A climatically significant abiotic mechanism driving carbon loss and nitrogen limitation in peat bogs
Abstract Sphagnum-dominated bogs are climatically impactful systems that exhibit two puzzling characteristics: CO2:CH4 ratios are greater than those predicted by electron balance models and C decomposition rates are enigmatically slow. We hypothesized that Maillard reactions partially explain both p...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-85928-w |
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| author | Alexandra B. Cory Rachel M. Wilson M. Elizabeth Holmes William J. Riley Yueh-Fen Li Malak M. Tfaily Sarah C. Bagby Isogenie Field Team EMERGE Project Coordinators Patrick M. Crill Jessica G. Ernakovich Virginia I. Rich Jeffrey P. Chanton |
| author_facet | Alexandra B. Cory Rachel M. Wilson M. Elizabeth Holmes William J. Riley Yueh-Fen Li Malak M. Tfaily Sarah C. Bagby Isogenie Field Team EMERGE Project Coordinators Patrick M. Crill Jessica G. Ernakovich Virginia I. Rich Jeffrey P. Chanton |
| author_sort | Alexandra B. Cory |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Sphagnum-dominated bogs are climatically impactful systems that exhibit two puzzling characteristics: CO2:CH4 ratios are greater than those predicted by electron balance models and C decomposition rates are enigmatically slow. We hypothesized that Maillard reactions partially explain both phenomena by increasing apparent CO2 production via eliminative decarboxylation and sequestering bioavailable nitrogen (N). We tested this hypothesis using incubations of sterilized Maillard reactants, and live and sterilized bog peat. Consistent with our hypotheses, CO2 production in the sterilized peat was equivalent to 8–13% of CO2 production in unsterilized peat, and the increased formation of aromatic N compounds decreased N-availability. Numerous sterility assessments rule out biological contamination or extracellular enzyme activity as significant sources of this CO2. These findings suggest a need for a reevaluation of the fixed CO2:CH4 production ratios commonly used in wetland biogeochemical models, which could be improved by incorporating abiotic sources of CO2 production and N sequestration. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b0000b9c516b4a70b09325bf2dee5a16 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
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| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-b0000b9c516b4a70b09325bf2dee5a162025-01-26T12:27:20ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-01-011511910.1038/s41598-025-85928-wA climatically significant abiotic mechanism driving carbon loss and nitrogen limitation in peat bogsAlexandra B. Cory0Rachel M. Wilson1M. Elizabeth Holmes2William J. Riley3Yueh-Fen Li4Malak M. Tfaily5Sarah C. Bagby6Isogenie Field TeamEMERGE Project CoordinatorsPatrick M. Crill7Jessica G. Ernakovich8Virginia I. Rich9Jeffrey P. Chanton10Florida State UniversityFlorida State UniversityFlorida State UniversityLawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryThe Ohio State UniversityThe University of ArizonaCase Western Reserve UniversityDepartment of Geological Sciences and Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm UniversityUniversity of New HampshireThe Ohio State UniversityFlorida State UniversityAbstract Sphagnum-dominated bogs are climatically impactful systems that exhibit two puzzling characteristics: CO2:CH4 ratios are greater than those predicted by electron balance models and C decomposition rates are enigmatically slow. We hypothesized that Maillard reactions partially explain both phenomena by increasing apparent CO2 production via eliminative decarboxylation and sequestering bioavailable nitrogen (N). We tested this hypothesis using incubations of sterilized Maillard reactants, and live and sterilized bog peat. Consistent with our hypotheses, CO2 production in the sterilized peat was equivalent to 8–13% of CO2 production in unsterilized peat, and the increased formation of aromatic N compounds decreased N-availability. Numerous sterility assessments rule out biological contamination or extracellular enzyme activity as significant sources of this CO2. These findings suggest a need for a reevaluation of the fixed CO2:CH4 production ratios commonly used in wetland biogeochemical models, which could be improved by incorporating abiotic sources of CO2 production and N sequestration.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-85928-w |
| spellingShingle | Alexandra B. Cory Rachel M. Wilson M. Elizabeth Holmes William J. Riley Yueh-Fen Li Malak M. Tfaily Sarah C. Bagby Isogenie Field Team EMERGE Project Coordinators Patrick M. Crill Jessica G. Ernakovich Virginia I. Rich Jeffrey P. Chanton A climatically significant abiotic mechanism driving carbon loss and nitrogen limitation in peat bogs Scientific Reports |
| title | A climatically significant abiotic mechanism driving carbon loss and nitrogen limitation in peat bogs |
| title_full | A climatically significant abiotic mechanism driving carbon loss and nitrogen limitation in peat bogs |
| title_fullStr | A climatically significant abiotic mechanism driving carbon loss and nitrogen limitation in peat bogs |
| title_full_unstemmed | A climatically significant abiotic mechanism driving carbon loss and nitrogen limitation in peat bogs |
| title_short | A climatically significant abiotic mechanism driving carbon loss and nitrogen limitation in peat bogs |
| title_sort | climatically significant abiotic mechanism driving carbon loss and nitrogen limitation in peat bogs |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-85928-w |
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