Microform‐scale variations in peatland permeability and their ecohydrological implications

The acrotelm–catotelm model of peatland hydrological and biogeochemical processes posits that the permeability of raised bogs is largely homogenous laterally but varies strongly with depth through the soil profile; uppermost peat layers are highly permeable while deeper layers are, effectively, impe...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of ecology 2016-03, Vol.104 (2), p.531-544
Main Authors: Baird, Andy J, Milner, Alice M, Blundell, Antony, Swindles, Graeme T, Morris, Paul J, Lee, John
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
acrotelm–catotelm model
bogs
bulk density
carbon
ecological memory
Ecology
humification
Hydrology
paleoecology
peat
peatland
Peatlands
Permeability
persistence
Plant–soil (below-ground) interactions
radionuclides
raised bog
soil profiles
vegetation
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The acrotelm–catotelm model of peatland hydrological and biogeochemical processes posits that the permeability of raised bogs is largely homogenous laterally but varies strongly with depth through the soil profile; uppermost peat layers are highly permeable while deeper layers are, effectively, impermeable. We measured down‐core changes in peat permeability, plant macrofossil assemblages, dry bulk density and degree of humification beneath two types of characteristic peatland microform – ridges and hollows – at a raised bog in Wales. Six ¹⁴C dates were also collected for one hollow and an adjacent ridge. Contrary to the acrotelm–catotelm model, we found that deeper peat can be as highly permeable as near‐surface peat and that its permeability can vary by more than an order of magnitude between microforms over horizontal distances of 1–5 m. Our palaeoecological data paint a complicated picture of microform persistence. Some microforms can remain in the same position on a bog for millennia, growing vertically upwards as the bog grows. However, adjacent areas on the bog (
ISSN:0022-0477
1365-2745
DOI:10.1111/1365-2745.12530