Peatland degradation through drainage and peat extraction have detrimental environmental and soci... more Peatland degradation through drainage and peat extraction have detrimental environmental and societal consequences. Rewetting is an option to restore lost ecosystem functions, such as carbon storage, biodiversity and nutrient sequestration. Peat mosses (Sphagnum) are the most important peat‐forming species in bogs. Most Sphagnum species occur in nutrient‐poor habitats; however, high growth rates have been reported in artificial nutrient‐rich conditions with optimal water supply. Here, we demonstrate the differences in nutrient dynamics of 12 Sphagnum species during their establishment in a 1‐year field experiment at a Sphagnum paludiculture area in Germany. The 12 species are categorized into three groups (slower‐, medium‐ and fast‐growing). Establishment of peat mosses is facilitated by constant supply of nutrient‐rich, low pH, and low alkalinity surface water. Our study shows that slower‐growing species (S. papillosum, S. magellancium, S. fuscum, S. rubellum, S. austinii; often forming hummocks) displayed signs of nutrient imbalance. These species accumulated higher amounts of N, P, K and Ca in their capitula, and had an elevated stem N:K quotient (>3). Additionally, this group sequestered less C and K per m2 than the fast and medium‐growing species (S. denticulatum, S. fallax, S. riparium, S. fimbriatum, S. squarrosum, S. palustre, S. centrale). Lower lawn thickness may have amplified negative effects of flooding in the slower‐growing species. We conclude that nutrient dynamics and carbon/nutrient sequestration rates are species‐specific. For bog restoration, generating ecosystem services or choosing suitable donor material for Sphagnum paludiculture, it is crucial to consider their compatibility with prevailing environmental conditions.
Sphagnum biomass is valued as a high-quality constituent of horticultural growing media. The cult... more Sphagnum biomass is valued as a high-quality constituent of horticultural growing media. The cultivation of Sphagnum (peatmoss) was tested successfully on peat soil and on artificial mats floating on acidic water bodies. But whether Sphagnum farming is economically feasible is unclear. Drawing on experience gained during four research projects in Germany we compared the procedures, costs and area potential for establishing large-scale Sphagnum cultures. Establishment costs were clearly lower for soil-based cultivation (€8.35 m-2 to €12.80 m 2) than for water-based cultivation (€17.34 m-2 to €21.43 m-2). Relating costs to the predicted dry mass yield over the total cultivation time resulted in values of €1,723 t-1 on cut-over bog, €2,646 t-1 on former bog grassland, €9,625 t -1 on floating mats without pre-cultivation and €11,833 t-1 on pre-cultivated Sphagnum mats. The high production costs of the mats (without pre-cultivation 54 % and with pre-cultivation 63 % of total costs) resul...
... 100 ml (water) or 50 ml (litter, moss, dead wood) were prepared, mainly following standard pa... more ... 100 ml (water) or 50 ml (litter, moss, dead wood) were prepared, mainly following standard palaeo-palynological procedures (Fægri and Iversen, 1989) including treatment with HCl and KOH, sieving (mesh width 120 μm, following Moore et al., 1991), treatment with HF ...
In ombrotrophic, nutrient-poor peatlands, the cultivation of peatmoss (Sphagnum spp.) is a promis... more In ombrotrophic, nutrient-poor peatlands, the cultivation of peatmoss (Sphagnum spp.) is a promising paludiculture option. Since 2001 we have been studying peatmoss cultivation (‘Sphagnum farming’) in greenhouse and field experiments, paying special attention to propagation, propagule storage, establishment, productivity and regeneration. Our studies show that Sphagnum farming in Germany may provide a sustainable high-quality alternative to fossil white peat as a raw material for horticultural growing media. Sphagnum farming is, furthermore, a climate-friendly and sustainable land use option for abandoned cutover bogs and degraded bog grassland.
Since 2001 we are studying the perspectives of peat moss cultivation (‘Sphagnum farming’) in gree... more Since 2001 we are studying the perspectives of peat moss cultivation (‘Sphagnum farming’) in greenhouse and field experiments with special attention to propagation, propagules storage, establishment, productivity and regeneration of Sphagnum. Our results show that Sphagnum farming in Germany is possible and promising and that Sphagnum biomass may provide a sustainable high-quality alternative to fossil white peat as a raw material for horticultural growing media. Sphagnum farming may enable a climate friendly, sustainable after-use option for abandoned cut-over bogs and degraded bog grasslands (www.sphagnumfarming.net).
Sphagnum farming can substitute peat with renewable biomass and thus help mitigate climate change... more Sphagnum farming can substitute peat with renewable biomass and thus help mitigate climate change. Large volumes of the required founder material can only be supplied sustainably by axenic cultivation in bioreactors. We established axenic in vitro cultures from sporophytes of 19 Sphagnum species collected in Austria, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, Russia, and Sweden: S. angustifolium, S. balticum, S. capillifolium, S. centrale, S. compactum, S. cuspidatum, S. fallax, S. fimbriatum, S. fuscum, S. lindbergii, S.medium/divinum, S. palustre, S. papillosum, S. rubellum, S. russowii, S. squarrosum, S. subnitens, S. subfulvum and S.warnstorfii. These species cover five of the six European Sphagnum subgenera; namely,Acutifolia,Cuspidata,Rigida, Sphagnum and Squarrosa. Their growth was measured in suspension cultures, whereas their ploidy was determined by flow cytometry and compared with the genome size of Physcomitrella patens. We identified haploid and diploid Sphagnum species, found t...
Sphagnum farming - the production of Sphagnum biomass on rewetted bogs - helps towards achieving ... more Sphagnum farming - the production of Sphagnum biomass on rewetted bogs - helps towards achieving global climate goals by halting greenhouse gas emissions from drained peat and by replacing peat with a renewable biomass alternative. Large-scale implementation of Sphagnum farming requires a wide range of know-how, from initial species selection up to the final production and use of Sphagnum biomass based growing media in horticulture. This article provides an overview of relevant knowledge accumulated over the last 15 years and identifies open questions.
SummaryThe cultivation of Sphagnum mosses reduces CO2 emissions by rewetting drained peatlands an... more SummaryThe cultivation of Sphagnum mosses reduces CO2 emissions by rewetting drained peatlands and by substituting peat with renewable biomass. ‘Sphagnum farming’ requires large volumes of founder material, which can only be supplied sustainably by axenic cultivation in bioreactors.We established axenic in-vitro cultures from sporophytes of 19 Sphagnum species collected in Austria, Germany, Latvia, Netherlands, Russia and Sweden, namely S. angustifolium, S. balticum, S. capillifolium, S. centrale, S. compactum, S. cuspidatum, S. fallax, S. fimbriatum, S. fuscum, S. lindbergii, S. medium/divinum, S. palustre, S. papillosum, S. rubellum, S. russowii, S. squarrosum, S. subnitens, S. subfulvum, and S. warnstorfii. These species cover five of the six European Sphagnum sections, namely Acutifolia, Cuspidata, Rigida, Sphagnum and Squarrosa.Their growth was measured in axenic suspension cultures, whereas their ploidy was determined by flow cytometry and compared with the genome size of Phys...
Fossil wood and varved lake sediments allow proxy analysis with exceptionally high, (sub-)annual ... more Fossil wood and varved lake sediments allow proxy analysis with exceptionally high, (sub-)annual resolution. Both archives provide dating through ring and layer counting, yet with different accuracy. In wood, counting errors are small and can be eliminated through cross-dating because tree-rings show regionally synchronous patterns. In varved sediments, counting errors are larger and cross-dating is hampered by missing regional patterns in varve parameters. Here, we test whether annual pollen analysis is suited to synchronize varve records. To that end, annual pollen deposition was estimated in three short cores from two lakes in north-eastern Germany for the period 1980–2017 CE. Analysis has focused on Fagus sylvatica and Picea abies, which show the strongest annual variations in flowering (mast). For both tree taxa, annual flowering variations recorded by forest and pollen monitoring are well represented in varved lake sediments, hence indeed allow us to synchronize the records. S...
Research question: Do Alder (Alnus glutinosa) carrs accumulate peat? Agricultural fens in Europe ... more Research question: Do Alder (Alnus glutinosa) carrs accumulate peat? Agricultural fens in Europe are increasingly abandoned and need to be rewetted to decrease greenhouse gas emissions. A promising option is the production of Alder high quality wood or biofuel. The question, how much carbon Alder carrs accumulate, was answered with palaeoecological techniques. Material / Data: -Ecosystem reconstruction by pollen, non-pollen palynomorph (NPPs) and macrofossil analysis of Alder peat profiles -Comparison with pollen and NPPs surface samples from 13 modern sites with different vegetation and site conditions -C-accumulation rates by determining bulk density and dating with 14C-dating and pollen density interpolation
In ombrotrophic, nutrient-poor peatlands, the cultivation of peatmoss (Sphagnum spp.) is a promis... more In ombrotrophic, nutrient-poor peatlands, the cultivation of peatmoss (Sphagnum spp.) is a promising paludiculture option. Since 2001 we have been studying peatmoss cultivation ('Sphagnum farming') in greenhouse and field experiments, paying special attention to propagation, propagule storage, establishment, productivity and regeneration. Our studies show that Sphagnum farming in Germany may provide a sustainable high-quality alternative to fossil white peat as a raw material for horticultural growing media. Sphagnum farming is, furthermore, a climate-friendly and sustainable land use option for abandoned cut-over bogs and degraded bog grassland.
Alder (Alnus) wood peats have only rarely been subject of palaeoecological research because their... more Alder (Alnus) wood peats have only rarely been subject of palaeoecological research because their bad preservation generally prevents successful reconstruction of local and regional vegetation development by means of macrofossil and pollen analysis.To test the potential of non-pollen palynomorphs as an additional source of information, an Alder peat core from the Ziese river valley (NE-Germany) was analysed for macro- and microfossils with special focus on non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs). 129 new types of NPPs, mostly fungal spores and remains of decomposed wood, were identified. In this paper we describe 12 new types; 13 other new types are described by Prager et al. [Prager, A., Barthelmes, A., Theuerkauf, M., Joosten, H., 2006. Non-pollen palynomorphs from modern Alder carrs and their potential for interpreting microfossil data from peat. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 141, doi:10.1016/j.revpalbo.2006.03.015]. In addition 25 types already described in literature were used for interpretation of fossil samples.The pollen and macrofossil content revealed that the upper section of the core has been formed in a very wet Alder carr and Willow–Alder-shrub. For the lower, strongly decomposed section, NPPs were necessary to reconstruct an Alder carr as the peat forming vegetation.Our research reaffirms that substantial additional ecological information can be derived from analysing NPPs, especially in highly decomposed Alder peats.
... 100 ml (water) or 50 ml (litter, moss, dead wood) were prepared, mainly following standard pa... more ... 100 ml (water) or 50 ml (litter, moss, dead wood) were prepared, mainly following standard palaeo-palynological procedures (Fægri and Iversen, 1989) including treatment with HCl and KOH, sieving (mesh width 120 μm, following Moore et al., 1991), treatment with HF ...
Alder (Alnus) wood peats have only rarely been subject of palaeoecological research because their... more Alder (Alnus) wood peats have only rarely been subject of palaeoecological research because their bad preservation generally prevents successful reconstruction of local and regional vegetation development by means of macrofossil and pollen analysis.To test the potential of non-pollen palynomorphs as an additional source of information, an Alder peat core from the Ziese river valley (NE-Germany) was analysed for macro- and microfossils with special focus on non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs). 129 new types of NPPs, mostly fungal spores and remains of decomposed wood, were identified. In this paper we describe 12 new types; 13 other new types are described by Prager et al. [Prager, A., Barthelmes, A., Theuerkauf, M., Joosten, H., 2006. Non-pollen palynomorphs from modern Alder carrs and their potential for interpreting microfossil data from peat. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 141, doi:10.1016/j.revpalbo.2006.03.015]. In addition 25 types already described in literature were used for interpretation of fossil samples.The pollen and macrofossil content revealed that the upper section of the core has been formed in a very wet Alder carr and Willow–Alder-shrub. For the lower, strongly decomposed section, NPPs were necessary to reconstruct an Alder carr as the peat forming vegetation.Our research reaffirms that substantial additional ecological information can be derived from analysing NPPs, especially in highly decomposed Alder peats.
Peatland degradation through drainage and peat extraction have detrimental environmental and soci... more Peatland degradation through drainage and peat extraction have detrimental environmental and societal consequences. Rewetting is an option to restore lost ecosystem functions, such as carbon storage, biodiversity and nutrient sequestration. Peat mosses (Sphagnum) are the most important peat‐forming species in bogs. Most Sphagnum species occur in nutrient‐poor habitats; however, high growth rates have been reported in artificial nutrient‐rich conditions with optimal water supply. Here, we demonstrate the differences in nutrient dynamics of 12 Sphagnum species during their establishment in a 1‐year field experiment at a Sphagnum paludiculture area in Germany. The 12 species are categorized into three groups (slower‐, medium‐ and fast‐growing). Establishment of peat mosses is facilitated by constant supply of nutrient‐rich, low pH, and low alkalinity surface water. Our study shows that slower‐growing species (S. papillosum, S. magellancium, S. fuscum, S. rubellum, S. austinii; often forming hummocks) displayed signs of nutrient imbalance. These species accumulated higher amounts of N, P, K and Ca in their capitula, and had an elevated stem N:K quotient (>3). Additionally, this group sequestered less C and K per m2 than the fast and medium‐growing species (S. denticulatum, S. fallax, S. riparium, S. fimbriatum, S. squarrosum, S. palustre, S. centrale). Lower lawn thickness may have amplified negative effects of flooding in the slower‐growing species. We conclude that nutrient dynamics and carbon/nutrient sequestration rates are species‐specific. For bog restoration, generating ecosystem services or choosing suitable donor material for Sphagnum paludiculture, it is crucial to consider their compatibility with prevailing environmental conditions.
Sphagnum biomass is valued as a high-quality constituent of horticultural growing media. The cult... more Sphagnum biomass is valued as a high-quality constituent of horticultural growing media. The cultivation of Sphagnum (peatmoss) was tested successfully on peat soil and on artificial mats floating on acidic water bodies. But whether Sphagnum farming is economically feasible is unclear. Drawing on experience gained during four research projects in Germany we compared the procedures, costs and area potential for establishing large-scale Sphagnum cultures. Establishment costs were clearly lower for soil-based cultivation (€8.35 m-2 to €12.80 m 2) than for water-based cultivation (€17.34 m-2 to €21.43 m-2). Relating costs to the predicted dry mass yield over the total cultivation time resulted in values of €1,723 t-1 on cut-over bog, €2,646 t-1 on former bog grassland, €9,625 t -1 on floating mats without pre-cultivation and €11,833 t-1 on pre-cultivated Sphagnum mats. The high production costs of the mats (without pre-cultivation 54 % and with pre-cultivation 63 % of total costs) resul...
... 100 ml (water) or 50 ml (litter, moss, dead wood) were prepared, mainly following standard pa... more ... 100 ml (water) or 50 ml (litter, moss, dead wood) were prepared, mainly following standard palaeo-palynological procedures (Fægri and Iversen, 1989) including treatment with HCl and KOH, sieving (mesh width 120 μm, following Moore et al., 1991), treatment with HF ...
In ombrotrophic, nutrient-poor peatlands, the cultivation of peatmoss (Sphagnum spp.) is a promis... more In ombrotrophic, nutrient-poor peatlands, the cultivation of peatmoss (Sphagnum spp.) is a promising paludiculture option. Since 2001 we have been studying peatmoss cultivation (‘Sphagnum farming’) in greenhouse and field experiments, paying special attention to propagation, propagule storage, establishment, productivity and regeneration. Our studies show that Sphagnum farming in Germany may provide a sustainable high-quality alternative to fossil white peat as a raw material for horticultural growing media. Sphagnum farming is, furthermore, a climate-friendly and sustainable land use option for abandoned cutover bogs and degraded bog grassland.
Since 2001 we are studying the perspectives of peat moss cultivation (‘Sphagnum farming’) in gree... more Since 2001 we are studying the perspectives of peat moss cultivation (‘Sphagnum farming’) in greenhouse and field experiments with special attention to propagation, propagules storage, establishment, productivity and regeneration of Sphagnum. Our results show that Sphagnum farming in Germany is possible and promising and that Sphagnum biomass may provide a sustainable high-quality alternative to fossil white peat as a raw material for horticultural growing media. Sphagnum farming may enable a climate friendly, sustainable after-use option for abandoned cut-over bogs and degraded bog grasslands (www.sphagnumfarming.net).
Sphagnum farming can substitute peat with renewable biomass and thus help mitigate climate change... more Sphagnum farming can substitute peat with renewable biomass and thus help mitigate climate change. Large volumes of the required founder material can only be supplied sustainably by axenic cultivation in bioreactors. We established axenic in vitro cultures from sporophytes of 19 Sphagnum species collected in Austria, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, Russia, and Sweden: S. angustifolium, S. balticum, S. capillifolium, S. centrale, S. compactum, S. cuspidatum, S. fallax, S. fimbriatum, S. fuscum, S. lindbergii, S.medium/divinum, S. palustre, S. papillosum, S. rubellum, S. russowii, S. squarrosum, S. subnitens, S. subfulvum and S.warnstorfii. These species cover five of the six European Sphagnum subgenera; namely,Acutifolia,Cuspidata,Rigida, Sphagnum and Squarrosa. Their growth was measured in suspension cultures, whereas their ploidy was determined by flow cytometry and compared with the genome size of Physcomitrella patens. We identified haploid and diploid Sphagnum species, found t...
Sphagnum farming - the production of Sphagnum biomass on rewetted bogs - helps towards achieving ... more Sphagnum farming - the production of Sphagnum biomass on rewetted bogs - helps towards achieving global climate goals by halting greenhouse gas emissions from drained peat and by replacing peat with a renewable biomass alternative. Large-scale implementation of Sphagnum farming requires a wide range of know-how, from initial species selection up to the final production and use of Sphagnum biomass based growing media in horticulture. This article provides an overview of relevant knowledge accumulated over the last 15 years and identifies open questions.
SummaryThe cultivation of Sphagnum mosses reduces CO2 emissions by rewetting drained peatlands an... more SummaryThe cultivation of Sphagnum mosses reduces CO2 emissions by rewetting drained peatlands and by substituting peat with renewable biomass. ‘Sphagnum farming’ requires large volumes of founder material, which can only be supplied sustainably by axenic cultivation in bioreactors.We established axenic in-vitro cultures from sporophytes of 19 Sphagnum species collected in Austria, Germany, Latvia, Netherlands, Russia and Sweden, namely S. angustifolium, S. balticum, S. capillifolium, S. centrale, S. compactum, S. cuspidatum, S. fallax, S. fimbriatum, S. fuscum, S. lindbergii, S. medium/divinum, S. palustre, S. papillosum, S. rubellum, S. russowii, S. squarrosum, S. subnitens, S. subfulvum, and S. warnstorfii. These species cover five of the six European Sphagnum sections, namely Acutifolia, Cuspidata, Rigida, Sphagnum and Squarrosa.Their growth was measured in axenic suspension cultures, whereas their ploidy was determined by flow cytometry and compared with the genome size of Phys...
Fossil wood and varved lake sediments allow proxy analysis with exceptionally high, (sub-)annual ... more Fossil wood and varved lake sediments allow proxy analysis with exceptionally high, (sub-)annual resolution. Both archives provide dating through ring and layer counting, yet with different accuracy. In wood, counting errors are small and can be eliminated through cross-dating because tree-rings show regionally synchronous patterns. In varved sediments, counting errors are larger and cross-dating is hampered by missing regional patterns in varve parameters. Here, we test whether annual pollen analysis is suited to synchronize varve records. To that end, annual pollen deposition was estimated in three short cores from two lakes in north-eastern Germany for the period 1980–2017 CE. Analysis has focused on Fagus sylvatica and Picea abies, which show the strongest annual variations in flowering (mast). For both tree taxa, annual flowering variations recorded by forest and pollen monitoring are well represented in varved lake sediments, hence indeed allow us to synchronize the records. S...
Research question: Do Alder (Alnus glutinosa) carrs accumulate peat? Agricultural fens in Europe ... more Research question: Do Alder (Alnus glutinosa) carrs accumulate peat? Agricultural fens in Europe are increasingly abandoned and need to be rewetted to decrease greenhouse gas emissions. A promising option is the production of Alder high quality wood or biofuel. The question, how much carbon Alder carrs accumulate, was answered with palaeoecological techniques. Material / Data: -Ecosystem reconstruction by pollen, non-pollen palynomorph (NPPs) and macrofossil analysis of Alder peat profiles -Comparison with pollen and NPPs surface samples from 13 modern sites with different vegetation and site conditions -C-accumulation rates by determining bulk density and dating with 14C-dating and pollen density interpolation
In ombrotrophic, nutrient-poor peatlands, the cultivation of peatmoss (Sphagnum spp.) is a promis... more In ombrotrophic, nutrient-poor peatlands, the cultivation of peatmoss (Sphagnum spp.) is a promising paludiculture option. Since 2001 we have been studying peatmoss cultivation ('Sphagnum farming') in greenhouse and field experiments, paying special attention to propagation, propagule storage, establishment, productivity and regeneration. Our studies show that Sphagnum farming in Germany may provide a sustainable high-quality alternative to fossil white peat as a raw material for horticultural growing media. Sphagnum farming is, furthermore, a climate-friendly and sustainable land use option for abandoned cut-over bogs and degraded bog grassland.
Alder (Alnus) wood peats have only rarely been subject of palaeoecological research because their... more Alder (Alnus) wood peats have only rarely been subject of palaeoecological research because their bad preservation generally prevents successful reconstruction of local and regional vegetation development by means of macrofossil and pollen analysis.To test the potential of non-pollen palynomorphs as an additional source of information, an Alder peat core from the Ziese river valley (NE-Germany) was analysed for macro- and microfossils with special focus on non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs). 129 new types of NPPs, mostly fungal spores and remains of decomposed wood, were identified. In this paper we describe 12 new types; 13 other new types are described by Prager et al. [Prager, A., Barthelmes, A., Theuerkauf, M., Joosten, H., 2006. Non-pollen palynomorphs from modern Alder carrs and their potential for interpreting microfossil data from peat. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 141, doi:10.1016/j.revpalbo.2006.03.015]. In addition 25 types already described in literature were used for interpretation of fossil samples.The pollen and macrofossil content revealed that the upper section of the core has been formed in a very wet Alder carr and Willow–Alder-shrub. For the lower, strongly decomposed section, NPPs were necessary to reconstruct an Alder carr as the peat forming vegetation.Our research reaffirms that substantial additional ecological information can be derived from analysing NPPs, especially in highly decomposed Alder peats.
... 100 ml (water) or 50 ml (litter, moss, dead wood) were prepared, mainly following standard pa... more ... 100 ml (water) or 50 ml (litter, moss, dead wood) were prepared, mainly following standard palaeo-palynological procedures (Fægri and Iversen, 1989) including treatment with HCl and KOH, sieving (mesh width 120 μm, following Moore et al., 1991), treatment with HF ...
Alder (Alnus) wood peats have only rarely been subject of palaeoecological research because their... more Alder (Alnus) wood peats have only rarely been subject of palaeoecological research because their bad preservation generally prevents successful reconstruction of local and regional vegetation development by means of macrofossil and pollen analysis.To test the potential of non-pollen palynomorphs as an additional source of information, an Alder peat core from the Ziese river valley (NE-Germany) was analysed for macro- and microfossils with special focus on non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs). 129 new types of NPPs, mostly fungal spores and remains of decomposed wood, were identified. In this paper we describe 12 new types; 13 other new types are described by Prager et al. [Prager, A., Barthelmes, A., Theuerkauf, M., Joosten, H., 2006. Non-pollen palynomorphs from modern Alder carrs and their potential for interpreting microfossil data from peat. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 141, doi:10.1016/j.revpalbo.2006.03.015]. In addition 25 types already described in literature were used for interpretation of fossil samples.The pollen and macrofossil content revealed that the upper section of the core has been formed in a very wet Alder carr and Willow–Alder-shrub. For the lower, strongly decomposed section, NPPs were necessary to reconstruct an Alder carr as the peat forming vegetation.Our research reaffirms that substantial additional ecological information can be derived from analysing NPPs, especially in highly decomposed Alder peats.
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Papers by Anja Prager