A climatically significant abiotic mechanism driving carbon loss and nitrogen limitation in peat bogs

作者：Alexandra B. Cory, Rachel Wilson, M. Elizabeth Holmes, W. J. Riley, Yueh‐Fen Li, Malak Tfaily, Sarah C. Bagby, Isogenie Field Team, Moira Hough, Sky Dominguez, Nicole Irwin‐Raab, Gareth Trubl, Robert M. Jones, Darya Anderson, EMERGE Project Coordinators, Ahmed A. Zayed, Régis Ferrière, Michael Ibba, R. K. Varner, Suzanne B. Hodgkins, M. F. Fahnestock, Matthew B. Sullivan, Virginia I. Rich, Patrick Crill, Jessica G. Ernakovich, Virginia I. Rich, Jeffrey P. Chanton · 发表于：Scientific Reports · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1038/s41598-025-85928-w · 被引用次数：5 · 研究领域：Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology、Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics、Botany and Plant Ecology Studies

Sphagnum -dominated bogs are climatically impactful systems that exhibit two puzzling characteristics: CO 2 :CH 4 ratios are greater than those predicted by electron balance models and C decomposition rates are enigmatically slow. We hypothesized that Maillard reactions partially explain both phenomena by increasing apparent CO 2 production via eliminative decarboxylation and sequestering bioavailable nitrogen (N). We tested this hypothesis using incubations of sterilized Maillard reactants, and live and sterilized bog peat. Consistent with our hypotheses, CO 2 production in the sterilized peat was equivalent to 8–13% of CO 2 production in unsterilized peat, and the increased formation of aromatic N compounds decreased N-availability. Numerous sterility assessments rule out biological contamination or extracellular enzyme activity as significant sources of this CO 2 . These findings suggest a need for a reevaluation of the fixed CO 2 :CH 4 production ratios commonly used in wetland biogeochemical models, which could be improved by incorporating abiotic sources of CO 2 production and N sequestration.