In a new publication co-authored by Sambor Czerwiński, the authors demonstrate how pollution from cement plants affects peatlands, using an Estonian peatland as a case study. It turns out that even a small increase in pH by 0.2–0.3 can trigger lasting changes in the ecosystem, particularly impacting Sphagnum, a moss highly sensitive to alkalization.
The result of alkalization is peatland degradation: reduced carbon storage capacity, transformation of plant communities, and very slow recovery—even after the pollution source has ceased.
Andrews L.O., Marcisz K., Kołaczek P., Amon L., Veski S., Heinsalu A., Stivrins N., Bąk M., Aquino-Lopez M.A., Cwanek A., Łokas E., Karpińska-Kołaczek M., Czerwiński S., Słowiński M., Lamentowicz M., 2025, Response and recovery of a Sphagnum peatland from long-term human-induced alkalinisation. Biogeosciences 22, 5849–5875. 10.5194/bg-22-5849-2025