Journal ArticleDOI
The vegatation, surface water chemistry and peat chemistry of moderate-rich fens in central Alberta, Canada
Wai Lin Chee,Dale H. Vitt +1 more
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TLDR
In this paper, the surface water and peat chemistry of the Athabasca area in central Alberta, Canada are characterized by their surface water, and a relationship between vegetation and chemical gradients is examined.Abstract:
The non-forested fens of the Athabasca area in central Alberta, Canada are characterized by their surface water and peat chemistry. Correlations between vegetation and chemical gradients are examined. The primary vegetation gradient is from stands dominated byDrepanocladus vernicosus, Meesiatriquetra, Menyanthes trifoliata, andCarex chordorrhiza to those dominated byBrachythecium mildeanum, Drepanocladus aduncus, Carex aquatilis, andDrepanocladus polycarpus. This vegetation gradient reflects a chemical gradient of increasing pH, magnesium, sodium, sulphur, organic nitrogen, and phosphorus in the fen water and increasing magnesium, iron, and phosphorus in the fen peats. Potassium and sodium in the fen peats show a decreasing trend along the vegetation gradient. A second gradient from shrub-moss vegetation to sedge-moss vegetation is significantly correlated with microtopography and an increase in nitrate content in the spring (May) waters. The fen waters in this study are in the 5.3–7.1 pH range, with specific conductance of 18–240μS. The calcium contents of the waters averages 19.5–22.1 mg/l and that of magnesium averages 4.3–5.3 mg/l in spring and fall, respectively. The subsurface fen peats are characterized by mean calcium contents of 17,426 mg/kg and magnesium contents of 1,719 mg/kg. Organic nitrogen, nitrate, and ammonium content in the spring and fall waters average 1,967–2,395 μg/l, 3.1–9.8 μg/l, and 16.8–88.9 μg/l, respectively.read more
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Journal ArticleDOI
Patterns in nutrient availability and plant diversity of temperate north american wetlands
TL;DR: An extensive literature survey and analysis of data on plant species composition, species richness, productivity or standing crop, and C:N:P stoichiometry in plant tissues and surface soils is used to draw conclusions about the nature of nutrient limitation in temperate North American bogs, fens, marshes, and swamps.
Journal ArticleDOI
The relationships of vegetation to surface water chemistry and peat chemistry in fens of Alberta, Canada
Dale H. Vitt,Wai-Lin Chee +1 more
TL;DR: The relationship between vegetation components, surface water chemistry and peat chemistry from 23 fens in boreal Alberta, Canada, substantiate important differences along the poor to rich fen gradient as mentioned in this paper.
Journal ArticleDOI
Seasonal patterns and controls on net ecosystem CO2 exchange in a boreal peatland complex
TL;DR: In this paper, seasonal patterns of net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of CO2 in a diverse peatland complex underlain by discontinuous permafrost in northern Manitoba, Canada, as part of the Boreal Ecosystems Atmosphere Study (BOREAS), were measured.
Journal ArticleDOI
Seasonal variation in water chemistry over a bog-rich fen gradient in Continental Western Canada
TL;DR: In this paper, surface and subsurface (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 m depths) water was sampled weekly in 1989 and biweekly in 1990 during the ice-free season along a bog-rich fen gradient in central Alberta.
References
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TWINSPAN, a FORTRAN program for arranging multivariate data in an ordered two-way table by classification of the individuals and attributes
M. O. Hill,M Hill +1 more
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The relationships of vegetation to surface water chemistry and peat chemistry in fens of Alberta, Canada
Dale H. Vitt,Wai-Lin Chee +1 more