DECOMPOSITION IN AN OMBROTROPHIC BOG AND A MINEROTROPHIC FEN IN MINNESOTA

Using mass-loss and CO2-evolution techniques, we evaluated the decomposition of peat in an ombrotrophic bog in northern Minnesota. We also compared decomposition potentials, using uniform material (cellulose), between the bog and a nearby minerotrophic fen. Mass loss decreased with increasing depth in the peat due to environmental and substrate limitations. Mass-loss from cellulose was greater in the fen than in the bog.