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Title: Dynamic Vertical Profiles of Peat Porewater Chemistry in a Northern Peatland

Journal Article · · Wetlands
 [1];  [2]
  1. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  2. USDA Forest Service, Grand Rapids, MN (United States). Northern Research Station
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We measured pH, cations, nutrients, and total organic carbon (TOC) over 3 years to examine weekly to monthly variability in porewater chemistry depth profiles (0–3.0 m) in an ombrotrophic bog in Minnesota, USA. We also compared temporal variation at one location to spatial variation in depth profiles at 16 locations across the bog. Most solutes exhibited large gradients with depth. pH increased by two units and calcium concentrations increased over 20 fold with depth, and may reflect peatland development from minerotrophic to ombrotrophic conditions. Ammonium concentrations increased almost 20 fold and TOC concentrations decreased by half with depth, and these patterns likely reflect mineralization of peat or decomposition of TOC. There was also considerable temporal variation in the porewater chemistry depth profiles. Ammonium, soluble reactive phosphorus, and potassium showed greater temporal variation in near-surface porewater, while pH, calcium, and TOC varied more at depth. This variation demonstrates that deep peat porewater chemistry is not static. Lastly, temporal variation in solute chemistry depth profiles was greater than spatial variation in several instances, especially in shallow porewaters. In conclusion, characterizing both temporal and spatial variability is necessary to ensure representative sampling in peatlands, especially when calculating solute pools and fluxes and parameterizing process-based models.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1343494
Journal Information:
Wetlands, Vol. 36, Issue 6; ISSN 0277-5212
Publisher:
SpringerCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 29 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (6)

SPRUCE S1 Bog Porewater, Groundwater, and Stream Chemistry Data: 2011-2013 dataset January 2016
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 journal February 2018
Decadal carbon decomposition dynamics in three peatlands in Northern Minnesota journal September 2019
Constraints on microbial communities, decomposition and methane production in deep peat deposits journal February 2020
Dissolved organic carbon and major and trace elements in peat porewater of sporadic, discontinuous, and continuous permafrost zones of western Siberia journal July 2017
Extending a land-surface model with Sphagnum moss to simulate responses of a northern temperate bog to whole ecosystem warming and elevated CO2 journal January 2021

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Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
Black spruce-Sphagnum ombrotrophic bog
solute chemistry
spatial and temporal variability
depth profiles
groundwater