Keane Ben, Alderson Danielle M, Clay Gareth D, Evans Martin G, Field Chris D, Johnston Adam, Limpens Juul, McCarter Colin P R, Overtoom Nina, Ritson Jonathan P, Robroek Bjorn J M, Rochefort Line, Shuttleworth Emma L, Telgenkamp Yvet, Turetsky Merritt R, Waddington J Michael
School of Environment, Education and Development, The University of Manchester, Oxford Rd, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK.
New Phytol. 2025 Sep;247(5):2003-2021. doi: 10.1111/nph.70361. Epub 2025 Jul 7.
Peatlands store more carbon (C) than any other terrestrial ecosystem and as a C sink they are vital to mitigating climate change. The keystone of many peatland ecosystems is Sphagnum, a bryophyte genus of c. 350 species found on every continent except Antarctica. With climate change, many peatlands face increasing frequency and severity of drought. How Sphagnum responds to and recovers from drought will be key to sustaining peatlands over the coming decades. Here, we synthesise the latest evidence for how interactions of drought with Sphagnum affect peatland functioning. We discuss how Sphagnum traits, from the cellular to the community, control its ecohydrology and what changes occur during drought. We detail the effects of drought on Sphagnum C cycling and biochemistry, including photosynthesis, growth, respiration and methane (CH) fluxes. We also highlight drought resilience and tipping points for Sphagnum physiology and at the ecosystem level. The implications of Sphagnum drought responses for peatland hydrology, restoration and wildfires are also outlined. Finally, we identify knowledge gaps and propose some urgent questions which should be addressed in future research.
泥炭地储存的碳比其他任何陆地生态系统都多，作为一个碳汇，它们对缓解气候变化至关重要。许多泥炭地生态系统的关键物种是泥炭藓，这是一种苔藓植物属，约有350个物种，除南极洲外各大洲均有发现。随着气候变化，许多泥炭地面临干旱频率增加和干旱程度加剧的问题。泥炭藓如何应对干旱并从干旱中恢复过来，将是未来几十年维持泥炭地的关键。在这里，我们综合了关于干旱与泥炭藓相互作用如何影响泥炭地功能的最新证据。我们讨论了从细胞到群落层面，泥炭藓的特性如何控制其生态水文学以及干旱期间会发生哪些变化。我们详细阐述了干旱对泥炭藓碳循环和生物化学的影响，包括光合作用、生长、呼吸作用和甲烷通量。我们还强调了泥炭藓生理和生态系统层面的抗旱能力及临界点。同时概述了泥炭藓干旱响应对泥炭地水文、恢复和野火的影响。最后，我们指出了知识空白，并提出了一些未来研究中应解决的紧迫问题。
