Wetter is better
One of the aims of peatland restoration is to ‘re-wet’ the peat. Peat forms in waterlogged, acidic conditions and if it dries out it loses key peat-forming species, such a sphagnum mosses. Many peatlands are in a degraded condition due to previous attempts to drain them or cut them for fuel, and this is a problem for several reasons.
Dry peat emits carbon, either directly to the air or through wind and water erosion, turning peatlands from a valuable store of carbon to an emitter of greenhouse gases. But this is not the only problem. Wet peatlands are an increasingly rare habitat for specialist plant and animal species. Small pools are vital for many insects, which in turn provide food for upland birds including curlew, skylark and meadow pipit. Without these wet areas it’s likely that we would lose the birds and their song, which fills the mountain air in spring and summer. And wet areas support amazing plants, such as the carnivorous sundew. These tiny plants can’t gain enough nutrients from peatlands, so trap insects (including midges!) using sticky ‘dew’ drops and digest them at leisure.
But what do wet peatlands do for people? When wet, peatlands tend to be covered with sphagnum mosses, with some species forming hummocks around 50cm high. These hummocks slow the flow of water after heavy rain, reducing the likelihood and severity of downslope flooding – this is particularly important with increasingly intense rainfall events. On the other end of the weather spectrum, wet peatland can reduce the impact of droughts and wildfire by storing water and releasing it slowly. When they dry out, peatlands can no longer support sphagnum mosses and other peatland vegetation, so the risk of flooding, drought and wildfire are increased.
Re-wetting peat on our hills is definitely challenging. Compared to peatland restoration sites in the UK, our sites are very steep, so the usual methods of re-wetting are not always possible. Instead of large-scale drain blocking, we have been creating small bunded areas and pools, damming small ditches and slowing the flow of water. We are also planning to plant sphagnum moss in areas where it has been lost, as this moss holds LOTS of water and can help create the wet conditions needed for peat formation.
Even these relatively small interventions can have a big impact. Just a few days after creating small pools of water, one of our sites was visited by breeding dragonflies. Other changes will take a lot longer to notice, but we’re optimistic!
