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<p>Understanding how carbon-rich coastal peatlands form is crucial for future carbon storage under environmental change. <i>Phragmites australis</i> (common reed), a key precursor species, facilitates peatland development in saltmarshes by triggering a hydrological switch: creek networks clog through root and organic material accumulation, increasing freshwater retention. Here, we use Holocene peat paleo-records from the Netherlands to reveal past coastal-to-freshwater system transitions consistent with this mechanism. With a numerical biogeomorphic model, we demonstrate how reed expansion reduces creek network complexity, promoting a homogeneous freshwater landscape that further facilitates reed growth. Elevation and vegetation time-series, together with salinity measurements linked to species composition from Saeftinghe (southwestern Netherlands) confirm that reed expansion is associated with creek infilling and a shift in hydrological conditions. Our results identify a strong positive feedback that triggers the hydrological switch accompanied by <i>Phragmites</i> expansion, offering new insight into past peatland establishment and future carbon-rich wetland formation.</p>

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A hydrological switch drives the transition from saltmarsh to peat-forming reedland ecosystems

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月8日

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  • Archontoula Valsamidou,
  • Malou Bastiaanse,
  • Daphne van der Wal,
  • Cornelis Kasse,
  • Gabriele K. Keller,
  • Maarten G. Kleinhans,
  • Nathalie Van der Putten,
  • Max Rietkerk,
  • Johan van de Koppel

摘要

Understanding how carbon-rich coastal peatlands form is crucial for future carbon storage under environmental change. Phragmites australis (common reed), a key precursor species, facilitates peatland development in saltmarshes by triggering a hydrological switch: creek networks clog through root and organic material accumulation, increasing freshwater retention. Here, we use Holocene peat paleo-records from the Netherlands to reveal past coastal-to-freshwater system transitions consistent with this mechanism. With a numerical biogeomorphic model, we demonstrate how reed expansion reduces creek network complexity, promoting a homogeneous freshwater landscape that further facilitates reed growth. Elevation and vegetation time-series, together with salinity measurements linked to species composition from Saeftinghe (southwestern Netherlands) confirm that reed expansion is associated with creek infilling and a shift in hydrological conditions. Our results identify a strong positive feedback that triggers the hydrological switch accompanied by Phragmites expansion, offering new insight into past peatland establishment and future carbon-rich wetland formation.