TY - JOUR
T1 - Vegetation and Peat Soil Characteristics of a Fire-Impacted Tropical Peatland in Costa Rica
AU - Pérez-Castillo, Ana Gabriela
AU - Monge-Muñoz, Mayela
AU - Durán-Quesada, Ana María
AU - Giraldo-Sanclemente, Weynner
AU - Méndez-Esquivel, Ana Cristina
AU - Briceño-Soto, Néstor
AU - Cadillo-Quiroz, Hinsby
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Society of Wetland Scientists 2024.
PY - 2024/4
Y1 - 2024/4
N2 - Tropical peatlands are highly vulnerable to anthropogenic alterations. In Costa Rica, riverine peatlands are understudied, and most are not included in protected areas. This study aims to generating information useful to assess the anthropogenic pressure in a riverine peatland in Los Robles Sector (LRS) of Medio Queso Wetland (MQW) complex. Evaluations of impacts of fires on vegetation and surface peat chemistry, and the post-2021 fire, makeup of dominant vegetation changes with the Cyperaceae species Scleria melaleuca replacing Eleocharis interstincta as the dominant species are presented. The topsoil (0–20 cm) total C content was quantified as lower than 300 g kg−1 with no significant statistical differences in total C and N content between soil shortly after the fires or two years later. The species E. interstincta is observed to promote higher C stability during the dry season, and has a more recalcitrant composition of the root system compared to the post 2021-fire dominant S. melaleuca. To reduce the impact on C accumulation, measures to prevent grazing-originated fires, especially when the water table is low, are urgent. Hence, this work aims at proving information that can be a baseline for impacts assessment and to inform conservation measures and policies.
AB - Tropical peatlands are highly vulnerable to anthropogenic alterations. In Costa Rica, riverine peatlands are understudied, and most are not included in protected areas. This study aims to generating information useful to assess the anthropogenic pressure in a riverine peatland in Los Robles Sector (LRS) of Medio Queso Wetland (MQW) complex. Evaluations of impacts of fires on vegetation and surface peat chemistry, and the post-2021 fire, makeup of dominant vegetation changes with the Cyperaceae species Scleria melaleuca replacing Eleocharis interstincta as the dominant species are presented. The topsoil (0–20 cm) total C content was quantified as lower than 300 g kg−1 with no significant statistical differences in total C and N content between soil shortly after the fires or two years later. The species E. interstincta is observed to promote higher C stability during the dry season, and has a more recalcitrant composition of the root system compared to the post 2021-fire dominant S. melaleuca. To reduce the impact on C accumulation, measures to prevent grazing-originated fires, especially when the water table is low, are urgent. Hence, this work aims at proving information that can be a baseline for impacts assessment and to inform conservation measures and policies.
KW - Anthropogenic impact
KW - Eleocharis interstincta
KW - Fire
KW - Peat chemistry
KW - Riverine peatland
KW - Scleria melaleuca
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U2 - 10.1007/s13157-024-01797-5
DO - 10.1007/s13157-024-01797-5
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85187869436
SN - 0277-5212
VL - 44
JO - Wetlands
JF - Wetlands
IS - 4
M1 - 41
ER -