The ecological restoration of Canadian peatlands

Peatland restoration is definitely among one of the best nature-based solutions to mitigate climate global warming and restore biodiversity. For the past 30 years, the Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association (CSPMA) has been 1) supporting R&D in peatland restoration, 2) engaging in trials and errors toward responsible management of degraded peat extraction sites, and 3) holding workshops on seeking solutions to the after-use of peatlands. All these actions have made it possible to assist the recovery of Sphagnum-dominated peatlands that had been degraded or damaged. Science-based evidence of successful recovery will be presented, such as biodiversity recovery for flora, insects or birds, good control of invasive plants, resilience of a restored peatland to fire post-restoration (a first demonstration in the science of ecosystem restoration) and, the last but not least, the fantastic return of the most emblematic ecological function of peatland ecosystems: that is the recovery peat accumulating function in less than 15 years.