Title: Unfolding a peatland’s story: Assessing the restoration outcomes and driving factors from a disturbed minerotrophic peatland in Eastern Canada
Citation: Data will be made available on request.
Study Site: Bic-Saint-Fabien peatland, St-Lawrence Lowlands, Québec
Purpose: The peatland restoration method, the Moss Layer Transfer Technique (MLTT), has been successfully developed and implemented to restore Sphagnum-dominated peatlands in North America. The efficiency of an adapted version of the MLTT using fen plants for minerotrophic (fen) peatland restoration has shown mixed results, especially regarding the recovery of bryophytes. Additionally, due to differences in peat extraction histories, disturbances, restoration techniques, and desired ecological outcomes, European approaches cannot be directly applied to North American peatlands. It has been suggested that active rewetting alone could ensure fen plant regeneration post-restoration. As there is a growing interest in the minerotrophic peatland restoration, fen restoration methods after peat extraction needs to be refined, and the management process stands in need of new approaches. This study presents the first case of an ecosystem-scale fen restoration project in Canada at an industrial peat extraction site.
Abstract: It was restored in the province of Quebec in 2009, testing three different restoration approaches, including active rewetting only – REW, active rewetting, and peat profiling with vegetation removal – REW + PRO, and a combination of active rewetting, peat profiling with vegetation removal, plus mechanical reintroduction of fen plant material (MLTT) – REW + PRO + PLANT. This study aims to compare the pre- and post-restoration (13 years) plant communities using a BACI design (Before and After Control Impact). It focuses on the recovery of bryophyte carpets and evaluates the return of fen species as well as peatland generalists, marsh-swamps, and upland species.
Supplemental Information Summary: Data will be made available on request.
Research:
Further Info: Aamir Shehzad Khan, Mélina Guêné-Nanchen, Line Rochefort, Unfolding a peatland’s story: Assessing the restoration outcomes and driving factors from a disturbed minerotrophic peatland in Eastern Canada,
Ecological Engineering, Volume 212, 2025, 107496, ISSN 0925-8574, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2024.107496
Status: Complete
Keywords:
reclamation/restoration,
vegetation,
fen,
Geographical coordinates: North: 48.32, South: 48.32 East: -68.83 West: -68.83
Bounding Temporal Extent: Start Date: 2008-01-01, End
Date: 2022-12-31
