Sphagnum Introduction in Moorland Restoration Work

Brendon Wittram – Moors for the Future Conservation Contracts Manager

A Brief History

Start pointPhoto: Mark Owen - NE

Aspiration

Photo: John Barrett - NE

Techniques

It all started with a beadBeadaMoss – MFFP Photo: MFFP

Further Developments in the PDNPA

BeadaGel – MFFP Photo: MFFP

BeadaGel Applicator – Micro-PropagationPhoto: Neal Wright

Further Developments in the PDNPA

Sphagnum Clumps – RSPBKate Hanley

Further Developments in the PDNPA

Sphagnum Plugs (BeadaHummock) – MFFPPhoto: MFFP

Work in other areas

Sphagnum Rich Brash – North Pennines AONBPhoto: Alistair Lockett

Work in other areas

Sphagnum Fragments – Yorkshire Peat PartnershipPhoto: YPP

Work in other areas

Cuspidatum Handfuls – Chat Moss Photo: Anna Keightley

Future Developments

Grove Machine – ML2020, Geoff Eyre and Micro-PropagationPhoto - MFFP

Future Developments

Geoff Eyre’s Pellets – using sphagnum spores and BeadaCoat(Micro-Propagation)Photo: Neal Wright

Future Developments

Sphagnum Farming – RSPB/UU/ML2020Photo: www.wetlands.org/russia

Success

Established Sphagnum Clumps – RSPBPhoto: MFFP

Success

Sphagnum Plugs - MFFPPhoto: MFFP

Success

Sphagnum Rich Brash – North Pennines AONBPhoto: Alistair Lockett

Success

FragmentationPhoto: MFFP

Success

Natural Colonisation Photo: MFFP

Common Themes

• All treatments hoped to achieve the same end goal• Wide scale sphagnum re-introduction

• Ideas were the most suitable technique for that situation based on

• Situation• Available materials• Budget• Timescales

• Success has been achieved in the majority of treatments

• Where treatments have been less successful lessons have been learnt and developments have been made

Where Are We Now?• What we have:

• Wide body of knowledge and experience

• Variety of tried and tested techniques

• Willing group of people keen to discuss and share experiences

• What we lack:• Comprehensive guide of all shared

experience

Six Stages of Blanket Bog and Sphagnum

Six Stages of Blanket Bog:• Upland Management Group (NE, EA, MA, NFU, HT, NT, RSPB, YWS

Stakeholders) have developed plan to assist moorland management

• Aim to have a guide to assess what condition you have and what you need to do to improve the moorland condition

• Set milestones to ensure progression from unfavourable to favourable condition

• Ultimate aim is to create a moor of sphagnum dominated vegetation

• Where there are moors without sphagnum dominance the re-introduction of sphagnum is a key part of the moorland improvement work

MoorLIFE 2020

Sphagnum Application work:• Factsheets to be produced by MFFP to capture the discussions of the

UMG Six Stages of Blanket Bog and offer advice based on the discussions

• These will include references to the different sphagnum application techniques available to suit the situation and resources of each moor

• Update and maintain the “Practitioners Guide to Sphagnum Application” as a reference point

• Stakeholder Engagement and Demonstration Sites to inform people of what is possible for sphagnum application

• Research and Monitoring work to continue our understanding of the works we are all doing