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Microform-scale variations in peatland permeability and their ecohydrological implications.

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Title: Microform-scale variations in peatland permeability and their ecohydrological implications.
Authors: Baird, Andy J.1, Milner, Alice M.2, Blundell, Antony1, Swindles, Graeme T.1, Morris, Paul J.1, Lee, John
Source: Journal of Ecology. Mar2016, Vol. 104 Issue 2, p531-544. 14p.
Subjects: Peatlands, Microforms, Ecohydrology, Bogs, Soil profiles, Permeability
Abstract: 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 (< 10 m distant) show switches between microform type over time, indicating a lack of persistence., Synthesis. We suggest that the acrotelm-catotelm model should be used cautiously; spatial variations in peatland permeability do not fit the simple patterns suggested by the model. To understand how peatlands as a whole function both hydrologically and ecologically, it is necessary to understand how patterns of peat physical properties and peatland vegetation develop and persist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Abstract: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 (< 10 m distant) show switches between microform type over time, indicating a lack of persistence., Synthesis. We suggest that the acrotelm-catotelm model should be used cautiously; spatial variations in peatland permeability do not fit the simple patterns suggested by the model. To understand how peatlands as a whole function both hydrologically and ecologically, it is necessary to understand how patterns of peat physical properties and peatland vegetation develop and persist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:00220477
DOI:10.1111/1365-2745.12530