Nitrogen and phosphorus cycling in an ombrotrophic peatland: a benchmark for assessing change.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

Slow decomposition and isolation from groundwater mean that ombrotrophic peatlands store a large amount of soil carbon (C) but have low availability of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). To better understand the role these limiting nutrients play in determining the C balance of peatland ecosystems, we compile comprehensive N and P budgets for a forested bog in northern Minnesota, USA.

Methods

N and P within plants, soils, and water are quantified based on field measurements. The resulting empirical dataset are then compared to modern-day, site-level simulations from the peatland land surface version of the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (ELM-SPRUCE).

Results

Our results reveal N is accumulating in the ecosystem at 0.2 ± 0.1 g N m^-2 year^-1

SUBMITTER: Salmon VG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9580354 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature