2011
Industrial pollution, overgrazing and wildfire have led to severe erosion of the blanket peatlands in the UK uplands. Where we would expect to see flat expanses of sphagnum mosses, cotton grass and pools, there is often a ‘moonscape’ of gullies 2–3 metres deep, exposing bare peat in their walls.
Over the last decade there has been a major conservation effort to restore these degraded landscapes. Bare surfaces have been revegetated and deep gullies have been blocked. Gullies act like drains, reducing water tables in the peat. Blocking them with wooden or stone dams raises the water table and promotes revegetation on the gully floor.
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