Peatlands represent one of the most important economic resources and abandoned peatlands after mining can be considered as ecological resources by re-vegetation restoration or management. However, some environmental p...Peatlands represent one of the most important economic resources and abandoned peatlands after mining can be considered as ecological resources by re-vegetation restoration or management. However, some environmental problems like particles from peatlands and their effects in the water system have to be characterized. Since centuries, artificial drainage has been a current practice for the mining of peatlands. Mainly mined for horticultural purpose, New Brunswick＇s peatlands--predominantly located in the eastern of the province--cover about 140,000 ha. At the downstream end of the drainage system, the water from peatlands flow into sedimentation basins. Drainage waters are often laden with solid particles. Once they have flowed through the ponds to allow sediment settling, the water is released into the water system. This paper describes the spatio-temporal evolution of suspended solids from 12 New Brunswick drained peatlands. The studied sites were characterized by some heterogeneity in the concentration of suspended solids. This study also provides knowledge on the suspended solids amount that can be released by drained peatlands, and it proposes a function to estimate the concentration of suspended solids by using climate variables; and identifies some potential ecological risks.展开更多
文摘Peatlands represent one of the most important economic resources and abandoned peatlands after mining can be considered as ecological resources by re-vegetation restoration or management. However, some environmental problems like particles from peatlands and their effects in the water system have to be characterized. Since centuries, artificial drainage has been a current practice for the mining of peatlands. Mainly mined for horticultural purpose, New Brunswick＇s peatlands--predominantly located in the eastern of the province--cover about 140,000 ha. At the downstream end of the drainage system, the water from peatlands flow into sedimentation basins. Drainage waters are often laden with solid particles. Once they have flowed through the ponds to allow sediment settling, the water is released into the water system. This paper describes the spatio-temporal evolution of suspended solids from 12 New Brunswick drained peatlands. The studied sites were characterized by some heterogeneity in the concentration of suspended solids. This study also provides knowledge on the suspended solids amount that can be released by drained peatlands, and it proposes a function to estimate the concentration of suspended solids by using climate variables; and identifies some potential ecological risks.
