PM 33 - Raise water tables and prevent soil loss of peatland habitats
- Code
- PM 33
- Measure
- Raise water tables and prevent soil loss of peatland habitats
- Description
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Drainage is a key pressure on peatland habitats, which must remain waterlogged to support their specialist species otherwise bare peat can become exposed. Bare peat quickly becomes oxidised and unstable and is prone to erosion and trampling by walkers and grazing animals. Actions to raise water tables, such as through blocking drainage features, reprofiling and revegetation bare areas of peat will help to these habitats resume their peat-forming function.
- Wider environmental benefits
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Improving air quality Improving water quality Increasing flood risk management Reducing climate change impacts Improving soil health Promoting nature friendly farming Supporting food provision
- Links to additional information and guidance
- Priority
- Upland habitats are restored, and their condition is improved
- Priority description
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Upland habitats in Herefordshire include moorland, upland heath, acid grassland, rush pasture, bracken, scrub and peatlands. Between the upland moorland and more intensively managed lowland these habitats tend to occur as a mosaic known as ffridd. Due to the variety of habitats present in ffridd, including scattered trees, woodland, scrub, bracken, gorse, heathland, grassland, bog, scree and rock, its high structural diversity supports numerous and rare species. Peatland habitats, such as blanket bog and raised bog, provide valuable waterlogged habitat for a variety of species, including rare and specialist species such as sphagnum mosses. They also provide a number of important benefits, notably acting as vast stores of carbon and can mitigate the effects of flooding through water absorption. These habitats are vulnerable to soil erosion and fires which can result from overgrazing, lowered water tables, lack of tree and shrub cover, climate change and anti-social behaviour.
- Mapped