Afforested and forestry-drained peatland restoration

Anderson, R.; Vasander, Harri; Geddes, Neville; Laine, Anna; Tolvanen, Anne; O'Sullivan, A.; Aapala, Kaisu

doi:10.1017/cbo9781139177788.013

Cited by 14 publications

(17 citation statements)

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“…We focus on vegetation change, for its intrinsic interest, and links to peatland hydrology (Rydin & Jeglum, ), carbon cycling (Andersen, Pouliot, & Rochefort, ) and biodiversity (Spitzer & Danks, ; Hancock, Grant, & Wilson, ). Similar restoration is becoming increasingly commonplace (Anderson et al., ), widening the relevance of our results.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 65%

“…Most restoration of afforested blanket bog began in recent years (Anderson et al., ), and therefore starts with larger trees and less bog vegetation than this study. Nevertheless, we expect some commonalities with our results, including slower recovery of ridges and steeper areas; lags between hydrological restoration and other indices (nutrients, acidity, floristics); and similar plant taxa dominating restoration trajectories.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

“…Carrière, were planted on plough‐ridges. Tree establishment was assisted with fertilizers (probably P and K: Anderson et al., ) and deer culling. Shortly before tree removal in 1998, plantation characteristics averaged as follows, for P. contorta and P. sitchensis respectively: stem density, ~1200 and ~700 ha −1 ; stem diameter (1.3 m above ground), 5.0 and 3.8 cm; tree heights, 2.6 and 2.3 m; timber volumes, ~5.9 and ~2.5 m 3 /ha.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We investigated restoration of afforested peatland, a subject few studies have addressed (Anderson et al., ). Afforestation of open peatland with non‐native conifers following extensive deep‐ploughing occurred widely in Europe, peaking in the 1980s (Rydin & Jeglum, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Afforestation of open peatland with non‐native conifers following extensive deep‐ploughing occurred widely in Europe, peaking in the 1980s (Rydin & Jeglum, ). While there are restoration studies of naturally wooded peatland, drained for silviculture (Haapalehto, Vasander, Jauhiainen, Tahvanainen, & Kotiaho, ), restoring formerly open peatlands that have been afforested presents novel challenges (Anderson et al., ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Vegetation response to restoration management of a blanket bog damaged by drainage and afforestation

Hancock

Klein

Andersen

et al. 2018

Applied Vegetation Science

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Questions Does restoration management of a formerly afforested blanket bog lead to the vegetation, and the environmental conditions it indicates, becoming similar to intact bog? Location A 147‐ha blanket bog in Scotland's Flow Country, afforested in the 1980s but undergoing restoration since 1998. Methods Vegetation in the restoration area was surveyed in nine, 1.6–6.4‐ha plots, in 1998, 2003 and 2011. Each plot was matched to nearby plots that were either intact bog or remained afforested. Principal Response Curves were used to highlight the main axes of vegetation variation and test whether plant community trajectories in the restoration area differed from intact bog. The following restoration outcomes were assessed: floristic similarity to bog vegetation; and moisture, fertility and acidity, as inferred from vegetation using Ellenberg indicator values. Results In the 6 years after restoration began, vegetation developed towards bog‐like conditions. In the subsequent 8 years, overall vegetation change stalled, and spatial variability increased, reflecting diverging trajectories in wetter and drier parts of the site. Ellenberg's F‐values implied significant re‐wetting in the restoration area, reaching moisture levels similar to intact bog. Other restoration outcomes progressed in wetter microsites and areas (furrows and flat ground), but stalled in drier locations (plough‐ridges and steeper slopes). Conclusions Overall moisture conditions, as indicated by plants, have recovered. However, restoration progress has stalled in drier areas, where additional management may be needed. Long‐term vegetation monitoring has helped clarify barriers to recovery and the management needed to overcome them. The value of such monitoring schemes in guiding restoration should be reflected in their wider implementation, within an adaptive management framework.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 65%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Vegetation response to restoration management of a blanket bog damaged by drainage and afforestation

Hancock

Klein

Andersen

et al. 2018

Applied Vegetation Science

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The effect of forest‐to‐bog restoration on the hydrological functioning of raised and blanket bogs

et al. 2021

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The carbon sequestration potential of peatlands has led to increasing interest in the restoration of bogs previously subjected to plantation forestry. However, little information exists about the effects on hydrological processes of what has become known as forest-to-bog restoration. The hydrological functioning of three afforested, two intact and four forest-to-bog restoration sites was compared at a raised bog and blanket bog location. For the raised bog location, the annual runoff/rainfall coefficient was 59.7% for the intact site, 41.0% for the afforested site and 53.1% for the oldest restoration site (9 years post-felling). At the blanket bog location, the coefficient was 80.6% for the intact site, 63.0% for the afforested site and 71.6% for the oldest restoration site (17 years post-felling). Compared with intact bog, median peak storm discharge was significantly greater in the restoration sites for the raised bog location but not for the blanket bog location. Water-table peak lag times were greatest, and water-table depths deepest in the afforested sites and the most recent raised bog restoration site and least in the oldest blanket bog restoration site. The estimated contribution of overland flow in the afforested sites was 2.9% for the raised bog and 11.9% for the blanket bog, increasing to 8.7% and 32.2% at the oldest restoration sites for the raised bog and blanket bog, respectively. Overall, hydrological functioning of the raised bog and blanket bog restoration sites was different from the intact sites but was most similar to intact bog in the oldest restoration sites.

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Catchment water quality in the year preceding and immediately following restoration of a drained afforested blanket bog

et al. 2021

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The restoration of drained afforested peatlands, through drain blocking and tree removal, is increasing in response to peatland restoration targets and policy incentives. In the short term, these intensive restoration operations may affect receiving watercourses and the biota that depend upon them. This study assessed the immediate effect of ‘forest-to-bog’ restoration by measuring stream and river water quality for a 15 month period pre- and post-restoration, in the Flow Country peatlands of northern Scotland. We found that the chemistry of streams draining restoration areas differed from that of control streams following restoration, with phosphate concentrations significantly higher (1.7–6.2 fold, mean 4.4) in restoration streams compared to the pre-restoration period. This led to a decrease in the pass rate (from 100 to 75%) for the target “good” quality threshold (based on EU Water Framework Directive guidelines) in rivers in this immediate post-restoration period, when compared to unaffected river baseline sites (which fell from 100 to 90% post-restoration). While overall increases in turbidity, dissolved organic carbon, iron, potassium and manganese were not significant post-restoration, they exhibited an exaggerated seasonal cycle, peaking in summer months in restoration streams. We attribute these relatively limited, minor short-term impacts to the fact that relatively small percentages of the catchment area (3–23%), in our study catchments were felled, and that drain blocking and silt traps, put in place as part of restoration management, were likely effective in mitigating negative effects. Looking ahead, we suggest that future research should investigate longer term water quality effects and compare different ways of potentially controlling nutrient release.

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Afforested and forestry-drained peatland restoration

Cited by 14 publications

References 0 publications

Vegetation response to restoration management of a blanket bog damaged by drainage and afforestation

Vegetation response to restoration management of a blanket bog damaged by drainage and afforestation

The effect of forest‐to‐bog restoration on the hydrological functioning of raised and blanket bogs

Catchment water quality in the year preceding and immediately following restoration of a drained afforested blanket bog

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