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Above-Ground Net Primary Production from Vascular Plants Shifts the Balance Towards Organic Matter Accumulation in Restored Sphagnum Bogs

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Abstract

The organic matter accumulation potential of a restored bog was estimated over 2 years as a balance between losses to decomposition and inputs through above-ground net primary productivity (AGNPP) in five micro-habitats of increasing complexity (relating to the moss carpet thickness and the number of vegetation functional groups). Decomposition and accumulation rates variations were hypothesized to lead to higher organic matter accumulation potential in the more complex micro-habitats. In general, for a given litter type, the mass losses and decomposition rates were rather homogeneous between micro-habitats, but, they were correlated to the cover of particular species: Eriophorum vaginatum with slower decomposition rates, and Ledum groendlandicum or Kalmia angustifolia with higher rates. Therefore, the abundance of some peatland species, rather than the habitat complexity itself, was a driver of decomposition rates. While the Sphagnum AGNPP did not compensate for decomposition losses, the organic matter accumulation potential was tipped towards a sink (positive) by the contribution of vascular species to the AGNPP. The organic matter accumulation potentials are much improved by the presence of Sphagnum, but from a restoration perspective, promoting the growth of vascular peatland species might also be a key to achieving a positive balance of organic matter accumulation.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support was provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy of New Brunswick, the Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association, Acadian Peat Moss (1979) Ltd, ASB Greenworld Ltd, Berger Peat Moss Ltd, Fafard & Frères ltée, Fafard Peat Moss Company Ltd, Lambert Peat Moss Inc., Lamèque Quality Group Ltd, Les Tourbes Nirom Peat Moss Inc., Modugno-Hortibec inc., Premier Horticulture Ltd, and Sun Gro Horticulture Canada Ltd. Roxane Andersen was also supported by a post-doctoral fellowship from the Fonds québécois de recherches sur la nature et les technologies (FQRNT) and a doctoral fellowship from the NSERC. Rémy Pouliot was also supported by a doctoral fellowship from the FQRNT. Special thanks go to Markus Thormann for his help during field planning and all field assistants who have worked on that project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Peatland Ecology Research Group (PERG), Université Laval, 2425 Rue de l’Agriculture, Quebec City, Québec, Canada, G1V 0A6

    Roxane Andersen, Rémy Pouliot & Line Rochefort

  2. The James Hutton Institute (MLURI), Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK

    Roxane Andersen

  3. Environmental Research Institute (ERI), Thurso, Caithness, KW147JD, UK

    Roxane Andersen

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  1. Roxane Andersen
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Correspondence to Rémy Pouliot.

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Andersen, R., Pouliot, R. & Rochefort, L. Above-Ground Net Primary Production from Vascular Plants Shifts the Balance Towards Organic Matter Accumulation in Restored Sphagnum Bogs. Wetlands 33, 811–821 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-013-0438-5

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