Evolution of organic matter indicators in response to major environmental changes: The case of a formerly cut-over peat bog (Le Russey, Jura Mountains, France)

To assess whether the biochemical characteristics of peat can provide clues for past ecosystem changes or not, a study was carried out combining elemental analysis, micro-morphological counts and neutral monosaccharide determination of peat organic matter (OM) and the dominant living plants from a formerly cut-over peat bog in the Jura Mountains. Peat profiles (up to 50 cm depth) from two distinctive zones (bare peat, FRA and a regenerating stage, FRC) were compared with the reference profile (FRD) taken from an unexploited area of the bog. The results show contrasting OM composition along the profiles. In the upper sections of the FRD and FRC profiles, high C/N ratios and sugar contents (in the same range as in the source plants) and the large predominance of well preserved plant tissues indicate good preservation of primary biological inputs. In contrast, in peat from the FRA profile and deeper levels of the FRC profile, lower C/N ratios, lower amounts of sugars and a predominance of amorphous OM and mucilage suggest more extensive OM degradation. These features delineate a clear threshold between an uppermost “new” regenerating peat section and an “old” catotelm peat below. Nevertheless, even in the latter, the sugar contents remain relatively high (>80 mg/g) compared with other organic and mineral soils. Analysis of typical peat-forming plants and of bulk peat and fine grained fractions allowed identification of the following source indicators: xylose and arabinose for Cyperaceae; rhamnose, galactose and mannose for mosses; and ribose (and to a lesser extent, hemicellulosic glucose) possibly for microbial synthesis.     

Distribution of As,Cr, Ni,Rb, Ti and Zr between peat and its humic fraction along an undisturbed ombrotrophic bog profile (NW Switzerland)

Ombrotrophic bogs are useful records of the impact of historical human activity on heavy metal contamination. Several studies concerning the trace element record (mainly Pb and Hg) in these particular environments have been carried out in recent years, although the role of humic substances has often not been considered. In particular, of the components of peat organic matter, fulvic acids and low molecular weight compounds are generally responsible for the mobility of trace elements through the profile, while humic acids (HAs) are involved in the formation of more stable organo-mineral complexes. In order to study the parallel distribution of As, Cr, Ni, Rb, Ti and Zr in bulk peat and the corresponding HAs, a peat core (10 × 10 × 81 cm) was collected from Etang de la Gruère (Switzerland) and cut into 27 slices of 3 cm. The samples were freeze-dried and milled very finely, and HAs extracted from each sample. Both peat and HAs were analyzed using an energy-dispersive miniprobe X-ray fluorescence multielement analyser (EMMA-XRF). Of the considered elements, Ni showed a great affinity for the humic acid component, while Cr was concentrated mainly into humic material from the deeper layers. On the other hand, Ti, Zr and Rb seemed to reflect the variation in mineral material both in peat and HA samples, while the As content of both materials reflected the environmental conditions characterizing the bog.     

Origin and fluxes of atmospheric REE entering an ombrotrophic peat bog in Black Forest (SW Germany): Evidence from snow, lichens and mosses

The fate of the Rare Earth Elements (REE) were investigated in different types of archives of atmospheric deposition in the Black Forest, Southern Germany: (1) a 70 cm snow pack collected on the domed part of a raised bog and representing 2 months of snow accumulation, (2) a snow sample collected close to the road about 500 m from the peat bog, (3) two species of lichens and (4) a peat profile representing 400 years of peat accumulation as well as a “preanthropogenic” sample and the living moss layer from the top of the core. REE concentrations in peat are significantly correlated to Ti which is a lithogenic conservative element suggesting that REE are immobile in peat bog environments. Snow, lichens and peat samples show similar PAAS (Post Archean Australian Shale) normalized REE distributions suggesting that the complete atmospheric REE signal is preserved in the peat profile. However, the annual flux of REE accumulated by the peat is ca. 10 times greater than that of the bulk winter flux of REE. This difference probably indicates that the REE concentrations in the snowpack are not representative of the average REE flux over the whole year. Despite the pronounced geological differences between this site (granite host-rock) and a previously studied peat bog in Switzerland (limestone host-rock) similar REE distribution patterns and accumulation rates were found at both sites. Given that both sites confirm an Upper Continental Crust signature, the data suggests both sites are influenced by regional and not local, soil-derived lithogenic aerosols.     

Effects of short-term ecosystem experimental warming on water-extractable organic matter in an ombrotrophic Sphagnum peatland (Le Forbonnet, France)

In a future warmer world, peatlands may change from a carbon sink function to a carbon source function. This study tracks changes in water-extractable organic matter (WEOM) after 1 year of in situ experimental warming using open top chambers (OTCs). WEOM was studied in the upper peat layers (0–10 cm) through analysis of water-extractable organic carbon (WEOC), stable C isotopic composition (δ¹³C), specific UV absorbance at 280 nm and sugar composition of cores taken from an open bog (DRY sites) and a transitional poor fen (WET sites). At the DRY sites, the impact of OTCs was weak with respect to WEOM parameters, whereas at the WET sites, the air warming treatment led to a decrease in peat water content, suggesting that the supply of heat by OTCs was used mainly for evapotranspiration. OTCs at the WET sites also induced a relative enrichment at the surface (0–5 cm depth) of aliphatic and/or aromatic compounds with concomitant decrease in WEOC, as a result of decomposition. On the contrary, WEOC and sugar content increased in the deeper peat layer (7.5–10 cm depth) probably as a result of increased leaching of phenolic compounds by roots, which then inhibits microbial activity. The different response to experimental warming at DRY and WET sites suggests that the spatial variability of moisture is critical for understanding of the impact of global warming on the fate of OM and the carbon cycle in peatlands.     

The influence of vegetation composition on peat humification: implications for palaeoclimatic studies

Peat humification analysis is a widely used palaeoclimate proxy. However, recent studies combining humification with other proxies of mire surface wetness have identified inconsistencies between the records. We illustrate this inconsistency by comparing humification records with plant macrofossil profiles in three ombrotrophic bogs. Peat humification is a measure for organic decay and reflects changing palaeohydrological conditions and former vegetation composition. The resulting signal is considered to be a derived response to climate. However, even minor changes in the botanical composition of the peat may have a significant influence on humification measurements. The implications of this for palaeoclimate studies are discussed. The assumption that climate has been the major influence on variations in humification rests on the botanical composition being relatively homogeneous throughout the peat profile, and is therefore questionable. Consideration should be given to developing species-specific measures of humification and to testing the assumption that the major influence on peat humification is the surface wetness of the bog (and therefore climate).     

Effect of climate change on delivery and degradation of lipid biomarkers in a Holocene peat sequence in the Eastern European Russian Arctic

Lipid biomarkers from a peat plateau profile from the Northeast European Russian Arctic were analyzed. The peat originated as a wet fen ca. 9 ka BP and developed into a peat bog after the onset of permafrost ca. 2.5 ka BP. The distributions and abundances of n-alkanols, n-alkanoic acids, n-alkanes, n-alkan-2-ones and sterols were determined to study the effect of degradation on their paleoclimate proxy information. Plant macrofossil analysis was also used in combination with the lipid distributions. The n-alkanol and n-alkanoic acid distributions in the upper part of the sequence generally correspond to compositions expected from plant macrofossil assemblages. Their carbon preference index (CPI) values increase with depth and age, whereas those of the n-alkanes decrease. The different CPI patterns suggest that n-alkanoic acids and n-alkanols deeper in the sequence may be produced during humification through alteration of other lipids. Excursions in the n-alkanoic acid content also suggest an important contribution of invasive roots to the lipid biomarker composition. The CPIs associated with these compounds show that under permafrost conditions organic material from Sphagnum is better preserved than material from vascular plants. Increasing stanol/stenol ratio values and decreasing n-alkane CPI values indicate progressive degradation of organic matter (OM) with depth. The n-alkan-2-one/n-alkane and n-alkan-2-one/n-alkanoic acid ratios were shown to be useful proxies that can reflect the degree of OM preservation and suggest that both microbial oxidation of n-alkanes and decarboxylation of n-alkanoic acids produce n-alkan-2-ones in this peat sequence.     

9000 years of changes in peat organic matter composition in Store Mosse (Sweden) traced using FTIR-ATR

Store Mosse (the ‘Great Bog’ in Swedish) is one of the most extensive bog complexes in southern Sweden (~77 km²), where pioneering palaeoenvironmental research has been carried out since the early 20th century. This includes, for example, vegetation changes, carbon and nitrogen dynamics, peat decomposition, atmospheric metal pollution, mineral dust deposition, dendrochronology, and tephrochronology. Even though organic matter (OM) represents the bulk of the peat mass and its compositional change has the potential to provide crucial ecological information on bog responses to environmental factors, peat OM molecular composition has not been addressed in detail. Here, a 568-cm-deep peat sequence was studied at high resolution, by attenuated reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR) in the mid-infrared region (4000–400 cm^–1). Principal components analysis was performed on selected absorbances and change-point modelling was applied to the records to determine the timing of changes. Four components accounted for peat composition: (i) depletion/accumulation of labile (i.e. carbohydrates) and recalcitrant (i.e. lignin and other aromatics, aliphatics, organic acids and some N compounds) compounds, due to peat decomposition; (ii) variations in N compounds and carbohydrates; (iii) residual variation of lignin and organic acids; and (iv) residual variation of aliphatic structures. Peat decomposition showed two main patterns: a long-term trend highly correlated to peat age (r = 0.87), and a short-term trend, which showed five main phases of increased decomposition (at ~8.4–8.1, ~7.0–5.6, ~3.5–3.1, ~2.7–2.1 and ~1.6–1.3 ka) – mostly corresponding to drier climate and its effect on bog hydrology. The high peat accumulation event (~5.6–3.9 ka), described in earlier studies, is characterized by the lowest degree of peat decomposition of the whole record. Given that FTIR-ATR is a quick, non-destructive, cost-effective technique, our results indicate that it can be applied in a systematic way (including multicore studies) to peat research and provide relevant information on the evolution of peatlands.     

Bulk organic matter characteristics in the Pichavaram mangrove – estuarine complex,south-eastern India

The Pichavaram mangrove ecosystem is located between the Vellar and Coleroon Estuaries in south-eastern India. To document the spatial-depth-based variabilities in organic matter (OM) input and cycling, five sediment cores were collected. A comparative study was carried out of grain-size composition, pore water salinity, dissolved organic C (DOC), loss-on-ignition (LOI), elemental ratios (C/N and H/C), pigments (Chl a, Chl b, and total carotenoids), and humification indices. Sand is the major fraction in these cores ranging from 60% to 99% followed by silt and clay; cores from the estuarine margin have high sand content. In mangrove forests, pore-water DOC concentrations are high (32 ± 14 mg L⁻¹), whereas salinity levels are low (50 ± 5.5‰). Likewise, LOI, organic C and N, and pigment concentrations are high in mangroves. OM is mainly derived from upstream terrestrial matter and/or mangrove litter, and marine OM. The humification indices do not vary significantly with depth because of rapid OM turnover. The bulk parameters indicate that the Vellar and Coleroon Estuaries are more affected by anthropogenic processes than mangrove forests. Finally, greater variability and sometimes lack of specific trends in bulk parameters implies that the 2004 tsunami caused extensive mixing in sediments.     

晚全新世黔西南喀斯特地区兴义泥炭高分辨率腐殖化度记录研究

季风气候区泥炭重要组成部分—贵州泥炭的研究较缺乏,其腐殖化度的环境指示意义尚有待挖掘。对黔西南喀斯特地区的兴义泥炭XY1钻孔进行AMS14C测年并构建年代框架,结合不同波长的高分辨率腐殖化度测定,及钻孔沉积速率和碳累积速率,重建黔西南3 000~1 770 cal. a B.P.的泥炭沉积过程,并探讨其可能的受控机制。结果表明:1）XY1钻孔样品的腐殖化度受温度和降水的双重控制,腐殖化度高值指示气候干冷,反之则指示气候湿热;2）3 000~2 700 cal. a B.P.腐殖化度较低且呈上升趋势,碳累积速率较低且呈下降趋势,沉积速率较低并且波动不明显,泥炭沉积较为缓慢;2 700~2 400 cal. a B.P.腐殖化度下降,碳累积速率、沉积速率略有上升,泥炭沉积略有加快;2 400~1 950 cal. a B.P.腐殖化度升高,碳累积速率、沉积速率处于高值,泥炭沉积快;1 950~1 770 cal. a B.P.腐殖化度、碳累积速率、沉积速率快速下降后回升,泥炭沉积发生明显波动;3）功率谱和小波分析显示,腐殖化度变化序列存在83 a、55 a、38 a、31 a、27 a、22 a准周期,与双海尔周期、布鲁克纳周期和太阳活动世纪周期相一致,表明该区气候变化和泥炭沉积受太阳活动的驱动。     

How depositional conditions control input, composition, and degradation of organic matter in sediments from the Chilean coastal upwelling region

In a comprehensive study, we compared depositional conditions, organic matter (OM) composition, and organic carbon turnover in sediments from two different depositional systems along the Chilean continental margin: at ∼23° S off Antofagasta and at ∼36° S off Concepción. Both sites lie within the Chilean coastal upwelling system and have an extended oxygen minimum zone in the water column. However, the northern site (23° S) borders the Atacama Desert, while the southern site (36° S) has a humid hinterland. Eight surface sediment cores (up to 30 cm long) from water depths of 126-1350 m were investigated for excess ²¹⁰Pb (²¹⁰Pb_xs) activity, total organic and total inorganic carbon concentrations (TOC and TIC, respectively), C/N-ratios, organic carbon isotopic compositions (δ¹³C), chlorin concentrations, Chlorin Indices (CI), and sulfate reduction rates (SRR). Sediment accumulation rates obtained from ²¹⁰Pb-analysis were similar in both regions (0.04-0.15 cm yr⁻¹ at 23° S, 0.10-0.19 cm yr⁻¹ at 36° S), although total ²¹⁰Pb_xs fluxes indicated that the vertical particle flux was higher at 36° S than at 23° S. We propose that sediment focusing in isolated deposition centers led to high sediment accumulation rates at 23° S. Furthermore, there were no indications for sediment mixing at 23° S, while bioturbation was intense at 36° S. δ¹³C-values (−24.5‰ to −20.1‰ vs. VPDB) and C/N-ratios (molar, 8.6-12.8) were characteristic of a predominantly marine origin of the sedimentary OM in both investigated areas. The extent of OM alteration in the water column was partly reflected in the surface sediments as chlorin concentrations decreased and C/N-ratios and CI increased with increasing water depth of the sampling site. SRR were lower at 23° S (areal SRR 0.12-0.60 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹) than at 36° S (areal SRR 0.82-1.18 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹), which was partly due to the greater water depth of most of the sediments investigated in the northern region and consistent with a lower quality of the sedimentary OM at 23° S. Reaction rate constants for TOC degradation that were obtained from measured SRR (k_SRR; 0.0004-0.0022 yr⁻¹) showed a good correspondence to k_TOC that were derived from the depth profiles of TOC (0.0003-0.0014 yr⁻¹). Both, k_SRR and k_TOC, reflect differences in OM composition. At 36° S they were related to the degradation state of bulk OM (represented by C/N-ratios), whereas near 23° S they were related to the freshness of a small fraction of labile OM (represented by CI). Our study shows that although rates of organic carbon accumulation were similar in both investigated sites, the extent and kinetics of organic carbon degradation were closely linked to differing depositional conditions.     

加拿大阿萨巴斯卡地区泥炭正构烷烃与正烷酮地球化学特征

通过对泥炭正构烷烃和正烷酮的地球化学特征的系统分析,以探讨阿萨巴斯卡地区Mildred泥炭沼泽的物源输入特征,以及正构烷烃和正烷酮的内在成因关系,从而揭示研究区泥炭记录的生物信息和植被演化特征。结果表明:Mildred泥炭正构烷烃和正烷酮均以高分子量C₂₃~C₃₃为主,呈后峰型分布,奇碳优势明显,物源以原地堆积的陆源高等植物为主,少量苔藓类、水生植物也有一定程度的贡献。根据主成分分析和正构烷烃指标,Mildred泥炭分子指示物源输入具有分段性,上段（地表至-17 cm）成炭植物以锈色泥炭藓为主,中段（-17 cm至-41 cm）沉积有机质主要来源于木质树根、杜鹃花科、黑云杉和莎草科等,下段（-41 cm至底部）莎草科类富集,少量松柏、杜鹃花科等木质植物发育。正构烷烃和正烷酮的分布极具相似性,同奇碳数正构烷烃与正烷酮极高的相关性论证了两者的内在成因联系。泥炭中正烷酮类化合物主要来源于相应正构烷烃的微生物氧化作用,剖面上部锈色泥炭藓的富集对正烷酮有一定程度的贡献;结合FT-MS资料,脂肪酸的微生物β-氧化和脱羧基作用是形成正烷酮的另一种有效路径,但不是主要的成因路径。     

Diffusion and mass flow of dissolved carbon dioxide, methane, and dissolved organic carbon in a 7-m deep raised peat bog

In 65 samples, we got values (unusually replicable and consistent for this type of work) of concentration, ¹⁴C/¹³C (AMS) age, and δ¹³C for: peat, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), peat fractions, and dissolved CO₂ and CH₄ at 50-cm intervals down to 700 cm in Ellergower Moss, a rainwater-dependent raised (domed) bog in southwest Scotland. (1) We attribute the consistency of the results to Ellergower Moss being unusually homogeneous, with unusually low hydraulic conductivity, and containing only a few gas spaces; and to the sampling methods including 18-month equilibration of in situ samplers. (2) The dissolved gas concentration depth profiles are convex and very similar to each other, though CO₂ is 5-10 times more concentrated than CH₄, while the profile of DOC is concave. (3) The age profile of peat is near linearly proportional to depth; that for DOC is about 500-1000 yr younger than the peat at the same depth; the dissolved gases are 500-4300 years younger than the peat. The age of the operational peat fractions humic acid and humin is similar to that of whole peat. (4) The δ¹³C profile for deep peat is almost constant; δ¹³C-CO₂ is more enriched than the peat (δ¹³C-CO₂ 35‰ more); δ¹³C-CH₄ is the same amount more depleted. Nearer the surface both dissolved gases become steadily more depleted, δ¹³C is about 20‰ less at the surface. (5) A simulation shows that mass flow can account for the concentration and age profiles of DOC, but for the gases diffusion and an additional source near the surface are needed as well, and diffusion accounts for over 99% of the dissolved gas movements. (6) The same processes must operate in other peatlands but the results for Ellergower should not be extrapolated uncritically to them.     

Diagenetic trends in the phenolic constituents of Sphagnum-dominated peat and its corresponding humic acid fraction

Models of peat accumulation assume that peat decomposition occurs mostly above the water table, with little or no decomposition once it enters the deeper, saturated, anoxic zone. Few studies have used molecular biomarkers for tracing post depositional, decomposition-related trends in peat deposits. We studied the major diagenetic changes in the phenolic constituents within a Sphagnum-dominated ombrotrophic bog deposit. The yield of lignin-derived phenols and degree of decomposition, measured using alkaline cupric oxide oxidation of bulk peat samples and their corresponding humic acids, revealed that most of the degradation takes place in the surface layers corresponding to the acrotelm. In fact, total phenolic constituents of peat samples decrease from 36.1 to 21.6 mg g⁻¹ OC (organic carbon) over the first 36 cm, whereas in the deeper anoxic layers, phenolic constituents tend to accumulate, reaching a highest concentration of 71.0 mg g⁻¹ OC. The diagenetic alteration of these phenolic constituents during peat accumulation involves significant demethoxylation and an increasing yield of vanillyl oxidation products despite the low redox potential. Syringyl phenols tend to be particularly resistant to diagenetic alteration and are significantly enriched within the humic acid fraction (twofold) with respect to the bulk peat. This, together with the higher degree of oxidation, suggests that this organic matter fraction is enriched in more resistant, but nonetheless diagenetically altered, phenolic constituents. This suggests that humic acids constitute a refractory pool of organic C with a relatively low turnover rate. Our results confirm that the major processes involved in the variation in phenolic constituents with depth are strongly related to the post depositional environment and that evaluation of diagenetic trends in phenolic constituents may provide molecular-level information on the changes that fresh biomass undergoes during early diagenesis in peatlands.     

Soil paludification and Sphagnum bog initiation: the influence of indurated podzolic soil and fire

The initiation and growth of boreal peatlands developed on well‐drained, sandy landforms are closely associated with podzolic soil paludification processes. The origin of Sphagnum bogs extending on large deltaic plains was examined to test the hypothesis of the dual impact of indurated (ortstein) podzols and fire on forest soil paludification and concurrent peatland initiation and expansion. Mineral soil, basal organic matter and peat monoliths were sampled for soil and macrofossil analyses along an 800‐m toposequence starting from a mixed‐wood boreal forest to a Sphagnum bog (Lebel bog, eastern Quebec, Canada), and ending at a peat dome in the thickest section of the peatland. Mineral soils along the toposequence are ortstein humo‐ferric podzols distributed in the forest environment and beneath Sphagnum peat in the bog, except at the peat dome. Initial peatland growth occurred c. 6000 cal. a BP. Soil paludification coincided with the cessation of fire occurrence as recorded in the organic and mineral layers preceding Sphagnum expansion. Unlike most temperate and boreal raised bogs, the Sphagnum bog developed directly from a forest environment without passing through a transitional fen stage. Conifer forests regenerated successively after several fires between 4200 and 1600 cal. a BP before bog expansion. Pre‐bog forests were composed of fire‐prone black spruce (Picea mariana) and jack pine (Pinus banksiana) trees, and ericaceous species. Given the distribution and thickness of ortstein horizons progressively decreasing and disappearing towards the peatland dome, growth and expansion of the Sphagnum bog was not caused by soil induration processes, which could have potentially impeded vertical and horizontal drainage. The development of indurated podzols outside and several hundred metres inside the peatland preceded the initiation and expansion of the Sphagnum bog. Cessation of fire activity appears to be a key factor facilitating the lateral expansion of the Sphagnum bog under wet soil conditions.     

Rates of peat formation in relation to degree of humification and local environment, as shown by studies of a raised bog in Deninark

In the raised bog Draved Mose, rates of peat formation and degrees of humification were determined in two peat sections. Based on 59 calibrated C-14 dates, accumulation rates during the last 6500 years of 0.16 to 0.80 mm/year were found. The peat layers were analyscd for Sphagnum species, rhizopods, and pollen and spores. A clear relation between humification degrees and humidity at the time of formation was found, while the relation between measured growth rates and degrees of humification varied throughout the 2.5 m thick peat section. These variations are thought to be mostly a result of autocompaction.     

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

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.     

Wetland soil organic matter composition in a Mediterranean semiarid wetland (Las Tablas de Daimiel, Central Spain): Insight into different carbon sequestration pathways

Wetland soils from a Mediterranean semiarid wetland (Las Tablas de Daimiel, Central Spain) were studied to characterize the organic matter (OM) and determine its origin and transformation. Cross polarization magic angle spinning (CPMAS) ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and mathematical molecular mixing allowed analysis of the organic fraction in terms of six generic components (carbohydrate, protein, lignin, lipid, char and “carbonyl”). Las Tablas is an active carbon sink, with total organic carbon (TOC) content independent of soil OM quality; the TOC content of the upper sediment is 10.0 ± 7.8%. The inorganic carbon content is also high (5.4 ± 3.3%) and is associated mainly with OM of aliphatic character. The OM composition is variable; samples predominantly aliphatic (carbohydrate, lipid and protein) are characteristic of the northern sector, whereas predominantly aromatic samples are typical of the southern Tablas. A strong negative relationship between protein content and lignin content was found, interpreted as a consequence of different proportions of vascular vs. non-vascular (mostly charophyte) litter input. The effect of perturbation is apparent in the extended presence of char, particularly abundant in fire-prone areas. OM quantity and quality do not seem to depend on hydrology (although seasonal flooding is associated with lower TOC wetland soils) or soil characteristics. Dominant vegetation and fire are the main drivers of OM content and composition. Structural carbohydrate, protein and lipid (>60% of total organic fraction) dominate. Widespread anaerobic conditions and the recent character of the sediments could explain the preservation of different fractions of the original detritus composition (due to different vegetation and presence of microbes).     

Modelling retention of heavy metals in the Oostriku peat bog,Estonia: Comparison of predicted and observed results

In this study, the retention of Ca and other metals (Pb, Cu, Fe, Zn and Mn) in the Oostriku peat bog (central Estonia) was modelled. Equilibrium sorption of metals on amorphous ferric oxyhydroxide and solid organic matter was simulated at steady-state. Ferric oxyhydroxide formation and possible precipitation of other metals (Mn, Pb and Cu) in the peat was also assessed. Evolution of metal sorption fronts along a peat profile over time was simulated with a dynamic model to test if metal–metal competition effects could cause Pb and Cu to sorb at higher amounts in the uppermost peat than in the lower peat, as observed in the field. The predicted sorbed amounts of metals were compared with those previously observed in the peat. In general, good agreement between both batch and dynamic model results and the independent observations at the Oostriku peat site was obtained. This suggests that the relatively simple model approach employed here might be generally useful for assessing other peat sites and similar applications.     

Origin and composition of organic matter in tidal flat sediments from the German Wadden Sea

Two sediment cores of up to 550 cm length from an intertidal flat of the German Wadden Sea near the island of Spiekeroog were investigated for the quantity and composition of fossil organic matter (OM). The lowermost parts of the cores are dominated by grey mud of a salt marsh facies containing mainly terrestrial OM estimated to account for 60–75% of the total OM, based on δ¹³C values and the ratio of short to long chain n-alkanols. The terrigenous origin of the dominant fraction is indicated, among others, by high proportions of C₂₉ sterols and long chain n-alkanes typical of plant waxes. Coarse shell beds overlying the grey mud at 2–2.5 m depth represent a flooding and erosion event possibly related to heavy storm floods in the Middle Ages. Within the intertidal sand-dominated sediments in the upper parts of the cores total organic carbon (TOC) contents are generally low, ranging from 0.1% to 0.5%, and correlate well with the amount of mud fraction (r² 0.90). At the surface, marine OM has not undergone intense diagenetic alteration and so is the dominant fraction. Eroded peat particles are common throughout most of the sequence and values of the Phragmites peat indicator (PPI) > 5 indicate an origin from reed peat due to a high relative abundance of the n-C₂₄ alkane. Changes in the composition of microbial communities over the depth interval investigated are documented by varying compositions of unsaturated fatty acids with 16 and 18 carbons. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) was detected along the entire cores and indicates the presence of EPA-producing bacterial strains.     

Sources and fate of amino sugars in coastal Peruvian sediments

Amino sugars are involved in the marine carbon and nitrogen cycles and comprise a geochemically significant fraction of marine organic material (OM). However, information on abundance and distribution of these compounds in marine sediments is scarce. Three sediment cores (<50 cm) from the coastal region off Peru were investigated for concentrations of glucosamine (GlcN), galactosamine (GalN), mannosamine (ManN), and muramic acid (Mur). The sum of the four amino sugars accounted for 1.0-2.4% of organic carbon and 1.9-3.8% of nitrogen in the sediments. At the shallowest (102 m) and the deepest site (1278 m), carbon-normalized concentrations decreased down-core, suggesting preferential degradation of amino sugars compared to bulk sedimentary OM. At the site from the center of the oxygen minimum zone (238 m), amino sugar concentrations were high throughout the core, pointing to enhanced preservation of amino sugars under anoxic conditions. GlcN (44-56 mol%) and GalN (33-42 mol%) were the dominant amino sugars in all investigated samples, while ManN (6-14 mol%) and Mur (1-4 mol%) were significantly less abundant. Mur was predominantly associated with cell wall remains rather than with living bacteria, since bacterial abundances estimated based on Mur concentrations were up to 500 times higher than cell counts reported for sediments from this area. GlcN/GalN-ratios (1.1-1.7) indicated that chitin, a polymer of GlcN, was not a major contributor to the amino sugar pool of the investigated sediments. Furthermore, GlcN/Mur-ratios (13-68) are inconsistent with a predominant contribution of intact peptidoglycan, which exhibits a 1:1-ratio. The present study includes a compilation of previously published information on distribution and abundance of amino sugars in the marine environment. Both concentrations and ratios observed in the Peruvian sediments fall in the range of values reported for OM in water column and sediments from different oceanic regions and water depths. Although specific sources for the majority of sedimentary amino sugars remain unidentified, there are indications for a major prokaryotic origin. As suggested in previous studies, the uniform amino sugar compositions of altered marine OM and particularly the close association of GlcN and GalN, which is similar to the ratio observed in living bacteria, are consistent with a transformation of planktonic into bacterial OM.