ISSN:
1572-9729
Keywords:
alditol acetates
;
carbohydrates
;
Curie point pyrolysis
;
lignins
;
peat
;
pyrolysis-mass spectrometry
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
,
Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
Notes:
Abstract The organic matter present in coarse- and fine-grained sample preparations of a peat core from Minnie's Lake, Okefenokee Swamp (Georgia, USA) was analysed on a molecular level by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of alditol acetates obtained from polysaccharides after acid hydrolysis and derivatization and by flash pyrolysis-mass spectrometry. We found that the coarse-grained fraction is dominated by neutral monosaccharides derived from vascular plants whilst the fine-grained fraction is dominated by neutral monosaccharides derived from microorganisms. Relatively high contributions of xylose discriminate the Taxodium derived peat from the underlying peats derived from Carex and Nymphaea which show relatively low contributions of this sugar. Factor-discriminant analysis of the Py-MS data indicates that most carbohydrate degradation is restricted to the upper peat levels and that guaiacyl and syringyl type lignins are better preserved than carbohydrates. Resinous organic matter - presumably derived from Taxodium — is selectively preserved in the fine-grained fraction. Deviant monosaccharide concentrations and Py-MS results observed for the top sample of the Carex peat were explained by oxygenation of the peat, a concomitantly high microbial activity and subsequent preservation of the organic material due to the action of phytotoxins derived from Taxodium.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00004499
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