A review of the effects of vehicular access roads on peatland ecohydrological processes

An increasing demand for resources, coupled with technological advances which make remote exploration possible and economically viable, have led to a human push into previously inaccessible areas, including peatlands. In spite of the unsuitable nature of peat as a substrate for engineering projects there has been a growth of vehicular access networks on peatlands. However, there is a lack of understanding about how such networks impact peatland functioning. We found that research trends on peatland access track studies have changed from a concern largely with the physical properties of peat and its suitability as a substrate for building, to study of vegetation recovery, microbiological functioning and carbon cycling processes. Some recent research has examined vehicular access route impacts on peat ecohydrological processes showing that biogeochemical processes are affected, and that vegetation recovery is significantly impeded in post abandonment periods. Sizeable knowledge gaps which could form the focus of future research include the effects of roads on tropical peatlands, influence of plastic, erosion and pipe formation processes, the hydrological effects of seismic trails, ecotoxicological effects of plastic tracks and chemical pollutants on peatlands resulting from vehicular access, the ecohydrological recovery process after temporary roads are removed from peatlands.