Effects of fire on microbial communities in peatlands

This NERC Urgency research project investigated the effects of fire on peatland carbon stocks and dynamics, using a recent fire on blanket bog at the Silver Flowe National Nature Reserve (southwest Scotland) as a case study. The effect of burning on the microbial community within Sphagnum hummocks was tested in two experiments. An initial experiment was carried out to determine the temperature sensitivity of the microbial community of Sphagnum using laboratory heat treatment of Sphagnum stems and capitula. T-RFLP analysis of partial fragments of bacterial and archaeal ribosomal RNA genes and the internal transcribed spacer region of fungi was carried out on samples from burned and unburned Sphagnum hummocks. A factorial litter bag experiment using burned and unburned Sphagnum litter, placed in burned and unburned hummocks at the Silver Flowe NNR, will continue until 2012 to examine whether litter decomposition characteristics are affected by the physicochemical and biological alteration of burned litter material.

Group members:

• Dr. Rebekka Artz
• Dr. Frank Verheijen (visiting Post-doc, Queen Mary London). 2007-2008.

Collaborators:

• Dr. Lisa Belyea & Prof. Andy Baird (Queen Mary University London)

Relevant publications:

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