Effect of Peatland Siltation on Total and Labile C, N, P and K

Slawomir Smolczynski, Barbara Kalisz, Pawel Urbanowicz and Miroslaw Orzechowski
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Slawomir Smolczynski: Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-245 Olsztyn, Poland
Barbara Kalisz: Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-245 Olsztyn, Poland
Pawel Urbanowicz: Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-245 Olsztyn, Poland
Miroslaw Orzechowski: Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-245 Olsztyn, Poland

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 15, 1-11

Abstract: Large areas of peatlands, in addition to the effect of drainage, were subjected to erosional process and were silted. The objective of the study was to verify whether siltation of peatlands hampers mineralization of remaining peat and alters labile C, N, P and K. Total C and N were measured on a CN analyzer, and total P and K on an ICP spectrometer after microwave digestion. The labile fractions of C, N, P and K were extracted with hot water and measured on the CN analyzer and ICP spectrometer. We noted that labile C, N, P and K concentrations in silted topsoil were lower than the values reported in unsilted topsoil. Higher concentration of labile compounds in peats is a signal of higher biological activity and mineralization of organic matter. A TOC/TP < 300 and TOC/TN of approximately 8 in topsoil suggested diminished mineralization and supported our hypothesis that siltation hampered mineralization of organic matter. The TOC/TK ratio proved to be a fine indicator of the state of organic soils siltation, which enabled the separation of unsilted peats from silted topsoil (on the base of value of 177). It can be assumed that the mineralization of peat layers is hampered by the above lying silted topsoil, which is less biologically active, having less oxygen, and therefore conserving underlying peats against oxidation.

Keywords: drainage; water-extractable carbon; peat organic matter (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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