Abstract
The overall aim of this project is to collate a compendium of UK peat restoration and management projects in uplands and lowlands. An analysis of the experience gained in these projects will be presented and we will give recommendations for future set up, management and delivery of projects. Work will be done using staff from the Moors for the Future Partnership, one of the biggest UK peat restoration projects, in collaboration with internationally-renowned staff from three universities. The project team harnesses both practical restoration expertise and research expertise. The wider Moors for the Future Partnership includes a wide networks of stakeholders and the project investigators have developed good networks with additional stakeholders and projects thereby adding value to the project. To promote the most effective knowledge transfer and collation of expertise, the project will hold a conference inviting all main peat projects. The project will review existing research and management practice of peat restoration and management projects in order to assess the success or failure of current peat restoration projects. The problems will be defined and reasons for success or failure identified. The project will review motivations for restoration projects as well as their long term goals and analyse adaptive management towrads these over the lifetime of the project. It is evident that many restoration projects started with clear biodiversity goals and as a vehicle to fulfill PSA targets, while in recent years the emphasis has shifted to soil and water conservation, enhancement of carbon sequestration for climate change mitigation and flood protection goals. These changing objectives and a growing evidence base derived from surveillance, monitoring and research results have led to adaptive management in some restoration projects in response to new understanding. At a technical level, this project will identify the difficulties that need to be overcome in the use of identified restoration and management techniques, considering site specificity of the techniques employed. The project will provide details on the costs involved in implementing the restoration and management techniques associated with each project, and on how the projects have been funded. To understand the importance of public funding and the role of agri-environment schemes, this step will highlight any contribution from Environmental Stewardship or other schemes. The compendium will therefore collate existing information and expertise from existing and planned peat restoration management projects, identify avenues for success as well as problem areas and provide guidance for future peat restoration and management schemes in the UK.
United Kingdom