Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - The impact of drain blocking on an upland blanket bog during storm and drought events, and the importance of sampling-scale
AU - Wilson, Lorraine
AU - Wilson, Jared
AU - Holden, Joseph
AU - Johnstone, Ian
AU - Armstrong, Alona
AU - Morris, Michael
PY - 2011/7/11
Y1 - 2011/7/11
N2 - Organic carbon solution and transport processes which occur during periods of heavy rainfall and periods or little or no rainfall, can exert a significant control over a systems' annual organic carbon budget. In addition, either or both extremes can be key contributors to contaminant release, water discolouration, flood risk or vegetation growth. Although there is an increasing body of work studying hydrological responses to peatland restoration, there are very little available data on the performance of restored peatlands during these key periods. This study builds on previous work from an upland peatland in Wales that has been restored through drain-blocking, and presents evidence from a landscape scale experimental study at the site. A comparison of sampling scales within the study demonstrates the necessity of larger spatial scales, in combination with high resolution datasets, in assessing catchment level responses. Our results suggest that drain blocking leads to higher and more stable water tables that are able to better resist drought periods, and thus lead to more stable discharge from the system. The shallower water tables and pooling in drains also appear to reduce the production and transport of fluvial organic carbon, and thus less organic material is available to be released as during peak flow or dry periods. Despite restoration apparently reducing the available water storage within the peat, the increase in overland flow and in pooling within blocked drains appears to have led to a less flashy system. Peak flow responses in both drains and upland streams are less severe, with more rainfall being retained within the bog. We suggest that restoration leads to a more buffered system, with more moderate responses to extreme events, and reduced release of both dissolved and particulate organic carbon. We discuss the implications of this for fluxes of fluvial organic carbon and sediment loss. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
AB - Organic carbon solution and transport processes which occur during periods of heavy rainfall and periods or little or no rainfall, can exert a significant control over a systems' annual organic carbon budget. In addition, either or both extremes can be key contributors to contaminant release, water discolouration, flood risk or vegetation growth. Although there is an increasing body of work studying hydrological responses to peatland restoration, there are very little available data on the performance of restored peatlands during these key periods. This study builds on previous work from an upland peatland in Wales that has been restored through drain-blocking, and presents evidence from a landscape scale experimental study at the site. A comparison of sampling scales within the study demonstrates the necessity of larger spatial scales, in combination with high resolution datasets, in assessing catchment level responses. Our results suggest that drain blocking leads to higher and more stable water tables that are able to better resist drought periods, and thus lead to more stable discharge from the system. The shallower water tables and pooling in drains also appear to reduce the production and transport of fluvial organic carbon, and thus less organic material is available to be released as during peak flow or dry periods. Despite restoration apparently reducing the available water storage within the peat, the increase in overland flow and in pooling within blocked drains appears to have led to a less flashy system. Peak flow responses in both drains and upland streams are less severe, with more rainfall being retained within the bog. We suggest that restoration leads to a more buffered system, with more moderate responses to extreme events, and reduced release of both dissolved and particulate organic carbon. We discuss the implications of this for fluxes of fluvial organic carbon and sediment loss. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
KW - Water table depth
KW - Water colour
KW - DOC CONCENTRATION
KW - Climate change mitigation
KW - RESTORATION
KW - Flood risk
KW - DOC
KW - RAINFALL SIMULATION
KW - DISSOLVED ORGANIC-CARBON
KW - RUNOFF GENERATION
KW - DRY SUMMER
KW - WATER
KW - INDUCED ACIDIFICATION
KW - POC
KW - PEAT CATCHMENTS
KW - VEGETATION
U2 - 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2011.04.030
DO - 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2011.04.030
M3 - Journal article
VL - 404
SP - 198
EP - 208
JO - Journal of Hydrology
JF - Journal of Hydrology
SN - 0022-1694
IS - 3-4
ER -