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Globally 15%, and in Europe over 50%, of all peatlands have been drained for agricultural use leading to high carbon (C) losses, severe land subsidence and increased flooding risks. For the restoration of C sequestration and peat formation, abandoned peatlands are being rewetted at a large scale, but this transforms them into strong methane (CH₄) sources. Furthermore, due to the high topsoil nutrient contents and/or high buffering capacities of water used for rewetting, this will inevitably result in eutrophication of restored peatlands and downstream areas, which may compromise the regrowth of peat forming vegetation including Sphagnum spp.

To experimentally determine the extent of these negative side effects in relation to water quality, and to test topsoil removal as an abatement strategy, we used a controlled laboratory approach in which topsoil and subsoil monoliths of a former agricultural peatland were …