Design of an experimental hydrological network to record and evaluate the differences in hydrological functioning across restored, unrestored and near-natural peatland

Approximately 70% of drinking water in Scotland is sourced from peat-dominated headwater catchments. Healthy peatlands provide high-quality water which requires minimal processing. However, many of Scotland’s upland peatlands show extensive evidence of gully erosion.  The consequences of peatland erosion include: the release of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) in water supplies, increased risk of flooding, reduced biodiversity and carbon release into the atmosphere.

The 1992 European Community Habitats Directive led to legislative protection for several UK peatlands, and peatland catchment planning is a requirement of the EU Water Framework Directive. Peatland restoration is an important aspect of Scottish Government’s Climate Change planning, with a target of restoring 250 000 ha (41%) of degraded Scottish peatlands by 2030.  Although there has been an increase in UK peatland restoration projects (and associated funding) relatively few studies have sought to understand and evaluate the effectiveness of restoring the underlying hydrology, including water table depth, runoff, flow patterns and water quality.

Here we propose an experimental design to monitor and record data from restored, unrestored and near-natural peatland micro-catchments, with a view to analysing and integrating the empirical data with that from modelling studies, so as to synthesise new understanding of the relationship between restoration measures and hydrological functioning and assess potential hydrological trajectories.