A synthesis of <i>Sphagnum</i> litterbag experiments:  initial leaching losses bias decomposition rate estimates

Teickner, Henning; Pebesma, Edzer; Knorr, Klaus-Holger

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-417-2025

Articles | Volume 22, issue 2

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-417-2025

© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-417-2025

© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 22, issue 2

Research article

|

22 Jan 2025

Research article |

| 22 Jan 2025

A synthesis of Sphagnum litterbag experiments: initial leaching losses bias decomposition rate estimates

Henning Teickner, Edzer Pebesma, and Klaus-Holger Knorr

Supplement

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-417-2025-supplement

Data sets

Peatland Decomposition Database (1.0.0) Henning Teickner and Klaus-Holger Knorr https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.11276065

Model code and software

Compendium of R code and data for "A Synthesis of Sphagnum Litterbag Experiments: Initial Leaching Losses Bias Decomposition Rate Estimates" and "A Test of the Holocene Peatland Model Decomposition Module against Sphagnum Litterbag Experiments Could Indicate Larger Anaerobic Decomposition Rates" Henning Teickner et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14643240

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Short summary

Decomposition rates for Sphagnum mosses, the main peat-forming plants in northern peatlands, are often derived from litterbag experiments. Here, we estimate initial leaching losses from available Sphagnum litterbag experiments and analyze how decomposition rates are biased when initial leaching losses are ignored. Our analyses indicate that initial leaching losses range between 3 to 18 mass-% and that this may result in overestimated mass losses when extrapolated to several decades.