Carbon storage and fluxes from Sphagnum peatlands of the Bogong High Plains, Australia

Abstract Australian alpine peatlands are critically important ecosystems that deliver a range of valuable services. However, our understanding of these services in Australia, particularly peatland carbon cycling, is lacking. Here, we investigated quantified peat soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) concentrations, C:N ratios, and C density in eight Sphagnum-dominated peatlands on the Bogong High Plains, southeastern Australia. Soil C and N concentrations averaged 16.5 ± 13.2% and 0.6 ± 0.4%, respectively. C:N ratios averaged 30.9 ± 20.4, and C density averaged 46.6 ± 20.7 mg C cm⁻ ³. Our findings suggest that (1) these peatlands are significant C stores; (2) peat biogeochemistry is highly variable between sites, even at small spatial scales; and (3) while not a direct focus of the study, peat depths in this area were relatively shallow, ranging from 30–60 cm, possibly due to previous disturbance. Additionally, we present preliminary data investigating CO₂ and CH₄ fluxes at these sites. We recommend that future research includes (1) age dating peat cores to better understand the role of disturbance in peat accumulation and loss; and (2) long-term C flux studies at multiple peatland sites.