The role of microtopography in the assessment of ecological condition on lowland raised bogs of conservation importance

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Hart, RG, 2012. The role of microtopography in the assessment of ecological condition on lowland raised bogs of conservation importance. MPhil, Nottingham Trent University.

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Abstract

The principal aim of this thesis is to investigate relationships between the hydrology, ecology and vegetative microtopography of lowland raised mires, using data collected from two sites in Cumbria: Bolton Fell Moss and Walton Moss. The sites were chosen for study as they provided a contrast between the almost pristine condition of Walton Moss and the heavily modified Bolton Fell Moss, which has a long history of mechanised peat cutting. The study uses data collected from the two sites over a four year monitoring period between 2004 and 2007. Depth to water table data was obtained from five dipwell transects, complemented by seven automated loggers to provide temporal variation. A series of corresponding vegetation quadrats were established to inform ecological condition. The applicability of using remotely sensed LiDAR data to determine bog hydro-ecological condition was considered. The variation in LiDAR spot heights in 20m2 plots associated with the dipwells was used to provide an indicator of topographic variability at that location. Topographic variability was also directly measured by measuring spot heights across a corresponding 2m2 plot using differential GPS surveying equipment.

Item Type:	Thesis
Creators:	Hart, R.G.
Date:	2012
Rights:	This work is the intellectual property of the author. You may copy up to 5% of this work for private study or personal, non commercial research. Any re-use of the information contained within this document should be fully referenced, quoting the author, title, university, degree level and pagination. Queries or requests for any other use, or if a more substantial copy is required, should be directed to the owner of the Intellectual Property Rights.
Divisions:	Schools > School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences
Record created by:	EPrints Services
Date Added:	09 Oct 2015 09:33
Last Modified:	09 Oct 2015 09:33
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/94