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Land
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Soil Security of Peatland Ecosystems: Risk Assessment, Pollution Prevention and...
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Soil Security of Peatland Ecosystems: Risk Assessment, Pollution Prevention and Restoration

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land, Soil and Water".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2025 | Viewed by 4939

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Oskars Purmalis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environmental Science, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
Interests: peatlands; organic matter; water ecosystems; invasive plants; environmental technologies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Marios Drosos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Agricultural, Forest, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, Italy
Interests: soil organic matter; environmental science; humic substances; molecular pedology; humeomics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Peatlands with their provided ecosystem services, which can be considered both unique and various, are among the most significant ecosystems. Without the natural support of regulation services and the consideration of the global role of carbon accumulation, humans have utilized peatlands for economic uses such as agriculture, forestry, horticulture, and energy generation, among other uses. These applications can cause major ecosystem disturbances, which occur at a different magnitude from that of human activities and the local conditions. Since peatlands are located in various climatic zones, their properties, vulnerability, and influencing factors are different not only due to anthropogenic activities, but also due to their geographic conditions. Therefore, to enable sustainable biomass usage and perform a successful risk assessment of peatlands, a deep understanding of their restoration functionality is essential. For the above reasons, we introduce this Special Issue: “Soil Security of Peatland Ecosystems: Risk Assessment, Pollution Prevention and Restoration”.

The goal of this Special Issue is to collect papers (original research articles and review papers) that give insights into peatland ecosystems, their sustainable usage, and their role in carbon cycling, as well as those that study restoration technologies and provide a risk assessment of potential influences and anthropogenic activities.

This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link the following themes:

  • Peatland ecosystems and their services;
  • Peat soils;
  • Peatland restoration;
  • Peatland role in carbon sequestration;
  • Peatland degradation;
  • Peatland ecosystems in climate change;
  • Water quality and cycling, and their role in wetlands;
  • Pollution prevention in peatlands;
  • Risk assessment.

We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.

Dr. Oskars Purmalis
Dr. Marios Drosos
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • peatlands
  • soil security
  • restoration
  • peatland ecosystems
  • water regime of peatlands

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 9253 KiB  
Article
New Method for Hydraulic Characterization of Variably Saturated Zone in Peatland-Dominated Permafrost Mires
by Radhakrishna Bangalore Lakshmiprasad, Stephan Peth, Susanne K. Woche and Thomas Graf
Land 2024, 13(12), 1990; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13121990 - 22 Nov 2024
Viewed by 859
Abstract
Modeling peatland hydraulic processes in cold regions requires defining near-surface hydraulic parameters. The current study aims to determine the soil freezing and water characteristic curve parameters for organic soils from peatland-dominated permafrost mires. The three research objectives are as follows: (i) Setting up [...] Read more.
Modeling peatland hydraulic processes in cold regions requires defining near-surface hydraulic parameters. The current study aims to determine the soil freezing and water characteristic curve parameters for organic soils from peatland-dominated permafrost mires. The three research objectives are as follows: (i) Setting up an in situ soil freezing characteristic curve experiment by installing sensors for measuring volumetric water content and temperature in Storflaket mire, Abisko region, Sweden; (ii) Conducting laboratory evaporation experiments and inverse numerical modeling to determine soil water characteristic curve parameters and comparing three soil water characteristic curve models to the laboratory data; (iii) Deriving a relationship between soil freezing and water characteristic curves and optimizing this equation with sensor data from (i). A long-lasting in situ volumetric water content station has been successfully set up in sub-Arctic Sweden. The soil water characteristic curve experiments showed that bimodality also exists for the investigated peat soils. The optimization results of the bimodal relationship showed excellent agreement with the soil freezing cycle measurements. To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the first studies to establish and test bimodality for frozen peat soils. The estimated hydraulic parameters could be used to better simulate permafrost dynamics in peat soils. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Security of Peatland Ecosystems: Risk Assessment, Pollution Prevention and Restoration)
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17 pages, 5121 KiB  
Article
The Effects of Cattle Grazing on the Composition of Diatom Assemblages in the Peatland Pools of the Southeastern Alps (Italy, Adamello-Brenta Nature Park)
by Floriana Rossi, Diana M. P. Galassi, Nicola Angeli, Marco Cantonati and Mattia Di Cicco
Land 2024, 13(11), 1780; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13111780 - 30 Oct 2024
Viewed by 657
Abstract
Mires are significant C-sinks and important habitats for biodiversity conservation. Particularly in the Alpine peatlands, grazing and trampling cause mires to degrade, causing changes in plant communities that increase bulk density, peat erosion, and nutrient excesses. We took sixteen samples of epipelic and [...] Read more.
Mires are significant C-sinks and important habitats for biodiversity conservation. Particularly in the Alpine peatlands, grazing and trampling cause mires to degrade, causing changes in plant communities that increase bulk density, peat erosion, and nutrient excesses. We took sixteen samples of epipelic and epiphytic diatoms from mire pools subjected to varying degrees of grazing in the Adamello-Brenta Nature Park (Trento, Italy). We identified >100 diatom species (ca. 70% included in Red List threat categories). We used nMDS to identify groups of diatom species. Their statistical significance was checked with an ANOSIM and, to identify the species that contributed most to the difference between the two groups, a BEST-SIMPER procedure was carried out. The multivariate analyses allowed us to identify significant differences among the most and least grazed sites, and to select the species that contributed most to this distinction. We confirmed that some species were more frequent and abundant in the most grazed sites and behaved as opportunists in the presence of a greater nutrient input, to the detriment of rare and sensitive species, which were more numerous and abundant in the less grazed sites. We provided useful information on grazing effects, underlining the importance of managing and protecting habitats of unique environmental value. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Security of Peatland Ecosystems: Risk Assessment, Pollution Prevention and Restoration)
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14 pages, 5048 KiB  
Article
Survival and Growth Performance of Calophyllum inophyllum L. Seedlings in Peat Soil and at Different Levels of Groundwater
by Azzah Maulidya, Rujito Agus Suwignyo, Dwi Putro Priadi, Himlal Baral, Eunho Choi, Fikri Adriansyah and Hyunyoung Yang
Land 2024, 13(6), 879; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060879 - 18 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1085
Abstract
Selecting proper tree species for revegetation is important for restoring tropical peatland. Tamanu (Calophyllum inophyllum L.) has been suggested one of the promising native species in Indonesia for the revegetation of tropical peatland; however, there is a lack of understanding of its [...] Read more.
Selecting proper tree species for revegetation is important for restoring tropical peatland. Tamanu (Calophyllum inophyllum L.) has been suggested one of the promising native species in Indonesia for the revegetation of tropical peatland; however, there is a lack of understanding of its growth in peat soil with different groundwater levels. We investigated the survival rate, plant height, number of leaves, root collar diameter, and dry biomass of tamanu seedlings grown in peat soil with different groundwater levels using a randomized block design in a water tank. The study involved five groundwater level treatments and 12 tree-level replicates each: M0 (non-groundwater level, control); M1 (−15 cm below the soil surface); M2 (−10 cm); M3 (−5 cm); and M4 (0 cm, soil surface level). The results showed that all tamanu seedlings survived in every treatment. However, their plant height, number of leaves, and root collar diameter growth were significantly inhibited in the highest groundwater level condition (M4, 0 cm) at 81 days after sowing, while their growth in −15 cm of groundwater level (M1) was as good as the growth in the fully drained conditions in M0 (control). This result indicates that the groundwater level should not be higher than −15 cm for the growth of tamanu. Considering that peatlands in Indonesia are assessed to be degraded when the groundwater level is lower than −40 cm, this study suggests that maintaining groundwater levels between −40 cm and −15 cm in peatland is the best condition for rapid growth of early tamanu seedlings while protecting peatlands. Further studies are needed to extend the range of water levels and water treatment duration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Security of Peatland Ecosystems: Risk Assessment, Pollution Prevention and Restoration)
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19 pages, 8387 KiB  
Article
Quantifying Dissolved Organic Carbon Efflux from Drained Peatlands in Hemiboreal Latvia
by Raitis Normunds Meļņiks, Emīls Mārtiņš Upenieks, Aldis Butlers, Arta Bārdule, Santa Kalēja and Andis Lazdiņš
Land 2024, 13(6), 790; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060790 - 3 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1362
Abstract
This study evaluated the impact of different land use types on groundwater dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and annual DOC efflux from drained peatlands to catchment runoff, providing insights into the mechanisms of carbon stock changes in peatland soils. We measured groundwater chemical [...] Read more.
This study evaluated the impact of different land use types on groundwater dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and annual DOC efflux from drained peatlands to catchment runoff, providing insights into the mechanisms of carbon stock changes in peatland soils. We measured groundwater chemical properties and various environmental variables, and calculated daily runoff and evapotranspiration for 2021 to estimate monthly and annual DOC efflux and analyzed main affecting factors in different peatland land use types. The highest DOC concentrations in groundwater were found in Scots pine forests and active peat extraction sites, with values of 113.7 mg L−1 and 109.7 mg L−1, respectively, and the lowest in silver birch forests and croplands, at 51.9 mg L−1 and 18.6 mg L−1, respectively. There were statistically significant correlations, including a strong negative correlation between DOC concentrations and several groundwater chemical properties, such as pH, electrical conductivity (EC), Ca, Mg, and K concentrations. The concentrations of DOC in the groundwater of drained peatland showed significant variation between different land use types. The highest annual DOC efflux was observed in active peat extraction sites, at 513.1 kg ha−1 y−1, while the lowest was in grasslands, at 61.9 kg ha−1 y−1, where Ca and Mg concentrations, as well as EC, were the highest. Continuous monitoring of these concentration patterns is essential. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Security of Peatland Ecosystems: Risk Assessment, Pollution Prevention and Restoration)
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