Authors:
Torbjörn Nilsson, Lars Lundin, Sabine Jordan, Elve Lode, Monika Strömgren
Book:
Proceedings of the 14th International Peat Congress
Venue:
Stockholm
Keywords:
discharge-measurements, low-water-flow, peak-flows
Documentfile:
Nilsson et al 2012: Runoff Changes After Rewetting of a Cutover Peatland in Sweden
Summary:
Theme I. Inventory, stratigraphy and conservation of mires and peatlands
SUMMARY
Continuous discharge measurements were made in outlets from a rewetted cutover peatland (14 ha) and a nearby self-restoring hand-cut mire (22 ha) during nine years. Mainly cotton grass was slowly but successively established over the peatland. Large areas of open water also existed in the rewetted area. The discharge measurements showed that annual runoff from the rewetted cutover peatland were lower compared to runoff from the self-restoring hand-cut mire. This difference could be explained with higher frequency of low flows and lower peak flows from the rewetted cutover peatland.
The low annual runoff from the rewetted cutover peatland was probably caused by water storage in the created wetlands and an increased evapotranspiration. The number of peak flows and their magnitudes were lower from the rewetted cutover peatland compared to the self-restoring hand-cut mire.