Wind farm development on peatlands increases fluvial macronutrient loading
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10889519 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Kate Heal, Kate V Heal (0000-0002-1019-748X, University of Edinburgh, corresponding author), Antony Phin (Campbell Collaboration), Susan Waldron (0000-0002-2683-0761, University of Glasgow), Hugh Flowers (University of Glasgow), Patricia Bruneau (Scottish Natural Heritage), Andrew Coupar (Scottish Natural Heritage), Alan Cundill (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) |
| Year | 2020 |
| Volume | 49 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 442-459 |
| Publication date | 2020-02-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | AMBIO (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0044-7447 • E-ISSN: 1654-7209 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s13280-019-01200-2 |
| PMID | 31140159 |
| OpenAlex | W2946939035 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 38 |
Wind farms can help to mitigate increasing atmospheric carbon (C) emissions. However, disturbance caused by wind farm development must not have lasting deleterious impacts on landscape C sequestration. To understand the effects of wind farm development on peatlands, we monitored streamwater at Europe's second largest onshore wind farm (539 MW), Whitelee, Scotland, for 31 months. Using nested catchment sampling to understand impacts on water quality, increasing macronutrient concentrations and exports were associated with wind farm development, particularly forest-felling and borrow pits. Low/poor water quality occurred in small headwater catchments most disturbed by development. At the site exit, dissolved organic C and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) concentrations increased during construction, though [SRP] recovery occurred within 2 years. Since C was lost and streamwater quality negatively affected, we propose future good practice measures for wind farm development, including limiting total disturbance within individual catchments and locating borrow pits, where deemed necessary, off site avoiding peatlands
Disturbance (geology · Hydrology (agriculture · Peat · Water quality · Ecology · Environmental Science · Geology · Integrated Water Resources Management · Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology · Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2024 - 2025 (2) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |