Title: Organic matter accumulation and community change at the peatland-upland interface: inferences from ¹⁴C and ²¹⁰Pb dated profiles

Author: Bauer, Ilka E.; Bhatti, Jagtar S.; Swanston, Christopher; Wieder, R. Kelman; Perston, Caroline M.

Year: 2009

Publication: Ecosystems. 12: 636-653.

Abstract: Peatland-margin habitats with organic matter accumulation of 40-150 cm make up a significant but poorly quantified portion of Canada's boreal forest region. Spanning the transition between non-wetland forest and fen proper, these ecosystems represent a zone of complex environmental and vegetation change, yet little is known about their ecological function or development. We here use vegetation and macrofossil analysis, traditional ¹⁴C, bomb-spike ¹⁴C, and ²¹⁰Pb dating to investigate the development, organic matter accumulation, and recent vegetation history of peat margin communities at two sites in central Saskatchewan, Canada.