Peatland drainage alters soil structure and water retention properties: Implications for ecosystem function and management

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dc.contributor.authorWord, Clayton S.en
dc.contributor.authorMcLaughlin, Daniel L.en
dc.contributor.authorStrahm, Brian D.en
dc.contributor.authorStewart, Ryan D.en
dc.contributor.authorVarner, J. Morganen
dc.contributor.authorWurster, Frederic C.en
dc.contributor.authorAmestoy, Trevor J.en
dc.contributor.authorLink, Nicholas T.en
dc.date.accessioned2022-05-02T17:05:56Zen
dc.date.available2022-05-02T17:05:56Zen
dc.date.issued2022-03en
dc.description.abstractPeatland functions (e.g., carbon sequestration and flora diversity) are largely driven by soil moisture dynamics and thus dependent on interactions between hydrologic regimes and organic soil properties. Understanding these interactions is particularly important in drained peatlands, where drier conditions may alter soil properties with feedbacks to soil water retention and associated ecosystem functions. In this work, we focused on the Great Dismal Swamp (GDS) in Virginia, USA, a historically drained, temperate peatland with ongoing hydrologic restoration efforts. Two distinct soil layers varying in thickness exist at GDS: an upper layer with subangular blocky structure thought to be a result of past drainage, and a sapric lower layer with a massive structure more representative of an undisturbed state. To understand the occurrence and consequences of these distinct layers, we used continuous water table data and analysed soil physical and hydraulic properties to characterize soil profiles at 16 locations. We found significant differences between layer properties, where upper layers had lower fibre and organic matter contents and higher bulk densities. Further, moisture release curves demonstrated lower water retention in upper layers compared with lower layers and key differences in pore structure, with upper layers having higher macroporosity. Upper layers varied in thickness across sampling locations (similar to 0.30 to 1.0 m) with a transition to lower soil layers typically occurring at depths below contemporary water level observations, suggesting that the upper layer may be a result of historical drainage and deeper water table conditions. Yet, upper layers with more frequent saturation exhibited higher water retention and lower macroporosity compared with drier upper layers, thus indicating potential recovery following re-wetting efforts. These findings highlight how past drainage influences soil properties and water retention, with important implications for current management objectives at GDS and other drained peatland systems.en
dc.description.notesThis work was funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Special thanks to Brooke Bass, Gavin Washburn, Karen Balentine, and Daniel Franz for their data collection support and to David Mitchem and Brandon Lester for their laboratory assistance.en
dc.description.sponsorshipU.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceUS Fish & Wildlife Serviceen
dc.description.versionPublished versionen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.14533en
dc.identifier.eissn1099-1085en
dc.identifier.issn0885-6087en
dc.identifier.issue3en
dc.identifier.othere14533en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/109782en
dc.identifier.volume36en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherWileyen
dc.rightsCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internationalen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/en
dc.subjectdisturbanceen
dc.subjectgreat dismal swampen
dc.subjecthydrologic restorationen
dc.subjectmoisture release curvesen
dc.subjectpeatlanden
dc.subjectsoil propertiesen
dc.subjectsoil shrinkageen
dc.subjectwater managementen
dc.titlePeatland drainage alters soil structure and water retention properties: Implications for ecosystem function and managementen
dc.title.serialHydrological Processesen
dc.typeArticle - Refereeden
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten

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