Bog surface oscillation (mire breathing): A useful measure in raised bog restoration

Oscillation of the peat surface is an important mechanism for hydrological self‐regulation in bogs. As the water table rises in the wet season, the peat body expands, raising the bog surface and increasing water storage. With seasonal drying, the water table declines, the peat loses volume, and the bog surface drops, thereby keeping Sphagnum mosses in close contact with the water table. The oscillation of surface elevation in a Pacific coastal temperate raised bog was monitored at multiple sites for 4–12 years in 8 different plant communities of both peat‐harvested and unharvested sites to determine how bog surface oscillation relates to site conditions. The multiyear averages of bog surface oscillation for the different sites ranged from 2 to 34 cm (mean: 10.8 cm). In harvested sites, surface oscillation was linked to a larger water level amplitude and a shallower water table. In unharvested sites, a shallow water table was also a strong predictor of surface oscillation, but water level amplitude was negatively correlated to surface oscillation. This discrepancy was attributed to rewetting and regeneration of harvested sites, as well as historic drainage in many of the unharvested sites that reduced the elasticity of the peat. Surface oscillation differed significantly between some of the plant communities, generally between drier and wetter sites. In disturbed bogs, regeneration of a more elastic surface peat can increase the magnitude of peat volume change and bring about the return of self‐regulating mechanisms. Bog surface oscillation may be an important metric for assessing the restoration success or storage capacity of raised bogs in similar climatic settings.     

Water‐level dynamics in natural and artificial pools in blanket peatlands

Perennial pools are common natural features of peatlands, and their hydrological functioning and turnover may be important for carbon fluxes, aquatic ecology, and downstream water quality. Peatland restoration methods such as ditch blocking result in many new pools. However, little is known about the hydrological function of either pool type. We monitored six natural and six artificial pools on a Scottish blanket peatland. Pool water levels were more variable in all seasons in artificial pools having greater water level increases and faster recession responses to storms than natural pools. Pools overflowed by a median of 9 and 54 times pool volume per year for natural and artificial pools, respectively, but this varied widely because some large pools had small upslope catchments and vice versa. Mean peat water‐table depths were similar between natural and artificial pool sites but much more variable over time at the artificial pool site, possibly due to a lower bulk specific yield across this site. Pool levels and pool‐level fluctuations were not the same as those of local water tables in the adjacent peat. Pool‐level time series were much smoother, with more damped rainfall or recession responses than those for peat water tables. There were strong hydraulic gradients between the peat and pools, with absolute water tables often being 20–30 cm higher or lower than water levels in pools only 1–4 m away. However, as peat hydraulic conductivity was very low (median of 1.5 × 10^?5 and 1.4 × 10^?6 cm s^?1 at 30 and 50 cm depths at the natural pool site), there was little deep subsurface flow interaction. We conclude that (a) for peat restoration projects, a larger total pool surface area is likely to result in smaller flood peaks downstream, at least during summer months, because peatland bulk specific yield will be greater; and (b) surface and near‐surface connectivity during storm events and topographic context, rather than pool size alone, must be taken into account in future peatland pool and stream chemistry studies.     

Peat depth as a control on Sphagnum moisture stress during seasonal drought

Peatlands are globally important long-term sinks of carbon, however there is concern that enhanced peat decomposition and moss moisture stress due to climate change mediated drought will reduce moss productivity making these ecosystems vulnerable to carbon loss and associated long-term degradation. Peatlands are resilient to summer drought moss stress because of negative ecohydrological feedbacks that generally maintain a wet peat surface, but where feedbacks may be contingent on peat depth. We tested this ‘survival of the deepest’ hypothesis by examining water table (WT) position, near-surface moisture content, and soil water tension in peatlands that differ in size, peat depth, and catchment area during a summer drought. All shallow sites (<40 cm depth) lost their WT (i.e., the groundwater well was dry) for considerable time during the drought period. Near-surface soil water tension increased dramatically at shallow sites following WT loss, increasing ~5–7.5× greater at shallow sites compared to deep sites (≥40 cm depth). During a mid-summer drought intensive field survey, we found that 60–67% of plots at shallow sites exceeded a 100 mb tension threshold used to infer moss water stress. Unlike the shallow sites, tension typically did not exceed this 100 mb threshold at the deep sites. Using species dependent water content – chlorophyll fluorescence thresholds and relations between volumetric water content and WT depth, Monte Carlo simulations suggest that moss had nearly twice the likelihood of being stressed at shallow sites (0.38 ± 0.24) compared to deep sites (0.22 ± 0.18). This study provides evidence that mosses in shallow peatland may be particularly vulnerable to warmer and drier climates in the future, but where species composition may play an important role. We argue that a critical ‘threshold’ peat depth specific for different hydrogeological and hydroclimatic regions can be used to assess what peatlands are especially vulnerable to climate change mediated drought.     

Water balance of a burned and unburned forested boreal peatland

We examined the water balance of a forested ombrotrophic peatland and adjacent burned peatland in the boreal plain of western Canada over a 3‐year period. Complete combustion of foliage and fine branches dramatically increased shortwave radiation inputs to the peat surface while halting all tree transpiration at the burned site. End‐of‐winter snowpack was 7–25% higher at the burned site likely due to decreased ablation from the tree canopy at the unburned site. Shrub regrowth at the burned site was rapid post‐fire, and shading by the shrub canopy in the burned site approached that of the unburned site within 3 years after fire. Site‐averaged surface resistance to evaporation was not different between sites, though surface resistance in hollows was lower in the burned site. Water loss at both burned and unburned sites is largely driven by surface evaporative losses. Evaporation at the burned site marginally exceeded the sum of pre‐fire transpiration and interception at the unburned site, suggesting that evapotranspiration during the growing season was 20–40 mm greater at the burned peatland. Although the net change in water storage during the growing season was largely unchanged by fire, the lack of low‐density surface peat in the burned site appears to have decreased specific yield, leading to greater water table decline at the burned site despite similar net change in storage. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Moisture dynamics and hydrophysical properties of a transplanted acrotelm on a cutover peatland

The natural carbon storage function of peatland ecosystems can be severely affected by the abandonment of peat extraction, influencing peatland drainage, leading to large and persistent sources of atmospheric CO₂. Moreover, these cutover peatlands have a low and variable water table position and high tension at the surface, creating harsh ecohydrological conditions for vegetation re‐establishment, particularly peat forming Sphagnum moss. Standard restoration techniques aim to restore the peatland to a carbon accumulating system through various water management techniques to improve hydrological conditions and by reintroducing Sphagnum at the surface. However, restoring the hydrology of peatlands can be expensive due to the cost of implementing the various restoration techniques. This study examines a peat extraction‐restoration technique where the acrotelm is preserved and replaced directly on the cutover peat surface. An experimental peatland adopting this acrotelm transplant technique had both a high water table and peat moisture conditions providing sufficient water at the surface for Sphagnum moss. Average water table conditions were higher at the experimental site (?8·4 ± 4·2 cm) compared to an adjacent natural site (?12·7 ± 6·0 cm) suggesting adequate moisture conditions at the restored surface. However, the experimental site experienced high variability in volumetric moisture content (VMC) in the capitula zone (upper 2 cm) where large diurnal changes in VMC (～30%) were observed, suggesting possible disturbance to the peat matrix structure during the extraction‐restoration process. However, soil–water retention analysis and physical peat properties (porosity and bulk density) suggest that no significant differences existed between the natural and experimental sites. Any structural changes within the peat matrix were therefore minimal. Moreover, low soil‐water tensions were maintained well above the laboratory measured critical Sphagnum threshold of 33% (?100 mb) VMC, further indicating favourable conditions for Sphagnum moss survival and growth. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quantification of peatland water storage capacity using the water table fluctuation method

Peat specific yield (S_Y) is an important parameter involved in many peatland hydrological functions such as flood attenuation, baseflow contribution to rivers, and maintaining groundwater levels in surficial aquifers. However, general knowledge on peatland water storage capacity is still very limited, due in part to the technical difficulties related to in situ measurements. The objectives of this study were to quantify vertical S_Y variations of water tables in peatlands using the water table fluctuation (WTF) method and to better understand the factors controlling peatland water storage capacity. The method was tested in five ombrotrophic peatlands located in the St. Lawrence Lowlands (southern Québec, Canada). In each peatland, water table wells were installed at three locations (up‐gradient, mid‐gradient, and down‐gradient). Near each well, a 1‐m long peat core (8 cm × 8 cm) was sampled, and subsamples were used to determine S_Y with standard gravitational drainage method. A larger peat sample (25 cm × 60 cm × 40 cm) was also collected in one peatland to estimate S_Y using a laboratory drainage method. In all sites, the mean water table depth ranged from 9 to 49 cm below the peat surface, with annual fluctuations varying between 15 and 29 cm for all locations. The WTF method produced similar results to the gravitational drainage experiments, with values ranging between 0.13 and 0.99 for the WTF method and between 0.01 and 0.95 for the gravitational drainage experiments. S_Y was found to rapidly decrease with depth within 20 cm, independently of the within‐site location and the mean annual water table depth. Dominant factors explaining S_Y variations were identified using analysis of variance. The most important factor was peatland site, followed by peat depth and seasonality. Variations in storage capacity considering site and seasonality followed regional effective growing degree days and evapotranspiration patterns. This work provides new data on spatial variations of peatland water storage capacity using an easily implemented method that requires only water table measurements and precipitation data.     

The effects of ditch dams on water-level dynamics in tropical peatlands

A significant proportion of tropical peatlands has been drained for agricultural purposes, resulting in severe degradation. Hydrological restoration, which usually involves blocking ditches, is therefore a priority. Nevertheless, the influence of ditch blocking on tropical peatland hydrological functioning is still poorly understood. We studied water-level dynamics using a combination of automated and manual dipwells, and also meteorological data during dry and wet seasons over 6 months at three locations in Sebangau National Park, Kalimantan, Indonesia. The locations were a forested peatland (Forested), a drained peatland with ditch dams (Blocked), and a drained peatland without ditch dams (Drained). In the dry season, water tables at all sites were deeper than the Indonesian regulatory requirement of 40 cm from the peat surface. In the dry season, the ditches were dry and water did not flow to them. The dry season water-table drawdown rates — solely due to evapotranspiration — were 9.3 mm day⁻¹ at Forested, 9.6 mm day⁻¹ at Blocked, but 12.7 mm day⁻¹ at Drained. In the wet season, the proportion of time during which water tables in the wells were deeper than the 40 cm limit ranged between 16% and 87% at Forested, 0% at Blocked, and between 0% and 38% at Drained. In the wet season, water flowed from the peatland to ditches at Blocked and Drained. The interquartile range of hydraulic gradients between the lowest ditch outlet and the farthest well from ditches at Blocked was 3.7 × 10⁻⁴ to 7.8 × 10⁻⁴ m m⁻¹, but 1.9 × 10⁻³ to 2.6 × 10⁻³ m m⁻¹ at Drained. Given the results from Forested, a water-table depth limit policy based on field data may be required, to reflect natural seasonal dynamics in tropical peatlands. Revised spatial designs of dams or bunds are also required, to ensure effective water-table management as part of tropical peatland restoration.     

Assessing DOC export from a Sphagnum‐dominated peatland using δ13C and δ18O–H2O stable isotopes

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) originating in peatlands can be mineralized to carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄), two potent greenhouse gases. Knowledge of the dynamics of DOC export via run‐off is needed for a more robust quantification of C cycling in peatland ecosystems, a prerequisite for realistic predictions of future climate change. We studied dispersion pathways of DOC in a mountain‐top peat bog in the Czech Republic (Central Europe), using a dual isotope approach. Although δ¹³C_DOC values made it possible to link exported DOC with its within‐bog source, δ¹⁸O_H2O values of precipitation and run‐off helped to understand run‐off generation. Our 2‐year DOC–H₂O isotope monitoring was complemented by a laboratory peat incubation study generating an experimental time series of δ¹³C_DOC values. DOC concentrations in run‐off during high‐flow periods were 20–30 mg L^?1. The top 2 cm of the peat profile, composed of decaying green moss, contained isotopically lighter C than deeper peat, and this isotopically light C was present in run‐off in high‐flow periods. In contrast, baseflow contained only 2–10 mg DOC L^?1, and its more variable C isotope composition intermittently fingerprinted deeper peat. DOC in run‐off occasionally contained isotopically extremely light C whose source in solid peat substrate was not identified. Pre‐event water made up on average 60% of the water run‐off flux, whereas direct precipitation contributed 40%. Run‐off response to precipitation was relatively fast. A highly leached horizon was identified in shallow catotelm. This peat layer was likely affected by a lateral influx of precipitation. Within 36 days of laboratory incubation, isotopically heavy DOC that had been initially released from the peat was replaced by isotopically lighter DOC, whose δ¹³C values converged to the solid substrate and natural run‐off. We suggest that δ¹³C systematics can be useful in identification of vertically stratified within‐bog DOC sources for peatland run‐off.     

Seasonal variation in albedo and radiation exchange between a burned and unburned forested peatland: implications for peatland evaporation

Forested boreal peatlands represent a precipitation‐dependent ecosystem that is prone to wildfire disturbance. Solar radiation exchange in forested peatlands is modified by the growth of a heterogeneous, open‐crown tree canopy, as well as by likely disturbance from wildfire. Radiation exchange at the peat surface is important in peatlands, as evaporation from the peat surface is the dominant pathway of water loss in peatlands of continental western North America. We examined shortwave and longwave radiation exchange in two forested ombrotrophic peatlands of central Alberta, Canada: one with (>75 years since wildfire; unburned) and another without a living spruce canopy (1–4 years since wildfire; burned) between the autumn of 2007 and 2010. Above‐canopy winter albedo was nearly two times greater in the recently burned peatland than the unburned peatland. Incoming shortwave radiation at the peat surface was much higher at the burned peatland, which increases the amount of energy available for evaporation. This is especially true for hollow microforms that are generally shaded by the tree canopy in unburned peatlands. Snow‐free albedo was similar between peatlands, although an increase in longwave losses at the burned site resulted in slightly greater net radiation at the unburned site. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Continuous measurement of the depth of water table (inundation) in wetlands with fluctuating surfaces

Assessment of the water table in compressible and/or floating peatland mats requires a remote sensor that can measure simultaneously the elevation of the peat surface and the water level. A simple device, comprising two potentiometers, a float and ‘bog shoe’ was used to measure the water level and peat surface witin 0-3 mm. The water table (depth of water level relative to the peat surface) was then calculated.     

Seasonal and monthly hydrological budgets of a fen‐dominated forested watershed,James Bay region,Quebec

The hydrology of Quebec, Canada, boreal fens is poorly documented. Many peatlands are located in watersheds with impounded rivers. In such cases, their presence influences reservoir inflows. In recent years, some fens have been subjected to an increase of their wet area, a sign that they may be evolving towards an aquatic ecosystem. This dynamic process is called aqualysis. This article presents the seasonal and monthly hydrological budgets of a small watershed including a highly aqualysed fen (James Bay region). The monitoring of precipitation (P), runoff (Q) and groundwater levels (WL) was conducted during the ice‐free season. Three semiempirical equations (Thornthwaite, Priestley–Taylor and Penman–Monteith) were used and compared to calculate potential evapotranspiration. The first two equations, having fewer parameters, estimate higher potential evapotranspiration values than the third equation. The use of pressure‐level gauges installed in wells, for the calculation of peatland water storage, is inconclusive. Swelling of peat, peat decomposition and plant composition could be responsible for nonnegligible amounts of absorbed water, which are not entirely accounted for by well levels. The estimation of peat matrix water storage is potentially the largest source of error and the limiting factor to calculate water balances in this environment. The results show that the groundwater level and the water storage vary depending on the season and especially after a heavy rainfall. Finally, the results illustrate the complexity of water routing through the site and thus raise several questions to be resolved in the future. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Multi‐decadal water table manipulation alters peatland hydraulic structure and moisture retention

A peatland complex disturbed by berm construction in the 1950s was used to examine the long‐term impact of water table (WT) manipulation on peatland hydraulic properties and moisture retention at three adjacent sites with increasing depth to WT (WET, INTermediate reference and DRY). Saturated hydraulic conductivity (K_s) was found to decrease with depth by several orders of magnitude over a depth of 1–1.5 m at all sites. The depth dependence of WT response to rainfall was similar across sites: WT response increased from 1 : 1 at the surface, to 5 : 1 at 50 cm depth. While surface specific yield (S_y) values were similar across all sites, it decreased with depth at a rate of 0.014 cm^?1 in hollows and 0.007 cm^?1 in hummocks. Bulk density (ρ_b) exhibited similar depth‐dependent trends as S_y and explains a high amount of variance (r² > 0.69) in moisture retention across a range of pore water pressures (?15 to ?500 cm H₂O). Because of higher ρ_b, hollow peat had greater moisture retention, where site effects were minimal. However, the estimated residual water content for surface Sphagnum samples, while on average lower in hummocks (0.082 m³ m^?3) versus hollows (0.087 m³ m^?3), increased from WET (0.058 m³ m^?3) to INT (0.088 m³ m^?3) to DRY (0.108 m³ m^?3) which has important implications for moisture stress under conditions of persistent WT drawdown. Given the potential importance of microtopographic succession for altering peatland hydraulic structure, our findings point to the need for a better understanding of what controls the relative height and proportional coverage of hummocks in relation to long‐term disturbance‐response dynamics. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hydrological impacts of seismic lines in the wetland‐dominated zone of thawing,discontinuous permafrost,Northwest Territories,Canada

Intensive seismic exploration in the Northwest Territories began in the late 1960s. Since that time, the legacy of seismic surveys – i.e. straight lines cutting through boreal forest and tundra – has remained visible throughout northern Canada and Alaska. The removal of trees and compaction of the ground surface alter the thermophysical properties of the active (i.e. seasonally thawed) layer to such an extent that the underlying permafrost seriously degrades or even disappears completely. Such a transformation along linear corridors that cut indiscriminately across different terrain types with contrasting hydrological functions has potentially serious implications to the redistribution of water and energy within and among landscape units with feedbacks to permafrost thaw, land cover change and run‐off generation. This paper characterizes the flow and storage of water and energy along a seismic cut line in the high boreal zone of discontinuous permafrost in order to improve the understanding of these processes, their interactions and hydrological implications. As such, this paper lays a conceptual foundation for the development of numerical models needed to predict the hydrological and thermal impact of seismic lines in this sensitive region. We used ground‐penetrating radar and multi‐year ground temperatures and water levels along a seismic line to estimate the degree of permafrost degradation below it. The seismic line studied extends from a permafrost‐free wetland (flat bog), over a permafrost body (peat plateau) and into another permafrost‐free wetland (channel fen). It was found that once thaw had lowered the permafrost table below the ground surface elevation of the flat bog and channel fen, the seismic line forms a hydrological connection between them. It was also shown that during the permafrost thaw process, seismic lines develop a perennially thawed layer (talik) between the overlying active layer and underlying permafrost and that the talik conveys water as a conduit throughout the year. The implications of such drainage through seismic lines and networks on basin drainage in peatland‐dominated regions with discontinuous permafrost are also discussed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Peat deformation and biogenic gas bubbles control seasonal variations in peat hydraulic conductivity

The hydraulic conductivity (K) of peat beneath the water table varies over short (annual) periods. Biogenic gas bubbles block pores and reduce K, and seasonal changes in the water table position cause peat deformation, altering peat pore size distribution. Although it has been hypothesized that both processes reduce K during warm dry summer conditions, temporal variations in K under field conditions have been explained previously by peat volume changes (strain) alone. We determine the effect of both controls on K by monitoring changes in gas content (Δγ), strain and K within a poor fen. Over the growing season, K decreased by an order of magnitude. In the near‐surface peat (0.3–0.7 m), this reduction is more strongly correlated with Δγ, providing the first field‐based evidence that biogenic gas bubbles reduce K. In the deeper peat (0.7–1.3 m), K is correlated principally with strain. However, causality is uncertain because of multicollinearity between strain and Δγ. To mitigate for multicollinearity, we took advantage of a peatland drainage experiment where the water table was artificially dropped at the beginning of the growing season, reducing correlations between strain and Δγ. Δγ remained the primary cause of K variations just beneath the water table at a depth of 0.5–0.7 m, although further down through the peat profile (0.7–1.2 m) changes in K were controlled by strain. We suggest that the larger pore structure of the poorly decomposed peat just below the water table is impacted less by volume changes than that of the more decomposed peat at depth. However, within this poorly decomposed peat, K is reduced by the high gas contents that result from higher rates of methane production. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evidence that piezometers vent gas from peat soils and implications for pore‐water pressure and hydraulic conductivity measurements

Entrapped gas bubbles in peat can alter the buoyancy, storativity, void ratio and expansion/contraction properties of the peat. Moreover, when gas bubbles block water‐conducting pores they can significantly reduce saturated hydraulic conductivity and create zones of over‐pressuring, perhaps leading to an alteration in the magnitude and direction of groundwater flow and solute transport. Some previous researches have demonstrated that these zones of over‐pressuring are not observed by the measurements of pore‐water pressures using open‐pipe piezometers in peat; rather, they are only observed with pressure transducers sealed in the peat. In has been hypothesized that open‐pipe piezometers vent entrapped CH₄ to the atmosphere and thereby do not permit the natural development of zones of entrapped gas. Here we present findings of the study to investigate whether piezometers vent subsurface CH₄ to the atmosphere and whether the presence of piezometers alters the subsurface concentration of dissolved CH₄. We measured the flux of methane venting from the piezometers and also determined changes in pore‐water CH₄ concentration at a rich fen in southern Ontario and a poor fen in southern Quebec, in the summer of 2004. Seasonally averaged CH₄ flux from piezometers was 1450 and 37·8‐mg CH₄ m^?2 d^?1 at the southern Ontario site and Quebec site, respectively. The flux at the Ontario site was two orders of magnitude greater than the diffusive flux at the site. CH₄ pore‐water concentrations were significantly lower in open piezometers than in water taken from sealed samplers at both the Ontario and Quebec sites. The flux of CH₄ from piezometers decreased throughout the season suggesting that CH₄ venting through the piezometer exceeded the rate of methanogenesis in the peat. Consequently we conclude that piezometers may alter the gas dynamics of some peatlands. We suggest that less‐invasive techniques (e.g. buried pressure transducers, tracer experiments) are needed for the accurate measurement of pore‐water pressures and hydraulic conductivity in peatlands with a large entrapped gas component. Furthermore, we argue that caution must be made in interpreting results from previous peatland hydrology studies that use these traditional methods. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reservoirs are hotspots of nitrogen cycling in peatland catchments

This study presents input–output budgets of total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), dissolved organic N (DON) and dissolved inorganic N (DIN) for a reservoir in a peatland catchment in the south Pennines (UK). This site receives high levels of atmospheric inorganic N deposition, in the range of 26 kg N ha^?1 yr^?1. The results show that the reservoir retains ~21 to 31% of the annual TDN input (8806 ± 741 kg N). Approximately 39 to 55% of DON (3782 ± 653 kg N) and 6 to 13% of DIN (5024 ± 349 kg N) were retained/processed. A long water retention time (104 days), average annual pH of 6.5, high concentrations of DIN in the reservoir water and a deep water column suggest that denitrification is potentially a key mechanism of N retention/removal. The results also demonstrate that DON is potentially photodegraded and utilized within the reservoir, particularly during the summer season when 58 to 80% of DON input (682 ± 241 kg N) was retained, and a net export of DIN (~34 kg N) was observed. The findings therefore suggest that DON may play a more crucial role in the biogeochemistry of peat‐dominated acid sensitive upland freshwater systems than previously thought. Reservoirs, impoundments and large lakes in peatland catchments may be important sites in mediating downstream N transport and speciation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The impact of ditch blocking on the hydrological functioning of blanket peatlands

Ditch blocking in blanket peatlands is common as part of peatland restoration. The effects of ditch blocking on flow regimes and nearby water tables were examined in a field trial. After an initial 6‐month monitoring period, eight ditches had peat dams installed 10 m apart along their entire length (dammed), four of these ditches were also partially infilled through bank reprofiling (reprofiled). Four ditches were left open with no dams or reprofiling (open). These 12 ditches and the surrounding peat were monitored for 4 more years. An initial five‐fold reduction in discharge occurred in the dammed and the reprofiled ditches with the displaced water being diverted to overland flow and pathways away from the ditches. However, there was a gradual change over time in ditch flow regime in subsequent years, with the overall volume of water leaving the dammed and the reprofiled ditches increasing per unit of rainfall to around twice that which occurred in the first year after blocking. Hence, monitoring for greater than one year is important for understanding hydrological impacts of peatland restoration. Overland flow and flow in the upper ~4 cm of peat was common and occurred in the inter‐ditch areas for over half of the time after ditch blocking. There was strong evidence that topographic boundaries of small ditch catchments, despite being defined using a high‐resolution Light Detection And Ranging‐based terrain model, were not always equivalent to actual catchment areas. Hence, caution is needed when upscaling area‐based fluxes, such as aquatic carbon fluxes, from smaller scale studies including those using ditches and small streams. The effect of ditch blocking on local water tables was spatially highly variable but small overall (time‐weighted mean effect <2 cm). Practitioners seeking to raise water tables through peatland restoration should first be informed either by prior measurement of water tables or by spatial modelling to show whether the peatland already has shallow water tables or whether there are locations that could potentially undergo large water‐table recoveries.     

Fine‐scale characteristics of groundwater flow in a peatland

Fine‐scale dynamics of groundwater flow were studied in a 1·5 ha peatland in central New York. Measurements of the hydraulic head throughout a detailed network of piezometer clusters revealed spatial and temporal variability in the direction of groundwater flow at a very fine (within a few metres) scale of analysis. Within the small wetland, there were areas of groundwater recharge, discharge and lateral flow. Such patterns of groundwater flow frequently reversed or changed due to fluctuations of only a few centimetres in hydraulic head. Specific conductance, deuterium signatures and calcium concentrations of groundwater corroborated the groundwater flow patterns determined with hydraulic head measurements and illustrated the influence of source water chemistry and evaporation on different layers in the peat column. The control of peat chemistry by such fine‐scale groundwater flow may have important implications for plant community composition and diversity in groundwater‐fed peatlands. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Climatic and topographic limits to the abundance of bog pools

On patterned peatlands, open water pools develop within a matrix of terrestrial vegetation (‘ridges’). Regional patterns in the distribution of ridge–pool complexes suggest that the relative cover of these two surface types is controlled in part by climate wetness, but landscape topography must also be an important controlling factor. In this paper, a functional model that relates relative cover of ridges and pools to climate and surface gradient was developed and tested. The model was formulated in terms of a water budget, based on the differential effects of ridges and pools on losses by evapotranspiration and subsurface flow. It predicts a positive relationship between surface gradient and ridge proportion, with a linear effect related to water supply and ridge hydraulic conductivity, modified at high ridge proportion by differences in evapotranspiration between ridges and pools. The limit to patterned peatland distribution occurs where the surface is completely covered by ridges. The model may be sensitive or insensitive to climate differences between localities, depending on whether hydraulic characteristics of ridge peat co‐vary with water supply. To distinguish between these alternative hypotheses, surface gradient and ridge proportion were surveyed along 20 transects in each of three localities in Scotland that differ threefold in net precipitation to pools. The results of the field survey served to reject the climate‐sensitive hypothesis, but were consistent with the climate‐insensitive hypothesis. Analysis of the residuals suggested that variation within localities was related more to topographic control of water supply than to ridge hydraulic conductivity or developmental stage. Hence, within this maritime climate region, the distribution of ridge–pool complexes and the relative abundance of pools are controlled mainly by topographic variables. Field surveys across both maritime and continental regions are required to confirm a subtle climatic effect that allows pools to occur on higher gradients in drier climates than in wetter climates. Further development and testing of the functional model will provide a stronger basis for assessing potential feedback between climate change, peatland surface structure and methane emission from pools. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.