Moss 'speed bumps' to prevent flooding in latest phase of Kinder Scout peatland restoration - University of Manchester
The latest restoration project builds on findings gained in a study carried out by Moors for the Future Partnership and The University of Manchester
Work has started to restore a new 526-hectare (1,300 acre) area of peatland on Kinder Scout in Derbyshire, the site of the famous mass trespass of 1932 that is now cared for by the National Trust.
Around 130,000 of the 800,000 sphagnum moss plug plants needed for the restoration have been planted in the first phase of the project. The sphagnum moss will help to create healthier blanket bog, protect the area’s precious peat and slow the flow of rainwater across the landscape.
Once the newly planted sphagnum moss plugs have established, they will act as 'speed-bumps' for rainwater falling on the moors, forcing it to weave its way slowly down the moorland slopes instead of running in a straight line, thereby helping to alleviate flooding in nearby local towns and villages including Glossop, Whaley Bridge and Edale, which have previously been at high risk.
Over time, the sphagnum moss will also help create the right conditions for peat to actively form, allowing the site to better lock up carbon and provide unique habitats for wildlife.
The latest restoration project builds on insights gained from previous restoration work and a study carried out by Moors for the Future Partnership and The University of Manchester as part of MoorLIFE 2020, published last year.
In this study, data collected from an outdoor laboratory on Kinder Scout National Nature Reserve was used as part of the study to assess the impact of earlier phases of peatland restoration in the area. It found that once sphagnum moss has grown, water takes over two hours longer to wend its way off the moors, compared to when rain falls on bare peat.
Sphagnum moss achieves this because it creates a rougher, more textured surface which slows the flow of water and delays rainwater arriving in streams and rivers all at once and from one direction. This helps to reduce the peak of flow.