Anthropocene history of rich fen acidification in W Poland — Causes and indicators of change

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 838; no. Pt 1; p. 155785
• Main Authors: Karpińska-Kołaczek, Monika, Kołaczek, Piotr, Czerwiński, Sambor, Gałka, Mariusz, Guzowski, Piotr, Lamentowicz, Mariusz
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 10.09.2022
• Subjects: Central Europe; Global warming; Human impact; Peatland degradation; Rich fen; Testate amoebae; Human impact; Testate amoebae; Peatland degradation; Global warming; Rich fen; Central Europe
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155785

In the time of the global climate crisis, it is vital to protect and restore peatlands to maintain their functioning as carbon sinks. Otherwise, their transformations may trigger a shift to a carbon source state and further contribute to global warming. In this study, we focused on eutrophication, which resulted in the transition from rich fen to poor fen conditions on the Kazanie fen (central Greater Poland, western Poland Central Europe). The prior aim was to decipher how i) climate, ii) human, and iii) autogenic processes influenced the pathway of peatland changes in the last ca. 250 years. We applied a high-resolution palaeoecological analysis, based mainly on testate amoebae (TA) and plant macroremains. Our results imply that before ca. 1950 CE, dry shifts on the fen were generally climate-induced. Later, autogenic processes, human pressure and climate warming synergistically affected the fen, contributing to its transition to poor fen within ca. 30 years. Its establishment not only caused changes in vegetation but also altered TA taxonomic content and resulted in a lower diversity of TA. According to our research Microchlamyspatella is an incredibly sensitive testate amoeba that after ca. 200 years of presence, disappeared within 2 years due to changes in water and nutrient conditions. As a whole, our study provides a long-term background that is desired in modern conservation studies and might be used to define future restoration targets. It also confirms the already described negative consequences connected with unsustainable exploitation of nature. [Display omitted] •Multi-proxy study on the rich fen–poor fen transition during the Anthropocene•New high-resolution data on testate amoebae from fens in Central Europe•Human activity and global warming as the main drivers of rich-fen loss•Long-term palaeoecological record for ecological restoration•Testate amoeba as susceptible indicators of rich fen degradation