Investigating regeneration in a raised ombrotrophic bog after peat extraction
Wiese, Kathryn (author) Ashley, Ken (thesis advisor) British Columbia Institute of Technology School of Construction and the Environment (Degree granting institution) Simon Fraser University Faculty of Environment (Degree granting institution)
Dissertation/thesis
© Kathryn Wiese, 2019. All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright heron may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means – graphics, electronic, or mechanical including photocopying, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems – without written permission of the author.http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
British Columbia Institute of Technology
2019-04-12
101 pages
Burns Bog is a raised ombrotrophic bog in Delta, British Columbia and faced with myriad disturbances. This study is focused on the impact and restoration of peat extraction by the Atkins-Durbrow Hydropeat method. Depth to water table, relative abundance and distribution of vegetation, and the degree of peat decomposition at consistent-depth intervals were investigated to elucidate the status of passive and active ecological restoration in three fields previously harvested for peat approximately one decade apart and compared to a fourth unharvested field. Summary statistics, Redundancy Analysis, and regression were used to compare restoration status and trends in hydrology, vegetation composition, and peat accumulation. A lag period between cessation of harvest and implementation of restoration, coupled with rapid anthropogenic climate change, serve as impediments to restoration here. Intervention in the form of improved rainfall retention, assisted recolonization, and the introduction of nurse species are recommended to improve bog function and resiliency.
Atkins-Durbrow Hydropeat method Ditch blocking Ecological restoration Peat extraction Raised ombrotrophic bog Burns Bog
Restoration ecology
School of Construction and the Environment
electronic
Burns Bog (B.C.)
Master of Science
