Chemical and botanical indicators of groundwater inflow to Sphagnum-dominated peatlands |
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| Institution: | 1. GEOTOP Research Center and Département des sciences de la Terre et de l’atmosphère – Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC, Canada;2. Institut de recherche en biologie végétale, Université de Montréal, Jardin botanique de Montréal, 4101 rue Sherbrooke est, Montréal, QC H1X 2B2, Canada;3. Groundwater Research Group, Research Institute on Mines and the Environment, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Campus d’Amos, 341, rue Principale Nord, suite 5004, Amos, QC J9T 2L8, Canada;4. INRS, Centre Eau Terre Environnement, 490 rue de la Couronne, Québec, QC G1K 9A9, Canada;1. Department of Hydrosciences, School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China;2. Karst Dynamics Laboratory, Institute of Karst Geology, Guilin 541004, China;3. International Karst Research Center auspices of UNESCO, Guilin 541004, China;4. Geological Survey of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing 210018, China;5. Institute for Groundwater Management, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, TU Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany;6. Geowissenschaftliches Zentrum der Universität Göttingen, Angewandte Geologie, Universität Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany;1. Université d’Orléans, CNRS/INSU, BRGM, ISTO, UMR 7327, 45071 Orléans, France;2. BRGM, Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières, 45000 Orléans, France;3. Université de Toulouse, CNRS/INEE, INP, UPS, EcoLab UMR 5245; ENSAT, Avenue de l’Agrobiopole, 31326 Castanet Tolosan, France;1. Key Laboratory of Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China;2. Huanjiang Observation and Research Station for Karst Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huanjiang, Guangxi 547100, China;3. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;1. School of Geography and Planning, Center of Integrated Geographic Information Analysis, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, PR China;2. Department of Geography, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA;3. Department of Geography, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0131, USA |
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| Abstract: | Knowledge of whether a peatland is fed by a surface aquifer or is providing water to the aquifer can lead to different aquifer and wetland management strategies. Few studies have been conducted to investigate aquifer-peatland connections, because flow connections are difficult to measure and can be spatially and temporally variable. The objective of this study was to combine chemical and botanical indicators of groundwater inflow to Sphagnum-dominated peatlands for a better classification of their water sources. Available knowledge of peatland geomorphic setting, water chemistry, and vegetation data for 12 aquifer-peatland systems of the Abitibi-Temiscamingue region and of the St. Lawrence Lowlands, two contrasting regions of southern Quebec (Canada), were used to derive indicators of groundwater inflow. Total dissolved solids (TDS) is identified as a comprehensive indicator of water mineralization. Threshold values of 16 mg/l (Abitibi-Temiscamingue) and 22 mg/l (St. Lawrence Lowlands) were found to indicate the presence of groundwater within the peatland. Results show that combining chemical (TDS) and botanical indicators can detect the presence of groundwater inflow into most of the studied peatlands. The indicators are more efficient on slope peatlands, where groundwater inflow is more substantial and less spatially variable, than in basin peatlands. A two-step approach is proposed: (1) identify the geomorphic setting of the peatland, and (2) estimate the chemical and botanical indicators. This approach is low-cost and easy to implement, and thus can be used on a large number of sites to assess the presence of groundwater inflow to peatlands. |
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| Keywords: | Aquifer Peatland Connectivity TDS Vegetation |
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