Ecohydrological feedbacks confound peat-based climate reconstructions

Water-table reconstructions from Holocene peatlands are increasingly being used as indicators of terrestrial palaeoclimate in many regions of the world. However, the links between peatland water tables, climate, and long-term peatland development are poorly understood. Here we use a combination of high-resolution proxy climate data and a model of long-term peatland development to examine the relationship between rapid hydrological fluctuations in peatlands and climatic forcing. We show that changes in water-table depth can occur independently of climate forcing. Ecohydrological feedbacks inherent in peatland development can lead to a degree of homeostasis that partially disconnects peatland water-table behaviour from external climatic influences. We conclude by suggesting that further work needs to be done before peat-based climate reconstructions can be used to test climate models. Citation: Swindles, G. T., P. J. Morris, A. J. Baird, M. Blaauw, and G. Plunkett (2012), Ecohydrological feedbacks confound peat-based climate reconstructions, Geophys. Res. Lett., 39, L11401, doi:10.1029/2012GL051500.