Peatland establishment on mineral soils: Effects of water level, amendments, and species after two growing seasons

Recent surveys of peatland initiation that occurred over the past 10,000 years in northeastern Alberta have revealed that most peatlands initiated by paludification, or swamping of upland soils. Peatland ecologists have long known the importance of the paludification process, but it has not been transferred to peatland restoration methodologies. We initiated this study to determine if wetland structure and function could be re-established on two well sites established with mineral fill within a peatland complex. At two well sites near Peace River, AB, the mineral material was lowered to near the water level of the surrounding peatland. We placed 288 plots of 2 m × 2 m in size using a series of fertilizer, water level, cultivation, and amendment treatments and then introduced a suite of wetland plants. Four questions are addressed: - (1) Will locally available peatland vascular plant species establish on these wet, compacted, mineral soils? If so: (2) are species responses affected by these treatments? (3) are plants that we did not introduce in the planting regime (weeds) a concern? and (4) will the surrounding bog water chemistry have an effect on water in contact with mineral soils? Results after two growing seasons are - (1) Carex aquatilis and Salix lutea have all successfully established at both well sites; (2) C. aquatilis plants (ramets) have increased to an average of 58.5 per plot, up from the 16 original genets planted; (3) the plant responses to amendments are not significantly different from the control plots; (4) weed abundance is significantly different among some amendment types; and (5) pad ditch water chemistry is affected by the surrounding bog waters.