<i>5-n-</i>Alkylresorcinols as biomarkers of sedges in an ombrotrophic peat section

5-n-Alkylresorcinols with alkyl chain lengths varying from C19 to C25 were identified solely in bog-forming plant species classified as sedges (Eriophorum vaginatum, E. angustifolium, Trichophorum cespitosum and Rhynchospora alba). These compounds were then identified throughout the peat deposit on which these plants grow. Total abundances of 5-n-alkylresorcinols were found to reflect macrofossil abundances of sedges in a 40 cm peat profile from Bolton Fell Moss, Cumbria, UK, thereby complementing macrofossil data in palaeoclimate studies

<i>n</i>-Alkane distributions in ombrotrophic mires as indicators of vegetation change related to climatic variation

Lipid analysis of modern bog vegetation revealed n-alkane distributions for Sphagnum species displaying enhanced abundances of lower chain length homologues (C21–C25). Other plants examined revealed typical higher plant distributions (C29 or C31 maxima). Investigation of a 40 cm peat profile from Bolton Fell Moss, Cumbria, UK showed a varying abundance of the n-C23 homologue down core which appear to be related to vegetation changes, which are presumed to occur as a result of climate variatio

Palaeoclimate records I compound-specific δD values of a lipid biomarker in ombrotrophic peat

Compound-specific δD values recorded by means of gas chromatography–thermal conversion–isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC–TC–IRMS) of the biomarker n-alkane (n-tricosane; n-C23) representative of the dominant Sphagnum species in a 40 cm peat profile from Bolton Fell Moss, Cumbria, UK, correlate with vegetation changes in the past >200 years (age depth model based on 210Pb dating). The bog vegetation is sensitive to climate change correlating with the global scale cooler period of the later 19th and early 20th centuries. The correlation with meteorological records suggests compound-specific δD values of lipid biomarkers have potential for use as a new climate proxy

Chapter Three - Heating up a cold case: Applications of analytical pyrolysis GC/MS to assess molecular biomarkers in peat

Intact peatlands serve as a globally important carbon sink. However, impacts from climate change, extraction, and drainage increase aerobic decomposition in these ecosystems—shifting their carbon flux from sink to source. A variety of projects are ongoing to restore peatlands to their natural or near-natural states; however, for carbon sequestration, net accumulation of peat relative to decomposition is of primary importance. Molecular analysis techniques provide information on peat growth and degradation trends dating from centuries to millennia. Pyrolysis coupled to gas chromatography mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) has been proposed for the rapid characterization of molecular biomarkers in organic matter. This paper reviews plant and microbial biomarkers analyzable via Py-GC/MS for peatland ecosystems, associated challenges, and future applications of the technique. It is noted that far fewer organism-specific biomarkers have been identified via Py-GC/MS for microbial communities in comparison to plant-based studies, and as a topic remains an area greatly needing additional research. In the future, through improved Py-GC/MS-derived fingerprinting of peatland molecular components, periods of degradation and growth could be more precisely distinguished and described, even in profiles where changes in contributing source material are not macroscopically visible