%0 Research Notes
%T Quantitative simulation of biochemical processes in peatlands as a tool to define sustainable use
%A Trepel, Michael
%A Davidsson, Torbjörn
%A Jørgensen, Sven-Erik
%D 2000
%J Suo - Mires and peat
%V 51
%N 3
%U http://suo.fi/article/9792
%X A natural property of mires is their ability to accumulate carbon and nutrients in the form of peat.Drainage and agricultural land use have changed the nutrient balance from accumulation to mobilisation.In this study, the effect of land use and hydrology on nitrogen dynamics is quantified using a GIS-based dynamic modelling approach.In the simulation, the nitrogen budget is controlled by drainage depth, land use type and fertilizer application.Denitrification is, next to harvest, the quantitatively most impor tant output pathway from peat soils with a predominant vertical water flow.Only for the wet Caricion elatae type was a net nitrogen accumulation simulated.The spatial visualisation of the nitrogen balance shows a high variability based on the heterogene ity of the peatland.Rewetting and extensivication can reduce the deficit in the nitrogen balance and lead to a slight increase of the accumulating area.These simulation results can be used in environmental planning to define a more sustainable land use in the future.