Windfarm impacts on peatland hydrology and carbon cycling

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Windfarm impacts on peatland hydrology and carbon
cycling
Joseph Holden School of Geography University of
Leeds
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5-10 cm
100 cm
Several metres
Saturated peat
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Hillslope flow
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DRIER HERE
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Changes to peat structure and internal damage
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Impacts 1

• Construction activity, towers and foundations,
  tracks, drains, pipelines and wires

• A small feature can have a large impact.
• It may take many years for that impact to develop
  obvious signs
• Windfarm tracks, drains etc their wider
  impacts should be considered
• Depends on local circumstances and it could be
  possible to design features such as track routes
  to reduce their impact (but this would not remove
  impact altogether)

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Impacts 2

• Flow direction of water across/through peat
• Saturation status short and large distances
  away from track/drain depends on local
  topography
• Desaturated peat enhanced CO2 and dissolved
  organic carbon production (costly for water
  companies impacts large distance downstream)
• Drains additional erosion of peat (particulate
  carbon loss)

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Impacts 3

• Peat drainage and desaturation leads to increased
  cracking and cavity formation
• More water flowing through deeper peat layers
  more subsurface erosion
• Invisible erosion of the peat and removal of
  carbon (until large gullies form when the peat
  collapses)
• Older carbon being released from deep layers

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