Carbon accumulation rates recorded in the last 150years in tropical high mountain peatlands of the Atlantic Rainforest, SE - Brazil

Abstract

Peatlands are environmental matrices that store large amounts of organic carbon (TOC) and work as records of environmental changes. Recent record of organic carbon accumulated were assessed in two Forest National Parks, Itatiaia and Serra dos Órgãos in the Southeastern of Brazil. Based on organic and inorganic characterization, the cores from peatlands presented a predominance of organic material in an advanced stage of decomposition and those soils were classified as typical Haplosaprists Histosols. The combination of favorable topographic and climatic conditions led to rapid C accumulation across coastal mountain in the tropical peatlands studied, presenting an average accumulation rate of C, in the last century, of 194gCm^-2yr^-1 about 7 higher times than the rate found in boreal and subarctic peatlands, those higher values may be related to changes in the hydrological cycle occurred since 1950s.

Keywords: (210)Pb; Carbon sinks; Histosol; Organic matter; Tropical peat.