Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 11-9.
Traditional hay production on the Vistula River l oodplain at Kaminoski National Park, near Warsaw,
Poland. The l oodplain is drained with canals to promote hay growth. Photo by J.S. Aber.
Combined rice and i sh cultivation in l ooded
paddy i elds of China and other parts of south-
eastern Asia is a tradition that dates back several
centuries. The l ood pulse system of northern
Thailand's Songkhram River basin provides an
example of the complex and benei cial interac-
tions between the seasonally l ooded forested
wetlands providing important spawning and
nursery habitat for i sh adjacent to converted
rice-i sh cultivation i elds (Wood and van
Halsema 2008).
Mining peat for fuel and horticultural prod-
ucts has taken place since prehistoric times.
Drainage is a i rst fundamental step to dry out
the surface peat sufi ciently so that it can be
worked, and then peat may be extracted in three
ways (Charman 2002):
• Cutting of blocks - Traditional hand cutting
or mechanical cutting is typically done for
local domestic production. The peat bricks
or turves are laid out to dry for several weeks
then transported home for fuel (Fig. 11-10A).
This approach does limited damage to bogs
because of its small scale. The top material
is not good quality for fuel and is often
thrown into previously cut bog, providing a
source for vegetation regrowth to take place.
• Extrusion of sausages - Small tractors pull
equipment that cuts into the peat and draws
peat up to the surface where it is extruded
in long round strips or sausages. Although
the surface disturbance appears minimal, the
bog biomass and height are reduced, and
Figure 11-10.
Peat production. A. Pile of peat turves
for domestic use in Ness, Outer Hebrides, Scotland.
Modii ed from original photograph by Maclomhair;
obtained from Wikimedia Commons
<
http://
commons.wikimedia.org/
>
. B. Pile of milled peat ready
for shipment off site at Rannu Soo, west of Tartu,
Estonia. Photo by J.S. Aber.
invertebrate populations are impacted. A
relatively large bog area is necessary to
produce peat in this manner.
• Peat milling - Commercial peat extraction
involves heavy equipment and is practiced
