Comparison of Degraded and Restored Peatland: What Are the Changes in Physio-chemical and Microbial Conditions?

Restoration of degraded peatlands is seen as the ideal solution for management of such environments (Anderson et al 2006), with the potential benefit being the return of peatland to being a sink of carbon dioxide. As peatlands are the single largest carbon reserve in the UK it is necessary that an understanding of the impact of restorative efforts is gained. Efforts to assess restoration have largely been made on the basis of vegetation recovery; few studies have been made on the physio-chemical conditions of restored peatlands (Anderson et al 2006) which are crucial to the health of the system and it's carbon accumulation function. Therefore this study identifies changes in physio-chemical properties that have known influence on the microbial component. Samples were taken at Restored, Bare, and Intact sites on the Bleaklow Plateau, Peak District, UK, with soil pH, loss on ignition and ICP data collected. Analysis of the data allows an assessment of restorative efforts based on physio-chemical indicators, useful for environmentalists who wish to understand the impacts of restoration on microbial communities ultimately governing peatlands ability to act as a carbon dioxide sink.