Effects of a bank road on chemical properties and microbial activities of peatland soil in Kushiro Mire, Hokkaido

Abstract

　To evaluate the effect of an artificially constructed bank road on nutrient cycling in mire ecosystems based on chemical and microbiological properties, a field survey was conducted in Kushiro Mire, Hokkaido, with the following results:
　A bank road constructed in Kushiro Mire influenced the chemical properties of peat soils and surface water. Calcium, magnesium, and silicon concentrations, as well as electrical conductivity values of surface water increased approximately 180 m from the bank road. Mineral ash and inorganic phosphorous contamination in peat soils were observed in the vicinity of the bank road. Hydrolase activities, such as cellulase, xylosidase, and phosphatase activities in soils adjacent to the bank road increased. In addition, decomposition rates of organic materials, such as cellulose paper and woody sticks, increased. Such alterations in nutrient cycling in mire ecosystems may influence vegetation by altering nutrient supply to plants. In conclusion, soil enzyme activity could be used as an index for disturbance and eutrophication in mire ecosystems because it is directly associated with nutrient cycling in soils.