Ecohydrological survey and hydrological restoration plan at Roudsea Wood and Mosses NNR - 2026/2027

This study is funded by and contributes toward the Species Recovery Programme - Raised Bog Lagg Restoration Boosting Species Recovery project. The four species that project addresses are:

- Carex flava - Large Yellow Sedge (a vascular plant)

- Coenophila subrosea - Rosy Marsh Moth

- Rheumaptera hastata - Argent and Sable Moth

- Hagenella clathrata - Window-winged Sedge (a caddisfly)

This contract spans two financial years 2026/27 and 2027/28 to enable background research and a full field season to take place.

The aims of this project are to

-understand and characterise the development of the peatlands at Roudsea and the likely pre-modification status of habitats and ecohydrology.

- understand how modifications from this 'reference' state have influenced the development of what we see today, and how this can be remediated.

- understand how the status of the four species is likely to have been affected by these changes.

- identify where and how these habitats are hydrologically damaged.

- to model the impacts of sea level rise on these habitats and species.

- to design a restoration plan to restore (within the project area) the hydrology of the SSSI Lowland Raised bog, the fen habitat within the wood and to maximise opportunities for the habitats and the four protected species to thrive and be resilient to the impacts of climate change and sea level rise.