Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity in Northern Peats Inferred From Other Measurements

In northern peatlands, near-saturated surface conditions promote valuable ecosystem services such as carbon storage and drinking water provision. Peat saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) plays an important role in maintaining wet by moderating drainage evapotranspiration. Ksat can exhibit intense spatial variability three dimensions change rapidly response to disturbance. The development of skillful predictive equations for peat other properties, akin mineral soil pedotransfer functions, remains a subject ongoing research. We report meta-analysis 2,507 samples, from which we developed linear models that predict variables, including depth, dry bulk density, von Post score (degree humification), categorical information microform type peatland trophic (e.g., bog fen). decreases strongly with increasing humification; increases along the gradient fen peat. Dry density humification are particularly predictors increase model skill greatly; our best model, includes these has cross-validated r2 0.75 little bias. A second but omits intended rapid field estimations Ksat, also performs well (cross-validated = 0.64). Two additional omit several perform less ∼ 0.5), greater bias, allow be estimated comprehensive data. Our improved estimation simpler, cheaper measurements.