Stagnation in peat profiles controls organic matter transformation in different mire types
摘要
Decomposition of organic compounds in peat soils requires atmospheric oxygen, which is limited when water fills soil pore spaces. We examined the thermodynamics of organic matter decomposition in Austrian peatlands and predicted greater thermodynamic constraints deeper in the soil profile where pore spaces are water filled. For mire types with stagnant water we hypothesize that thermodynamic closure of the pore space will occur deeper in the soil profile and there will be a greater extent of organic matter transformation. In this study peat cores from eight different peatlands were collected and analysed for their Gibbs free energy of formation (