What is the science behind Peat Bog restoration as a CO2 capture mechanism? How is effectiveness of actual projects typically measured?/Restoration Techniques

This page is part of the research tree for [[../|Peat Bog restoration as a CO₂ capture mechanism]]. See the [[../Research Plan|Research Plan]] for the full research approach.

Planned Content

This page will catalogue the principal peatland restoration techniques and the evidence for their relative effectiveness:

Ditch/gully blocking (grip blocking — peat, plastic, stone, or timber dams)
Re-profiling (flattening eroded haggs and gullies)
Re-vegetation (Sphagnum plug planting, nurse crops, geotextiles, lime and seed)
Bare peat stabilisation
Managed water table raising
Paludiculture (wet agriculture as an alternative productive land use)

For each technique: description, relative cost, evidence of effectiveness (vegetation recovery, water table response, carbon outcomes), and UK vs international context.

Key sources to consult: Natural England/Defra technical guidance, IUCN UK Peatland Programme technical guides, Grand-Clement et al. (Journal of Applied Ecology, 2013), Parry et al. (Journal of Hydrology X, 2019), Moors for the Future monitoring reports.

Planned Content

See Also