Smeds, Jacob
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Abstract
There is a societal demand to restore drained boreal peatlands for purposes of improving water quality and biodiversity and lowering emissions of greenhouse gases. Restoration measures are costly and neither the effects of drainage nor restoration on biogeochemical processes in the peat, and in downstream environments are well understood. This study assesses how 60-100 years of drainage followed by 6-9 years of restored conditions have changed the physical and chemical peat properties in restored boreal peatlands. Eight pairs of restored and natural peatlands were sampled down to 50 cm (n = 3 for each site). Each of the 50 cm peat cores was sliced into 25 two-centimetre discs, generating high-resolution records of the dry bulk density (BD), organic matter content (OM), C- and N- content, delta 13C, and delta 15N. Peat from the restored sites showed significantly higher BD and lower C:N ratio and OM content than the reference sites. Furthermore, peat from restored peatlands was systematically depleted in delta 13C, and the OM was enriched in C and N. Long-term drainage could cause increased peat decomposition, leaving altered physical and chemical peat properties. For example, the C content in OM increases as the residual peat is enriched in aromatic and aliphatic moieties following decomposition. For the same reason, degraded peat can be delta 13C depleted. Interestingly, differences between the restored and pristine sites were mainly found at 20-50 cm depth. Given the low peat formation rates in nutrient-poor peatlands, the superficial 20 cm peat was potentially recovering from drainage even before restoration.
Keywords
Restored peatlands; Peatland rewetting; Boreal peatlands; Carbon cycle; Nitrogen cycle; Peat properties; Peat decomposition
Published in
Ecosystems
2025, volume: 28, number: 4, article number: 45
Publisher: SPRINGER
SLU Authors
Ehnvall, Betty
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Liu, Tong
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Bertilsson, Stefan
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Nilsson, Mats
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Bishop, Kevin
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Skyllberg, Ulf
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Öquist, Mats
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
UKÄ Subject classification
Physical Geography
Ecology
Publication identifier
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-025-00991-8
Permanent link to this page (URI)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/143143