Decomposition of Juncus seeds in a valley mire (Faroe Islands) over a 900 year period.

The influence of past depositional environments on the chemistry of sub-fossil Juncus seed coats (testa) from the top 1 m (corresponding to ca. 900 years of peat accumulation) of a peat bog in the Faroe Islands was examined. The chemistry of the testa of fresh Juncus seeds were characterised using thermally assisted pyrolysis and methylation (THM) in the presence of tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH) and 'type' compounds were identified, representative of the major chemical groups in the testa (cellulose-related sugars, lignin-related phenolics, fatty acids). The abundance of the 'type' compounds in the products from sub-fossil testae (the internal tissues of the seeds do not survive beyond the very early stages of decomposition) was then quantified at contiguous 1 cm depth intervals. Major losses of