The size of peat subsidence at Solec peatland (Poland) over 50 years was determined. The field values for subsidence and mineralization were compared with estimates using 20 equations. The subsidence values derived from equations and field measurements were compared to rank the equations. The equations that include a temporal factor (time) were used to forecast subsidence (for the 20, 30 and 40 years after 2016) assuming stable climate conditions and water regime. The annual rate of subsidence ranged from 0.08 to 2.2 cm year⁻¹ (average 1.02 cm year ⁻¹). Equation proposed by Jurczuk produced the closest-matching figure (1.03 cm year⁻¹). Applying the same equation to calculate future trends indicates that the rate of soil subsidence will slow down by about 20% to 0.82 cm year⁻¹ in 2056. With the measured peat subsidence rate, the groundwater level (57–72 cm) was estimated and fed into equations to determine the contribution of chemical processes to the total size of subsidence. The applied equations produced identical results, attributing 46% of peat subsidence to chemical (organic matter mineralization) processes and 54%—to physical processes (shrinkage, organic matter consolidation). The belowground changes in soil in relation to groundwater level have been neglected lately, with GHGs emissions being the main focus.

The proper monitoring of soil moisture content is important to understand water-related processes in peatland ecosystems. Time domain reflectometry (TDR) is a popular method used for soil moisture content measurements, the applicability of which is still challenging in field studies due to requirements regarding the calibration curve which converts the dielectric constant into the soil moisture content. The main objective of this study was to develop a general calibration equation for the TDR method based on simultaneous field measurements of the dielectric constant and gravimetric water content in the surface layers of degraded peatlands. Data were collected during field campaigns conducted temporarily between the years 2006 and 2016 at the drained peatland Kuwasy located in the north-east area of Poland. Based on the data analysis, a two-slopes linear calibration equation was developed as a general broken-line model (GBLM). A site-specific calibration model (SSM-D) for the TDR method was obtained in the form of a two-slopes equation describing the relationship between the soil moisture content and the dielectric constant and introducing the bioindices as covariates relating to plant species biodiversity and the state of the habitats. The root mean squared error for the GBLM and SSM-D models were equal, respectively, at 0.04 and 0.035 cm³ cm⁻³.

This study analyzed design depths (t_o), post-subsidence depths (t), shallowing magnitudes (d = t_o − t) and ratio values (d/t) of 12 drainage ditches in a fragment of the drained Solec fen-peat (central Poland) over a period of 47 years between 1967 and 2014. A significant decrease of the designed depth of the ditches t_o was shown, from the average designed value of 0.97 m to their average depth after subsidence, t = 0.71 m. The ratio (d/t) of 0.41, which is associated with the degree of organic matter decomposition, indicated medium degree of peat decomposition. The average values of bank and bottom subsidence of the ditches during the analyzed period, 1967–2014, were 0.43 m and 0.17 m, respectively. The values of the average annual rate of land surface subsidence in the vicinity of the ditches were varied and within the range of 0.09 cm year⁻¹ to 1.70 cm year⁻¹, with an average of 0.92 cm year⁻¹. Two linear empirical equations were proposed to calculate the amount of subsidence and the average annual rate of subsidence of peat soil surface near the drainage ditch route, based on the knowledge of the initial thickness of the peat deposit. The results of calculations using the equations proposed by the authors were compared with calculations of the same parameters using 10 equations published in the literature. The results obtained using the proposed equations were mostly larger than those calculated with literature-published equations.