Metal concentrations in benthic invertebrates in peatlands.

Abstract

In order to assess the influence of various abiotic and biotic factors on metal accumulation in peatlands, insects were collected from bogs, mineral poor fens and circumneutral fens located in Central Ontario. The peatlands represented a gradient in alkalinity from 0 (acid bogs) to 200 $\mu$eq$\cdot$L$\sp{-1}$ (circumneutral fens). Further, the peatlands had important hydrological differences with no obvious inflows in the bogs and inflow/outflow streams in the fens. Given these contrasting environments, it was hypothesized that there would also be differences in metal accumulation in the associated biota. The results of this study indicate that the acidification of peatlands, whether natural or anthropogenic, will not lead to greater availability of metals such as Zn, Cu, Al, and Mn. High organic matter levels may serve to mitigate the effects of acidification on metal availability in such peatlands. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)