%0 Research Notes
%T A survey of peat-land drainage activity in southern and central Finland
%A Eurola, Seppo
%A Aapala, Kaisu
%A Kokko, Aira
%D 1988
%J Suo - Mires and peat
%V 39
%N 1-2
%U http://suo.fi/article/9638
%X The results of a survey of 254 random sample plots, each 1 km2 in area and covering 1 543 km of mire transect line are reported. 74% of the peat-land encountered were drained with open ditch networks for forestry purposes. Of those 19% were classified as recently drained, 66% as transitional, 10% as transformed peat-moor peatlands, and 5% as being under the influence of nearby drainage. Drainage activity had been most often carried out on spruce mires, pine bogs, combination types, and rich fens and to a lesser extent on poor fens/bog hollows. The nutrient status and peat thickness had been taken into account only to a limited extent although ombrotrophic peatlands had been drained to a lesser extent than rich peatlands. There was an increasing tendency to extend drainage activities to thick, ombrotrophic mire types. 17% of peatland under the influence of drainage (750 000 ha) are unsuitable for forestry purposes. Considered within each unsuitable mire type more than 50% of their area is drained.

Keywords: Drainage, Finland, mire types, peatland