| Title | Nitrogen and sulphur input and accumulation in continental ombrotrophic peatland ecosystems in Alberta, Canada |
| Publication Type | Thesis |
| Year of Publication | 2008 |
| Authors | Burke-Scholl, M. J. |
| Issue | M. S. |
| Pagination | 100 |
| Place Published | Villanova University |
| Publication Language | en |
| Keywords | nutrient cycles |
| Abstract | Models predict increases in N and S deposition in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region of Alberta that often exceed critical load values for sensitive ecosystems. I used 10 bog sites within a modeled deposition gradient to assess current SO42- , NO3- , and NH 4+ deposition rates compared to historical N and S accumulations. There were no spatial patterns in NO3- , NH 4+ , total inorganic N, and SO42- deposition rates, and deposition from all sites were low and not above predicted background levels. There were also no spatial patterns in C, N, and S accumulation data. An interesting pattern persisted across all sites: data showed substantially more peat N accumulation than can be accounted for through atmospheric deposition alone. I examined whether biological N2 fixation could be an additional source and found evidence of nitrogenase activity in all bryophyte communities sampled. This phenomenon may represent a previously underestimated source of N to boreal bogs. |
| URL | http://search.proquest.com/docview/193991476 |
| Topics | Biology |
| Locational Keywords | Athabasca Oil Sands |
| Group | Science |
| Citation Key | 48860 |