Copyright by the Ecological Society of America 2010, for personal or educational use only. Article is available at <http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/09-1313.1

Belyea, LR

De Ruiter, PC

Eppinga, MB

Nilsson, MB

Rietkerk, M

Wassen, MJ

Ecology

English

Spatial patterning of ecosystems can be explained by several mechanisms. One approach to disentangling the influence of these mechanisms is to study a patterned ecosystem along a gradient of environmental conditions. This study focused on hummock–hollow patterning of peatlands. Previous models predicted that patterning in drainage-dominated peatlands is driven by a peat-accumulation mechanism, reflected by higher nutrient availability in hollows relative to hummocks. Alternatively, patterning in evapotranspiration (ET)-dominated peatlands may be driven by a nutrient-accumulation mechanism, reflected by reversed nutrient distribution, namely, higher nutrient availability in hummocks relative to hollows. Here, we tested these predictions by comparing nutrient distributions among patterned peatlands in maritime (Scotland), humid temperate (Sweden), and humid continental (Siberia) climates. The areas comprise a climatic gradient from very wet and drainage-dominated (Scotland) to less wet and ET-dominated (Siberia) peatlands. Nutrient distribution was quantified as resource contrast, a measure for hummock–hollow difference in nutrient availability. We tested the hypothesis that the climatic gradient shows a trend in the resource contrast; from negative (highest nutrient availability in hollows) in Scotland to positive (highest nutrient availability in hummocks) in Siberia. The resource contrasts as measured in vegetation indeed showed a trend along the climatic gradient: contrasts were negative to slightly positive in Scotland, positive in Sweden, and strongly positive in Siberia. This finding corroborates the main prediction of previous models. Our results, however, also provided indications for further model development. The low concentrations of nutrients in the water suggest that existing models could be improved by considering both the dissolved and adsorbed phase and explicit inclusion of both nutrient-uptake and nutrient-storage processes. Our study suggests that future climate change may affect the ecosystem functioning of patterned peatlands by altering the contribution of pattern-forming mechanisms to redistribution of water and nutrients within these system

Eppinga, M.B.

Rietkerk, M.

Belyea, L.R.

Nilsson, M.B.

de Ruiter, P.C.

Wassen, M.J.

NARCIS 

Resource contrast in patterned peatlands increases along a climatic gradient

Spatial patterning of ecosystems can be explained by several mechanisms. One
approach to disentangling the influence of these mechanisms is to study a patterned ecosystem
along a gradient of environmental conditions. This study focused on hummock–hollow
patterning of peatlands. Previous models predicted that patterning in drainage-dominated
peatlands is driven by a peat-accumulation mechanism, reflected by higher nutrient
availability in hollows relative to hummocks. Alternatively, patterning in evapotranspiration
(ET)-dominated peatlands may be driven by a nutrient-accumulation mechanism, reflected by
reversed nutrient distribution, namely, higher nutrient availability in hummocks relative to
hollows. Here, we tested these predictions by comparing nutrient distributions among
patterned peatlands in maritime (Scotland), humid temperate (Sweden), and humid
continental (Siberia) climates. The areas comprise a climatic gradient from very wet and
drainage-dominated (Scotland) to less wet and ET-dominated (Siberia) peatlands. Nutrient
distribution was quantified as resource contrast, a measure for hummock–hollow difference in
nutrient availability. We tested the hypothesis that the climatic gradient shows a trend in the
resource contrast; from negative (highest nutrient availability in hollows) in Scotland to
positive (highest nutrient availability in hummocks) in Siberia. The resource contrasts as
measured in vegetation indeed showed a trend along the climatic gradient: contrasts were
negative to slightly positive in Scotland, positive in Sweden, and strongly positive in Siberia.
This finding corroborates the main prediction of previous models. Our results, however, also
provided indications for further model development. The low concentrations of nutrients in
the water suggest that existing models could be improved by considering both the dissolved
and adsorbed phase and explicit inclusion of both nutrient-uptake and nutrient-storage
processes. Our study suggests that future climate change may affect the ecosystem functioning
of patterned peatlands by altering the contribution of pattern-forming mechanisms to
redistribution of water and nutrients within these systems

Rietkerk, M.G.

Ruiter, P.C. de

Utrecht University Repository

Spatial patterning of ecosystems can be explained by several mechanisms. One

approach to disentangling the influence of these mechanisms is to study a patterned ecosystem

along a gradient of environmental conditions. This study focused on hummock–hollow

patterning of peatlands. Previous models predicted that patterning in drainage-dominated

peatlands is driven by a peat-accumulation mechanism, reflected by higher nutrient

availability in hollows relative to hummocks. Alternatively, patterning in evapotranspiration

(ET)-dominated peatlands may be driven by a nutrient-accumulation mechanism, reflected by

reversed nutrient distribution, namely, higher nutrient availability in hummocks relative to

hollows. Here, we tested these predictions by comparing nutrient distributions among

patterned peatlands in maritime (Scotland), humid temperate (Sweden), and humid

continental (Siberia) climates. The areas comprise a climatic gradient from very wet and

drainage-dominated (Scotland) to less wet and ET-dominated (Siberia) peatlands. Nutrient

distribution was quantified as resource contrast, a measure for hummock–hollow difference in

nutrient availability. We tested the hypothesis that the climatic gradient shows a trend in the

resource contrast; from negative (highest nutrient availability in hollows) in Scotland to

positive (highest nutrient availability in hummocks) in Siberia. The resource contrasts as

measured in vegetation indeed showed a trend along the climatic gradient: contrasts were

negative to slightly positive in Scotland, positive in Sweden, and strongly positive in Siberia.

This finding corroborates the main prediction of previous models. Our results, however, also

provided indications for further model development. The low concentrations of nutrients in

the water suggest that existing models could be improved by considering both the dissolved

and adsorbed phase and explicit inclusion of both nutrient-uptake and nutrient-storage

processes. Our study suggests that future climate change may affect the ecosystem functioning

of patterned peatlands by altering the contribution of pattern-forming mechanisms to

redistribution of water and nutrients within these systems

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Resource contrast in patterned peatlands increases along a climatic gradient

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