Physical and hydrological properties of peatland substrates from different hydrogenetic wetland types on the Maputaland Coastal Plain, South Africa

Faul, Franziska; Gabriel, Marvin; Roßkopf, Niko; Zeitz, Jutta; Huyssteen, C. W. van; Pretorius, M; Grundling, Piet‐Louis

doi:10.1080/02571862.2016.1141334

Cited by 9 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 30 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Two sites were chosen in this study to represent valley bottoms and depressions. Because of the geological setting and consistency with other literature, we will from now on refer to depressions as interdune depressions (Faul et al, 2016; Grundling, 2014; Pretorius, 2012).…”

Section: Study Area and Study Sitesmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…It is approximately 2 km long and meets Lake Nhlange at its southern end. It was investigated before and is known for deep peat layers including wood peat (Faul et al, 2016; Grundling et al, 1998; Moning, 2004). During the fieldwork (March 2014), the vegetation at the coring site was composed of Typha capensis, Thelypteris interrupta, Pycreus nitidus, Cyperus prolifer and Cyperus sphaerospermus , in the order of dominance.…”

Section: Study Area and Study Sitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The development pathways of two peatlands in South Africa over the last 6200 years: Implications for peat formation and palaeoclimatic research

et al. 2017

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

For the first time, plant macrofossil analysis supported by detailed stratigraphic studies was used to reconstruct peatland development in South Africa. Two peat cores (4.69 and 1.5 m) from two coastal peatlands in KwaZulu-Natal were analysed for carpological macrofossils, wood and macrocharcoal. The first one, Matitimani, is an unchannelled valley bottom peatland (site VB), and the second one, KwaMazambane, an interdune depression peatland (site ID) further up in the same catchment. Radiocarbon dating reveals the peatland initiation at site VB at about 6260 cal. yr BP. Rising sea level and humid climatic conditions during that time coincide with the formation of organic gyttja (dominantly aquatic seeds like Nymphaea sp.). In ca. 4950 cal. yr BP, a change to drier condition took place, revealed by the formation of radicell peat from Cyperaceae, and an increase of fire frequency (macrocharcoal). After ca. 1200 cal. yr BP, peat swamp forest emerged, with Ficus trichopoda, Syzygium cordatum and Voacanga thouarsii forming wood peat. Site ID dates back to ca. 920 cal. yr BP. Its initiation is assumingly related to reduced drainage capacities of the catchment subsequently to the peat formation in Matitimani valley. A steady change from gyttja forming communities ( Nymphaea sp.– Eleocharis dulcis) to radicell peat-forming Cyperaceae communities took place. The long-term apparent rate of carbon accumulation (LORCA) is higher for site ID (89 gC m−2 yr−1) than for site VB (55 gC m−2 yr−1). Except for the peat swamp forest period, fire occurred frequently at both sites, however less in environments with frequent inundations.

show abstract

Section: Study Area and Study Sitesmentioning

confidence: 89%

Section: Study Area and Study Sitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The development pathways of two peatlands in South Africa over the last 6200 years: Implications for peat formation and palaeoclimatic research

et al. 2017

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Frequent water-table fluctuations can induce the formation of cracks in the drained peat, which prevents the supply of capillary water to the soil, leading to a vicious cycle of more frequent desiccation and greater depths of desiccation. Eventually, a loose, fine-grained, water-repellent topsoil may form that can support only a limited range of extreme dryland species [41,42], further accelerating deterioration. For instance, millions of hectares of peatlands in Eastern Europe have deteriorated into dry desert environments in just a few decades due to this mechanism [43].…”

Section: Peatland Degradation and Its Adverse Impacts In The Context ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Fourth, land subsidence due to peat's susceptibility to compaction can have serious social consequences in densely populated areas, as it can damage infrastructure, such as roads, sewerage systems, and buildings [42,[48][49][50][51], and lead to flooding. Particularly in coastal areas, peatland subsidence increases the risk of flooding and saltwater intrusion.…”

Section: Peatland Degradation and Its Adverse Impacts In The Context ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Research Progress in the Field of Peatlands in 1990–2022: A Systematic Analysis Based on Bibliometrics

Shi,

Liu,

et al. 2024

Land

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Peatlands are major natural carbon pool in terrestrial ecosystems globally and are essential to a variety of fields, including global ecology, hydrology, and ecosystem services. Under the context of climate change, the management and conservation of peatlands has become a topic of international concern. Nevertheless, few studies have yet systematized the overall international dynamics of existing peatland research. In this study, based on an approach integrating bibliometrics and a literature review, we systematically analyzed peatland research from a literature perspective. Alongside traditional bibliometric analyses (e.g., number of publications, research impact, and hot areas), recent top keywords in peatland research were found, including ‘oil palm’, ‘tropical peatland’, ‘permafrost’, and so on. Furthermore, six hot topics of peatland research were identified: (1) peatland development and the impacts and degradations, (2) the history of peatland development and factors of formation, (3) chemical element contaminants in peatlands, (4) tropical peatlands, (5) peat adsorption and its humic acids, and (6) the influence of peatland conservation on the ecosystem. In addition, this review found that the adverse consequences of peatland degradation in the context of climate change merit greater attention, that peatland-mapping techniques suitable for all regions are lacking, that a unified global assessment of carbon stocks in peatlands urgently needs to be established, spanning all countries, and that a reliable system for assessing peatland-ecosystem services needs to be implemented expeditiously. In this study, we argued that enhanced integration in research will bridge knowledge gaps and facilitate the systematic synthesis of peatlands as complex systems, which is an imperative need.

show abstract

“…Royer & Vachaud, ; Schwärzel et al, ), a huge database on water retention of peat soils has been built up from lab measurements on small samples (usually in the range of 5–8 cm in diameter and 1–6 cm in height) cored in various peatlands around the world (e.g. Okruszko, ; Weiss et al, ; Silins & Rothwell, ; Beckwith, Baird, & Heathwaite, ; Price, Braunfireun, Waddington, & Devito, ; Schwärzel et al, ; Gnatowski, Szatyłowicz, Brandyk, & Kechavarzi, ; Szajdak & Szatylowicz, ; McCarter & Price, ; Branham & Strack, ; Goetz & Price, ; Faul et al, ; Weber et al, , ). Due to the small size of the samples and the large heterogeneity characterizing peat soils, the representativeness of these lab tests was questioned.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thorough wetting and drainage of a peat lysimeter in a climate change scenario

Previati

Canone

Iurato

et al. 2019

Hydrological Processes

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A peat deposit (Zennare basin, Venice coastland, Italy) was monitored in previous field studies to investigate the hydrological response of organic soil to meteorological dynamics. Field tests and modelling predictions highlighted the risk of the complete loss of this peat layer during the next 50 years, due to oxidation enhanced by the increased frequency of warmer periods. Unfortunately, despite the considerable impacts that are expected to affect peat bogs (in this area and worldwide), only a few experimental studies have been carried out to assess the hydrologic response of peat to severe water scarcity. Because of that, an undisturbed 0.7 m 3 peat monolith was collected, transferred to the laboratory and instrumented. The total weight (representative of the water content dynamics of the peat monolith as a whole), and two vertical profiles of matric potentials and water content were monitored in controlled water-scarce conditions. After an extended air-drying period, the monolith was used as an undisturbed peat lysimeter and a complete cycle of wetting and drainage was performed. Supplementary measurements of matric potential ψ and water content θ were collected by testing peat subsamples on a suction table apparatus. A set of water retention curves was determined in a range of matric potentials broader (ψ down to −7 m) than the current natural conditions in the field (minimum ψ = −1 m).While water content at saturation showed values similar to those in the original natural conditions (θ ffi 0.8), a remarkable loss of water holding capacity (even for low potentials) has been highlighted, especially in deep layers that are now permanently below the water table. The retention curves changed shape and values, with a more pronounced hysteresis visible in an increasing distance between wetting and drying data. Hydraulic non-equilibrium between the water content and water potential could be a possible cause and it is worth modelling in future studies. The parameters of the van Genuchten retention curves were obtained for the wetting and the drying phases. K E Y W O R D SPeatland, peat soil hydrology, lysimeter, wetlands, hydro-physical properties, experiment, climate change

show abstract

Physical and hydrological properties of peatland substrates from different hydrogenetic wetland types on the Maputaland Coastal Plain, South Africa

Cited by 9 publications

References 30 publications

The development pathways of two peatlands in South Africa over the last 6200 years: Implications for peat formation and palaeoclimatic research

The development pathways of two peatlands in South Africa over the last 6200 years: Implications for peat formation and palaeoclimatic research

Research Progress in the Field of Peatlands in 1990–2022: A Systematic Analysis Based on Bibliometrics

Thorough wetting and drainage of a peat lysimeter in a climate change scenario

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About