Predicting the effects of peatland rewetting on water retention and water quality

Peatland rewetting is viewed as an effective nature-based way to regain ecosystem services such as water storage, dampening of flow extremes, and improved downstream water quality.

However, the success of rewetting efforts is difficult to evaluate due to the variety of wetland types and time lags in hydrological and water quality responses, preventing the development of rewetting strategies that optimize water-related benefits.

We address these problems with an interdisciplinary approach that links, across a chronosequence of rewetting projects, plant community ecology, hydrology, biogeochemistry and remote sensing to deliver science-based tools for water security-optimized strategies for rewetting projects.

We will: (1) Evaluate the impact of peatland rewetting on water storage, flow regulation and water quality, by extensive data collection on rewetted, drained and undrained peatlands across climatic regions, (2) Establish quantitative links between plant community trait composition and water-related ecosystem services, (3) Use drone and satellite remote sensing data to identify and upscale water-related plant trait indicators to entire peatlands, (4) Integrate plant trait indicators with hydrogeochemical peatland models to evaluate rewetting success over time and space.

Results will be merged in a simple tool that allows cost-efficient assessments of rewetting success regarding water-related ecosystem services under different hydrological settings and climate scenarios.