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Peat, Water and Plant Tissue Chemistry Monitoring: A Seven-Year Case-Study in a Restored Peatland

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Abstract

Following ecosystem-scale restoration of a post-harvested bog in Eastern Canada, a long term monitoring program was set up. Peat, water and plant chemistry data were collected during 7 years in a restored peatland, an adjoining post-harvested non-restored peatland, and in a neighboring natural peatland to determine the potential of chemistry data for evaluating of restoration success over time. We used a multivariate Principal Response Curves (PRC) approach to study the temporal evolution of peat, water, and plant tissue chemistry. Nitrogen, iron, and sodium were the most responsive elements to restoration in the peat. Water chemistry was still different between natural and restored sections 7 years after restoration, but the difference was not constant over the growing season. The analyses of plant tissue chemistry provided useful information related to fundamental processes (nutrient retention/leaching, plant nutrition). Among other, it highlighted P deficiencies in the non-restored section, and nutrient replenishment in the restored plant tissues. P levels appear to be a good indicator of restoration success and should be used routinely in monitoring studies. Since the three plants species tested in this study displayed different responses to restoration, we also recommend targeting key species or functional groups for monitoring.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Suzanne Campeau, Claire Boismenu, Stéphanie Boudreau and Rémy Pouliot for assistance in the field, Alain Brousseau for laboratory chemical analyses, and anonymous reviewers for helpful comments. This project was funded by NSERC as part of the Industrial Research Chair in Peatland management, and with a NSERC scholarship to RA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Sciences, Peatland Ecology Research Group (PERG), Université Laval, 2425 rue de l’Agriculture, Quebec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada

    Roxane Andersen, Line Rochefort & Monique Poulin

  2. Soils group, The Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB158QH, Scotland, UK

    Roxane Andersen

  3. Centre d’Études Nordique (CEN), Université Laval, Pavillon Abitibi-Price, 2405, rue de la Terrasse, Quebec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada

    Roxane Andersen, Line Rochefort & Monique Poulin

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  1. Roxane Andersen
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  2. Line Rochefort
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Correspondence to Roxane Andersen.

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Andersen, R., Rochefort, L. & Poulin, M. Peat, Water and Plant Tissue Chemistry Monitoring: A Seven-Year Case-Study in a Restored Peatland. Wetlands 30, 159–170 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-009-0015-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-009-0015-0

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