Rautio, A. & Korkka-Niemi, K. 2011: Characterization of groundwater–lake water interactions at Pyhäjärvi, a lake in SW Finland. Boreal Env. Res. 16: 363–380.
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Sarala, M, Taulavuori, E., Karhu, J., Laine, K. & Taulavuori, K. 2011: Growth and pigmentation of various species under blue light depletion. Boreal Env. Res. 16: 381–394.
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Aarnio, K., Mattila, J. & Bonsdorff, E. 2011: Comparison of different sampling strategies in monitoring zoobenthos and classification of archipelago areas. Boreal Env. Res. 16: 395–406.
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Akther, M. S. & Hassan, Q. K. 2011: Remote sensing based estimates of surface wetness conditions and growing degree days over northern Alberta, Canada. Boreal Env. Res. 16: 407–416.
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Leclerc, V., Sirois, P. & Bérubé, P. 2011: Impact of forest harvesting on larval and juvenile growth of yellow perch (Perca flavescens) in boreal lakes. Boreal Env. Res. 16: 417–429.
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Hynninen, A., Sarkkola, S., Laurén, A., Koivusalo, H. & Nieminen, M. 2011: Capacity of riparian buffer areas to reduce ammonium export originating from ditch network maintenance areas in peatlands drained for forestry. Boreal Env. Res. 16: 430–440.
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Laiho, R., Ojanen, P., Ilomets, M., Hájek, T. & Tuittila, E.-S. 2011: Moss production in a boreal, forestry-drained peatland. Boreal Env. Res. 16: 441–449.
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Rautio, A. & Korkka-Niemi, K. 2011: Characterization of groundwater–lake water interactions at Pyhäjärvi, a lake in SW Finland. Boreal Env. Res. 16: 363–380.

This paper presents the first attempt in Finland to collect detailed observations on surface water and groundwater interactions. We focused on a 10-km northeastern shoreline of Pyhäjärvi, where the potential groundwater discharge areas are associated with the esker aquifers. The methods used during 2008 and 2009 involved winter mapping, lake water and lake bed sediment temperature measurements, pH and electrical conductivity measurements, seepage meters, mini-piezometers, and chemical (PCE/TCE) and isotopic tracers. The main aims of this study were to compare the applicability of the methods used and evaluate the results obtained. The results from the various methods correlated and confirmed the groundwater discharge (4.69 x 10^–5 cm s^–1 to 4.80 x 10^–3 cm s^–1) into lake water at the shoreline. Further research is needed to obtain a quantitative estimation of groundwater seepage in Pyhäjärvi.

Sarala, M, Taulavuori, E., Karhu, J., Laine, K. & Taulavuori, K. 2011: Growth and pigmentation of various species under blue light depletion. Boreal Env. Res. 16: 381–394.

The effect of blue light (400–500 nm) removal on the morphology and pigmentation of evergreen Pinus sylvestris seedlings of northern (67°N) and southern (62°N) origins, deciduous Betula pubescens spp. czerepanovii and B. pubescens f. rubra seedlings, and herbaceous Epilobium angustifolium and Glechoma hederacea plants was studied. The plants were grown at the latitude 69°N. The blue wavelengths were removed from sunlight by orange plexiglass chambers. The results suggest that the northern origin Pinus sylvestris seedlings are more sensitive to blue light as compared with the southern origin seedlings. The changes in the morphology of shade-intolerant Pinus sylvestris, both Betula seedlings and Epilobium angustifolium were similar and more pronounced under blue light depletion, as compared with the more shade-tolerant Glechoma hederacea. This indicates that the morphological responses of shade-intolerant species to blue light depletion are quite conservative across life forms.

Aarnio, K., Mattila, J. & Bonsdorff, E. 2011: Comparison of different sampling strategies in monitoring zoobenthos and classification of archipelago areas. Boreal Env. Res. 16: 395–406.

The European Water Framework Directive (EC WFD/2000/60) states that all coastal surface waters should achieve Good ecological status by the year 2015. For this purpose waterbodies have been classified, and a subsequent step is to establish monitoring and management plans for each waterbody. We assess what is an optimal, cost-effective sampling design in monitoring zoobenthos for WFD purposes in complex archipelago waters in the northern Baltic Sea. Zoobenthic grab samples were taken from three archipelago areas of different exposure, and the results of two different sampling methods were compared: the traditional replicate sampling method (3–5 replicate samples at each station) and a proposed single-sample method (no replicate samples). The choice of sampling strategy did not affect the general results on basic community parameters. The ecological status of the areas was somewhat over-estimated when the single-sample strategy was used. The replicate design turned out to be more cost-effective as it is less time-consuming in shallow archipelago areas, especially when small boats and hand-held equipment are used. Further, the replicate sample strategy was more conservative in assessing the ecological status, which may prevent too optimistic status classifications of specific waterbodies.

Akther, M. S. & Hassan, Q. K. 2011: Remote sensing based estimates of surface wetness conditions and growing degree days over northern Alberta, Canada. Boreal Env. Res. 16: 407–416.

Here, our aims are to estimate two most important climate-driven variables of the surface wetness condition (SWC) and growing degree days (GDD: a temperature regime) primarily using remotely sensed 8-day composites from Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) sensor over the agriculture and forest-dominated regions in the Canadian province of Alberta. The estimation of both SWC and GDD was based on exploiting relations between surface temperature and vegetation indices. Our results showed that on average in 81.67% of the cases, the MODIS-derived SWC values differed less that ±20% from the ground-based measurements of volumetric soil moisture. The MODIS-derived GDD values differed less ±20% from the ground-based measurements of GDDs in 90.39% of the cases.

Leclerc, V., Sirois, P. & Bérubé, P. 2011: Impact of forest harvesting on larval and juvenile growth of yellow perch (Perca flavescens) in boreal lakes. Boreal Env. Res. 16: 417–429.

Any factor modifying early growth in fishes could lead to large recruitment variations. We investigated the impact of forest harvesting on growth rate and length-at-age of larval and juvenile yellow perch (Perca flavescens) and on the trophodynamics in small oligotrophic Canadian Boreal Shield lakes. Yellow perch, phytoplankton, and zooplankton were sampled in August or early September in three consecutive years (2003, 2004 and 2005) from three unperturbed lakes and from three lakes that had had logging in their watershed catchment zones after the first year of sampling. Two years after the perturbation, larval and juvenile growth rate and length-at-age of yellow perch, as well as Chl a, were significantly higher in lakes perturbed by forest harvesting than in unperturbed ones. Our results support the hypothesis that early growth of yellow perch has been favoured in perturbed lakes. This may have been due to post-harvest enhancements in nutrients and dissolved organic carbon concentrations, likely generating bottom-up changes in larval and juvenile yellow perch feeding conditions such as increased prey abundance and visibility thus, stimulating growth.

Hynninen, A., Sarkkola, S., Laurén, A., Koivusalo, H. & Nieminen, M. 2011: Capacity of riparian buffer areas to reduce ammonium export originating from ditch network maintenance areas in peatlands drained for forestry. Boreal Env. Res. 16: 430–440.

It is currently recommended to use buffer areas in reducing nutrient export from forested areas to water courses. Nutrient retention in buffer areas has been studied mostly by using artificial nutrient additions, hence information is needed from areas where the increased export originates from an actual forestry practice. We investigated the capacity of riparian buffer areas to reduce the ammonium (NH₄-N) export originating from ditch network maintenance areas on boreal forested peatlands. Our results indicated that buffers are inefficient for reducing loadings that already are close to background levels of forested areas. In such a case, the buffer may even release NH₄-N into through-flow waters. When the loading rate increased high above the background level, efficient reduction in NH₄-N transport became possible. Besides the rate of ammonium loading, a factor behind efficient retention was the sufficient length of the buffer, whereas high volume of runoff decreased retention efficiency. Other buffer characteristics, such as the soil properties (bulk density, CEC), the tree stand structure, and the density of surface vegetation, were insignificant for ammonium retention efficiency.

Laiho, R., Ojanen, P., Ilomets, M., Hájek, T. & Tuittila, E.-S. 2011: Moss production in a boreal, forestry-drained peatland. Boreal Env. Res. 16: 441–449.

We studied the biomass production of moss species typical of pine-dominated drained peatland forests to evaluate their potential role in the carbon cycle of such sites. The study was carried out at two sites in Lakkasuo, central Finland. Prior to drainage, the sites had been mesotrophic and ombrotrophic. Shoots of Pleurozium schreberi, Sphagnum angustifolium, S. fuscum, S. magellanicum and S. russowii were marked in the autumn of 2004 and 2005, incorporated back in the original patches, recovered one year later, and measured for height growth, biomass, and biomass production. Biomass production varied from 16 to 388 g dry mass m^–2 yr^–1. Both height growth and biomass production were higher at the mesotrophic site, while biomass estimates did not show distinct difference between sites. Variation in production within each dominant species was considerable. A simulation with our production values and published estimates of decomposition rates showed that these species have the potential to contribute significantly to soil carbon storage in drained peatlands.