New Phytol.

(1998), 140, 355–360

A new sampler for extracting undisturbed

surface peat cores for growth pot
experiments

B  A. B U T T L E R*, P. G R O S V E R N I E R    Y. M A T T H E Y
Laboratoire d’Ecologie veU geU tale et de Phytosociologie, Institut de Botanique de l’UniversiteU ,
rue Emile Argand 11, CH-2007 NeuchaW tel, Switzerland
(Received 19 February 1998 ; accepted 1 July 1998)


The sampler extracts uncompressed cores of 13±3 cm in diameter, up to 70 cm long, from the surface layers of peat.
It has two close-fitting concentric cylindrical tubes, the outer one acting as a cutter and the inner one as a collector.
As the outer tube is introduced by rotation into the peat, the cut core is collected in the inner tube which is
maintained in a fixed position during the rotation phase and then pushed down stepwise. This limits friction
between the peat core and the wall of the corer and prevents compression or distortion of the peat. These problems
are also reduced by means of three skew cutters allowing the peat to be supported during the slicing action. Air
can penetrate between the tubes to the lower end of the core, suppressing any suction effect during withdrawal.
The sampler has been tested and has worked satisfactorily in many different peat types.

Key words : Peat samples, cores, growth experiment.


Peat coring is a common procedure in wetland
ecology and, depending on the aims of the study,
different devices have been used. Palynologists and
quaternary stratigraphers are generally interested in
long cores and sample in saturated humified peat
from the catotelm in which the dry bulk density is
typically 0±1 g cm−$.
The Swedish or ‘ Hiller ’ sampler (SCPS, 1961 ;
Schneekloth, 1990) has a cylindrical chamber which
is pushed down into the peat to a certain depth and
which fills, after opening and rotation movements,
by scraping peat from the walls of the borehole. The
need to keep the peat structure intact led Jowsey
(1966) to design a chamber which collects peat by the
lateral cutting-off of a half-cylinder peat section.
This author developed a previous design by Belo-
kopytov & Beresnevich (1955, in Jowsey, 1966). This
kind of sampler is now called ‘ Russian sampler ’
(Guenet & Reille, 1988) or ‘ Macaulay sampler ’
(Dinel et al., 1986).
To collect cores up to 2-m-long in one step
Digerfeldt (1966) and Fenton (1980) used large-
capacity sampling tubes with a rectangular cross
section. The three-sided body of the sampler is
* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
E-mail : Alexandre.Buttler!Bota.Unine.CH
pushed down into the peat and the core is cut and
enclosed by sliding in the fourth side wall. An
improved device was developed by Cuttle & Mal-
colm (1979) who mentioned the possibility of
inserting an additional tube to allow air to be
admitted at the base of the sample as it is withdrawn.
Another two-piece sampler was developed by
Cou# teaux (1962). A semi-cylindrical tube is first
pressed into the peat and a second one is introduced
subsequently in the same position. A ring fixed at the
bottom end of the second semi-cylindrical tube
serves both as a guide for keeping the two tubes
together and as a knife to cut the free surface into a
peat core. By a rotation of the external tube, the core
is finally enclosed in the shut cylinder. This device
presents the advantage of preserving the peat
structure and limiting its compaction.
To overcome changes in peat physical properties,
Helenelund, Lindqvist & Sundman (1972) recom-
mend a large-diameter cylindrical thin-walled sam-
pling tube, with, preferably, saw-blade or wave-
shaped edges, which has to be pushed into the
ground by jacking and simultaneous zigzag rotation.
Cylindrical samplers with a progressively widened
inner diameter or with an inside clearance have also
been used by many authors (Damman, 1978) with
the aim of reducing friction between the enclosed
peat core and the inner wall of the sampler, and to
facilitate its extraction.

Printed from the C JO service for personal use only by...

356 A. Buttler, P. Grosvernier and Y. Matthey
Ecologists are mainly interested in the surface
layers of the peat soils, where processes are of crucial
importance in the ecological, hydraulic and chemical
behaviour of the whole peat-forming system (Dam-
man, 1978 ; Ingram, 1983 ; Clymo, 1983, 1984). The
surface layers of the acrotelm, the unsaturated,
oxygenated top 20 cm or so of a peat bog, show
looser peat than the immediately underlying satu-
rated anoxic catotelm. The need to detect small-scale
changes in the peat profile led Clymo (1988) to
develop a high-resolution cylindrical sampler which
enables surface peat cores to be extracted with their
pore water undisturbed for physico-chemical anal-
yses. In pools and hollows the acrotelm peat is fluid,
and some devices to close the lower end of the
sampling tube were designed by Clymo and by
Robert (1969).
Controlled growth experiments with bog species
in relation to soil physico-chemical properties re-
quire that peat cores be extracted and appropriate
growth pots filled. In this case, there is no need to
maintain the pore water in place for physico-
chemical investigations, the aim of Clymo’s sampler ;
it is only necessary to prevent any changes in the peat
structure in order to maintain the water conductivity
properties within the peat layers for the coming
experiment, so as to reproduce as faithfully as
possible the field conditions. Further, intensive
and rapid sampling is necessary in growth pot
experiments, where many cores are usually re-
quired, rather tedious work with Clymo’s sampler.
Grosvernier, Matthey & Buttler (1997) and Buttler,
Grosvernier & Matthey (1998) conceived a new
sampler for this kind of experimental work. The
sampler described here has proved efficient in many
different peat types.
                          
The Sphagnum growth experiments in relation to
different peat types and water levels required cores
that were : (1) undisturbed ; (2) sufficiently long to
allow water tables to be set up to 40 cm apart ; (3)
sufficiently large in cross-sectional area to support a
moss carpet ; (4) easily and tightly fitted into pots so
as to maintain vertical soil water movements as in the
field ; and (5) transportable to the laboratory without
damage.
The main feature characterizing this corer is its
two close-fitting concentric tubes (Fig. 1). The outer
tube acts as a cutter and the inner as a collector.
As the outer tube is introduced by rotation into the
peat, the cut core is collected in the inner tube. This
occurs stepwise : the outer tube cuts its way a few cm
down into the peat and the inner tube, which is
maintained in a fixed position during this phase, is
subsequently pushed down in order to recover the
core and to maintain it in its position. Thus, the
Printed from the C JO service for personal use only by...
PVC sample tube of
internal diameter
133 mm
60 cm
Reinforcing collar
on the inner tube
Handles
Inner collecting
tube of internal Reinforcing collar
diameter on the outer tube
133 mm
90 cm
Peat core
Outer cutter
tube of internal
diameter
139 –140 mm
Collar on the inner
tube (1–2 mm)
Cutters on the outer
tube with sinuous teeth
Piston with stabilizing
disks
Figure 1. Arrangement of the peat sampler.
friction between the peat core and the corer wall is
limited to the cutting device situated at the end of the
outer tube and to the displacement surface between
both tubes which is created after each stage of
boring. This prevents compression of the peat as a
result of downward progression of the cutting tube
and distortional strength in relation to its rotating
movements, which would alter the peat layer’s
cohesion.
The area}perimeter quotient of the corer is 3±3
(inner diameter of the corer is 133 mm), which also
contributes to limiting compression or expansion
(Clymo, 1988). Moreover, the cutting device at the
end of the outer tube has also been shaped so as to
reduce friction. Three skew cutters with sinuous
teeth cut the peat in a cylindrical section 5 cm in
height. The contact surface between the cutters and
the peat represents only about 40 % of the surface of
this section. Thus, the force is applied to a limited
portion of this section, leaving the remainder to
support the sample as soon as it has been cut by
rotation.
Once the desired depth is reached, the inner tube
with its enclosed peat core is removed. At this stage,
another advantage of the concentric tubes becomes
apparent : no suction is created when the inner tube
is withdrawn since the air circulating between the
tubes comes down to the bottom of the core. This
prevents the lower part of the peat core from
 Peat sampler
(a)
d
(b)
Figure 2. (a) The different parts of the peat sampler : (a) Outer cutter tube. (b) Inner collecting tube. (c) Piston.
(d) PCV sample tube in open position with a peat core. (e) Cleaning brush. (f) Growth pot for the experiment.
(b) Open sample tube with its 60-cm-long peat core.
breaking off, as happens frequently, especially in
well decomposed and saturated peat, and when these
large-diameter cores are longer than 50 cm.
                      
Both tubes are constructed from 1–1±5-mm-thick
stainless-steel sheets which have been rolled and
welded according to our specifications. A section
of the sampler is shown in Figure 1. The collecting
tube is of 133 mm inner diameter, and 100 cm long.
The cutter tube is 90 cm long and has a slightly
Printed from the C JO service for personal use only by...
357
c
larger diameter (139–140 mm) in order to contain
the inner tube and to allow both tubes to turn freely.
Both of them have at the top two large size handles
welded on a 2-mm-thick collar which is welded on
the tubes and serves both as a reinforcement of the
upper part of these tubes (total thickness of the
upper part of both tubes is therefore 3–3±5 mm) in
order to prevent their distortion and as an abutment
between both tubes once they are fitted together.
The cutter tube is provided at its base with three
skew cutters designed with sinuous teeth. The teeth
were sharpened (and resharpened in the field if
358 A. Buttler, P. Grosvernier and Y. Matthey

necessary) with a half-round file. Tooth tip and

notch are shaped according to the bread-knife design,

" 200 µm
Fibres which corresponds more or less to small arcs of 10-
mm diameter circles. As discovered by other authors,
(%) this design is more suitable than sharp-pointed teeth
83
83
76
62
46
75
73
73
81
79
51
59
60
69
63
(Juusela, Kaunisto & Mustonen, 1970 (in Clymo,
1988) ; Helenelund et al., 1972 ; Clymo, 1988). The
capacity (%)

four cutters, which are shaped in a 3-mm-thick collar

welded against the inner wall of the tube cut cores to
holding

the exact diameter of the collecting tube. This collar

Water

386

950

536

373

475
2206

1414

1178
1068
also acts as an abutment for the inner tube. In
—

—
—
practice, it might happen that the force exerted
during the coring procedure, especially with very
(g cm−$)
Density

dense peat, slightly bends these cutters outward or

inward (diameters changed by a maximum of
0±04

0±07

0±23

0±11

0±17
0±08
0±09
0±23

0±18
—

—
—
2–3 mm) and that some readjustments have to be
made. This can be accomplished easily in the field.
At the beginning of the coring process, it is wise to
Ash
(%)

5
9
15
20
32
28
25
24
15
17
16
37
33
21
31 stabilize the bottom of the sampler on the chosen
place during the first 10 cm or so of coring, until it
has passed the loose peat. If the aim is to collect the
pH in
water

entire core, including its vegetation, one could pre-

5±1
5±6
5±3
5±6
4±4
4±1
4±1
4±2
5±1
5±4
5±5
5±3
5±1
4±7
5±3

cut the loose surface layer of the living vegetation

with scissors or a sharp knife around the circum-
phosphate

ference so as to fit the carpet into the sampler.

Nevertheless, in this case we would recommend
Pyro-

index

removing first the cylindrical living carpet which

5
9
8
9
34
36
21
26
31

47
33
39

41
27
23

could subsequently be replaced on the extracted

cores (see Grosvernier et al., 1997). In use the cutter
Table 1. Main chemical and physical properties of the peat collected with the sampler

C}N

tube is rotated in the opposite direction to the

83

35

24

51

37

67
57
27
24
—

—
—

skewed cutters by one person, while another person

maintains the collecting tube in a fixed position.
(mmol dm−$)

Reciprocating rotations on a 60° trajectory have

proved to be more efficient than complete rotations.
Coring to a depth of 80 cm is necessary in order to
collect a surface core of 70 cm, which is about the
16

70

338

171
51
127
332

109
84
—

—
—
N

maximum length to be expected. At the beginning,

especially with loose peat, the corer penetrates easily
(%)

47

49

50

54

53

56
51
53
49
—

—
—

into the substrate through its own weight, and it

C

might even be worthwhile to support the sampler

slightly in order to facilitate the cutting, but some
(mmol dm−$)

additional pressure has to be exerted on the corer for

it to penetrate as deep as 80 cm.
The cut peat-core is enclosed stepwise in the
Ca

14
13
14
49

14
3
—

—
—

collecting tube by pushing this tube down once the

outer tube has been lowered a few cm. This
displacement between both tubes should be limited
Surface-deep bare peat

(2–3 cm or so), otherwise the friction surface between

the peat core and the inner wall of the corer would
Undisturbed peat
Undisturbed peat
Undisturbed peat
Undisturbed peat

Surface bare peat

Cultivated peat
Cultivated peat
Cultivated peat
Cultivated peat
Deep bare peat
Dry heath peat
Dry heath peat
Dry heath peat
Dry heath peat

increase, with resulting compression and alteration

of the peat cohesion. A 1–2 mm collar is shaped at
Peat type

the bottom end of the collecting tube, which

contributes to maintaining the core within the tube
when it is retrieved. In practice, in most of the 200
cores which were extracted from different peats,
compression was negligible, and where this occurred,
Depth

0–10

0–10

0–10

0–10
10–20
20–30
30–40

10–20
20–30
30–40

30–40
70–80

10–20
20–30
30–40

it was ! 3 cm for the 60-cm-long cores.

(cm)

After removal of the collecting tube a PVC pipe

60 cm in length and of the same diameter as the outer

Printed from the C JO service for personal use only by...

 Peat sampler
tube is fixed at the upper end, using two clips to main-
tain the pipe in position with the collar welded around
the tube (see Figure 1). This PVC sample tube has
been cut lengthways and the two parts assembled
and held together by means of a hinge and clips. This
allows the core section to be observed before
introducing it into the growth pots. But before that,
a steel piston is pushed into the lower end of the
collecting tube (the cutter tube has been left in the
peat and will be removed for the next boring),
preferably in a vertical position so as to facilitate
extraction, and the peat core pushed into the PVC
sample tube. The piston has stabilizing disks along
the rod in order to maintain it in the right position
during the extraction phase and to avoid irregular
pressure being exerted on the peat core. At the
bottom another disk prevents the piston being
pressed into the peat when the soil is used as a
support.
The sample tube is then opened and the peat core
observed in order to select and cut the desired
section (45 cm in our studies). After that, the PVC
sample tube is shut again and the peat core is placed
smoothly in the growth pot of exactly identical
diameter, both PVC tubes being held in position by
means of a collar. At this stage, the piston might be
used to push the peat core downward. This operation
can also provoke some compaction of the peat,
especially with tight sticky peat, but in practice it
was ! 1±5 cm. In some cases lubricating the PVC
tube with water can facilitate this operation.
Growth pots are covered and transported upright
to the laboratory where they are prepared for the
experiment. Between two samplings, the corer can
be cleaned with a metal brush and more conveniently
with water. Nevertheless, thanks to its construction
it cleans itself to some extent.
          
Growth in length and weight of three species of
Sphagnum (S. fuscum, S. magellanicum and S. fallax)
was studied in a glasshouse experiment (Grosvernier
et al., 1997). The Sphagnum mosses were collected
separately as 5-cm-thick carpets and cultivated at
natural density on cores (45 cm long) of five
different peat types collected with the described
sampler. They represent different types of ombro-
genous peat, with a gradient of increasing dis-
turbance (Table 1). Two water levels (®1 cm and
®40 cm) were controlled and maintained by con-
necting the pots to a Mariotte bottle (Clymo, 1973)
to simulate natural and drained situations. Sig-
nificant differences in the growth of the three
Sphagnum species were observed according to
treatments but peat type was influential only when
the water table was maintained at a low level.
Growth in length and weight of Sphagnum fallax
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359
was studied as before by Buttler et al. (1988) in the
glasshouse. Capitulum diaspores of Sphagnum fallax
were cultivated on bare peat cores of the same
different peat types. Three microclimates were
simulated by protecting the bare peat with a shading
mesh and a plastic cover in combination with two
water levels (®1 and ®40 cm). Significant differ-
ences in the growth of Sphagnum fallax were
observed in relation to microclimate changes. Peat
properties become more critical when diaspores are
in direct contact with the peat. The porosity, and
especially its vertical pattern in the peat profile,
proved to be an important factor.
              
The authors thank L. Paganuzzi for technical help ; E.
Boss for help with language and R. S. Clymo for critical
comments. The authors are also indebted to the anony-
mous reviewers for constructive comments on the manu-
script. This research is part of the Ph.D. thesis of two of
the authors (P. G. and Y. M.) and was funded by the Swiss
National Research Fund (Grant 3.167-0.88)

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