Evaluating the 'conservative' behavior of stable isotopic ratios (delta C-13, delta N-15, and delta O-18) in humic acids and their reliability as paleoenvironmental proxies along a peat sequence

Although several studies have used bogs in order to reconstruct paleoclimatic conditions and the historical trends of pollutants, scientific literature is still rather controversial about the role of ombrotrophic bogs as reliable record of past environmental changes. Consequently, understanding whether all vegetational and climatic "information" are effectively preserved in peat deposits during humification becomes an essential aspect to be tested before using bogs as natural archives.