Peatland restoration in Cumbria

Peatlands are made up of decaying plant material, however due to the waterlogged conditions that mean there is a lack of oxygen in the soil, the plant material cannot rot and therefore builds up into a thick layer of peat.

However this process is extremely slow with most peatlands only growing 0.5 - 1mm a year, meaning that it can take over 1000 years to make 1m of peat! Some peatlands found in Cumbria are up to 10m deep, showing just how long these habitats have been around.

Most peatlands grow so thick that they are actually above the water table and therefore only receive their water from rainfall. This is one reason why peatlands are so common in in the cool and wet climate of Cumbria, which holds 31,000 hectares of blanket bog alone. This is equivalent to over 43,417 football pitches!

Although it appears solid, peat is actually full of water and is very easily damaged.
Bog moss (Sphagnum) is the main peat-forming plant. It doesn't just grow on peatlands - it is the peatland. If you squeeze a handful, water will come pouring out; Sphagnum holds up to 20 times its own weight in water! By holding rainwater it helps to keep the surface damp and maintain the waterlogged conditions that are needed for the formation of peat. 

Once the peatland is damaged it is no longer waterlogged and the specialist plant species that make the peatland, such as Sphagnum mosses, cannot survive.

Once these plant species are lost bare peat areas can form and the surface dries, crumbles and cracks; rapidly eroding during severe weather.

Restoring peatlands aims to reverse this damage by covering bare peat areas with vegetation, blocking drains to raise the water table and return the waterlogged conditions and re-introducing Sphagnum mosses into areas they have been lost.

Restoring the balance of nature benefits people and wildlife, as peatland are hugely important in a number of different ways;