Climate Control of Carbon Sequestration in Peatlands Mediated by Local-Scale Ecohydrological Feedbacks

Here we present high-resolution plant macrofossil analysis combined with long-term peat-carbon accumulation estimates for four peat bogs in southern Patagonia. Spectral analysis revealed a distinct periodicity between wet- and dry-adapted plant communities for each site, suggesting that local-scale ecosystem dynamics exert an important control on plant assemblages. In addition, the frequency of these cyclic variations was inversely related to peat-carbon accumulation, such that high periodicities co-occurred with low accumulation rates. Therefore, we propose that regional climatic conditions exert a fundamental control on peat accumulation rates, and that the latter controls vegetation dynamics.