Environmental and botanical controls on peatification - a comparative study of two New Zealand restiad bogs using Py-GC/MS, petrography and fungal analysis

The chemical properties of two restiad species, Empodisma minus and Sporadanthus traversii, and their use as peat-formers in a climate of the North Island of New Zealand were studied. The presence of non-lignin polyphenols in restiads may be an important factor in peat formation due to the allelopathic decay retardation. The degradation patterns of the plant biopolymers were examined and the pathway of degradation of monocotyledons was identified. The degree of lignin breakdown, together with proportions of fungal hyphae and petrographic character, indicated that Moanatuatua underwent a far more aerobic decay throughout its development than its climatic and vegetational equivalent, Kopouatai.