Restoration of Degraded Boreal Peatlands

Rochefort, Line; Lode, Elve

doi:10.1007/978-3-540-31913-9_17

Cited by 56 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…This may be due to the specific ecological demands of the collected species. Stripping can help Sphagnum mosses achieve better contact with fresh peat surface with greater moisture through improved capillary rise than loose oxidised surface peat in abandoned extracted peatlands, which are often affected by frost heaving (Groeneveld and Rochefort 2005;Rochefort and Lode 2006). Stripping is not particularly laborious , and since it is also required to level surfaces, stripping should be applied for faster recovery of carpets of Sphagnum mosses.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…The exploitation of mires over several centuries-the combined effect of drainage and usage for agriculture, forestry and peat mining-has led to the destruction or severe degradation of a large portion of peatlands, especially in Europe (Rochefort and Lode 2006). Although recognised only recently (Constanza et al 1997;Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005), the importance of peatlands in water storage and groundwater recharge, climate regulation, carbon accumulation and support of biodiversity places them among the most valuable ecosystems in the world.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Factors affecting re-vegetation dynamics of experimentally restored extracted peatland in Estonia

Karofeld

Müür

Vellak

2015

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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Increasing human activity continues to threaten peatlands, and as the area of natural mires declines, our obligation is to restore their ecosystem functions. Several restoration strategies have been developed for restoration of extracted peatlands, including "The moss layer transfer method", which was initiated on the Tässi extracted peatland in central Estonia in May 2012. Three-year study shows that despite the fluctuating water table, rainfall events can compensate for the insufficient moisture for mosses. Total plant cover on the restoration area attained 70 %, of which ~60 % is comprised of target species-Sphagnum mosses. From restoration treatments, spreading of plant fragments had a significant positive effect on the cover of bryophyte and vascular plants. Higher water table combined with higher plant fragments spreading density and stripping of oxidised peat layer affected positively the cover of targeted Sphagnum species. The species composition in the restoration area became similar to that in the donor site in a natural bog. Based on results, it was concluded that the method approved for restoration in North America gives good results also in the restoration of extracted peatland towards re-establishment of bog vegetation under northern European conditions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors affecting re-vegetation dynamics of experimentally restored extracted peatland in Estonia

Karofeld

Müür

Vellak

2015

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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“…The ongoing restoration process in the Pietzmoor aims at the restoration of peatland ecosystems including reestablishment of natural vegetation cover, especially Sphagnum mosses, and of the hydrological regime (Rochefort and Lode, 2001). Finally, the return of its functions e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Small scale controls of greenhouse gas release under elevated N deposition rates in a restoring peat bog in NW Germany

Glatzel

Forbrich

Kruger³

et al. 2008

Biogeosciences

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Abstract. In Central Europe, most bogs have a history of drainage and many of them are currently being restored. Success of restoration as well as greenhouse gas exchange of these bogs is influenced by environmental stress factors as drought and atmospheric nitrogen deposition. We determined the methane and nitrous oxide exchange of sites in the strongly decomposed center and less decomposed edge of the Pietzmoor bog in NW Germany in 2004. Also, we examined the methane and nitrous oxide exchange of mesocosms from the center and edge before, during, and following a drainage experiment as well as carbon dioxide release from disturbed unfertilized and nitrogen fertilized surface peat. In the field, methane fluxes ranged from 0 to 3.8 mg m −2 h −1 and were highest from hollows. Field nitrous oxide fluxes ranged from 0 to 574 µg m −2 h −1 and were elevated at the edge. A large Eriophorum vaginatum tussock showed decreasing nitrous oxide release as the season progressed. Drainage of mesocosms decreased methane release to 0, even during rewetting. There was a tendency for a decrease of nitrous oxide release during drainage and for an increase in nitrous oxide release during rewetting. Nitrogen fertilization did not increase decomposition of surface peat. Our examinations suggest a competition between vascular vegetation and denitrifiers for excess nitrogen. We also provide evidence that the von Post humification index can be used to explain nitrous oxide release from bogs, if the role of vascular vegetation is also considered. An assessment of the greenhouse gas release from nitrogen saturated restoring bogs needs to take into account elevated release from fresh Sphagnum peat as well as from sedges growing on decomposed peat. Given the high atmospheric nitrogen deposition, restoration will not be able to achieve an oligotrophic ecosystem in the short term.

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“…It is widely agreed that hydrological conditions (i.e., water table depths and fluctuations, and peat water content) as well as the quality and depth of the peat remaining after exploitation play a critical role in the establishment and succession of plant communities in peatlands, including block-cut sites (Rochefort and Lode, 2006). To verify this, canonical analyses for all peatland regions altogether and separately were carried out with the species cover as matrix Y and the peat, hydrology and landscape descriptors of Table 1 as matrix X, but models could only explain a marginal proportion of the variability and therefore are not shown.…”

Section: Understanding Succession To Reach Sphagnum-dominated Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trajectories of Plant Recovery in Block-Cut Peatlands 35 Years After Peat Extraction

González¹

2013

Appl Ecol Env Res

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Abstract. The initial question of any ecological restoration project should be whether the degraded ecosystem may recover spontaneously in a reasonable time period or active intervention is needed. We examined the successional trajectories of vegetation within peatlands exploited by the traditional blockcut technique in Eastern Canada, with the final purpose of identifying sites which need human intervention to ensure the return of a typical Sphagnum-dominated bog community that accumulates C. Ordinations showed that the development of vegetation was different between three block-cut peatland regions. Peatlands of one of the regions were initially colonized by tall, dense ericaceous shrubs. There, communities tended to become increasingly dominated by trees and understories were closing over time, therefore not being on a trajectory toward the recovery of a Sphagnum-dominated system that accumulates peat in the future. Intervention is therefore recommended, for example by blocking still active drainage ditches. In the peatlands of the other two regions, Sphagnum had a high initial cover and remained dominant ten years later. However, species typically found in hummocks gained relative importance vs. those associated to hollows. More time is needed to decide whether these sites could be left unmanaged as they have remained after their abandonment 35 years ago.

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Restoration of Degraded Boreal Peatlands

Cited by 56 publications

References 62 publications

Factors affecting re-vegetation dynamics of experimentally restored extracted peatland in Estonia

Factors affecting re-vegetation dynamics of experimentally restored extracted peatland in Estonia

Small scale controls of greenhouse gas release under elevated N deposition rates in a restoring peat bog in NW Germany

Trajectories of Plant Recovery in Block-Cut Peatlands 35 Years After Peat Extraction

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