Burns Bog (Figure 1) is the largest raised bog on the west coast of North America, covering 3000 hectares, which also makes it one of the largest undeveloped parcels of land within an urban area (Howie et al., 2009). The bog is a large carbon sink and serves as critical habitat for over 400 species of migratory birds and endangered species such as the Southern Red-backed vole and the Greater Sandhill Crane (Burns Bog Conservation Society, 2016).

Figure 1. Google Earth Engine’s time lapse of development in and around Burns Bog.

However, the bog has been negatively impacted by decades of peat mining, filling, drainage, and the conversion of many areas of the bog into urban and agricultural areas, including a landfill (Howie et al., 2009). In addition, highway 91 cuts right through the bog. The impacts have led to profound changes in the hydrology of the bog, resulting in the building blocks of the bog, Sphagnum mosses, struggling to both survive and regenerate (Price et al., 2003). With a malfunctioning surface, the bog is much more susceptible to variation in the bog surface and water table (Hebda et al., 2000). In addition, areas around the edge of the bog that collect runoff from both the interior of the acidic and nutrient-poor bog, and the surrounding mineral-rich soils are prone to changes in vegetation resulting from development and land use change (Damman and French, 1987). The influx of nutrients and less acidic waters can result in a shift from bog to forest vegetation, especially if the water table has been declining in the region due to drier conditions (Hebda et al., 2000; Howie and van Meerveld, 2013).

This study aims to identify which areas of the bog are most vulnerable and thus of highest priority for restoration efforts using multi-criteria analyses that incorporate geodetic water table elevation, seasonal variation in the geodetic water table elevation, the presence of roads, and the potential to be contaminated by nutrient-rich runoff from areas outside of the bog.