Carbon budgets of two contrasting degraded peatland sites following restoration: ex-milled bare peat and grazed grassland conversion

Carbon budgets of two contrasting degraded peatland sites following restoration: ex-milled bare peat and grazed grassland conversion | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Carbon budgets of two contrasting degraded peatland sites following restoration: ex-milled bare peat and grazed grassland conversion Anna T. Keightley, Chris D. Field, Mike Longden, Simon J.M. Caporn This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7779175/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 11 Apr, 2026 Read the published version in Environmental Management → Version 1 posted 9 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The recovery of degraded peatlands can make significant contributions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and climate warming. This study contrasts restoration techniques on shallow ex-milled peatland and intensively grazed pasture on deeper peat, both subject to prior drainage. Carbon greenhouse gases (GHGs) were monitored for 3 years following restoration treatment. The ex-milled peatland was ‘companion planted’ with Eriophorum species and Sphagnum , after drainage-blocking measures. The carbon balance was highly dependent on plant age and condition, with a high CO 2 e uptake when plants were vigorously growing (year 1: -22.4 t CO 2e ha − 1 yr − 1 ), and high emission when plants were mature and in various stages of senescence (year 2: 26.1 and year 3: 16.4 t CO 2e ha − 1 yr − 1 ). Bare peat controls had a mean emission of 6.21 ± 1.68 t CO 2e ha − 1 yr − 1 over the study period. At the other site, the grazed pasture was stripped, the bare surface planted with Sphagnum plugs, and irrigation was intensively managed via bunding, ditches, and automatic water pumping. Carbon GHG emissions were significantly reduced on this ‘carbon farm’ (2.77 ± 0.95 t CO 2e ha − 1 yr − 1 ) compared to a neighboring grazed pasture control (31.7 ± 10.3 t CO 2e ha − 1 yr − 1 ) (mean ± SD throughout). It appears clear that the cyclical nature of Eriophorum plant growth may only deliver carbon benefits on shallow peat over the long term if groundwater levels can be adequately supported. Conversion of grazed pasture to wetter farming crops, such as Sphagnum , is likely to deliver immediate carbon benefits. degraded peatlands Sphagnum Eriophorum water table greenhouse gases Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 11 Apr, 2026 Read the published version in Environmental Management → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 20 Nov, 2025 Reviews received at journal 17 Nov, 2025 Reviews received at journal 12 Nov, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 30 Oct, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 30 Oct, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 28 Oct, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 18 Oct, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 07 Oct, 2025 First submitted to journal 04 Oct, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7779175","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":548385591,"identity":"be1882be-a327-4d58-9af3-53b459dcd04d","order_by":0,"name":"Anna T. 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grassland conversion","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":true,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"environmental-management","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"emvm","sideBox":"Learn more about [Environmental Management](http://link.springer.com/journal/267)","snPcode":"267","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/267/3","title":"Environmental Management","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"degraded peatlands, Sphagnum, Eriophorum, water table, greenhouse gases","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7779175/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7779175/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThe recovery of degraded peatlands can make significant contributions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and climate warming. This study contrasts restoration techniques on shallow ex-milled peatland and intensively grazed pasture on deeper peat, both subject to prior drainage. Carbon greenhouse gases (GHGs) were monitored for 3 years following restoration treatment. The ex-milled peatland was \u0026lsquo;companion planted\u0026rsquo; with \u003cem\u003eEriophorum\u003c/em\u003e species and \u003cem\u003eSphagnum\u003c/em\u003e, after drainage-blocking measures. The carbon balance was highly dependent on plant age and condition, with a high CO\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003ee uptake when plants were vigorously growing (year 1: -22.4 t CO\u003csub\u003e2e\u003c/sub\u003e ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e yr\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e), and high emission when plants were mature and in various stages of senescence (year 2: 26.1 and year 3: 16.4 t CO\u003csub\u003e2e\u003c/sub\u003e ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e yr\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e). Bare peat controls had a mean emission of 6.21\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.68 t CO\u003csub\u003e2e\u003c/sub\u003e ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e yr\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e over the study period. At the other site, the grazed pasture was stripped, the bare surface planted with \u003cem\u003eSphagnum\u003c/em\u003e plugs, and irrigation was intensively managed via bunding, ditches, and automatic water pumping. Carbon GHG emissions were significantly reduced on this \u0026lsquo;carbon farm\u0026rsquo; (2.77\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.95 t CO\u003csub\u003e2e\u003c/sub\u003e ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e yr\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e) compared to a neighboring grazed pasture control (31.7\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;10.3 t CO\u003csub\u003e2e\u003c/sub\u003e ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e yr\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e) (mean\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;SD throughout). It appears clear that the cyclical nature of \u003cem\u003eEriophorum\u003c/em\u003e plant growth may only deliver carbon benefits on shallow peat over the long term if groundwater levels can be adequately supported. Conversion of grazed pasture to wetter farming crops, such as \u003cem\u003eSphagnum\u003c/em\u003e, is likely to deliver immediate carbon benefits.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Carbon budgets of two contrasting degraded peatland sites following restoration: ex-milled bare peat and grazed grassland conversion","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-12-12 12:35:23","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7779175/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-11-20T23:06:24+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-11-17T13:32:31+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-11-12T16:43:25+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"198890122571838805369742022271006314735","date":"2025-10-30T08:08:43+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"143360545580565696386843757427178568662","date":"2025-10-30T06:55:24+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-10-28T06:41:20+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-10-18T13:51:16+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-10-07T12:11:38+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Environmental Management","date":"2025-10-04T10:12:56+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"environmental-management","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"emvm","sideBox":"Learn more about [Environmental Management](http://link.springer.com/journal/267)","snPcode":"267","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/267/3","title":"Environmental Management","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"da368420-ecef-4775-bed2-8a2a0f31b087","owner":[],"postedDate":"December 12th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-04-13T16:04:19+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-7779175","link":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-026-02445-w","journal":{"identity":"environmental-management","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Environmental Management"},"publishedOn":"2026-04-11 15:57:29","publishedOnDateReadable":"April 11th, 2026"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-12-12 12:35:23","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1007/s00267-026-02445-w","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-026-02445-w","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7779175","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7779175","identity":"rs-7779175","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}