Forest clearfelling effects on dissolved oxygen and metabolism in peatland streams

Abstract

Peatlands cover ~3% of the world's landmass and large expanses have been altered significantly as a consequence of land use change. Forestry activities are a key pressure on these catchments increasing suspended sediment and nutrient export to receiving waters. The aim of this study was to investigate stream dissolved oxygen (DO) and metabolic activity response following clearfelling of a 39-year-old lodgepole pine and Sitka spruce forestry in an upland peat catchment. Significant effects of clearfelling on water temperature, flows, DO and stream metabolic (photosynthesis, respiration) rates were revealed.Stream temperature and discharge significantly increased in the study stream following clearfelling.Instream ecosystem respiration increased significantly following clearfelling, indicating an increase in the net consumption of organic carbon.

Organic sediment pulses impact rivers across multiple levels of ecological organization

“…Lagged increases in CR were observed by Roberts et al (2007), attributed to delayed decomposition of organic matter delivered from the catchment. Increased CR has been reported following peatland deforestation in some Irish rivers (O'Driscoll et al, 2016); thus, it is likely that the short duration of our experiment was insufficient to capture such an effect. To test this hypothesis experimentally in peatland rivers will require longer periods of ecosystem function monitoring after the addition of organic sediments.…”

Continuous Dissolved Oxygen Measurements and Modelling Metabolism in Peatland Streams

“…There has been relatively little work on metabolic processes in 1 st order and 2 nd order, peat bounded streams [10]. Most 1 st and 2 nd stream order stream metabolism studies are located in very different climatic zones and landscapes, for example in arctic climates [60,64] and forested landscapes (c.f.…”

“…In the UK, peatlands cover 12% of the land surface, they are common in upland areas [6] and are often located in the headwaters of many major river systems as saturated riparian areas fringing stream channels [7]. Metabolic processes in such headwater streams are poorly understood and need to be better characterised, particularly to aid sustainable land and water management [8–10]. The underlying processes of primary production and respiration are fundamental controls on the structure and function of lotic ecosystems [11].…”

Impacts of forestry planting on primary production in upland lakes from north‐west Ireland

“…Despite the ecological importance of established forests, afforestation of upland regions through ploughing, planting, fertilization and felling can potentially impact local water bodies (Foy & Bailey‐Watts, ; McElarney et al ., ; Woodward et al ., ; Drinan et al ., ,b; Dalton et al ., ; O'Driscoll et al ., ). While widespread anthropogenic eutrophication of lowland lakes has now been demonstrated across the north temperate–subarctic (Anderson et al ., ; Taranu et al ., ), relatively less is known about how afforested lakes in smaller, upland catchments have changed in response to anthropogenic alteration of nutrient cycles.…”