Ecological effects of peatland drainage for forestry

Abstract

Production forestry in peatlands, associated with drainage, is a controversial but widely applied forestry practice, especially in northern Europe. This paper aims to provide a synthesis of the ecological effects of forest drainage. Effects of the hydrological change, brought about by drainage on the chemical and physical properties of the surface peat, microbial activity, tree stand and ground vegetation, biodiversity, and faunal change, are reviewed. Finally, the role of forestry use of northern peatlands in the global climatic warming is synthesized.Key words: biodiversity, environmental impacts, forest drainage, global change, peatland hydrology.