this respect. Some hypothetical aspects of these chemical effects have to be investigated in future clinical studies but clinical experience with mud therapy allows preliminary conclusions to be drawn. This statement is especially supported by recent molecular investigations. Knowledge about the chemical effects is also necessary for planning, defining and designing clinical studies and patients groups. Exemplarily, the therapeutic use of peat in rheumatic diseases and for fertility treatment will be demonstrated.

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

PubMed

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.

An ecologic study of peat landforms in Canada and Alaska

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glaser, P. H.

1986-01-01

The role of groundwater and surface runoff in controlling the water chemistry and development of peat landforms in northern Minnesota are described. The LANDSAT imagery taken duing spring break-up are particularly valuable in identifying potential zones of groundwater discharge. The vascular floras of raised bogs in eastern North Americas demonstrating the remarkabe uniformity of the ombrotrophic flora over broad geographic regions are described. The evolution of peat landforms in the major boreal peatlands of eastern America is examined. The LANDSAT imagery is used to determine the area of patterned to featureless peatlands, the area of ombrotrophic bog relative to minerotrophic fen, and the relative size and degree of streamlining of island landforms entirely composed of peat. Such measurements can be used to assess the role of climate, time, and hydrology in controlling the formation of peatland patterns across broad geographic regions.

Mitigating wildfire carbon loss in managed northern peatlands through restoration.

PubMed

Granath, Gustaf; Moore, Paul A; Lukenbach, Maxwell C; Waddington, James M

2016-06-27

Northern peatlands can emit large amounts of carbon and harmful smoke pollution during a wildfire. Of particular concern are drained and mined peatlands, where management practices destabilize an array of ecohydrological feedbacks, moss traits and peat properties that moderate water and carbon losses in natural peatlands. Our results demonstrate that drained and mined peatlands in Canada and northern Europe can experience catastrophic deep burns (>200 t C ha(-1) emitted) under current weather conditions. Furthermore, climate change will cause greater water losses in these peatlands and subject even deeper peat layers to wildfire combustion. However, the rewetting of drained peatlands and the restoration of mined peatlands can effectively lower the risk of these deep burns, especially if a new peat moss layer successfully establishes and raises peat moisture content. We argue that restoration efforts are a necessary measure to mitigate the risk of carbon loss in managed peatlands under climate change.

Mitigating wildfire carbon loss in managed northern peatlands through restoration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Granath, Gustaf; Moore, Paul A.; Lukenbach, Maxwell C.; Waddington, James M.

2016-06-01

Northern peatlands can emit large amounts of carbon and harmful smoke pollution during a wildfire. Of particular concern are drained and mined peatlands, where management practices destabilize an array of ecohydrological feedbacks, moss traits and peat properties that moderate water and carbon losses in natural peatlands. Our results demonstrate that drained and mined peatlands in Canada and northern Europe can experience catastrophic deep burns (>200 t C ha-1 emitted) under current weather conditions. Furthermore, climate change will cause greater water losses in these peatlands and subject even deeper peat layers to wildfire combustion. However, the rewetting of drained peatlands and the restoration of mined peatlands can effectively lower the risk of these deep burns, especially if a new peat moss layer successfully establishes and raises peat moisture content. We argue that restoration efforts are a necessary measure to mitigate the risk of carbon loss in managed peatlands under climate change.

Geochemical and analytical implications of extensive sulfur retention in ash from Indonesian peats

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kane, Jean S.; Neuzil, Sandra G.

1993-01-01

Sulfur is an analyte of considerable importance to the complete major element analysis of ash from low-sulfur, low-ash Indonesian peats. Most analytical schemes for major element peat- and coal-ash analyses, including the inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry method used in this work, do not permit measurement of sulfur in the ash. As a result, oxide totals cannot be used as a check on accuracy of analysis. Alternative quality control checks verify the accuracy of the cation analyses. Cation and sulfur correlations with percent ash yield suggest that silicon and titanium, and to a lesser extent, aluminum, generally originate as minerals, whereas magnesium and sulfur generally originate from organic matter. Cation correlations with oxide totals indicate that, for these Indonesian peats, magnesium dominates sulfur fixation during ashing because it is considerably more abundant in the ash than calcium, the next most important cation in sulfur fixation.

Mitigating wildfire carbon loss in managed northern peatlands through restoration

PubMed Central

Granath, Gustaf; Moore, Paul A.; Lukenbach, Maxwell C.; Waddington, James M.

2016-01-01

Northern peatlands can emit large amounts of carbon and harmful smoke pollution during a wildfire. Of particular concern are drained and mined peatlands, where management practices destabilize an array of ecohydrological feedbacks, moss traits and peat properties that moderate water and carbon losses in natural peatlands. Our results demonstrate that drained and mined peatlands in Canada and northern Europe can experience catastrophic deep burns (>200 t C ha−1 emitted) under current weather conditions. Furthermore, climate change will cause greater water losses in these peatlands and subject even deeper peat layers to wildfire combustion. However, the rewetting of drained peatlands and the restoration of mined peatlands can effectively lower the risk of these deep burns, especially if a new peat moss layer successfully establishes and raises peat moisture content. We argue that restoration efforts are a necessary measure to mitigate the risk of carbon loss in managed peatlands under climate change. PMID:27346604

Soil microbial respiration from various microhabitats in Arctic landscape: impact of soil type, environmental conditions and soil age

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biasi, Christina; Jokinen, Simo; Marushchak, Maija; Trubnikova, Tatiana; Hämäläinen, Kai; Oinonen, Markku; Martikainen, Pertti

2014-05-01

Soil respiration is the second largest C flux between atmosphere and terrestrial ecosystems after gross primary production. Carbon dioxide released from soils is thus a major contributor to the atmospheric CO2 concentration. Despite the global importance, soil respiration and its components (heterotrophic and autotrophic respiration) remain poorly understood and not well constrained fluxes of the terrestrial C cycle. This is particularly true for the Arctic, where huge amounts of the Earth's soil carbon is stored. Here, we report on heterotrophic soil respiration rates from various Arctic tundra microhabitats measured in situ. The study site was Seida (67°07'N, 62°57'E, 100 m a.s.l.) which is characterized by typical sub-arctic permafrost landscape which comprises raised, vegetated permafrost peat plateaus, interspersed with spots of bare peat surfaces (peat circles), and upland mineral soils. We used isotope partitioning approach based on differences in natural abundance of 14C between soil and plants to separate sources of soil-respired CO2. In addition, the tradition trenching approach was employed. Complementary laboratory incubations with homogenized soil were conducted to assess primary decomposability of the soils and to identify age of the CO2 released and thus get more information on the nature of the sources of respiration. The major aim was to link SMR rates with of soil type, land cover class, soil physic-chemical properties (e.g. water content), soil C stocks and age of soil. Results show that, despite profound differences in soil characteristics and primary decomposability of organic matter, surface CO2 fluxes derived from soil microbial respiration rates were rather similar between microhabitats. The only factor which influenced, at least to some extent, the respiration rates was total soil C (and N) stocks in surface soils. There was some evidence for reduced soil-related CO2 emissions from peatlands, though results were not consistent between the methods applied. It seems that the lower decomposability of peat is largely outweighed by higher C stocks at field conditions. Surprisingly, the bare surfaces (peat circles) with 3500 years old C at the surface exhibited about the largest soil microbial respiration rates among all sites as shown by both methods. This is likely due to the immature status of the peat which was during the bulk of its developmental time protected by permafrost, together with high C-densities. The observation is particularly relevant for decomposition of deeper peat at the permafrost-active layer interface in the large vegetated peat plateaus, where soil material similar to the bare surfaces can be found. The results suggest that the chemical nature and high age of the soil SOC in deep peat does not solely guarantee for resistance to decay. Thus, the study highlights risks for potential re-mobilization of C in deep peat soils following thawing. Soil microbial respiration rates need to be better known when predicting the overall carbon sink/source character of tundra ecosystems in a warming climate. Biasi C., Jokinen S., Marushchak M., Hämäläinen K., Trubnikova T., Oinonen M., Martikainen P. (2013). Microbial respiration in Arctic upland and peat soils as source of CO2. Ecosystems. DOI: 10.1007/s10021-013-9710-z.

Organic Matter Transformation in the Peat Column at Marcell Experimental Forest: Humification and Vertical Stratification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tfaily, Malak; Cooper, Bill; Kostka,

2014-01-01

A large-scale ecosystem manipulation (Spruce and Peatland Responses under Climatic and Environmental Change, SPRUCE) is being constructed in the Marcell Experimental Forest, Minnesota, USA, to determine the effects of climatic forcing on ecosystem processes in northern peatlands. Prior to the initiation of the manipulation, we characterized the solid-phase peat to a depth of 2 meters using a variety of techniques, including peat C:N ratios, 13C and 15N isotopic composition, Fourier Transform Infrared (FT IR), and 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (13C NMR). FT IR determined peat humification-levels increased rapidly between and 75 cm, indicating a highly reactive zone. We observedmore » a rapid drop in the abundance of O-alkyl-C, carboxyl-C, and other oxygenated functionalities within this zone and a concomitant increase in the abundance of alkyl- and nitrogen-containing compounds. Below 75-cm, minimal change was observed except that aromatic functionalities accumulated with depth. Incubation studies revealed the highest methane production rates and greatest CH4:CO2 ratios within this and 75 cm zone. Hydrology and surface vegetation played a role in belowground carbon cycling. Radiocarbon signatures of microbial respiration products in deeper porewaters resembled the signatures of dissolved organic carbon rather than solid phase peat, indicating that more recently photosynthesized organic matter fueled the bulk of subsurface microbial respiration. Oxygen-containing functionalities, especially O-alkyl-C, appear to serve as an excellent proxy for soil decomposition rate, and in addition should be a sensitive indicator of the response of the solid phase peat to the climatic manipulation.« less

Past Peatland Distribution as an Indicator of Hydroclimate and Temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Treat, C. C.; Jones, M.; Lacourse, T.; Payne, R.; Peteet, D. M.; Sannel, B.; Stelling, J.; Talbot, J.; Williams, C. J.; Kleinen, T.; Grosse, G.; Yu, Z.; Finkelstein, S. A.; Broothaerts, N.; Dommain, R.; Kuhry, P.; Lähteenoja, O.; Dalton, A.; Notebaert, B.; Swindles, G. T.; Tarnocai, C.; Verstraeten, G.; Xia, Z.; Brovkin, V.

2016-12-01

Peatlands, wetlands with > 30 cm of organic sediment, cover more than 3 x 106 km2 of the earth surface and have been accumulating carbon and sediments throughout the Holocene. The location of peatland formation and accumulation has been dynamic over time, as peat formation in areas like Alaska and the West Siberian Lowlands preceded peat formation in Fennoscandia and Eastern North America due to more favorable climate for peat formation. Using the geographic distribution of peatlands in the past can indicate general climatic conditions, including hydroclimate, given that the underlying geology is well understood. Peatlands form under a variety of climatic conditions and landscape positions but do not persist under arid conditions, instead requiring either humid conditions or cold temperatures. However, peatlands may have existed in the past in areas not currently suitable for peatland formation and persistence, but where peats can be found at depth within the sediment column. Here we map the locations of histic paleosols, relict peat, and buried peats since the Last Glacial Maximum using a compilation of sites from previous studies. We compare these records of past peatland distribution to present-day peatland distribution. We evaluate regional differences in timing of peatland development in these buried peatlands to the development of extant peatlands. Finally, we compare the timing of past peatland extent to the to modeled paleoclimate during the Quaternary. In addition to implications for paleoclimate, these past peatlands are not well accounted for in present-day soil carbon stocks but could be an important component of deep soil carbon pools.

Substrate-induced growth and isolation of Acidobacteria from acidic Sphagnum peat.

PubMed

Pankratov, Timofei A; Serkebaeva, Yulia M; Kulichevskaya, Irina S; Liesack, Werner; Dedysh, Svetlana N

2008-05-01

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was applied to estimate the population size of the poorly characterized phylum Acidobacteria in acidic peat sampled from nine different Sphagnum-dominated wetlands of Northern Russia. The cell numbers of these bacteria in oxic peat layers ranged from 0.4 x 10(6) to 1.3 x 10(7) cells per g of wet peat, comprising up to 4% of total bacterial cells. Substrate-induced growth of acidobacteria was observed after amendment of peat samples with glucose, pectin, xylan, starch, ethanol and methanol, while weak or no response was obtained for acetate, pyruvate, mannitol and cellobiose. Using low-nutrient media and FISH-mediated monitoring of the isolation procedure, we succeeded in obtaining nine strains of acidobacteria in pure cultures. These strains belonged to subdivisions 1 and 3 of the Acidobacteria and represented strictly aerobic, heterotrophic organisms. Except for methanol, the substrate utilization patterns of these isolates matched the results obtained in our substrate-amendment experiments with native peat. All strains were also capable of utilizing galacturonic acid, a characteristic component of the cell wall in Sphagnum spp, which is released during moss decomposition. Most isolates from subdivision 1 were truly acidophilic organisms with the growth optimum at pH 3.5-4.5, while the isolates from subdivision 3 grew optimally at pH 5.5-6.5. Another important phenotypic trait of novel strains was their capability of active growth at low temperatures. Both acidophily and low-temperature growth are consistent with the occurrence of acidobacteria in cold and acidic northern wetlands.

Deccesion of peat-moorsh soils under different land use

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lipka, K.; Zając, E.

2009-04-01

Use of peatlands has a serious impact on soil properties as well as on loss of organic matter. On the basis of survey carried out in 1976, 1993 and 2001 in the Mrowla river valley near Rzeszow, authors analysed changes of the peat-moorsh soils under different land use. The 25- year period was analysed. Survey results comprised: loss of organic matter, advance of moorsh forming process and change of prognostic soil-moisture complexes (after Okruszko). Stratigraphic profiles made in the years1996-2001 were compared and rate of organic mass loss was calculated. The highest values were stated for ploughfields with crop rotation (root plants, industrial plants and cereals). Intensified soil aeration and moorsh forming process as well as wind erosion caused gradual lowering of ground level. Depth of degraded peat layer in roof of surveyed peat deposits was between 0,2 and 0,8 m. Ground surface was lowering of 1,68 cm per year. It was found that, for ploughfields especially, peat-moorhs soil showing medium degree of moorsh forming process (MtII) and prognostic soil-moisture complex BC (periodically drying), after 17 years already, had changed into a soil with high degree of moorsh forming process (MtIII) and prognostic soil-moisture complex C (drying). For meadows and pastures land used such evident change wasn't noticed. During the whole investigation period (25 years) mean lowering of the peat-moorsh soils level along transects lines for different land use was: 1,15 cm per year for meadows and pastures, 1,58 cm pea year for plougfields and 1,38 cm per year for alder wood.

Temperature-Induced Increase in Methane Release from Peat Bogs: A Mesocosm Experiment

PubMed Central

van Winden, Julia F.; Reichart, Gert-Jan; McNamara, Niall P.; Benthien, Albert; Damsté, Jaap S. Sinninghe.

2012-01-01

Peat bogs are primarily situated at mid to high latitudes and future climatic change projections indicate that these areas may become increasingly wetter and warmer. Methane emissions from peat bogs are reduced by symbiotic methane oxidizing bacteria (methanotrophs). Higher temperatures and increasing water levels will enhance methane production, but also methane oxidation. To unravel the temperature effect on methane and carbon cycling, a set of mesocosm experiments were executed, where intact peat cores containing actively growing Sphagnum were incubated at 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25°C. After two months of incubation, methane flux measurements indicated that, at increasing temperatures, methanotrophs are not able to fully compensate for the increasing methane production by methanogens. Net methane fluxes showed a strong temperature-dependence, with higher methane fluxes at higher temperatures. After removal of Sphagnum, methane fluxes were higher, increasing with increasing temperature. This indicates that the methanotrophs associated with Sphagnum plants play an important role in limiting the net methane flux from peat. Methanotrophs appear to consume almost all methane transported through diffusion between 5 and 15°C. Still, even though methane consumption increased with increasing temperature, the higher fluxes from the methane producing microbes could not be balanced by methanotrophic activity. The efficiency of the Sphagnum-methanotroph consortium as a filter for methane escape thus decreases with increasing temperature. Whereas 98% of the produced methane is retained at 5°C, this drops to approximately 50% at 25°C. This implies that warming at the mid to high latitudes may be enhanced through increased methane release from peat bogs. PMID:22768100

Carbon budget for a British upland peat catchment.

PubMed

Worrall, Fred; Reed, Mark; Warburton, Jeff; Burt, Tim

2003-08-01

This study describes the analysis of fluvial carbon flux from an upland peat catchment in the North Pennines. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC), pH, alkalinity and calcium were measured in weekly samples, with particulate organic carbon (POC) measured from the suspended sediment load from the stream outlet of an 11.4-km(2) catchment. For calendar year 1999, regular monitoring of the catchment was supplemented with detailed quasi-continuous measurements of flow and stream temperature, and DOC for the months September through November. The measurements were used to calculate the annual flux of dissolved CO(2), dissolved inorganic carbon, DOC and POC from the catchment and were combined with CO(2) and CH(4) gaseous exchanges calculated from previously published values and the observations of water table height within the peat. The study catchment represents a net sink of 15.4+/-11.9 gC/m(2)/yr. Carbon flows calculated for the study catchment are combined with values in the literature, using a Monte Carlo method, to estimate the carbon budget for British upland peat. For all British upland peat the calculation suggests a net carbon sink of between 0.15 and 0.29 MtC/yr. This is the first study to include a comprehensive study of the fluvial export of carbon within carbon budgets and shows the size of the peat carbon sink to be smaller than previous estimates, although sensitivity analysis shows that the primary productivity rather than fluvial carbon flux is a more important element in estimating the carbon budget in this regard.

Allogenic and Autogenic Controls on Carbon Uptake and Release since Mid-Holocene Peat Initiation in the Hudson Bay Lowlands, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Packalen, M.; Finkelstein, S. A.; McLaughlin, J.

2014-12-01

Current interglacial development of a nearly continuous peat cover in the Hudson Bay Lowlands, Canada has resulted in a globally significant carbon (C) reservoir. Yet, the fate of peatland C stores and related climate system feedbacks remain uncertain under scenarios of a changing climate and enhanced anthropogenic pressure. Here, we examine peatland development in the HBL in relation to Holocene C-dynamics, together with records of paleo- and modern climate, glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) and paleoenvironmental change. We report that the timing of peat initiation is tightly coupled with GIA in the HBL, while peatland age, trophic status, and paleoclimate contribute to explaining some of the temporal variation in C accumulation rates (CARs). Our results show that CARs are greatest from younger, minerotrophic peatlands and in association with warmer Holocene climates. Peat initiation rates and CARs in the HBL were greatest during the mid-Holocene; however, model evidence indicates that two-thirds of the HBL C pool is stored in peat of late Holocene age, owing to long-term peatland expansion and development. Since mid-Holocene peat initiation, the HBL has been a net C-sink and currently stores ~ 30 Pg C, with spatial climate patterns accounting for up to half of the C-mass distribution. Yet, the HBL has also been a modest C-source since peat initiation, with 85% of the losses occurring during the late Holocene. Our results indicate that the HBL may have been a potential terrestrial source of 1 - 7 Tg CH4 y-1 to the late Holocene atmosphere, due to the decay of previously accrued peat, under wetter conditions than present, and from a landscape occupied by an abundance of minerotrophic peatlands. While the peatlands of the HBL may continue to function as a globally significant C reservoir, conservative climate scenarios predict a warmer and wetter HBL in the next century that may lie outside the range of past climate variability. Disproportionate hydroclimatic change may alter the net water balance in the HBL resulting in C losses that may have important implications for the global C budget and climate system. Further investigation regarding autogenic and allogenic controls on spatial-temporal C dynamics is warranted and may contribute to reducing the uncertainty concerning the HBL's potential to remain a long-term net C-sink.

Assessing the Impact of Land Management on Organic Matter Composition in Peat Soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savage, A.; Holden, J.; Wainwright, J.

2010-05-01

Peatlands are seen as important stores of terrestrial carbon, accounting for up to one-third of global soil carbon stocks. In some cases peatlands are shown to be emitters of carbon, in other cases carbon sinks depending on the site conditions and nature of degradation. However, carbon budget calculations carried out to date have a number of uncertainties associated with them and the composition of the carbon is generally not considered when determining carbon budgets. Carbon cycling in peat is driven by four key factors (Laiho, 2006):, environmental conditions (e.g. temperature, water table level), substrate quality (e.g. how recalcitrant the peat is), nutrients (e.g. nitrogen required to synthesis the carbon stocks) and microbial community (e.g. are the microbes present able to utilise the available substrate). Land management is also recognised as an additional driver, but the impacts of many types of management are poorly understood. Among the four drivers listed by Laiho (2006) substrate quality is seen as the most significant. To date, little work has been carried out to characterise the quality of organic matter in peat soils; rather crude estimates have been made as to the quantity of carbon that is stored in peatlands, yet without understanding the composition of the peat, limitations are imposed on calculations of rates of carbon loss from peatlands. This work seeks to examine how variations in the chemical composition of organic matter in peat varies with land use. The method published by Wieder and Starr (1998) was followed to determine eight fractions: soluble fats and waxes, hot water soluble, hollocellulose, cellulose, soluble phenolics, acid insoluble carbohydrates, water soluble carbohydrates and lignin. Samples were taken from burnt, grazed, drained, afforested and undisturbed sites at the Moor House UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in Northern England. The method was used to identify if differences were present in the recalcitrance of the peat and linked to gaseous carbon emissions data collected during fortnightly monitoring. R. Laiho (2006) Decomposition in peatlands: Reconciling seemingly contrasting results on the impacts of lowered water levels Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 38, 2011-2024. R.K. Wieder & S.T. Starr (1998) Quantitative determination of organic fractions in highly organic, Sphagnum peat soils Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 29, 847-857.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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 reliable results and resolution. Based on the sediment layers of the peat bog together with the generated 3D surface model the paleoenvironment, the largest paleowater level can be reconstructed and we can estimate the dimension of the landslide which created the basin of the peat bog.

Climatic triggers for peatland initiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morris, Paul J.; Swindles, Graeme T.; Valdes, Paul J.; Ivanovic, Ruza F.; Gregoire, Lauren J.; Smith, Mark W.; Tarasov, Lev; Haywood, Alan M.; Bacon, Karen L.

2017-04-01

Peatlands are carbon-dense wetlands characterised by waterlogged, organic-rich soils. Modern-day peatlands have formed mainly since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), and despite covering only 3 % of the Earth's land surface are thought to store more than a third of all global soil carbon in the form of poorly decomposed plant detritus. Concern exists that this globally important carbon store may be vulnerable to near-future warming and changes in precipitation patterns, although the links between peatland development and climate are contested. The climatic and other environmental conditions that facilitate the initiation of peat are particularly poorly understood. We present the results of a novel, global study into the climate space of peat initiation since the LGM. We compiled a catalogue of radiocarbon dates of peat initiation from 942 sites that span a range of latitudes and biomes. We used the locations and ages of these peatlands to interrogate downscaled climate hindcasts at 500-yr intervals from a coupled atmosphere-ocean-vegetation general circulation model, HadCM3. This powerful combination of modelling and observational data provides a globally-consistent, temporally-extensive estimate of the climate spaces of peat initiation. In particular, it allows us to identify local and regional climatic changes that may have acted as triggers for peat formation. Peatlands in mid- and high-latitudes of both hemispheres, particularly in maritime locations, developed shortly after local increases in the time integral of growing season temperatures, and were seemingly not influenced by rainfall regime. Peat initiation at such sites appears to have been stimulated by temperature-driven increases in plant productivity in cold, postglacial landscapes, and was not water limited. The exception is the large peatland complex of the Western Siberian Lowlands, which was not glaciated during the last glacial period, and which appears to have been prompted instead by a strong increase in effective precipitation, leading to extensive paludification. Peat initiation in the tropics appears only weakly related to climate, suggesting that other environmental factors such as drainage network evolution and relative sea level change due to tectonic subsidence were more important there. Our model-data fusion also provides valuable context for projected future climate change. In particular, projected temperature increases for the 21st Century, even under modest emissions scenarios, far exceed those experienced by current peatland locations during the course of peat development, and therefore seem likely to exceed these ecosystems' capacities for resistance and resilience.

Age, extent and carbon storage of the central Congo Basin peatland complex.

PubMed

Dargie, Greta C; Lewis, Simon L; Lawson, Ian T; Mitchard, Edward T A; Page, Susan E; Bocko, Yannick E; Ifo, Suspense A

2017-02-02

Peatlands are carbon-rich ecosystems that cover just three per cent of Earth's land surface, but store one-third of soil carbon. Peat soils are formed by the build-up of partially decomposed organic matter under waterlogged anoxic conditions. Most peat is found in cool climatic regions where unimpeded decomposition is slower, but deposits are also found under some tropical swamp forests. Here we present field measurements from one of the world's most extensive regions of swamp forest, the Cuvette Centrale depression in the central Congo Basin. We find extensive peat deposits beneath the swamp forest vegetation (peat defined as material with an organic matter content of at least 65 per cent to a depth of at least 0.3 metres). Radiocarbon dates indicate that peat began accumulating from about 10,600 years ago, coincident with the onset of more humid conditions in central Africa at the beginning of the Holocene. The peatlands occupy large interfluvial basins, and seem to be largely rain-fed and ombrotrophic-like (of low nutrient status) systems. Although the peat layer is relatively shallow (with a maximum depth of 5.9 metres and a median depth of 2.0 metres), by combining in situ and remotely sensed data, we estimate the area of peat to be approximately 145,500 square kilometres (95 per cent confidence interval of 131,900-156,400 square kilometres), making the Cuvette Centrale the most extensive peatland complex in the tropics. This area is more than five times the maximum possible area reported for the Congo Basin in a recent synthesis of pantropical peat extent. We estimate that the peatlands store approximately 30.6 petagrams (30.6 × 10 15  grams) of carbon belowground (95 per cent confidence interval of 6.3-46.8 petagrams of carbon)-a quantity that is similar to the above-ground carbon stocks of the tropical forests of the entire Congo Basin. Our result for the Cuvette Centrale increases the best estimate of global tropical peatland carbon stocks by 36 per cent, to 104.7 petagrams of carbon (minimum estimate of 69.6 petagrams of carbon; maximum estimate of 129.8 petagrams of carbon). This stored carbon is vulnerable to land-use change and any future reduction in precipitation.

Eutrophic mire, its characteristics and modern conditions of peat genesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inisheva, L. I.; Golubina, O. A.; Zaplatnikova, Yu. D.; Dubrovskaya, L. I.

2009-04-01

The study of structure functional organization of Siberian mire ecosystems is the base of after-effects influence of their reclamation on global changes of biosphere. The aim of this investigation is to study the structure functional organization of eutrophic mire ecosystem "Tagan". Peat deposit "Tagan" (West Siberia, 20 kilometers near Tomsk) is situated on the second flood-plain terrace of the river Tom of ancient flow channel. Maximum power of peat deposit is 9.3 meters. Subsoil is made up from sand, more seldom from loamy sand and loam. Eutrophic vegetation covers almost the whole mire. It is presented by woody sedge, sedge, sedge-moss and grass undershrub phytocenoses. The oligotrophic vegetation is presented by Sphagnum pine cotton-grass phytocenosis. There were organized three observation points on the mire in 2007. They watched dynamics of hydrothermic, redox, biological, hydrochemical regimes. There were studied physicochemical properties at given points. Peats with normal ash basically refer to grass, woody grass group of lowland type. They are characterized by high degree of decomposition which is increased down deposit. Group composition of organic matters of investigated peats showed that bitumen content in peat changes from 1.4 to 3.56%, and humid acids content is within the limits of 16.67 - 44.34 %. Water-soluble and hardly-hydrolyzed matters are contained in quantity of 19.04 - 49.76% of the whole dry peat mass. The overall nitrogen content changes within the limits of 1.76 - 3.52%. It is presented mainly by fraction of unhydrolyzed nitrogen (72.07 - 95.67% of the whole nitrogen). Highly-hydrolyzed nitrogen is the most available reserve of mineral compound of nitrogen and its content changes within the limits of 0.18 - 4.79 of the overall nitrogen. 2008 year is characterized as an average year at conditions of moistening and heat providing. Investigations, made during this year, revealed the following results. Bog waters were kept at a surface level of 20 - 69cm in summer. Peat deposit heating up to 10˚ C was observed at a depth of 120cm. Oxidizing conditions are traced up to 40 - 60cm deep. There is gradual change into restoring conditions deep in peat deposit. Very reduction conditions are observed at a depth of 60cm. Weather conditions of 2008 year were favorable for biological processes activation. In the result of their manifestation hydrochemical composition of bog waters was formed. First of all, one should pay attention to weak alkaline reaction of bog waters. Calcium content in bog waters changes from 70.2 to 150.9 mg/l. One may state calcium removal from peat deposit of eutrophic mire into an outfall. The latter is the river which is flowing along the mire. Magnesium concentration in bog waters changed within the limits of 8.5 - 42.5 mg/l. It is important to note high content of iron in individual months - up to 17.8 mg/l. Organic matters content in bog waters, which are presented by humid acids (HA) and fulvic acids (FA), is HA 3.4 - 24.65 mg/l, FA 11.0 - 58.3 mg/l. Let's, first of all, examine dynamics of individual components in bog waters. Thus, content of calcium, water-soluble carbon, and fulvic acids naturally increased in July, when it was marked combination of high temperature and minor precipitation. Active iron in bog waters had the highest concentration in spring which had gradually decreased by September (from 18 and 8 mg/l to 0.1 mg/l). Preliminary obtained results reveal bog drainage occurring at present. It is followed also from the fact that there are favorable redox conditions in a meter layer of peat deposit and high degree of peats decomposition. The examination of dynamics of hydrothermic, biological and hydrochemical regimes also is evidence of biological processes activity in eutrophic mire "Tagan". This fact, in its turn, influences on hydrochemical compound formation of bog waters.

CO2 Emissions in an Oil Palm Plantation on Tropical Peat in Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leclerc, M.; Zhang, G.; Jantan, N. M.; Harun, M. H.; Kamarudin, N.; Choo, Y. M.

2016-12-01

Tropical peats are large contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and differ markedly from their counterparts at temperate latitudes. The rapid deforestation and subsequent land conversion of tropical virgin forests in Southeast Asia have been decried by environmental groups worldwide even though there is currently little robust scientific evidence to ascertain the net amount of greenhouse gas released to the atmosphere. The conversion to oil palm plantation at a large scale further exacerbates the situation. This paper shows preliminary data on CO2 emissions in a converted oil palm plantation grown on tropical peat in northeast Malaysia.

Surficial geology map of the Great Heath, Washington County, Maine

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cameron, Cornelia Clermont; Mullen, Michael K.

1983-01-01

The major portion of the Great Heath, comprising 2,645 acres in the Cherryfield quadrangle, Washington County, Maine, generally averaging 13 feet in thickness, but with as great an average as 15 feet, contain an estimated 6,953 ,000 short tons air-dried peat. The peat #s chiefly sphagnum moss with some reed-sedge of high quality according to ASTM standards for agricultural and horticultural use. This same volume of peat may be considered for use as fuel because BTO per pound ranges from 8,600 to 10,500 with low sulfur and high hydrogen contents.

The hydrology of northern peatlands as affected by biogenic gas: Current developments and research needs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rosenberry, D.O.; Glaser, P.H.; Siegel, D.I.

2006-01-01

Recent research indicates that accumulation and release of biogenic gas from northern peatlands may substantially affect future climate. Sudden release of free-phase gas bubbles into the atmosphere may preclude the conversion of methane to carbon dioxide in the uppermost oxic layer of the peat, resulting in greater contribution of methane to the atmosphere than is currently estimated. The hydrology of these peatlands also affects and is affected by this process, especially when gas is released suddenly and episodically. Indirect hydrological evidence indicates that ebullitive gas releases are relatively frequent in some peatlands and time-averaged rates may be significantly greater than diffusive releases. Estimates of free-phase gas contained in peat have ranged from 0 to nearly 20% of the peat volume. Abrupt changes in the volume of gas may alter hydraulic gradients and movement of water and solutes in peat, which in turn could alter composition and fluxes of the gas. Peat surfaces also move vertically and horizontally in response to accumulation and release of free-phase gas. Future research should address the distribution, temporal variability, and relative significance of ebullition in peatlands and the consequent hydrological responses to these gas-emission events. Copyright ?? 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Increase in carbon accumulation in a boreal peatland following a period of wetter climate and long-term decrease in nitrogen deposition.

PubMed

Utstøl-Klein, Simon; Halvorsen, Rune; Ohlson, Mikael

2015-06-01

Rates of peat growth and carbon (C) accumulation in a Sphagnum-dominated boreal peatland in south-east Norway were compared over two time periods each 17 yr long, that is, an earlier period from 1978 to 1995 and a recent period from 1995 to 2012. Our research was based on 109 peat cores. By using exactly the same study area and sampling protocols to obtain data for the two time periods, we were able to obtain a clear picture of the spatio-temporal patterns of peat accumulation. We show that peat growth and C accumulation were significantly higher in the recent than in the earlier time period. Interestingly, nitrogen (N) deposition was lower in the recent than in the earlier time period, while precipitation increased in the recent time period. Temperatures did not show any consistent trends over the time periods. Although our data do not allow assessment of the relative importance of declining N deposition vs increasing precipitation as drivers of peat accumulation, our results suggest that peatland C sequestration is not significantly inhibited by N pollution at current precipitation and N deposition levels. © 2015 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

Responsible management of peatlands in Canada, from peat industry to oil sands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rochefort, Line

2013-04-01

Canada harbors one third of the peat resources of the world. Peat is an accumulated organic matter composed of dead and partly decomposed plant material, forming huge deposit through time in wetlands like peatlands and boreal coniferous swamps. Peat is a valuable resource as a growing media and soil amendments, an eco-friendly absorbent, also used as biofilters, for body care and for wastewater treatment. Peatlands also offer valuable ecological services : for example, they are the most efficient terrestrial ecosystem to store carbon on a long-term basis. Their ability to "cool off" the planet warrants a good look at their management. The horticultural peat industry of Canada has invested 22 years in R&D in habitat restoration and is now a strong leader in managing industrial peatlands in a sustainable way. The oil sand industry, which is strongly impacting the wetland landscapes of northern Canada, does realize that it has to reduce its ecological footprint, which is heavily criticized around the world. Decommissioned open mines near Fort McMurray have already begun recreating peatland ecosystems, and some restoration attempts of former oil pads are underway in the Peace River region. But the restoration of the largely disturbed wetland landscape of the oil sands is commanding innovative solutions.

The flux of organic matter through a peatland ecosystem: The role of cellulose, lignin, and their control of the ecosystem oxidation state

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Worrall, Fred; Moody, Catherine S.; Clay, Gareth D.; Burt, Tim P.; Rose, Rob

2017-07-01

This study used thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to study the transit of organic C through a peatland ecosystem. The biomass, litter, peat soil profile, particulate organic matter (POM), and dissolved organic matter (DOM) fluxes were sampled from the Moor House National Nature Reserve, a peat-covered catchment in northern England where both the dry matter and carbon budget for the catchment were known. The study showed that although TGA traces showed distinct differences between organic matter reservoirs and fluxes, the traces could not readily be associated with particular functionalities or elemental properties. The TGA trace shows that polysaccharides are preferentially removed by humification and degradation with residual peat being dominated by lignin compositions. The DOM is derived from the degradation of lignin while the POM is derived from erosion of the peat profile. The carbon lost as gases (CO2 and CH4) was estimated to be composed of 92 to 95% polysaccharide carbon. The composition of the organic matter lost from the peat ecosystem means that the oxidative ratio (OR) of the ecosystem experienced by the atmosphere was between 0.96 and 0.99: currently, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change uses an OR value of 1.1 for all ecosystems.

Does oxygen exposure time control the extent of organic matter decomposition in peatlands?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Philben, Michael; Kaiser, Karl; Benner, Ronald

2014-05-01

The extent of peat decomposition was investigated in four cores collected along a latitudinal gradient from 56°N to 66°N in the West Siberian Lowland. The acid:aldehyde ratios of lignin phenols were significantly higher in the two northern cores compared with the two southern cores, indicating peats at the northern sites were more highly decomposed. Yields of hydroxyproline, an amino acid found in plant structural glycoproteins, were also significantly higher in northern cores compared with southern cores. Hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins are not synthesized by microbes and are generally less reactive than bulk plant carbon, so elevated yields indicated that northern cores were more extensively decomposed than the southern cores. The southern cores experienced warmer temperatures, but were less decomposed, indicating that temperature was not the primary control of peat decomposition. The plant community oscillated between Sphagnum and vascular plant dominance in the southern cores, but vegetation type did not appear to affect the extent of decomposition. Oxygen exposure time appeared to be the strongest control of the extent of peat decomposition. The northern cores had lower accumulation rates and drier conditions, so these peats were exposed to oxic conditions for a longer time before burial in the catotelm, where anoxic conditions prevail and rates of decomposition are generally lower by an order of magnitude.

Decomposition and organic matter quality in continental peatlands: The ghost of permafrost past

USGS Publications Warehouse

Turetsky, M.R.

2004-01-01

Permafrost patterning in boreal peatlands contributes to landscape heterogeneity, as peat plateaus, palsas, and localized permafrost mounds are interspersed among unfrozen bogs and fens. The degradation of localized permafrost in peatlands alters local topography, hydrology, thermal regimes, and plant communities, and creates unique peatland features called "internal lawns." I used laboratory incubations to quantify carbon dioxide (CO 2) production in peat formed under different permafrost regimes (with permafrost, without permafrost, melted permafrost), and explored the relationships among proximate organic matter fractions, nutrient concentrations, and decomposition. Peat within each feature (internal lawn, bog, permafrost mound) is more chemically similar than peat collected within the same province (Alberta, Saskatchewan) or within depth intervals (surface, deep). Internal lawn peat produces more CO2 than the other peatland types. Across peatland features, acid-insoluble material (AIM) and AIM/nitrogen are significant predictors of decomposition. However, within each peatland feature, soluble proximate fractions are better predictors of CO2 production. Permafrost stability in peatlands influences plant and soil environments, which control litter inputs, organic matter quality, and decomposition rates. Spatial patterns of permafrost, as well as ecosystem processes within various permafrost features, should be considered when assessing the fate of soil carbon in northern ecosystems. ?? 2004 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.

A comprehensive study of combustion products generated from pulverized peat combustion in the furnace of BKZ-210-140F steam boiler

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuzmin, V. A.; Zagrai, I. A.

2017-11-01

The experimental and theoretical study of combustion products has been carried out for the conditions of pulverized peat combustion in BKZ-210-140F steam boiler. Sampling has been performed in different parts of the boiler system in order to determine the chemical composition, radiative properties and dispersity of slag and ash particles. The chemical composition of particles was determined using the method of x-ray fluorescence analysis. Shapes and sizes of the particles were determined by means of electron scanning microscopy. The histograms and the particle size distribution functions were computed. The calculation of components of the gaseous phase was based on the combustion characteristics of the original fuel. The software package of calculation of thermal radiation of combustion products from peat combustion was used to simulate emission characteristics (flux densities and emissivity factors). The dependence of emission characteristics on the temperature level and on the wavelength has been defined. On the basis of the analysis of emission characteristics the authors give some recommendations how to determine the temperature of peat combustion products in the furnace of BKZ-210-140F steam boiler. The findings can be used to measure the combustion products temperature, support temperature control in peat combustion and solve the problem of boiler furnace slagging.

Trichoderma-Inoculated Miscanthus Straw Can Replace Peat in Strawberry Cultivation, with Beneficial Effects on Disease Control.

PubMed

Debode, Jane; De Tender, Caroline; Cremelie, Pieter; Lee, Ana S; Kyndt, Tina; Muylle, Hilde; De Swaef, Tom; Vandecasteele, Bart

2018-01-01

Peat based growing media are not ecologically sustainable and often fail to support biological control. Miscanthus straw was (1) tested to partially replace peat; and (2) pre-colonized with a Trichoderma strain to increase the biological control capacity of the growing media. In two strawberry pot trials (denoted as experiment I & II), extruded and non-extruded miscanthus straw, with or without pre-colonization with T. harzianum T22, was used to partially (20% v/v) replace peat. We tested the performance of each mixture by monitoring strawberry plant development, nutrient content in the leaves and growing media, sensitivity of the fruit to the fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea , rhizosphere community and strawberry defense responses. N immobilization by miscanthus straw reduced strawberry growth and yield in experiment II but not in I. The pre-colonization of the straw with Trichoderma increased the post-harvest disease suppressiveness against B. cinerea and changed the rhizosphere fungal microbiome in both experiments. In addition, defense-related genes were induced in experiment II. The use of miscanthus straw in growing media will reduce the demand for peat and close resource loops. Successful pre-colonization of this straw with biological control fungi will optimize crop cultivation, requiring fewer pesticide applications, which will benefit the environment and human health.

Ecological study of peat landforms in Canada and Alaska

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glaser, Paul H.

1989-01-01

Over 20 percent of the land surface of Canada and Alaska is covered by peatlands, which may be defined as any waterlogged ecosystem with a minimum thickness of 20 cm of organic matter in the soil. Past investigations have demonstrated the value of aerial photographs in identifying the major vegetation types and analyzing the biotic and hydrogeologic processes that control the development of these peatlands. In the present study, LANDSAT TM imagery was used in conjunction with field studies to determine the utility of this satellite sensor for detecting these important processes. Although the vegetation landforms within these major peat basins are visible on aerial photographs, LANDSAT TM imagery provides essential new evidence for their analysis. Spectral data from the LANDSAT TM system provides: (1) synoptic views of the patterns across large portions of these peat basins, indicating important physiographic controls on peatland development, (2) more sensitive detection of the major vegetation types, allowing rapid quantitative estimates to be made of their distribution and aerial extent, (3) discrimination of bog areas with potentially rapid or slow rates of peat accumulation, (4) identification of discharge zones for groundwater, which apparently represents the most important source of alkalinity in these peat basins, and (5) detection of flow patterns in water tracks that appear nearly uniform on standard aerial photographs.

Environmental dynamics and carbon accumulation rate of a tropical peatland in Central Sumatra, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hapsari, Kartika Anggi; Biagioni, Siria; Jennerjahn, Tim C.; Reimer, Peter Meyer; Saad, Asmadi; Achnopha, Yudhi; Sabiham, Supiandi; Behling, Hermann

2017-08-01

Tropical peatlands are important for the global carbon cycle as they store 18% of the total global peat carbon. As they are vulnerable to changes in temperature and precipitation, a rapidly changing environment endangers peatlands and their carbon storage potential. Understanding the mechanisms of peatland carbon accumulation from studying past developments may, therefore, help to assess the future role of tropical peatlands. Using a multi-proxy palaeoecological approach, a peat core taken from the Sungai Buluh peatland in Central Sumatra has been analyzed for its pollen and spore, macro charcoal and biogeochemical composition. The result suggests that peat and C accumulation rates were driven mainly by sea level change, river water level, climatic variability and anthropogenic activities. It is also suggested that peat C accumulation in Sungai Buluh is correlated to the abundance of Freycinetia, Myrtaceae, Calophyllum, Stemonuraceae, Ficus and Euphorbiaceae. Sungai Buluh has reasonable potential for being a future global tropical peat C sinks. However, considering the impact of rapid global climate change in addition to land-use change following rapid economic growth in Indonesia, such potential may be lost. Taking advantage of available palaeoecological records and advances made in Quaternary studies, some considerations for management practice such as identification of priority taxa and conservation sites are suggested.

Magnetic susceptibility and dielectric properties of peat in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budi, Pranitha Septiana; Zulaikah, Siti; Hidayat, Arif; Azzahro, Rosyida

2017-07-01

Peatlands dominate almost all regions of Borneo, yet its utilization has not been developed optimally. Any information in this field could be obtained using soil magnetization methods by determining the magnetic succeptibility in terms of magnetic susceptibility value that could describe the source and type of magnetic minerals which could describe the source and type of magnetic minerals. Moreover, the dielectric properties of peat soil were also investigated to determine the level of water content by using the dielectric constant value. Samples was taken at six different locations along Pulang pisau to Berengbengkel. Magnetic susceptibility mass value at these locations ranged between -0.0009 - 0.712 (×10-6 m3/kg). Based on the average magnetic susceptibility value, samples that were taken from T1, T3 and T5 belonged to the type of paramagnetic mineral, while samples which were taken from T2, T4 and T6 belonged to the group of diamagnetic mineral. The low value of magnetic susceptibility of peat was probably derived from the pedogenic process. The average value of peat soil in six locations has a large dielectric constant value that is 28.2 which indicated that there was considerable moisture content due to the hydrophilic nature of peatland which means that the ability of peat in water binding is considerably high.

Thermal characterization of organic matter along a (hypothetical) coalification gradient

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cavallo, Ornella; Provenzano, Maria Rosaria; Zaccone, Claudio

2017-04-01

Geochemical transformations of organic carbon (C) in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems are important starting points for genesis of peats, brown coals and other coal precursors. The humification process plays a key role in biogeochemical transformations of organic C and, as a result, in the first stages of coal precursors formation. Thermal analysis was used by Schnitzer and other scientists since 1950-1960s, in order to investigate the stability of several organic materials of industrial value including peat and coal. What soil scientists found was the general occurrence of two exothermic peaks (exotherm 1 and 2) due to decomposition and combustion reactions of organic compounds having different thermal stability and, consequently, different degree of humification. Thermogravimetric analysis (TG) was carried out on different samples reproducing a "hypothetical" coalification gradient as follows: peat (IHSS Pahokee peat standard), fulvic acid (FA), a peat humic acid (HA), leonardite (IHSS Gascoyne standard) and charcoal. An aliquot of about 20 mg of each sample was heated in a ceramic crucible from 50 to 850˚ C at 30˚ C min-1, at a gas flow rate of 30 mL min-1 using a PerkinElmer TGA4000 thermobalance. Samples were analysed both under nitrogen and under synthetic air. All analyses were carried out in triplicate and the average coefficient of variation was <1.5%. Weight losses (in %) were determined within 200-400˚ C (WL1) and 400-600˚ C (WL2) temperature ranges, and the ratio between WL2/WL1 calculated for all samples. This ratio has been often used as a highly sensitive parameter to describe chemical changes induced by the bio-transformation of organic materials. Finally, the temperature at which half of the exothermic mass loss has occurred (TG-T50) was also calculated. Preliminary results obtained from TG analysis under air showed that WL2/WL1 ratio was lower for the FA sample and higher for leonardite and charcoal, following the order FA

Does Miscanthus cultivation on organic soils compensate for carbon loss from peat oxidation? A dual label study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bader, Cédric; Leifeld, Jens; Müller, Moritz; Schulin, Rainer

2016-04-01

Agricultural use of organic soils requires drainage and thereby changes conditions in these soils from anoxic to oxic. As a consequence, organic carbon that had been accumulated over millennia is rapidly mineralized, so that these soils are converted from a CO2 sink to a source. The peat mineralization rate depends mainly on drainage depth, but also on crop type. Various studies show that Miscanthus, a C4 bioenergy plant, shows potential for carbon sequestration in mineral soils because of its high productivity, its dense root system, absence of tillage and high preharvest litterfall. If Miscanthus cropping would have a similar effect in organic soils, peat consumption and thus CO2 emissions might be reduced. For our study we compared two adjacent fields, on which organic soil is cultivated with Miscanthus (since 20 years) and perennial grass (since 6 years). Both sites are located in the Bernese Seeland, the largest former peatland area of Switzerland. To determine wether Miscanthus-derived carbon accumulated in the organic soil, we compared the stable carbon isotopic signatures of the experimental soil with those of an organic soil without any C4-plant cultivation history. To analyze the effect of C4-C accumulation on peat degradability we compared the CO2 emissions by incubating 90 soil samples of the two fields for more than one year. Additionally, we analysed the isotopic CO2 composition (13C, 14C) during the first 25 days of incubation after trapping the emitted CO2 in NaOH and precipitating it as BaCO3. The ∂13C values of the soil imply, that the highest share of C4-C of around 30% is situated at a depth of 10-20 cm. Corn that used to be cultivated on the grassland field before 2009 still accounts for 8% of SOC. O/C and H/C ratios of the peat samples indicate a stronger microbial imprint of organic matter under Miscanthus cultivation. The amount of CO2 emitted was not affected by the cultivation type. On average 57% of the CO2 was C4 derived in the Miscanthus field, whereas 38% was C4-derived in the Grassland field. According to our radiocarbon data, 38% of the CO2 must have originated from peat-derived OM on the Miscanthus field, whereas 57% of the CO2 was derived from peat in the grassland. Although peat minerlaization seems to be smaller and a significant amount of C4-C accumulated under Miscanthus, peat mineralization nonetheless contributed substantially to soil respiration. Together, our data do not support the hypothesis that Miscanthus cultivation can fully compensate for organic matter loss in drained peatlands.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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 increasingly negative delta values as going back in time. All measurements were carried out in Hertelendi Laboratory of Environmental Studies, Institute for Nuclear Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Katalin Hubay, Mihály Braun, Sándor Harangi, László Palcsu, Marianna Túri, László Rinyu, Mihály Molnár, 2015. European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2015, Radiocarbon dating of Sphagnum cellulose from Mohos peat bog, East Carpathians, accepted in CL5.10/GM1.10 Geophysical Research Abstracts Vol. 17, EGU2015-10813, 2015

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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 piles are also strong N2O sources. The rewetted, vegetated microtopes are strong CH4 sources, whereas all other areas show insignificant CH4 fluxes. The annual GHG emissions in the area rewetted 30 years ago are at least triply as high as the rates of the extraction on-going area, thus demonstrating the long period needed for the establishment of a carbon balance that is similar to the pre-drainage situation.

Carbon isotopes in peat, DOC, CO2, and CH4 in a Holocene peatland on Dartmoor, southwest England

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charman, Dan J.; Aravena, Ramon; Bryant, Charlotte L.; Harkness, Doug D.

1999-06-01

Carbon gases with younger 14C ages than those of the surrounding peat have been reported from continental boreal peatlands, a fact which suggests that significant movement of CO2, CH4, or DOC (dissolved organic carbon) and export of C via subsurface processes are not accounted for in most estimates of contributions to the C cycle. This paper tests the hypothesis that similar processes can occur in oceanic ombrotrophic mires where water and gas movement is theoretically minimal. Measurements of 14C and δ13C in CO2, CH4, and DOC, and of tritium, are reported from depths to 250 cm at Tor Royal, a raised mire in southwest England. Radiocarbon ages of gases are 1460 to 500 yr younger than those of peat from the same depths, and CO2 is consistently younger than CH4. DOC is 1260 to 830 yr younger than the peat, and significant amounts of tritium were found at all depths. Gas ages are mostly intermediate between the age of the peat and that of the DOC, which suggests that C is principally transported as DOC. However, some gases are younger than their associated DOC, which implies that movement of dissolved gases may also take place. δ13C values in gases suggest that CO2 reduction is the major pathway for CH4 production. Transport of C in deep peats is likely to be a significant component in the overall C budget of ombrotrophic oceanic peatlands, and C export via discharge to ground or surface waters may be an important mechanism for gaseous C emissions.

The effect of drought on dissolved organic carbon (DOC) release from peatland soil and vegetation sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ritson, Jonathan P.; Brazier, Richard E.; Graham, Nigel J. D.; Freeman, Chris; Templeton, Michael R.; Clark, Joanna M.

2017-06-01

Drought conditions are expected to increase in frequency and severity as the climate changes, representing a threat to carbon sequestered in peat soils. Downstream water treatment works are also at risk of regulatory compliance failures and higher treatment costs due to the increase in riverine dissolved organic carbon (DOC) often observed after droughts. More frequent droughts may also shift dominant vegetation in peatlands from Sphagnum moss to more drought-tolerant species. This paper examines the impact of drought on the production and treatability of DOC from four vegetation litters (Calluna vulgaris, Juncus effusus, Molinia caerulea and Sphagnum spp.) and a peat soil. We found that mild droughts caused a 39.6 % increase in DOC production from peat and that peat DOC that had been exposed to oxygen was harder to remove by conventional water treatment processes (coagulation/flocculation). Drought had no effect on the amount of DOC production from vegetation litters; however large variation was observed between typical peatland species (Sphagnum and Calluna) and drought-tolerant grassland species (Juncus and Molinia), with the latter producing more DOC per unit weight. This would therefore suggest the increase in riverine DOC often observed post-drought is due entirely to soil microbial processes and DOC solubility rather than litter layer effects. Long-term shifts in species diversity may, therefore, be the most important impact of drought on litter layer DOC flux, whereas pulses related to drought may be observed in peat soils and are likely to become more common in the future. These results provide evidence in support of catchment management which increases the resilience of peat soils to drought, such as ditch blocking to raise water tables.

Mass tree mortality leads to mangrove peat collapse at Bay Islands, Honduras after Hurricane Mitch

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cahoon, D.R.; Hensel, P.; Rybczyk, J.; McKee, K.L.; Proffitt, C.E.; Perez, B.C.

2003-01-01

We measured sediment elevation and accretion dynamics in mangrove forests on the islands of Guanaja and Roatan, Honduras, impacted by Hurricane Mitch in 1998 to determine if collapse of underlying peat was occurring as a result of mass tree mortality. Little is known about the balance between production and decomposition of soil organic matter in the maintenance of sediment elevation of mangrove forests with biogenic soils. Sediment elevation change measured with the rod surface elevation table from 18 months to 33 months after the storm differed significantly among low, medium and high wind impact sites. Mangrove forests suffering minimal to partial mortality gained elevation at a rate (5 mm yeara??1) greater than vertical accretion (2 mm yeara??1) measured from artificial soil marker horizons, suggesting that root production contributed to sediment elevation. Basin forests that suffered mass tree mortality experienced peat collapse of about 11 mm yeara??1 as a result of decomposition of dead root material and sediment compaction. Low soil shear strength and lack of root growth accompanied elevation decreases. Model simulations using the Relative Elevation Model indicate that peat collapse in the high impact basin mangrove forest would be 37 mm yeara??1 for the 2 years immediately after the storm, as root material decomposed. In the absence of renewed root growth, the model predicts that peat collapse will continue for at least 8 more years at a rate (7 mm yeara??1) similar to that measured (11 mm yeara??1). Mass tree mortality caused rapid elevation loss. Few trees survived and recovery of the high impact forest will thus depend primarily on seedling recruitment. Because seedling establishment is controlled in large part by sediment elevation in relation to tide height, continued peat collapse could further impair recovery rates.

Carbon isotope evidence for recent climate-related enhancement of CO 2 assimilation and peat accumulation rates in Antarctica.

PubMed

Royles, Jessica; Ogée, Jérôme; Wingate, Lisa; Hodgson, Dominic A; Convey, Peter; Griffiths, Howard

2012-10-01

Signy Island, maritime Antarctic, lies within the region of the Southern Hemisphere that is currently experiencing the most rapid rates of environmental change. In this study, peat cores up to 2 m in depth from four moss banks on Signy Island were used to reconstruct changes in moss growth and climatic characteristics over the late Holocene. Measurements included radiocarbon dating (to determine peat accumulation rates) and stable carbon isotope composition of moss cellulose (to estimate photosynthetic limitation by CO 2 supply and model CO 2 assimilation rate). For at least one intensively 14 C-dated Chorisodontium aciphyllum moss peat bank, the vertical accumulation rate of peat was 3.9 mm yr -1 over the last 30 years. Before the industrial revolution, rates of peat accumulation in all cores were much lower, at around 0.6-1 mm yr -1 . Carbon-13 discrimination (Δ), corrected for background and anthropogenic source inputs, was used to develop a predictive model for CO 2 assimilation. Between 1680 and 1900, there had been a gradual increase in Δ, and hence assimilation rate. Since 1800, assimilation has also been stimulated by the changes in atmospheric CO 2 concentration, but a recent decline in Δ (over the past 50-100 years) can perhaps be attributed to documented changes in temperature and/or precipitation. The overall increase in CO 2 assimilation rate ( 13 C proxy) and enhanced C accumulation ( 14 C proxy) are consistent with warmer and wetter conditions currently generating higher growth rates than at any time in the past three millennia, with the decline in Δ perhaps compensated by a longer growing season. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vlček, Lukáš; Falátková, Kristýna; Schneider, Philipp

2017-06-01

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.

Bearing capacity of helical pile foundation in peat soil from different, diameter and spacing of helical plates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fatnanta, F.; Satibi, S.; Muhardi

2018-03-01

In an area dominated by thick peat soil layers, driven piles foundation is often used. These piles are generally skin friction piles where the pile tips do not reach hard stratum. Since the bearing capacity of the piles rely on the resistance of their smooth skin, the bearing capacity of the piles are generally low. One way to increase the bearing capacity of the piles is by installing helical plates around the pile tips. Many research has been performed on helical pile foundation. However, literature on the use of helical pile foundation on peat soil is still hardly found. This research focus on the study of axial bearing capacity of helical pile foundation in peat soil, especially in Riau Province. These full-scale tests on helical pile foundation were performed in a rectangular box partially embedded into the ground. The box is filled with peat soil, which was taken from Rimbo Panjang area in the district of Kampar, Riau Province. Several helical piles with different number, diameter and spacing of the helical plates have been tested and analysed. The tests result show that helical pile with three helical plates of uniform diameter has better bearing capacity compared to other helical piles with varying diameter and different number of helical plates. The bearing capacity of helical pile foundation is affected by the spacing between helical plates. It is found that the effective helical plates spacing for helical pile foundation with diameter of 15cm to 35cm is between 20cm to 30cm. This behaviour may be considered to apply to other type of helical pile foundations in peat soil.

Contrasting vulnerability of drained tropical and high-latitude peatlands to fluvial loss of stored carbon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, Chris D.; Page, Susan E.; Jones, Tim; Moore, Sam; Gauci, Vincent; Laiho, Raija; Hruška, Jakub; Allott, Tim E. H.; Billett, Michael F.; Tipping, Ed; Freeman, Chris; Garnett, Mark H.

2014-11-01

Carbon sequestration and storage in peatlands rely on consistently high water tables. Anthropogenic pressures including drainage, burning, land conversion for agriculture, timber, and biofuel production, cause loss of pressures including drainage, burning, land conversion for agriculture, timber, and biofuel production, cause loss of peat-forming vegetation and exposure of previously anaerobic peat to aerobic decomposition. This can shift peatlands from net CO2 sinks to large CO2 sources, releasing carbon held for millennia. Peatlands also export significant quantities of carbon via fluvial pathways, mainly as dissolved organic carbon (DOC). We analyzed radiocarbon (14C) levels of DOC in drainage water from multiple peatlands in Europe and Southeast Asia, to infer differences in the age of carbon lost from intact and drained systems. In most cases, drainage led to increased release of older carbon from the peat profile but with marked differences related to peat type. Very low DOC-14C levels in runoff from drained tropical peatlands indicate loss of very old (centuries to millennia) stored peat carbon. High-latitude peatlands appear more resilient to drainage; 14C measurements from UK blanket bogs suggest that exported DOC remains young (<50 years) despite drainage. Boreal and temperate fens and raised bogs in Finland and the Czech Republic showed intermediate sensitivity. We attribute observed differences to physical and climatic differences between peatlands, in particular, hydraulic conductivity and temperature, as well as the extent of disturbance associated with drainage, notably land use changes in the tropics. Data from the UK Peak District, an area where air pollution and intensive land management have triggered Sphagnum loss and peat erosion, suggest that additional anthropogenic pressures may trigger fluvial loss of much older (>500 year) carbon in high-latitude systems. Rewetting at least partially offsets drainage effects on DOC age.

Estimating the water budget for a peat filter treating septic tank effluent in the field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Geel, Paul J.; Parker, Wayne J.

2003-02-01

The use of peat as a filter medium for the treatment of a variety of liquid and gas waste streams has increased over the past decade. Peat has been used as an alternate treatment medium to treat septic tank effluent (STE) from domestic and small communal systems. Very little research has been completed to study the hydraulics and water budget of a peat filter operating in the field. This study evaluated the water budget of a peat filter operating at an elementary school near Ottawa, Canada. The peat filter was instrumented with tensiometers to measure the pore water pressures within the filter and a weather station to collect weather data required to estimate potential evapotranspiration. A one-dimensional unsaturated flow model, SoilCover, was calibrated using the pressure data and weather data collected in the field. The calibrated model was use to estimate the water budget for the filter operating with and without STE loading. The calibrated model predicted that the annual precipitation exceeded evapotranspiration for both scenarios. For the filter treating 50 mm/day of STE, there was a slight dilution due to the infiltration resulting in a net dilution factor of 0.97 (loading divided by the loading plus infiltration). The largest rainfall event of 49.9 mm resulted in a dilution factor of approximately 0.87, which corresponded to an approximate decrease in the hydraulic retention time (HRT) of between 12 and 33% depending on the calculation used to determine the HRT. When the filter does not receive STE, the precipitation exceeds evapotranspiration and hence the filter should not dry out when the filter is not in use.

The association of uranium with organic matter in Holocene peat: An experimental leaching study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zielinski, R.A.; Meier, A.L.

1988-01-01

Uraniferous peat was sampled from surface layers of a Holocene U deposit in northeastern Washington State. Dried, sized, and homogenized peat that contained 5980 ??307 ppm U was subjected to a variety of leaching conditions to determine the nature and strength of U-organic bonding in recently accumulated organic matter. The results complement previous experimental studies of U uptake on peat and suggest some natural or anthropogenic disturbances that are favorable for remobilizing U. The fraction of U leached in 24 h experiments at 25??C ranged from 0 to 95%. The most effective leach solutions contained anions capable of forming stable dissolved complexes with uranyl (UO2+2) cation. These included H2SO4 (pH = 1.5) and concentrated (>0.01 M) solutions of sodium bicarbonate-carbonate (pH = 7.0-10.0), or sodium pyrophosphate (pH = 10). Effective leaching by carbonate and pyrophosphate in the absence of added oxidant, and the insignificant effect of added oxidant (as pressurized O2) strongly suggest that U is initially fixed on organic matter as an oxidized U(VI) species. Uranium is more strongly bound than some other polyvalent cations, based on its resistance to exchange in the presence of large excesses of dissolved Ca2+ and Cu2+. Measurements of the rate of U leaching indicate faster rates in acid solution compared to carbonate solution, and are consisten with simultaneous attack of sites with different affinities for U. Sulfuric acid appears a good choice for commercial extraction of U from mined peat. In situ disturbances such as overliming of peat soils, addition of fertilizers containing pyrophosphate, or incursions of natural carbonate-rich waters could produce significant remobilization of U, and possibly compromise the quality of local domestic water supplies. ?? 1988.

Microbial liquefaction of peat for the production of synthetic fuels

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gunasekaran, M.

1988-01-01

Objectives of this study were: to evaluate the potential of using various microorganisms to hydrolyse and liquify peat; to determine the optimal conditions for peat hydrolysis and liquefaction; to study the co-metabolizable substances; to separate the compounds present in liquified peat by alumina and silica acid chromatography and capillary gas chromatography; and to identify the compounds in liquified peat by capillary GC-Mass spectrometry. Organisms used in the study include: Coprinus comatus, Coriolus hirsutus, Ganoderma lucidum, Lentinus edodes, Lenzites trabea, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Pleurotus ostreatus, P. sapidus, Polyporus adjustus, Neurospora sitophila, Rhizophus arrhizus, Bacillus subtilis, Acinetobacter sp. and Alcaligenes sp. The fungimore » were maintained and cultivated in potato dextrose agar at 30 C. The bacteria were maintained in nutrient agar at 30 C. We have also initiated work on coal solubilization in addition to the studies on peat liquefaction. A relatively new substratum or semi-solid base for culture media called Pluronic F-127, or Polyol (BASF, New Jersey). Objectives of this study were: (1) to study the growth patterns of Candida ML 13 on pluronic as substratum; (2) to determine the rate of microbial coal solubilization on pluronic F-127 amended in different growth media; (3) to separate the mycelial mat of Candida ML 13 from unsolubilized coal particles and solubilized coal products from pluronic F-127; (4) to determine the effects of pH on microbial coal solubilization in pluronic F-127 media; (5) the effect of concentration of pluronic F-127 in media on coal solubilization; and, (6) to study the role of extracellular factors secreted by Candida ML 13 on coal solubilization in pluronic F-127 media. Results are discussed. 4 refs.« less

Characterization of the efficiency of sedimentation basins downstream of harvested peat bogs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samson-Do, Myriam; St-Hilaire, André

2015-04-01

Peat harvesting is a very lucrative industry in the provinces of Quebec and New-Brunswick (Canada). Peat enters in many potting mix used for horticulture. However, harvesting this resource has some impacts on the environment. First, industries need to drain the peat bog to dry the superficial layer. Then, it is harvested with industrial vacuums and the underlying layer is allowed to dry. The drained water is laden with suspended sediments (mostly organic peat fibers) that may affect biota of the stream where it is discharged. To counter the problem, this water does not go directly on the stream but first flows through a sedimentation basin, built to reduce suspended sediment loads. This work focuses on characterizing and eventually modeling the efficiency of those sedimentation basins. Seven basins were studied in Rivière-du-Loup, St-Valère and Escoumins (Quebec, Canada). They each have a different ratio basin area/drained area (4.7 10-4 to 20.3 10-4). To continuously monitor the sediment loads (calculated from sediment concentrations and discharge) entering and leaving basins, a nephelometer and a level logger were installed in the water column upstream and downstream of sedimentation basins. Their trapping efficiency was measured during the ice-free period (May to October) and for each significant rain event, since it is known that the rain and subsequent runoff induce most of the peat transport in and out of the basin. Results show that the event efficiency decreases as the basin is filled up with trapped sediments. For one basin, the efficiency was 85August. Trapping efficiency can be used as a tool to estimate basin dimensions. This has been done for municipal sedimentation ponds that trap minerals and will be adapted to the current context, where the dominant sediment is organic.

Carbon isotopes in peat, DOC, CO{sub 2}, and CH{sub 4} in a Holocene peatland on Dartmoor, southwest England

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Charman, D.J.; Aravena, R.; Bryant, C.L.

1999-06-01

Carbon gases with younger {sup 14}C ages than those of the surrounding peat have been reported from continental boreal peatlands, a fact which suggests that significant movement of CO{sub 2}, CH{sub 4}, or DOC (dissolved organic carbon) and export of C via subsurface processes are not accounted for in most estimates of contributions to the C cycle. This paper tests the hypothesis that similar processes can occur in oceanic ombrotrophic mires where water and gas movement is theoretically minimal. Measurements of {sup 14}C and {delta}{sup 13}C in CO{sub 2}, CH{sub 4}, and DOC, and of tritium, are reported from depthsmore » to 250 cm at Tor Royal, a raised mire in southwest England. Radiocarbon ages of gases are 1,460 to 500 yr younger than those of peat from the same depths, and CO{sub 2} is consistently younger than CH{sub 4}. DOC is 1,260 to 830 yr younger than the peat, and significant amounts of tritium were found at all depths. Gas ages are mostly intermediate between the age of the peat and that of the DOC, which suggests that C is principally transported as DOC. However, some gases are younger than their associated DOC, which implies that movement of dissolved gases may also take place. {delta}{sup 13}C values in gases suggest that CO{sub 2} reduction is the major pathway for CH{sub 4} production. Transport of C in deep peats is likely to be a significant component in the overall C budget of ombrotrophic oceanic peatlands, and C export via discharge to ground or surface waters may be an important mechanism for gaseous C emissions.« less

Low ash, planar peat swamp development in an alluvial plain setting: The No. 5 block beds of southern West Virginia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Staub, J.R.; Richards, B.K.

1992-01-01

Coals from the No. 5 Block beds (Westphalian D) are noted for their low ash and sulfur content. Beds are multiple benched, with rock partings separating individual benches. Benches have limited continuity and, where thick are dominated by bright, high ash coal at the base and dull, low ash coal in their upper portions. The duller coals contain more exinite and inertinite group macerals than the brighter coals. The depositional setting is an alluvial plain environment with channel systems separated by distances of about 20 km. The channel systems were flanked by clastic swamps for distances of up to 7more » km or more on either side. Areas of flood plain most distant from the channels were sites where peat accumulated and these zones were about 8 km across. High energy, low frequency flood events introduced fine grained sediment into the peat swamps resulting in thin layers of sediment being deposited on top of the peat. These sediment layers are thicker in areas where the underlying coal is the thickest. These thick coal areas are topographically negative. This relationship between coal and parting thickness and topography indicates that these peat swamps were low-lying or planar. Individual coal benches contain abundant amounts of preserved cellular tissue (telocollinite, semifusinite, fusinite) at most locations indicating that woody arborescent like vegetation was widespread in the swamps suggesting a planar morphology. The high concentrations of exinite and inertinite group macerals found in the upper portions of individual benches resulted from decomposition and oxidation of the peat in subaerial to aquatic planar swamp environments.« less

Pb inventory in an ombrotrophic bog decreases over time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baumann, E.; Jeremiason, J.; Sebestyen, S.

2016-12-01

Peat cores were collected from the S2 ombrotrophic bog at the Marcell Experimental Forest (MEF) to determine if the Pb inventory in the bog has decreased over time. Pb concentrations in the outflow of the bog measured from 2009-2016 indicated continued mobilization and export of Pb out of the bog despite dramatic decreases in atmospheric deposition. A seminal study conducted by Urban et al. (1990) from 1981-1983 calculated a mass balance of Pb in the S2 watershed which included a Pb inventory in peat based on the approximate time frame of 1930 to 1983. We collected peat cores in 2016 to compare peat inventories of Pb over the same time range. We found that Pb inventories in the peat have decreased over time, consistent with Pb being mobilized by dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and gradually flushed out of the bog. Since 1983, DOC levels may have increased leading to further Pb mobilization and transport from the bog, but this trend is unclear. In contrast to Pb concentrations in the outflow water, upland runoff and the surface sphagnum moss layer have dramatically lower Pb concentrations compared to 1980s levels indicating fast ecosystem responses to a decrease in Pb inputs in these compartments. However, the deeper peat layers near the water table are responding more slowly to the decrease in Pb inputs and historical Pb inputs continue to be mobilized and transported from the bog. Our results would be applicable to other trace metals, such as Hg, that bind strongly to DOC. For example, a dramatic decrease in Hg deposition would not result in near-term decreases in Hg out of the bog.

Modeling hydrological controls on variations in peat water content, water table depth, and surface energy exchange of a boreal western Canadian fen peatland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mezbahuddin, M.; Grant, R. F.; Flanagan, L. B.

2016-08-01

Improved predictive capacity of hydrology and surface energy exchange is critical for conserving boreal peatland carbon sequestration under drier and warmer climates. We represented basic processes for water and O2 transport and their effects on ecosystem water, energy, carbon, and nutrient cycling in a process-based model ecosys to simulate effects of seasonal and interannual variations in hydrology on peat water content, water table depth (WTD), and surface energy exchange of a Western Canadian fen peatland. Substituting a van Genuchten model (VGM) for a modified Campbell model (MCM) in ecosys enabled a significantly better simulation of peat moisture retention as indicated by higher modeled versus measured R2 and Willmot's index (d) with VGM (R2 0.7, d 0.8) than with MCM (R2 0.25, d 0.35) for daily peat water contents from a wetter year 2004 to a drier year 2009. With the improved peat moisture simulation, ecosys modeled hourly WTD and energy fluxes reasonably well (modeled versus measured R2: WTD 0.6, net radiation 0.99, sensible heat >0.8, and latent heat >0.85). Gradually declining ratios of precipitation to evapotranspiration and of lateral recharge to discharge enabled simulation of a gradual drawdown of growing season WTD and a consequent peat drying from 2004 to 2009. When WTD fell below a threshold of 0.35 m below the hollow surface, intense drying of mosses in ecosys caused a simulated reduction in evapotranspiration and an increase in Bowen ratio during late growing season that were consistent with measurements. Hence, using appropriate water desorption curve coupled with vertical-lateral hydraulic schemes is vital to accurately simulate peatland hydrology and energy balance.

Analysis and Characterization of Organic Carbon in Early Holocene Wetland Paleosols using Ramped Pyrolysis 14C and Biomarkers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vetter, L.; Schreiner, K. M.; Fernandez, A.; Rosenheim, B. E.; Tornqvist, T. E.

2014-12-01

Radiocarbon analyses are a key tool for quantifying the dynamics of carbon cycling and storage in both modern soils and Quaternary paleosols. Frequently, bulk 14C dates of paleosol organic carbon provide ages older than the time of soil burial, and 14C dates of geochemical fractions such as alkali and acid extracts (operationally defined as humic acids) can provide anomalously old ages when compared to coeval plant macrofossil dates. Ramped pyrolysis radiocarbon analysis of sedimentary organic material has been employed as a tool for investigating 14C age spectra in sediments with multiple organic carbon sources. Here we combine ramped pyrolysis 14C analysis and biomarker analysis (lignin-phenols and other cupric oxide products) to provide information on the source and diagenetic state of the paleosol organic carbon. We apply these techniques to immature early Holocene brackish wetland entisols from three sediment cores in southeastern Louisiana, along with overlying basal peats. Surprisingly, we find narrow 14C age spectra across all thermal aliquots from both paleosols and peats. The weighted bulk 14C ages from paleosols and overlying peats are within analytical error, and are comparable to independently analyzed 14C AMS dates from charcoal fragments and other plant macrofossils from each peat bed. Our results suggest high turnover rates of carbon in soils relative to input of exogenous carbon sources. These data raise broader questions about processes within the active soil and during pedogenesis and burial of paleosols that can effectively homogenize radiocarbon content in soils across the thermochemical spectrum. The concurrence of paleosol and peat 14C ages also suggests that, in the absence of peats with identifiable plant macrofossils, ramped pyrolysis 14C analyses of paleosols may be used to provide ages for sea-level indicators.

Characterization of Gas and Particle Emissions from Laboratory Burns of Peat

EPA Science Inventory

Peat cores collected from two locations in eastern North Carolina (NC, USA) were burned in a laboratory facility to characterize emissions during simulated field combustion. Particle and gas samples were analyzed to quantify emission factors for particulate matter (PM2.5), organi...

Polygonal patterned peatlands of the White Sea islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kutenkov, S. A.; Kozhin, M. N.; Golovina, E. O.; Kopeina, E. I.; Stoikina, N. V.

2018-03-01

The summits and slopes of some islands along the northeastern and northern coasts of the White Sea are covered with dried out peatlands. The thickness of the peat deposit is 30–80 cm and it is separated by troughs into gently sloping polygonal peat blocks up to 20 m2 in size. On some northern islands the peat blocks have permafrost cores. The main components of the dried out peatlands vegetation are dwarf shrubs and lichens. The peat stratigraphy reveals two stages of peatland development. On the first stage, the islands were covered with wet cottongrass carpets, which repeated the convex relief shape. On the second stage, they were occupied by the xeromorphic vegetation. We suggest that these polygonal patterned peatlands are the remnants of blanket bogs, the formation of which assumes the conditions of a much more humid climate in the historical past. The time of their active development was calculated according to the White Sea level changes and radiocarbon dates from 1000–4000 BP.

SPRUCE Deep Peat Heating (DPH) to Whole Ecosystem Warming (WEW) Metagenomes for Peat Samples Collected June 2016

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kluber, Laurel A; Yip, Daniel Z; Yang, Zamin K

This data set provides links to the results of metagenomic analyses of 44 peat samples collected on 13 June 2016 from SPRUCE experiment treatment and ambient plots. Experimental plots had received approximately 24 months of belowground warming (deep peat heating (DPH), Hanson et al. 2015) with the last 9 of those months including air warming for implementation of whole ecosystems warming (WEW – Hanson et al. 2016). WEW Metagenomes: Data from these metagenomes are archived in the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) Integrated Microbial Genomes (IMG) system (http://img.jgi.doe.gov/) and are available at the accession numbers providedmore » below (Table 2) and in the accompanying inventory file. The easiest way to find results on IMG is at this link, https://img.jgi.doe.gov/cgi-bin/m/main.cgi, and then enter “June2016WEW” as a search term in the “Quick Genome Search:” box at the top of the page.« less

Potential production of palm oil-based foaming agent as fire extinguisher of peatlands in Indonesia: Literature review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subekti, P.; Hambali, E.; Suryani, A.; Suryadarma, P.

2017-05-01

This study aims to analyze the potential aplication of of palm oil-based foaming agent as peat fires fighter in Indonesia. From literature review, it has been known that the foaming agent able to form foam to extinguish fire, wrap and refrigerate the burning peat. It is necessary to develop the production and application of foaming agent in Indonesia because peat fires occur almost every year that caused smoke haze. Potential raw material for the production of environmental friendly foaming agent as foam extinguishing for peat fires in Indonesia aong other is palm oil due to abundant availability, sustainable, and foam product easily degraded in the environment of the burnt areas. Production of foaming agent as fire-fighting in Indonesia is one alternative to reduce the time to control the fire and smog disaster impact. Application of palm oil as a raw material for fire-fighting is contribute to increase the value added and the development of palm oil downstream industry.

Tropical organic soils ecosystems in relation to regional water resources in southeast Asia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Armentano, T. V.

1982-01-01

Tropical organic soils have functioned as natural sinks for carbon, nitrogen, slfur and other nutrients for the past 4000 years or more. Topographic evolution in peat swamp forests towards greater oligotrophy has concentrated storage of the limited nutrient stock in surface soils and biota. Tropical peat systems thus share common ecosystem characteristics with northern peat bogs and certain tropical oligotrophic forests. Organic matter accumulation and high cation-exchange-capacity limit nutrient exports from undisturbed organic soils, although nutrient retention declines with increasing eutrophy and wetland productivity. Peat swamps are subject to irreversible degradation if severely altered because disturbance of vegetation, surface peatsmore » and detritus can disrupt nuttrient cycles and reduce forest recovery capacity. Drainage also greatly increases exports of nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients and leads to downstream eutrophication and water quality degradation. Regional planning for clean water supplies must recognize the benefits provided by natural peatlands in balancing water supplies and regulating water chemistry.« less

Peat Water Purification by Hydroxyapatite (HAp) Synthesized from Waste Pensi (Corbicula moltkiana) Shells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fajri Alif, Matlal; Aprillia, Wandha; Arief, Syukri

2018-01-01

Hydroxyapatite (HAP) were synthesized from Pensi (Corbicula moltkiana) sheels by hydrothermal method and used as adsorbent for peat water purification. Batch adsorption experiments were performed to investigate the effects of various factors such as contact time, adsorbent dosage, and pH. The obtained materials were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Results showed that HAP calcined at 900°C (HAP900) and 1000°C (HAP1000) have a poorly crystalline shape. HAP900 also contain Tetracalsium Phosphate (TTCP) with a Ca/P molar ratio 2.18, while HAP 1000 contain HAp with a Ca/P molar ratio 1.67. Optimum condition for peat water purification with HAP900 and HAP1000 were both achieved at 1 hours, 1 grams adsorben mass at pH 2. SEM micrographs show that after purification, the surface of HAP were covered by organic compounds from peat water.

Environmental factors controlling methane emissions from peatlands in northern Minnesota

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dise, Nancy B.; Gorham, Eville; Verry, Elon S.

1993-01-01

The environmental factors affecting the emission of methane from peatlands were investigated by correlating CH4 emission data for two years, obtained from five different peatland ecosystems in northern Minnesota, with peat temperature, water table position, and degree of peat humification. The relationship obtained between the CH4 flux and these factors was compared to results from a field manipulation experiment in which the water table was artificially raised in three experimental plots within the driest peatland. It was found that peat temperature, water table position, and degree of peat humification explained 91 percent of the variance in log CH4 flux, successfully predicted annual CH4 emission from individual wetlands, and predicted the change in flux due to the water table manipulation. Raising the water table in the bog corrals by an average of 6 cm in autumn 1989 and 10 cm in summer 1990 increased CH4 emission by 2.5 and 2.2 times, respectively.

Nitrogen and phosphorus loading from drained wetlands adjacent to Upper Klamath and Agency lakes, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Snyder, Daniel T.; Morace, Jennifer L.

1997-01-01

The results of this study could be useful in helping to prioritize which drained wetlands may provide the greatest benefits with regard to reducing nutrient loads to the lake if restoration or land-use modifications are instituted. Recent acquisition and planned restoration of drained wetland areas at the Wood River and Williamson River North properties may produce significant reduction in the quantity of nutrients released by the decomposition of peat soils of these areas. If the water table rises to predrainage levels, the peats soils may become inundated most of the year, resulting in the continued long-term storage of nutrients within the peat soils by reducing aerobic decomposition. The maximum benefit, in terms of decreasing potential nutrient loss due to peat decomposition, could be the reduction of total nitrogen and total phosphorus loss to about one-half that of the 1994–95 annual loss estimated for all the drained wetlands sampled for this study.

Gaseous mercury fluxes in peatlands and the potential influence of climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haynes, Kristine M.; Kane, Evan S.; Potvin, Lynette; Lilleskov, Erik A.; Kolka, Randall K.; Mitchell, Carl P. J.

2017-04-01

Climate change has the potential to significantly impact the stability of large stocks of mercury (Hg) stored in peatland systems due to increasing temperatures, altered water table regimes and subsequent shifts in vascular plant communities. However, the Hg exchange dynamics between the atmosphere and peatlands are not well understood. At the PEATcosm Mesocosm Facility in Houghton, Michigan, total gaseous Hg (TGM) fluxes were monitored in a subset of 1-m3 peat monoliths with altered water table positions (high and low) and vascular plant functional groups (sedge only, Ericaceae only or unmanipulated control) above the Sphagnum moss layer. At the SPRUCE bog in north-central Minnesota, TGM fluxes were measured from plots subjected to deep peat soil warming (up to +9 °C above ambient at a depth of 2 m). At PEATcosm, the strongest depositional trend was observed with the Low WT - sedge only treatment mesocosms with a mean TGM flux of -73.7 ± 6.3 ng m-2 d-1, likely due to shuttling of Hg to the peat at depth by aerenchymous tissues. The highest total leaf surface and tissue Hg concentrations were observed with the Ericaceae shrubs. A negative correlation between TGM flux and Ericaceae total leaf surface area suggests an influence of shrubs in controlling Hg exchange through stomatal uptake, surface sorption and potentially, peat shading. Surface peat total Hg concentrations are highest in treatments with greatest deposition suggesting deposition controls Hg accumulation in surface peat. Fluxes in the SPRUCE plots ranged from -45.9 ± 93.8 ng m-2 d-1 prior to the implementation of the deep warming treatments to -1.41 ± 27.1 ng m-2 d-1 once warming targets were achieved at depth and +10.2 ± 44.6 ng m-2 d-1 following prolonged deep soil warming. While these intervals did not differ significantly, a significant positive increase in the slope of the regression between flux and surface temperature was observed across the pre-treatment and warming periods. Shifts in vascular vegetation cover and peat warming as a result of climate change may significantly affect the dynamics of TGM fluxes between peatlands and the atmosphere.

Quantifying spatial variability of depth of peat burn in wetlands in relation to antecedent characteristics using field data, multi-temporal and multi-spectral LiDAR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chasmer, L.; Flade, L.; Virk, R.; Montgomery, J. S.; Hopkinson, C.; Thompson, D. K.; Petrone, R. M.; Devito, K.

2017-12-01

Landscape changes in the hydrological characteristics of wetlands in some parts of the Boreal region of Canada are occurring as a result of climate-induced feedbacks and anthropogenic disturbance. Wetlands are largely resilient to wildfire, however, natural, climatic and anthropogenic disturbances can change surface water regimes and predispose wetlands to greater depth of peat burn. Over broad areas, peat loss contributes to significant pollution emissions, which can affect community health. In this study, we a) quantify depth of peat burn and relationships to antecedent conditions (species type, topography, surficial geology) within three classified wetlands found in the Boreal Plains ecoregion of western Canada; and b) examine the impacts of wildfire on post-fire ground surface energy balance to determine how peat loss might affect local hydro-climatology and surface water feedbacks. High-resolution optical imagery, pre- and post-burn multi-spectral Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR), airborne thermal infrared imagery, and field validation data products are integrated to identify multiple complex interactions within the study wetlands. LiDAR-derived depth of peat burn is within 1 cm (average) compared with measured (RMSE = 9 cm over the control surface), demonstrating the utility of LiDAR with high point return density. Depth of burn also correlates strongly with variations in Normalised Burn Ratio (NBR) determined for ground surfaces only. Antecedent conditions including topographic position, soil moisture, soil type and wetland species also have complex interactions with depth of peat loss within wetlands observed in other studies. However, while field measurements are important for validation and understanding eco-hydrological processes, results from remote sensing are spatially continuous. Temporal LiDAR data illustrate the full range of variability in depth of burn and wetland characteristics following fire. Finally, measurements of instantaneous surface temperature indicate that the temperatures of burned wetlands are significantly warmer by up to 10oC compared to non-burned wetlands, altering locally variable sensible vs. latent energy exchanges and implications for further post-fire evaporative losses.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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 profile of peat bogs (Kravchenko, Sirin, 2007). The obtained results confirm that the hydrological stratification of peat bogs is a more complicated picture than previously thought and need to be considered.

Insights from 14C into C loss pathways in degraded peatlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, Martin; Evans, Chris; Allott, Tim; Stimson, Andrew; Goulsbra, Claire

2016-04-01

Peatlands are important global stores of terrestrial carbon. Lowered water tables due to changing climate and direct or indirect human intervention produce a deeper aerobic zone and have the potential to enhance loss of stored carbon from the peat profile. The quasi continuous accumulation of organic matter in active peatlands means that the age of fluvial dissolved organic carbon exported from peatland systems is related to the source depth in the peat profile. Consequently 14C analysis of DOC in waters draining peatlands has the potential not only to tell us about the source of fluvial carbon and the stability of the peatland but also about the dominant hydrological pathways in the peatland system. This paper will present new radiocarbon determinations from peatland streams draining the heavily eroded peatlands of the southern Pennine uplands in the UK. These blanket peatland systems are highly degraded, with extensive bare peat and gully erosion resulting from air pollution during the industrial revolution, overgrazing, wildfire and climatic changes. Deep and extensive gullying has significantly modified the hydrology of these systems leading to local and more widespread drawdown of water table. 14C data from DOC in drainage waters are presented from two catchments; one with extensive gully erosion and the other with a combination of gully erosion and sheet erosion of the peat. At the gully eroded site DOC in drainage waters is as old as 160 BP but at the site with extensive sheet erosion dates of up to 1069 BP are amongst the oldest recorded from blanket peatland globally These data indicate significant degradation of stored carbon from the eroding peatlands. Initial comparisons of the 14C data with modelled water table for the catchments and depth-age curves for catchment peats suggests that erosion of the peat surface, allowing decomposition of exposed older organic material is a potential mechanism producing aged carbon from the eroded catchment. This mechanism may be as important as changes in hydrological flow pathways within the peat in mobilising aged carbon from the systems.

Using Ground Targets to Validate S-NPP VIIRS Day-Night Band Calibration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Xuexia; Wu, Aisheng; Xiong, Xiaoxiong; Lei, Ning; Wang, Zhipeng; Chiang, Kwofu

2016-01-01

In this study, the observations from S-NPP VIIRS Day-Night band (DNB) and Moderate resolution bands (M bands) of Libya 4 and Dome C over the first four years of the mission are used to assess the DNB low gain calibration stability. The Sensor Data Records produced by NASA Land Product Evaluation and Algorithm Testing Element (PEATE) are acquired from nearly nadir overpasses for Libya 4 desert and Dome C snow surfaces. A kernel-driven bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) correction model is used for both Libya 4 and Dome C sites to correct the surface BRDF influence. At both sites, the simulated top-of-atmosphere (TOA) DNB reflectances based on SCIAMACHY spectral data are compared with Land PEATE TOA reflectances based on modulated Relative Spectral Response (RSR). In the Libya 4 site, the results indicate a decrease of 1.03% in Land PEATE TOA reflectance and a decrease of 1.01% in SCIAMACHY derived TOA reflectance over the period from April 2012 to January 2016. In the Dome C site, the decreases are 0.29% and 0.14%, respectively. The consistency between SCIAMACHY and Land PEATE data trends is good. The small difference between SCIAMACHY and Land PEATE derived TOA reflectances could be caused by changes in the surface targets, atmosphere status, and on-orbit calibration. The reflectances and radiances of Land PEATE DNB are also compared with matching M bands and the integral M bands based on M4, M5, and M7. The fitting trends of the DNB to integral M bands ratios indicate a 0.75% decrease at the Libya 4 site and a 1.89% decrease at the Dome C site. Part of the difference is due to an insufficient number of sampled bands available within the DNB wavelength range. The above results indicate that the Land PEATE VIIRS DNB product is accurate and stable. The methods used in this study can be used on other satellite instruments to provide quantitative assessments for calibration stability.

River Export of Dissolved and Particulate Organic Carbon from Permafrost and Peat Deposits across the Siberian Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wild, B.; Andersson, A.; Bröder, L.; Vonk, J.; Hugelius, G.; McClelland, J. W.; Raymond, P. A.; Gustafsson, O.

2017-12-01

Permafrost and peat deposits of northern high latitudes store more than 1300 Pg of organic carbon. This carbon has been preserved for thousands of years by cold and moist conditions, but is now increasingly mobilized as temperatures rise. While part will be degraded to CO2 and CH4 and amplify global warming, part will be exported by rivers to the Arctic Ocean where it can be degraded or re-buried by sedimentation. We here use the four large Siberian rivers Ob, Yenisey, Lena, and Kolyma as natural integrators of carbon mobilization in their catchments. We apply isotope based source apportionments and Markov Chain Monte Carlo Simulations to quantify contributions of organic carbon from permafrost and peat deposits to organic carbon exported by these rivers. More specifically, we compare the 14C signatures of dissolved and particulate organic carbon (DOC, POC) sampled close to the river mouths with those of five potential carbon sources; (1) recent aquatic and (2) terrestrial primary production, (3) the active layer of permafrost soils, (4) deep Holocene deposits (including thermokarst and peat deposits) and (5) Ice Complex Deposits. 14C signatures of these endmembers were constrained based on extensive literature review. We estimate that the four rivers together exported 2.4-4.5 Tg organic carbon from permafrost and peat deposits per year. While total organic carbon export was dominated by DOC (90%), the export of organic carbon from permafrost and peat deposits was more equally distributed between DOC (56%) and POC (44%). Recent models predict that ca. 200 Pg carbon will be lost as CO2 or CH4 by 2100 (RCP8.5) from the circumarctic permafrost area, of which roughly a quarter is drained by the Ob, Yenisey, Lena, and Kolyma rivers. Our comparatively low estimates of river carbon export thus suggest limited transfer of organic carbon from permafrost and peat deposits to high latitude rivers, or its rapid degradation within rivers. Our findings highlight the importance of both DOC and POC, and its degradation, for the fate of carbon mobilized from high latitude deposits under global warming, and indicate a low potential for its stabilization in the Arctic Ocean.

Sulfur Speciation in Peat: a Time-zero Signature for the " Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Climate and Environmental Change" Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furman, O.; Toner, B. M.; Sebestyen, S. D.; Kolka, R. K.; Nater, E. A.

2014-12-01

As part of the "Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Climate and Environmental Change" (SPRUCE) experiment, we made initial measurements of sulfur speciation in peat. These observations represent a "time-zero" relative to the intended soil warming experiment which begins in 2015. Total sulfur and sulfur speciation were measured in peat cores (solid phase) from nine plots (hollows and hummocks) to a depth of 2 m. Peat samples were packed under nitrogen and frozen in the field immediately after collection. All subsequent sample storage, handling, and processing were conducted under inert gas. Sulfur speciation was measured using bulk sulfur 1s X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy at the SXRMB instrument at the Canadian Light Source, Saskatoon, SK, Canada and at the 9-BM instrument, Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, IL, USA. Total sulfur concentrations ranged from 968 to 4077 mg sulfur / kg dry peat. Sulfur content increased with depth from 2 g sulfur / m2 in the 0-10 cm increment to a maximum value of 38 g sulfur / m2 in the 50-60 cm increment. These sulfur loadings produced high quality XANES spectra. The nine cores exhibited reproducible trends with depth in both total sulfur and specific sulfur species; however, variability in sulfur speciation was greatest in the top 40 cm. All sulfur detected within the peat solids was in an organic form. The most abundant sulfur species group was composed of organic mono-sulfide and thiol forms, representing approximately half of the total sulfur at all depths. Sulfonate and ester-sulfate species were 10-15 mol% of sulfur and exhibited low variability with depth. A subsurface maximum in organic di-sulfide was observed in the 20-30 cm depth increment, which is the transition zone between transiently oxidized acrotelm and permanently saturated anaerobic catotelm. Quantification of major sulfur pools is important for the SPRUCE experiment as they are likely to be indicators of changes in the oxidation-reduction (redox) status, and mercury methylation potential, of the peat in response to warming and enhanced carbon dioxide.

High-resolution Record of Holocene Climate, Vegetation, and Fire from a Raised Peat Bog, Prince Edward Island, Canadian Maritimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peros, M. C.; Chan, K.; Ponsford, L.; Carroll, J.; Magnan, G.

2014-12-01

Raised peat bogs receive all precipitation and nutrients from the atmosphere and are thus widely used archives for information on past environments and climates. In this paper we provide high-resolution multi-proxy data from a raised bog from northeastern Prince Edward Island, located in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada. We studied testate amoeba (a proxy for water table depth), macrocharcoal (a proxy for local-scale fire), peat humification (a proxy for decomposition), plant macrofossils (indicative of local-scale vegetation), and organic matter content (yielding carbon accumulation rates) from a 5.5 m long core lifted from the center of Baltic Bog. Eleven AMS radiocarbon dates show that peat accumulation began before 9000 cal yr BP and continued almost uninterrupted until the present. The macrofossil data show that a transition from a sedge-dominated fen to a sphagnum-dominated bog occurred around 8000 cal yr BP, and sphagnum remained dominant in the bog throughout most of the Holocene. A testate amoeba-based reconstruction of water table depth indicates that conditions were drier during the early Holocene (~8000 to 5000 cal yr BP) and became gradually wetter into the late Holocene. In addition, a number of higher frequency shifts in precipitation are inferred throughout the Holocene on the basis of the testate amoeba and humification results. The macrocharcoal evidence indicates fire—probably in the surrounding forest—was relatively more common during the early Holocene, perhaps due to drier climate conditions. A large influx of charcoal at around 2000 cal yr BP suggests the presence of one or more major fires at this time, and a concurrent decrease in the rate of peat accumulation indicates the fire may have affected the bog itself. The data from Baltic Bog is broadly comparable to other proxy data (in particular pollen studies) from the Canadian Maritimes. This work is important because it: 1) helps us better understand the role of hydroclimatic variability in influencing peat bog ecosystems; and 2), represents one of the few peat-based records of Holocene paleoclimate from the region.

Vertical Stratification of Peat Pore Water Dissolved Organic Matter Composition in a Peat Bog in Northern Minnesota: Pore Water DOM composition in a peat bog

DOE PAGES

Tfaily, Malak M.; Wilson, Rachel M.; Cooper, William T.; ...

2018-01-29

Here, we characterized dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition throughout the peat column at the Marcell S1 forested bog in northern Minnesota and tested the hypothesis that redox oscillations associated with cycles of wetting and drying at the surface of the fluctuating water table correlate with increased carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen turn over. We found significant vertical stratification of DOM molecular composition and excitation-emission matrix parallel factor analysis components within the peat column. In particular, the intermediate depth zone (~ 50 cm) was identified as a zone where maximum decomposition and turnover is taking place. Surface DOM was dominated by inputsmore » from surface vegetation. The intermediate depth zone was an area of high organic matter reactivity and increased microbial activity with diagenetic formation of many unique compounds, among them polycyclic aromatic compounds that contain both nitrogen and sulfur heteroatoms. These compounds have been previously observed in coal-derived compounds and were assumed to be responsible for coal's biological activity. Biological processes triggered by redox oscillations taking place at the intermediate depth zone of the peat profile at the S1 bog are assumed to be responsible for the formation of these heteroatomic PACs in this system. Alternatively, these compounds could stem from black carbon and nitrogen derived from fires that have occurred at the site in the past. Surface and deep DOM exhibited more similar characteristics, compared to the intermediate depth zone, with the deep layer exhibiting greater input of microbially degraded organic matter than the surface suggesting that the entire peat profile consists of similar parent material at different degrees of decomposition and that lateral and vertical advection of pore water from the surface to the deeper horizons is responsible for such similarities. Lastly, our findings suggest that molecular composition of DOM in peatland pore water is dynamic and is a function of ecosystem activity, water table, redox oscillation, and pore water advection.« less

Sources and distribution of trace elements in Estonian peat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

An expert system model for mapping tropical wetlands and peatlands reveals South America as the largest contributor.

PubMed

Gumbricht, Thomas; Roman-Cuesta, Rosa Maria; Verchot, Louis; Herold, Martin; Wittmann, Florian; Householder, Ethan; Herold, Nadine; Murdiyarso, Daniel

2017-09-01

Wetlands are important providers of ecosystem services and key regulators of climate change. They positively contribute to global warming through their greenhouse gas emissions, and negatively through the accumulation of organic material in histosols, particularly in peatlands. Our understanding of wetlands' services is currently constrained by limited knowledge on their distribution, extent, volume, interannual flood variability and disturbance levels. We present an expert system approach to estimate wetland and peatland areas, depths and volumes, which relies on three biophysical indices related to wetland and peat formation: (1) long-term water supply exceeding atmospheric water demand; (2) annually or seasonally water-logged soils; and (3) a geomorphological position where water is supplied and retained. Tropical and subtropical wetlands estimates reach 4.7 million km 2 (Mkm 2 ). In line with current understanding, the American continent is the major contributor (45%), and Brazil, with its Amazonian interfluvial region, contains the largest tropical wetland area (800,720 km 2 ). Our model suggests, however, unprecedented extents and volumes of peatland in the tropics (1.7 Mkm 2 and 7,268 (6,076-7,368) km 3 ), which more than threefold current estimates. Unlike current understanding, our estimates suggest that South America and not Asia contributes the most to tropical peatland area and volume (ca. 44% for both) partly related to some yet unaccounted extended deep deposits but mainly to extended but shallow peat in the Amazon Basin. Brazil leads the peatland area and volume contribution. Asia hosts 38% of both tropical peat area and volume with Indonesia as the main regional contributor and still the holder of the deepest and most extended peat areas in the tropics. Africa hosts more peat than previously reported but climatic and topographic contexts leave it as the least peat-forming continent. Our results suggest large biases in our current understanding of the distribution, area and volumes of tropical peat and their continental contributions. © 2017 The Authors. Global Change Biology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Saturated and unsaturated salt transport in peat from a constructed fen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simhayov, Reuven B.; Weber, Tobias K. D.; Price, Jonathan S.

2018-02-01

The underlying processes governing solute transport in peat from an experimentally constructed fen peatland were analyzed by performing saturated and unsaturated solute breakthrough experiments using Na+ and Cl- as reactive and non-reactive solutes, respectively. We tested the performance of three solute transport models, including the classical equilibrium convection-dispersion equation (CDE), a chemical non-equilibrium one-site adsorption model (OSA) and a model to account for physical non-equilibrium, the mobile-immobile (MIM) phases. The selection was motivated by the fact that the applicability of the MIM in peat soils finds a wide consensus. However, results from inverse modeling and a robust statistical evaluation of this peat provide evidence that the measured breakthrough of the conservative tracer, Cl-, could be simulated well using the CDE. Furthermore, the very high Damköhler number (which approaches infinity) suggests instantaneous equilibration between the mobile and immobile phases underscoring the redundancy of the MIM approach for this particular peat. Scanning electron microscope images of the peat show the typical multi-pore size distribution structures have been homogenized sufficiently by decomposition, such that physical non-equilibrium solute transport no longer governs the transport process. This result is corroborated by the fact the soil hydraulic properties were adequately described using a unimodal van Genuchten-Mualem model between saturation and a pressure head of ˜ -1000 cm of water. Hence, MIM was not the most suitable choice, and the long tailing of the Na+ breakthrough curve was caused by chemical non-equilibrium. Successful description was possible using the OSA model. To test our results for the unsaturated case, we conducted an unsaturated steady-state evaporation experiment to drive Na+ and Cl- transport. Using the parameterized transport models from the saturated experiments, we could numerically simulate the unsaturated transport using Hydrus-1-D. The simulation showed a good prediction of observed values, confirming the suitability of the parameters for use in a slightly unsaturated transport simulation. The findings improve the understanding of solute redistribution in the constructed fen and imply that MIM should not be automatically assumed for solute transport in peat but rather should be evidence based.

Vertical Stratification of Peat Pore Water Dissolved Organic Matter Composition in a Peat Bog in Northern Minnesota: Pore Water DOM composition in a peat bog

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tfaily, Malak M.; Wilson, Rachel M.; Cooper, William T.

Here, we characterized dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition throughout the peat column at the Marcell S1 forested bog in northern Minnesota and tested the hypothesis that redox oscillations associated with cycles of wetting and drying at the surface of the fluctuating water table correlate with increased carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen turn over. We found significant vertical stratification of DOM molecular composition and excitation-emission matrix parallel factor analysis components within the peat column. In particular, the intermediate depth zone (~ 50 cm) was identified as a zone where maximum decomposition and turnover is taking place. Surface DOM was dominated by inputsmore » from surface vegetation. The intermediate depth zone was an area of high organic matter reactivity and increased microbial activity with diagenetic formation of many unique compounds, among them polycyclic aromatic compounds that contain both nitrogen and sulfur heteroatoms. These compounds have been previously observed in coal-derived compounds and were assumed to be responsible for coal's biological activity. Biological processes triggered by redox oscillations taking place at the intermediate depth zone of the peat profile at the S1 bog are assumed to be responsible for the formation of these heteroatomic PACs in this system. Alternatively, these compounds could stem from black carbon and nitrogen derived from fires that have occurred at the site in the past. Surface and deep DOM exhibited more similar characteristics, compared to the intermediate depth zone, with the deep layer exhibiting greater input of microbially degraded organic matter than the surface suggesting that the entire peat profile consists of similar parent material at different degrees of decomposition and that lateral and vertical advection of pore water from the surface to the deeper horizons is responsible for such similarities. Lastly, our findings suggest that molecular composition of DOM in peatland pore water is dynamic and is a function of ecosystem activity, water table, redox oscillation, and pore water advection.« less

New Approach in Modelling Indonesian Peat Fire Emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Putra, E. I.; Cochrane, M. A.; Saharjo, B.; Yokelson, R. J.; Stockwell, C.; Vetrita, Y.; Zhang, X.; Hagen, S. C.; Nurhayati, A. D.; Graham, L.

2017-12-01

Peat fires are a serious problem for Indonesia, producing devastating environmental effects and making the country the 3rd largest emitter of CO2. Extensive fires ravaged vast areas of peatlands in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Papua during the pronounced El-Nino of 2015, causing international concern when the resultant haze blanketed Indonesia and neighboring countries, severely impacting the health of millions of people. Our recent unprecedented in-situ studies of aerosol and gas emissions from 35 peat fires of varying depths near Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan have documented the range and variability of emissions from these major fires. We strongly suggest revisions to previously recommended IPPC's emission factors (EFs) from peat fires, notably: CO2 (-8%), CH4 (-55%), NH3 (-86%), and CO (+39%). Our findings clearly showed that Indonesian carbon equivalent measurements (100 years) might have been 19% less than what current IPCC emission factors indicate. The results also demonstrate the toxic air quality in the area with HCN, which is almost only emitted by biomass burning, accounting for 0.28% and the carcinogenic compound formaldehyde 0.04% of emissions. However, considerable variation in emissions may exist between peat fires of different Indonesian peat formations, illustrating the need for additional regional field emissions measurements for parameterizing peatland emissions models for all of Indonesia's major peatland areas. Through the continuous mutual research collaboration between the Indonesian and USA scientists, we will implement our standardized field-based analyses of fuels, hydrology, peat burning characteristics and fire emissions to characterize the three major Indonesian peatland formations across four study provinces (Central Kalimantan, Riau, Jambi and West Papua). We will provide spatial and temporal drivers of the modeled emissions and validate them at a national level using biomass burning emissions estimations derived from Visible/Infrared Imager and Radiometer Suite (VIIRS). Multiple LiDAR datasets (2014, 2011, 2007) for Kalimantan will be used to quantify model accuracy, and new work will be undertaken to quantify uncertainty in our most recent LiDAR-based digital terrain model (DTM), further improving assessments of modelling errors.

Experimental modeling of thaw lake water evolution in discontinuous permafrost zone: Role of peat, lichen leaching and ground fire.

PubMed

Manasypov, Rinat M; Shirokova, Liudmila S; Pokrovsky, Oleg S

2017-02-15

Thaw of frozen peat in discontinuous permafrost zone produces a significant number of thermokarst lakes, which are known to contribute to Green House Gases (GHG) emission in the atmosphere. In palsa peatland of western Siberia, the thermokarst lake formation includes soil subsidences, lichen submergence and peat abrasion, leading to lateral spreading of the lake border, often intensified by ground fires. Mesocosm experiments were conducted during 3weeks on two thermokarst lake waters interacting in 30-L tanks with surface horizon of peat, the dominant ground vegetation (lichen Cladonia sp.) and the ash produced by lichen burning at 450°C. The obtained results allowed a better understanding of physico-chemical factors controlling the enrichment of thermokarst lake water in organic carbon and metals, and evaluating CO 2 sequestration/emission potential. The changes of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), major element and divalent metal concentration in response to peat and lichen biomass addition were less than a factor of 2 over full duration of the experiment. Iron (Fe) concentration in the lake water decreased by a factor of 2 to 3 after the addition of peat and lichen biomass. The concentration of low-soluble trivalent and tetravalent hydrolysates decreased by ca. 30 to 50%, presumably due to their co-precipitation with Fe hydroxide. The dissolved carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in tank with lichen increased by a factor of 5.5±0.5, likely due to respiration of algal component in closed environment. Strong enrichment of the lake water in DIC, P, K, Ca, Mg, Si, Al, Ti, Mn, Mo, Rb, As, Sb and U upon the ash addition persisted over full duration of experiments and was significant (p<0.0001) compared to peat and lichen biomass treatments. These elements may serve as indicators of ground fire impact on thermokarst lake water's chemistry. The overall effect of ash leaching on aquatic ecosystems after ground fire of frozen Siberian peatland is predicted to be much stronger than that currently recognized for non-permafrost regions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Application of microwave digestion to the analysis of peat

USGS Publications Warehouse

Papp, C.S.E.; Fischer, L.B.

1987-01-01

A microwave digestion technique for the dissolution of peat is described and compared with a dry ashing method and a nitric - perchloric - hydrofluoric acid wet digestion. Peat samples with different organic matter contents were used and Ca, Mg, Fe, AI, Na, K, Mn, Zn, Cu and Li were determined by atomic absoprtion spectrometry. The results obtained using the three dissolution techniques were in good agreement. The microwave method has the advantage of digesting the samples in less than 2 h and uses less acid than the conventional wet digestion method. Keeping the volume of the acid mixture as small as possible minimises contamination and leads to lower blank values.

INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY EVALUATION REPORT, SEDIMENT SAMPLING TECHNOLOGY, AQUATIC RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS, RUSSIAN PEAT BORER

EPA Science Inventory

The Russian Peat Borer designed and fabricated by Aquatic Research Instruments was demonstrated under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation Program in April and May 1999 at sites in EPA Regions 1 and 5, respectively. In additio...

Managing Vegetation on Peat-Sand Filter Beds for Wastewater Disposal

Treesearch

Arthur E. Elling

1985-01-01

Five species of grass, one sedge, and cattail were grown on a peat-sand filter bed irrigated with sewage effluent. Yields, uptake of nitrogen and phosphorus, and lodging problems were determined for all species when grown to various heights ranging from 5 to 75 cm.

Emergy and Evaluating Ecosystem Services in a Sumatran Peat Swamp, Indonesia. Chapter 13

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this article is to document preliminary investigations into valuing peat swamp ecosystem function and services in Indonesia and to compare these values with the current development alternative, Acacia pulp wood plantation, using the emergy methodology. The Zamrud N...

Health burden from peat wildfire in North Carolina

EPA Science Inventory

In June 2008, a wildfire smoldering through rich peat deposits in the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge produced massive amounts of smoke and exposed a largely rural North Carolina area to air pollution in access of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. In this talk, w...

INFLUENCE OF PEAT ON FENTON OXIDATION

EPA Science Inventory

A diagnostic probe was used to estimate the activity of Fenton-derived hydroxyl radicals (@OH), reaction kinetics, and oxidation efficiency in batch suspensions comprised of silica sand, crushed goethite ("-FeOOH) ore, peat, and H2O2 (0.13 mM). A simple method of kinetic analysi...

Paleoecology of Middle Pennsylvanian-age peat-swamp plants in Herrin coal, Kentucky, U.S.A.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Winston, R.B.

1988-01-01

To develop a method for quantifying the vegetation of Pennsylvania-age coal beds, of four coal-ball (permineralized peat) profiles and four coal column samples from the Herrin coal bed (Kentucky No. 11) Carbondale Formation in western Kentucky were compared. An estimated 89.5% of the coal can be identified botanically. Compaction ratios for individual tissues were estimated using point counts of organic matter in coal balls. The estimated abundances of major plant groups (lycopods, ferns, sphenopsids, and pteridosperms) in coal balls differ by less than 10% compared to coal after accounting for differential compaction of plant tissues. Standard deviations in taxonomic and maceral composition among coal columns are generally less than 2%. Consistent differences in botanical composition were found between benches showing that the method is consistent when applied to sufficient thicknesses of coal. It was not possible to make fine-scale correlations within the coal bed using the vegetational data; either the flora varied considerably from place to place or the method of quantification is unreliable for small increments of coal (5 cm or less). In the coal, pteridosperm abundance is positively correlated with underlying shale partings. This correlation suggests that pteridosperms are favored either by higher nutrient levels or disturbance. In the third of four benches in the Herrin coal bed, a succession from Sigillaria-containing zones to zones dominated by Lepidophloios hallii is interpreted as a shift towards wetter conditions. In the other benches, the main factors controlling the taxonomic composition appear to have been the relative abundance of nutrients and/or the frequency of disturbance as indicated by the relative abundance of partings. Criteria for distinguishing between domed and planar swamps are discussed. These include: distribution of partings, type of plant succession, and changes in plant diversity, average plant size, preservational quality and sporinite content. The infrequency of partings in bench C suggests a peat dome developed while the peat of that bench was accumulating but other evidence either fails to support the development of a peat dome or is ambiguous. The maceral composition resembles those of other Carboniferous coals which are thought to have formed from planar peat swamps. Formation of fusain bands appears to be associated with processes occurring above the peat surface, such as burning or prolonged oxidative exposure. Oxidation of accumulated peat is unlikely because fusain bands rarely include more than a single plant. ?? 1988.

Chemical characterization of fine particulate matter emitted by peat fires in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, during the 2015 El Niño

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jayarathne, Thilina; Stockwell, Chelsea E.; Gilbert, Ashley A.; Daugherty, Kaitlyn; Cochrane, Mark A.; Ryan, Kevin C.; Putra, Erianto I.; Saharjo, Bambang H.; Nurhayati, Ati D.; Albar, Israr; Yokelson, Robert J.; Stone, Elizabeth A.

2018-02-01

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was collected in situ from peat smoke during the 2015 El Niño peat fire episode in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Twenty-one PM samples were collected from 18 peat fire plumes that were primarily smoldering with modified combustion efficiency (MCE) values of 0.725-0.833. PM emissions were determined and chemically characterized for elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), water-soluble OC, water-soluble ions, metals, and organic species. Fuel-based PM2.5 mass emission factors (EFs) ranged from 6.0 to 29.6 g kg-1 with an average of 17.3 ± 6.0 g kg-1. EC was detected only in 15 plumes and comprised ∼ 1 % of PM mass. Together, OC (72 %), EC (1 %), water-soluble ions (1 %), and metal oxides (0.1 %) comprised 74 ± 11 % of gravimetrically measured PM mass. Assuming that the remaining mass is due to elements that form organic matter (OM; i.e., elements O, H, N) an OM-to-OC conversion factor of 1.26 was estimated by linear regression. Overall, chemical speciation revealed the following characteristics of peat-burning emissions: high OC mass fractions (72 %), primarily water-insoluble OC (84 ± 11 %C), low EC mass fractions (1 %), vanillic to syringic acid ratios of 1.9, and relatively high n-alkane contributions to OC (6.2 %C) with a carbon preference index of 1.2-1.6. Comparison to laboratory studies of peat combustion revealed similarities in the relative composition of PM but greater differences in the absolute EF values. The EFs developed herein, combined with estimates of the mass of peat burned, are used to estimate that 3.2-11 Tg of PM2.5 was emitted to atmosphere during the 2015 El Niño peatland fire event in Indonesia. Combined with gas-phase measurements of CO2, CO, CH4, and volatile organic carbon from Stockwell et al. (2016), it is determined that OC and EC accounted for 2.1 and 0.04 % of total carbon emissions, respectively. These in situ EFs can be used to improve the accuracy of the representation of Indonesian peat burning in emission inventories and receptor-based models.

Fluvial entrainment of low density peat blocks (block carbon)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Warburton, Jeff

2014-05-01

In many fluvial environments low density materials are transported in significant quantities and these form an important part of the stream load and /or have a distinct impact on sedimentation in these environments. However, there are significant gaps in understanding of how these materials are entrained and transported by streams and rivers. Eroding upland peatland environments in particular, frequently have fluvial systems in which large eroded peat blocks, often exceeding 1 m in length; form an important component of the stream material flux. Transport of this material is significant in determining rates of erosion but also has important impacts in terms of damage to infrastructure and carbon loss. This paper describes a field experiment designed to establish for the first time the conditions under which large peat blocks (c. > 0.1 m b axis) are initially entrained from a rough gravel bed. The field site is Trout Beck, in the North Pennines, Northern England which is an upland wandering river channel with occasional lateral and mid channel bars. Mean low flow stage is typically 0.2 m but during flood can rapidly rise, in one to two hours, to over 1.5 m. To study peat block entrainment a bespoke data acquisition system consisting of two pressure transducers, four release triggers and time lapse camera was set up. The pressure transducers provided a record of local depth and the release triggers were embedded in peat blocks to record initial motion and arranged on the rough stream bed. The time lapse camera provided verification of timing of block entrainment (during daylight hours) and also provided information on the mechanism of initial movement. Peat blocks were cut from a local source and were equidimensional, ranging in size from 0.1 to 0.7 m. The derived entrainment function is related to a critical depth of entrainment. Results demonstrate that peat blocks are entrained when the local depth approximates the height of the peat block. Blocks frequently shift position prior to entrainment but once entrained are rapidly transported downstream. Because of the rough stream bed local depth, measured on the four sides of the block varies markedly and needs to be considered in developing an appropriate entrainment function and; is useful in explaining initial movement prior to entrainment. In some experiments a small accelerometer (HOBO Pendant G data logger) was used to investigate transport dynamics following entrainment. Further work will seek to improve the entrainment function by extending the size range of tests, developing a shear stress related function and investigating the importance of block shape (rounding) on entrainment.

Annual sulfate budgets for Dutch lowland peat polders: The soil is a major sulfate source through peat and pyrite oxidation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vermaat, Jan E.; Harmsen, Joop; Hellmann, Fritz A.; van der Geest, Harm G.; de Klein, Jeroen J. M.; Kosten, Sarian; Smolders, Alfons J. P.; Verhoeven, Jos T. A.; Mes, Ron G.; Ouboter, Maarten

2016-02-01

Annual sulfate mass balances have been constructed for four low-lying peat polders in the Netherlands, to resolve the origin of high sulfate concentrations in surface water, which is considered a water quality problem, as indicated amongst others by the absence of sensitive water plant species. Potential limitation of these plants to areas with low sulfate was analyzed with a spatial match-up of two large databases. The peat polders are generally used for dairy farming or nature conservation, and have considerable areas of shallow surface water (mean 16%, range 6-43%). As a consequence of continuous drainage, the peat in these polders mineralizes causing subsidence rates generally ranging between 2 and 10 mm y-1. Together with pyrite oxidation, this peat mineralization the most important internal source of sulfate, providing an estimated 96 kg SO4 ha-1 mm-1 subsidence y-1. External sources are precipitation and water supplied during summer to compensate for water shortage, but these were found to be minor compared to internal release. The most important output flux is discharge of excess surface water during autumn and winter. If only external fluxes in and out of a polder are evaluated, inputs average 37 ± 9 and exports 169 ± 17 kg S ha-1 y-1. During summer, when evapotranspiration exceeds rainfall, sulfate accumulates in the unsaturated zone, to be flushed away and drained off during the wet autumn and winter. In some polders, upward seepage from early Holocene, brackish sediments can be a source of sulfate. Peat polders export sulfate to the regional water system and the sea during winter drainage. The available sulfate probably only plays a minor role in the oxidation of peat: we estimate that this is less than 10% whereas aerobic mineralization is the most important. Most surface waters in these polders have high sulfate concentrations, which generally decline during the growing season when aquatic sediments are a sink. In the sediment, this sulfur is reduced and binds iron more strongly than phosphorus, which can be released to the overlying water and potentially fuels eutrophication. About 76% of the sampled vegetation-sites exceeded a threshold of 50 mg l-1 SO4, above which sensitive species, such as Stratiotes aloides, and several species of Potamogeton were significantly less abundant. Thus high sulfate concentrations, mainly due to land drainage and consequent mineralization, appear to affect aquatic plant community composition.

Patterns and drivers of fungal community depth stratification in Sphagnum peat.

PubMed

Lamit, Louis J; Romanowicz, Karl J; Potvin, Lynette R; Rivers, Adam R; Singh, Kanwar; Lennon, Jay T; Tringe, Susannah G; Kane, Evan S; Lilleskov, Erik A

2017-07-01

Peatlands store an immense pool of soil carbon vulnerable to microbial oxidation due to drought and intentional draining. We used amplicon sequencing and quantitative PCR to (i) examine how fungi are influenced by depth in the peat profile, water table and plant functional group at the onset of a multiyear mesocosm experiment, and (ii) test if fungi are correlated with abiotic variables of peat and pore water. We hypothesized that each factor influenced fungi, but that depth would have the strongest effect early in the experiment. We found that (i) communities were strongly depth stratified; fungi were four times more abundant in the upper (10-20 cm) than the lower (30-40 cm) depth, and dominance shifted from ericoid mycorrhizal fungi to saprotrophs and endophytes with increasing depth; (ii) the influence of plant functional group was depth dependent, with Ericaceae structuring the community in the upper peat only; (iii) water table had minor influences; and (iv) communities strongly covaried with abiotic variables, including indices of peat and pore water carbon quality. Our results highlight the importance of vertical stratification to peatland fungi, and the depth dependency of plant functional group effects, which must be considered when elucidating the role of fungi in peatland carbon dynamics. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of FEMS 2017. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

Chemical speciation of trace metals emitted from Indonesian peat fires for health risk assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Betha, Raghu; Pradani, Maharani; Lestari, Puji; Joshi, Umid Man; Reid, Jeffrey S.; Balasubramanian, Rajasekhar

2013-03-01

Regional smoke-induced haze in Southeast Asia, caused by uncontrolled forest and peat fires in Indonesia, is of major environmental and health concern. In this study, we estimated carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risk due to exposure to fine particles (PM2.5) as emitted from peat fires at Kalimantan, Indonesia. For the health risk analysis, chemical speciation (exchangeable, reducible, oxidizable, and residual fractions) of 12 trace metals (Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Ti, V and Zn) in PM2.5 was studied. Results indicate that Al, Fe and Ti together accounted for a major fraction of total metal concentrations (~ 83%) in PM2.5 emissions in the immediate vicinity of peat fires. Chemical speciation reveals that a major proportion of most of the metals, with the exception of Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni and Cd, was present in the residual fraction. The exchangeable fraction of metals, which represents their bioavailability, could play a major role in inducing human health effects of PM2.5. This fraction contained carcinogenic metals such as Cd (39.2 ng m- 3) and Ni (249.3 ng m- 3) that exceeded their WHO guideline values by several factors. Health risk estimates suggest that exposure to PM2.5 emissions in the vicinity of peat fires poses serious health threats.

Classifying and mapping wetlands and peat resources using digital cartography

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cameron, Cornelia C.; Emery, David A.

1992-01-01

Digital cartography allows the portrayal of spatial associations among diverse data types and is ideally suited for land use and resource analysis. We have developed methodology that uses digital cartography for the classification of wetlands and their associated peat resources and applied it to a 1:24 000 scale map area in New Hampshire. Classifying and mapping wetlands involves integrating the spatial distribution of wetlands types with depth variations in associated peat quality and character. A hierarchically structured classification that integrates the spatial distribution of variations in (1) vegetation, (2) soil type, (3) hydrology, (4) geologic aspects, and (5) peat characteristics has been developed and can be used to build digital cartographic files for resource and land use analysis. The first three parameters are the bases used by the National Wetlands Inventory to classify wetlands and deepwater habitats of the United States. The fourth parameter, geological aspects, includes slope, relief, depth of wetland (from surface to underlying rock or substrate), wetland stratigraphy, and the type and structure of solid and unconsolidated rock surrounding and underlying the wetland. The fifth parameter, peat characteristics, includes the subsurface variation in ash, acidity, moisture, heating value (Btu), sulfur content, and other chemical properties as shown in specimens obtained from core holes. These parameters can be shown as a series of map data overlays with tables that can be integrated for resource or land use analysis.

Water relations in cutover peatlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Price, Jonathan S.; Ketcheson, Scott J.

Sphagnum mosses, the dominant peat-forming plant in many northern peatlands, generally do not regenerate spontaneously in mined peatlands because water transfer between the cutover peat and incipient moss diaspores cannot overcome the capillary barrier effect between the two hydraulically distinct layers. Artificial drainage networks established throughout peatlands, coupled with the removal of the acrotelm during the peat extraction process, drastically alter the natural system function through the exposure of more decomposed catotelm peat and increased compression, oxidation, and shrinkage, subsequently decreasing average pore diameter and enhancing this capillary barrier effect. Water table (WT) fluctuations, constrained within the reduced specific yield of the altered catotelm, exhibit increased variability and rapid decline. The increased effective stress caused by a declining WT can result in seasonal surface subsidence of 8 to 10 cm, thereby reducing saturated hydraulic conductivity by three orders of magnitude. Restoration efforts aim to alter the disturbed hydrological regime, creating conditions more favorable for the recolonization of Sphagnum mosses and the ultimate reestablishment of an upper acrotelm layer. Due to the large areal coverage and high organic carbon content, the response of peatlands to disturbances caused by resource extraction, and their return to functioning ecosystems, must be thoroughly addressed. This paper integrates both published and unpublished work to facilitate an overview of our understanding of the hydrological impact of peat cutting and its implications for restoration.

Peat Biomass Smoke Particle Exposure in Rats Decreases ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Wildland fires, favored by prolonged drought and rising temperatures, generate significant amounts of ambient particulate matter (PM), which has been linked to adverse health outcomes. The eastern North Carolina peat fires of Pocosin Lake in 2008 and Pains Bay in 2011 were some of the more prominent recent wildland fires and were associated with increased cardiovascular hospitalizations. The biological impacts of peat biomass emissions and the specific mechanisms driving these responses are unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the cardiopulmonary responses of peat biomass smoke exposure in rats. We hypothesized that PM exposure would dose-dependently alter cardiopulmonary function. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to 30 µg (Lo PM) or 300 µg (Hi PM) of peat biomass smoke PM extracts suspended in 200 µL of saline, or saline vehicle alone by oropharyngeal aspiration (OA). Immediately following OA rats were placed in a whole-body plethysmograph and ventilatory data were recorded for 12 minutes. One day following OA, rats were anesthetized with isoflurane for ultrasound assessment of cardiovascular function. Hi PM caused decreases in expiratory timing as early as 4-6 minutes after exposure relative to Lo PM (p = 0.02) and Vehicle (p= 0.06), which resolved shortly thereafter. One day after OA, ultrasounds revealed that Hi PM exposure increased end diastolic volume (EDV) by 16% (p = 0.03) over Vehicle and 13% (p = 0.06) over Lo PM. In addition,

Uranium delivery and uptake in a montane wetland, north-central Colorado, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schumann, R. Randall; Zielinski, Robert A.; Otton, James K.; Pantea, Michael P.; Orem, William H.

2017-01-01

Comprehensive sampling of peat, underlying lakebed sediments, and coexisting waters of a naturally uraniferous montane wetland are combined with hydrologic measurements to define the important controls on uranium (U) supply and uptake. The major source of U to the wetland is groundwater flowing through locally fractured and faulted granite gneiss of Proterozoic age. Dissolved U concentrations in four springs and one seep ranged from 20 to 83 ppb (μg/l). Maximum U concentrations are ∼300 ppm (mg/kg) in lakebed sediments and >3000 ppm in peat. Uranium in lakebed sediments is primarily stratabound in the more organic-rich layers, but samples of similar organic content display variable U concentrations. Post-depositional modifications include variable additions of U delivered by groundwater. Uranium distribution in peat is heterogeneous and primarily controlled by proximity to groundwater-fed springs and seeps that act as local point sources of U, and by proximity to groundwater directed along the peat/lakebeds contact. Uranium is initially sorbed on various organic components of peat as oxidized U(VI) present in groundwater. Selective extractions indicate that the majority of sorbed U remains as the oxidized species despite reducing conditions that should favor formation of U(IV). Possible explanations are kinetic hindrances related to strong complex formation between uranyl and humic substances, inhibition of anaerobic bacterial activity by low supply of dissolved iron and sulfate, and by cold temperatures.

Moss and peat hydraulic properties are optimized to maximise peatland water use efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kettridge, Nicholas; Tilak, Amey; Devito, Kevin; Petrone, Rich; Mendoza, Carl; Waddington, Mike

2016-04-01

Peatland ecosystems are globally important carbon and terrestrial surface water stores that have formed over millennia. These ecosystems have likely optimised their ecohydrological function over the long-term development of their soil hydraulic properties. Through a theoretical ecosystem approach, applying hydrological modelling integrated with known ecological thresholds and concepts, the optimisation of peat hydraulic properties is examined to determine which of the following conditions peatland ecosystems target during this development: i) maximise carbon accumulation, ii) maximise water storage, or iii) balance carbon profit across hydrological disturbances. Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) and empirical van Genuchten water retention parameter α are shown to provide a first order control on simulated water tensions. Across parameter space, peat profiles with hypothetical combinations of Ks and α show a strong binary tendency towards targeting either water or carbon storage. Actual hydraulic properties from five northern peatlands fall at the interface between these goals, balancing the competing demands of carbon accumulation and water storage. We argue that peat hydraulic properties are thus optimized to maximise water use efficiency and that this optimisation occurs over a centennial to millennial timescale as the peatland develops. This provides a new conceptual framework to characterise peat hydraulic properties across climate zones and between a range of different disturbances, and which can be used to provide benchmarks for peatland design and reclamation.

Comparison of the petrography, palynology and paleobotany of the Stockton coal bed, West Virginia and implications for paleoenvironmental interpretations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pierce, B.S.; Stanton, R.W.; Eble, C.F.

1993-01-01

The Stockton coal bed (Middle Pennsylvanian) is a relatively high ash coal composed primarily of moderately thin banded, sparsely thin banded, and nonbanded coal (splint and cannel coal). Comparisons of petrographic, palynologic, and paleobotanic data gathered from the same sample sets from a single column of the Stockton coal bed indicate that compositional correspondences among the sets exist regardless of coal type. Some correspondences are believed to exist because of original plant constituents and others because of the paleoenvironment of peat formation. Using some combination of these data is critical when interpreting paleoenvironmental conditions because (1) a direct correspondence is lacking between many of the data and (2) each of the three data sets provides a unique and important perspective on the paleomire. The Stockton paleomire in the area of this study supported a diverse flora that consisted of both small and arboreous lycopsids, small ferns and tree ferns, calamites, cordaites, and pteridosperms. There appear to have been two successions of Lycospora spore-dominated, vitrinite-rich, liptinite-poor peat formation, which were followed by inertinite-rich peat formation marked by a tree fern-dominant spore assemblage and abundant unidentifiable plant tissues. These are interpreted to be two water-laden or topogenous peat formational stages followed by slightly domed, better drained peat formation. ?? 1993.

Recent changes in vegetation, hydrotopography and peat accumulation in detailed case studies of northern aapa mires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tahvanainen, Teemu; Kumpula, Timo; Tolonen, Kimmo

2016-04-01

Aapa mires are northern mire complexes with typical patterned central fen areas and relatively thin peat layers. In principle, aapa mires could develop into raised bogs either 1) through autogenic succession, given enough time for peat accumulation or 2) through allogenic mechanism triggered by hydrological change. Climate change models predict that the climatic envelop of aapa mires will move north and, indeed, that hydrology may change sufficiently to cause allogenic change pressure. Potential resilience or pace of ecosystem-scale responses are poorly understood, however, in the case of aapa mires. We studied recent (ca. 60 years) changes in vegetation, hydrotopography and peat accumulation of two aapa mires at their southern limit of distribution in eastern Finland. We used repeated sampling after 60 years combined with peat stratigraphy and time-series of aerial images in a multi-proxy approach. The study site at the Valkeasuo mire was affected by extensive drainage activities in its catchment, while the aapa mire area itself was not drained. This resulted in the loss of minerotrophic hydrology that lead to rapid changes over the whole patterned fen area. Wet minerotrophic sedge fen vegetation was almost totally covered by ombrotrophic Sphagnum mosses within few decades. Even up to 50 cm high hummocks emerged on the patterned fen strings in an abrupt response that could be precisely dated by simultaneous encroachment of pine seedlings and from the aerial images. The recent apparent rate of carbon accumulation of the new Sphagnum peat was ca. 100 g m-2 -a. The other study site in the Ilajansuo aapa mire persists in a more pristine setting without significant disturbance in its catchment area. Here the mineral-water limit was studied across a transition between a bog zone and an aapa mire zone of the mire complex. We were able to exactly locate a 100 x 300-m special study area and repeat e.g. mapping of all trees, of all topographic patterns (hummocks, hollows, pools), 155 peat depth measurements and 38 vegetation plots. Despite the pristine wilderness character of the site, we found increased tree encroachment, significant increase of height of Sphagnum hummocks, lateral expansion of ombrotrophic bog zone over fen vegetation and increase of dwarf-shrubs typical to raised bog vegetation. Peat thickness in the bog zone had increased by 2.2 mm per year, greatly exceeding the long-term average of bogs in the region. Our case studies demonstrate a remarkable potential of ecosystem-scale responses in northern aapa mires, ecotone mire type between temperate-south boreal bogs and subarctic palsa mires. Hydrological disturbances can rapidly trigger an allogenic mechanism of fen to bog transition. Traces of ongoing changes in aapa mires can be apparent also in seemingly pristine sites when accurate repeated measurements are performed. Although the observed changes may threaten aapa mire habitat types and biota, they are progressive in terms of peat growth and carbon dioxide sequestration.

Impact of prescribed and repeated vegetation burning on blanket peat hydrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holden, Joseph; Brown, Lee; Palmer, Sheila; Johnston, Kerrylyn; Wearing, Catherine; Irvine, Brian

2013-04-01

In some peatlands there has been a tradition over the past century of burning vegetation to manage the landscape for a range of purposes. These include producing an environment suitable for game birds used in the gun sports industry and reducing the biomass fuel load to reduce possible wildfire damage to the peat. However, there have been few studies that have interrogated the impacts of this activity on peatland hydrological processes both at the plot scale and at the catchment scale. The EMBER project measured water tables, overland flow, hydraulic conductivity, stream discharge, and a myriad of aquatic invertebrate and peat physical and water chemistry indicators (at plot and stream scale) in ten upland blanket peat catchments in the UK. Five catchments were subject to a history of prescribed rotational patch burning with burning taking place each year over a proportion of the catchment (typically 5-10 %) but where for an individual patch the interval was typically 10-20 years. The other five catchments acted as controls which were not subject to burning, nor confounded by other detrimental activities such as drainage or forestry. Stream flows were flashier in response to rainfall in the catchments with prescribed burning patches and had greater rainfall to runoff efficiencies. Water tables were found to be significantly shallower with a smaller interquartile range for unburnt catchments. In the burnt catchments, more recently burnt plots had significantly greater mean water table depths and water table residence times were much less frequent within the upper 10 cm of the peat profile compared to plots that been burned more than a decade before. The water table residence curves will be explored in the presentation. The occurrence of overland flow was significantly impacted by both burning and time since burn with significantly less overland flow recorded for more recently burnt sites. This ties in well with our water table data since blanket peat systems are dominated by saturation processes rather than infiltration-excess overland flow. In this presentation we focus on the hydrological findings from the EMBER project but where relevant we relate these to other supporting environmental data we collected in order to interrogate process explanations for the differences we observed. For example, surface and near-surface peat temperatures were significantly more variable (both warmer and cooler depending on season and time of day) for burnt sites (and for patches burnt < 5 yrs prior to monitoring within burnt sites) but with warmer peat associated with burning overall. The results provide clear evidence that prescribed vegetation burning on blanket peat significantly impacts peatland hydrology at both the plot and stream scale and therefore raises issues for government bodies who have legal responsibility to protect many peatland landscapes, their integrity, their biogeochemical functions and the ecosystem services that peatlands provide.

Seasonal variations in CO2 and CH4 fluxes of four different plant compositions of a Sphagnum-dominated Alpine peat bog

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drollinger, Simon; Maier, Andreas; Karer, Jasmin; Glatzel, Stephan

2017-04-01

Peatlands are the only type of ecosystems which have the ability to accumulate significant amounts of carbon (C) under undisturbed conditions. The amount of C sequestered in peatlands depends on the balance between gross primary production, ecosystem respiration and decomposition of plant material. Sphagnum-dominated bogs possess the greatest peat accumulation potential of all peatlands, thus in turn, feature highest C release potentials. Many studies report about the C balances of undisturbed northern peat bogs, however, little is known about the effects of peatland degradation on the C balance between different plant compositions within peat bog ecosystems. Particularly in the Alpine region, where temperature increase during the last century has been almost twice as high as the global mean. The investigated peat bog is located in the inner Alpine Enns valley in the Eastern Alps, Austria (N 47˚ 34.873' E 14˚ 20.810'). It is a pine peat bog covered by Sphagnum mosses and a present extent of about 62 ha. Due to increasing differences in surface height of the peatland compared to the surrounding areas and related lowered water retention capacity attributed to the subsidence of the adjacent intensively managed meadows on deeply drained peat soils, the function of the peatland as a carbon sink is strongly endangered. Hence, the current mean water table depth of the central peat bog area is about -12 cm. To reveal differences in peatland-atmosphere C exchanges within the peatland ecosystem, we investigated CO2 and CH4 fluxes of four different vegetation compositions (PM1-PM4) at the treeless central peat bog area. PM1 is dominated by the graminoids Rhynchospora alba and Eriophorum vaginatum. PM2 is inhabited by small individuals (< 35 cm) of the conifer Pinus mugo, whereas PM3 is dominated by the ericaceous plant Calluna vulgaris. PM4 again is populated by Pinus mugo, but higher growing (35 - 60 cm) and with corresponding higher amount of biomass. Fluxes were measured for at least 120 seconds with the closed dynamic chamber method using infrared gas analysers (UGGA, Los Gatos Research and LI-802, LI-COR Biosciences) at four study sites with three replicates each. Net ecosystem exchange was measured using transparent chambers, whereas soil respiration was revealed using opaque chambers. Measurements were conducted seasonally during the last two years with eight sampling periods. Here, we demonstrate the seasonal variations in CO2 and CH4 fluxes, evaluate the underlying factors being responsible for these variations, examine the differences in diurnal pattern during the seasons and compute the global warming potentials of the released greenhouse gases. Moreover, we estimate the annual C balance per site and revise the seasonal C fluxes by comparing the results with fluxes derived by eddy covariance method.

Extracted sweet corn tassels as a renewable alternative to peat in greenhouse substrates

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soilless substrates are primarily used in the production of containerized greenhouse and nursery crops. Sphagnum peat moss is a primary constituent of these substrates and its harvest from endangered ecosystems has become a worldwide concern. Ethanol-extracted, coarse-ground corn (Zea mays L. ‘Sil...

Equivalent weight of humic acid from peat

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pommer, A.M.; Breger, I.A.

1960-01-01

By means of discontinuous titration, the equivalent weight of humic acid isolated from a peat was found to increase from 144 to 183 between the third and fifty-second day after the humic acid was dissolved. Infra-red studies showed that the material had probably condensed with loss of carbonyl groups. ?? 1960.

A geospatial model to quantify mean thickness of peat in cranberry bogs

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Commercial cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) is cultivated on peatlands, which consist of sedimentary deposits of peat capped by a 0.3-1 m of artificial sand. Despite distinct soil layering, a general paucity of information exists on the physical properties of cranberry bogs. Field measurements...

A geospatial model to quantify mean thickness of peat in cranberry bogs

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Commercial cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) is cultivated on peatlands, which consist of sedimentary deposits of peat capped by a 0.3-1 m of artificial sand. Despite distinct soil layering, a general paucity of information exists on the physical properties of cranberry bogs. Field measurement...

SWELLING OF PEATS IN LIQUID METHYL, TETRAMETHYLENE AND PROPYL SULFOXIDES AND IN LIQUID PROPYL SULFONE

EPA Science Inventory

The interactions of methyl, tetramethylene, and propyl sulfoxides and propyl sulfone during sorption onto four de-waxed, acid-form peats have been studied by means of swelling measurements. The results for sulfoxides are displayed as het-eromolecular sorption isotherms, which plo...

Acute Peat Smoke Inhalation Increases Blood Pressure and Cardiac Arrhythmia Risk in Rats

EPA Science Inventory

Wildland fires are increasingly linked to adverse health impacts related to poor air quality. For instance, short-term exposure to smoldering peat (SP) air pollution in eastern North Carolina during separate burns in 2008 and 2011 led to increased cardiopulmonary emergency room v...

Physical properties of peats as related to degree of decomposition

Treesearch

D.H. Boelter

1969-01-01

Important physical characteristics, such as water retention, water yield coefficient, and hydraulic conductivity, vary greatly for representative northern Minnesota peat materials. The differences are related to the degree of decomposition, which largely determines the porosity and pore size distribution. Fiber content (> 0.1 mm) and bulk density are properties...

Thermodynamic constrains on the flux of organic matter through a peatland ecosystem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Worrall, Fred; Moody, Catherine; Clay, Gareth; Kettridge, Nick; Burt, Tim

2017-04-01

The transformations and transitions of organic matter into, through and out of a peatland ecosystem must obey the 2nd law of thermodynamics. Beer and Blodau (Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta, 2007, 71, 12, 2989-3002) showed that the evolution of CH4 in peatlands was constrained by equilibrium occurring at depth in the peat as the pore water became a closed system. However, that study did not consider the transition in the solid components of the organic matter flux through the entire ecosystem. For this study, organic matter samples were taken from each organic matter reservoir and fluvial transfer pathway and analysed the samples by elemental analysis and bomb calorimetry. The samples analysed were: above- and below-ground biomass, heather, mosses, sedges, plant litter layer, peat soil, and monthly samples of particulate and dissolved organic matter. All organic matter samples were taken from a 100% peat catchment within Moor House National Nature Reserve in the North Pennines, UK, and collected samples were compared to standards of lignin, cellulose, and plant protein. It was possible to calculate ∆H_f^OM ∆S_f^OM and ∆G_f^OM for each of the samples and standards. By assuming that each thermodynamic property can be expressed per g C and that any increase in ∆G_f^OM can be balanced by the production of CO2, DOM or CH4 then it is possible to predict the consequences of the fixation of 1 g of carbon in a peatland soil. The value of ∆G_f^OMincreases from glucose to components of the biomass: 1g of C fixed as glucose by photosynthesis would result in 0.68 g C as biomass and 0.32 g C as CO2. The transition from biomass to litter could occur spontaneously but the transition from surface to 1m depth in the peat profile would release 0.18 g C as CO2 per 1 g of carbon entering the peat profile. Therefore, for every 1 g of carbon fixed from photosynthesis then 0.44g of C would be released as CO2 and 0.54 g C would be present at 1 m depth. Alternatively, if DOM only were released in transition down the peat profile then for every 1 g of carbon fixed by photosynthesis 0.32 g C would be released as CO2 and 0.22 g C would be lost as DOM and leaving 0.46 g C as residual peat at 1m depth. If the variation in ∆G_f^OM of the DOM were considered then for every 1 g of C produced as DOM then between 0 and 0.57g C would be lost as CO2. At median value of DOM loss then for every 1g of carbon fixed as photosynthesis 0.39 g C would be lost as CO2 and 0.15 g lost as DOM with 0.46 g C as residual peat. Alternatively, if CH4 only were released down the soil profile then no organic matter would be left in the peat profile, i.e. CH4 is not an efficient method of transferring Gibbs free energy. The measured carbon budget for this catchment is that 1 g C fixed as photosynthesis resulted in 0.42 g C as CO2; 0.29 g C as DOM; 0.04 g C as CH4 and 0.24 g C as residual peat at 1m depth.

Dissolved organic carbon and major and trace elements in peat porewater of sporadic, discontinuous, and continuous permafrost zones of western Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raudina, Tatiana V.; Loiko, Sergey V.; Lim, Artyom G.; Krickov, Ivan V.; Shirokova, Liudmila S.; Istigechev, Georgy I.; Kuzmina, Daria M.; Kulizhsky, Sergey P.; Vorobyev, Sergey N.; Pokrovsky, Oleg S.

2017-07-01

Mobilization of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and related trace elements (TEs) from the frozen peat to surface waters in the permafrost zone is expected to enhance under ongoing permafrost thaw and active layer thickness (ALT) deepening in high-latitude regions. The interstitial soil solutions are efficient tracers of ongoing bio-geochemical processes in the critical zone and can help to decipher the intensity of carbon and metals migration from the soil to the rivers and further to the ocean. To this end, we collected, across a 640 km latitudinal transect of the sporadic to continuous permafrost zone of western Siberia peatlands, soil porewaters from 30 cm depth using suction cups and we analyzed DOC, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), and 40 major elements and TEs in 0.45 µm filtered fraction of 80 soil porewaters. Despite an expected decrease in the intensity of DOC and TE mobilization from the soil and vegetation litter to the interstitial fluids with the increase in the permafrost coverage and a decrease in the annual temperature and ALT, the DOC and many major and trace elements did not exhibit any distinct decrease in concentration along the latitudinal transect from 62.2 to 67.4° N. The DOC demonstrated a maximum of concentration at 66° N, on the border of the discontinuous/continuous permafrost zone, whereas the DOC concentration in peat soil solutions from the continuous permafrost zone was equal to or higher than that in the sporadic/discontinuous permafrost zone. Moreover, a number of major (Ca, Mg) and trace (Al, Ti, Sr, Ga, rare earth elements (REEs), Zr, Hf, Th) elements exhibited an increasing, not decreasing, northward concentration trend. We hypothesize that the effects of temperature and thickness of the ALT are of secondary importance relative to the leaching capacity of peat, which is in turn controlled by the water saturation of the peat core. The water residence time in peat pores also plays a role in enriching the fluids in some elements: the DOC, V, Cu, Pb, REEs, and Th were a factor of 1.5 to 2.0 higher in mounds relative to hollows. As such, it is possible that the time of reaction between the peat and downward infiltrating waters essentially controls the degree of peat porewater enrichments in DOC and other solutes. A 2° northward shift in the position of the permafrost boundaries may bring about a factor of 1.3 ± 0.2 decrease in Ca, Mg, Sr, Al, Fe, Ti, Mn, Ni, Co, V, Zr, Hf, Th, and REE porewater concentration in continuous and discontinuous permafrost zones, and a possible decrease in DOC, specific ultraviolet absorbency (SUVA), Ca, Mg, Fe, and Sr will not exceed 20 % of their current values. The projected increase in ALT and vegetation density, northward migration of the permafrost boundary, or the change of hydrological regime is unlikely to modify chemical composition of peat porewater fluids larger than their natural variations within different micro-landscapes, i.e., within a factor of 2. The decrease in DOC and metal delivery to small rivers and lakes by peat soil leachate may also decrease the overall export of dissolved components from the continuous permafrost zone to the Arctic Ocean. This challenges the current paradigm on the increase in DOC export from the land to the ocean under climate warming in high latitudes.

Only low methane production and emission in degraded peat extraction sites after rewetting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agethen, Svenja; Waldemer, Carolin; Knorr, Klaus-Holger

2015-04-01

In Central Europe rewetting of bogs after peat extraction is a wide spread technique to halt secondary aerobic decomposition and to reestablish plant species such as Sphagnum spp. and Eriophorum spp. that initialize accumulation of organic carbon in peat. Before extraction, such sites are often used for agriculture causing the aerobic degradation of peat and mobilization of phosphorus, ammonia, and dissolved organic matter (DOM). In nutrient poor ecosystems such as bogs, additional supply of P and N does not only trigger the establishment of uncharacteristic vegetation but also the formation of more labile plant litter and DOM that is readily degradable. Therefore, after rewetting and the development of anoxic conditions especially in initial stages high methane (CH4) emissions are reported for these systems compared to pristine bogs. Regarding the potential of methane production and emissions we investigated three common practices to prepare extraction fields for restoration (years since rewetting): i) Filling of drainage ditches, passive rewetting (1 site, Altendorfer Moor, Stade, NW-Germany, ca. 20 yr.), ii) Removal of upper 30 cm peat layer, removed peat used for construction of polder dikes (2 sites, Königsmoor, Leer, NW-Germany, 2 and 3 yr.), iii) Removal upper peat layer down to 50 cm grown peat, not extracted peat used as polder walls (2 sites, Benthullener Moor, Wardenburg, NW-Germany, 3 and 7 yr.). In each site two vegetated replicate mesocosms (diam. 30 cm, depth 40 cm) were sampled and placed in a greenhouse from May-October 2014 to maintain the water table at surface level. Pore water concentrations of ions, fermentation products and DOM, DOM electron acceptor capacity (EAC), soil gas concentrations of CO2, CH4 and H2, gas fluxes as well as element composition and organic matter quality of DOM and SOM were analyzed. We found out that practice i) with least efforts of nutrient removal in the peat produced the highest CH4 emissions (3.5 mmol m-2 d-1) although still within the range of northern pristine bogs. Also practice ii) showed still inputs of external nutrients and labile DOM, but CH4 production was not yet developed (0.23 and 0.07 mmol m-2 d-1). Practice iii) was most effective in nutrient removal, but only in the 7 yr. site little methane (in the 3 yr. site 0.025 vs. 0.41 mmol m-2 d-1in the 7 yr. site) was emitted. The emissions were well in accord with soil gas concentrations, maximum values for CH4 in practice i) were 115 μmol L-1, 2-5 μmol L-1 in practice ii) and 0.5 vs. 16 μmol L-1 in practice iii). Only small concentrations of inorganic electron acceptors such as sulfate imply the importance of organic matter as electron acceptor. The results show that restored bogs on former strongly degraded extraction fields do not necessarily act as exceptionally high CH4 sources. Contrary to other findings in early stages of rewetting CH4 emissions can also be very low until other electron acceptors are exhausted and methanogens become effective competitors for substrates which happens in the order of years.

Function of peatland located on secondary transformed peat-moorsh soils on the purification processes of groundwater and the impact of pH on the rates of the elution of organic matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wojciech Szajdak, Lech; Szczepański, Marek

2010-05-01

The investigation of peatland is used to show the water quality functioning with respect to different forms of nitrogen and carbon. The purification of ground water by the transect of 4.5 km long consisting organic soils (peat-moorsh soils) was estimated. This transect is located in the Agroecological Landscape Park in Turew, 40 km South-West of Poznan, West Polish Lowland. There is this transect along Wyskoć ditch. pH, the contents of total and dissolved organic carbon, total nitrogen, N-NO3-, N-NH4+ was measured. Additionally C/N factors of peats were estimated. The investigation has shown the impact of the peatland located on the secondary transformed peat - moorsh soils on the lowering of total nitrogen, ammonium, and nitrates as well as total and dissolved organic carbon in ground water. Peat-moorsh soils were described and classified according to Polish hydrogenic soil classification and World Reference Base Soil Notation. There are four investigated points along to Wyskoc ditch. Two times a month during entire vegetation season the following material was taken from this four chosen sites: samples of peat, from the depth of 0-20 cm, samples of water from the ditch, samples of ground water from wells established for this investigation. Samples of peat-moorsh soils were collected at the depth 0-20 cm. Soils were sampled two times a month from 10 sites of each site. Samples were air dried and crushed to pass a 1 mm-mesh sieve. These 10 sub-samples were mixed for the reason of preparing a 'mean sample', which used for the determination of pH (in 1M KCl), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (Ntotal), and N-NO3- as well as N-NH4+. In water from Wyskoć ditch pH, Ntotal, N-NO3-, N-NH4+, DTC (dissolved total carbon) and DOC (dissolved organic carbon) was measured. Ground water samples were collected from four wells established for this investigation. The water was filtered by the middle velocity separation and pH, N-total, N-NO3-, N-NH4+, DTC (dissolved total carbon) and DOC (dissolved organic carbon) ware measured. Peatland located on the secondary transformed peat - moorsh soils has revealed the lowering in ground water: nitrates 38.5%, N-organic 10%, N-total 24.5%, ammonium 38.7%, dissolved total carbon 33.1%, dissolved total inorganic carbon 10%, and dissolved organic carbon 57.5%. The elution of soil organic matter from peat-moorsh soils in broad range of pH and ionic strength was investigated. The rates of the reaction were calculated from the kinetics of first order reaction model. All experiments were repeated at different pH 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 8.0, 8.5 of 0.5 M ammonium acetate buffer solution. The investigations have shown the impact of the properties of secondary transformed peat-moorsh soils on the rates of the dissolution of organic matter. The rates of organic matter elution for all samples of peats were significant different at four used wavelengths λ=272 nm, λ=320 nm, λ=465 nm, and λ=665 nm. It was observed that the rates increased between λ=272 nm and λ=320 nm and decreased from λ=465 nm to λ=665 nm. Although, the lowest values of the pseudo first-order rate constants measured at λ=665 nm for all samples of peats from four places ranged from 1.9524 10-4 s-1 to 2.7361 10-4 s-1. Therefore, the highest values of t0.5 ranged from 42.2 to 59.2 min for all samples from Zbęchy, Shelterbelt, Mostek and Hirudo. This work was supported by a grant No. N N305 3204 36 founded by Polish Ministry of Education.

Calibrated Hydrothermal Parameters, Barrow, Alaska, 2013

DOE Data Explorer

Atchley, Adam; Painter, Scott; Harp, Dylan; Coon, Ethan; Wilson, Cathy; Liljedahl, Anna; Romanovsky, Vladimir

2015-01-29

A model-observation-experiment process (ModEx) is used to generate three 1D models of characteristic micro-topographical land-formations, which are capable of simulating present active thaw layer (ALT) from current climate conditions. Each column was used in a coupled calibration to identify moss, peat and mineral soil hydrothermal properties to be used in up-scaled simulations. Observational soil temperature data from a tundra site located near Barrow, AK (Area C) is used to calibrate thermal properties of moss, peat, and sandy loam soil to be used in the multiphysics Advanced Terrestrial Simulator (ATS) models. Simulation results are a list of calibrated hydrothermal parameters for moss, peat, and mineral soil hydrothermal parameters.

Biodegradation of diesel by mixed bacteria immobilized onto a hybrid support of peat moss and additives: a batch experiment.

PubMed

Lee, Young-Chul; Shin, Hyun-Jae; Ahn, Yeonghee; Shin, Min-Chul; Lee, Myungjin; Yang, Ji-Won

2010-11-15

We report microbial cell immobilization onto a hybrid support of peat moss for diesel biodegradation. Three strains isolated from a site contaminated with diesel oil were used in this study: Acinetobacter sp., Gordonia sp., and Rhodococcus sp. To increase not only diesel adsorption but also diesel biodegradation, additives such as zeolite, bentonite, chitosan, and alginate were tested. In this study, a peat moss, bentonite, and alginate (2/2.9/0.1 g, w/w/w) hybrid support (PBA) was the best support matrix, considering both diesel physical adsorption capacity and mixed microbial immobilization. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Soils of peatlands: histosols and gelisols

Treesearch

Randy Kolka; Scott D. Bridgham; Chien-Lu Ping

2016-01-01

Peatlands are a subset of wetlands that have accumulated significant amounts of soil organic matter. Soils of peatlands are colloquially known as peat, with mucks referring to peats that are decomposed to the point that the original plant remains are altered beyond recognition (Chapter 6, SSSA 2008). Generally, soils with a surface organic layer >40 cm thick...

Organic matter in a coal ball: Peat or coal?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hatcher, P.G.; Lyons, P.C.; Thompson, C.L.; Brown, F.W.; Maciel, G.E.

1982-01-01

Chemical analyses of morphologically preserved organic matter in a Carboniferous coal ball reveal that the material is coalified to a rank approximately equal to that of the surrounding coal. Hence, the plant tissues in the coal ball were chemically altered by coalification processes and were not preserved as peat. Copyright ?? 1982 AAAS.

REMOVAL OF ADDED NITRATE IN COTTON BURR COMPOST, MULCH COMPOST, AND PEAT: MECHANISMS AND POTENTIAL USE FOR GROUNDWATER NITRATE REMEDIATION

EPA Science Inventory

We conducted batch tests on the nature and kinetics of removal of added nitrate in cotton burr compost, mulch compost, and sphagnum peat that may be potentially used in a permeable reactive barrier (PRB) for groundwater nitrate remediation. A rigorous steam autoclaving protocol (...

Peat Biomass Smoke Particle Exposure in Rats Decreases Expiratory Time and Increases Left Heart End Diastolic Volume

EPA Science Inventory

Wildland fires, favored by prolonged drought and rising temperatures, generate significant amounts of ambient particulate matter (PM), which has been linked to adverse health outcomes. The eastern North Carolina peat fires of Pocosin Lake in 2008 and Pains Bay in 2011 were some o...

Effects of substrate type on plant growth and nitrogen and nitrate concentration in spinach

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The effects of three commercial substrates (a mixture of forest residues, composted grape husks, and white peat; black peat; and coir) on plant growth and nitrogen (N) and nitrate (NO3) concentration and content were evaluated in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L. cv. Tapir). Spinach seedlings were trans...

Patterns and drivers of fungal community depth stratification in Sphagnum peat

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Peatlands store an immense pool of soil carbon vulnerable to microbial oxidation due to drought and intentional draining. We used amplicon sequencing and quantitative PCR to 1) examine how fungi are influenced by depth in the peat profile, water table (WT) and plant functional group (PFG) at the ons...

Forest condition in Latvia

Treesearch

Madis Sipols

1998-01-01

Systematic assessment and observation (survey, inventory) of forests in Latvia has been underway since the 1700's. Latvia's forests are in the boreal/temperate forest zone and cover 44 percent of the country. Forest growing conditions are subdivided into five site class types: forests on dry mineral, wet mineral, wet peat, drained mineral, drained peat soils...

Use of Computed Tomography Imaging for Qualifying Coarse Roots, Rhizomes, Peat, and Particle Densities in Marsh Soils

EPA Science Inventory

Computed tomography (CT) imaging has been used to describe and quantify subtidal, benthic animals such as polychaetes, amphipods, and shrimp. Here, for the first time, CT imaging is used to successfully quantify wet mass of coarse roots, rhizomes, and peat in cores collected from...

Use of Computer-Aided Tomography (CT) Imaging for Quantifying Coarse Roots, Rhizomes, Peat, and Particle Densities in Marsh Soils

EPA Science Inventory

Computer-aided Tomography (CT) imaging was utilized to quantify wet mass of coarse roots, rhizomes, and peat in cores collected from organic-rich (Jamaica Bay, NY) and mineral (North Inlet, SC) Spartina alterniflora soils. Calibration rods composed of materials with standard dens...

Peat bog wildfire smoke exposure in rural North Carolina is associated with Cardiopulmonary emergency department visits assessed through syndromic surveillance

EPA Science Inventory

Background: In June 2008 burning deposits of peat produced haze and air pollution far in excess of National Ambient Air Quality Standards, encroaching on rural communities of eastern North Carolina (NC). While the association of mortality and morbidity with exposure to urban air ...

Peat Bog Wildfire Smoke Exposure in Rural North Carolina Is Associated with Cardio-Pulmonary Emergency Department Visits

EPA Science Inventory

In June 2008 burning deposits of peat produced haze and air pollution far in excess of National Ambient Air Quality Standards, encroaching on rural communities of eastern North Carolina (NC). While the association of mortality and morbidity with exposure to urban air pollution i...

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

PubMed

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.

Erosion of Northern Hemisphere blanket peatlands under 21st-century climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Pengfei; Holden, Joseph; Irvine, Brian; Mu, Xingmin

2017-04-01

Peatlands are important terrestrial carbon stores particularly in the Northern Hemisphere. Many peatlands, such as those in the British Isles, Sweden, and Canada, have undergone increased erosion, resulting in degraded water quality and depleted soil carbon stocks. It is unclear how climate change may impact future peat erosion. Here we use a physically based erosion model (Pan-European Soil Erosion Risk Assessment-PEAT), driven by seven different global climate models (GCMs), to predict fluvial blanket peat erosion in the Northern Hemisphere under 21st-century climate change. After an initial decline, total hemispheric blanket peat erosion rates are found to increase during 2070-2099 (2080s) compared with the baseline period (1961-1990) for most of the GCMs. Regional erosion variability is high with changes to baseline ranging between -1.27 and +21.63 t ha-1 yr-1 in the 2080s. These responses are driven by effects of temperature (generally more dominant) and precipitation change on weathering processes. Low-latitude and warm blanket peatlands are at most risk to fluvial erosion under 21st-century climate change.

Climate change impact on peatland and forest ecosystems of Russia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kondrasheva, N.Yu.; Kobak, K.I.; Turchinovich, I.Ye.

1996-12-31

Paleoclimatic and paleobotanic reconstructions allow a conclusion that ecosystems and natural zones significantly changed due to climate fluctuations. The average long-term carbon accumulation in peatlands of Russia was estimated as 45.6 mln tons of carbon per year. During the Holocene the rate of peat accumulation changed. During the Subboreal period the rate of peat accumulation gradually decreased to 17 gC/m2 yr, reaching its lowest value in the Subatlantic period. Apparently, the rate of peat accumulation decreased in Subboreal period due to sharp cooling and precipitation decrease. Future rates of peat accumulation might be higher than the present one. Forest ecosystemsmore » of north-western Russia also significantly changed during the Holocene. In Atlantic time the boundary between middle and south taiga was located 500 km northward compared to the present and broad-leaved forest occupied large areas. According to their forecast, a mean global air temperature increase by 1.4 C is expected to result in a considerable decrease in coniferous forest area and an increase in mixed and broad-leaved forest area.« less

[Oil degradation by basidiomycetes in soil and peat at low temperatures].

PubMed

Kulikova, N A; Klein, O I; Pivchenko, D V; Landesman, E O; Pozdnyakova, N N; Turkovskaya, O V; Zaichik, B Ts; Ruzhitskii, A O; Koroleva, O V

2016-01-01

A total of 17 basidiomycete strains causing white rot and growing on oil-contaminated substrates have been screened. Three strains with high (Steccherinum murashkinskyi), average (Trametes maxima), and low (Pleurotus ostreatus) capacities for the colonization of oil-contaminated substrates have been selected. The potential for degrading crude oil hydrocarbons has been assessed with the use of fungi grown on nonsterile soil and peat at low temperatures. Candida sp. and Rhodococcus sp. commercial strains have been used as reference organisms with oil-degrading ability. All microorganisms introduced in oil-contaminated soil have proved to be ineffective, whereas the inoculation of peat with basidiomycetes and oil-degrading microorganisms accelerated the destruction of oil hydrocarbons. The greatest degradation potential of oil-aliphatic hydrocarbons has been found in S. murashlinskyi. T. maxima turned out to be the most successful in degrading aromatic hydrocarbons. It has been suggested that aboriginal microflora contributes importantly to the effectiveness of oil-destructing microorganisms. T. maxima and S. murashkinskyi strains are promising for further study as oil-oxidizing agents during bioremediation of oil-contaminated peat soil under conditions of low temperatures.

Hydrochar from sewage sludge and urban wastes as a peat replacement in growing media preparation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Álvarez, Maria Luisa; Méndez, Ana; Paz-Ferreiro, Jorge; Soler-Rovira, Pedro; García-Gil, Juan Carlos; Plaza, César; Gascó, Gabriel

2016-04-01

Nowadays, there is an important trend in Europe for peat replacement with biochar in growing media formulation in order to reduce the environmental impact of peat exploitation. Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is a thermochemical process of converting organic feedstock into a high carbon rich solid product named hydrochar. It is performed in water mild temperature (180-260°C) under pressure conditions (2-6MPa) for 5-250 min. The reaction pressure is not controlled in the process and is autogenic with the saturation vapour pressure of water corresponding to the reaction temperature. In recent years, the possibility of subjecting organic wastes to HTC has attracted the scientific community attention due to their interesting advantages over other thermal treatments such as pyrolysis, torrefaction or gasification. The aim of the present paper is to study the possible use of two hydrochars produced by Ingelia (Spain) from sewage sludge and urban waste treatment as growing media material in horticulture. For this, thermal, chemical and hydrophysical properties were determined and compared with that of brown commercial peat.

Effect of recent climate change on Arctic Pb pollution: a comparative study of historical records in lake and peat sediments.

PubMed

Liu, Xiaodong; Jiang, Shan; Zhang, Pengfei; Xu, Liqiang

2012-01-01

Historical changes of anthropogenic Pb pollution were reconstructed based on Pb concentrations and isotope ratios in lake and peat sediment profiles from Ny-Ålesund of Arctic. The calculated excess Pb isotope ratios showed that Pb pollution largely came from west Europe and Russia. The peat profile clearly reflected the historical changes of atmospheric deposition of anthropogenic Pb into Ny-Ålesund, and the result showed that anthropogenic Pb peaked at 1960s-1970s, and thereafter a significant recovery was observed by a rapid increase of (206)Pb/(207)Pb ratios and a remarkable decrease in anthropogenic Pb contents. In contrast to the peat record, the longer lake record showed relatively high anthropogenic Pb contents and a persistent decrease of (206)Pb/(207)Pb ratios within the uppermost samples, suggesting that climate-sensitive processes such as catchment erosion and meltwater runoff might have influenced the recent change of Pb pollution record in the High Arctic lake sediments. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Testate amoebae analysis in the peat deposits of the swamp Dolgon’koye in the south of Western Siberia and peatland paleohydrology for last 3100 years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurina, Irina V.; Blyakharchuk, Tatiana A.

2018-03-01

Our research is devoted to paleohydrological reconstruction in the swamp located in the river valley on the piedmont of the Altai Mountains in the south of Western Siberia. The reconstruction was carried out based on rhizopod analysis for the last 3100 cal yr. A large amount of different testate amoebae was found in the peat. Total 64 testate amoebae taxa were recorded in the peat core with the most abundant being: Trinema lineare, Centropyxis aculeata, C. aerophila, Euglypha rotunda, Cryptodifflugia sp. Decrease of surface wetness in the swamp are observed 2280, 2140, 1900–600 cal yr BP and increase – in 2700, 2500–1900, 230–215 cal yr BP. The results of our reconstruction of the swamp paleohydrology agrees well with the paleoclimatic data obtained earlier for the central area of the south of Western Siberia Plain. It indicates a high sensitivity of the swamp to climatic changes in the Holocene. The rhizopod analysis proved to be very effective when used for paleohydrology reconstruction in minerotrophic peat.

Peatland Ecosystem Processes in the Maritime Antarctic During Warm Climates.

PubMed

Loisel, Julie; Yu, Zicheng; Beilman, David W; Kaiser, Karl; Parnikoza, Ivan

2017-09-27

We discovered a 50-cm-thick peat deposit near Cape Rasmussen (65.2°S), in the maritime Antarctic. To our knowledge, while aerobic 'moss banks' have often been examined, waterlogged 'peatlands' have never been described in this region before. The waterlogged system is approximately 100 m 2 , with a shallow water table. Surface vegetation is dominated by Warnstorfia fontinaliopsis, a wet-adapted moss commonly found in the Antarctic Peninsula. Peat inception was dated at 2750 cal. BP and was followed by relatively rapid peat accumulation (~0.1 cm/year) until 2150 cal. BP. Our multi-proxy analysis then shows a 2000-year-long stratigraphic hiatus as well as the recent resurgence of peat accumulation, sometime after 1950 AD. The existence of a thriving peatland at 2700-2150 cal. BP implies regionally warm summer conditions extending beyond the mid-Holocene; this finding is corroborated by many regional records showing moss bank initiation and decreased sea ice extent during this time period. Recent peatland recovery at the study site (<50 years ago) might have been triggered by ongoing rapid warming, as the area is experiencing climatic conditions approaching those found on milder, peatland-rich sub-Antarctic islands (50-60°S). Assuming that colonization opportunities and stabilization mechanisms would allow peat to persist in Antarctica, our results suggest that longer and warmer growing seasons in the maritime Antarctic region may promote a more peatland-rich landscape in the future.

NASA Science Data Processing for SNPP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, A.; Behnke, J.; Lowe, D. R.; Ho, E. L.

2014-12-01

NASA's ESDIS Project has been operating the Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (SNPP) Science Data Segment (SDS) since the launch in October 2011. The science data processing system includes a Science Data Depository and Distribution Element (SD3E) and five Product Evaluation and Analysis Tool Elements (PEATEs): Land, Ocean, Atmosphere, Ozone, and Sounder. The SDS has been responsible for assessing Environmental Data Records (EDRs) for climate quality, providing and demonstrating algorithm improvements/enhancements and supporting the calibration/validation activities as well as instrument calibration and sensor table uploads for mission planning. The SNPP also flies two NASA instruments: OMPS Limb and CERES. The SNPP SDS has been responsible for producing, archiving and distributing the standard products for those instruments in close association with their NASA science teams. The PEATEs leveraged existing science data processing techniques developed under the EOSDIS Program. This enabled he PEATEs to do an excellent job in supporting Science Team analysis for SNPP. The SDS acquires data from three sources: NESDIS IDPS (Raw Data Records (RDRs)), GRAVITE (Retained Intermediate Products (RIPs)), and the NOAA/CLASS (higher level products). The SD3E component aggregates the RDRs, and distributes them to each of the PEATEs for further analysis and processing. It provides a ~32 day rolling storage of data, available for pickup by the PEATEs. The current system used by NASA will be presented along with plans for streamlining the system in support of continuing the NASA's EOS measurements.

Carbon accumulation in peatlands of West Siberia over the last 2000 years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beilman, David W.; MacDonald, Glen M.; Smith, Laurence C.; Reimer, Paula J.

2009-03-01

We use a network of cores from 77 peatland sites to determine controls on peat C content and peat C accumulation over the last 2000 years (since 2 ka) across Russia's West Siberian Lowland (WSL), the world's largest wetland region. Our results show a significant influence of fossil plant composition on peat C content, with peats dominated by Sphagnum having a lower C content. Radiocarbon-derived C accumulation since 2 ka at 23 sites is highly variable from site to site, but displays a significant N-S trend of decreasing accumulation at higher latitudes. Northern WSL peatlands show relatively small C accumulation of 7 to 35 kg C m-2 since 2 ka. In contrast, peatlands south of 60°N show larger accumulation of 42 to 88 kg C m-2. Carbon accumulation since 2 ka varies significantly with modern mean annual air temperature, with maximum C accumulation found between -1 and 0°C. Rates of apparent C accumulation since 2 ka show no significant relationship to long-term Holocene averages based on total C accumulation. A GIS-based extrapolation of our site data suggests that a substantial amount (˜40%) of total WSL peat C has accumulated since 2 ka, with much of this accumulation south of 60°N. The large peatlands in the southern WSL may be an important component of the Eurasian terrestrial C sink, and future warming could result in a shift northward in long-term WSL C sequestration.

Seasonal variation in CH4 emissions and production and oxidation potentials at microsites on an oligotrophic pine fen.

PubMed

Saarnio, S; Alm, Jukka; Silvola, Jouko; Lohila, Annalea; Nykänen, Hannu; Martikainen, Pertti J

1997-04-01

 Temporal and spatial variation in CH 4 emissions was studied at hummock, Eriophorum lawn, flark and Carex lawn microsites in an oligotrophic pine fen over the growing season using a static chamber method, and CH 4 production and oxidation potentials in peat profiles from hummock and flark were determined in laboratory incubation experiments. Emissions were lowest in the hummocks, and decreased with increasing hummock height, while in the lawns and flarks they increased with increasing sedge cover. Statistical response functions with water table and peat temperature as independent variables were calculated in order to reconstruct seasonal CH 4 emissions by reference to the time series for peat temperature and water table specific to each microsite type. Mean CH 4 emissions in the whole area in the snow-free period of 1993, weighted in terms of the proportions of the microsites, were 1.7 mol CH 4 m -2 . Potential CH 4 production and oxidation rates were very low in the hummocks rising above the groundwater table, but were relatively similar when expressed per dry weight of peat both in the hummocks and flarks below the water table. The CH 4 production potential increased in autumn at both microsites and CH 4 oxidation potential seemed to decrease. The decrease in temperature in autumn certainly reduced in situ decomposition processes, possibly leaving unused substrates in the peat, which would explain the increase in CH 4 production potential.

Trajectories of water table recovery following the re-vegetation of bare peat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shuttleworth, Emma; Evans, Martin; Allott, Tim; Maskill, Rachael; Pilkington, Michael; Walker, Jonathan

2016-04-01

The hydrological status of blanket peat influences a wide range of peatland functions, such as runoff generation, water quality, vegetation distribution, and rates of carbon sequestration. The UK supports 15% of the world's blanket peat cover, but much of this vital resource is significantly degraded, impacted by industrial pollution, overgrazing, wildfire, and climatic shifts. These pressures have produced a unique landscape characterised by severe gully erosion and extensive areas of bare peat. This in turn has led water tables to become substantially drawn down, impacting peatland function and limiting the resilience of these landscapes to future changes in climate. The restoration of eroding UK peatlands is a major conservation concern, and landscape-scale interventions through the re-vegetation of bare peat is becoming increasingly extensive in areas of upland Britain. Water table is the primary physical parameter considered in the monitoring of many peatland restoration projects, and there is a wealth of data on individual monitoring programmes which indicates that re-vegetation significantly raises water tables. This paper draws on data from multiple restoration projects carried out by the Moors for the Future Partnership in the Southern Pennines, UK, covering a range of stages in the erosion-restoration continuum, to assess the trajectories of water table recovery following re-vegetation. This will allow us to generate projections of future water table recovery, which will be of benefit to land managers and conservation organisations to inform future restoration initiatives.

Recycling of phenolic compounds in Borneo's tropical peat swamp forests.

PubMed

Yule, Catherine M; Lim, Yau Yan; Lim, Tse Yuen

2018-02-07

Tropical peat swamp forests (TPSF) are globally significant carbon stores, sequestering carbon mainly as phenolic polymers and phenolic compounds (particularly as lignin and its derivatives) in peat layers, in plants, and in the acidic blackwaters. Previous studies show that TPSF plants have particularly high levels of phenolic compounds which inhibit the decomposition of organic matter and thus promote peat accumulation. The studies of phenolic compounds are thus crucial to further understand how TPSF function with respect to carbon sequestration. Here we present a study of cycling of phenolic compounds in five forests in Borneo differing in flooding and acidity, leaching of phenolic compounds from senescent Macaranga pruinosa leaves, and absorption of phenolics by M. pruinosa seedlings. The results of the study show that total phenolic content (TPC) in soil and leaves of three species of Macaranga were highest in TPSF followed by freshwater swamp forest and flooded limestone forest, then dry land sites. Highest TPC values were associated with acidity (in TPSF) and waterlogging (in flooded forests). Moreover, phenolic compounds are rapidly leached from fallen senescent leaves, and could be reabsorbed by tree roots and converted into more complex phenolics within the leaves. Extreme conditions-waterlogging and acidity-may facilitate uptake and synthesis of protective phenolic compounds which are essential for impeded decomposition of organic matter in TPSF. Conversely, the ongoing drainage and degradation of TPSF, particularly for conversion to oil palm plantations, reverses the conditions necessary for peat accretion and carbon sequestration.

Sundaland Peat Carbon Dynamics and Its Contribution to the Holocene Atmospheric CO2 Concentration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abrams, Jesse F.; Hohn, Sönke; Rixen, Tim; Merico, Agostino

2018-04-01

The Sunda Shelf is a large submerged extension of the continental shelf of mainland Asia, joining the islands of Borneo, Java, and Sumatra and forming the shallow seabed of the South China Sea. Recent studies identified present-day peatlands in Southeast Asia as a globally important carbon reservoir. However, little is known about Sundaland paleopeatlands and their role in the global carbon cycle since the Last Glacial Maximum. Using a topography-based, sea level-driven model, we estimate the potential spatial extent of peatlands during the late Pleistocene and early Holocene across the low-lying Sundaland plains. We then use the estimated peatland area together with data on carbon accumulation rates to calculate the total peat carbon pool on the Sunda Shelf. Finally, using a global biogeochemical model, we analyze the relative influence of the predicted Sundaland peat dynamics and other carbon change mechanisms, specifically high-latitude forest growth and peat formation, shallow sea carbonate deposition, ocean warming, and combinations of them, on the global carbon cycle of the Holocene. We identify a feedback mechanism between sea level and peatland carbon sequestration in Sundaland that reduced atmospheric CO2 concentration by about 4-5 ppm and increased δ13C by 0.05‰ during the Holocene. We also show that a concurrence of mechanisms that includes Sundaland peat dynamics produces model results that are consistent with proxy records, especially with respect to δ13C.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Temperature, oxygen, and vegetation controls on decomposition in a James Bay peatland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Philben, Michael; Holmquist, James; MacDonald, Glen; Duan, Dandan; Kaiser, Karl; Benner, Ronald

2015-06-01

The biochemical composition of a peat core from James Bay Lowland, Canada, was used to assess the extent of peat decomposition and diagenetic alteration. Our goal was to identify environmental controls on peat decomposition, particularly its sensitivity to naturally occurring changes in temperature, oxygen exposure time, and vegetation. All three varied substantially during the last 7000 years, providing a natural experiment for evaluating their effects on decomposition. The bottom 50 cm of the core formed during the Holocene Climatic Optimum (~7000-4000 years B.P.), when mean annual air temperature was likely 1-2°C warmer than present. A reconstruction of the water table level using testate amoebae indicated oxygen exposure time was highest in the subsequent upper portion of the core between 150 and 225 cm depth (from ~2560 to 4210 years B.P.) and the plant community shifted from mostly Sphagnum to vascular plant dominance. Several independent biochemical indices indicated that decomposition was greatest in this interval. Hydrolysable amino acid yields, hydroxyproline yields, and acid:aldehyde ratios of syringyl lignin phenols were higher, while hydrolysable neutral sugar yields and carbon:nitrogen ratios were lower in this zone of both vascular plant vegetation and elevated oxygen exposure time. Thus, peat formed during the Holocene Climatic Optimum did not appear to be more extensively decomposed than peat formed during subsequent cooler periods. Comparison with a core from the West Siberian Lowland, Russia, indicates that oxygen exposure time and vegetation are both important controls on decomposition, while temperature appears to be of secondary importance. The low apparent sensitivity of decomposition to temperature is consistent with recent observations of a positive correlation between peat accumulation rates and mean annual temperature, suggesting that contemporary warming could enhance peatland carbon sequestration, although this could be offset by an increasing contribution of vascular plants to the vegetation.

Vertical Stratification of Peat Pore Water Dissolved Organic Matter Composition in a Peat Bog in Northern Minnesota

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tfaily, Malak M.; Wilson, Rachel M.; Cooper, William T.; Kostka, Joel E.; Hanson, Paul; Chanton, Jeffrey P.

2018-02-01

We characterized dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition throughout the peat column at the Marcell S1 forested bog in northern Minnesota and tested the hypothesis that redox oscillations associated with cycles of wetting and drying at the surface of the fluctuating water table correlate with increased carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen turn over. We found significant vertical stratification of DOM molecular composition and excitation-emission matrix parallel factor analysis components within the peat column. In particular, the intermediate depth zone ( 50 cm) was identified as a zone where maximum decomposition and turnover is taking place. Surface DOM was dominated by inputs from surface vegetation. The intermediate depth zone was an area of high organic matter reactivity and increased microbial activity with diagenetic formation of many unique compounds, among them polycyclic aromatic compounds that contain both nitrogen and sulfur heteroatoms. These compounds have been previously observed in coal-derived compounds and were assumed to be responsible for coal's biological activity. Biological processes triggered by redox oscillations taking place at the intermediate depth zone of the peat profile at the S1 bog are assumed to be responsible for the formation of these heteroatomic PACs in this system. Alternatively, these compounds could stem from black carbon and nitrogen derived from fires that have occurred at the site in the past. Surface and deep DOM exhibited more similar characteristics, compared to the intermediate depth zone, with the deep layer exhibiting greater input of microbially degraded organic matter than the surface suggesting that the entire peat profile consists of similar parent material at different degrees of decomposition and that lateral and vertical advection of pore water from the surface to the deeper horizons is responsible for such similarities. Our findings suggest that molecular composition of DOM in peatland pore water is dynamic and is a function of ecosystem activity, water table, redox oscillation, and pore water advection.

Did enhanced afforestation cause high severity peat burn in the Fort McMurray Horse River wildfire?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilkinson, S. L.; Moore, P. A.; Flannigan, M. D.; Wotton, B. M.; Waddington, J. M.

2018-01-01

Climate change mediated drying of boreal peatlands is expected to enhance peatland afforestation and wildfire vulnerability. The water table depth-afforestation feedback represents a positive feedback that can enhance peat drying and consolidation and thereby increase peat burn severity; exacerbating the challenges and costs of wildfire suppression efforts and potentially shifting the peatland to a persistent source of atmospheric carbon. To address this wildfire management challenge, we examined burn severity across a gradient of drying in a black spruce dominated peatland that was partially drained in 1975-1980 and burned in the 2016 Fort McMurray Horse River wildfire. We found that post-drainage black spruce annual ring width increased substantially with intense drainage. Average (±SD) basal diameter was 2.6 ± 1.2 cm, 3.2 ± 2.0 cm and 7.9 ± 4.7 cm in undrained (UD), moderately drained (MD) and heavily drained (HD) treatments, respectively. Depth of burn was significantly different between treatments (p < 0.001) and averaged (±SD) 2.5 ± 3.5 cm, 6.4 ± 5.0 cm and 36.9 ± 29.6 cm for the UD, MD and HD treatments, respectively. The high burn severity in the HD treatment included 38% of the treatment that experienced combustion of the entire peat profile, and we estimate that overall 51% of the HD pre-burn peat carbon stock was lost. We argue that the HD treatment surpassed an ecohydrological tipping point to high severity peat burn that may be identified using black spruce stand characteristics in boreal plains bogs. While further studies are needed, we believe that quantifying this threshold will aid in developing effective adaptive management techniques and protecting boreal peatland carbon stocks.

Influence of biochar, mycorrhizal inoculation, and fertilizer rate on growth and flowering of Pelargonium (Pelargonium zonale L.) plants.

PubMed

Conversa, Giulia; Bonasia, Anna; Lazzizera, Corrado; Elia, Antonio

2015-01-01

Peat is the most common substrate used in nurseries despite being a very expensive and a non-renewable material. Peat replacement with biochar could be a sound environmental practice, as it is produced from waste biomass, but evaluation of biochar as a potting substrate is needed. Ratios of peat:biochar of 100:0, 70:30, 30:70 (BC0, BC30, and BC70, respectively), two fertilizer rates (FERT1, FERT2), and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation were tested on potted Pelargonium plants. Plant growth, flowering, bio-physiological and nutritional responses, and root mycorrhization were evaluated. The BC30 mixture did not affect plant growth compared with pure peat. However, BC30 in combination with FERT2 treatment was more effective in enhancing nitrogen (N) and chlorophyll (CHL) leaf concentrations, and leaf and flower numbers. The BC70 mixture depressed plant growth, flowering traits, and root mycorrhization. Leaf N concentration was below the sufficiency range reported for Pelargonium growth. Leaf concentration of phosphorous (P) was adequate in pure peat and in BC30 but it dropped close to sub-optimal values in BC70. The pH value of the mixtures lowered P availability, though in BC30 the mycorrhizal activity could have allowed adequate P plant uptake. In BC70 plants, the deficiency of both N and P might be a reason for the observed growth reduction. The inoculation of the substrate with selected AMF improved plant growth (higher dry biomass, greater floral clusters, larger and more abundant leaves) and quality resulting in unstressed (lower electrolyte leakage and higher relative water content values) and greener leaves (low L(∗) and C(∗), high CHL content) and in more intensely colored flowers. We conclude that biochar can be applied in nursery/potted plant production provided that the proportion in the peat mixture does not exceed 30%. Furthermore, AMF inoculation contributed to achieving the best plant performance in 30% biochar amended medium.

How important are peatlands globally in providing drinking water resources?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Jiren; Morris, Paul; Holden, Joseph

2017-04-01

The potential role of peatlands as water stores and sources of downstream water resources for human use is often cited in publications setting the context for the importance of peatlands, but is rarely backed up with substantive evidence. We sought to determine the global role of peatlands in water resource provision. We developed the Peat Population Index (PPI) that combines the coverage of peat and the local population density to show focused (hotspot) areas where there is a combination of both large areas of peat and large populations who would potentially use water sourced from those peatlands. We also developed a method for estimating the proportion of river water that interacted with contributing peatlands before draining into rivers and reservoirs used as a drinking water resource. The Peat Reservoir Index (PRI) estimates the contribution of peatlands to domestic water use to be 1.64 km3 per year which is 0.35 % of the global total. The results suggest that although peatlands are widespread, the spatial distribution of the high PPI and PRI river basins is concentrated in European middle latitudes particularly around major conurbations in The Netherlands, northern England, Scotland (Glasgow) and Ireland (Dublin), although there were also some important systems in Florida, the Niger Delta and Malaysia. More detailed research into water resource provision in high PPI areas showed that they were not always also high PRI areas as often water resources were delivered to urban centres from non-peat areas, despite a large area of peat within the catchment. However, particularly in the UK and Ireland, there are some high PRI systems where peatlands directly supply water to nearby urban centres. Thus both indices are useful and can be used at a global level while more local refinement enables enhanced use which supports global and local peatland protection measures. We now intend to study the impacts of peatland degradation and climate change on water resource provision in hotspot PPI and PRI regions.

Caribbean mangroves adjust to rising sea level through biotic controls on change in soil elevation

USGS Publications Warehouse

McKee, K.L.; Cahoon, D.R.; Feller, Ilka C.

2007-01-01

Aim The long-term stability of coastal ecosystems such as mangroves and salt marshes depends upon the maintenance of soil elevations within the intertidal habitat as sea level changes. We examined the rates and processes of peat formation by mangroves of the Caribbean Region to better understand biological controls on habitat stability. Location Mangrove-dominated islands on the Caribbean coasts of Belize, Honduras and Panama were selected as study sites. Methods Biological processes controlling mangrove peat formation were manipulated (in Belize) by the addition of nutrients (nitrogen or phosphorus) to Rhizophora mangle (red mangrove), and the effects on the dynamics of soil elevation were determined over a 3-year period using rod surface elevation tables (RSET) and marker horizons. Peat composition and geological accretion rates were determined at all sites using radiocarbon-dated cores. Results The addition of nutrients to mangroves caused significant changes in rates of mangrove root accumulation, which influenced both the rate and direction of change in elevation. Areas with low root input lost elevation and those with high rates gained elevation. These findings were consistent with peat analyses at multiple Caribbean sites showing that deposits (up to 10 m in depth) were composed primarily of mangrove root matter. Comparison of radiocarbon-dated cores at the study sites with a sea-level curve for the western Atlantic indicated a tight coupling between peat building in Caribbean mangroves and sea-level rise over the Holocene. Main conclusions Mangroves common to the Caribbean region have adjusted to changing sea level mainly through subsurface accumulation of refractory mangrove roots. Without root and other organic inputs, submergence of these tidal forests is inevitable due to peat decomposition, physical compaction and eustatic sea-level rise. These findings have relevance for predicting the effects of sea-level rise and biophysical processes on tropical mangrove ecosystems.

234U/238U and δ87Sr in peat as tracers of paleosalinity in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drexler, Judith Z.; Paces, James B.; Alpers, Charles N.; Windham-Myers, Lisamarie; Neymark, Leonid; Bullen, Thomas D.; Taylor, Howard E.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the history of paleosalinity over the past 6000+ years in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (the Delta), which is the innermost part of the San Francisco Estuary. We used a combination of Sr and U concentrations, d87Sr values, and 234U/238U activity ratios (AR) in peat as proxies for tracking paleosalinity. Peat cores were collected in marshes on Browns Island, Franks Wetland, and Bacon Channel Island in the Delta. Cores were dated using 137Cs, the onset of Pb and Hg contamination from hydraulic gold mining, and 14C. A proof of concept study showed that the dominant emergent macrophyte and major component of peat in the Delta, Schoenoplectus spp., incorporates Sr and U and that the isotopic composition of these elements tracks the ambient water salinity across the Estuary. Concentrations and isotopic compositions of Sr and U in the three main water sources contributing to the Delta (seawater, Sacramento River water, and San Joaquin River water) were used to construct a three-end-member mixing model. Delta paleosalinity was determined by examining variations in the distribution of peat samples through time within the area delineated by the mixing model. The Delta has long been considered a tidal freshwater marsh region, but only peat samples from Franks Wetland and Bacon Channel Island have shown a consistently fresh signal (<0.5 ppt) through time. Therefore, the eastern Delta, which occurs upstream from Bacon Channel Island along the San Joaquin River and its tributaries, has also been fresh for this time period. Over the past 6000+ years, the salinity regime at the western boundary of the Delta (Browns Island) has alternated between fresh and oligohaline (0.5-5 ppt).

Quantifying the impacts of land use change on soil organic carbon losses in tropical peatlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farmer, J.; Smith, J.; Smith, P.; Matthews, R.

2012-04-01

The challenge of collecting field measurements of soil carbon dioxide (CO2) efflux and soil carbon (C) in tropical peatlands creates an opportunity for the use of SOC models for predicting local and regional impacts of land use and climate change on these soils, offering a way of translating this limited data into tangible results. Previously, no soil C model existed for use in non-steady state sites such as those found on tropical peats- in particular peat swamp forests which accumulate C, and oil palm plantations which are grown for 20-25 years between re-plantings. A simple, user friendly model has been created for use by scientists, policy makers and plantation managers. This model uses only limited inputs to predict the changes to soil C from land use and climate change. The model runs on the assumption that plant inputs can be related to yield, and that this can be used to derive the decomposition of SOM. It uses a simple decomposition response to determine the changes to the soil C. The model can run in a basic form if data is very limited, or a more complex form with modifiers for temperature, pH, salinity and soil moisture if this data is available. Using measured CO2 efflux and soil C values from peat cores, combined with literature values, we demonstrate the efficacy of the model, showing how we have identified and addressed some of the issues related to modelling soil C losses from tropical peat soils under land use change. Key challenges addressed included quantifying the effects of drainage when peat swamp forests are converted to oil palm plantations, and comparing field results between sites because in oil palm plantations the original soil conditions prior to conversion from peat swamp forest were largely unknown.

Alkane, terpene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon geochemistry of the Mackenzie River and Mackenzie shelf: Riverine contributions to Beaufort Sea coastal sediment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yunker, Mark B.; Macdonald, Robie W.; Cretney, Walter J.; Fowler, Brian R.; McLaughlin, Fiona A.

1993-07-01

To study the largest source of river sediment to the Arctic Ocean, we have collected suspended particulates from the Mackenzie River in all seasons and sediments from the Mackenzie shelf between the river mouth and the shelf edge. These samples have been analyzed for alkanes, triterpenes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). We found that naturally occurring hydrocarbons predominate in the river and on the shelf. These hydrocarbons include biogenic alkanes and triterpenes with a higher plant/peat origin, diagenetic PAHs from peat and plant detritus, petrogenic alkanes, triterpenes and PAHs from oil seeps and/or bitumens and combustion PAHs that are likely relict in peat deposits. Because these components vary independently, the season is found to strongly influence the concentration and composition of hydrocarbons in the Mackenzie River. While essentially the same pattern of alkanes, diagenetic hopanes and alkyl PAHs is observed in all river and most shelf sediment samples, alkane and triterpene concentration variations are strongly linked to the relative amount of higher plant/peat material. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecular-mass profiles also appear to be tied primarily to varying proportions of peat, with an additional petrogenic component which is most likely associated with lithic material mobilized by the Mackenzie River at freshet. Consistent with the general lack of alkyl PAHs in peat, the higher PAHs found in the river are probably derived from forest and tundra fires. A few anthropogenic/pyrogenic compounds are manifest only at the shelf edge, probably due to a weakening of the river influence. We take this observation of pyrogenic PAHs and the pronounced source differences between two sediment samples collected at the shelf edge as evidence of a transition from dominance by the Mackenzie River to the geochemistry prevalent in Arctic regions far removed from major rivers.

Abundant Trimethylornithine Lipids and Specific Gene Sequences Are Indicative of Planctomycete Importance at the Oxic/Anoxic Interface in Sphagnum-Dominated Northern Wetlands.

PubMed

Moore, Eli K; Villanueva, Laura; Hopmans, Ellen C; Rijpstra, W Irene C; Mets, Anchelique; Dedysh, Svetlana N; Sinninghe Damsté, Jaap S

2015-09-01

Northern wetlands make up a substantial terrestrial carbon sink and are often dominated by decay-resistant Sphagnum mosses. Recent studies have shown that planctomycetes appear to be involved in degradation of Sphagnum-derived debris. Novel trimethylornithine (TMO) lipids have recently been characterized as abundant lipids in various Sphagnum wetland planctomycete isolates, but their occurrence in the environment has not yet been confirmed. We applied a combined intact polar lipid (IPL) and molecular analysis of peat cores collected from two northern wetlands (Saxnäs Mosse [Sweden] and Obukhovskoye [Russia]) in order to investigate the preferred niche and abundance of TMO-producing planctomycetes. TMOs were present throughout the profiles of Sphagnum bogs, but their concentration peaked at the oxic/anoxic interface, which coincided with a maximum abundance of planctomycete-specific 16S rRNA gene sequences. The sequences detected at the oxic/anoxic interface were affiliated with the Isosphaera group, while sequences present in the anoxic peat layers were related to an uncultured planctomycete group. Pyrosequencing-based analysis identified Planctomycetes as the major bacterial group at the oxic/anoxic interface at the Obukhovskoye peat (54% of total 16S rRNA gene sequence reads), followed by Acidobacteria (19% reads), while in the Saxnäs Mosse peat, Acidobacteria were dominant (46%), and Planctomycetes contributed to 6% of the total reads. The detection of abundant TMO lipids in planctomycetes isolated from peat bogs and the lack of TMO production by cultures of acidobacteria suggest that planctomycetes are the producers of TMOs in peat bogs. The higher accumulation of TMOs at the oxic/anoxic interface and the change in the planctomycete community with depth suggest that these IPLs could be synthesized as a response to changing redox conditions at the oxic/anoxic interface. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Abundant Trimethylornithine Lipids and Specific Gene Sequences Are Indicative of Planctomycete Importance at the Oxic/Anoxic Interface in Sphagnum-Dominated Northern Wetlands

PubMed Central

Villanueva, Laura; Hopmans, Ellen C.; Rijpstra, W. Irene C.; Mets, Anchelique; Dedysh, Svetlana N.

2015-01-01

Northern wetlands make up a substantial terrestrial carbon sink and are often dominated by decay-resistant Sphagnum mosses. Recent studies have shown that planctomycetes appear to be involved in degradation of Sphagnum-derived debris. Novel trimethylornithine (TMO) lipids have recently been characterized as abundant lipids in various Sphagnum wetland planctomycete isolates, but their occurrence in the environment has not yet been confirmed. We applied a combined intact polar lipid (IPL) and molecular analysis of peat cores collected from two northern wetlands (Saxnäs Mosse [Sweden] and Obukhovskoye [Russia]) in order to investigate the preferred niche and abundance of TMO-producing planctomycetes. TMOs were present throughout the profiles of Sphagnum bogs, but their concentration peaked at the oxic/anoxic interface, which coincided with a maximum abundance of planctomycete-specific 16S rRNA gene sequences. The sequences detected at the oxic/anoxic interface were affiliated with the Isosphaera group, while sequences present in the anoxic peat layers were related to an uncultured planctomycete group. Pyrosequencing-based analysis identified Planctomycetes as the major bacterial group at the oxic/anoxic interface at the Obukhovskoye peat (54% of total 16S rRNA gene sequence reads), followed by Acidobacteria (19% reads), while in the Saxnäs Mosse peat, Acidobacteria were dominant (46%), and Planctomycetes contributed to 6% of the total reads. The detection of abundant TMO lipids in planctomycetes isolated from peat bogs and the lack of TMO production by cultures of acidobacteria suggest that planctomycetes are the producers of TMOs in peat bogs. The higher accumulation of TMOs at the oxic/anoxic interface and the change in the planctomycete community with depth suggest that these IPLs could be synthesized as a response to changing redox conditions at the oxic/anoxic interface. PMID:26150465

Changing patterns of Pennsylvanian coal-swamp vegetation and implications of climatic control on coal occurrence

USGS Publications Warehouse

Phillips, T.L.; Peppers, R.A.

1984-01-01

Improved regional and interregional stratigraphic correlations of Pennsylvanian strata permit comparisons of vegetational changes in Euramerican coal swamps. The coal-swamp vegetation is known directly from in situ coal-ball peat deposits from more than 65 coals in the United States and Europe. Interpretations of coal-swamp floras on the basis of coal-ball peat studies are extended to broader regional and stratigraphic patterns by use of coal palynology. Objectives of the quantitative analyses of the vegetation in relation to coal are to determine the botanical constituents at the peat stage and their environmental implications for plant growth and peat accumulation. Morphological and paleoecological analyses provide a basis for deducing freshwater regimes of coal swamps. Changes in composition of Pennsylvanian coal-swamp vegetation are quire similar from one paralic coal region to another and show synchrony that is attributable to climate. Paleobotany and paleogeography of the Euramerican province indicate a moist tropical paleoclimate. Rainfall, runoff and evapotranspiration were the variable climatic controls in the distribution of coal-swamp vegetation, peat accumulation and coal resources. In relative terms of climatic wetness the Pennsylvanian Period is divisible into five intervals, which include two relatively drier intervals that developed during the Lower-Middle and Middle-Upper Pennsylvanian transitions. The climate during Early Pennsylvanian time was moderately wet and the median in moisture availability. Early Middle Pennsylvanian was drier, probably seasonally dry-wet; late Middle Pennsylvanian was the wettest in the Midcontinent; early Late Pennsylvanian was the driest; and late Late Pennsylvanian was probably the wettest in the Dunkard Basin. The five climatic intervals represent a general means of dividing coal resources within each region into groups with similar botanical constituents and environments of peat accumulation. Regional differences in basinal geology and climate were significant variables, but the synchronous control of paleoclimate was of primary importance. ?? 1984.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Iron speciation in peats: Chemical and spectroscopic evidence for the co-occurrence of ferric and ferrous iron in organic complexes and mineral precipitates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bhattacharyya, Amrita; Schmidt, Michael P.; Stavitski, Eli

The speciation of iron (Fe) in organic matter (OM)-rich environments under in situ variable redox conditions is largely unresolved. Peatlands provide a natural setting to study Fe–OM interactions. Utilizing chemical, spectroscopic and theoretical modeling approaches, we report the chemical forms, oxidation states and local coordination environment of naturally occurring Fe in the vertically redox-stratified Manning peatlands of western New York. In addition, we report dominant carbon, sulfur and nitrogen species that can potentially stabilize the various Fe species present in these peatlands. Our results provide clear direct and indirect evidence for the co-occurrence of ferrous (Fe 2+) and ferric (Femore » 3+) iron species in peats under both oxic and anoxic conditions. Iron is mostly present within the operationally defined organic and amorphous (i.e., short range ordered, SRO) fractions; ferric iron primarily as magnetically isolated paramagnetic Fe 3+ in Fe(III)-organic complexes, but also in mineral forms such as ferrihydrite; ferrous iron in tetrahedral coordination in Fe(II)-organic complexes with minor contribution from pyrite. All of the Fe species identified stabilize Fe(III) and/or Fe(II) in anoxic and oxic peats. Fundamental differences are also observed in the relative proportion of C, S and N functionalities of OM in oxic and anoxic peats. Aromatic C=C, ester, phenol and anomeric C (R-O-C-O-R), as well as thiol, sulfide and heterocyclic N functionalities are more prevalent in anoxic peats. Collectively, our experimental evidence suggests iron forms coordination complexes with O-, S- and N-containing functional groups of OM. We posit the co-occurrence of organic and mineral forms of Fe(II) and Fe(III) in both oxic and anoxic peat layers results from dynamic complexation and hydrolysis-precipitation reactions that occur under variable redox conditions. In conclusion, our findings aid in understanding the crucial role OM plays in determining Fe species in soils and sediments.« less

Distinguishing local ecology from regional hydrologic change in a subtropical wetland, Florida Everglades USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernhardt, C. E.; Willard, D. A.

2012-12-01

The Florida Everglades is a subtropical peatland where differences in bedrock topography, water depth, and hydroperiod affect the distribution and composition of vegetation communities. Previous studies have demonstrated that human modification of the natural hydrology and changes in precipitation associated with natural climate variability can alter the distribution wetland vegetation and influence whether a site is accumulating peat or marl. Pollen analysis of sediments from vegetation communities separated by only a few meters, like the ridges and sloughs, demonstrates the strong signature of the local community. However, over decadal to centennial scales, a broader regional climate response is documented in the pollen record. Here, we examine the sedimentary and pollen records from a suite of 42 cores to tease apart local and regional hydrologic patterns in the marl prairie wetland community. The marl prairie community, which covers an area of 190,000 ha, is a short hydroperiod wetland characterized by sparse vegetation and dominated by grasses and sedges. Pollen and geochronologic data from an earlier study suggested that changes in the vegetation (sawgrass marsh to prairie) and sediment type (peat to marl) were tied exclusively to 20th century water management. However, our results show a diverse assemblage of sediment profiles include marl over peat, peat over marl, all peat, and all marl; and, that the onset of marl accumulation is not limited to the 20th century but occurs at several intervals over the last 1700 years. The primary control on substrate type (marl vs. peat) may be local hydrologic and geomorphic features (sinkholes vs depressions) rather than changes in regional hydrology. Pollen evidence from most sites is consistent with our early study and indicates a regional shift to shorter hydroperiod conditions early in the 20th century that are tied to changes in water management. This study reflects the importance of relying on more than just a single core, or single transect of cores, for teasing apart the local and regional effects on peatlands.

Influence of biochar, mycorrhizal inoculation, and fertilizer rate on growth and flowering of Pelargonium (Pelargonium zonale L.) plants

PubMed Central

Conversa, Giulia; Bonasia, Anna; Lazzizera, Corrado; Elia, Antonio

2015-01-01

Peat is the most common substrate used in nurseries despite being a very expensive and a non-renewable material. Peat replacement with biochar could be a sound environmental practice, as it is produced from waste biomass, but evaluation of biochar as a potting substrate is needed. Ratios of peat:biochar of 100:0, 70:30, 30:70 (BC0, BC30, and BC70, respectively), two fertilizer rates (FERT1, FERT2), and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation were tested on potted Pelargonium plants. Plant growth, flowering, bio-physiological and nutritional responses, and root mycorrhization were evaluated. The BC30 mixture did not affect plant growth compared with pure peat. However, BC30 in combination with FERT2 treatment was more effective in enhancing nitrogen (N) and chlorophyll (CHL) leaf concentrations, and leaf and flower numbers. The BC70 mixture depressed plant growth, flowering traits, and root mycorrhization. Leaf N concentration was below the sufficiency range reported for Pelargonium growth. Leaf concentration of phosphorous (P) was adequate in pure peat and in BC30 but it dropped close to sub-optimal values in BC70. The pH value of the mixtures lowered P availability, though in BC30 the mycorrhizal activity could have allowed adequate P plant uptake. In BC70 plants, the deficiency of both N and P might be a reason for the observed growth reduction. The inoculation of the substrate with selected AMF improved plant growth (higher dry biomass, greater floral clusters, larger and more abundant leaves) and quality resulting in unstressed (lower electrolyte leakage and higher relative water content values) and greener leaves (low L∗ and C∗, high CHL content) and in more intensely colored flowers. We conclude that biochar can be applied in nursery/potted plant production provided that the proportion in the peat mixture does not exceed 30%. Furthermore, AMF inoculation contributed to achieving the best plant performance in 30% biochar amended medium. PMID:26136757

Can carbon offsetting pay for upland ecological restoration?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Worrall, F.

2012-04-01

Upland peat soils represent a large terrestrial carbon store and as such have the potential to be either an ongoing net sink of carbon or a significant net source of carbon. In the UK many upland peats are managed for a range of purposes but these purposes have rarely included carbon stewardship. However, there is now an opportunity to consider whether management practices could be altered to enhance storage of carbon in upland peats. Further, there are now voluntary and regulated carbon trading schemes operational throughout Europe that mean stored carbon, if verified, could have an economic and tradeable value. This means that new income streams could become available for upland management. The 'Sustainable Uplands' RELU project has developed a model for calculating carbon fluxes from peat soils that covers all carbon uptake and release pathways (e.g. fluvial and gaseous pathways). The model has been developed so that the impact of common management options within UK upland peats can be considered. The model was run for a decade from 1997-2006 and applied to an area of 550 km2 of upland peat soils in the Peak District. The study estimates that the region is presently a net sink of -62 Ktonnes CO2 equivalent at an average export of -136 tonnes CO2 equivalent/km2/yr.. If management interventions were targeted across the area the total sink could increase to -160 Ktonnes CO2/yr at an average export of -219 tonnes CO2 equivalent/km2/yr. However, not all interventions resulted in a benefit; some resulted in increased losses of CO2 equivalents. Given present costs of peatland restoration and value of carbon offsets, the study suggests that 51% of those areas, where a carbon benefit was estimated by modelling for targeted action of management interventions, would show a profit from carbon offsetting within 30 years. However, this percentage is very dependent upon the price of carbon used.

Understanding Mississippi Delta Subsidence through Stratigraphic and Geotechnical Analysis of a Continuous Holocene Core at a Subsidence Superstation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bridgeman, J.; Tornqvist, T. E.; Allison, M. A.; Jafari, N.

2016-12-01

Land-surface subsidence is a major contributor to recent Mississippi Delta land loss. Despite significant research efforts, the primary mechanisms and rates of delta subsidence remain the subject of debate. This has led to a broad range of subsidence rate estimates across the delta, making differentiating between subsidence mechanisms as well as coastal restoration efforts more challenging. New data from a continuous 39 m long, 12 cm diameter core taken during the installation of a subsidence monitoring superstation near the Mississippi River, SW of New Orleans, provides insight into the grain size, bulk density, geochronology, and geotechnical parameters of the entire Holocene succession. The core consists of three major sections. The top 11 m contain a modern marsh peat, followed by a silty clay loam with interspersed humic clays (14C age 1250 BP), a peat bed (14C age 2200-2950 BP), and silt loams. The middle section from 11 to 35 m is dominated by clay and silty clay, with a relative bulk density of 1.5 g/cc, which gradually becomes denser with depth and the bottom section (35 to 39 m) is marked by a high energy, shell-rich sand facies and a basal peat (14C age 9850 BP), which terminates at the core base in a densely packed, blue-gray silty clay loam, characteristic of the Pleistocene. The radiocarbon ages of marsh peat beds, combined with sea-level markers derived from basal peat elsewhere in the delta, enable the reconstruction of the local subsidence history at this site. Notably, the data shows a significant amount of vertical displacement from the dated organics in the top section of the core; 3.5 m in the humic clays and up to 5 m in the peat bed. The subsidence rates measured by the superstation apparatus, and the geotechnical measurements of core sediments, will aid in determining the dominant subsidence mechanisms (shallow vs. deep) in the region.

Interlinkages between Carbon and Water Residence Times in Peat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Visser, A.; Wilson, R.; Sebestyen, S.; Griffiths, N.; Chanton, J.; Veale, N.; McFarlane, K. J.; Kolka, R. K.; Guilderson, T.

2016-12-01

Peatlands play an important role in the terrestrial carbon cycle. Understanding their response to climate change is crucial to predict their role as carbon sink or source of methane and carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. The hydrology of the peatland plays a crucial role, providing anoxic conditions for peat accumulation and advective transport of nutrients and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to methanogens at depth. The interlinkages between the hydrology and carbon-cycling at the S1 bog at the Marcell Experimental Forest were investigated as part of the SPRUCE experiment, using a combination of isotopic techniques characterizing the carbon and water ages to assess the role of advective transport in the peat pore water. Tritium and tritiogenic helium concentrations constrain the age of the pore water to less than 10 years, although gas exchange with the atmosphere complicates direct use of 3H/3He dating methods. The pore water ages further constrain the interpretation of the peat, DOC and DIC ages. While carbon-14 values of solid peat decrease from 0‰ at the surface to -550‰ (corresponding to carbon-14 ages of 8 ka) at 2m depth, the DOC and DIC shift from +50‰ to -50‰ at depth. Knowing that the advective transport time of pore water is negligible on this time scale, the shift in carbon-14 of DOC must result from peat decomposition at depth, rather than in situ aging of DOC. Combined with the DOC concentration data, the carbon-cycling rates at the SPRUCE experiment are further constrained. The integrated application of isotopes in the carbon and water cycle emphasizes the importance of understanding peatland hydrology for understanding carbon-cycle dynamics. This work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. LLNL-ABS-675107

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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 drainage curves for peat) that may control ebullition.

Iron speciation in peats: Chemical and spectroscopic evidence for the co-occurrence of ferric and ferrous iron in organic complexes and mineral precipitates

DOE PAGES

Bhattacharyya, Amrita; Schmidt, Michael P.; Stavitski, Eli; ...

2017-10-31

The speciation of iron (Fe) in organic matter (OM)-rich environments under in situ variable redox conditions is largely unresolved. Peatlands provide a natural setting to study Fe–OM interactions. Utilizing chemical, spectroscopic and theoretical modeling approaches, we report the chemical forms, oxidation states and local coordination environment of naturally occurring Fe in the vertically redox-stratified Manning peatlands of western New York. In addition, we report dominant carbon, sulfur and nitrogen species that can potentially stabilize the various Fe species present in these peatlands. Our results provide clear direct and indirect evidence for the co-occurrence of ferrous (Fe 2+) and ferric (Femore » 3+) iron species in peats under both oxic and anoxic conditions. Iron is mostly present within the operationally defined organic and amorphous (i.e., short range ordered, SRO) fractions; ferric iron primarily as magnetically isolated paramagnetic Fe 3+ in Fe(III)-organic complexes, but also in mineral forms such as ferrihydrite; ferrous iron in tetrahedral coordination in Fe(II)-organic complexes with minor contribution from pyrite. All of the Fe species identified stabilize Fe(III) and/or Fe(II) in anoxic and oxic peats. Fundamental differences are also observed in the relative proportion of C, S and N functionalities of OM in oxic and anoxic peats. Aromatic C=C, ester, phenol and anomeric C (R-O-C-O-R), as well as thiol, sulfide and heterocyclic N functionalities are more prevalent in anoxic peats. Collectively, our experimental evidence suggests iron forms coordination complexes with O-, S- and N-containing functional groups of OM. We posit the co-occurrence of organic and mineral forms of Fe(II) and Fe(III) in both oxic and anoxic peat layers results from dynamic complexation and hydrolysis-precipitation reactions that occur under variable redox conditions. In conclusion, our findings aid in understanding the crucial role OM plays in determining Fe species in soils and sediments.« less

Organic matter transformation in the peat column at Marcell Experimental Forest: Humification and vertical stratification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tfaily, Malak M.; Cooper, William T.; Kostka, Joel E.; Chanton, Patrick R.; Schadt, Christopher W.; Hanson, Paul J.; Iversen, Colleen M.; Chanton, Jeffrey P.

2014-04-01

We characterized peat decomposition at the Marcell Experimental Forest (MEF), Minnesota, USA, to a depth of 2 m to ascertain the underlying chemical changes using Fourier transform infrared (FT IR) and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy) and related these changes to decomposition proxies C:N ratio, δ13C and δ15N, bulk density, and water content. FT IR determined that peat humification increased rapidly between 30 and 75 cm, indicating a highly reactive intermediate-depth zone consistent with changes in C:N ratio, δ13C and δ15N, bulk density, and water content. Peat decomposition at the MEF, especially in the intermediate-depth zone, is mainly characterized by preferential utilization of O-alkyl-C, carboxyl-C, and other oxygenated functionalities with a concomitant increase in the abundance of alkyl- and nitrogen-containing compounds. Below 75 cm, less change was observed but aromatic functionalities and lignin accumulated with depth. Significant correlations with humification indices, identified by FT IR spectroscopy, were found for C:N ratios. Incubation studies at 22°C revealed the highest methane production rates, greatest CH4:CO2 production ratios, and significant O-alkyl-C utilization within this 30 and 75 cm zone. Oxygen-containing functionalities, especially O-alkyl-C, appear to serve as excellent proxies for soil decomposition rate and should be a sensitive indicator of the response of the solid phase peat to increased temperatures caused by climate change and the field study manipulations that are planned to occur at this site. Radiocarbon signatures of microbial respiration products in deeper pore waters at the MEF resembled the signatures of more modern dissolved organic carbon rather than solid phase peat, indicating that recently photosynthesized organic matter fueled the bulk of subsurface microbial respiration. These results indicate that carbon cycling at depth at the MEF is not isolated from surface processes.

Carbohydrates and phenols as quantitative molecular vegetation proxies in peats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaiser, K.; Benner, R. H.

2012-12-01

Vegetation in peatlands is intricately linked to local environmental conditions and climate. Here we use chemical analyses of carbohydrates and phenols to reconstruct paleovegetation in peat cores collected from 56.8°N (SIB04), 58.4°N (SIB06), 63.8°N (G137) and 66.5°N (E113) in the Western Siberian Lowland. Lignin phenols (vanillyl and syringyl phenols) were sensitive biomarkers for vascular plant contributions and provided additional information on the relative contributions of angiosperm and gymnosperm plants. Specific neutral sugar compositions allowed identification of sphagnum mosses, sedges (Cyperaceae) and lichens. Hydroxyphenols released by CuO oxidation were useful tracers of sphagnum moss contributions. The three independent molecular proxies were calibrated with a diverse group of peat-forming plants to yield quantitative estimates (%C) of vascular plant, sphagnum moss and lichen contributions in peat core samples. Correlation analysis indicated the three molecular proxies produced fairly similar results for paleovegetation compositions, generally within the error interval of each approach (≤26%). The lignin-based method generally lead to higher estimates of vascular plant vegetation. Several significant deviations were also observed due to different reactivities of carbohydrate and phenolic polymers during peat decomposition. Rapid vegetation changes on timescales of 50-200 years were observed in the southern cores SIB04 and SIB06 over the last 2000 years. Vanillyl and syringyl phenol ratios indicated these vegetation changes were largely due to varying inputs of angiosperm and gymnosperm plants. The northern permafrost cores G137 and E113 showed a more stable development. Lichens briefly replaced sphagnum mosses and vascular plants in both of these cores. Shifts in vegetation did not correlate well with Northern hemisphere climate variability over the last 2000 years. This suggested that direct climate forcing of peatland dynamics was overridden by local or regional ecosystem variables. Overall, these molecular proxies offer robust complementary approaches to reconstruct paleovegetation in peat in addition to traditional methods such as macrofossil and pollen analyses.

Surface covering of downed logs: drivers of a neglected process in dead wood ecology.

PubMed

Dynesius, Mats; Gibb, Heloise; Hjältén, Joakim

2010-10-07

Many species use coarse woody debris (CWD) and are disadvantaged by the forestry-induced loss of this resource. A neglected process affecting CWD is the covering of the surfaces of downed logs caused by sinking into the ground (increasing soil contact, mostly covering the underside of the log), and dense overgrowth by ground vegetation. Such cover is likely to profoundly influence the quality and accessibility of CWD for wood-inhabiting organisms, but the factors affecting covering are largely unknown. In a five-year experiment we determined predictors of covering rate of fresh logs in boreal forests and clear-cuts. Logs with branches were little covered because they had low longitudinal ground contact. For branchless logs, longitudinal ground contact was most strongly related to estimated peat depth (positive relation). The strongest predictor for total cover of branchless logs was longitudinal ground contact. To evaluate the effect on cover of factors other than longitudinal ground contact, we separately analyzed data from only those log sections that were in contact with the ground. Four factors were prominent predictors of percentage cover of such log sections: estimated peat depth, canopy shade (both increasing cover), potential solar radiation calculated from slope and slope aspect, and diameter of the log (both reducing cover). Peat increased cover directly through its low resistance, which allowed logs to sink and soil contact to increase. High moisture and low temperatures in pole-ward facing slopes and under a canopy favor peat formation through lowered decomposition and enhanced growth of peat-forming mosses, which also proved to rapidly overgrow logs. We found that in some boreal forests, peat and fast-growing mosses can rapidly cover logs lying on the ground. When actively introducing CWD for conservation purposes, we recommend that such rapid covering is avoided, thereby most likely improving the CWD's longevity as habitat for many species.

Historical peat loss explains limited short-term response of drained blanket bogs to rewetting.

PubMed

Williamson, Jennifer; Rowe, Edwin; Reed, David; Ruffino, Lucia; Jones, Peter; Dolan, Rachel; Buckingham, Helen; Norris, David; Astbury, Shaun; Evans, Chris D

2017-03-01

This study assessed the short-term impacts of ditch blocking on water table depth and vegetation community structure in a historically drained blanket bog. A chronosequence approach was used to compare vegetation near ditches blocked 5 years, 4 years and 1 year prior to the study with vegetation near unblocked ditches. Plots adjacent to and 3 m away from 70 ditches within an area of blanket bog were assessed for floristic composition, aeration depth using steel bars, and topography using LiDAR data. No changes in aeration depth or vegetation parameters were detected as a function of ditch-blocking, time since blocking, or distance from the ditch, with the exception of non-Sphagnum bryophytes which had lower cover in quadrats adjacent to ditches that had been blocked for 5 years. Analysis of LiDAR data and the observed proximity of the water table to the peat surface led us to conclude that the subdued ecosystem responses to ditch-blocking were the result of historical peat subsidence within a 4-5 m zone either side of each ditch, which had effectively lowered the peat surface to the new, ditch-influenced water table. We estimate that this process led to the loss of around 500,000 m 3 peat within the 38 km 2 study area following drainage, due to a combination of oxidation and compaction. Assuming that 50% of the volume loss was due to oxidation, this amounts to a carbon loss of 11,000 Mg C over this area, i.e. 3 Mg C ha -1 . The apparent 'self-rewetting' of blanket bogs in the decades following drainage has implications for their restoration as it suggests that there may not be large quantities of dry peat left to rewet, and that there is a risk of inundation (potentially leading to high methane emissions) along subsided ditch lines. Many peatland processes are likely to be maintained in drained blanket bog, including support of typical peatland vegetation, but infilling of lost peat and recovery of original C stocks are likely to take longer than is generally anticipated. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Coal in sub-Saharan-African countries undergoing desertification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weaver, J. N.; Brownfield, M. E.; Bergin, M. J.

Coal has been reported in 11 of the 16 sub-Saharan countries discussed in this appraisal: Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, Niger, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Somalia. No coal occurrences have been reported in Gambia, Togo, Burkina, Chad, and Djibouti but coal may be present within these countries because neighboring countries do contain coal-bearing rocks. Most of these countries are undergoing desertification or will in the near future. Wood, directly or in the form of charcoal, constitutes two-thirds of the fuel used in Africa. Destruction of forest and shrub lands for fuel is occurring at an increasing rate because of desertification and increasing energy demands. The decline in biological productivity, coupled with concentration of population in areas where water is available and crops may be grown, leads to increasing shortages of wood for fuel. Part of the present and future energy needs of the sub-Saharan region could be met by use of indigenous coal and peat. Nine sedimentary basins, completely or partially within the sub-Saharan region, have the potential of either coal and/or peat deposits of economic value: 1- Senegal Basin, 2- Taoudeni Basin and Gao Trough, 3- Niger Basin, 4- Chad Basin, 5- Chari Basin, 6- Benue Trough (Depression), 7- Sudan Trough, 8- Plateau and Rift Belt, and 9- Somali Basin. Niger and Nigeria are the only countries in sub-Saharan Africa in which coal is presently being mined as a fuel source for powerplants and domestic use. Peat occurs in the deltas, lower river, and interdunal basin areas of Senegal, Mauritania, and Sudan. Peat can be used as an alternate fuel source and is currently being tested as a soil amendment in the agricultural sector. Coal and peat exploration and development studies are urgently required and should be initiated so the coal and peat utilization potential of each country can be determined. The overall objective of these studies is to establish, within the sub-Saharan region, energy independent countries using indigenous coal and peat resources. These resources have the potential to replace wood and wood charcoal as domestic fueld in the urban centers, as well as producing electrical and industrial energy, thus reducing expensive oil imports and decreasing the rate of deforestation.