Remove upper layer of peat/soil (before planting)

Overall effectiveness category No evidence found (no assessment)
Number of studies: 0
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Effectiveness

not assessed
Certainty

not assessed
Harms

not assessed

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

The upper layer of soil/peat (and any vegetation on it) could be removed from damaged peatlands, creating a new surface of bare peat for introducing vegetation with fewer nutrients, no undesirable seed bank, and often wetter and less acidic peat since the surface is closer to the water table (Grootjans et al. 2002). Clearing surface peat could also remove a hard crust or loose peat through which water cannot easily rise to the plants above.

Caution: Soil stripping may be unsuitable for wetter peatlands as heavy machinery involved may churn and compress the peat soil. Stripping surface peat from bogs may expose fen peat, which has different chemical properties to bog peat and will not (in the short term) support bog vegetation (Lindsay & Clough 2016).

Key peatland types where this action may be appropriate: bogs, fens/fen meadows, tropical peat swamps.

_{Grootjans A.P., Bakker J.P., Jansen A.J.M. & Kemmers R.H. (2002) Restoration of brook valley meadows in the Netherlands. Hydrobiologia, 478, 149–170.}

_{Lindsay R.A. & Clough J. (2016) A review of the influence of ombrotrophic peat depth on the successful restoration of bog habitat. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report 925.}

Key messages

We found no studies that evaluated the effects, on peatland vegetation, of removing the upper layer of peat or soil before planting peatland plants.

‘We found no studies’ means that we have not yet found any studies that have directly evaluated this action during our systematic journal and report searches. Therefore we have been unable to assess whether or not the action is effective or has any harmful impacts. Please get in touch if you know of such a study for this action.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Please cite as:

Taylor, N.G., Grillas, P. & Sutherland, W.J. (2020) Peatland Conservation. Pages 367-430 in: W.J. Sutherland, L.V. Dicks, S.O. Petrovan & R.K. Smith (eds) What Works in Conservation 2020. Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

All the journals searched for all synopses

This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Peatland Conservation

Related Actions

Actions	Effectiveness	Studies	Category
Irrigate peatland (before/after planting) Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	1	Synopsis Link
Add lime (before/after planting) Action Link	Likely to be ineffective or harmful	6	Synopsis Link
Remove vegetation that could compete with planted peatland vegetation Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	1	Synopsis Link