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Cavelan A, Faure P, Lorgeoux C, Colombano S, Deparis J, Davarzani D, Enjelvin N, Oltean C, Tinet AJ, Domptail F, Golfier F. An experimental multi-method approach to better characterize the LNAPL fate in soil under fluctuating groundwater levels. J Contam Hydrol 2024; 262:104319. [PMID: 38359773 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconhyd.2024.104319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Light-Non-Aqueous phase liquids (LNAPLs) are important soil contamination sources, and groundwater fluctuations may significantly affect their migration and release. However, the risk assessment remains complex due to the continuous three-phase fluid redistribution caused by water table level variations. Hence, monitoring methods must be improved to integrate better the LNAPL multi-compound and multi-phase aspects tied to the groundwater level dynamics. For this purpose, a lysimetric contaminated soil column (2 m3) combining in-situ monitoring (electrical permittivity, soil moisture, temperature, pH, Eh), direct water and gas sampling and analyses (GC/MS-TQD, μGC) in monitoring well, gas collection chambers, and suction probes) were developed. This experiment assesses in an integrated way how controlled rainfalls and water table fluctuation patterns may affect LNAPL vertical soil saturation distribution and release. Coupling these methods permitted the investigation of the effects of rainwater infiltration and water table level fluctuation on contaminated soil oxygen turnover, LNAPL contaminants' soil distribution and remobilization towards the dissolved and the gaseous phase, and the estimate of the LNAPL source attenuation rate. Hence, 7.5% of the contamination was remobilized towards the dissolved and gaseous phase after 120 days. During the experiment, groundwater level variations were responsible for the free LNAPL soil spreading and trapping, modifying dissolved LNAPL concentrations. Nevertheless, part of the dissolved contamination was rapidly biodegraded, leaving only the most bio-resistant components in water. This result highlights the importance of developing new experimental devices designed to assess the effect of climate-related parameters on LNAPL fate at contaminated sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amélie Cavelan
- Université de Lorraine, CNRS, LIEC, France; BRGM, France.
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Stelling JM, Slesak RA, Windmuller-Campione MA, Grinde A. Effects of stand age, tree species, and climate on water table fluctuations and estimated evapotranspiration in managed peatland forests. J Environ Manage 2023; 339:117783. [PMID: 37058930 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Lowland conifer forests dominated by black spruce (Picea mariana) and tamarack (Larix laricina) typically occur in peatlands in the boreal North American forest with near-surface water tables throughout the year. These forests are ecologically and economically important resources that may be impacted by climate change. However, information characterizing effects of forest disturbance, such as even-aged harvest on water table dynamics is needed to evaluate which forest tree species cover types are most hydrologically susceptible to even-aged harvest and changes in precipitation. We used a chronosequence approach to evaluate water table fluctuations and evapotranspiration across four stand age classes (<10, 15-30, 40-80, and >100-years old) and three distinct forest cover types (productive black spruce, stagnant black spruce, and tamarack) for a period of three years in Minnesota, USA. In general, there is limited evidence for elevated water tables in the younger age classes; the <10-year age class had no significant difference in mean weekly water table depth compared to the older age classes across all cover types. Estimated actual daily evapotranspiration (ET) generally agreed with the water table observations, with the exception of the tamarack cover type where ET was significantly lower in the <10-year age class. Productive black spruce sites that are 40-80-years old had higher evapotranspiration, and lower water table, possibly reflecting increased transpiration associated with the stem exclusion stage of stand development. Tamarack in the 40-80-year age class had higher water tables but no difference in ET compared to all other age classes, indicating that other external factors are driving higher water tables in that age class. To evaluate susceptibility to changing climate, we also assessed the sensitivity and response of water table dynamics to pronounced differences in growing season precipitation that occurred across study years. In general, tamarack forests are more sensitive to changes in precipitation compared to the two black spruce forest cover types. These findings can inform expected responses of site hydrology for a range of precipitation scenarios that may occur under future climate and be used by forest managers to evaluate hydrologic impacts of forest management activities across lowland conifer forest cover types.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Stelling
- University of Minnesota, Department of Soil Water and Climate, Twin Cities, USA.
| | - R A Slesak
- USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Olympia WA, 98512, USA.
| | | | - Alexis Grinde
- Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota-Duluth, Duluth, MN 55811, USA.
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3
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Liu L, Chen H, He Y, Liu J, Dan X, Jiang L, Zhan W. Carbon stock stability in drained peatland after simulated plant carbon addition: Strong dependence on deeper soil. Sci Total Environ 2022; 848:157539. [PMID: 35908690 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Peatlands are vital soil carbon sinks, yet this function is jeopardized by plant carbon which could change the decomposition rate of soil organic carbon, knowing as "priming effect". How the priming effect depends on depth is a critical question in drained peatland given the heterogeneity of soil layers defined by the water table, which include the surface acrotelm, inter-mesotelm and deep catotelm. Here, through incubation, we quantified the response of these three soil layers to addition of 13C-labeled oxalate, glucose, cellulose, or cinnamic acid under anoxic or oxic conditions on the Zoige Plateau in Tibet. Soil carbon in the inter-mesotelm showed the greatest decomposition, with the highest humification index and lowest microbial biomass carbon, while the soil carbon at the surface acrotelm was least decomposed. Under anoxic conditions, exogenous carbon addition reduced CO2 emission by 12.2% at the surface acrotelm but increased by 59.8% in the inter-mesotelm and 23.5% in the deep catotelm. In the inter-mesotelm, oxalate addition significantly increased CO2 emission by 63.9%, while cinnamic acid significantly increased it by 92.9%. In the deep catotelm, cinnamic acid significantly increased CO2 emission by 55.3%. These results suggested that deeper soil organic carbon was more sensitive to plant carbon, particularly complex or recalcitrant carbon, than surface acrotelm soil. Under oxic conditions, carbon addition increased surface soil CO2 emission by 18.9%, and triggered even greater increase at inter-mesotelm and deep catotelm soil, with proportions of 48.3% and 32.0%, respectively. Under both conditions, peat profile CO2 release increased by 17.2-31.4% after exogenous carbon addition, and more than 77.8% of the increase came from the deeper two layers. These findings highlighted the need to take full account of priming effect of deeper soil in order to assess and predict the stability of carbon stocks in drained peatland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liangfeng Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of, Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; Zoige Peatland and Global Change Research Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hongyuan 624400, China
| | - Huai Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of, Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Yixin He
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of, Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; Zoige Peatland and Global Change Research Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hongyuan 624400, China.
| | - Jianliang Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of, Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; Zoige Peatland and Global Change Research Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hongyuan 624400, China
| | - Xue Dan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of, Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; Zoige Peatland and Global Change Research Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hongyuan 624400, China
| | - Lin Jiang
- Zoige Peatland and Global Change Research Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hongyuan 624400, China; Institute of Environment and Ecology, Shandong Normal University, Ji'nan, Shandong 250358, China
| | - Wei Zhan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of, Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; Zoige Peatland and Global Change Research Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hongyuan 624400, China
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Setiawan I, Morgan L, Doscher C, Ng K, Bosserelle A. Christchurch shallow groundwater quality survey dataset. Data Brief 2022; 41:107982. [PMID: 35252497 PMCID: PMC8889349 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2022.107982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Shallow groundwater quality and level across the low-lying coastal city of Christchurch, New Zealand were surveyed at a high spatial resolution (1.3 piezometers/km2) in the spring of 2020. The groundwater quality parameters recorded across 99 piezometers include specific conductance, temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen, following the pumping of approximately three bore volumes. Additionally, 27 out of 99 piezometers were analysed for chloride concentration and alkalinity as calcium carbonate. This dataset is useful to explore shallow groundwater conditions and how these might impact co-existing subsurface infrastructure and ecosystems. Furthermore, this dataset provides a valuable point of comparison against future changes, for example due to increased seawater intrusion, pollution events, or groundwater level rise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Setiawan
- Department of Environment, Society and Design, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand.,Waterways Centre for Freshwater Management, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Leanne Morgan
- Waterways Centre for Freshwater Management, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand.,College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide SA 5001, Australia
| | - Crile Doscher
- Department of Environment, Society and Design, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand.,Waterways Centre for Freshwater Management, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Kelvin Ng
- Tonkin & Taylor Limited, 51 Halifax Street, Nelson 7010, New Zealand
| | - Amandine Bosserelle
- Department of Civil and Natural Resources Engineering, University of Canterbury, Ilam, Christchurch, New Zealand.,WSP, 12 Moorhouse Avenue, Addington, Christchurch 8011, New Zealand
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Nawaz A, Raheel Shah SA, Su X, Dar AA, Qin Z. Analytical strategies to sense water stress level: An analysis of ground water fluctuations sensing SDGs under pandemic scenario. Chemosphere 2022; 291:132924. [PMID: 34798116 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Groundwater fluctuation is directly linked with the consumption and wastage of water sources during the pandemic interval. That is why water resource planners directly target water resource and sanitation systems in line with the sustainable development goals (SDGs) concept. In this study, District Multan is designated as a study area with 85 distinct station points data sets from four zones taken to pursue this massive investigation. The data sets are studied analytically and graphically to explore the relationships among critical variables like population, average water consumption, groundwater elevation, water table depth, total consumption, wastage of water during the pandemic days, etc. For in-depth analysis, the statistical approaches are employed on these massive data sets to reveal the trend among each dataset point to generate predictive models. The results revealed that groundwater reservoirs and levels are continuously declining on an annual basis in the meantime, the water consumption and extraction are increasing simultaneously. The consumption during pandemic days has been increased so much at the same time the wastage and total consumption of water is rising a lot in contrast to previous daily consumption and water demand. The coefficient of determination (R-square) values vary from 0.41 to 0.93 in this investigation. It will help the utilization of developed models and water-providing organizations to forecast groundwater instabilities for the future. Moreover, the situation in the study area is very alarming in terms of water stress conditions. This study will help the decision-making agencies to produce a policy following the SDGs concept to control water consumption and higher extraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahsan Nawaz
- College of Civil Engineering & Architecture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
| | - Syyed Adnan Raheel Shah
- Department of Civil Engineering, Pakistan Institute of Engineering & Technology, Multan, 60000, Pakistan.
| | - Xing Su
- College of Civil Engineering & Architecture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
| | - Afzal Ahmed Dar
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xian, China.
| | - Zhongfu Qin
- College of Civil Engineering & Architecture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
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Juez C, Peña-Angulo D, Khorchani M, Regüés D, Nadal-Romero E. 20-Years of hindsight into hydrological dynamics of a mountain forest catchment in the Central Spanish Pyrenees. Sci Total Environ 2021; 766:142610. [PMID: 33071114 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Mediterranean mountain forests play a significant role in hydrological regulation. In this study, hydrological dynamics was examined at different temporal scales in a small mountain forest catchment in the Central Spanish Pyrenees (San Salvador), based on a 20-year dataset (1999-2019). Mean annual runoff coefficient is 0.21, and ranged from 0.02 to 0.58. The catchment has a bi-modal hydrological behavior with two hydrological periods: a dry-period between July and December, and a wet-period between January and June. During the study period, only 108 floods were recorded, suggesting a low responsiveness of the catchment, with a high variable response. Spearman correlation analysis and stepwise multivariate regression suggest that the hydrological response in the San Salvador catchment is mainly depending on water table, with antecedent moisture conditions and rainfall depth as secondary factors. Seasonal differences were also observed: during dry season, the response was mainly related to rainfall depth and rainfall intensity; in contrast in wet season, the response was mainly related to antecedent conditions (previous rainfall and base flow). Thus, the already challenging water resources management in the Mediterranean basin is magnified by the key function of forests as natural modulators of water cycle. Consequently, the study of natural forested catchments is needed and long-datasets have to be analysed to understand the role of natural Mediterranean forest in the hydrological dynamics and its evolution and adaptation in a context of Global Change.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Juez
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPE-CSIC), Campus de Aula Dei, 50080 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - D Peña-Angulo
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPE-CSIC), Campus de Aula Dei, 50080 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - M Khorchani
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPE-CSIC), Campus de Aula Dei, 50080 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - D Regüés
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPE-CSIC), Campus de Aula Dei, 50080 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - E Nadal-Romero
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPE-CSIC), Campus de Aula Dei, 50080 Zaragoza, Spain
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Van De Ven CJC, Scully KH, Frame MA, Sihota NJ, Mayer KU. Impacts of water table fluctuations on actual and perceived natural source zone depletion rates. J Contam Hydrol 2021; 238:103771. [PMID: 33497915 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconhyd.2021.103771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
A viable means of quantifying the rate of natural source zone depletion (NSZD) at hydrocarbon contaminated sites is by the measurement of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) effluxes at the surface. This methodology assumes that gas effluxes are reflective of actual contaminant degradation rates in the subsurface, which is only accurate for quasi-steady state conditions. However, in reality, subsurface systems are highly dynamic, often resulting in fluctuations of the water table. To quantify the effects of water table fluctuations on NSZD rates, a simulated biodiesel spill in a 400 cm long, 100 cm wide and 150 cm tall sandtank was subjected to lowering and raising the water table, while soil-gas chemistry and surface CO2 and CH4 effluxes were measured. Results show that water table fluctuations have both short-term (perceived) and long-term (actual) effects on NSZD rates, interpreted using surface efflux measurements. When the water table was lowered, surface effluxes immediately increased up to 3 and 344 times higher than baseline for CO2 and CH4 effluxes, respectively, due to the liberation of anaerobically produced gas accumulated below the water table. After this immediate release, the system then reached quasi-steady state conditions 1.4 to 1.6 times higher for CO2 than baseline conditions, attributed to increased aerobic degradation in the broadened and exposed smear zone. When the water table was raised, quasi-steady state CO2 and CH4 effluxes declined to values of 0.9 and 0.4 times baseline effluxes, respectively, implying that contaminant degradation rates were reduced due to submergence of the smear zone. The findings of this study show that the dynamic effects of water table fluctuations and redistribution of the contaminants affect surface effluxes as well as short-term (perceived) and long-term (actual) contaminant degradation rates. Therefore, water table fluctuations need to be considered when quantifying NSZD at contaminated sites using sparse temporal rate measurements to estimate NSZD rates for extended periods of time (e.g., annual rates).
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Affiliation(s)
- Cole J C Van De Ven
- University of British Columbia, Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
| | - Keelin H Scully
- University of British Columbia, Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BGC Engineering Inc., 500-980 Howe St, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Mikaela A Frame
- University of British Columbia, Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Natasha J Sihota
- Chevron Technical Center, 6001 Bollinger Canyon Road, San Ramon, CA 94583-2324, United States
| | - K Ulrich Mayer
- University of British Columbia, Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Yenehun A, Nigate F, Belay AS, Desta MT, Van Camp M, Walraevens K. Groundwater recharge and water table response to changing conditions for aquifers at different physiography: The case of a semi-humid river catchment, northwestern highlands of Ethiopia. Sci Total Environ 2020; 748:142243. [PMID: 33113708 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Groundwater recharge estimation, aquifer response to meteorological variables, and evapotranspiration calculations have been performed on a semi-humid catchment, in northwestern Ethiopian plateau. The Soil Moisture Balance (SMB), WetSpass water balance model, Water Table Fluctuation (WTF), and Chloride Mass Balance (CMB) methods are applied to estimate the groundwater recharge. Accordingly, 431 mm, 462 mm, and 477 mm recharge amounts are estimated as mean annual value, respectively, using SMB, WetSpass, and CMB methods. Based on the WTF method, the annual recharge rates of the volcanic aquifers range from 157 mm to 760 mm. The SMB and WetSpass methods are less effective for the flat physiographic area, where the recharge rate is storage controlled rather than precipitation amount. The calculated high recharge for maintain-front aquifers using WTF is attributed to extra rising due to lateral groundwater flow, which restricts the reliability of the method for such aquifer geometries. High groundwater level rising rate (121 mm/day) has been observed for the steeply sloping, low rates (11 mm/day) for the flat floodplain, and intermediate rate (52 mm/day) for the gently sloping volcanic aquifers. Similarly, receding rates of 3.18 mm/day were found for the steeply sloping, 0.40 mm/day for the floodplain, and 1.14 mm/day for the gentle sloping aquifers. The recession, in all of the topographies, is happening with second-order polynomial decay function. A strong connection between the shallow and deep groundwater aquifers is noted. Storage change in the relatively deeper volcanic aquifers is due to vertical groundwater flow from the overlying alluvial aquifer. This indicates that the recharge mechanism is local, and may be the reason for the low aquifer productivity of the Dangila wellfield. Diurnal water table fluctuation is detrended from the receding trend of the dry period, and evapotranspiration from the groundwater is estimated at 28% of total ET.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alemu Yenehun
- School of Earth Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia; Laboratory for Applied Geology and Hydrogeology, Department of Geology, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium.
| | - Fenta Nigate
- School of Earth Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia; Laboratory for Applied Geology and Hydrogeology, Department of Geology, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Ashebir Sewale Belay
- School of Earth Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia; Laboratory for Applied Geology and Hydrogeology, Department of Geology, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | | | - Marc Van Camp
- Laboratory for Applied Geology and Hydrogeology, Department of Geology, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Kristine Walraevens
- Laboratory for Applied Geology and Hydrogeology, Department of Geology, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
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Hu J, Liao X, Vardanyan LG, Huang Y, Inglett KS, Wright AL, Reddy KR. Duration and frequency of drainage and flooding events interactively affect soil biogeochemistry and N flux in subtropical peat soils. Sci Total Environ 2020; 727:138740. [PMID: 32498193 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
With the demand for restoration and future prediction of climate change effects, subtropical peatlands are expected to be subjected to hydrologic regimes with variable duration and frequency of drained and flooded conditions, but knowledge of their interactive effects on soil biogeochemistry and emission of greenhouse gases including nitrous oxide (N2O) is largely limited. The objective of this study was to investigate how the duration and frequency of drainage and flooding events interactively influence soil biogeochemical properties and denitrification and related net N2O production rates following rewetting. Surface soils are susceptible to different hydrologic regimes. Significantly higher pH, extractable organic carbon (ext. OC), ammonium (NH4+-N), denitrification enzyme activity (DEA), but lower nitrate (NO3--N), microbial biomass C and N were observed when the peat soils were under flooded conditions compared to drained conditions. Two-week and four-week drainage or flooding duration did not result in statistically significant differences in soil biogeochemical properties. A 24-week prolonged drainage led to an accumulation of NO3--N and a significantly lower pH. Soil microbial biomass and fungal:bacterial abundance likely increased with the frequency of drainage-flooding cycles. Significant differences in denitrification and net N2O production rates following reflooding were mainly found in the surface soils. Structural equation modeling indicated that hydroperiod and water-filled pore space (WFPS) prior to reflooding is likely to control denitrification and net N2O production through its regulation of NO3--N and activity of microorganisms involved in denitrification while higher drainage-flooding frequency decreases the availability of organic C and NO3--N for denitrification. Our results also suggest high NO3--N and low pH within peat soils caused by prolonged drainage likely leads to a significant N2O emission pulse following reflooding. For peat soils subjected to frequent drainage-flooding cycles, N2O emission pulses following reflooding would decrease with time, attributing to the loss of substrates for denitrification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Hu
- Wetland Biogeochemistry Laboratory, Soil and Water Sciences Department, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| | - Xiaolin Liao
- College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lilit G Vardanyan
- Wetland Biogeochemistry Laboratory, Soil and Water Sciences Department, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | | | - Kanika S Inglett
- Wetland Biogeochemistry Laboratory, Soil and Water Sciences Department, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Alan L Wright
- Indian River Research & Education Center, University of Florida, Fort Pierce, FL, USA
| | - K R Reddy
- Wetland Biogeochemistry Laboratory, Soil and Water Sciences Department, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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Marazuela MA, Vázquez-Suñé E, Ayora C, García-Gil A. Towards more sustainable brine extraction in salt flats: Learning from the Salar de Atacama. Sci Total Environ 2020; 703:135605. [PMID: 31767297 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 11/16/2019] [Accepted: 11/16/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Salt flats are hydrogeological systems with highly valuable wetland and lake ecosystems. The brine pumping carried out to extract lithium is modifying the natural evaporation discharge of salt flats. A methodology to evaluate the impacts caused on water table and evaporation discharge by brine exploitation in salt flats is proposed and applied to the Salar de Atacama. The methodology included field measurements of water table and evaporation rate, followed by its spatio-temporal analysis and the application of the results to a numerical model to improve the brine exploitation design. The spatio-temporal analysis of the water table depth and evaporation rates measured in the field concluded that the evaporation discharge decreased from 12.85 to 10.95 m3·s-1 between 1986 and 2018, that is around 15%. This reduction compensated part of the extractions and could contribute to the preservation of the mixing zone ecosystems. At present, this damping capacity is already amortized in the nucleus and the marginal zone is beginning to be affected by the brine pumping. The sensitivity of the phreatic evaporation on the water table depth justified the great uncertainty of the previous evaporation discharge estimations. Thus, an average error lower than 0.5 m was enough to modify the evaporation by >60%. Therefore, considerable effort should invested to faithfully quantify the discharge by evaporation which is critical in water balance of salt flat basins. The numerical model pointed out that the total pumping outflow should be distributed in the largest possible area. This minimizes the water table drawdown and maximizes the capacity of the evaporation decline to compensate the extractions. The results of this work serve as guidelines to improve the efficiency of future salt flat exploitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Marazuela
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), CSIC, Jordi Girona 18, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Catalonia (UPC), Jordi Girona 1-3, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; Associated Unit: Hydrogeology Group (UPC-CSIC), 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - E Vázquez-Suñé
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), CSIC, Jordi Girona 18, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - C Ayora
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), CSIC, Jordi Girona 18, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - A García-Gil
- Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME), Manuel Lasala 44, 9° B, 50006 Zaragoza, Spain
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Essam D, Ahmed M, Abouelmagd A, Soliman F. Monitoring temporal variations in groundwater levels in urban areas using ground penetrating radar. Sci Total Environ 2020; 703:134986. [PMID: 31760366 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Revised: 10/13/2019] [Accepted: 10/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring temporal variations in groundwater levels provides a key to sustainable freshwater resource utilization and management, sustainable land use, and sustainable crop acreage, yield, and production. This study used ground penetrating radar (GPR) to monitor temporal variations in groundwater levels in urban areas, and to define the factors that control these variations. The city of Ismailia, Egypt, was selected as a test site because it is experiencing a rise in groundwater levels that poses potential environmental risks, and it lacks the groundwater wells necessary for monitoring and mitigation. Three main GPR profiles were collected in summer (July 2017) and winter (March 2018) using a 100-MHz antenna. On the collected GPR data, water table was defined as a continuous linear reflector of high amplitude. The water table appeared at 8.6 m and 9.5 m (below ground surface) in the summer and the winter surveys, respectively. The depths to the water table, as extracted from GPR surveys, are identical to those measured at a nearby water supply. The higher depth to the water table in the winter is related to excessive groundwater extraction and/or exceptional drought conditions and associated baseflow recession. Results highlight the importance of using GPR in urban areas as a unique, significant, practical, comprehensive, and cost-effective tool to image the subsurface and map the temporal variations in depth to the water table.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dina Essam
- Department of Geology, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Ahmed
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, 6300 Ocean Drive, Corpus Christi, TX 78412, USA; Department of Geology, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt.
| | - Abdou Abouelmagd
- Department of Geology, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt
| | - Farouk Soliman
- Department of Geology, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt
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Fayolle E, Follain S, Marchal P, Chéry P, Colin F. Identification of environmental factors controlling wine quality: A case study in Saint-Emilion Grand Cru appellation, France. Sci Total Environ 2019; 694:133718. [PMID: 31398640 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.133718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Soil is a key component of the terroir concept for wine production. Indeed, the soil provides water and nutrients to the vine plants depending on its properties and environmental conditions. A part of the complexity in the production of high-quality wines is the adaptation of the winegrowing practices to soil conditions variability in space and time. Then, a deep understanding of the environmental conditions that modulate soil-plant system functioning and control the production of quality wine is crucial for future global change adaptation. This study aimed to identify environmental factors controlling red wine quality by merging both winemaker and scientist knowledge. This work was performed on a vineyard in Saint-Emilion Grand Cru appellation, France. First, we conducted field investigations for micro-terroir scale soil mapping in 2017, based on pedological prospections (pits and auger borings) and both water table levels and main meteorological parameters monitoring (from November 2017 to November 2018). Additionally, we collected for each vineyard plot the corresponding wine quality rank established each year since 2012 and based on wine tasting sessions supervised by the winemakers. Subsequently we investigated both nutrients and water availability for the vine. This was achieved through correlative analysis using soil description, roots observation and water table level, stratified according to both soil functional units and wine quality ranks maps. Results show that the water table dynamic and the soil texture have a major impact on the root pattern of vines. Our study suggests that explanatory factors for wine quality are interactions between soil-water and roots during vine crop season. Here, best soils for fine wines could be observed for both non-severe water deficit and no-limited nutrient conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etienne Fayolle
- UMR LISAH, Univ. Montpellier, Montpellier SupAgro, Montpellier, France; Antoine Moueix Propriétés, Saint-Emilion, France
| | - Stéphane Follain
- UMR LISAH, Univ. Montpellier, Montpellier SupAgro, Montpellier, France; Agroécologie - AgroSup Dijon, INRA, Univ. Bourgogne, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France.
| | | | | | - François Colin
- UMR LISAH, Univ. Montpellier, Montpellier SupAgro, Montpellier, France
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De Felici L, Piersma T, Howison RA. Abundance of arthropods as food for meadow bird chicks in response to short- and long-term soil wetting in Dutch dairy grasslands. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7401. [PMID: 31565546 PMCID: PMC6743474 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Throughout the world, intensive dairy farming has resulted in grasslands almost devoid of arthropods and birds. Meadow birds appear to be especially vulnerable during the chick-rearing period. So far, studies have focused mainly on describing population declines, but solutions to effectively stop these trends on the short-term are lacking. In this study at a single farm, we experimentally manipulated soil moisture through occasional irrigation, to mitigate against early season drainage and create favorable conditions for the emergence of above-ground arthropods during the meadow bird chick rearing phase. METHODS To guarantee the presence of at least a sizeable arthropod community for the measurement of effects of wetting, we selected a farm with low intensity management. The land use and intensity of the study site and surroundings were categorized according to the national land use database and quantified using remote sensing imagery. From May 1 to June 18, 2017, we compared a control situation, with no water added, to two wetting treatments, a "short-term" (3 weeks) treatment based on wetting on warm days with a sprinkler system and a "long-term" treatment next to a water pond with a consistently raised water table from 2010. We measured soil temperature, soil moisture and resistance as well as the biomass of arthropods at 3-day intervals. Flying arthropods were sampled by sticky traps and crawling arthropods by pitfall traps. Individual arthropods were identified to Order and their length recorded, to assess their relevance to meadow bird chicks. RESULTS The land use analysis confirmed that the selected dairy farm had very low intensity management. This was different from most of the surrounding area (20 km radius), characterized by (very) high intensity land use. The experiments showed that irrigation contributed to cooler soils during midday, and that his happened already in the early part of the season; the differences with the control increased with time. In the short- and long-term treatments, soil moisture increased and soil resistance decreased from the mid-measurement period onward. Compared with the control, cumulative arthropod biomass was higher in the long-term treatment, but showed no change in the irrigation treatment. We conclude that small-scale interventions, such as occasional irrigation, favorably affected local soil properties. However, the effects on above-ground arthropod abundance currently appear limited or overridden by negative landscape-scale processes on arthropods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livia De Felici
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Theunis Piersma
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Coastal Systems and Utrecht University, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Ruth A. Howison
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Schulthess U, Ahmed ZU, Aravindakshan S, Rokon GM, Alanuzzaman Kurishi A, Krupnik TJ. Farming on the fringe: Shallow groundwater dynamics and irrigation scheduling for maize and wheat in Bangladesh's coastal delta. Field Crops Res 2019; 239:135-148. [PMID: 31293293 PMCID: PMC6588229 DOI: 10.1016/j.fcr.2019.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Revised: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Further efforts are needed to combat poverty and agricultural productivity problems in the delta region of Bangladesh. Sustainable intensification of crop production through irrigation and production of cash crops such as maize and wheat might be a promising option to increase income and diversify food production. Only limited research has however been conducted on the potential of using surface water from canals as an irrigation source for maize and wheat production in the delta region. To better understand the contribution of shallow groundwater to crop production and number of irrigations needed for maize and wheat in this unique coastal environment, we conducted multi-locational trials on farmers' fields over three rabi seasons. In addition to soil moisture and salinity, we recorded the depth and salinity of the shallow water table throughout these experiments. Maize in particular requires considerable capital investment for seeds, fertilizer, irrigation and labor. Although farmers express wide interest in maize - which can be sold as a profitable cash crop into Bangladesh's expanding poultry feed industry - many of them are reluctant to invest in fertilizer because of the high entry costs. We therefore also investigated the profitability of growing maize under low and high (recommended) fertilizer regimens. Volumetric soil moisture at sowing and during the grain filling phase or at maturity indicated that there is ample supply of water in the profile. Most measurements were above the drained upper limit (DUL). We attributed this to the generally shallow water table depths, which never exceeded 2.75 m at any location, but generally stayed between 1-2 m depth throughout the season. The region's soil texture classes (clay loams, silt loams and silty clay loams) are all conducive for capillary rise of water into the rooting zone. Consequently, irrigation had a significant effect on maize yield in the driest winter only, whereas for wheat, it had no effect. The key for a successful maize and wheat production in the delta region of Bangladesh is to ensure a good crop establishment, which can be achieved with a starter and an additional irrigation at crown root initiation for wheat and at V6-8 for maize. Maize however is not always profitable. Compared to low fertilizer rates, higher rates reduced losses in low yielding site-years and increased profits in high-yielding site years. This indicates that it is advisable for farmers not to reduce fertilizer rates. Low-risk financial credit with rationally structured interest rates that allow farmers to invest in maize could potentially offset these constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urs Schulthess
- CIMMYT-Henan Collaborative Innovation Center, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, PR China
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and MAIZE CGIAR Research Program, House-10/B, Road-53, Gulshan-2, Dhaka, 1212, Bangladesh
| | - Zia Uddin Ahmed
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and MAIZE CGIAR Research Program, House-10/B, Road-53, Gulshan-2, Dhaka, 1212, Bangladesh
- Research and Education in Energy, Environment and Water. 12 Cooke Hall. University at Buffalo, North Campus, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Sreejith Aravindakshan
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and MAIZE CGIAR Research Program, House-10/B, Road-53, Gulshan-2, Dhaka, 1212, Bangladesh
- Farming Systems Ecology Group, Wageningen University and Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, Wageningen, 6708PB, the Netherlands
| | - Golam Morshed Rokon
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and MAIZE CGIAR Research Program, House-10/B, Road-53, Gulshan-2, Dhaka, 1212, Bangladesh
| | - A.S.M. Alanuzzaman Kurishi
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and MAIZE CGIAR Research Program, House-10/B, Road-53, Gulshan-2, Dhaka, 1212, Bangladesh
| | - Timothy J. Krupnik
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and MAIZE CGIAR Research Program, House-10/B, Road-53, Gulshan-2, Dhaka, 1212, Bangladesh
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15
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Ratcliffe JL, Campbell DI, Clarkson BR, Wall AM, Schipper LA. Water table fluctuations control CO 2 exchange in wet and dry bogs through different mechanisms. Sci Total Environ 2019; 655:1037-1046. [PMID: 30577098 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Revised: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 11/10/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
High water tables (WT) stabilise peatland carbon (C) through regulation of biogeochemical processes. The impact of peatland WT on ecosystem function, including C exchange, alters over time, and the factors that cause some peatlands to display resilience and others to undergo degradation are poorly understood. Here we use CO2 flux measurements, measured by eddy covariance, to compare ecosystem function between two raised bogs; one drainage-affected, with a deep and fluctuating water table and the other near-natural, with a shallow and stable water table. The drainage-affected bog was found to be a moderate sink for CO2 (69 g C m-2 yr-1), which was 134 g C m-2 yr-1 less than the near-natural bog (203 g C m-2 yr-1). Greater ecosystem productivity has allowed the drainage-impacted bog to act as a CO2 sink despite higher ecosystem respiration; most likely due to an increase in photosynthetic capacity caused by expansion of ericaceous shrub cover. The tolerance of the vegetation community, particularly the main peat former Empodisma robustum (Restionaceae), to low and fluctuating WT appears to have been key in allowing the site to remain a sink. Despite the current resilience of the ecosystem CO2 sink, we found gross primary production to be limited under both high and low water tables, even in a year with typical rainfall. This is best explained by the limited physiological ability of ericaceous shrubs to tolerate a fluctuating WT. As such we hypothesise that if the WT continues to drop and become even more unstable, then without further vegetation change, a reduction in gross primary production is likely which may in turn cause the site to become a source for CO2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua L Ratcliffe
- Environmental Research Institute, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Waikato, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand.
| | - David I Campbell
- Environmental Research Institute, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Waikato, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
| | - Beverley R Clarkson
- Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, Gate 10 Silverdale Road, University of Waikato, Hamilton 3216, New Zealand
| | - Aaron M Wall
- Environmental Research Institute, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Waikato, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
| | - Louis A Schipper
- Environmental Research Institute, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Waikato, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
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Saraswati S, Parsons CT, Strack M. Access roads impact enzyme activities in boreal forested peatlands. Sci Total Environ 2019; 651:1405-1415. [PMID: 30360271 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.09.280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Revised: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the impacts of resource access roads on soil enzyme activities in contrasting forested boreal peatlands (bog and fen). In August 2016, a total of 72 peat samples were collected from twelve 20 m long transects perpendicular to access roads, with a further six samples collected from undisturbed reference areas. Sampling locations represent a range in three variables associated with roads: 1) side of the road (upstream/downstream), 2) distance to a culvert (longitudinal; <2 and >20 m), and 3) distance from the road (lateral; 2, 6, and 20 m). Phenol oxidase and hydrolase (glucosidase, sulfatase, xylosidase, glucosaminidase, and phosphatase) enzyme activities were determined for each sample, in addition to water table depth, phenolic concentration, pH, and peat temperature. The average hydrolase activities in the fen were ~four times higher than in the bog. At the bog, the water table depth, phenolic concentration, pH and the activities of phenol oxidase, sulfatase, glucosidase, xylosidase and glucosaminidase were all significantly influenced by one or more road associated factors. The highest enzyme activities in the bog occurred on the downstream side of the road at plots located far from the culvert. In contrast, the flow of water in the fen was not perpendicular to the road. Consequently, no significant variations in water table depth, phenolic concentration, pH or enzyme activity were found with respect to road associated factors. Results indicate that road crossings in boreal peatlands can indirectly alter enzyme activities, likely as part of a causal chain following changes to hydrology and redox conditions. Two of six investigated enzymes had significantly higher activities in the road disturbed areas compared to undisturbed areas, suggesting ultimately that roads may enhance organic matter decomposition rates. However, adequate hydrologic connections through culverts and road construction parallel to the water flow can minimize the road-induced impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saraswati Saraswati
- Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Waterloo, Canada.
| | - Christopher T Parsons
- Ecohydrology Research Group, Department of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sciences and the Water Institute, University of Waterloo, Canada
| | - Maria Strack
- Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Waterloo, Canada
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17
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Williamson J, Rowe E, Reed D, Ruffino L, Jones P, Dolan R, Buckingham H, Norris D, Astbury S, Evans CD. Historical peat loss explains limited short-term response of drained blanket bogs to rewetting. J Environ Manage 2017; 188:278-286. [PMID: 27992818 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2016] [Revised: 12/05/2016] [Accepted: 12/08/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
This study assessed the short-term impacts of ditch blocking on water table depth and vegetation community structure in a historically drained blanket bog. A chronosequence approach was used to compare vegetation near ditches blocked 5 years, 4 years and 1 year prior to the study with vegetation near unblocked ditches. Plots adjacent to and 3 m away from 70 ditches within an area of blanket bog were assessed for floristic composition, aeration depth using steel bars, and topography using LiDAR data. No changes in aeration depth or vegetation parameters were detected as a function of ditch-blocking, time since blocking, or distance from the ditch, with the exception of non-Sphagnum bryophytes which had lower cover in quadrats adjacent to ditches that had been blocked for 5 years. Analysis of LiDAR data and the observed proximity of the water table to the peat surface led us to conclude that the subdued ecosystem responses to ditch-blocking were the result of historical peat subsidence within a 4-5 m zone either side of each ditch, which had effectively lowered the peat surface to the new, ditch-influenced water table. We estimate that this process led to the loss of around 500,000 m3 peat within the 38 km2 study area following drainage, due to a combination of oxidation and compaction. Assuming that 50% of the volume loss was due to oxidation, this amounts to a carbon loss of 11,000 Mg C over this area, i.e. 3 Mg C ha-1. The apparent 'self-rewetting' of blanket bogs in the decades following drainage has implications for their restoration as it suggests that there may not be large quantities of dry peat left to rewet, and that there is a risk of inundation (potentially leading to high methane emissions) along subsided ditch lines. Many peatland processes are likely to be maintained in drained blanket bog, including support of typical peatland vegetation, but infilling of lost peat and recovery of original C stocks are likely to take longer than is generally anticipated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Williamson
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Environment Centre Wales, Deiniol Road, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK.
| | - Edwin Rowe
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Environment Centre Wales, Deiniol Road, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK
| | - David Reed
- Natural Resources Wales, Maes y Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor LL57 2DW, UK
| | - Lucia Ruffino
- Natural Resources Wales, Maes y Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor LL57 2DW, UK
| | - Peter Jones
- Natural Resources Wales, Maes y Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor LL57 2DW, UK
| | - Rachel Dolan
- National Trust, Dinas, Betws-y-Coed LL24 0HF, UK
| | | | - David Norris
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Environment Centre Wales, Deiniol Road, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK
| | - Shaun Astbury
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Environment Centre Wales, Deiniol Road, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK
| | - Chris D Evans
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Environment Centre Wales, Deiniol Road, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK
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Karofeld E, Müür M, Vellak K. Factors affecting re-vegetation dynamics of experimentally restored extracted peatland in Estonia. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2016; 23:13706-13717. [PMID: 26490883 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-5396-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2015] [Accepted: 09/08/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Increasing human activity continues to threaten peatlands, and as the area of natural mires declines, our obligation is to restore their ecosystem functions. Several restoration strategies have been developed for restoration of extracted peatlands, including "The moss layer transfer method", which was initiated on the Tässi extracted peatland in central Estonia in May 2012. Three-year study shows that despite the fluctuating water table, rainfall events can compensate for the insufficient moisture for mosses. Total plant cover on the restoration area attained 70 %, of which ~60 % is comprised of target species-Sphagnum mosses. From restoration treatments, spreading of plant fragments had a significant positive effect on the cover of bryophyte and vascular plants. Higher water table combined with higher plant fragments spreading density and stripping of oxidised peat layer affected positively the cover of targeted Sphagnum species. The species composition in the restoration area became similar to that in the donor site in a natural bog. Based on results, it was concluded that the method approved for restoration in North America gives good results also in the restoration of extracted peatland towards re-establishment of bog vegetation under northern European conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edgar Karofeld
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Lai St 40, Tartu, 51005, Estonia.
| | - Mari Müür
- Natural History Museum, University of Tartu, Vanemuise St 46, Tartu, 51014, Estonia
| | - Kai Vellak
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Lai St 40, Tartu, 51005, Estonia
- Natural History Museum, University of Tartu, Vanemuise St 46, Tartu, 51014, Estonia
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Montemayor MB, Price J, Rochefort L. The importance of pH and sand substrate in the revegetation of saline non-waterlogged peat fields. J Environ Manage 2015; 163:87-97. [PMID: 26301685 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2015.07.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2015] [Revised: 07/08/2015] [Accepted: 07/25/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
A partially peat-extracted coastal bog contaminated by seawater was barren and required revegetation as a wetland. Peat fields were rectangular in shape, cambered in cross-section profile, and separated by drainage ditches. Common to all peat fields were symmetrical patterns in micro-topography with slopes between differences in elevation. Saline non-waterlogged slopes of ∼5% occurred as a symmetrical pair on each side of the crest of the cambered profile, at one end of each peat field. Three rows were laid across this slope (Top, Middle, and Bottom rows) and transplanted with naturally-growing plant species with their sand substrate, in three experiments, and grown for a year. In the Spartina pectinata experiment, bare root stem sections were also planted. Another experiment was conducted to determine changes in the characteristics of a volume of sand when incubated in saline peat fields. We found the salinity of peat increased with moisture downslope, and pH decreased with increase in salinity. S. pectinata grew best when planted with its sand substrate compared with bare root stem section, and when planted in Bottom rows. Juncus balticus had excellent growth in all rows. Unexpectedly, Festuca rubra that was inconspicuous beneath the J. balticus canopy in the natural donor site grew densely within the J. balticus sods. Agrostis stolonifera grew well but seemed to show intolerance to the surrounding acidic peat by curling up its stolons. The pH of the incubated sand volume was much higher than the surrounding peat. These studies suggest that recognition of plant niches and pH manipulation are important in the revegetation of disturbed Sphagnum peatlands that are found abundantly in the northern hemisphere. Results are also relevant to the reclamation of other disturbed lands.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jonathan Price
- Department of Geography, University of Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Line Rochefort
- Department of Plant Sciences, Université Laval, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
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