Publication
Title
Diatoms in peat: dominant producers in a changing environment?
Author
Abstract
Changes in hydrology and temperature can induce rapid changes in boreal wetland ecosystems. Factors such as hydrosere, permafrost, climate and human interference may disturb the prevailing mire vegetation, whereby a new dominant assemblage can develop. At the transition from one vegetation type to another, the old vegetation may be suppressed, die out or start to decay, and some time may pass until a new mire vegetation is fully established. Here, we demonstrate that diatoms may thrive during such transitions, creating isolated and shallow peat layers with significantly elevated biogenic silica content. Biogenic silica and other nutrients that would otherwise be lost during mineralization in runoff are in this way retained in the ecosystem. Our results imply that silica storage originating from diatoms can be expected to increase in today's rapidly changing boreal wetlands. The impacts on transport of Si through boreal watersheds are currently unknown.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Soil biology and biochemistry. - Oxford
Publication
Oxford : 2009
ISSN
0038-0717
DOI
10.1016/J.SOILBIO.2009.05.012
Volume/pages
41 :8 (2009) , p. 1764-1766
ISI
000268920400025
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 15.07.2009
Last edited 25.05.2022
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