Université Laval
Ph.D. candidate
Supervisor: Monique Poulin
NON-MENBRE, Line Rochefort, Université Laval
Start: 0000-00-00
End: 0000-00-00

Project

Biodiversity of peatland pools: ecosystems to be restored
Peatland pools are bodies of water that encourage the establishment of specific diversity, as they are home to a number of animal and plant species typical of ponds. During ecological restoration, the creation of pools can improve the diversity of the environment. In a context of loss of peat ecosystems, the contribution to improving biodiversity during the ecological restoration process is fundamental. The main aim of the project is to determine the environmental factors that favor the establishment of specific plant diversity in pools. To achieve this, 21 ombrotrophic peatlands in Eastern Canada (Quebec and New Brunswick) were inventoried, where natural pools (reference ecosystem), created pools (during ecological restoration), spontaneous pools and drainage channels (considered as created pools), were characterized. Field sampling of biotic (percent cover) and abiotic data (e.g. water pH, water electrical conductivity, pool perimeter, peat depth, among others) was carried out on restored peatland sites and their reference ecosystems. Multivariate analyses were used to illustrate the similarity between each micro-habitat (constructed pools and spontaneous pools) and their reference ecosystem (natural pools), and to highlight the importance of spontaneous pools, as they are the closest to the reference ecosystem and host most of the species present in the three types of pools. The results suggest that spontaneous pools and platières (unsloped pond edges) have the potential to increase the ecological heterogeneity of restored peatlands and enhance the quality of the floristic habitat. This project will also suggest guidelines for the creation of pools in restored peatlands.

Keywords

Biodiversité, mares, Tourbières, restauration, hotspot