Effects of clear-cutting and site preparation on water quality from a drained Scots pine mire in southern Finland
Ditch outflow from four treatment areas on a drained Scots pine mire was sampled for one year before and four years after clear-cutting and different site preparation operations. Ditch-mounding, or excavation of 40–60 cm deep ditches at spacings of 12–15 m in connection with mounding, is currently c...
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| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
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Boreal Environment Research Publishing Board
2024
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10138/578185 |
| Summary: | Ditch outflow from four treatment areas on a drained Scots pine mire was sampled for one year before and four years after clear-cutting and different site preparation operations. Ditch-mounding, or excavation of 40–60 cm deep ditches at spacings of 12–15 m in connection with mounding, is currently considered the most reliable site preparation method for drained peatlands in Finland. High leaching rates of suspended solids were detected from the ditch-mounding area, where the ditches reached down into the mineral soil below peat layer. In contrast to clear-cutting + mounding (without ditches) and clear-cutting alone, cutting and ditch-mounding also increased the leaching of ammonium and nitrate. Phosphorus concentrations in ditch outflow following clear-cutting and site preparation increased from areas where peat contents of phosphorus sorbing minerals (aluminium and iron) were low. The study demonstrated that clear-cutting and site preparation can significantly impair water quality from drained low productive pine mires. |
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