DOMESTIC WASTEWATER TREATMENT BY PEATLANDS IN A NORTHERN CLIMATE: A WATER QUALITY STUDY1

ABSTRACT: The use of peatlands as the main form of wastewater treatment in a northern climate was studied for the James Bay Energy Society. The Fontanges campsite (70° 17′ 30″ W; 54° 34′ 00″ N) was chosen as the study site. In less than 1.5 km from the point of discharge BOD₅, COD, total hardness, inorganic carbon, orthophosphates, total phosphorus, ammonia and total nitrogen were reduced by at least 90 percent. The peatland treatment system studied is divided into four components, each having a specific function. The first part combines the action of microorganisms and adsorption on peat, thus reducing the organic content while increasing the inorganic constituents. The second part uses peat to adsorb the inorganic elements already present in the wastewater and those produced in the first part of the system. The third component acts as an aerator, increasing the dissolved oxygen and decreasing the BOD₅ levels of the water. The fourth part removes most of the remaining nutrients, thus acting like a tertiary treatment. Overall, peatlands seemed to be effective in treating domestic settled wastewater in a cold climate.     

三江平原泥炭沼泽孔隙水甲烷浓度变化动态及其影响因子

湿地土壤孔隙水甲烷浓度变化动态对于揭示湿地碳循环过程具有重要作用.于2012年和2013年对三江平原毛苔草泥炭沼泽不同土壤深度孔隙水甲烷浓度的季节变化动态进行监测,并分析了其关键影响因子.结果表明:植物生长季孔隙水甲烷浓度呈单峰变化趋势,不同土层甲烷浓度峰值(80.45~490.95μmol·L-1)主要集中在湿润的生长季末,但年际间存在显著差异;从土壤剖面来看,土壤融通之后,孔隙水中甲烷浓度随着土壤深度的增加而增加;土壤表层(5 cm和10 cm)甲烷浓度主要受到株高(R2=0.6,p=0.005)和土壤充水孔隙率(R2=0.36,p=0.01)的影响,而深层(20~40 cm)甲烷浓度主要受到土壤温度等因素的综合影响.研究还表明,表层土壤孔隙水甲烷浓度能够解释生长季甲烷排放通量变化的26%~60%,而且短期的极端降雨事件可能不会对甲烷浓度以及甲烷排放产生即时影响,而是出现大约一周的延迟(time lag)现象,这主要取决于实际土壤湿度.     

Carbon dioxide and methane emission from subsurface peatlands and its controlling factors北大核心CSCD

Peatland is an efficient carbon dioxide (CO2) sink on the continent and plays an important role in global carbon cycle. Climate change and human activities, two of the notable global environmental issues, have accelerated the degradation of peatlands during recent years. Global warming will increase the rate of aerobic decomposition in the surface of peatlands. Carbon stored in the subsurface of peatlands will be metabolized if the climatic conditions become favorable for decomposition. This study reviewed the carbon circle of subsurface peatland in natural environment and in environments disturbed by human activity or climate change. Furthermore, the major factors (environmental and human factors) that affect the carbon cycle were also discussed. According to a previous study, subsurface peatland will rapidly participate in the carbon cycle when the peatland is degraded. Water level, vegetation, and temperature were the main natural factors affecting the carbon cycle, whereas drainage, farming, and grazing were the main anthropogenic factors. Further studies should focus on different soil layer carbon dynamics, inorganic carbon content, and conservation and restoration of peatlands. The study methods should be a combination of macro with micro scale and focus on developing deep peat research techniques. Most of the previous studies focused on greenhouse gas emission and their response factors in short-term experiments. Thus, the mechanism and process of subsurface carbon are not clear and needs further study. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

泥炭沼泽土壤酶活性对水热条件变化的响应及其与CO_2释放通量的关系——以小兴安岭地区为例

采用实验室培养的方法,研究了小兴安岭地区两类典型的泥炭沼泽:苔草型泥炭沼泽和泥炭藓型泥炭沼泽中几种水解酶活性(β-葡萄糖苷酶、酚氧化酶)对不同温度和水位变化的响应,以及与CO_2释放通量的相瓦关系.结果表明:β-葡萄糖苷酶活性在两类泥炭沼泽中受多种因素制约,在一定湿度范围内受水位控制较明显,当土壤湿度降低到一定程度时,温度对土壤酶活性影响增强.酚氧化酶活性与温度密切相关,但对温度变化的响应存在明显的季节性差异.相对而言,苔草型泥炭沼泽中β-葡萄糖苷酶和酚氧化酶活性显著高于相同培养条件下泥炭藓型泥炭沼泽.总体上,苔草型泥炭沼泽中水解酶活性较泥炭藓型泥炭沼泽中高,但是其CO_2释放通量却低于泥炭鲜型泥炭沼泽,表明与有机碳分解有关的水解酶的活性高低不能作为解释泥炭沼泽CO_2释放通量大小的唯一指标.     

QUALITY OF RUNOFF FROM MINNESOTA PEATLANDS: I. A CHARACTERIZATION1

ABSTRACT The likelihood of expanded use of Minnesota's 3 million hectares of peatlands prompted the state to initiate a hydrologic study to characterize these groundwater-linked systems. Determining the quality of streamflow from these peatlands was an integral part of the study. Peatlands could be differentiated either on the basis of streamflow quality or on soil-vegetation characteristics. The quality of streamflow from 45 undisturbed peatlands was characterized by collecting samples five times in 1979-80 and analyzing them for 27 water quality characteristics. Runoff pH, specific conductance, alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium were used to classify the peatlands as bog, transition, or fen. Bog runoff was lower (α= 0.05) in pH, calcium, sodium, manganese, and ammonia nitrogen than fen runoff, but was higher in acidity, color, aluminum, humic and fulvic acid, and chemical oxygen demand than fen runoff. Bogs had more fibric peat of a lower pH than fens; fens exhibited tall woody shrubs which were virtually absent on bogs.     

QUALITY OF RUNOFF FROM MINNESOTA PEATLANDS: II. A METHOD FOR ASSESSING MINING IMPACTS1

ABSTRACT The impacts of milled peat mining on runoff quality in northern Minnesota were determined using a multiple watershed approach. The frequency distributions of water quality constituents were used to detect whether runoff from a mined bog differed from that of 15 unmined (control) bogs. Peat mining increased water temperature, suspended sediment, specific conductance and concentrations of acidity, iron, sodium, and nitrogen species, although drinking water standards were not exceeded (α= 0.05). The method presented may be applicable for other nonpoint pollution investigations.     

APPLICATION OF ROSGEN ANALYSIS TO THE NEW JERSEY PINE BARRENS1

ABSTRACT: Rosgen analysis, developed for assessing channel stability in streams from the western United States, is applied to the Oswego River watershed in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. The Rosgen method requires calibration to local conditions due to the impact of peat substrates on channel morphology. In particular, the presence of peat induces low width to depth ratios and greater channel confinement, reversing typical downstream morphologic trends observed in other rivers. Therefore peat is added to those substrates already evaluated by Rosgen. A consistent sequence of Rosgen stream types develops along the Oswego River and its tributaries created by spatially overlapping processes of water table emergence, peat development, and channel formation. This sequence delineates a “natural” transition of stream channel morphology downslope through the watershed. First, as the water table reaches the surface of dry sloughs, Sphagnum growth is stimulated and peat substrates result. These substrates have lower permeability than the underlying gravelly sands. Next, surface runoff, through braided pathways over the peat, eventually erodes mainly anastomosing channels into the peat. Finally, single‐thread channels develop in underlying gravelly sands further downslope. This downslope sequence, expressed as Rosgen stream types, begins generally with DA7 streams arising from dry sloughs. These pass to E7, C7 or DA5 stream types that in turn pass to B5c, C5 and C4 stream types. Departures from the “natural” stream type sequence occur along the course of the Oswego and its tributaries due to human activities such as the construction of dams, bridges and drainage ditches, stream bank erosion at streamside camping and picnic areas and the clear‐cutting of adjacent stands of Atlantic white cedar.     

Application of agroforestry business models to tropical peatland restoration

Indonesia is home to around 45% of the world’s tropical peatlands which continue to be degraded on a large scale by deforestation, drainage and fire, contributing massively to global GHG emissions. Approaches to restoring the peat–water balance and reducing emissions in peat hydrological units, through managing them based either on full protection or large-scale commercial production, have generally failed to address environmental and local community needs. We present published and unpublished findings pointing to the need for an integrated peatland protection and restoration strategy based first on raising water levels in degraded (drained) peatlands and maintaining them in forested peatlands, thus, reducing GHG emissions. Second, the strategy incorporates ecologically sound agroforestry business models that strengthen livelihoods of smallholders and so sustain their interest in sustainably managing the peatlands. In this paper, we focus on the second element of this strategy in Indonesia. Eight agroforestry business models are proposed based on their merits to attract both smallholders and commercial investors as well as their compatibility with hydrological rehabilitation of the peatlands. While financial returns on investment will vary across sites and countries, our analysis indicates that some models can be profitable over both short and longer time periods with relatively low levels of investment risk.     

三江平原泥炭沼泽湿地N2O排放通量及影响因子

运用静态暗箱-气相色谱法观测了三江平原毛苔草泥炭沼泽湿地植物生长季N2O排放通量,并分析了其关键影响因子.结果表明:生长季N2O排放通量季节变化动态明显,最大值出现在7月上旬;平均排放通量为76.77μg/(m2·h),高于潜育沼泽湿地[20~60μg/(m2·h), 2002~2005].N2O排放通量与土壤温度存在极显著指数关系(P<0.01),且随土壤深度(土壤10cm以下)的增加相关关系逐渐减弱;与水位呈极显著负相关关系(P<0.01);另外,植被是影响N2O排放的主要生物因子,有植被参与的N2O排放是无植被的1.7倍.总之,水位和土壤温度是控制泥炭沼泽N2O排放呈明显季节变化的主要因素,而土壤水文物理特性的差异是引起泥炭沼泽N2O排放高于潜育沼泽的主要原因.经初步估算,三江平原泥炭沼泽每年植物生长季N2O排放总量约为72.9Mg,表明泥炭沼泽湿地在生长季是重要的N2O潜在排放源.     

FOREST HARVESTING AND WATER: THE LAKE STATES EXPERIENCE1

ABSTRACT: The impact of forests on water has_- been a subject of argument for more than a century. It still is; and many studies conform that there is no single right answer in the debate. In the Lake States, clearcutting natural peatlands will not change annual stream-flow nor will it seriously impact water quality if logging is done on frozen soils. However, clearcutting will cause water tables to fluctuate more, ranging from 9 cm higher to 19 cm lower than in peatlands with mature forests. Clearcutting upland hardwoods or conifers will increase annual strearnflow by 9 to 20 cm (a 30- to 80-percent increase). Streamfiow returns to preharvest levels in 12 to 15 years. Annual peak flows are at least doubled and snowmelt flood-peak increases may persist for 15 years. Water quality is not widely impacted, but operating logging equipment in stream channels will cause channel clogging by filamentous algae and loss of fish habitat. Permanent changes from forest to agricultural and urban land use on two-thirds or more of a watershed will significantly increase the size of flood peaks in the 2- to 30-year return interval storm or snowmelt.