Assessment of anthropogenic pressures on South European Atlantic bogs (NW Spain) based on hydrochemical data

This study aims to identify the main mechanisms controlling the hydrochemistry of nine Atlantic bogs. The basic hypotheses are (i) the main functional characteristics of these wetlands (e.g. minerotrophic influence) can be traced and accurately quantified by seasonal hydrochemistry monitoring and (i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Hydrobiologia 2016-07, Vol.774 (1), p.137-154
Main Authors: Cillero, Carmen, Díaz-Varela, Ramón A., Rubinos, Marco, Ramil-Rego, Pablo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Anthropogenic factors
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Bogs
Ecology
Environmental impact
Freshwater & Marine Ecology
Geochemistry
Geographic information systems
Geospatial data
Human influences
Hydrology
Land use
Life Sciences
Marine
Marine pollution
Peat
Peat-bogs
Peatlands
Power plants
Spatial analysis
Water analysis
Water chemistry
Watersheds
Wetlands
Wetlands Biodiversity and Processes
Zoology
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Summary:This study aims to identify the main mechanisms controlling the hydrochemistry of nine Atlantic bogs. The basic hypotheses are (i) the main functional characteristics of these wetlands (e.g. minerotrophic influence) can be traced and accurately quantified by seasonal hydrochemistry monitoring and (ii) influences (oceanity, pollution) of the surrounding environment at different scales can be statistically outlined. The effect of several landscape variables on bog water chemistry was assessed by combining water analysis with the analysis of spatial data via geographical information system (GIS) tools. The results did not show any significant relationship between hydrochemistry and land use/land cover at the watershed scale, but we found a significant relationship between the Zn concentration and the distance to a nearby power station (located outside the watersheds). A similar link was also established with N–NH₄ ⁺, in this case most likely related to the farming activities. Our results allowed us to identify the period of late summer to early autumn as the most appropriate for detecting minerotrophic traits in South European Atlantic mires. The study showed that an integrated analysis of hydrochemical data with territorial variables is a useful tool for management purposes in peatlands.
ISSN:0018-8158
1573-5117
DOI:10.1007/s10750-016-2778-7