Hydraulic conductivity of peat in Western Siberia

Abstract

The paper aims at estimating hydraulic conductivity of peat. It is a complicated process since peat has some unique properties that are not typical for mineral soils. Other difficulties involve the lack of elaborated procedure for laboratory testing and data processing, high sensitivity of peat soils to external and internal factors; which leads to considerable fluctuation in peat hydraulic conductivity values. The specific properties of hydraulic conductivity in peat soils are proved by numerous experimental data. The article also provides the permeability values for the most typical peat species in Western Siberia. The obtained data allow forecasting peat soil response to the development of peatlands.