What's new
10-02-2021 The book "Sphagnum Mosses of Eastern Canada" now in French and in English!
Sphagnum Mosses of Eastern Canada - Visual identification key and distribution maps / Les sphaignes de l'Est du Canada - Clé d'identification visuelle et cartes de répartition
03-02-2021 Master's offers in 2021!
We are looking for Masters students under the supervision of Line Rochefort, at Université Laval, Québec City, Canada : MSc on the use of bryophytes for the ecological restoration of mining sites, in collaboration with...
Welcome in the Website of the Peatland Ecology Research Group!
The Peatland Ecology Research Group (PERG) was formed through the partnership of the university scientific community, the Canadian peat moss industry and federal and provincial agencies. Our common objective is the integrated sustainable management of Canadian peatlands.
The research team is headed by Dr. Line Rochefort of Université Laval (Québec, Canada). Since 1992, this research group has lead many projects, dealing with:
- The development of restoration techniques after peat harvesting;
- Natural plant recolonisation after harvesting;
- Hydrology, geochemistry, microbiology of natural, harvested and restored peatlands;
- Peatland conservation strategies;
- The peatland populations of arthropods, amphibians, birds, and mammals;
- Sphagnum ecology and productivity.
From 2003 to 2018, PERG's projects were going on within the Industrial Research Chair in Peatland Management, with still the support and collaboration of the Canadian Peat industry. The third term chair program (2013 to 2018) was divided in three main research avenues:
- Plant propagation of fen species;
- Establishment and facilitation of fen and bog species in degraded peat ecosystems;
- Biology of Sphagnum.
From 2013 to 2018, other projects were carried out under a Collaborative Research and Development Grant related to the Industrial Research Chair, and awarded to the regular PERG researchers. This grant was entitled "Farm, restore and model: responsible management of peatlands for a sustainable Canadian horticultural peat industry" and focused on four areas of research:
- Land-use management;
- Peatland restoration – a success? Flora monitoring;
- Assessment of hydrological functions after peatland management;
- Carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas exchange following peat extraction and restoration.
Since 2018, a new Collaborative Research and Development grant has made it possible to continue the collaboration between PERG researchers and the Canadian peat industry. Work that we have done to date is recognized at the international level. In addition, our expertise in restoration and conservation has created a strong interest from the private sector, governments, and conservation organizations. |
