This new animation explores the hydrological basis of raised bogs, considering what happens to them when they are damaged by drainage, peat cutting or agricultural land-claim, and suggests ways to aid and speed up recovery from such impacts.

The same underlying processes of subsidence and carbon dioxide emissions also occur on blanket bogs but the pattern of morphological change is more complex because the overall shape of blanket bogs is largely determined by the underlying landform, whereas in a raised bog the overall morphology is almost entirely dictated by the accumulation of peat.

For more information about the growth of raised bogs and their behaviour as ground water mounds, visit the DigiBog website. 

See also: Joosten, H., Tanneberger, F., Moen A. (2017) Mires and Peatlands in Europe: Status, Distribution and Conservation. Schweizerbart Science Publishers. Germany. ISBN 978-3-510-65383-6.  

This video is the most recent addition to the suite of training materials produced by Richard Lindsay, University of East London, and the IUCN UK Peatland Programme, working in partnership for peatlands.

More videos and training courses are available on our Resources webpage.