The Bogs in a Forest–Steppe Region of Western Siberia: Plant Biomass and Net Primary Production (NPP)

Abstract

Hereby, we report the new experimental data of plant biomass and biological productivity (net primary production, NPP) of wetland/peatland plant communities of oligotrophic bogs located on the same latitude, but at a distance of 1300 km west-east in the forest–steppe region of Western Siberia. The data were collected by implementing direct in situ measurements based on a unique methodology developed by authors. The study revealed that the values of net primary production (NPP) are basically constrained by the live fraction of plant biomass (or phytomass). It also revealed that the dead fraction of plant biomass (mortmass), along with the live fraction of biomass (phytomass) and net primary production (NPP), all major components of the carbon cycle, differ significantly at the two study sites. The values of dead biomass (mortmass), live biomass (phytomass) and net primary production (NPP) were found at significantly higher values in bog ecosystems studied in western regions than in those of the eastern regions.