Understanding Gully Blocking in Deep Peat

This report aims to provide evidence based recommendations for suitable site characteristics for the implementation of gully blocking as a method of moorland restoration. The specific context is re-vegetation of areas of the Peak District National Park by the Moors for the Future partnership. The report consists of three main studies. The first is an extensive photographic survey of natural re-vegetation on the Bleaklow and Kinder Scout plateaux. The set of georeferenced photographs produced provide a useful baseline for further monitoring of these sites. The photographs generated five hypotheses about mechanisms of natural re-vegetation which occurred in specific geomorphic contexts: Colonisation of redeposited peat surfaces by Eriophorum angustifolium in three contexts, 1) peat flats, 2) behind gully blocks, and 3) as a result of reduced stream power in broad gullies. 4) Colonisation of bare peat floored gullies by Eriophorum vaginatum and 5) Colonisation of bare mineral floors by a range of vegetation types. The second main component of the study was a quantitative field survey of natural revegetation at 149 gully sites in seven areas across Bleaklow and Kinder Scout. At each of these sites vegetation and morphometric data were collected. The survey confirms that natural re-vegetation is widespread in the study area, and provided supporting evidence for mechanisms 1, 2 and 4 above. The survey identifie