Age and Developmental History of Iowa Fens

Authors

C. A. Thompson, Department of Natural ResourcesFollow
E. A. Bettis III, Department of Natural ResourcesFollow

Document Type

Research

Keywords

peat, fens, radiocarbon ages

Abstract

Iowa fens are small, mineorotrophic peatlands maintained by shallow groundwater. Eighteen fen sites located across northern Iowa were mapped and radiocarbon dated to assess the timing of initial peat accumulation. The radiocarbon ages span the Holocene, ranging from 1,240 to 10,900 B.P.; however most fens postdate 5,000 yr B.P. The dominance of late-Holocene ages suggests that Holocene climatic change may have strongly influenced the record of peat accumulation. During the mid-Holocene Iowa was warmer and drier than at present, and peat was degraded or accumulated slowly in fens. The range of ages also implies that the commencement and subsequent rate of peat accumulation depends on local variations in landscape development and resultant hydrology.

Publication Date

September-December 1993

Journal Title

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science

Volume

100

Issue

3-4

First Page

73

Last Page

77

Copyright

© Copyright 1994 by the Iowa Academy of Science, Inc.

Language

EN

File Format

application/pdf

Recommended Citation

Thompson, C. A. and Bettis, E. A. III (1994) "Age and Developmental History of Iowa Fens," Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS, 101(3-4), 73-77.
Available at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/jias/vol101/iss3/4