Peatland ACTION – Technical Compendium

This technical compendium of peatland restoration techniques is built on the shared experience of the Peatland ACTION Programme, since its inception in 2012, in applying peatland restoration techniques and assessing their outcomes. It provides an overview of the procedural and technical requirements for peatland restoration in Scotland, alongside an introduction to the types of restoration interventions that have been applied to date by Peatland ACTION. It identifies ‘families’ of techniques with shared restoration objectives and describes best practices associated with individual technique, conditions of applications, machinery requirement, intended outcomes and practical issues likely to impact on their success.

The technical compendium is intended as a guide, not detailed prescriptive instruction. It should be used to inform the development of a peatland restoration plan, recognising that the selection of appropriate restoration techniques will always be site specific and supported by appropriate survey and baseline information. A brief overview of the basic principles of restoration of peatland hydrology is also provided to help explain the impacts, and aims, of the various restoration techniques on the water table.