Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

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

Journal Article · · Radiocarbon
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1017/RDC.2018.37· OSTI ID:1439959

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, but 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.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1439959
Journal Information:
Radiocarbon, Journal Name: Radiocarbon Journal Issue: 03 Vol. 60; ISSN 0033-8222
Publisher:
Cambridge University PressCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (56)

Three-dimensional reconstruction of carbon accumulation and CH4 emission during nine millennia in a raised mire journal March 1996
Three-dimensional reconstruction of carbon accumulation and CH4 emission during nine millennia in a raised mire journal March 1996
Organic matter transformation in the peat column at Marcell Experimental Forest: Humification and vertical stratification: Organic matter dynamics journal April 2014
Sensitivity of decomposition rates of soil organic matter with respect to simultaneous changes in temperature and moisture journal February 2015
Modeling Northern Peatland Decomposition and Peat Accumulation journal August 2001
Holocene Carbon Stocks and Carbon Accumulation Rates Altered in Soils Undergoing Permafrost Thaw journal November 2011
Performance of catalytically condensed carbon for use in accelerator mass spectrometry journal November 1984
Widespread drought episodes in the western Great Lakes region during the past 2000 years: Geographic extent and potential mechanisms journal February 2006
Smouldering fire signatures in peat and their implications for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions journal July 2014
Examining the role of allogenous and autogenous factors in the long-term dynamics of a temperate headwater peatland (southern Québec, Canada) journal September 2013
Long-term carbon sequestration in North American peatlands journal December 2012
Drivers of Holocene peatland carbon accumulation across a climate gradient in northeastern North America journal August 2015
Estimating Long-Term Carbon Accumulation Rates in Boreal Peatlands by Radiocarbon Dating journal January 1995
Discussion: Reporting and Calibration of Post-Bomb 14C Data journal January 2004
Spatial Variability of Bomb 14 C in an Upland Peat Bog journal January 2007
Nitrogen deposition and increased carbon accumulation in ombrotrophic peatlands in eastern Canada: N DEPOSITION AND PEAT ACCUMULATION journal July 2004
Nitrogen deposition and increased carbon accumulation in ombrotrophic peatlands in eastern Canada: N DEPOSITION AND PEAT ACCUMULATION journal July 2004
Controls on black carbon storage in soils: BLACK CARBON IN SOILS journal July 2007
Controls on black carbon storage in soils: BLACK CARBON IN SOILS journal July 2007
Quantifying spatial and temporal Holocene carbon accumulation in ombrotrophic peatlands of the Eastmain region, Quebec, Canada: QUANTIFYING PEATLAND C SEQUESTRATION journal May 2011
Wetlands, temperature, and atmospheric CO 2 and CH 4 coupling over the past two millennia: LATE HOLOCENE WETLAND DYNAMICS journal January 2011
Global peatland dynamics since the Last Glacial Maximum: GLOBAL PEATLANDS SINCE THE LGM journal July 2010
Quantifying spatial and temporal Holocene carbon accumulation in ombrotrophic peatlands of the Eastmain region, Quebec, Canada: QUANTIFYING PEATLAND C SEQUESTRATION journal May 2011
Wetlands, temperature, and atmospheric CO 2 and CH 4 coupling over the past two millennia: LATE HOLOCENE WETLAND DYNAMICS journal January 2011
Global peatland dynamics since the Last Glacial Maximum: GLOBAL PEATLANDS SINCE THE LGM journal July 2010
Accumulation and turnover of carbon in organic and mineral soils of the BOREAS northern study area journal December 1997
Stability of peatland carbon to rising temperatures journal December 2016
Drought-induced carbon loss in peatlands journal November 2011
Modelling and analysis of peatlands as dynamical systems journal April 2000
A reappraisal of the mechanisms leading to ombrotrophy in British raised mires journal January 2000
Peatland hydrology and carbon release: why small-scale process matters journal October 2005
The Limits to Peat Bog Growth journal January 1984
Carbon sequestration in peatland: patterns and mechanisms of response to climate change journal July 2004
Air Flow and Heat Transfer in a Temperature-Controlled Open Top Enclosure
  • Barbier, Charlotte; Hanson, Paul J.; Todd, Donald E.
  • ASME 2012 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Volume 7: Fluids and Heat Transfer, Parts A, B, C, and D https://doi.org/10.1115/IMECE2012-86352
conference October 2013
Air Flow and Heat Transfer in a Temperature-Controlled Open Top Enclosure
  • Barbier, Charlotte; Hanson, Paul J.; Todd, Donald E.
  • ASME 2012 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Volume 7: Fluids and Heat Transfer, Parts A, B, C, and D https://doi.org/10.1115/imece2012-86352
conference October 2013
A Reconstruction of Regional and Global Temperature for the Past 11,300 Years journal March 2013
Terrestrial record of Laurentide Ice Sheet reorganization during Heinrich events journal January 1997
Terrestrial record of Laurentide Ice Sheet reorganization during Heinrich events journal January 1997
Rates of peat accumulation during the postglacial period in 32 sites from Alaska to Newfoundland, with special emphasis on northern Minnesota journal May 2003
A database and synthesis of northern peatland soil properties and Holocene carbon and nitrogen accumulation journal June 2014
Holocene carbon dynamics of boreal and subarctic peatlands from Québec, Canada journal June 2014
A high-resolution record of late-Holocene moisture variability from a Michigan raised bog, USA journal September 2003
The role of fire in the carbon dynamics of a mire, eastern Finland journal May 1999
Rapid Carbon Response of Peatlands to Climate Change journal November 2008
Uncertainty in Peat Volume and Soil Carbon Estimated Using Ground-Penetrating Radar and Probing journal January 2012
Temporal and Spatial Variation in Peatland Carbon Cycling and Implications for Interpreting Responses of an Ecosystem-Scale Warming Experiment journal January 2017
IntCal13 and Marine13 Radiocarbon Age Calibration Curves 0–50,000 Years cal BP journal January 2013
Atmospheric Radiocarbon for the Period 1950–2010 journal January 2013
SPRUCE Peat Physical and Chemical Characteristics from Experimental Plot Cores, 2012 dataset January 2014
SPRUCE Peat Physical and Chemical Characteristics from Experimental Plot Cores, 2012 dataset January 2014
Climate-related changes in peatland carbon accumulation during the last millennium journal January 2013
Long-term carbon and nitrogen dynamics at SPRUCE revealed through stable isotopes in peat profiles journal January 2017
Attaining whole-ecosystem warming using air and deep-soil heating methods with an elevated CO 2 atmosphere journal January 2017
Peatlands and the carbon cycle: from local processes to global implications – a synthesis journal January 2008
Northern peatland carbon stocks and dynamics: a review journal January 2012
Peatlands and the carbon cycle: from local processes to global implications – a synthesis journal January 2008

Cited By (2)

Decadal carbon decomposition dynamics in three peatlands in Northern Minnesota journal September 2019
A Subgrid Approach for Modeling Microtopography Effects on Overland Flow journal September 2018

Similar Records

Atmospheric mercury deposition recorded in an ombrotrophic peat core from Xiaoxing'an Mountain, Northeast China
Journal Article · Mon Oct 15 00:00:00 EDT 2012 · Environmental Research · OSTI ID:22157096

The biogeochemistry of an ombrotrophic bog: Evaluation of use as an archive of atmospheric mercury deposition
Journal Article · Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1998 · Environmental Research · OSTI ID:655435

Biogeochemistry of Thoreau's Bog, Concord, Massachusetts
Journal Article · Mon Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1979 · Ecol. Monogr.; (United States) · OSTI ID:5652483