Organic matter accumulation and community change at the peatland-upland interface: inferences from 14C and 210Pb dated profiles

Ilka E. Bauer; Jagtar S. Bhatti; Chris Swanston; R. Kelman Wieder; Caroline M. Perston

Treesearch

Organic matter accumulation and community change at the peatland-upland interface: inferences from ¹⁴C and ²¹⁰Pb dated profiles

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Ilka E. Bauer, Jagtar S. Bhatti, Chris Swanston, R. Kelman Wieder, Caroline M. Perston

Year:

2009

Type:

Scientific Journal

Station:

Northern Research Station

Source:

Ecosystems. 12: 636-653.

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Abstract

Peatland-margin habitats with organic matter accumulation of 40-150 cm make up a significant but poorly quantified portion of Canada's boreal forest region. Spanning the transition between non-wetland forest and fen proper, these ecosystems represent a zone of complex environmental and vegetation change, yet little is known about their ecological function or development. We here use vegetation and macrofossil analysis, traditional ¹⁴C, bomb-spike ¹⁴C, and ²¹⁰Pb dating to investigate the development, organic matter accumulation, and recent vegetation history of peat margin communities at two sites in central Saskatchewan, Canada.

Keywords

peatland margins, climate change, C accumulation, 210Pb, 14C, bryophyte macrofossils

Citation

Bauer, Ilka E.; Bhatti, Jagtar S.; Swanston, Christopher; Wieder, R. Kelman; Perston, Caroline M. 2009. Organic matter accumulation and community change at the peatland-upland interface: inferences from ¹⁴C and ²¹⁰Pb dated profiles. Ecosystems. 12: 636-653.