Peat decomposition – shaping factors, significance in environmental studies and methods of determination; a literature review

Drzymulska, Danuta

doi:10.1515/logos-2016-0005

Cited by 35 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Decreasing C:N and C:P ratios indicated a higher degree of decomposition of the topsoil peat material as compared to sub soil layers. Accumulation of nutrients relative to C‐org content is commonly observed during organic matter decomposition ( Biester et al., ; Drzymulska , ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phosphorus speciation in cultivated organic soils revealed by P K‐edge XANES spectroscopy

Schmieder

Gustafsson

Klysubun

et al. 2020

J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci.

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Cultivated organic soils make a significant contribution to phosphorus (P) leaching losses from agricultural land, despite occupying a small proportion of cultivated area. However, less is known about P mobilisation processes and the P forms present in peat soils compared with mineral soils. In this study, P forms and their distribution with depth were investigated in two cultivated Histosol profiles, using a combination of wet chemical extraction and P K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. Both profiles had elevated P content in the topsoil, amounting to around 40 mmol kg -1 , and P speciation in both profiles was strongly dominated by organic P. Topsoils were particularly rich in organic P (P-org), with relative proportions of up to 80%. Inorganic P in the profiles was almost exclusively adsorbed to surface reactive aluminium (Al) and iron (Fe) minerals. In one of the profiles, small contributions of Ca-phosphates were detected. A commonly used P saturation index (PSI) based on ammonium-oxalate extraction indicated a low to moderate risk of P leaching from both profiles. However, the capacity of soil Al and Fe to retain P in organic soils could be reduced by high competition from organic compounds for sorption sites. This is not directly accounted for in PSI and similar indices. Accumulation of P-org in the topsoil may be attributable by microbial peat decomposition and transformation of mineral fertiliser P by both microbiota and crops. Moreover, high carbon-phosphorus ratio in the surface peat material in both profiles suggests reduced net mineralisation of P-org in the two soils. However, advancing microbial peat decomposition will eventually lead to complete loss of peat horizons and to mineralisation of P-org. Hence, P-org in both profiles represents a huge potentially mobilised P pool.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phosphorus speciation in cultivated organic soils revealed by P K‐edge XANES spectroscopy

Schmieder

Gustafsson

Klysubun

et al. 2020

J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci.

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“…by mounding or scalping, and a new tree generation is established by planting or sowing or naturally from surrounding seed trees. Removing the trees changes the local microclimate as more solar radiation reaches the soil surface, which increases soil temperature (Edwards and Ross-Todd, 1983;Londo et al, 1999) and its diel variation. This affects the carbon cycle, as higher soil temperature potentially increases soil respiration.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Greenhouse gas and energy fluxes in a boreal peatland forest after clear-cutting

et al. 2019

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Abstract. The most common forest management method in Fennoscandia is rotation forestry, including clear-cutting and forest regeneration. In clear-cutting, stem wood is removed and the logging residues are either removed or left on site. Clear-cutting changes the microclimate and vegetation structure at the site, both of which affect the site's carbon balance. Peat soils with poor aeration and high carbon densities are especially prone to such changes, and significant changes in greenhouse gas exchange can be expected. We measured carbon dioxide (CO2) and energy fluxes with the eddy covariance method for 2 years (April 2016–March 2018) after clear-cutting a drained peatland forest. We observed a significant rise (23 cm) in the water table level and a large CO2 source (first year: 3086±148 g CO2 m−2 yr−1; second year: 2072±124 g CO2 m−2 yr−1). These large CO2 emissions resulted from the very low gross primary production (GPP) following the removal of photosynthesizing trees and the decline of ground vegetation, unable to compensate for the decomposition of logging residues and peat. During the second summer (June–August) after the clear-cutting, GPP had already increased by 96 % and total ecosystem respiration decreased by 14 % from the previous summer. The mean daytime ratio of sensible to latent heat flux decreased after harvesting from 2.6 in May 2016 to 1.0 in August 2016, and in 2017 it varied mostly within 0.6–1.0. In April–September, the mean daytime sensible heat flux was 33 % lower and latent heat flux 40 % higher in 2017, probably due to the recovery of ground vegetation that increased evapotranspiration and albedo of the site. In addition to CO2 and energy fluxes, we measured methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes with manual chambers. After the clear-cutting, the site turned from a small CH4 sink into a small source and from N2O neutral to a significant N2O source. Compared to the large CO2 emissions, the 100-year global warming potential (GWP100) of the CH4 emissions was negligible. Also, the GWP100 due to increased N2O emissions was less than 10 % of that of the CO2 emission change.

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“…This was not the case with peat moss samples at T0 that exhibited OTUs principally belonging to Actinomycetales and Acidobacteriaceae (Figure ). Actinomycetales are well known as part of the acrotelm aerobes that together with fungi transform biomass into humus under periodical aerated conditions . Acidobacteriaceae were reported to be abundant in Sphagnum mosses …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Removal of heavy metals in a flow‐through vertical microbial electrolysis cell

Jugnia

Manno

Hendry³

et al. 2019

Can J Chem Eng

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This work describes laboratory experiments aimed at evaluating the feasibility of removing heavy metals from metal-contaminated water in flowthrough microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) with peat moss as a source of organic carbon. MECs were assembled in upflow glass columns containing granular activated carbon (GAC) bioelectrodes preceded by a layer of peat moss. The MECs were fed with metal-contaminated surface water collected at a firing range. At hydraulic retention times (HRT) of 4-6 days, up to 99 % removal of Pb, Zn, Cu, and Fe was observed. The removal efficiency of Zn and Cu declined at an HRT of 1.7 days, while effluent Pb concentration remained below the detection limit for all of the HRTs tested. Metal extraction from MEC compartments showed an accumulation of metals in both the peat moss layer and the GAC cathode, i.e., the removal was achieved by a combination of anaerobic and bioelectrochemical pathways of metal reduction. A proliferation of sulphate reducing bacteria in the peat moss layer and electroactive species in GAC electrodes was confirmed by biomolecular analysis. The proposed flowthrough system, which combines sulphate-reducing and electroactive microbial activities to achieve near-complete metal removal, can be used for removing a broad range of heavy metals from contaminated water in a low-cost passive flow treatment system.

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Peat decomposition – shaping factors, significance in environmental studies and methods of determination; a literature review

Cited by 35 publications

References 30 publications

Phosphorus speciation in cultivated organic soils revealed by P K‐edge XANES spectroscopy

Phosphorus speciation in cultivated organic soils revealed by P K‐edge XANES spectroscopy

Greenhouse gas and energy fluxes in a boreal peatland forest after clear-cutting

Removal of heavy metals in a flow‐through vertical microbial electrolysis cell

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