Linear disturbances such as powerline rights of way, seismic lines and roads are common in areas of intensive resource development. Roads that bisect wetlands can alter their hydrologic connectivity on a local or landscape scale. These impacts were studied in a poor fen located 45 km south of Fort McMurray, Alberta, where a raised road was built across the northern fringe of the fen in 1977. Examination of the fen’s response to this impoundment provided insight into post-disturbance vegetation succession patterns and peatland development. The objectives of this study were to map the spatial and temporal extent of hydrological disturbance from road construction, to quantify the response of peatland vegetation to this disturbance and to determine the successional pathway of the system. The study site is an 8 ha poor fen situated on Stoney Mountain (~740 masl), about 45 km south of Fort McMurray in the Athabasca oil sands region of northeastern Alberta.
Maintaining a natural hydrologic regime is integral to maintaining the function of a peatland. This research has implications for peatland construction projects in the Athabasca oil sands, and the design and maintenance of linear features in this region and nationally