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Map of the Bór za Lasem peat bog showing the two investigated sectors of the extracted area (adapted from Łajczak 2006) (a), and location map (b).
Source publication
If peatland is left without any restoration treatments after mechanical peat extraction ceases, the process of secondary transformation of peat continues. The resulting changes in peat properties severely impede the recovery of vegetation on cutover peatland. The aim of this study was to assess how secondary transformation of peat affects spontaneo...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... research was carried out on the Bór za Lasem bog, which is located in Czarny Dunajec commune in southern Poland (Figure 1). It is one of a group of 27 peatlands belonging to the European Ecological Network Natura 2000. ...
Context 2
... weather characteristics were recorded in 2016 with a Davis Vantage Pro 2 weather station located near the study site (49° 25' 31.33" N, 19° 48' 42.24" E; Figure 1). At this location, mean daily air temperature between June and August (2016) was 15.4 °C, with daily maximum 37.0 °C and daily minimum -2.9 °C. ...
Context 3
... extracted area is bisected by a railway embankment. The northern sector (Sector A, ~16 ha) is bordered by the railway to the south and by forest and grassland to the north, while the southern sector (Sector B, ~ 8 ha) is delimited by the railway to the north and a surviving part of the bog dome to the south (Figure 1). Peat was cut on Sector A from the beginning of the 1960s until the beginning of the 1980s, then operations moved onto Sector B where extraction continued until the early 1990s (Mr Bogusław Sroka, Peat Production Plant "Bór za Lasem" in Czarny Dunajec, personal communication 2016). ...
Citations
... Shallow peat soils can be located on the margins of peatlands (Paradis and Rochefort, 2017) and can cover very large areas (Stolbovoi, 2002;Vompersky et al., 2011;Rudiyanto et al., 2015). They may also include residual peat on former extraction sites (Farrell and Doyle, 2003;Zajac et al., 2018). The recent Global Peatlands Assessment (UNEP, 2022) recommends that shallow peat soils (or peaty soils in this paper) should be included in peat maps, given the role they could play in climate change mitigation (Leiber-Sauheitl et al., 2014, Barthelmes, 2018Lindsay et al., 2019;Elsgaard et al., 2024). ...
Accurate mapping for effective management of peat soils is necessary to help reduce GHG emissions and improve environmental quality. However, mapping remains a major challenge as definitions of peat soils vary substantially between jurisdictions and organizations, while field data are sparse and difficult to produce, and remote sensing of limited use for converted peatlands. Using an Adaptive Mapping Framework, this paper compiles disparate data sources to update the Derived Irish Peat Map to better facilitate its application for environmental issues. This includes incorporation of areas considered to be underlain by shallow peat soils (≥ 10 cm and ≥ 8.6 % Organic Matter content), and augmentation of the overall test dataset with an additional ∼ 20,000 points.
The workflow for map generation employed 20 Decision Tree Output Maps (DTOMs), aggregated into 33 Map Combinations (MCs). These facilitated the addition of new areas and removal of areas where the presence of peat could not be confidently identified. The MC selected for the update had the highest accuracy metrics (≥ 74 %), consisting of DTOMs with a user accuracy ≥ 66 % and assessed over a minimum number of test points ≥ 50. The resulting map reveals peat to underlie 1.66 M ha of Ireland (∼ 23.3 % of the country), identified with values of 83 % for overall accuracy and F1 score for peat areas. This extent is 13.2 % larger than that delineated in previous versions and at least 23.2 % larger than areas presented in other previous maps. The methodology also allows transparency from which data sources can be distinguished to define different key peat thickness ranges (≥ 10 cm, ≥ 30–40 cm), better facilitating assessment of environmental impacts arising from land use change.
This approach has potential relevance for peat mapping globally, notably in areas containing disparate datasets (e.g., land cover, soil map, etc.), or employing different production methods. The accuracy metrics generated also suggest that the approach can be used as a basis for implementing or updating national and international regulations concerning carbon-rich soils in comparable settings to those encountered in Ireland.
... Shallow peat soils can be located on the margins of peatlands (Paradis and Rochefort, 2017) and can cover very large areas (Stolbovoi, 2002;Vompersky et al., 2011;Rudiyanto et al., 2015). They may also include residual peat on former extraction sites (Farrell and Doyle, 2003;Zajac et al., 2018). The recent Global Peatlands Assessment (UNEP, 2022) recommends that shallow peat soils (or peaty soils in this paper) should be included in peat maps, given the role they could play in climate change mitigation (Leiber-Sauheitl et al., 2014, Barthelmes, 2018Lindsay et al., 2019;Elsgaard et al., 2024). ...
We used disparate data in a decision tree to refine the mapping of Irish peat soils.
Peat Associated Landcover Class concept was applied to locate converted peatlands.
Shallow peat soils ≥ 10 cm were included in the new Irish Peat Soils Map (IPSM).
The IPSM shows a larger peat area than previous peat maps and accuracies ≥ 74 %.
The Adaptative Mapping Framework implemented can be applied in other regions
... They are also exposed to long-term deposition of atmospheric pollutants [12,13], due to the instability of peat on many slope processes [14]. Drainage of the area also causes permanent changes in the vegetation-a succession and replacement of vegetation with those unrelated to peat bogs, which reduces biodiversity [15,16]. This process is particularly disadvantageous in Poland, where wetlands and peat bogs occupy a relatively high area [17], but their degree of degradation is also high [3,18,19]. ...
The Baligówka peat bog is one of the peat bogs of the Orawa-Nowy Targ Basin—the largest complex of wetlands in the Polish Carpathians. Its area has declined in the past as a result of drainage and peat exploitation, which caused a bad hydrological condition and it is gradually overgrown by non-peat bog medium and high vegetation. The research uses models derived from airborne laser scanning (ALS) and an orthophotomap to delimit the bog and divide it into parts and assess the range of drainage ditches and vegetation. The area of the peat dome along with 3 sites of peat exploitation is currently 159.6 ha, while the ecotone zone is 105.9 ha. Both sections are separated by a steep post-mining slope. The medium and high vegetation areas cover 44% of the peat bog; its location is related to the dense drainage system in the southern part of the dome. The parameters of the Baligówka peat bog: area, size and extent of drainage system, and the degree of overgrowth by high vegetation, are the subject of research towards the protection under the Natura 2000 network (PLH120016) and the establishment of a plan for restoration activities.
... The decline in biodiversity in degraded peatland areas has been studied many times on the basis of vegetation (Vítovcová et al., 2021;Zając et al., 2018a). However, there has been little focus on invertebrate indicators, which can help to achieve a better understanding of the ecological shift in post-extraction peat bogs and to assess restoration efforts (Lehmitz et al., 2020). ...
... Within site E40 (about 16 ha), peat was extracted from the early 1960s to the early 1980s, after which extraction was transferred to site E20 (about 8 ha), where it continued until the late 1990s Table 1. Detailed results of analyses of the physical, hydrophys ic a l and chemical properties of the surface layer of the soil in the post-extraction areas were presented by Zając et al. (2018aZając et al. ( , 2018b. The groundwater table level during the growing season was highest on the dome and lowest in area E40. ...
... In our study, we recorded increased abundance and species richness of ground beetles in the post-extraction areas in comparison with the reference bog dome. This is explained by changes in the vegetation structure covering each of the areas (Poulin et al., 2005;Zając et al., 2018a). Peat extraction causes a severe disturbance of the water regime and a decrease in the moisture content of the substrate, which leads to the gradual elimination of vegetation strongly dependent on a high water level. ...
Peatlands are unique ecosystems inhabited by highly specialised biota. Due to extraction and drainage, these valuable ecosystems decline or represent only fragmented habitat patches. The aim of this study was to compare the carabid species composition, diversity, and life history traits between bog habitat types: 20 and 40 year post‐extraction sites and undisturbed one. We tried to determine whether populations of rare carabid bog specialists would persist in the post‐extraction habitats. The study was conducted in the raised bog, where 30 sampling transects with a total of 90 pitfall traps were established. 1616 individuals belonging to 30 carabid species were collected. The results revealed the significance differences in carabid species composition between studied habitat types and increasing the abundance and species richness in post‐extraction sites. According to spontaneous succession in post‐mining sites, the shift in life history traits of carabids towards forest assemblages was observed. We observe decline of the most valuable bog species in post‐mining sites. Agonum ericeti, Pterostichus rhaeticus and Bembidion humerale were present on the reference bog, with large covers of Sphagnum and shrubs, but sporadically at the 20 year post‐extraction site (except for A. ericeti), or not at all at the 40 year post‐extraction site overgrown by trees. Therefore measures should be undertaken in post‐extraction areas to enable the restoration of such specific conditions and a properly functioning raised bog ecosystem. This mainly requires restoration of a suitable hydrological regime, which is the key factor for the preservation of groups of bog specialist plants and animals. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
... ISSN 1819-754X International Mire Conservation Group andInternational Peatland Society, DOI: 10.19189/MaP.2019.BG.StA.1928 2 successional pathways (towards fen or raised bog vegetation), which depend on the properties of the residual peat layer (Triisberg et al. 2014, Renou-Wilson et al. 2019. Sphagnum and ombrotrophic sedges prevail in nutrient-poor (NP) areas while minerotrophic sedges and true mosses are more dominant at more nutrient-rich (NR) milled peatlands (Gagnon et al. 2018, Kozlov et al. 2018, Zając et al. 2018, Renou-Wilson et al. 2019. Vegetation development in NP peatlands is slower than in NR peatlands (Kozlov et al. 2018). ...
... The NR site had higher cover of plant litter, shrub and sedges, and low cover of Sphagnum similarly to mesotrophic peatland in the study by Renou-Wilson et al. (2019) indicating that higher nutrient concentrations in the upper peat layer of restored peatlands lead the succession to vascular plant dominated fen-like vegetation. PFT cover, especially Sphagnum, shrub and forbs, is similar to raised bog vegetation on rewetted NP milled peatlands (Zając et al. 2018, Renou-Wilson et al. 2019) as in the current study. This supports the previous studies relating higher Sphagnum production with higher peat moisture content (Potvin et al. 2015, Paal et al. 2016, while true mosses (Sottocornola et al. 2007) and vascular plants (Berendse et al. 2001, Limpens et al. 2003, Malmer et al. 2000 benefit from higher nutrient contents. ...
Intact peatlands have distinct environmental conditions and therefore specific
vegetation supporting their function of sequestering large quantities of carbon. Vast
peatland areas have been affected by anthropogenic disturbances such as drainage
and peat excavation, thereby turning those areas from carbon sinks to sources. To
support the recovery of peatland specific plant species and carbon sequestration
process, restoration activities are applied, which mainly consist of raising the water
level and, if suitable in milled peatlands, transferring a moss layer to the restoration
site.
The PhD thesis aimed at defining environmental and management factors that affect
the vegetation development on milled peatlands after restoration, and related CO2
fluxes with plant establishment on restored peatlands drained for forestry and used
for peat excavation. To fulfil this aim, CO2
fluxes and plant functional type biomass,
indicating peatland functioning and structural diversity respectively, were measured
in restored milled and forestry-drained peatlands in parallel to pristine peatlands in the
boreal climate zone. The peat chemical properties and plant cover analysis of milled
peatland restored with moss-layer-transfer technique were performed to determine
the effect of different treatments (microtopography, fertilisation, plant fragment
species composition and spreading rates) on restoration success. The peatlands in the
study were restored 2 to 35 years before the measurements.
Restored forestry-drained peatlands were more similar according to their phytomass
amount, structure, and CO2 fluxes to the pristine peatlands than restored milled
peatlands. However, some of the restored sites did not function as pristine peatlands
and instead were CO2 sources throughout the studied growing seasons, especially
during the drier years. In milled peatlands, using the moss-layer-transfer technique in
addition to rewetting supported the recovery of structurally diverse peatland-specific
vegetation. In rewetted sites alone, some plant functional types such as hummock
Sphagna and shrubs were almost absent. The effect of treatments of the moss-layertransfer technique generally supported the previous knowledge from mainly Canadian experiments but it gave important additional insight, e.g., in fertilisation experiment. This thesis emphasises the importance of different peatland management types (pristine, restored forestry-drained or restored milled peatland) to the CO2
fluxes and plant functional types. It was found that correlations between plant functional type abundances and CO2 fluxes in pristine sites differ from those in managed peatland
restoration sites and also between the sites restored from forestry drainage and peat
milling.
... There are two main successional pathways (towards fen or raised bog vegetation), which depend on the properties of the residual peat layer (Triisberg et al. 2014, Renou-Wilson et al. 2019. Sphagnum and ombrotrophic sedges prevail in nutrient-poor (NP) areas while minerotrophic sedges and true mosses are more dominant at more nutrient-rich (NR) milled peatlands (Gagnon et al. 2018, Kozlov et al. 2018, Zając et al. 2018, Renou-Wilson et al. 2019. Vegetation development in NP peatlands is slower than in NR peatlands (Kozlov et al. 2018). ...
... The NR site had higher cover of plant litter, shrub and sedges, and low cover of Sphagnum similarly to mesotrophic peatland in the study by Renou-Wilson et al. (2019) indicating that higher nutrient concentrations in the upper peat layer of restored peatlands lead the succession to vascular plant dominated fen-like vegetation. PFT cover, especially Sphagnum, shrub and forbs, is similar to raised bog vegetation on rewetted NP milled peatlands (Zając et al. 2018, Renou-Wilson et al. 2019) as in the current study. This supports the previous studies relating higher Sphagnum production with higher peat moisture content (Potvin et al. 2015, Paal et al. 2016, Purre & Ilomets 2018, while true mosses (Sottocornola et al. 2007, Purre & Ilomets 2018 and vascular plants (Berendse et al. 2001, Limpens et al. 2003, Malmer et al. 2000 benefit from higher nutrient contents. ...
Milled peatlands in the Northern Hemisphere are frequently restored in order to mitigate negative effects of climate change and to benefit biodiversity. The aims of this study are to analyse the development of vegetation on milled peatlands in Estonia after restoration using the moss layer transfer technique (MLTT), relate the plant functional type cover with peat chemical factors, and study correlations between bryophyte and vascular plant cover on sites with different vegetation composition. Nutrient-poor (NP) Viru and nutrient-rich (NR) Ohtu milled peatlands in Northern Estonia were restored via MLTT between 2006 and 2008. Plant species cover was determined annually or biannually from 2009 to 2018, on permanent plots established during the restoration of both sites. Plant functional type cover was assessed in relation to peat chemical properties and time since restoration. The nutrient status of the restoration site plays a major role in vegetation succession, even if similar restoration methods have been applied. Vascular plant cover, especially evergreen shrubs, increased with time since restoration, while bryophyte (mainly Sphagnum) cover increased at the NP site and decreased at the NR site. At the NR site bryophyte cover decreased with increasing vascular plant cover, while the opposite pattern was observed at the NP site.
... Šādus apstākļus purva veģetācija var "pārciest" atsevišķos sausos gados, taču, ja tie raksturīgi visu laiku, vieta nav piemērota purva augājam. Pazemināts ūdens līmenis ir būtiskākais purva veģetācijas veidošanos ierobežojošais faktors (Gagnon et al. 2018;Zając et al. 2018). Savukārt kūdras tips un tam raksturīgās īpašības, tostarp vides skābums, būtiski ietekmē augāja sugu sastāvu un sagaidāmo rezultātu ilgā laikā (Poschlod et al. 2007;. ...
2016.–2018. gadā LIFE Restore projektā veikta veģetācijas inventarizācija 32 kūdras ieguves ietekmētās teritorijās. Apmeklētas teritorijas, kur kūdra iegūta gan ar karjeru, gan griešanas, gan frēzēšanas metodi. Dokumentēti teritorijās raksturīgie veģetācijas tipi, novērtēta meliorācijas sistēmu ietekme, mitruma apstākļi un citi ietekmējošie faktori. LIFE Restore inventarizācijas rezultāti papildināti ar citu Latvijā veiktu līdzīgu pētījumu datiem, tādējādi nodaļa ietver rezultātus no 39 teritorijām visā Latvijā. Konstatēti vairāki veģetācijas pašatjaunošanās scenāriji, kuri nodalīti pēc palikušā kūdras slāņa
ominējošām īpašībām, kūdras ieguves metodes, mitruma apstākļiem un katrs ietver vairākas veģetācijas attīstības stadijas. Kopumā rezultāti raksturo veģetācijas pašatjaunošanās gaitu dažādos apstākļos Latvijā. Galvenie faktori, kas nosaka veģetācijas raksturu kūdras ieguves ietekmētās teritorijās, ir ūdens līmenis, palikušās kūdras tips un tās fizikāli ķīmiskās īpašības, kā arī ūdens hidroķīmiskie rādītāji ūdenstilpēs. Purva veģetācijas un līdz ar to arī kūdras uzkrāšanās procesa atjaunošanās iespējama tikai mitros apstākļos, kas ir būtiski arī, plānojot renaturalizāciju, lai atjaunotu purva ekosistēmas funkcijas – oglekļa uzkrāšanu, ūdens un vielu aprites regulēšanu un augsnes veidošanos.
Inventarizācijas rezultāti izmantoti, lai vērtētu renaturalizācijas iespējas un būtiskos faktorus, kurus, plānojot purvu veģetācijas atjaunošanu kūdras ieguves ietekmētās teritorijās, būtu jāņem vērā, lai rezultāts būtu sekmīgs. Par renaturalizāciju nevar uzskatīt teritorijas atstāšanu veģetācijas dabiskai attīstībai, ja netiek likvidēta meliorācijas sistēmas ietekme.
... The least humid birch bog patches were located in Roby (R1-3) and Niewiadów (N2). They were richer in N-NO 3 than N-NH 4 , which could be a symptom of unfavourable changes toward habitat drying [55][56][57]. This phenomenon may be also suggested by the presence of single juvenile Quercus robur individuals [58] recorded in patches R1 and R3, where moor grass was also found, as well as in R2. ...
... Former peat extraction pits constitute secondary habitat for birch bog and it may thrive in them only when the high water level is not maintained in this habitat, otherwise Betula pubescens will gradually wither, and under favorable conditions succession may have the direction of moss community restoration. Expansion of forest vegetation is determined by the groundwater level in the bog and the air availability in the upper peat layer [57,59]. For the normal development of the root system, trees require more than a 10% share of peat pores to be filled with air [59]. ...
Birch bog is formed on the margins of or within raised bogs, on secondary habitats. The study aim was to understand the vegetation and mycological diversity of birch bog on the background of habitat conditions on raised bogs subject to anthropogenic changes, including 15 areas located on seven bogs. Two of the analyzed areas were located on a peat bog not subject to human impact. Phytosociological and mycosociological relevés were taken and substrate analyses were carried out (pH, humidity, N-NH4, N-NO2, N-NO3 and P-PO4). Based on habitat predictors, two area groups were distinguished, differing primarily in humidity. More humid habitats were present on the margins of bogs, and were characterized by lower acidity and higher N-NH4 and P-PO4 abundance. Despite the fact they were enriched by runoffs from the neighboring arable fields, this was not always reflected in the plant and fungi species richness. Quercus robur appeared on less humid habitats, which may be a symptom of unfavorable changes toward habitat drying. In the majority of cases, changes in the habitat independent of the birch patches located and the human impact type are not yet reflected in the vegetation. However, they may be indicated by the fungal diversity, highest in former peat extraction pits, and lowest in pristine peat.
After drainage for forestry and agriculture, peat extraction is one of the most important causes of peatland degradation. When peat extraction is ceased, multiple after-use options exist, including abandonment, restoration, and replacement (e.g., forestry and agricultural use). However, there is a lack of a global synthesis of after-use research. Through a systematic review of 356 peer-reviewed scientific articles, we address this research gap and examine (1) what after-use options have been studied, (2) what the studied and recognized impacts of the after-use options are, and (3) what one can learn in terms of best practices and research gaps. The research has concentrated on the impacts of restoration (N = 162), abandonment (N = 72), and replacement (N = 94), the latter of which consists of afforestation (N = 46), cultivation (N = 34) and creation of water bodies (N = 14). The studies on abandonment, restoration, and creation of water bodies have focused mostly on analyzing vegetation and greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes, while the studies assessing afforestation and cultivation sites mostly evaluate the provisioning ecosystem services. The studies show that active restoration measures speed-up vegetation recolonization on bare peat areas, reduce GHG emissions and decrease negative impacts on water systems. The most notable research gap is the lack of studies comparing the environmental and social impacts of the after-use options. Additionally, there is a lack of studies focusing on social impacts and downstream hydrology, as well as long-term monitoring of GHG fluxes. Based on the reviewed studies, a comparison of the impacts of the after-use options is not straightforward. We emphasize a need for comparative empirical research in the extracted sites with a broad socio-ecological and geographical context.
Peat extraction leads to the formation of areas with altered habitat conditions in comparison to natural peatlands. Restoration of the peat-formation process in these areas is very difficult and requires the creation of suitable conditions for the growth of peatland species. The aim of the study was to analyse the habitat requirements of bryophytes and vascular plants growing on sites of peat extraction (30 and 40 years after extraction was terminated) and to determine whether the water level influences the growth conditions of plants directly or indirectly through changes in the peat physical, hydraulic and chemical properties. Analysing all factors together revealed that the average water level had a decisive influence on bryophytes, but a statistically significant increase in the percentage of variation explained was obtained by taking into account other parameters as well (proportion of macropores, carbon content, and pH). In the case of vascular plants the analysis showed that the water table coefficient included the effects of all of the other factors analysed, and taking them into account did not increase the percentage of variation explained. The two groups of plants use different resources of the environment.
