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BIOL 366 > Lecture 5- Peatlands > Flashcards

Lecture 5- Peatlands Flashcards

1
Q

What is peat?

A

Accumulation of poorly decomposed organic matter

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2
Q

How does peat form?

A

Peat forms when decomposition is slower than decomposition usually due to anaerobic conditions

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3
Q

What is a key moss species?

A

Sphagnum moss species

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4
Q

Describe some characteristics of Sphagnum

A

-Huge water holding capacity
-Have highline cells, barrel shaped
-Can expand and hold more water
-Hold 20X its dry weight in water
-Can grow in more open areas because more water

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5
Q

Peat is a _____ genus adapted to holding a lot of water

A

Diverse

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6
Q

Peat has no vascular tissue so it cant ______

A

Bring up water from the ground

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7
Q

_____ have no differentiation in the layers while ____ have differentiation of soil layers

A

-Wetlands
-Peatlands

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8
Q

Can the O layer of peatland soils be thick?

A

Yes, can range from a few cm to m thick, depends on the accumulation of organic matter

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9
Q

What is a peatland?

A

An ecosystem where > 30-40cm of peat has formed (bulk of soil layer)

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10
Q

Does peat accumulation fast or slow?

A

Accumulates very slowly

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11
Q

True of False? Decomposition occurs very fast in peatlands

A

False (Decomposition is very slow = anaerobic conditions)

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12
Q

Describe activity in peatlands

A

Water logged= less oxygen and less microbial activity= accumulation of organic dead matter that isnt decomposing (accumulation of dead moss within new moss)

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13
Q

What country has the most amount of peatlands?

A

Canada because of the Canadian shield

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14
Q

Why are peatlands so prevalent in the north?

A

-Permafrost restricts movement of water
-Flat terrain can reduce water flow
-Short summers and cold temperatures reduce rates of decomposition
-Not really any flowing water

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15
Q

What are the three conditions that cause a peatland to form?

A
  1. Annual precipitation must be greater than 500 mm
  2. Annual biotemperature can not be too hot
  3. There must be a positive water balance in the area
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16
Q

What are some functions of peatlands?

A

-Regulation of global climate, catchment hydrology, soil conditions
-Used as a habitat
-Energy generation
-Global carbon sink (when it dies, none of the carbon gets released so the organic layer stores so much carbon)
-Humus and organic fertilizer
-Used to dry malted barley
-Can regulate the water

17
Q

How are peatlands formed?

A

Formed via terrestrialization and paludification

18
Q

What occurs during terrestrialization?

A

-As decomposition declines, ponds fill overtime
-Emergent vegetation grows along periphery
-Sphagnum colonizes and peat accumulates
-Floating mats form in center
-Wetland overtime it dries out, decline in decomposition, get accumulation of organic matter = get more shallow overtime

19
Q

Can terrestrialization and paludification occur at the same time?

A

Can both happen at the same time or happen on its own or one can trigger the other

20
Q

Describe paludification

A

-As peat filled wetland, it begins to colonize adjacent forests
-Colonization continues as peatland spreads
-Peat continues to accumulate into a dome
-The peat spreading out to adjacent forests (outward)

21
Q

What factors contribute to peatland succession?

A

-Spectrum of peat accumulation
-How closely the peatland is accessing water
-How much water is present and how much is flowing
-Push the peatland further and further from the ground water until its no longer accessing the water at all

22
Q

Describe water flow in fens

A

-Peatland which is influenced b water from outside its own limits
-Surface water flow from adjacent wetlands
-Ground water flow
-Hydrology influenced by water flowing in and grond water

23
Q

What type of nutrient loading does fens have?

A

-Higher nutrient loading because of water flow, tend to have higher nutrient availability and more productive ecosystem
-More minerals coming in making pH a little higher

24
Q

Do fens have high plant diversity?

A

Yes

25
Q

What tree species is an indicator tree species?

A

Tamarack, requires calcium which is acquired from ground water

26
Q

Describe properties of rich fens

A

-Generally quite wet (pools of standing water, streams flowing through)
-Graminoid dominated
-High nutrient availability (because of water flowing through
-Higher species diversity
-Alkaline pH (because more nutrients)

27
Q

Describe properties of a moderate fen

A

-Slightly drier (less standing water)
-Still dominated by graminoids but start to get shrubs
-Still high nutrient availability
-Neutral pH

28
Q

Describe properties of a poor fen

A

-Drier more removed from water table
-Lower nutrient availability
-Lower species diversity
-Can resemble a bog (but still have access to ground water)
-Look for tamarack

29
Q

What are the three types of fens?

A

1.Rich fen
2.Moderate fen
3.Poor fen

30
Q

What are the two types of peatlands?

A

1.Fens
2.Bogs

31
Q

What is a bog?

A

Peatland which is ombrotrophic (receives water solely from rain and/or snow falling onto its surface

32
Q

Describe some properties of bogs

A

-Water table at or slightly below the surface
-Low diversity
-Peat often creates a layer a few m thick
-Very low nutrient availability (oligotrophic)
-Very low species diversity
-May be treed of treeless
-Very acidic (sphagnum is acidic)

33
Q

What is a palsa?

A

A mound of peat that develops as the result of the formation of a number ice lenses beneath the ground surface

34
Q

Is a palsa smaller than a pingo?

A

Yes

35
Q

What is a pingo?

A

Similar to a palsa but much larger scale

36
Q

How does a pingo form?

A

From when water from nearby regions is drawn in through gaps in permafrost then that water will freeze into an ice lense which continues to grow and will heave out of the surface

37
Q

Where are pingos found?

A

Only found in the Arctic

BIOL 366 (33 decks)

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