An examination of the influence of drained peatlands on regional stream water chemistry

Abstract

Currently, 50% of Irish rivers do not meet water quality standards, with many declining due to numerous pressures, including peatland degradation. This study examines stream water quality in the Irish midlands, a region where raised bogs have been all historically disturbed to various extent and the majority drained for industrial or domestic peat extraction. For the first time, we provide in-depth analysis of stream water chemistry within a heavily modified bog landscape. Small streams from degraded bogs exhibited greater levels of pollutants, in particular: total dissolved nitrogen (0.48 mg/l) and sulphate (18.49 mg/l) as well as higher electrical conductivity (mean: 334 μS/cm) compared to similar bog streams in near-natural bogs. Except for site-specific nitrogen pollution in certain streams surrounding degraded peatlands, the chemical composition of the receiving streams did not significantly differ between near-natural and degraded sites, reflecting the spatio-temporal scales of disturbance in this complex peat-scape. Dissolved organic carbon concentrations in all the receiving streams were high (27.2 mg/l) compared to other Irish streams, even within other peatland catchments. The region is experiencing overall a widespread loss of fluvial nitrogen and carbon calling for (a) the development of management instruments at site-level (water treatment) and landscape-level (rewetting) to assist with meeting water quality standards in the region, and (b) the routine monitoring of water chemistry as part of current and future peatland management activities.

Water Quality Monitoring in the Volga Headwaters

“…Our case study showcases the effect of mires on river water quality, which is recognized globally, e.g., [55][56][57], and establishes a methodological framework for water quality monitoring. Overall, long-term research and monitoring support the process of under-standing a natural system, and it is important to address changes associated with climate change [58,59] and, subsequently, rising water temperatures.…”

Precipitation fuels dissolved greenhouse gas (CO2, CH4, N2O) dynamics in a peatland-dominated headwater stream: results from a continuous monitoring setup

“…The primary efforts of this GHG measurement method were regular maintenance works dedicated to the constant accumulation of sediments and possible growth of microbial biofilms on inner tube walls and the equilibration chamber over pumping time and adverse effects on water inflow and outflow (Dinsmore et al, 2013;Campeau et al, 2017;Prijac et al, 2023;Pschenyckyj et al, 2023). However, the accumulation of fine particulate sediments and microbial growth in C-rich streams can also be expected to occur in other equilibration types, such as capillary membranes characterized by even longer equilibration times (Webb et al, 2016;Durejka et al, 2019).…”

Effect of ‘Peatland-Use’ Type on Culturable Microbial Groups in Irish Peatlands in the Midlands

“…Moreover, the soil microbial community greatly impacts the carbon cycle since part of carbon sequestration is carried out by it [3]. Although several research studies have been conducted in the context of Irish peatlands [9,[11][12][13], investigating the role of microorganisms present in Irish peat has not been carried out more broadly. One such infrequent study was based on the western Atlantic coast of Ireland [14].…”