Search

Peatland restoration and rehabilitation action has become more widely acknowledged as a necessary response to mitigating climate change risks and improving global carbon storage. Peatland ecosystems require restoration time spans of the order of decades and, thus, cannot be dependent upon the shorter-term monitoring often carried out in research projects. Hydrological assessments using geospatial tools provide the basis for planning restoration works as well as analysing associated environmental influences. "Restoration" encompasses applications to pre-restoration and post-restoration scenarios for both bogs and fens, across a range of environmental impact fields. The aim of this scoping review is to identify, describe, and categorize current process-based modelling uses in peatlands in order to investigate the applicability and appropriateness of ecohydrological and/or hydrological models for northern peatland restoration. Two literature searches were conducted using the entire Web of Science database in September 2022 and August 2023. Of the final 211 papers included in the review, models and their applications were categorized according to this review's research interests in seven distinct categories aggregating the papers' research themes and model outputs. Restoration site context was added by identifying 229 unique study site locations from the full database, which were catalogued and analysed against raster data for the Köppen–Geiger climate classification scheme. A majority of northern peatland sites were in temperate oceanic zones or humid continental zones that experienced snow. Over one in five models from the full database of papers were unnamed and likely intended for single use. Key themes emerging from topics covered by papers in the database included the following: modelling restoration development from a bog growth perspective, the prioritization of modelling greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions dynamics as a part of policymaking, the importance of spatial connectivity within or alongside process-based models to represent heterogeneous systems, and the increased prevalence of remote sensing and machine learning techniques to predict restoration progress with little physical site intervention. Models are presented according to their application to peatlands or broader ecosystem and organized from most to least complex. This review provides valuable context for the application of ecohydrological models in determining strategies for peatland restoration and evaluating post-intervention development over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is designed to present a method to estimate greenhouse gases (GHG) uptake or emissions in the absence of data for peat bog areas (GEST method). The paper presents the research results produced by a project on "Limiting CO2 emissions via the renaturalisation of peat bogs on the Eastern and Central European Plain". The study area consisted of three peat bogs: Kluki, Ciemińskie Błota, and Wielkie Bagno (Słowiński National Park). The GEST method relies on the estimation of gas emissions on the basis of vegetation and water levels and greenhouse gas coefficients for each given habitat type provided in the research literature. The greenhouse gas balance was calculated for a baseline scenario assuming the lack of human impact and for a scenario taking into account human impact in the form of peat bog preservation. Initial research results indicate that there is a total of 41 GESTs in the studied bog areas and that a reduction in CO2 emissions of approximately 12% will occur following what is known as renaturalisation by raising the groundwater level, felling of trees across the bog, and making changes in habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peatlands can become valuable resources and greenhouse gas sinks through the use of different management practices. Peatlands provide carbon sequestration; however, they are also among the greatest greenhouse gas emissions sources. The estimated annual carbon dioxide equivalent emissions from peat worldwide are 220 million tons. Novel strategies, methods, and technologies must be developed to enhance the sustainable use of peatlands and achieve climate targets by 2050, as set forth by the European Commission. There is no consensus in the scientific literature on which strategies included in the policy documents are more fruitful for reducing emissions. There are uncertainties and knowledge gaps in the literature that summarise the cons and benefits of each strategy regarding the potential of GHG emission reduction. Currently, peat is undervalued as a resource in the bioeconomy and innovation—a way that could save costs in peatland management. This review paper aims to analyse existing and potential strategies to minimise greenhouse gas emissions from peatlands. Studies show significant debates in the literature on whether the rewetting of peatlands and afforestation of previously drained peatlands can be defined as restoration. A more effective management of peatland restoration should involve combining restoration methods. The rewetting of peatlands should be realised in combination with top-soil removal to minimise methane emissions. The rewetting of peatlands should be used only in combination with revegetation after rewetting. One of the promising solutions for methane emission reduction could be paludiculture using sphagnum species. Products from paludiculture biomass can reduce GHG emissions and store long-term emissions in products. Paludiculture can also be the solution for further income for landowners and innovative products using the biomass of harvested paludiculture plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise: Shared geographical patterns of population genetic variation among related species is a powerful means to identify the historical events that drive diversification. The Sphagnum capillifolium complex is a group of closely related peat mosses within the Sphagnum subgenus Acutifolia and contains several circumboreal species whose ranges encompass both glaciated and unglaciated regions across the northern hemisphere. In this paper, we (1) inferred the phylogeny of subg. Acutifolia and (2) investigated patterns of population structure and genetic diversity among five circumboreal species within the S. capillifolium complex. Methods: We generated RAD sequencing data from most species of the subg. Acutifolia and samples from across the distribution ranges of circumboreal species within the S. capillifolium complex. Results: We resolved at least 14 phylogenetic clusters within the S. capillifolium complex. Five circumboreal species show some common patterns: One population system comprises plants in eastern North America and Europe, and another comprises plants in the Pacific Northwest or around the Beringian and Arctic regions. Alaska appears to be a hotspot for genetic admixture, genetic diversity, and sometimes endemic subclades. Conclusions: Our results support the hypothesis that populations of five circumboreal species within the S. capillifolium complex survived in multiple refugia during the last glacial maximum. Long‐distance dispersal out of refugia, population bottlenecks, and possible adaptations to conditions unique to each refugium could have contributed to current geographic patterns. These results indicate the important role of historical events in shaping the complex population structure of plants with broad distribution ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BOG re-liquefaction process is a necessary part for the safety of LNG cargo ships, and it is also the most common way to deal with evaporated gas (BOG) in LNG ships. Therefore, how to optimize the re-liquefaction process and save energy consumption is a problem that cannot be ignored in BOG re-liquefaction system. In this paper, based on the traditional BOG re-liquefaction process, a liquid nitrogen precooling circulation system is added and linked with the nitrogen purging system. Aspen HYSYS software was used to simulate and analyze the exergy efficiency, specific power consumption, exergy efficiency in the proposed liquefaction process. In addition, we introduced a bacterial foraging algorithm to optimize the process parameters. According to the operation results, the optimized process has a specific power consumption of 1.028 kWh/kg LNG , which is 21.53 % lower than that of the original NH 3 and CO 2 precooling system. Changing the traditional precooling system to liquid nitrogen tank reduces the complexity of the liquefaction system and improves the reliability of the system. Because liquid nitrogen has excellent cryogenic energy, small size, cheap price, safety in the actual use process and the linkage with the purge device on board, it shows excellent performance in the process of BOG pre-cooling liquefaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ombrotrophic suboceanic bogs are distinguished by a high diversity of complex microlandscapes within the bog massif. Each complex microlandscape is a separate intrabog ecosystem with a specific set of parameters and relationships. This study aims to assess the specifics of the characteristics and parameters of the complex microlandscapes as part of an ombrotrophic suboceanic Sphagnum bog and as stages of bog morphogenesis, and to establish the internal relationships and their relationship with external environmental factors. A comprehensive multidisciplinary approach was used to assess the functioning of the complex microlandscapes. It was found that the relationship with the air temperature is closer than with the bog water table dynamics. It was shown that the morphometric parameters of perennial dwarf shrubs can serve as indicators of the stages of development of bogs. The processes of the self-regulation of complex microlandscapes are weakened with the age of the complex microlandscape, as evidenced by an increase in the amplitude of temperature fluctuations and the level of bog waters, as well as the key physicochemical parameters of the peat deposit. This leads to a gradual, slow reorientation of the physicochemical processes occurring in the deposit, from the deposition of organic matter to the decomposition of peat biomass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sphagnum habitat is a "miniature forest" to the mites, of which the layers offer different microenvironmental conditions. We studied the vertical distribution of the Oribatida, Mesostigmata, and Prostigmata groups in four layers (0–5 cm, 5–10 cm, 10–15 cm, and 15–20 cm) of a forest bog on Neshalvøya, Norway, to improve the knowledge of the ecology of these mites. The sampled bog was grazed by farm animals; thus, another aim was to investigate the vertical distribution of the oribatid species, which are intermediate hosts of tapeworms. The selected study site is known for its valuable yet increasingly endangered nature, so our aim was also to contribute to the knowledge on its diversity. We collected Sphagnum samples in four replicates and extracted them in the laboratory in modified Berlese funnels. In total, 16.880 mites were studied, including 16.384 Oribatida, 466 Mesostigmata, and 30 Prostigmata. The total abundance of mites, the Oribatida and Mesostigmata groups, was the highest in the upper layer of Sphagnum and decreased with depth, while the abundance of the Prostigmata did not follow any pattern. Among the Oribatida, at deeper layers, significant declines in abundance were observed in adults, but not in juveniles. Most oribatid species, e.g., Nothrus pratensis, preferred the upper layer of Sphagnum, whereas some preferred deeper layers. For example, Suctobelbella acutidens and Carabodes femoralis preferred the 5–10 cm layer, Quadroppia maritalis the 10–15 cm layer, and Ceratozetes gracilis and Eulohmannia ribagai preferred the deepest layer of Sphagnum. Adults and juveniles of the same species showed a preference for the same layer. In total, 62 species of the Oribatida were recorded, including 11 species that are known to be intermediate hosts of tapeworms. Most of them occurred in the upper layer of Sphagnum. Over 20% of the species were found exclusively in deeper layers, so sampling these layers is important for a better evaluation of the mites' diversity. Studying the vertical distribution of the mites in bogs helps us to understand their ecology, including their role as intermediate hosts of tapeworms, as well as their diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Encroachment of vascular plants (VP) in temperate raised bogs, as a consequence of altered hydrological conditions and nutrient input, is widely observed. Effects of such vegetation shift on water and carbon cycles are, however, largely unknown and identification of responsible plant physiological traits is challenging. Process-based modelling offers the opportunity of gaining insights into ecosystem functioning beyond observations, and to infer decisive trait shifts of plant functional groups. We adapted the Soil–Vegetation–Atmosphere Transfer model pyAPES to a temperate raised bog site by calibration against measured peat temperature, water table and surface CO2 fluxes. We identified the most important traits determining CO2 fluxes by conducting Morris sensitivity analysis (MSA) under changing conditions throughout the year and simulated VP encroachment. We further investigated transferability of results to other sites by extending MSA to parameter ranges derived from literature review. We found highly variable intra-annual plant traits importance determining ecosystem CO2 fluxes, but only a partial shift of importance of photosynthetic processes from moss to VP during encroachment. Ecosystem respiration was dominated by peat respiration. Overall, carboxylation rate, base respiration rate and temperature sensitivity (Q10) were most important for determining bog CO2 balance and parameter ranking was robust even under the extended MSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Andean swamp rat Neotomys ebriosus is a sigmodontine rodent restricted to the Central Andes of South America. A distribution map of the species in Peru have been previously drawn based on few of the localities where the species has been captured and collected. I update the distribution of the species in Peru based on new records from three different areas surveyed by the author, specimens at Museum collections in the United States and France from VertNet webpage, localities from the collection at the Natural History Museum of Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, and localities from the collection at the Natural History Museum of the Universidad Nacional San Agustín. The northern limit of the species distribution is increased based on new localities with collected individuals. Habitat used by N. ebriosus is mainly high Andean bogs; most individuals caught adjacent to the borders of Andean bogs and along streams near the bogs. Collected individuals leave unclear subspecies division and identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars have radically turned away from the notion of 'natural borders' dictated by nature and now broadly agree that all borders are 'artificial' human constructs. However, there is a need to revisit environmental determinism in its nuances. We analyse the relation between distinct natural features and historical border development, using the notion of affordances and the example of raised bogs in the medieval and modern-period eastern Low Countries. For humans, bog landscapes in these periods functioned as both barriers and passageways through the spatiotemporal variability of these opposite affordances. At the scale of local settlement territories, large bog landscapes had the coercive agency to function as borderlands separating adjacent communities. Such coercion was absent on the larger spatial scale of princedoms. The growing economic importance of peat was a crucial driver for border demarcation at both scales from the late Middle Ages. Diplomatic risk calculation and path dependency explain the spatial concurrence and long persistence respectively of bog boundaries between successive polities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myrsine cirrhosa Lorence & K.R.Wood (Primulaceae), a new single-island endemic shrub species from Kaua'i, Hawaiian Islands, is described and illustrated. Notes on its distribution, ecology and conservation status are included. The new species is known from an area with ca. 45 individuals, where it is restricted to the remote central windward region of Kaua'i in open bogs and along open windy ridges. Suggested IUCN Red List status is CR (Critically Endangered). It differs from its Kaua'i congeners by its longer petals and narrowly elliptic leaves with strongly undulate margins and tendril-like apex. Phylogenetic analysis using RADseq data supports the recognition of this new species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peatbogs are important in global greenhouse gas budget estimates. The main aim of the work was to assess the amount of greenhouse gas emissions based on the Greenhouse Gas Emission Site Type (GEST) method and compare them with actual field measurements. The research was carried out in selected peatbog areas in the coastal zone of northern Poland. The proposed method allowed us to assess whether the restoration treatments carried out in peatbogs contributed to the emission of these gases. The results of this research using the GEST method indicate that, in the studied peatbog areas, the reduction in CO2 emissions was approximately 12%. These results were compared with actual measurements of greenhouse gas emissions made using the chamber method in 2018. The average CO2 emission for the entire peatbog was 16,338.7 t CO2-eq./yr. Comparing this result with the result obtained using the GEST method, it should be stated that it is lower by 2.464.1 t CO2-eq./year, which gives an approximately 13% overestimation of the result by the Gas Emission Site Type method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peatlands store disproportionally large amounts of carbon per unit area, a function that is dependent on maintaining high and stable water tables. Climate change is likely to negatively impact carbon storage in peatlands, in part due to increases in vapour pressure deficit (VPD) driving higher evaporation (E) rates. However, the response of E to increasing VPD depends on the dominant vegetation type within peatlands. In this study, we used multiple years of eddy covariance (EC) measurements to compare E regimes at two peatlands with contrasting vegetation types – Kopuatai bog in Aotearoa / New Zealand, dominated by the vascular wire rush Empodisma robustum, and Mer Bleue bog in Canada, a "typical" shrub- and moss-dominated Northern Hemisphere peatland. We examined seasonal variability in E and equilibrium E (Eeq), energy balance partitioning, and the response of E , evaporative fraction (EF), and canopy conductance (gc) to VPD. Mean annual E was 45 % lower than mean annual Eeq at Kopuatai but only 16 % lower at Mer Bleue, demonstrating much greater limitations on E at Kopuatai. In addition, the mean midday (10:00–14:30 local standard time) dry-canopy Bowen ratio (β) at Kopuatai was 2.0 compared to 0.8 at Mer Bleue; therefore, the sensible heat flux (H) dominated over the latent heat flux (LE) at Kopuatai and vice versa at Mer Bleue. The responses of E , EF, and gc to increasing VPD at Kopuatai demonstrated stronger limitations on evaporative water loss for VPD > 0.7 kPa compared to Mer Bleue. The observed limitations at Kopuatai were attributed to strong stomatal control by E. robustum due to the rapid decrease in gc with increasing VPD; however, surface E could also be limited by its dense standing litter. At Mer Bleue, however, E was only weakly limited at VPD > 2 kPa, likely due to weak stomatal control over transpiration by the sparse shrub canopy and relatively large surface E from Sphagnum carpets. As such, the results of this study suggest that E. robustum drives a greater "hydrological resistance" to increasing VPD than the vegetation at Mer Bleue, leading to greater water retention at Kopuatai. This may enable greater resilience of the carbon sink function at Kopuatai to climatic warming and drying than at Mer Bleue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To recover boil-off gas (BOG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) cold energy, this paper proposes three systems integrating light hydrocarbon separation (LHS), BOG combustion, organic Rankine cycle (ORC) with different structures and natural gas (NG) direct expansion. Both single and multi-objective optimizations are implemented to find the best system performance. Meanwhile, two multi-objective decision methods are also used to refine this work. Single objective optimization depicts that the system with parallel ORC has the highest net electric power (NEP), exergy efficiency, and net present value (NPV) of 6.85 MW, 29.07%, and 31.08 × 107 $ respectively. Multi-objective optimization results indicate the NEP, exergy efficiency, and NPV of the system with parallel ORC still outperform the other two systems. From the energy analysis, it is found that the system with parallel ORC achieves 81.07% utilization of LNG cold energy, which is the highest among the three systems. The exergy analysis indicates that the combustion chamber and heat exchanger (HX) with the highest exergy destruction in any system. Moreover, economic analysis demonstrates that the three systems are more sensitive to fluctuations in interest rates than in electricity prices. • Three systems integrating light hydrocarbon separation, LNG cold energy power generation, BOG combustion are proposed. • Energy, exergy and economic analysis are applied to the systems. • The effects of operating parameters on the system performances are investigated. • Two optimizations are performed using NSGA-II and MOPSO respectively. • The systems are compared from viewpoint of thermodynamic and economic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation aimed to assess the chemical composition and biological activities of bog bilberry (Vaccinium uliginosum L.) leaves. Hydroethanolic extracts were obtained using four extraction techniques: one conventional (CE) and three alternative methods; ultrasound (UAE), microwave (MAE) and high-pressure (HPE) extractions. Spectrophotometric analysis was conducted to determine their chemical content, including the total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC). Furthermore, their antioxidative and antimicrobial properties were evaluated. HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) analysis identified and quantified 17 phenolic compounds, with chlorogenic acid being the predominant compound, with the lowest level (37.36 ± 0.06 mg/g) for the bog bilberry leaf extract obtained by CE and the highest levels (e.g., HPE = 44.47 ± 0.08 mg/g) for the bog bilberry leaf extracts obtained by the alternative methods. Extracts obtained by HPE, UAE and MAE presented TPC values (135.75 ± 2.86 mg GAE/g; 130.52 ± 1.99 mg GAE/g; 119.23 ± 1.79 mg GAE/g) higher than those obtained by the CE method (113.07 ± 0.98 mg GAE/g). Regarding the TFC values, similar to TPC, the highest levels were registered in the extracts obtained by alternative methods (HPE = 43.16 ± 0.12 mg QE/g; MAE = 39.79 ± 0.41 mg QE/g and UAE = 33.89 ± 0.35 mg QE/g), while the CE extract registered the lowest level, 31.47 ± 0.28 mg QE/g. In the case of DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) antioxidant activity, the extracts from HPE, UAE and MAE exhibited the strongest radical scavenging capacities of 71.14%, 63.13% and 60.84%, respectively, whereas the CE extract registered only 55.37%. According to Microbiology Reader LogPhase 600 (BioTek), a common MIC value of 8.88 mg/mL was registered for all types of extracts against Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive bacteria) and Salmonella enterica (Gram-negative bacteria). Moreover, the alternative extraction methods (UAE, HPE) effectively inhibited the growth of Candida parapsilosis, in comparison to the lack of inhibition from the CE method. This study provides valuable insights into bog bilberry leaf extracts, reporting a comprehensive evaluation of their chemical composition and associated biological activities, with alternative extraction methods presenting greater potential for the recovery of phenolic compounds with increased biological activities than the conventional method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ireland has > 50% of the EU's ocean-raised bogs; however, degradation through land-use activities has transformed them from carbon (C) sinks to sources. Given their significant role in climate mitigation, it is essential to quantify the emissions resulting from land use degradation of these ecosystems. A seven-class land-use classification system for Irish peatlands (LUCIP) was developed and mapped using Sentinel-2 imagery, random forest machine learning and Google Earth Engine. The results revealed that agricultural grassland comprised 43% of the land use on raised bogs, followed by, forestry (21%), cutover (11%), cutaway (10%) remnant peatlands (13%), waterbodies and built-up ~ 1% each. The overall accuracy of the map was 89%. The map was used to estimate CO2 emissions for four classes constituting 85% of raised bogs: cutover, cutaway, grassland, and forestry using the IPCC wetlands supplement and literature-based emission factors, we estimated emissions at ~ 1.92 (± 1.58–2.27 Mt CO2-C-yr−1) and ~ 0.68 Mt CO2-C-yr−1 (± 0.44–0.91 Mt CO2-C-yr−1) respectively. This is the first study to spatially quantify land use and related emissions from raised bogs. The results have revealed widespread degradation of these globally rare habitats, making them net emitters of CO2. The map is vital for the conservation of these ecosystems through restoration efforts, and the methodology can also be applied to other regions with similar peatland land use issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LNG is transported over long sea and ocean distances only by tankers, called LNG carriers, in large onboard tanks at a temperature of -163ºC. Although these tanks are well insulated, some of the LNG evaporates under the external factors influence, and boil-off-gas gas (BOG) is formed. The main method of dealing with BOG is the reliquefaction of LNG. Many LNG carriers use technology based on the reverse Brighton cycle (RBC) for reliquefaction. The study has been carried out by thermodynamic analysis methods of the actual parameters and characteristics of the BOG reliquefaction plant based on the data obtained during the operation of the LNG carrier “UMM AL AMAD”. Energy and entropy-statistical methods of thermodynamic analysis have been used in the research. The reliquefaction plant operation has been evaluated based on the specific compression work consumption and the value of the effectiveness of a thermodynamic cycle. The analysis of the results showed that the investigated system operating according to the Brighton cycle has low energy efficiency values. The most energy-intensive loop is the nitrogen loop. It accounts for over 90% of the work overspending in the reliquefaction plant. The expander work partially compensates for the overexpenditure of compressor work. Irreversibility in the expander is 7.7%, and the N2 compressor is approximately 48.7% of the total irreversibility of the liquefaction process. In the BOG/LNG loop, the main contribution to the processes’ irreversibility is made by the BOG compressor (~3.7%) and the precooler (~1.55%) of the total irreversibility of the liquefaction process. The cryogenic heat exchanger is a component of both loops and its negative impact is estimated at 36.4% of the total irreversibility of the liquefaction process. The application of reliquefaction plants operating on the Brighton cycle is currently inefficient due to low energy efficiency and huge losses in the nitrogen loop, which does not meet IMO requirements for gas carriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]