Post-Pyrogenic Changes in the Microflora and Chemical Composition of Peat Waters of the Drained Area of the Bakchar Bog (Tomsk Region)

A comparative analysis of changes in the microbiological and chemical composition of water and peat in the drained reference and post-pyrogenic areas of the Bakchar bog was performed during the growing season of 2022. It has been revealed that peat-bog fire effect persists in the upper layer (up to 50 cm) of the post-pyrogenic area even 6 years after the fire. It manifests itself in a disruption of the seasonal dynamics of the content of a number of components (O₂, CO₂, NH⁺₄, NO^–₃), and in the variance of count of microflora of different physiological groups, such as ammonifying, pedotrophic, oligotrophic, hydrocarbon-oxidizing, cellulose-destructing, denitrifying, and sulfate-reducing groups. In addition, the correlations between the analyzed microbiological and physicochemical parameters differ for the reference and post-pyrogenic areas, which suggests the long-term pyrogenic effect on the processes of accumulation and destruction of organic matter.