MoorLIFE Conservation

A major part of the MoorLIFE project was the conservation and stabilisation of the blanket bogs through practical works on the moors.

There were four main actions that took place on the target areas of the South Pennine Moors Special Area of Conservation.

These were:

Stabilisation of the remaining peat and blanket bog
Lime, seed and fertiliser – to establish a nurse crop of grasses that will only live for a few years and will continue to stabilise the peat and allow dwarf shrubs (such as heather) to establish
Gully blocking – to affect the hydrology to re-wet the blanket bog. Bogs need water to work as an ecosystem, so this can be an essential part of the restoration process.
Diversification of the plants on restored areas – the seed we spread comprised of a few species of grasses so to help the diversification small plug plants of cotton grass and other moorland plants were introduced. Towards the end of the project sphagnum was spread using new application techniques.

Reintroducing sphagnum mosses

New methods of reintroducing sphagnum over large areas were developed over the course of the MoorLIFE project

Using heather brash, lime, fertiliser, nurse crops of grasses and native seed from heather, cross-leaved heath and wavy haired grass.

Guidance for land managers on managing blanket bog

Find out where conservation and monitoring works took place during the MoorLIFE project

Benefits of our work