Structure and properties of permafrost peatlands in the European North-East

• Main Authors: A. V. Pastukhov, D. A. Kaverin, N. N. Goncharova
• Format: Dataset
• Language: Russian
• Published: Theoretical and Applied Ecology 2015
• Subjects: oligotrophic peat soils; botanical composition; cryolithozone; stratigraphy of deposits; Peat; Peat plateau; permafrost; taiga; Tundra
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.25750/1995-4301-2015-1-077-087; http://envjournal.ru/ari/v2015/v1/files/15112.pdf

Stratigraphy of relict permafrost peatland sis characterized in details which conserved in extreme northern taiga of the European Northeast of Russia. In order to identify the genesis of peatlands in extreme northern taiga peat stratigraphy was studied in detail sat the plain and foothill key sites. Current permafrost peat plateau might have a similar morphosculpture, but their genesis may vary significantly depending on their geomorphological position and hydrological regime. At the foothill key site peat plateau formation occurred under the scheme of the majority of taiga upland bogs: from eutrophic afforestated and treeless wetland communities through an intermediate stage to the transition and then upland bogs. Change of stages determined due to the change of water-mineral regime with the accumulation and growth of the peat mass. Peatland developed in more or less constant conditions of water-mineral regime at plain key site only. Botanical composition of the studied peatlands of extreme northern taiga marks the beginning of deposits formation in the late Boreal (BO-2) (8500–8000 BP), when the widely developed swampy tundra formation. In the warm Atlantic period (AT) (8000–4600 BP) the bog processes and the accumulation of the bulk peat sharply intensify. A significant cooling of the climate, which began in 2500 BP, led to the formation of the modern morphosculpture of peat plateaus and offsetting the difference of water-mineral regime of plain and foothill key sites. At the moment preserved permafrost peatlands almost stopped development, peat accumulation slowed or stopped, processes of erosion and destruction of peat mounds take place.