Peat as an Informative Biomarker of the State of Peat Bog Ecosystems in the European North of Russia

Abstract—Fundamental differences in the formation of the organic matter of peat deposits were revealed based on an example the Ilas massif, which is typical of dystrophic peat bogs of the southern White Sea type, by comparison with peat deposits in Western Siberia and the Republic of Belarus were revealed. It was found that peat can serve as an informative biomarker of the state of peat bog ecosystems. It was revealed that the temperature regime under conditions of a temperate continental climate is favorable for the humification processes of plant materials, which are responsible for a higher degree of decomposition, an increased concentration of condensed structures in biotransformation products, and the presence of water-soluble sugars in the natural matrix of peat. Changes in hydrological conditions, in particular, drainage, exert a similar effect. Under the influence of the cold climate of the European North of Russia, the composition of extractive substances produced by peat-forming plants is depleted, and the biogeotransformation processes of plant material during the formation of oligotrophic peat deposits slow down.