Restoration of mires of the Australian Alps following the 2003 wildfires

Good, Roger; Wright, Genevieve; Whinam, Jennie; Hope, Geoffrey

doi:10.22459/ta32.11.2010.19

Cited by 11 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…The main objectives of the restoration program were to reinstate the hydrologic role of the damaged peatlands, particularly catchment water storage, and regulation of flow regimes and water quality, and facilitate the recovery of peatland vegetation (Good et al ). Hydrological restoration was primarily based on preventing the burnt peats from becoming hydrophobic (which occurred when vegetation cover was completely removed and the exposed burnt peats developed a hard crust preventing water infiltration), to ensure that they recovered their ability to absorb surface and subsurface flows and regained their saturated state.…”

Section: Alpine/subalpine Sphagnum Peatland Restoration: Australian Alpsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Typically, deep channels (1 m or more) exposed underlying gravels or bedrock, causing lateral erosion up to 2 m on both sides of the incised flowline. At these sites, flows were reduced through packing straw bales in the incised flowlines and straw‐filled hessian bags into the undermined peats, to provide support and prevent erosion (Good et al ).…”

Section: Alpine/subalpine Sphagnum Peatland Restoration: Australian Alpsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…) included various combinations of fertilizer (phosphorus applied as slow‐release Osmocote), Sphagnum transplants or sods, straw mulch, and shading (70% shadecloth material, 20 m long × 1.6 m wide, positioned on either vertical or horizontal axis). A 70% level of shading, which provided protection from ultraviolet light and desiccation, was previously identified as optimal for Sphagnum regeneration (Good et al ; Whinam et al ). In general, different treatments benefited different taxa.…”

Section: Alpine/subalpine Sphagnum Peatland Restoration: Australian Alpsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Straw mulch was reasonably persistent after 1 year and was also effective in shielding Sphagnum hummocks, but had packed down into mats and decomposed after 2–3 years, or was removed by strong winds, making it less suitable than has been recorded in peatland restoration projects elsewhere (Rochefort et al ). Shading provided beneficial effects for most life‐forms, with vegetation under shadecloth having increased vigor, growth, and biomass production compared with that in unshaded plots (Good et al ; Whinam et al ). In the undisturbed state, shade is provided by the shrubs ( Epacris spp., Baeckea gunniana , and Richea continentis ) and tall herbs ( E. minus and Baloskion australe ).…”

Section: Alpine/subalpine Sphagnum Peatland Restoration: Australian Alpsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…by fire or peat mining), a patch dynamic approach to restoration ( Sphagnum transplants, vegetated islands, shadecloth‐enhanced vegetated strips) was proving successful and cost‐effective (Watts et al ; Whinam et al ; Watts & Mason ). Reassembly of peatland flora and fauna, and reinstatement of hydrological regimes and ecosystem processes to a restored state (resembling pre‐European conditions in the Australian Alps and pre‐mining conditions at Torehape), however, will be a complex undertaking lasting several decades, even in the absence of further major disturbances (Watts et al ; Good et al ). Overall, restoring the structure and function of ecologically impacted peatlands in a timely manner will increase resilience to future threats, particularly climate shifts in Australia (to hotter and drier) and changes in land use in New Zealand (agricultural intensification).…”

Section: Comparison Of Australian and New Zealand Restoration Approachesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Restoration of Sphagnum and restiad peatlands in Australia and New Zealand reveals similar approaches

Clarkson

Whinam

Good

et al. 2016

Restoration Ecology

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Peatlands in Australia and New Zealand are composed mainly of Restionaceous and Cyperaceous peats, although Sphagnum peat is common in wetter climates (Mean Annual Precipitation > 1,000 mm) and at higher altitudes (>1,000 m). Experimental trials in two contrasting peatland types—fire‐damaged Sphagnum peatlands in the Australian Alps and cutover restiad bogs in lowland New Zealand—revealed similar approaches to peatland restoration. Hydrological restoration and rehydration of drying peats involved blocking drainage ditches to raise water tables or, additionally in burnt Sphagnum peatlands, peat‐trenching, and the use of sterilized straw bales to form semipermanent “dam walls” and barriers to spread and slow surface water movement. Recovery to the predisturbance vegetation community was most successful once protective microclimates had been established, either artificially or naturally. Specifically, horizontally laid shadecloth resulted in Sphagnum cristatum regeneration rates and biomass production 3–4 times that of unshaded vegetation (Australia), and early successional nurse shrubs facilitated establishment of Sporadanthus ferrugineus (New Zealand) within 2–3 years. On severely burnt or cutover sites, a patch dynamic approach using transplants of Sphagnum or creation of restiad peat “islands” markedly improved vegetation recovery. In New Zealand, this approach has been scaled up to whole mine‐site restoration, in which the newly vegetated islands provide habitat and seed sources for plants and invertebrates to spread onto surrounding areas. Although a vegetation cover can be established relatively rapidly in both peatland types, restoration of invertebrate communities, ecosystem processes, and peat hydrological function and accumulation may take many decades.

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Section: Alpine/subalpine Sphagnum Peatland Restoration: Australian Alpsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Alpine/subalpine Sphagnum Peatland Restoration: Australian Alpsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Alpine/subalpine Sphagnum Peatland Restoration: Australian Alpsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Alpine/subalpine Sphagnum Peatland Restoration: Australian Alpsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Comparison Of Australian and New Zealand Restoration Approachesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Restoration of Sphagnum and restiad peatlands in Australia and New Zealand reveals similar approaches

Clarkson

Whinam

Good

et al. 2016

Restoration Ecology

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Degradation Reduces Microbial Richness and Alters Microbial Functions in an Australian Peatland

et al. 2022

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Peatland ecosystems cover only 3% of the world’s land area; however, they store one-third of the global soil carbon (C). Microbial communities are the main drivers of C decomposition in peatlands, yet we have limited knowledge of their structure and function. While the microbial communities in the Northern Hemisphere peatlands are well documented, we have limited understanding of microbial community composition and function in the Southern Hemisphere peatlands, especially in Australia. We investigated the vertical stratification of prokaryote and fungal communities from Wellington Plains peatland in the Australian Alps. Within the peatland complex, bog peat was sampled from the intact peatland and dried peat from the degraded peatland along a vertical soil depth gradient (i.e., acrotelm, mesotelm, and catotelm). We analyzed the prokaryote and fungal community structure, predicted functional profiles of prokaryotes using PICRUSt, and assigned soil fungal guilds using FUNGuild. We found that the structure and function of prokaryotes were vertically stratified in the intact bog. Soil carbon, manganese, nitrogen, lead, and sodium content best explained the prokaryote composition. Prokaryote richness was significantly higher in the intact bog acrotelm compared to degraded bog acrotelm. Fungal composition remained similar across the soil depth gradient; however, there was a considerable increase in saprotroph abundance and decrease in endophyte abundance along the vertical soil depth gradient. The abundance of saprotrophs and plant pathogens was two-fold higher in the degraded bog acrotelm. Soil manganese and nitrogen content, electrical conductivity, and water table level (cm) best explained the fungal composition. Our results demonstrate that both fungal and prokaryote communities are shaped by soil abiotic factors and that peatland degradation reduces microbial richness and alters microbial functions. Thus, current and future changes to the environmental conditions in these peatlands may lead to altered microbial community structures and associated functions which may have implications for broader ecosystem function changes in peatlands.

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Carbon Storage and Fluxes from Sphagnum Peatlands of the Bogong High Plains, Australia

Treby,

Gunawardhana,

Grover

et al. 2024

Environ. Process.

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Australian alpine peatlands are critically important ecosystems that deliver a range of valuable services. However, our understanding of these services in Australia, particularly peatland carbon cycling, is lacking. Here, we quantified peat soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) concentrations, C:N ratios, and C density in eight Sphagnum-dominated peatlands on the Bogong High Plains, southeastern Australia. Soil C and N concentrations averaged 16.5 ± 13.2% and 0.6 ± 0.4%, respectively. C:N ratios averaged 30.9 ± 20.4, and C density averaged 46.6 ± 20.7 mg C cm− 3. Our findings suggest that (1) peat biogeochemistry is highly variable between sites, even at small spatial scales; and (2) while not a direct focus of the study, peat depths in this area were relatively shallow, ranging from 30 to 60 cm, most likely due to previous disturbance causing peat removal and carbon loss. Additionally, we present preliminary data investigating CO2 and CH4 fluxes at these sites. We recommend that future research includes (1) age dating peat cores to better understand the role of disturbance in rates of peat accumulation and loss; and (2) long-term carbon flux studies at multiple peatland sites.

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Restoration of mires of the Australian Alps following the 2003 wildfires

Cited by 11 publications

References 7 publications

Restoration of Sphagnum and restiad peatlands in Australia and New Zealand reveals similar approaches

Restoration of Sphagnum and restiad peatlands in Australia and New Zealand reveals similar approaches

Degradation Reduces Microbial Richness and Alters Microbial Functions in an Australian Peatland

Carbon Storage and Fluxes from Sphagnum Peatlands of the Bogong High Plains, Australia

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