Carbon accumulation and C/N ratios of peat bogs in North‐West Scotland

Three different Scottish peat bogs were sampled, dated and analysed for carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) concentrations. The mean long‐term apparent rate of C accumulation (LARCA) for the three bogs is 213 g C m^～2 yr^‐1’ over the past eight to nine thousand years, comparable to estimates from other parts of the world with similar climate conditions. Within the catotelm portion of peat sequences, the LARCA is variable, ranging from 4.1 to 72.5 g C m^～2 yr^～1. Rates were highest in the early Holocene, in peat rich in woody fragments, and lowest in the mid‐Holocene during drier periods, followed by increased rates during the late Holocene. Analysis of C/N ratios shows a significant positive correlation with peat humification. This may be because past changes in bog wetness affected the C/N ratios of newly forming peat by altering rates of N mineralisation and loss before incorporation of peat into the catotelm.