Abstract
Abstract. Numerous studies have dealt with carbon (C) contents in Histosols, but there are no studies quantifying the relative importance of the individual C components in pore waters. For this study, measurements were taken of all the carbon components (particulate organic carbon, POC; dissolved organic carbon, DOC; dissolved inorganic carbon, DIC; dissolved methane, CH4) in the soil pore water of calcareous fens under three different water management regimes (re-wetted, deeply and moderately drained). Pore water was collected weekly or biweekly (April 2004 to April 2006) at depths between 10 and 150 cm. The main results obtained were: (1) DIC (94–280 mg C l−1) was the main C-component. (2) POC and DOC concentrations in the pore water (14–125 mg C l−1 vs. 41–95 mg C l−1) were pari passu. (3) Dissolved CH4 was the smallest C component (0.005–0.9 mg C l−1). Interestingly, about 30% of the POM particles were colonized by microbes indicating that they are active in the internal C turnover. Certainly, both POC and DOC fractions are essential components of the C budget of peatlands. Furthermore, dissolved CO2 in all forms of DIC appears to be an important part of peatland C-balance.
Highlights
The carbon (C) storage in ecosystems and the C balance between the atmosphere and terrestrial ecosystems is vulnerable to changes in environmental conditions
particulate organic carbon (POC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were relevant for the pore water carbon composition
Our results suggest that POC need to be studied together with DOC to better understand their ecological function in peat ecosystem
Summary
The carbon (C) storage in ecosystems and the C balance between the atmosphere and terrestrial ecosystems is vulnerable to changes in environmental conditions (global change). Total carbon (TC) in pore water is made up of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC = CO2 in all dissociation species), dissolved methane (CH4), and particulate organic carbon (POC). Organic matter (OM) in pore water is differentiated by size: Particulate organic matter (POM), and dissolved organic matter (DOM). There is no unified definition separating DOM and POM. DOM and POM are quantified by analyzing the carbon content (DOC, POC). For the hydrosphere and pedosphere, DOM is commonly defined as organic matter in water samples smaller than 0.45 μm (Thurman, 1985). For this study the definition of Zsolnay (2003) was applied separating DOC as particles 0.45 μm
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