Description of the Business As Usual (BAU)
Organic soils drained and used as grasslands, primarily for cattle grazing or fodder production. Drainage leads to peat oxidation and decomposition, resulting in high greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Conventional grasses are unsuitable for wet conditions, requiring constant drainage. Farm profits are usually heavily reliant on direct area-based subsidy payments.
Description of the system change
Rewetting halts peat decomposition and supports wetland grasses (e.g., sedges, reed canary grass) and mosses adapted to waterlogged soils. Wet grasslands provide fodder and grazing grounds for livestock, growing media, material for thatching, or biomass for bioenergy while preserving peat carbon stocks. Degraded former raised bogs cease to degrade, leading to reduced total GHG emissions, while cultivated Sphagnum mosses replace traditional peat as a growing medium.