{"type": "FeatureCollection", "features": [{"id": "10.1029/2020wr028624", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-10-06T16:17:12Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2021-06-21", "title": "Hydraulic and Physical Properties of Managed and Intact Peatlands: Application of the Van Genuchten\u2010Mualem Models to Peat Soils", "description": "Abstract

Undisturbed peatlands are effective carbon sinks and provide a variety of ecosystem services. However, anthropogenic disturbances, especially land drainage, strongly alter peat soil properties and jeopardize the benefits of peatlands. The effects of disturbances should therefore be assessed and predicted. To support accurate modeling, this study determined the physical and hydraulic properties of intact and disturbed peat samples collected from 59 sites (in total 3,073 samples) in Finland and Norway. The bulk density (BD), porosity, and specific yield (Sy) values obtained indicated that the top layer (0\uffe2\uff80\uff9330\uffc2\uffa0cm depth) at agricultural and peat extraction sites was most affected by land use change. The BD in the top layer at agricultural, peat extraction, and forestry sites was 441%, 140%, and 92% higher, respectively, than that of intact peatlands. Porosity decreased with increased BD, but not linearly. Agricultural and peat extraction sites had the lowest saturated hydraulic conductivity, Sy, and porosity, and the highest BD of the land use options studied. The van Genuchten\uffe2\uff80\uff90Mualem (vGM) soil water retention curve (SWRC) and hydraulic conductivity (K) models proved to be applicable for the peat soils tested, providing values of SWRC, K, and vGM\uffe2\uff80\uff90parameters (\uffce\uffb1 and n) for peat layers (top, middle and bottom) under different land uses. A decrease in peat soil water content of \uffe2\uff89\uffa510% reduced the unsaturated K values by two orders of magnitude. This unique data set can be used to improve hydrological modeling in peat\uffe2\uff80\uff90dominated catchments and for fuller integration of peat soils into large\uffe2\uff80\uff90scale hydrological models.Undisturbed peatlands are effective carbon sinks and provide a variety of ecosystem services. However, anthropogenic disturbances, especially land drainage, strongly alter peat soil properties and jeopardize the benefits of peatlands. The effects of disturbances should therefore be assessed and predicted. To support accurate modeling, this study determined the physical and hydraulic properties of intact and disturbed peat samples collected from 59 sites (in total 3,073 samples) in Finland and Norway. The bulk density (BD), porosity, and specific yield (Sy) values obtained indicated that the top layer (0\uffe2\uff80\uff9330\uffc2\uffa0cm depth) at agricultural and peat extraction sites was most affected by land use change. The BD in the top layer at agricultural, peat extraction, and forestry sites was 441%, 140%, and 92% higher, respectively, than that of intact peatlands. Porosity decreased with increased BD, but not linearly. Agricultural and peat extraction sites had the lowest saturated hydraulic conductivity, Sy, and porosity, and the highest BD of the land use options studied. The van Genuchten\uffe2\uff80\uff90Mualem (vGM) soil water retention curve (SWRC) and hydraulic conductivity (K) models proved to be applicable for the peat soils tested, providing values of SWRC, K, and vGM\uffe2\uff80\uff90parameters (\uffce\uffb1 and n) for peat layers (top, middle and bottom) under different land uses. A decrease in peat soil water content of \uffe2\uff89\uffa510% reduced the unsaturated K values by two orders of magnitude. This unique data set can be used to improve hydrological modeling in peat\uffe2\uff80\uff90dominated catchments and for fuller integration of peat soils into large\uffe2\uff80\uff90scale hydrological models.