Summary
Abstract Pyrogenic carbon (PyC) derives from incomplete combustion of organic matter and is ubiquitous in terrestrial and aquatic systems. Most PyC is inherently more stable against decomposition than plant residues, and PyC therefore forms an important component of the global carbon (C) cycle. During the Holocene, about 436 Pg organic C accumulated in northern peatlands, and we hypothesize that PyC may contribute substantially to that C stock. We studied 70 samples from 19 intact and degraded European peatland sites and analyzed their PyC content by 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and molecular modeling and peat age and accumulation by radiocarbon dating. Classification of a peatland as either intact or degraded was based on the comparison between apparent and expected long‐t
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