Search Results (139)

The Karatuzi mining area is a key coal resource base in Southern Xinjiang. This paper focuses on Coal Seams No. 3 and No. 6 of the Yangye Formation. Through coal petrology, coal quality and elemental geochemical analyses, combined with assessments of the coalification environment, coal cleanliness grades and direct liquefaction evaluation systems, this study investigates their coalification environments and potential for clean utilisation. The results indicate that both coal seams consist predominantly of the vitrinite group and are classified as medium-rank coals. The ash content of the raw coal ranged from 21.76% to 27.66%; the sulphur content of Coal Seam No. 3 is lower than that of Coal Seam No. 6, whilst the concentrations of Cl, F and As are generally low to moderate. The coalification period of the Yangye Formation was characterised by a generally humid, water-saturated peat bog environment. The raw coal from both Seam No. 3 and Seam No. 6 was classified as Grade IV unclean coal; following flotation, the ash content decreased to 7.31–7.54%, and the cleanliness grades were upgraded to Grade II and Grade III, respectively. Statistical analysis revealed significant changes in moisture content, ash content, volatile matter, sulphur content, fluorine and arsenic. Following flotation, the raw coal attains the potential for use as Grade II coal for direct liquefaction, providing a basis for the quality enhancement and clean utilisation of coal in the mining area. Full article

Abandoned floodplains are complex landscapes in boreal permafrost regions due to diverse biogeomorphic effects that are highly modified by permafrost aggradation and degradation. We compiled biophysical properties for 150 cores at 135 sites with depths up to ~4 m on the Tanana Flats in central Alaska and developed depth profiles for bulk density, moisture, organic carbon, pH, stable isotopes, radiocarbon age, and thaw strain. We found strong associations among biophysical components but also highly variable soil properties and ecological histories. We developed a conceptual model of the transition pathways and biophysical drivers among ecosystem types. Across sites, fluvial deposition was active from 9820 to 4290 ¹⁴C YBP, eolian silt and sand deposition prevalent from 3780 to 1890 YBP, and peat accumulation from 5330 YBP to present. Due to flat topography, water impoundment in depressions, groundwater, and ecological feedbacks, ecosystem-driven permafrost has a complex history of repeated aggradation and degradation resulting in highly fragmented landscapes. Recent thermokarst features had ages ranging from 20 to 920 YBP in collapse-scar bogs and from 50 to 250 YBP in collapse-scar fens. Abandoned floodplains with rapid thermokarst provide saturated environments for robust organic accumulation, with mean soil carbon stocks in the top 3 m being similar among thermokarst bogs (133 kg/m²), fens (108 kg/m²) and permafrost plateaus (115 kg/m²). This study contributes needed information on how permafrost dynamics and ground-ice characteristics influence landscape evolution and on the vulnerability of villages built on abandoned floodplains, infrastructure, and military use of training lands in boreal lowlands. Landscape fragmentation, complex palaeoecological histories, high spatial variability, and limited deep sampling of thermokarst features, however, restrict interpretation of how permafrost loss is affecting the soil carbon balance in an area where most permafrost will disappear in this century. Full article

Blanket bogs are ombrotrophic peatlands where water is mainly supplied by precipitation. This study reports new algal records from blanket bogs in Türkiye, contributing to the knowledge of Türkiye’s freshwater algal flora. Algal samples were collected from five different blanket bogs located in the Eastern Black Sea Region of Türkiye. Samples were obtained on a monthly basis during selected months, May, July, and September in 2021, May and September in 2022, and July in 2023. A total of 50 taxa belonging to 19 genera were identified: Scytonema (1), Cavinula (1), Kobayasiella (1), Netrium (4), Closterium (3), Actinotaenium (5), Cosmarium (3), Euastrum (3), Micrasterias (2), Spondylosium (1), Staurastrum (15), Staurodesmus (2), Tetmemorus (2), Microspora (1), Characium (1), Desmodesmus (1), Trachelomonas (2), Calycimonas (1), and Opisthoaulax (1). Calycimonas and Opisthoaulax are reported as new genera for the freshwater algal flora of Türkiye. The identified taxa were predominantly observed in acidic, oligotrophic and low-conductivity waters, thereby indicating the distinctive ecological characteristics and conservation value of alpine blanket peat bogs. Full article

Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) is a paleoecologically relevant species in the Northern Hemisphere since the early Holocene. P. abies populations are sensitive to climate fluctuations; Asian treeline species are under nature protection. The thick wax and cuticle layers of spruce needles enhance their durability, making them frequent in glacial lake and peat bog cores. Their phytoliths are easily recognizable in sedimentary material and can be studied in subfossil tissues. The aim of this study is to assess the applicability of characteristic phytoliths from Norway spruce needles in paleoclimate research. We examined phytolith presence as a function of altitude in plant samples from three Carpathian Mountain ranges. Temperature data loggers were deployed at sampling sites to better characterize the thermal background of phytolith formation. Our results show a decreasing trend in phytolith presence with increasing elevation. The phytoliths formed by the transfusion tissue represent a sensitive type, indicating that spruce needle phytolith production responds to microclimatic variation. These findings are worth further investigation and validation. The study also provides a basis for refining the calculation method, contributing to the development of a potential “phytolith thermometer” for paleoclimatic reconstruction. Full article

Draining peatlands for peat extraction converts them into significant sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Quantifying GHG emissions at the regional scale remains challenging because direct field measurements are spatially limited, while GHG accounting for land-use planning requires spatially explicit information. Building on the advances in remote sensing (RS) as a scalable low-cost emission accounting tool for large areas, this study presents a proof-of-concept workflow that integrates satellite-based land-cover classification with an emission-factor (EF) approach to support spatial upscaling of peatland GHG estimates. Using Sentinel-2 imagery and a supervised Random Forest classifier, peatland-related land-cover classes were mapped for selected sites in Latvia. The classification results show higher accuracy for spectrally distinct classes such as raised bogs and active peat-extraction areas, while more heterogeneous classes exhibited lower performance. The study provides an overview of how to utilize the RS approach to generate accurate land-cover maps, which can be used to upscale GHG estimation in Latvia when field data is limited. The study does not include calibration against site-level flux measurements, uncertainty propagation, or temporal variability analysis; therefore, the emission results are illustrative and consistent with current EF-based inventory practice rather than validated site-specific fluxes. Full article

In achieving sustainable development goals, soils play a key role in environmental protection, natural resources, and food security. Peatlands are particularly important here, as they function at the interface between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and store large amounts of organic matter. However, organic soils are highly susceptible to transformation and degradation; therefore, their degradation caused by, among others, drainage properties is a high risk to both the environment and agriculture—it disrupts the ecosystems, causes greenhouse gas emissions, and eutrophicates the hydrosphere. Soil degradation in drained peatlands is associated with the transformation of soil organic matter (SOM), which in organic soils is the dominant component of the solid phase of the soil. The aim of our study was to assess the properties and degree of organic matter transformation in drained temperate peatland soils, with particular emphasis on sequential fractionation of SOM and humic acid properties. Due to the fact that in Poland, as many as 90% of non-forest peat bogs have been drained, we compare the mursh horizons that formed after peat bog drainage with the peat horizons that constitute the parent rock (where anaerobiosis occurs and morphological changes in the soil material are absent due to peat bog drainage). Studies were conducted on 11 soil profiles located in central-eastern Poland. Basic physicochemical soil properties were determined: pH, bulk density, contents of ash, SOM, total carbon (TC), and total nitrogen (TN). Sequential carbon fractionation was used to qualitatively analyze organic matter, which allowed for the identification of labile fractions, lipid fractions, humic substances (fulvic and humic acids), and residual fractions. Humic acids (HAs) were extracted using the Schnitzer method and analyzed for their elemental composition and spectrometric parameters in the VIS range. It was demonstrated that SOM transformation in drained temperate peatland soils was correlated with comprehensive changes in the soil’s physical and chemical properties. Compared to peat horizons, topsoil horizons were characterized by higher ash content and density, lower SOM content, and a lower TC/TN ratio. Qualitative SOM transformation during aerobic SOM transformation after draining the studied peatlands consisted of an increase in the amount of labile fractions and humic substances and a decrease in the lipid and residual fractions. The research results have shown that the HAs properties depended on the depth. HAs from topsoil horizons, compared to peat horizons, were characterized by a lower “degree of maturity,” as reflected by the values of atomic ratios (H/C, O/C) and absorbance coefficients (A_4/6 and ΔlogK). It was found that the share of the distinguished SOM fractions and HAs properties were closely correlated with the physical and chemical properties of the soils. The study demonstrated the usefulness of the sequential carbon fractionation method for assessing the effects of dewatered peat transformation. The obtained results could contribute to the development of good practices ensuring high quality of organic matter and stability of ecosystems, as well as to the development of methods for limiting the mineralization of organic matter (SOM), greenhouse gas emissions, and the loss of organic soils in agricultural areas. Full article

Słowiński National Park is one of the 23 national parks in Poland and one of the two situated on the Baltic Coast in the country. It was established in 1967 to protect the most valuable ecosystems: coastal lakes, marshes, peat bogs, meadows, forests, and, above all, the dune belt of the Łebska Spit with its unique moving dunes. We aimed to 1. determine the species diversity and structure of thrips assemblages in the most important biotopes of the Park; 2. determine the geographical distribution and food preferences of thrips species; and 3. determine which environmental factors influence the diversity of insect assemblages and which thrips species distinguish these assemblages. The method used in the quantitative research was based on the use of a scoop method; it was supplemented by qualitative research (shaking branches of trees and searching for insects on their host plants). The studies were carried out in 1991 and 1999–2001 in fourteen plant associations. A total of 90 thrips species (nearly 40% of the Polish fauna) were recorded, including 71 in quantitative and 74 in qualitative samples. The study also revealed a significant correlation between the thrips assemblage composition and the following environmental factors: soil moisture, light intensity, general nutrient availability, and soil salinity. In addition, the thrips species with the most significant impact on assemblage composition were identified. The relatively high number of species found, including Taeniothrips zurstrassenii Zawirska, a species new to science, and others rarely recorded in Poland, highlights the value of the SNP habitat diversity in maintaining high Thysanoptera diversity. Full article

Chrysastrella is a small genus of the Ochromonas-like chrysophytes, taxonomy and phylogenetic placement of which remained unclear. For a long time Chrysastrella was considered a cyst genus, i.e., a morphogenus based on the structure of stomatocysts, the resting stages of chrysophytes. We isolated several new strains of C. paradoxa from the peat bogs in Murmansk Region and the Republic of Komi (Russia) and studied them using light and scanning electron microscopy as well as molecular techniques. We showed that morphological differences between C. paradoxa, C. minor and C. breviappendiculata are within the range of variability of stomatocysts during development. So, we synonymized C. minor and C. breviappendiculata with C. paradoxa. Molecular phylogenetic analysis based on SSU rDNA and rbcL sequences revealed that Chrysastrella belongs to the order Chrysosaccales. A new monotypic family, Chrysastrellaceae fam. nov., was formally described to accommodate this genus. Full article

“Bog bodies,” ancient human remains found in northern European peat bogs, were often sacrificial kings offered to fertility god during famines. Killing king represents a “Traumatic Structure” identified in the Natural Born Intelligence model—where positive and negative antinomies coexist, that is, heterogeneous things are confused and entangled, but at the same time, the basis of things themselves is lost. This negate structure, or materialized absence, is also found in traditional Japanese painting through the “Kakiwari” expression, which negate near and distant perspectives. Nakamura and Gunji found landscape installed bog body as Kakiwari-ized viewpoint, explored this structure in their work, and created materialization of absence through art. Full article

Peatlands are the most efficient terrestrial ecosystems for long-term carbon (C) storage. In Ireland, approximately 84% of raised bogs are degraded, contributing an estimated emission of 1.9 Mt C year⁻¹, nearly one-third of which originates from domestic peat extraction sites. Rewetting aims to reduce C emissions and restore sequestration capacity; however, immediate post-restoration effects remain poorly quantified. We investigated the short-term impact of rewetting on C fluxes over a 3-year period at a former domestic peat extraction site. CO₂ and CH₄ fluxes were measured across rewetted and adjacent unrestored areas with matched ecotopes (vegetation communities). Results show that rewetting led to substantial reductions in C emissions across all ecotopes. Compared to unrestored areas, the Sub-marginal and Facebank ecotopes had lower average annual C emissions by 0.88 and 0.74 t C ha⁻¹, respectively. In the cutover bog, rewetting reduced emissions in Eriophorum and Molinia ecotopes by 2.17 and 0.59 t C ha⁻¹ year⁻¹, respectively. This study demonstrates that rewetting led to immediate carbon reduction, and can deliver immediate climate mitigation benefits. Expanding restoration to include undesignated domestic extraction bogs offers a cost-effective strategy to reduce emissions from degraded peatlands in the near term. Full article

Hydrological changes in peatland are directly related to peat condition. Restoration projects typically aim to raise the water table to enhance peat development, support ecology and increase carbon storage. Remote monitoring of peatland hydrology is challenging but advantageous for assessing condition and restoration effectiveness. This study explores how temporal Sentinel-1-derived InSAR coherence relates to ground-based measurements of soil moisture, water level and local precipitation at two sites, near-natural (Munsary) and degraded (Knockfin Heights), in the Flow Country, Scotland, alongside regional Wick weather station precipitation data (2015–2024). Stronger seasonal linear relationships were observed between soil moisture and InSAR coherence in spring/summer (R² reaching 0.83 at Munsary subsite C, p < 0.001), with in-phase cross correlation throughout the year. In contrast, the relationship between water level and InSAR coherence was more complex with an out-of-phase relationship for much of the year and a weaker linear correlation. These relationships varied with peatland condition, strongest at the more intact bog (Munsary). InSAR coherence and precipitation were in-phase, but not linearly correlated, and land use/cover had no significant effect. Outcomes suggest that InSAR coherence could, when combined with other data, assist in mapping soil moisture/water level dynamics in blanket peatlands, and identify the timing of precipitation events in areas with non-frontal rainfall. Full article

Suillus flavidus is an ectomycorrhizal fungus associated with moist, nutrient-poor habitats, particularly peat bogs and transitional mires, where it forms symbiotic relationships with two-needle pines, especially Pinus sylvestris. This study presents an updated assessment of its distribution in Poland, identifies key ecological factors influencing its occurrence—such as habitat type and phenology—and evaluates its conservation status in the context of sustainability goals. Analysis of available data shows that over two-thirds of the known sites in Poland are located in peatland ecosystems, with more than half occurring within protected areas. Although S. flavidus is distinctly hygrophilous, it appears to prefer moderately wet habitats, particularly swamp forests. Despite an increase in recorded localities over the past five decades, S. flavidus remains an endangered species due to the ongoing degradation of peatland habitats, which are increasingly threatened by land-use change, drainage, and climate-related shifts in hydrology. The species’ long-term survival depends on sustainable landscape management, the preservation of suitable host tree populations, and the inclusion of fungi in conservation and restoration strategies. Thus, S. flavidus should be considered both an indicator species and a relevant element in meeting sustainability goals. Full article

The fossiliferous Dursunlu Lignite Quarry (DLQ) is highlighted prominently in the archeological and paleontological literature because of the study of Pleistocene fauna and lithic artifacts, being considered the oldest Paleolithic site in Türkiye. Although the fauna and flora assemblage from DLQ are reasonably well known, taxonomic studies devoted to some groups, such as ostracods, mollusks, reptiles, and amphibians, have never been carried out. Here, we describe, illustrate, and study the taxonomic composition and ecological implications of the unpublished material of said groups, together with the aquatic plants and fish, recovered from six samples taken from the palustrine and peat bog facies of the sedimentary sequence. In addition, the recovered charophytes and cyprinids refine our taxonomical knowledge of both aquatic plants and fish. Our results concur with previous paleoenvironmental inferences based on flora and fauna composition—with DLQ representing a very shallow eutrophic lake with a dense palustrine vegetation belt during the cold (glacial) stage of the late Early Pleistocene—as well as highlight the study of all available groups as pivotal for better understanding the paleolake biota. We further conclude that the wetland areas of Dursunlu and surrounding steppe areas appear to have been an excellent environment for sporadic settlement of hominins during the Early Pleistocene, given the availability of food resources and easy access to water. Full article

Climate change can have a direct impact on the decomposition of organic matter, as well as indirect effects on peatland vegetation (including carnivorous plants) and the microbial communities associated with this environment. The activity of microbes varies depending on the type of peatland they inhabit. Because some microorganisms are highly sensitive, they can be used as indicators of climate change. However, there is still little knowledge of how changes in the temperature of the environment can affect the microbiome of carnivorous plants. The study was conducted to test the following hypotheses: (1) The effect of rising water temperature on the qualitative and quantitative structure of the microbiome of carnivorous peatland plants depends on the type of peatland; (2) habitats with a higher trophic status stimulate the development of microbial communities in the water, but are an unfavourable habitat for the development of the microbiome of plant traps. Irrespective of the type of peatland, the species richness of microorganisms was much higher in the water than in the traps. As the temperature increased, there was an increase in the abundance of bacteria, heterotrophic flagellates, and testate amoebae, which was much more pronounced in the peat bog than in the carbonate fen. Full article

A comprehensive paleoecological study of a forested bog located in the middle taiga subzone of northeastern European Russia was carried out. According to the ¹⁴C radiocarbon dating and botanical composition analysis, the bog began forming 8200 calibrated years ago, evolving in three stages from grassy wetlands to its current state as a pine-Sphagnum peatland. Analysis revealed substantial carbon storage (81.4 kg m⁻²) within the peat deposit. Macrocharcoal particles were consistently present throughout the peat deposits, demonstrating continuous fire activity across the bog’s developing. High charcoal particle accumulation rates occurred not only during warm periods like the Holocene thermal maximum but also during colder and wetter periods. These periods include recent centuries, when high charcoal accumulation rates are likely due to increased human activity. Statistical analysis showed significant relationships between macrocharcoal content and several peat characteristics: higher charcoal levels correlated with increased soil carbon (r = 0.6), greater aromatic compounds (r = 0.8), and elevated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (r = 0.7), all with p < 0.05. These findings highlight how fire has consistently shaped this ecosystem’s development and carbon storage capacity over millennia, with apparent intensification during recent centuries potentially linked to anthropogenic influences on fire regimes in the boreal zone. Full article